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Chapter Text

Johto: The Confluence (Arc 1)

It is said that home is 'where the heart is', but as far as Ash Ketchum was concerned at this moment, home was where the food tasted really, really bad. Though he was getting better, insofar that what he made was now somewhat edible, it was a far cry from anything that anyone would willingly eat.

Dressed in a simple black shirt and blue jeans, he found himself sitting at his sizable dinner table, a fine piece of hard maple furniture picked out by his loving mother. I mean it looks… better this time… he thought, prodding the bowl of stew in front of him. The meat, shredded off the bone from being far to overcooked, meshed amongst the yellowish broth to create what could only be described as a "muddy" texture. At least it didn't smell terribly this time.

"Well buddy… down the hatch!" he exclaimed to his best friend, a small, yellow, furry creature that sat beside his seat as he shoveled the stew into his mouth.

"Pika Pika" the Pikachu said, a tint of concern apparent in his voice. His lightning bolt shaped tail swung side to side in anticipation, preparing for the worst. He wouldn't have to wait long to see how this scenario would play out, as Ash quickly finished his stew. Ash placed his bowl back on the table, his expression blank, almost as if he himself was awaiting any unintended consequences for daring to eat the meal that he made for himself.

"Hey… that wasn't all bad" he said with a sigh of relief, which was mimicked by Pikachu shortly after. He got out of his chair and kneeled next to Pikachu, patting his head with enthusiasm. "See, that didn't taste too bad". Pikachu chuckled, knowing quite well as to how bad Ash's cooking had tasted just a few days ago. He couldn't fully disagree with Ash's sentiments, however. Pikachu knew that Ash could do almost anything that he put his mind to. It was getting his mind to focus on anything that wasn't Pokémon battling that was the problem.

"Hey Pikachu, it's looking pretty good outside, wanna do some training?"

Pikachu cried enthusiastically. It has been a few days since he had trained with Ash, as the young man had spent the last 2 weeks moving into his new house. A small, isolated place near mount Silver in the Johto region, it wasn't the first place that he, nor anyone else really, would expect Ash to move too. That was after already handling the idea of the nomadic trainer settling down. Such decisions didn't really matter to Pikachu. He would stand by his trainer's choices, whether he understood them or not.

"Alright!" Ash said, quickly standing tall, a smile beaming on his face. "Let's get to it…"

His pre-training rush was interrupted by a loud ringing from his pocket. He fished out his smartphone, one of many home-welcoming gifts he received, this one given by the illustrious professor Oak himself. Quickly glancing at the screen, he turned it over to Pikachu.

"It's Dawn!" he said enthusiastically. Ever since he moved into his new place, he had been receiving calls from the many friends that he had made during his 11 years of travel. He had just spoken with Clemont and Lana that morning, both congratulating him on his recent self-domestication.

"Come on up Pikachu, let's say hi together."

"Pika!"

Ash stuck out his hand to let Pikachu crawl up his arm and perched himself on Ash's shoulder. Ash answered the call, turning on the video screen with himself and Pikachu in view.

"Hey Ash! How are things going?" Dawn said over the phone. Ash could only see her face from the camera, the shine of the screen illuminating her blue eyes and dark blue hair in what seemed to be a dimly lit room. Ash could see that she was lying in a large bed, with a bedside table with an old dial-up phone sitting beside it. He guessed that Dawn must have been staying at a hotel somewhere. Whatever region she was currently in must have had a later time zone then Johto, and she was likely just about to head to bed before she called him.

"Things are going great. Finally got around to setting up all my stuff, and now I can just take it easy."

"Take things easy? Am I really talking to Ash right now? What's this all about Pikachu?"

"Pika Pika!"

"Hey, we were just about to do some training right before you called!"

"Right, suuurrreee you were,'' Dawn said, her playful judgement apparent in a sly smile that Ash was quite familiar with.

"You know, I still can't believe that you decided to settle down, and all on your own as well"

"If I'm being honest…" Ash scratched the back of his head "Neither can I really."

"So, why did you do it?"

Ash knew this was coming. He had been hearing this question all week, and he gave the same answer every time.

"It just felt right, I guess. Just… I guess it was the right time I suppose."

"I get it. Sometimes change finds you before you find it," Dawn hoped the sentiment made any sense to him. It barely made sense to herself. "Have any plans to travel again? Maybe challenge another league?"

"Maybe. Just… not right now," Ash responded, somewhat half heartedly.

"Hey Ash, you just do what your heart tells you, like you always have," Dawn said, noting Ash's slight change in demeanour. "No need to be concerned, right?"

"I think you meant to say no need to worry,"

"Well…" Dawn attempted not to snicker, though she was relieved that Ash's response held an aura of levity to it. "I know that's when you worry the most."

Ash cracked first; his chuckle being followed closely by Dawn and even Pikachu. Dawn's old catchphrase was burned into his memory from his days in Sinnoh. He couldn't disagree with the sentiment though. It's not like stewing in doubt had helped him much in his travels, and he was quite certain they wouldn't help him now. It would be a lie to say that he never had his moments of uncertainty, nor would it be accurate to say that these moments had never caused him to reconsider his dreams and aspirations. But it was because of his friends, human and Pokémon alike, that he persevered.

"You're starting to sound like your mom you know," Ash said.

"Hey! How could you!"

"It's true!"

"Well, you didn't have to say it out loud Ash!" Dawn said, arms crossed in defiance.

The joint chuckle turned into belly laughing among the trio. Dawn hoped that the next-door hotel recipients couldn't hear her. They could, but that knowledge wouldn't have stopped her anyway.

"Hey Dawn…" Ash was the first to stop laughing, though he still struggled not to trip on his own words as his laughter subsidized. "Thanks for calling. It's good to talk to you."

"Anytime Mr. Ketchum."

"Mr. Ketchum? uuummm…"

"Well, you're out here being so grown up now and all that so… Mr. Ketchum."

"Okay, okay, very funny," Ash could have talked to Dawn for a while longer, but he did promise to do some training with Pikachu, and even he could tell that Dawn's speech was becoming more and more slurred. Just how late was it over there anyway?

"Alright, me and Pikachu have some training to do. I'll see you later."

"See ya," Dawn said as she hung up the phone. Ash reached over to Pikachu, still perched on his shoulder. He rubbed the little Pokémon's head.

"That was fun."

"Pika!" Pikachu responded with a flurry of squeaks and calls.

"Alright, let's get to some training!"

Ash was right, the weather was sublime. Though neither he nor Pikachu minded training during stormy weather, they couldn't deny that training on a warm sunny day was at least somewhat preferable. Even more preferable for training was the sizable field that sat behind Ash's house, essentially constituting as his backyard. Ash watched as Pikachu ran around in the open grass, letting loose after having mostly stayed in doors for the past few days. Ash fiddled with an apple in his hand, tossing it up and down, catching it in his palm like a baseball.

"Alright Pikachu, use thunderbolt!" Ash said, tossing the apple into the air.

Pikachu's red cheeks flared with electricity as he leaped into the air. Punctuated by a slight spin mid jump, he unleashed a wave of electrical energy blasting towards the apple. Bullseye, and the apple was no more. He rushed up to Ash's feet, staring at his trainer for approval.

"Good job Pikachu!" Ash said, kneeling to pat Pikachu on his head. "You still got it."

Pikachu responded with enthusiasm. He never got tired of Ash's well-earned praise. Ash looked over Pikachu, looking over the entire field.

"Look at how much space we have here, Pikachu. Maybe I should ask Professor Oak to send over some of my other Pokémon. They would love it here. Maybe they can even live here."

"Pika! Pikachuuu!"

"I know you would have a lot of fun, being together again with all our friends."

Pikachu began running in circles again. Ash swore that he didn't add any sugar to Pikachu's meal today. Or maybe Pikachu was just that restless.

"That excited, huh?"

"Pika-chuu."

"Alright, come on, let's check out the lake."

Near Ash's home was a large body of water the local inhabitants dubbed lake Moon. There was a local legend that Lugia came to the lake to give birth, but the offspring was dragged out into the nearby river during a typhoon and lost forever to sea. Ash found it an interesting story, though he failed to question the story's authenticity considering the fact that the lake was a closed system that was not connected to any other body of water. He was not the only one however, as people would often come to the lake to pay tribute to Lugia for its blessing. Said tributers were often tourists on their way to Silver Town, often asking for luck as they sought to enter the regional tournaments, most notably the Johto Silver Conference.

Pikachu sprinted out through the treeline, Ash closely following behind. Surprisingly, Lake Moon was not at all what he imagined it would be. Rather than a pristine, crystal-clear lake, the scene in front of him was more reminiscent of a marsh, or swamp. Tall bullrushes choked the edges of the lake, and the summer bloom of algae caused the water to adopt a greenish colouration. A group of Rattata, small purple rat-like Pokémon, sat near the water's edge. Their curved tails were slouched down, implying that they felt safe near the lake. Ash decided to ignore them, at least for today.

"The other side of the lake looks clearer. Let's see if we can spot any water-type Pokémon," Ash said, pointing towards a patch where the algae seemed to dissipate. The pair moved casually towards the patch, not wanting to startle the group of Rattata. Upon reaching the other side they peered into the water. Ash sat down as Pikachu moved closer to the lakeside. The patch was fairly large, and they were able to spot various fish-like Pokémon swimming through the clearing. A magicarp even came up to Pikachu who held his head inches from the waters edge. After determining that they were not an immediate threat, it swam back out into the bloom.

"There are so many Pokémon here. This place is amazing!" Ash collapsed onto a patch of grass that was right behind him, arms and legs spread like a starfish as he gazed up into the clouds. He still wasn't used to this. Not being in a constant rush to the next gym or tournament or whatever. Just being in the here and now. For almost 11 years he had been on the road, travelling to regions far and wide, even exploring regions across the ocean like Unova and Kalos. His goal each time was simple, to challenge the gym leaders and win the regional Pokémon league. Each and every time he battled through the regions, but the league victory was always just out of his reach. Quarter finalist, semi-finalist, finalist, each time he got a little closer to that top spot.

And each time the loss stung just a little bit more. Until Alola that is. What had begun as a simple enrollment at the local Pokémon school ended up being his crowning achievement. Whether by luck or destiny, the schools head professor Kakui had decided to create Alola's first official Pokémon league, citing his intentions to bring back island traditions once forgotten with a modern twist. Just like before he climbed the ranks, some battles won easily, others just scraping a victory at the last moment. For the second time in his life he achieved the rank of finalist. Like always he gave it his all, but deep inside he felt as though it was all for naught. He would lose, as he always did, and leave once again with pleasant memories, great friends, and a bitter taste in his mouth. Yet this time was different. He won, and became Alola's first league champion.

His goal, as always, remained unchanged. In the end, becoming a league champion was just another step in his ultimate goal, to become a Pokémon master! Now what that actually meant was… vague, to say the least. Perhaps it didn't really matter as to whether or not he actually knew what that meant. What mattered was that he believed in his dream, and it's what fueled his desire to travel and explore the world. Well, until recently. After Alola he continued to travel, working with a colleague of professor Oak alongside another trainer who was a tad bit too obsessed with catching every Pokémon he could. Granted, it wasn't like Ash was any less excitable when it came to his aspirations. He helped catalogue Pokémon and research strange anomalies in regions both new and old. And during this time his adage never changed, his will never faltering for even a moment.

Until last year, something… changed. He wasn't sure what, why, or how, but the wanderlust that had gripped his heart for years had seemingly left him. It wasn't a sudden change, no grandiose, traumatic or enlightening event that caused him to suddenly rethink every aspect of his life. It was gradual, like his calling had suddenly vanished. He no longer beamed when asked what his dream was, the righteous conviction that he would usually give seemingly sapped out of him. He knew he didn't want to simply return home for a bit of placid living, but he felt like he needed an anchor, something to keep him down but still keep him busy. After his tenure under professor Cerise he had made enough money from his research expeditions as well as his championship earnings to find a nice, sizable household in the Johto region.

Seconds passed into minutes, which then passed into almost an hour. Ash's mind became a foggy haze as he almost drifted off to sleep.

"Pika!"

Pikachu suddenly hopped right next to him, chirping excitedly. Ash peeled his eyes open, feigning a smile. The interruption was quite rude, but he found it nearly impossible to stay mad at Pikachu for any amount of time. He was his best friend, his loyal travelling partner ever since he left Pallet town. Granted, he did wish that the small Pokémon would let him nap peacefully for a few hours.

Ash didn't realize that Pikachu's enthusiasm was the last thing that would be keeping him awake, as a jolt of water swelled from the lake and rained down on the pair. Pikachu leaped up and down in joy. Ash stayed down, his smile not dissipating even as he realized that the peace he sought would likely only be found at his bed back home. His grin widened at the sight in front of him.

"Totodile!" Ash yelled as a small, blue reptilian Pokémon leaped into his arms. Its red fins and sharp teeth would suggest that the Pokémon was a fearsome little predator. But Ash couldn't feel safer as he hugged the scaly Pokémon tightly, even as it thrashed about. He was somewhat shocked that one of his Pokémon had wandered away from the professor's lab all the way to Johto, but he would never turn his nose up at being with one of his loyal friends. He stood up, still giggling profusely, with Totodile leaping onto the floor and looking up at Ash expectedly.

"Totodiiiile!" Totodiles high pitched rasp was unmistakable.

"How did you get here buddy? The professor must be worried about you" Ash responded.

Totodile leaped up and down, squealing excitedly before rushing into a bush near the edge of the lake. The little blue Pokémon quickly returned carrying a large white box. He handed it to Ash expectedly, his small arms just barely raising it over his head.

"What's this?" Ash grabbed the box from Totodile, who continued to hop excitedly. Pikachu looked up with interest as well. Getting a better look at the box, he noticed a red bow planted in its center, and a note sitting right in the corner, with a name scribbled in elegant handwriting.

"To my dearest Ash Ketchum, love Mo…"

In a moment, his heart stopped, and time ceased to be.

Ash was no stranger to bizarre, out of body experiences. During his travels he had been introduced to the spiritual aspect of the Pokémon world on numerous occasions. Some could argue that it was becoming a common occurrence. This felt different, however. During these experiences he usually felt normal. Well, perhaps he felt a little more weightless than he would in the material world, but nothing like this. He felt cold. Not like the cold one would feel when standing out on a freezing winter's day. It was like he was in a despondent vacuum where warmth and light ceased to be.

This must be… am I…

Not exactly.

Ash's thoughts were interrupted by… his own thoughts? No, there was someone else here, someone in this world, or was he inside his own mind? His vision was useless here. He couldn't even tell if his eyes were opened or closed. All he saw was a darkened, purplish black haze as far as the eye could see.

Who are you? Where are we?

Well, it's complicated… turn around.

He turned, or at least he thinks that he turned around. It didn't really feel like he had any control over his own form. The only indication was that a human-like figure came into view.

Huh… are you some kind of Pokémon?

Not exactly. Well… not at all.

The figure stepped, or floated, closer to Ash. His figure and visage became clearer. Finally, Ash managed to get a good look as to whoever this person was. It was quite a bit surprising as to how familiar this person looked.

It was himself, well, sort of. There were some obvious differences in appearance. His eyes were a dulled red, and his spiky black hair hung more towards the front of his head then the back like Ash's. He was also slightly less tanned than Ash, and he wore a large red jacket over a black shirt and blue jeans. Despite these minor discrepancies, it was like looking into a mirror

Hey you're me! Ash said… er… thought?

You don't sound too surprised.

I've met other me's before. Ash's journey had introduced him to some truly bizarre worlds and scenarios. He was quite aware that there were other Ash's out there in the ethereal void, whatever that was. But this one was different. His other copies looked more like him, but he could almost feel the thoughts and feelings of this one.

The names Red, nice to meet you.

Names Ash. What's going on?

I'm afraid that I don't have much time to explain. But something big is happening right now. Something that will change our world forever. You'll see soon enough.

Wait… Ash's mind spun. This was a lot to take in at once. What do you mean? Why am I here?

I don't have time to explain right now. But you must go to Heart Village.

Heart village?!

It's a small village on the opposite side of Mount Silver. You will learn more when you get there.

Learn more?

I wish I had time to… no… he's here.

Ash couldn't believe that he could feel any colder than he already did, but a shiver ran through his currently non-existent spine.

Who… is he?

Before he could answer, Red's form morphed right in front of him, his features twisting and distorting until he seemed to merge into the mass of black and purple that once again consumed Ash's vision and mind.

"TOTODIIILLLEEE!"

"PAKAPI!"

Ash lay unconscious next to the lakebed, his body completely limp. He would almost look dead if his eyes weren't wide open, continuously darting in random directions. Pikachu and Totodile panicked next to their fallen trainer. No amount of nudging or pulling seemed to wake him up. Pikachu prepared to lightning bolt, a usually certified method of getting Ash into a neutral, if somewhat painful, state of being. This time however, Pikachu hesitated. He had seen the trainer knocked out on plenty occasions, the results of a life battling and fighting the good fight, but this felt… different. Inexplicably different. His ears lowered as he contemplated what to do. In his stewing he almost didn't notice that Totodile had become uncharacteristically focused on the lake. Totodile's posture was also odd, leaning forward, like a predator stalking its prey.

"Heart Village, Heart Village…" Ash mumbled, his eyes now closed shut. Pikachu rushed over to Ash again as Totodile continued to glare at the water.

"Pika!" Pikachu called out again and again to no avail. Nothing else was working, he had to do something. He began charging up electricity.

"Totodile!" Pikachu heard Totodile yelp as a massive figure launched itself out of the water. Its large serpentine figure, blue scales, and gaping maw full of sharp teeth left it unmistakable. A Gyarados! It launched right over Totodile who leaped up into the air to intercept it. Pikachu didn't know what this Gyarados was doing here, but at that moment he didn't really care. All he knew was that it was charging right in their direction.

Pikachu released the charging thunderbolt intended for Ash directly at Gyarados. He figured that he caught the other Pokémon off guard, but the Gyarados countered, releasing a massive hyberbeam. A beam of glowing white energy unleashed from the pokemons mouth and intercepted the lightning bolt. Pikachu's vision flashed white as the colliding energy beams exploded on impact. When his vision came back, the Gyarados was… gone. But where could it have gone?

"Pikacha… where…" Pikachu turned to Ash, who had suddenly woken up, thought still seated on the ground. While looking physically fine, Pikachu could tell that the trainer was exhausted. He didn't know what to do, he just knew that he had to defend Ash. He frantically looked around for Totodile, who was also out of immediate sight. Ash hobbled to his feet.

"Pika!"

"I'm alright… Pikachu" Ash said in bated breaths. Pikachu could tell that he was shivering profusely. They had to get home…

"TOTODILE!" Ash screamed as he began to limp towards the lake. Pikachu followed closely beside him, staying alert for the Gyarados or any other potential threats. It was only when they got to the edge of the lake that Pikachu also saw Totodile, face down and limp in the water. Ash leaped, or more accurately fell, into the waist deep water, pulling out Totodile and cradling him in his arms.

"Totodile?!" Ash looked over at Pikachu "We have to get him home. We can call nurse Joy when we get there."

"Pi…" Even before he could respond, Pikachu realized too late that they wandered into a trap. Leaping from the water the Gyarados was now only a few meters away from Ash and his Pokémon. Pikachu leaped into the water to intercept the Gyarados but it was too late. The massive serpent arched its back and swung at Ash with its long tail. Ash and Totodile collided with Pikachu in midair, launching the three out of the water and onto the lakeside grass.

"Pikachu… totodile…" Ash whimpered as he witnessed the Gyarados collecting energy into his maw. It was the last thing he saw as his sight faded to black once again.

Chapter Text

Ash felt like he had been here forever.

He did not know where he was, or what was happening. He remembered… a Gyarados? Or at least he thinks it was a Gyarados. He couldn't remember, he couldn't even think. But he could still see, still feel. And while he saw very little, he felt a lot.

He was sitting on a white chair in an empty white room. No colour, no windows, not even a door. There was just… nothing. He didn't move a muscle, he couldn't even if he tried. He felt bound to this chair, content to stay in this room forever, drifting into utter thoughtlessness.

Well, he would, but despite the complete lack of sensory stimulation provided by the room, he felt multiple intrusive forces clamoring all over his body. He could feel arms grasping at him, almost like a force was lifting him from his feet. Yet he remained motionless, completely undisturbed by any external influence. He felt a cold sensation running down his head and through his entire body. It felt like water, yet he was completely dry. These feelings came and went as time trickled on. Or… at least he thinks time was passing. Time did not exist here, concepts such as past and future ceased to register. He just waited, and waited ,and waited, until the room began to get brighter, and brighter, and brighter…

Ash couldn't see anything as he opened his eyes, the blinding light consuming his vision. For a moment he panicked as his memories began to flood back in. Where was that Gyarados? Wasn't it just attacking him? He tried to jolt himself up, only now realizing that he was lying down. He rose slowly, his muscles feeling extremely stiff. His eyes finally adjusted to his new surroundings, and he immediately realized that he wasn't outside anymore.

He was lying down on a simple floor mat in a large room, his body covered by a purple woolen blanket. He was relieved that the room wasn't white. Instead, the room's walls were adorned with red oak boards. Warm sunlight poured through an open window that gave him a view of the dense forest outside. He noticed several paintings on the walls, all depicting various people wearing simple coloured robes, conducting daily chores with various Pokémon. One showed a young woman in a grey robe, washing clothes near a small river with her Psyduck. Another painting showed an old man in a red robe, carrying a large basket next to a Totodile…

"Totodile?! Pikachu!?" Ash said aloud as he recalled his final moments at Lake Moon. Pikachu and Totodile were in his arms as he went unconscious. A sharp pain emanated from his chest as he attempted to jump to his feet. He tossed off the blanket, revealing that he was shirtless, with gauze wrapped around his ribs and abdomen.

"Wait… what?" his voice panicked and rasped. The scenario was getting stranger and stranger by the second. He attempted to get up again but he could only manage to wince in pain. He wasn't going anywhere, anytime soon.

"Oh, you're awake" Ash heard a voice from the other end of the room. He didn't even realize that someone had entered. Standing at the door was a young woman, wearing a yellow robe, similar to the people in the paintings, with a purple sash around her waist. Her clothing matched her yellow eyes and blonde hair which was tucked underneath her most striking piece of attire, a large straw hat. She also held a small satchel over her shoulder.

"Who are you? Where am I? Where's Pikachu and Totodile?" Ash asked, his voice raising at the final question. He didn't intend to sound hostile. Ash was the last person to immediately distrust a stranger, but even he couldn't help but feel suspicious about the current situation, especially when the safety of his Pokémon was in question.

"Your Pokémon are doing well; they're just resting in the other room," the women responded with a soft tone. Ash couldn't help but feel relieved.

"Good, good," Ash said as the woman began to make her way towards him. She knelt down next to him, eying his bandages.

"As for my name, well," she snickered, almost like she was remembering an old joke "some call me Amarillo del Bosque Verde, but you can call me Yellow. It's nice to finally speak to you."

"Well it's nice to meet you, Yellow!" The slight hostility in his voice had completely vanished. Yellow smiled, he was just like him. "My name's Ash, from Pallet town."

"Pleasure to meet you, Ash. You're probably very confused by all of this. I will explain everything to you in a bit, but first I need to treat your injuries."

"So, you're a nurse? Like Nurse Joy?"

"Well, not exactly," Yellow said as she placed her hand on his chest. Her hand felt warm and surprisingly soothing on his sore chest. For a moment, Ash didn't even realize that her hand was glowing! An ethereal, whitish glow emanated from her palm. It was almost like she was imitating the healing auras exhibited from certain Pokémon such as the enigmatic Chanseys that accompanied many of the Pokémon nurses that he met in his travels. He had seen individuals with similar abilities before, but it never failed to amaze him whenever he witnessed them showcase their powers.

Ash felt his chest becoming numb. It wasn't comfortable, but it was far preferable to sharp jolts of pain. Finally, the pressure dissipated altogether.

"You should stay put for a while. My powers aren't as effective as they used to be, so you'll need to rest for a couple hours."

"It's fine… thank you" Ash said, lying back down. He had no idea what Yellow meant by "not as effective" considering that she just conducted a minor miracle, but those questions would hopefully be answered when she was ready.

"PIKA!"

Ash quickly raised his head, spotting Pikachu standing on the other side of the room. Ash was relieved to see that Pikachu looked uninjured. Actually, he looked even better than that, and happier than ever. Pikachu sprinted towards the pair, looking to leap into Ash's arms, which were already outstretched to catch the small Pokémon. To his surprise, Pikachu paused right before jumping, standing next to Yellow. He looked at her with a puzzled expression, almost as if he was expecting something. Yellow reached down and held out her hand, placing her palm on Pikachu's forehead. While the glow was gone, Ash could feel that what she was doing now wasn't any less mystifying.

Is he… is he better now? Pikachu's concern hadn't lessoned even though Ash was now awake. Yellow heard his thoughts clearly, another facet of her abilities.

Yes he is, but take it slowly, ok?

Rather than leaping, Pikachu crawled slowly into Ash arms. Ash was surprised by his gentleness. He didn't know what that little interaction entailed, but he was quite sure that it was more than a simple head pat. It wasn't exactly like anything about the current situation was normal.

"Hey Pikachu, it's good to see you're okay," he said as Pikachu laid in his lap. He rested soundly, trying his best not to disturb Ash.

"He's been so worried for the last few days. Totodile as well," Yellow said

"I'm sure they were… wait? A few days?" The concern in Ash's voice returned.

Yellow fully sat down next to Ash, legs crossed and hunched forward.

"I guess it's time I told you everything. But where to start…," Yellow's voice became stern. "Well… It's better if I show you". Yellow reached into her bag and pulled out a photograph, facing it towards Ash. His heart skipped a beat.

"This is you, from another world," Yellow said, holding out a picture of Red.

In an instant, it all came back to him. He remembered being at his home, speaking to Dawn, and heading out for a stroll to Lake Moon. He remembered falling, being in an ethereal world and speaking to Red. He remembered the Gyarados attacking, Totodile feinting, and him and his Pokémon being knocked unconscious…

"I've met him. His name's Red, right?"

Yellow's eyes widened. "You've seen him?! Where?! Is he hurt?! Is he ok?!" Her voice was panicked, her calm demeanour breaking at the seams as she leaned forward from her position.

"I… I don't know where he is but…" Yellow glared at him. He realized that he should probably choose his next words carefully. "He looked okay, or… well…"

"I'm sorry," She calmed herself, letting her muscles relax and allowing herself to breathe. She sighed in relief. "Let me finish first. We can talk about Red later."

"Alright, so what's going on?" Ash asked. Red must have been important to Yellow. Maybe they travelled together. I wonder if they were Pokémon trainers. If Red is anything like me…

"Like I said, Red is from another world, as am I. It's difficult to explain but people just sort of… appeared," Yellow shrugged. She knew that she wasn't the best person to explain the situation. The reality was that even she wasn't really sure what had happened, and the debates still ran rampant among professors around the world.

"A few weeks ago, something happened. No one knows what exactly happened, but everyone felt it. It was like…"

"Like your heart stopped in place." Ash finished. So, it wasn't just him.

"Yes. Some had different side effects, but," She shuddered slightly at the memory "it was like a moment in time was just… taken away. It only lasted for a moment, but when everyone came to, they realized that there were all new people surrounding them."

"But… how do we know that we're from different worlds?"

"Well, you and Red aren't the only lookalikes. People all over the world reported that they suddenly ran into people who were identical to them. The weird thing is that how identical they actually were would vary between them as well."

"Vary?"

Yellow nodded. "Some looked almost identical like twins, others had slight differences in appearance," she motioned at Ash and the picture of Red. "Many had different parents, who would also have lookalikes, with different kids and families. Sometimes these lookalikes would be at different ages, or different names, or even different personalities, but the similarities were unquestionable." She paused for a moment, pondering on that last sentence. "How old are you, anyway?".

"Twenty-two."

"Ya, you looked a bit younger. Red's twenty-nine"

"Twenty-nine?!" Ash didn't intend to say that so loudly, but Red didn't look that much older to him. "Guess I age pretty well, huh?". Ash placed his hands behind his head, oddly proud of himself.

"He's only seven years older."

"But that's still like… a lot of years ya know?"

He is a lot like Red…

"So, how old are you?" He asked

"Twenty-seven," Once again Ash was surprised. Even though she was sitting down; he could tell that she was quite short. He didn't comment on it though, not wanting to be rude.

"So, how did I end up here then? Where even is here?"

"We're in a small monastery near Mount Silver. Some of the other members found you and your Pokémon unconscious while on their way to Silver Town. You were all hurt really, really badly, so they brought you to me."

"So, you're a healer or something?"

"Yes, well sort of. I am a child of the Viridian Forest."

"The Viridian Forest?" Ash was quite puzzled. He didn't recall anything particularly unique about the Viridian Forest. As far as he knew, it was just… a forest.

"Yes. In my world, once every 10 years, a child born in the Viridian Forest is given special powers. I can heal Pokémon and people, with great effort. I can also read Pokémon's minds…"

"Like Pikachu. That's what you were doing earlier!" Ash said, Pikachu still laying on his lap. Ash found it somewhat odd that the usually active Pokémon was so content to stay still and awake during this entire conversation.

"I have been healing you over the last two weeks, but admittedly my healing abilities have been waning for a few years now. I used to be able to heal almost any injury within a few hours, but now it takes me a couple of days."

"How… how badly were we hurt?" Ash asked hesitantly. He could already assume the worst, considering his own injuries, as well as the implication that he was knocked out for so long.

"Your Pokémon were badly injured, but you were far worse. It looks like they fought hard to protect you, but they could only do so much."

"Oh they did plenty," Ash said, smiling down at Pikachu while he scratched the spot behind his pointer ears.

"Chuu," a high-pitched voice called from behind them. Ash and Yellow looked over to see another Pikachu standing at the doorway. The heart shape on its tail indicated it was a female, and she had a bright pink flower situated on the base of her left ear. Next to her was Totodile, who looked somewhat cautious to enter the room. It was a far cry from his usual, energetic self.

"Hey Chuchu. I see Totodile's awake too," Yellow said, motioning for the two Pokémon to approach her. Chuchu ran up to her trainer, with Totodile following timidly behind her. They both stopped in front of Yellow.

"Thanks for bringing Totodile here" Yellow said, rubbing Chuchu's head. She looked over at Totodile. "Don't worry, he isn't angry. He's just happy you're safe."

But I wasn't strong enough and he… Totodile's thoughts drowned in malaise.

Ash couldn't read Pokémon's minds like Yellow, but he could easily tell when they were in distress.

"It's okay Totodile, you did the best you could," Totodile looked up meekly at Ash, letting out a limp croon. Ash gave him a reassuring smile. "Totodile, you and Pikachu did everything you could to protect me against that Gyarados. I couldn't be prouder of you two." Totodile smiled and put his chin up.

"Totodile!" The pitch returned to Totodile's voice.

"That's more like it!" With Totodile calmed, Ash's thoughts turned to his assailant. "I wonder why that Gyarados was so mad…"

"Actually," Yellow interrupted "that's also something that has been reported all over the world. Wild Pokémon suddenly appeared just like the people did, and many were extremely agitated and aggressive. My guess is that whatever happened to cause this merging has made them angry. Pokémon are very sensitive to changes in their ecosystem, so this must have caused a massive stir for all of them."

"Yah, I think I get it" Ash said, though the reality was that a lot of what Yellow was saying was going over his head for most of this conversation.

"I'm sorry. I would like to explain more, but I must return to my duties," Yellow stood up. "In a few hours you should be good to move around. Just stay here for a bit longer. Chuchu will stay as well. If you need anything, send her to come get me."

"Thank you. I'll be fine with my Pokémon with me" Ash said as Yellow made her way towards the door. Chuchu waved her goodbye. Yellow waved back to her in turn. As Yellow was about to leave the room, Ash remembered one of his earlier questions.

"So, how do you know Red anyway, is he a friend of yours or…"

Yellow's heart tensed. She didn't really want to answer this question, but she figured that there was no point in lying to the young man.

"He's my fiancé" She said, closing the door behind her as she left the room.

Chapter Text

Thankfully, it wasn't a bright light this time. Rather, Ash woke up to the soothing afternoon sunlight, and a faint yet sweet smell coming from his left, just off his mat. Turning to the source he saw Chuchu sitting next to a bowl of soup, a small wooden spoon hanging off the side. The Pikachu looked at him expectantly, almost like he woke up right on schedule.

"Hey Chuchu, is that for me?"

Chuchu answered by nudging the bowl closer to him.

"Thanks."

Picking up the bowl he took a sip almost immediately. Luckily for him the soup was warm, but not hot enough to burn his tongue. The soup was sweet, though it held an underlying bitterness. He could taste an unorthodox combination of carrots mixed with tomato berries that gave it its slight punch. It tasted good, at least he thought so. Better than the taste though was the heat he felt rush down his neck and into his body. He was completely healed, and the feeling had returned to his chest and torso. He peeled off the gauze quickly and stood up from his mat.

"Pika-chu!" Chuchu called out excitedly. She quickly ran out the door.

Ash stretched out his arms with a loud groan. His limbs were quite stiff after not moving for weeks. He felt the smooth wood under his bare feet. Looking around he noticed that his red shoes were neatly placed next to the doorway. He also realized that Totodile and his Pikachu were nowhere to be found.

"Pikachu? Totodile? Huh...?" Ash figured that they must have run off somewhere. Perhaps to explore, or find food, or even to speak to Yellow. Turns out that they weren't that far, as the two Pokémon rushed back into the room, followed by Chuchu.

"Toto-dile!" Totodile's spirit was back as he hopped towards Ash, holding the box that he gave to him at Lake Moon. Ash also noticed that Pikachu held something in his mouth, a small plastic bag. They placed the items at Ash's feet.

"Wow, all this for me, huh?" Ash said, kneeling to scratch Totodile under his chin. Totodile let out an audible gurgle of satisfaction. Ash looked at both items, deciding to check the plastic bag first.

"Let's see what we got in here" Ash said as he pulled out a bundle of clothes from the bag, a simple black shirt and somewhat baggy jeans. "A fresh pair of clothes? Thanks Pikachu". Ash waited no time to change into them.

"How do I look?" He asked. The three Pokémon called out enthusiastically.

"All that's missing is a hat…" Ash stroked his unkempt hair. Totodile hopped several times in excitement over Ash's words. Ash picked up the box, remembering the message that was written on it.

"To my dearest Ash," He took a deep breath. "Love Mom". Being able to read the short note felt like a victory all its own. He hastily ripped off the bow sealing the box and opened it. Inside was what seemed to be a blue jacket and a brand-new hat, a red and white baseball cap. He put on the jacket first. He found it a bit odd, a long coat that went down past his knees. He placed the cap on his head, completing the look.

"Chu!" Chuchu motioned for Ash and the other Pokémon to follow her. Pikachu and Totodile followed without hesitation.

Guess it's time to see what this place is all about. Slipping into his red shoes, he followed the group into the hallway.

Much of the monastery looked similar to Ash's room, in that most of it looked more like a cottage than a place of worship. The layout of the building consisted of multiple rooms. Most were clearly set up as living spaces for the monasteries' various members, whom the group would run into on occasion as Chuchu showed them the layout. Some were polite enough, trading hellos and the occasional polite bow. Most didn't pay Ash much mind however, looking to be uncannily focused on their daily tasks, and even the ones who greeted him didn't bother to say much after. It was difficult to determine if they distrusted him in any measure or if they were simply recluse.

Chuchu led Ash and his Pokémon to a small courtyard. The area was being used as a garden, with multiple members of the monastery tending to the various plant life being grown there. There was no hint of rain despite the cloudy skies, so most of the people here were watering the plants. Ash saw dozens of flower species, though he could never identify most of them, save for a patch of sunflowers. Well, what he assumed were sunflowers anyhow. More familiar to him were the various berries growing on a handful of trees near the edges of the yard.

Chuchu ran right into the center of the yard, scanning the area on her two feet. She looked towards a patch of purple flowers, calling to Yellow, who was in the middle of watering them. She turned to Chuchu, still holding the grey watering can in both hands.

"Hey Chuchu. You need something?"

"Chu! Pika…"

"I know, but it's been like this for hours and still no rain!"

"You sure about that?" Ash interrupted. Yellow jumped slightly, not realizing that he was nearby.

"Oh, hey Ash. Good to see that you're up" Yellow eyed his new outfit. "It's good to see that the shirt and pants fit you, but I don't recall asking her to bring you a jacket like that"

"Oh this?" Ash gripped the corner of his coat. "This was a gift from my mom"

"Oh yes. That must have been the box we found next to you while you were unconscious. It suits you"

"So these...?" He released his coat and tugged at his shirt.

"You were a wreck when we found you, and your old clothes were tattered up pretty badly. We had some extra clothes here at the monastery. I'm just glad we had a set that fit you so well" Yellow gripped her own robe, somewhat mimicking the same gesture that Ash had made "If we didn't, we would have given you one of these. And I doubt they would suit your tastes…"

"Well, you're not wrong about that," Ash said, scratching the back of his head. He would never judge anyone's sense of personal style, but given the choice…

"Speaking of your mother..." Yellow looked around the courtyard, making sure that there were enough people present to finish the garden caretaking without her. "We should let her know that you're up"

"Up? How does she know…" In his years of travelling Ash made sure to keep his mother updated on his travels, but a few weeks of no-contact wasn't out of the norm for him. Though he intended to finish the thought, a pressing feeling in his gut suddenly took precedence. It also didn't help that it made a very audible growl.

"Let's get you something solid to eat," Yellow said with an understanding smile.

Ash simply nodded and followed her out the courtyard.

Red had quite the appetite, but it was nothing compared to this.

The portion sizes that the monastery provided were usually modest. Today's meal consisted of a decently sized bowl of rice topped with various vegetables grown in the courtyard. Yellow had requested at least 2 for Ash, figuring that he would be quite hungry after waking up. She had hoped the soup would have tied him over until his system was ready for a proper meal. She didn't say a word as he devoured his 4th portion, caring little for small talk and general manners.

The pair sat in a large cafeteria near the back of the monastery. The open walls gave them a scenic view of an open field full of flowers, even more so than the garden. It was a beautiful sight, even with the grey sky. The café itself was simple enough, with various wooden tables and benches scattered evenly throughout. Most of the other members had eaten earlier, while the monastery chef was taking a nap at the counter that led into the kitchen, his head slumped over his shoulder as he sat on a small stool. For all intents and purposes, it was just her, Ash, and the Pokémon who were eating from a couple of food bowls that also rested on the table.

"Wow, that was great! Thanks Yellow, and…" Ash finished his fourth bowl with a large smirk, turning to look at the sleeping chef. He considered calling out his name but decided to let the man sleep. He also realized that he didn't actually know the chef's name in the first place.

"I'm sure Henry appreciates the sentiment," Yellow said.

"I'll make sure to thank him when he wakes up."

"I think the empty bowls will be thanks enough."

"Right, sorry" Ash said while rubbing his stomach. He only now realized that his display might not have been the most flattering, especially in front of someone he has just met.

"Don't be, glad to see you're feeling better," Yellow said somewhat awkwardly. "So… you said you spoke too Red…"

The fear and discomfort in her voice was apparent. She must have been waiting all day to ask about this. Ash felt bad for heading back to sleep after their initial conversation, leaving her anxious for all these hours.

"Sorry… ya…" He tried to recall the conversation. His memory was foggy as best, but there admittedly wasn't much to remember in the first place. "Well, he told me to go find some place called…" The name held on the tip of his tongue. "Heart Village!"

"Heart Village?" Yellow's hand went to her chin. Ash turned to the Pokémon, only then realizing that Chuchu was looking at them, smiling intently. The others were fast asleep, resting while the self-induced food coma wore off.

"You know where that is?"

"Yes, it's fairly close actually. It's a little-known village on the opposite side of Mount Silver. Red would go to the top of mount Silver to train, and the locals would help to take care of him. I stayed there for a while too…"

Chuchu ran up to Yellow, chirping excitedly while rubbing her cheek against hers.

"Chuchu seems pretty happy"

"We have a lot of good memories from heart village," A slight giggle was evident in her words. Ash couldn't tell if it was from the memories or if she was being tickled by her Pikachu. Likely both.

"You said he was your…"

"Right" Yellow looked as though she snapped out of some sort of trance. "My fiancé. We were getting married in two months, until he…" Her voice trailed off again, becoming quiet.

"You don't have to tell me…"

"No, I'm sorry," She took a deep breath. "About a week before the incident, he disappeared. He went for a few days of training on Mount Silver and just… vanished. He never came down and nobody could find a trace of him. Me and some of the other dexholders tried to find him but got nothing. And then this whole merging thing happened…".

"Dexholders?" Ash instinctively reached for his pocket to show her his pokedex, but realized that he had left it at home. "Like a pokedex?"

"Oh right. In your world Pokedex's are quite common. But in our world, they are a rare sight. Only a few have been made, and the trainers who receive them are the ones that the professors believe to have a unique potential. We're a small, tight knit crew, only around 20 of us."

"Wow. That sounds so cool!" Ash said with enthusiasm. "I can't wait to show you my pokedex!"

"Well first, lets contact your mother and the professor Oaks"

"Professor… Oaks?"

Ash was no stranger to clones. It's what he told Red in their brief encounter, and he was not lying. But even he had to admit that what he was seeing was somewhat disconcerting, to say the least.

Yellow had taken him into a small room that housed an old, boxy computer. It was the only one in the monastery and was seldom used. On most days the archaic machine would be collecting dust, but Yellow had been using it over the last few weeks to keep the professors updated on Ash's condition. Both professor Oaks were present on the monitor screen. Unlike Ash and Red, the Oaks were identical clones of each other. They shared the same pale skin and grey hair. They even dressed the same, wearing white lab coats over mono-coloured collared shirts.

"Ash my boy, good to see you in good health." The Oak wearing the red shirt spoke first.

"I'm alright professor Oak, thanks to Yellow over here."

"Yes, she has been keeping us updated on your condition."

"Considering what your condition was, you couldn't have been in better company during your coma" The other Oak finally spoke. Ash was slightly thrown off by his voice, which was somewhat deeper and gravellier than the Oak he was used to.

"Ah, but where are my manners?" the other Oak said. "The name's Samuel Oak, it's a pleasure to meet you".

And they share the same name, great…

"Good to meet you too Professor… I mean Samuel, um… Sir"

The other Oak raised his hand. "We figured this would be an issue for you. You can call me Dr. O."

"Really professor?" Yellow said, chuckling slightly.

"It seemed appropriate, besides…" He donned a smile, far more mischievous than anything Ash had seen from his Professor Oak. "It brings me back to the good old days."

"So, you must have known your professor Oak for a long time," Ash said to Yellow, trying not to ponder too much on what being an issue for him entailed. She lightly nodded.

"Hmmmm…" Ash could feel Dr O staring into his soul. "He really is a lot like Red."

"I've been hearing that a lot recently," Ash responded

"And you'll probably be hearing it a lot more," Dr O said

"Anyhow, I think it's time you spoke to your mother. She has been worried sick about you," Professor Oak said

Ash could only imagine what his mom was thinking at this moment. He knew that she secretly worried for him when he was gone on his travels, and he knew that it wasn't any different for when he decided to move out.

"Put her through, professor."

"It'll take a moment…" The Oaks disappeared from the screen, leaving only static.

"Hey Yellow, thanks for letting my Mom and the professors know what happened to me," Ash said.

"It was no problem really, actually it was more coincidental. I called Professor Oak, well, my professor Oak about finding you. It just so happened that he and your professor Oak had already met. They let your mother and friends know right away that you were safe with me."

"Well, then thanks for caring for me while I was knocked out. You probably saved my life."

"Once again, no problem."

The computer screen flickered to life. Ash's mother, Delia Ketchum, was in full view, making no attempt to hide the worry and concern on her face. While her brown hair was a far cry from Ash's black, her brown eyes were nearly identical to his. Ash feigned an awkward smile, fully knowing how this conversation was going to turn out.

"Hey mom… it's good to…"

"Ash Ketchum! How could you go and get yourself hurt like that!" Her voice trembled, and her eyes became watery. "I… how...?" She wiped her eyes, her words becoming a jumbled mess. "I… I was so scared that… what if" She could barely complete the last sentence ", you never woke up…"

"I did wake up mom," Ash's words were softer, even softer than he intended. He wasn't used to seeing his mother in such a state of dysphoria. Sure, he knew that she worried about him on his travels, but this was something else entirely. He wished he was there so she could hold him, to show that he was alive and safe and well. "I woke up and I'm alright. It's all thanks to Yellow and my Pokémon."

"Oh yes, Yellow" Delia tried to compose herself, suddenly realizing that they were not currently alone. "Thank you for taking care of him, for keeping my Ash safe"

"Oh, don't mention it misses Ketchum," Yellow said.

"It's all okay now. We're all safe," Ash said.

"Right, okay…" The cracking in Delia's voice began to subside, though she remained sullen. "All of your friends are worried too, so you better give them all a call."

"I will mom. Just have to get my phone back at the house… I don't remember their numbers…" Ash scratched the back of his head.

"Oh Ash… well…" Delia sighed, taking in a deep breath. "Make sure you pack plenty of clothes, and toothpaste, and..."

"Mom… I didn't even say that I'm going anywhe…"

"Please Ash," Delia raised her hand. "I know you. The worlds in trouble, and as much as I would protest, you're gonna rush right into whatever danger is in your way."

"Mom… I…"

"It's okay. You just go out there and save the world, again. And remember you promised you would come back."

It was years ago, and he had made many promises since then. The circumstances of his life would often dictate how many of them he would keep, but this was one he swore to never break.

"Always" Ash said

"Yellow, keep him out of too much trouble, alright?" Delia said

"I will."

"I'll let you guys go now." She didn't want to hang up. She didn't want Ash to leave her sight for a long time. "Love you."

"I love you too mom," Ash said, finally shutting off the computer.

For a while, Ash simply stared at the computer. He felt like the weight of the world was bearing down upon him. He knew that his mother was right, and he also knew deep down that whatever was happening, whatever Red was trying to tell him, was important. He had to see this through, no matter what. Even if it puts his life in danger. Even if, at the end of it all, he would never see his loved ones again. Of course, this was partially his imagination running wild, combined with the anxiety of seeing his own mother lament over his recent coma. He stood there for a few minutes, with Yellow patiently waiting near the corner.

"Sorry…" Ash broke the silence first.

"Hey it's alright. Your mother's very scared, but that's only because she loves you so much."

"Right… I'm okay now" Ash said, though Yellow detected a faint sniffle escaping him.

"I hate to bring this up again now, but…" She hesitated, but it was too late to back out. "We never finished our conversation about Heart village earlier."

"You want me to head to Heart Village with you and help you find Red?" Ash replied, quickly sobering up.

"Well… yes… but…" Yellow felt like she had sunk in place. "Only if you…"

"I want to find Red too. He reached out to me for a reason… I just know it," Ash said confidently as he opened the door, finding Pikachu, Totodile and Chuchu standing patiently outside. They all ran up to their trainers.

"Pika?" Pikachu looked up at Ash, sensing his unease. Ash knelt in front of Pikachu, scratching the top of his head.

"We're heading back home tomorrow morning Pikachu, and then we're going to Heart Village to help Yellow find Red."

The Pokémon cheered in unison. Ash looked towards Yellow. "Hey… you got any more of those rice bowls?"

"You're hungry?! Again?!"

Chapter Text

Thankfully, it hadn't started raining, yet.

Chapter Text

"A battle huh?" Ash said "You're on."

"No hesitation huh?" Blue said. "Good, good."

Blue tossed the pokeball to Ash. He hadn't even noticed that Blue had pulled out an opaque pokeball, not a clear one.

"From the professors. They asked me to bring this to you," Blue said.

"Thanks."

Blue examined the area around them "So where should we…"

"Right here, right now."

"Hmff.."

Blue and Ash moved to opposite ends of the driveway, while the rest of the group stood by at a safe distance.

"This Blue is a little forward, isn't he?" Gary said, looking at Yellow.

"He's a bit tough, sure, but he doesn't do anything without a purpose," Yellow responded.

"Oh senior Blue's strong alright," Gold chimed in "Red-look-alike's gonna have a tough time with this one."

"One pokémon each. First one to get the knockout wins," Blue said, taking out one of his own pokeballs. At that distance Ash could see that it was translucent, but he couldn't make out exactly what pokémon was in it, not that it mattered much to him.

"Alright," Ash looked at the pokeball Blue had given him. Even without the ball being translucent like Blue's, he knew exactly who was inside. It was difficult to pinpoint why, but it was an intuition that every trainer worth their salt had. He tossed the ball forward with a fervor he hadn't felt in a long time.

In a burst of red energy the pokémon revealed itself, a Quilava! Its slim blue body and short appendages made it look almost meek, though the red spots adorning its head and lower torso ignited to showcase a searing hot flame.

"Quilava! Long time no see!"

"Qui!" Quilava turned to face Ash, his face full of fiery determination, at least on the surface. Ash couldn't help but notice Quilava's eyes, which were unnaturally twitchy, and the flames on his back seemed to be far more erratic then he remembered. Something definitely wasn't right, but he could also tell that Quilava was more than happy to fight. If anything, it seemed like he wanted it a bit too much.

"Alright," Blue said, tossing his pokeball in a swift yet powerful motion "Scizor, come on out!"

Blue's scizor stood… well floated… as stoically as its trainer. The bright red insect-like pokémon's most striking feature was its two massive claws, and Ash was quite aware that they could do some serious damage.

"Scizor, huh?" Ash said. Being a steel and bug type, Scizor was particularly weak to fire. A couple solid hits could likely finish it off fairly quickly. However, if this Blue even had an inkling of the battle prowess that Gary had, then such a feat would be far easier said than done.

"That's right, my first pokémon. Scizor and I have trained for years," Blue raised a finger, pointed towards Ash. "You go first, Ash from pallet town."

Ash spread his feet apart and dug them in. Blue didn't budge, awaiting Ash's first attack.

"Alright Quilava, use flamethrower!" Ash yelled as Quilava launched itself into the air, unleashing a powerful blast of flaming energy directly at Blue's Scizor.

"Dodge it, and use metal claw," Blue quickly retorted. Scizor burst over the cone of fire, quickly closing the gap between itself and Ash's Quilava. Its claws hardened as they became coated in a glossy sheen of metallic energy. They hit Quilava right over its head, sending it creaning into the ground.

"Quilava!" Ash shouted as Quilava hit the rocky pavement. "Are you alright?". Quilava recovered quickly, almost responding to Ash's call. He shook off the dust collected on its fur, ready to strike again.

Part of Ash had missed this, not having competed in a proper pokémon battle in almost a year. He lived for pokémon battling, the back and forth between trainers, the unity they shared between their pokémon, the fiery power of devastating attacks and the victory of a successful strategy, pulled off in the heat of the moment with seconds deciding the difference between success and failure. It gave him a headrush unlike anything else. Or at least… it used to.

Right now the excitement was there but it was hollow. The sense of fulfillment he used to get was absent. The emotions were still present but it all felt like there was no weight to anything.

"Scizor, metal claw again!" Ash's brief moment of pause gave Blue another opening to attack, his Scizor closing the distance, swiping at Quilava who took the hit again. This time the blue pokémon got up a lot slower, his legs quivering under his own weight.

"This all you got, Ash? Why should we bother with you?" Blue looked over to where the onlookers were standing, specifically looking at Yellow "How are we going to find Red carrying this dead weight around."

The words stung Ash to his core. Has he really lost it? He continued training with Pikachu; and Quilava looked as strong as ever, being dutifully raised at Professor Oak's research lab. He couldn't give up, his pride at least was somewhat intact, and he would never forgive himself. Yet…

"QUI!"

Ash snapped back to reality. His Quilava was now standing upright on his two back legs and had turned his back to Blue, looking directly at Ash.

"Quilava, I'm…"

"QUILAVA!"

Quilava didn't need to tell him twice. Now was not the time to apologize for his self-doubt, for questioning his abilities as a trainer. He had said it himself so many times before, all he needed was to trust in his pokémon, and to do that, he needed to trust himself.

"Right Quilava," Ash said with a subtle nod. Quilava turned around, facing his opponent, both pokémon and trainer glaring down their opponents with newfound vigor.

"Hmm," Blue seemed to raise his eyebrow, though it was difficult to tell. He was difficult to read, his stoic gaze never wavering.

"Scizor, use slash!" Blue called. Scizor began to close the distance yet again, blasting through the air.

"Quilava! Use quick attack to dodge it, then counterattack with flame wheel!"

Quilava leapt into the air, circling the Scizor mid flight and landing right behind it. Using the momentum gained he immediately spiraled forward, his entire body becoming engulfed in flames, crashing directly into Scizor. The attack sent the pokémon hurtling towards the ground, its metal hide searing with heat.

"Scizor, get up and use slash again!"

In the blink of an eye Scizor leaped up, seemingly shaking off the damage it sustained.

"Quilava! Hit it head on with flame wheel! One more time!"

Spiraling once again, Quilava bathed itself in flames. He charged forward, straight into the oncoming Scizor. The two pokémon collided in a burst of energy, combusting into a large explosion.

"Quilava!" Ash screamed, fearing the worst for his pokémon. Blue didn't say a word, not even looking at the cloud, instead being more intent on examining Ash.

Finally the smoke cleared, with the two pokémon locked in the air, Quilava being firmly clamped by Scizor, who in turn looked to be incredibly weary. Seconds passed, each pokémon not moving an inch. Then, Scizor began to slowly float down, gently placing Quilava on the ground. The two pokémon looked at each other for a few more seconds, their expressions almost unreadable to even their trainers. Quilava gave in first, falling unconscious. Scizor stumbled a bit, getting down on one knee, but still awake.

Ash immediately ran up to Quilava, cradling the pokémon in his arms. Blue walked up to Scizor.

"Quilava, you did great buddy," Ash said softly. Quilava slowly opened his eyes, giving Ash a smile. "I'm sorry, I should have gotten it together sooner."

"Well done Scizor," Blue said, placing a hand on Scizors shoulder. Scizor got up and reached into Blue's pocket, pulling out a large blue Oran berry with the tip of its claw. Blue didn't resist as Scizor took the berry over to Ash, handing it to him.

"Huh? Oh… thanks Scizor," Ash said, somewhat confused, plucking the Oran berry from Scizor's claw and giving it to Quilava. "Here, take this," Quilava grabbed the berry with its two front arms and weakly nibbled at the fruit. Oran berries were highly valuable for their natural medicinal properties, and this would definitely help with the healing process. As the transaction took place, the onlookers walked over to the trainers. Pikachu and Totodile ran up next to Ash, looking at Quilava with concern.

"Pika?"

"Dile?" the two pokémon spoke quietly.

"Quilava will be fine guys," He looked back at Blue. "Thanks for the Oran berry."

"Don't thank me, Scizor's always been a bit soft since he had a brief stint with Red," Blue looked at Scizor. Ash still couldn't fully read him, but he felt that Blue didn't fully disapprove of Scizor's behavior.

"Good battle Red-look-alike, but I told y'all that Blue was tough as nails!" Gold said.

"So," Ash stood up with Quilava still in his arms. "I guess I'm not exactly like…"

"You're just like him," Blue interrupted Ash.

"But I lost. Gave it a good shot sure but…" The sourness in Ash's voice was apparent. He wasn't a sore loser per say, but he always took his losses to heart.

"I wasn't testing your skills Ash," Blue's tone shifted, sounding uncharacteristically warm. "The Professors already filled me in. They showed me videos of your fights during the pokémon leagues. I knew you had Red's talent. But they also told me about your… current situation."

"Well, you can say that maybe I'm a tad rusty."

"So was Red. Hasn't done any serious battling for a few years now. Kept his skills sharp with training but he's been…" Blue briefly glanced at Yellow "Settling down, as it were."

"Make no mistake, Red-look-alike, Red's still the best! He even personally trained yours truly!" Gold chimed in, grinning with misplaced pride.

"Red's spark may have wavered," Blue continued "But his dedication to his pokémon never faltered. And it looks like yours didn't either."

"Well, in that case, how about a proper introduction," Ash said, sticking out his right hand, slightly angling himself to keep Quilava secure in his other. "The names Ash Ketchum, nice to meet you."

"The name's Blue," Blue reached out, shaking Ash's hand. "From Pallet town."

Ash chuckled, feeling a lot more relaxed around Blue. Everyone else seemed to be a bit more relaxed too.

"It's good to finally meet you too Gary," Blue said, shaking hands with his look-alike.

"Likewise," Gary responded. "Hey Yellow, did you know about Blues plans from the start?"

"Yep," Yellow said "Though I didn't approve. I told him that Ash's connection to his pokémon was strong."

"And I didn't doubt you, but I had to know for certain," Blue pulled out a blue pokeball from his pocket. "Also here, meant to give this to you too," he tossed it to Ash, who caught it with his free arm. It was Totodile's pokeball.

"Thanks," Ash said as he clicked the pokeball. A stream of red energy engulfed Totodile, placing it safely into the ball. As he strapped the pokeball to his belt, he took out Quilava's. "Let's put you back in too, we can heal you back up in a bit." Quilava nodded as Ash placed him back into his pokeball, freeing his left hand.

"Alllrriigghhttt," Gold chimed in, sticking himself right in the middle of group. "Now that everyone's all introduced, how about we get going to Heart village?"

Gold's jeep comfortably held 5 people. However, that didn't account for the pair of pokémon eggs that were now sitting in Ash and Gary's laps, held in large cylindrical jars that managed their temperatures. At least Yellow had space to stretch sitting between them. Blue sat in the passenger's seat. Seniors right, they supposed.

"So Gold, what's with the eggs?" Gary asked.

"Professor Elm asked me to take care of em. Besides, pokémon breeding's my specialty," The backseat passengers could almost feel the smug look on Gold. Blue's scoff somewhat confirmed their suspicions.

"Really?" Gary was surprised, in his brief introduction to Gold, he didn't take him for the nurturing type.

"What can I say, I'm naturally talented."

"Definitely full of yourself, aren't ya?" Gary said.

"Guilty."

"And never lacking shame," Blue said coldly.

"Come on Blue, don't be mean now," Yellow said. Blue simply raised his hands in defeat.

"Thanks straw hat gal."

Yellow looked towards Ash who hadn't said a word yet. He had opted to stare out the window during the ride, gazing out at the countryside. The clouds had cleared, creating a more scenic view of the Johto countryside. Granted, Yellow doubted that he was staring out in awe over a couple of grassfields laden with Mareeps.

"Hey Ash," Yellow said quietly as the rest of the group chatted away.

"Oh, hey Yellow," Ash seemed to snap back to the present. "What's up?"

"Hey, I know you technically lost to Blue, but it's no big deal."

"Oh?, no that's fine," Ash replied with a smile "I've lost before, many times."

"Yah but… it's okay to feel down about it. No one likes losing."

"I know…" Ash said, his eyes staring down at the egg.

"Red's like that too. Never took a loss well," Yellow said.

"So… about Red… what was his dream?" Ash asked hesitantly, though he was now looking at Yellow.

"It was somewhat simple really, to become the greatest trainer in the world," she giggled softly. "Silly sure, but that's just how he was. He was just so… determined and headstrong," Yellow seemed to almost get lost in her own thoughts now. "Sounds childish, but that's what made him so charming…" Now Yellow snapped back to reality "I mean…".

"Hey, you're marrying him, I think you're allowed to say things like that," Ash replied.

"I guess I am," Yellow said. The two laughed, not realizing that the others weren't currently conversing.

"Hey, what's so funny back there?" Gold chimed

"Nothing, nothing," Yellow said

"Hmmm…, whatever you say."

"So…" Ash spoke quietly again. "What about you? You got any dreams or goals"

"Can't say I ever had a strong motivation like you or Red. I just wanted to help people who needed helping, whenever I can," Yellow replied

"That's as good a goal as any, and if you ask me, you're doing a good job of it. You saved me, and now you're saving Red, again."

"Right," Yellow face filled with stern determination. "And we will!"

Chapter Text

Gold parked the Jeep just off the outskirts of the village. The crew stepped out, stretching their legs after the long drive. Pikachu sat on Ash's shoulder, breathing in the fresh air intently.

"Ya know, I've never even heard of this Heart Village," Gary said.

"They're a secluded people," Blue said. "They're kind, but slow to trust outsiders."

"It took them a while to get used to Red, and myself as well," Yellow said mid stretch. "But Blue isn't lying, they are kind."

"So Ash, Yellow told me about this vision of yours, that you needed to get to Heart Village. He didn't tell you anything else?" Blue asked.

"No… I'm sorry. He was going to tell me more but then… he was gone."

"Yes, running from something, right?" Blue asked. Ash nodded.

"We should talk to the village leader," Yellow concluded. "Hopefully he'll have some answers for us."

"Well, let's get to it,'' Ash said. As the others began to move into the village, he noticed that Gold wasn't next to them. He looked back to the Jeep, noticing that Gold was standing near the Jeep's rear, looking at the eggs.

"Now you guys hang tight, I'll only be gone for a moment," he used his sweater to wipe a smudge off the glass. "Should only be a few days from now. You grow up so fast." Ash could swear he saw Gold wipe away a tear. Gold closed the jeep door and quickly turned around, his face once again beaming in a mischievous smirk. He gave Ash's arm a playful punch as he ran past him.

"Come on Red-look-alike, don't wanna get left behind now, huh?"

Ash shook his head with a smile, running alongside Gold to catch up with the others.

Being on the opposite end of Mount Silver in relation to Silver Town, it would only be appropriate that Heart Village would also be its complete opposite. Silver Town was Johtos largest city, a hallmark of modernity in a region often noted for its older infrastructure, much of it being upheld and maintained for hundreds of years. Whereas modern skyscrapers shadowed large scale commercial districts in Silver Town, Heart Village only hosted a handful of small, wooden buildings. Despite the name, Heart Village was more of a Hamlet, its population lying just under 100. Even so, one would expect the streets to at least be moderately busy. The local townsfolk would often be found conducting their daily activities, whether it be adults out to gather the ingredients for that night's supper or children gathering around to share tall tales of the dashing heroics they watched on second hand televisions.

At least that's what it was like when Yellow would stay here. The gang stood in the middle of a desolate street. They felt as though they were in a ghost town.

"Hey Yellow, was this place always this creepy?" Gold asked.

"No," Yellow said, looking around for any signs of life. "Where is everyone…"

"Hey!" the voice of a child called from the building to their right. They group turned, seeing a young boy at the doorstep. "You shouldn't be out there right now! They're coming!"

"Um… sorry, what?" Ash said, the crew sharing a confused look.

"The Geodu…" as if on cue, the ground began to rumble, the sound of tumbling boulders emanating from behind the trainers. Turning around they saw a gigantic dust cloud that almost blotted out the sun.

"Get in here, now!" He said to the group.

"Well, no need to deny hospitality I say" Gold said as he sprinted into the house. The other trainers followed suit as the dust cloud approached.

The trainers gathered around a large window that gave them a view of the street. The dust cloud rolled into the town, blasting everything in its path with sand and small pieces of gravel. The trainers could hear it thumping against the house's windows, echoing it across the entire living room that they were occupying. Then came the first Geodude. The small pokémon resembled a large boulder with a face and a pair of arms. A second followed. Then a third, then a fourth. Before long the street was full of Geodudes, rampaging through the small town. Some smashed through stalls that were left out in the open, others slammed against the sides of the houses, just aligning themselves out the way afterwards to continue their stampede.

"It's complete chaos out there…" Gary said

"It's been like this for a few weeks now" The child said, seemingly undisturbed by the storm of pokémon. "We don't know why they're doing this. They just appear from the horizon and storm through."

"Well, something must be scaring them," Yellow said

"Ya. Mom says it's a big monster over there."

"A big monster? Like a pokémon?" Ash asked.

"I don't know, but the village leader might know more," The child shrugged.

Almost as quickly as they arrived, the final Geodude made its way through the hamlet. The storm settled down, leaving a field of debris and dust caked structures in its wake. Luckily the damage was relatively minor, nothing that a day's cleanup couldn't recover from.

"Well that was quick!" Gold said, looking quite relieved.

"How often do they come here?" Blue asked.

"Every few days," The child responded.

"Hmm… Geodudes aren't known to randomly rampage through towns. They tend to stick to the mountains unless disturbed," Gary pondered for a second. "Wait, did this start happening before or after the merging?"

"I think… after!" The child responded.

"So maybe some sort of pokémon appeared that has been causing problems…"

"A pokémon causing problems? Sounds like something we can help out with." Gold said. He turned to Ash and Yellow. "Well, I guess it's up to you guys. I mean we're only here cause Red asked ya, right?.

"Of course we can help," Ash said

"Definitely," Yellow concurred. The rest nodded.

"Wow, thanks," The boy ran out of the room up the staircase that was behind the group, momentarily leaving them alone.

"Hey Red-look-alike, do you even know what you're doing here?" Gold asked Ash. "Like we know Red told you to come here with no explanation, and we're gonna go talk to the village leader but… what if they can't help at all? What do we do then?".

"Then we look for another way to find Red," Ash responded sternly.

"But… no!" Gold shook his head, as if physically exorcising his own doubts "We dexholders never gave up before."

The group heard footsteps as the child ran down the stairs back into the room. Following him was a young woman, dressed similarly to him. The group guessed that it must be his mother.

"I see Terry brought guests home today," The woman said.

"These folks were in the street. I couldn't let them get run over by the Geodudes."

"Yes, of course, dear," She said. They could tell that she was being earnest, even if slightly irritated. "Now go up to your room for a bit, watch over your little brother while I take care of our guests."

"Okay mom," Terry said with a sigh. He promptly went back upstairs.

"I'm glad my son managed to get you inside before the Geodude got you," the woman said, sitting down on a couch chair opposite to the group. "My name is Mary. I welcome you to my home."

"Thank you for your hospitality, ma'am," Blue said.

"Oh it's no issue, really. Can I get you folks anything?"

"No, that's fine ma'am," Yellow said.

"Well I mean… I…" Gold chimed in, though the glare he received from Yellow gave him pause.

"Well, what brings a group of young folk like you to our village?"

"We came to see the village elder," Yellow said. "We wanted to ask him about Red…"

"Red? Oh?! You must be Yellow!" Mary said

"Yes. I don't think we've met before?"

"No, but everyone heard about you and Red. Word travels fast here," Mary said "Congratulations."

"Oh… um… thanks" Yellow said, unsure of exactly how to take the compliment.

"Well, the storm's died down, but we gotta get things cleaned up first," Mary said, looking out the window.

"We can help," Ash said

"Do we have too?" Gold asked, sighing. He already knew the answer.

"Augh, why is everything so dusty?" Gold asked, shovel in arms.

"We were in the middle of a sandstorm, Gold," Yellow said, scooping up a pile of sand into a garbage bag.

"I know, but still. Every second I just wanna sneeze," He responded.

The entire town had come out to help clean up the sand and dirt. Men and women of all ages, children and seniors alike, all coming together and doing their part for the village. It was quite the inspiring sight, if a bit murky due to all the debris.

The trainers were split up into different areas. Gold and Yellow were shoveling sand that had piled up next to the local general store, while Ash was assisting Mary to discard a broken sign, smashed to pieces. Blue and Gary sat on the rooftop of a modest house, scooping up buckets of sand to the ground below.

"So, I guess you're Ash's rival?" Blue asked Gary bluntly.

"Well, I used to be, before I became a researcher," Gary said.

"Taking after the old man, huh?"

"Sort of. For a while I wanted to become a pokémon trainer, but somewhere down the line, I just… changed my mind" Gary shrugged. "At the time I gave it a lot of thought, but now, it just seemed like the natural choice, really."

"Hmm."

"Is something wrong with that?"

"Well, it's kinda odd."

"What, becoming a pokémon researcher?"

"No just… this sudden change. In you, in our counterparts, both Ash and Red…" Blues confusion betrayed his usual dour voice on that last name. "I've been training for most of my life to be, well, a pokémon trainer, far longer than most other people. I was taught to fight by the Cianwood city gym leader when I was only seven. That's three whole years before most kids get their hands on their first pokeball. I couldn't imagine ever changing course. Even Red was training before he turned ten, challenging other kids and wild pokémon whenever and wherever he could. To just throw all those years away…"

"I wouldn't say those years are thrown away. That stuff sticks with you for life. But…" Gary shrugged. "Listen, I can't pretend I have the answers you're asking for. I mean, how many people have their lives all figured out when they're kids?"

"I know I'm… I'm sorry. It's just, I don't know," Blue stuttered. He shouldn't be like this. Blue learned a long time ago to keep his emotions in check.

"Hey, listen, sometimes the things our friends do can be very, very confusing. All we can do is be there for them when they need us," Gary said.

"Hmm…" Blue and Gary continued their work in silence. Blue felt like he suddenly had a lot to ponder on.

After a dusty three hours, the village was finally cleaned up. One would never think that a group of wild pokémon had just rampaged through the city, save a few missing stands and little tufts of sand clogging up miniscule crevices that no cleaning object could reach. Ash and the other trainers had reconvened next to Mary's house, watching the sun begin to set over the horizon.

"Looks like we're all done. Come, you wanted to see the village elder, correct?"

"Yeah," Ash said.

"Right this way."

Mary led the group to the opposite side of the town to a small, unassuming house. They were somewhat surprised, the elders home didn't seem all too different to the others in the village. Mary proceeded to walk up to the door, knocking politely.

"Elder Stone? We have some visitors who want to speak to you."

"Oh? Who?" replied the gruff voice of an elderly man.

"A couple of pokémon trainers from out of town. One of them has been here before. She says she knows you?"

"Oh yes, of course of course, come in," said the same voice.

Mary stepped to the side as Ash stepped up, opening the door. The entrance to the house was a small space, the house expanding to his left. Ash took off his shoes and socks, letting the others in, who followed suit. They made their way to the primary section of the household. It was a modest place, even more modest than Mary's, with little in the way of decoration, save a handful of nature paintings adoring the wooden walls.

When the group turned the corner they were quite surprised by who they saw. Sure from the voice and title they expected to see a man of an older disposition, but they weren't expecting to see two of them. In front of the group sat two Elder Stones sitting on opposite ends of the rooms on simple floor mats. Both had soft faces, sporting large gray beards that made up for the lack of hair on their head, well if you asked them anyhow. In between them sat a large statue depicting a large bird. Ash guessed it was Ho-oh, but it was somewhat hard to tell.

"Don't look so surprised now," said the Stone on the right.

"Please, come sit," said the Stone on the left, gesturing to the pile of mats in front of them. The group complied, spacing themselves out appropriately, with Ash and Yellow sitting up front.

"Yellow, it's good to see you in good health," said the right Stone.

"Elder stone, it's good to see you too," Yellow said with a slight bow.

"A pleasure to meet you, Yellow."

"Likewise… um… elder… um…"

"It's alright dear," the right Stone said, chuckling.

"It would seem that you are not a stranger to this scenario, considering the company you keep," said the left Stone.

"But how rude of us. A pleasure to make all your acquaintances."

Various "hellos" and other assorted greetings emanated from the group. In retrospect, perhaps everyone answering at once didn't allow for a clear greeting. Thankfully, it didn't seem to bother the Elders too much, who simply nodded in turn, before turning their attention to Ash.

"And you… you must be Red's copy," said the left Stone.

"Yep, I'm his lookalike. The name's Ash," Ash said, not being quite sure that he liked being called a "copy".

"My apologies, I didn't mean to insinuate that you aren't a genuine article in your own right."

"As you see, my own 'copy' here can be quite uncouth in his choice of words," said the right Stone. "I myself have never met this Red, so I have no presumptions about you, other than your general politeness."

"His Pikachu's is also similar to Reds," the left Stone said.

"Pika?" Pikachu chirped softly.

"Should have figured he also had a Pikachu?" Ash said quietly to Pikachu.

"Well, if he is anything like Red, then he's certainly here with a purpose," The left Stone said stroking his beard.

"I am. Red sent me here."

"Oh?" The Stones said in unison.

"Red has been missing for a few weeks, Elders. But Ash here had a vision of Red, telling him to come to Heart village?"

"A vision you say?" said the right Stone.

"And you are so certain that this vision was accurate?"

"Yes. It's difficult to remember, but I remember his voice, how he felt…" Ash said

"So he sends you here, to our humble Heart Village."

"Then what?" said the left Stone.

"I don't know. He didn't have time to explain. Something came after him, something that ended the vision."

The Stones simply looked at each other for a moment.

"I'm sorry young Ash, but if he sent you here for something of note, I'm afraid we don't know what it is," the left Stone said.

"However, perhaps he sent you here to help us?"

"With the Geodude problem?" Gary asked

"Yes. They are coming from Mount Silver as you all have likely deduced yourselves," The left Stone said. Everyone nodded, except Gold.

"We don't have any pokémon trainers in our village, the mountain is far too dangerous for any of us to investigate," the right Stone said. "The Geodudes are being disturbed from deep inside the Mountain. You would have to go through one of the many tunnel systems in order to find out what's causing this problem."

"We'll help," Ash said

"Well, if that is that, then you may leave" The left Stone said. "It is time for us to meditate, anyhow". The Stones bowed. The group got up and bowed in turn, before exiting the house. They found Mary waiting for them outside.

"Did you find what you needed?" she asked the group.

"Not quite, but we agreed to help calm down the Geodudes," Blue said.

"Oh thank you!" She quickly looked around the group, doing an internal head count. "You can stay over at our place for the night. You'll have to sleep in the living room, and it might be a little crammed…"

"Well, better than camping outside I guess…" Gold said.

"What Gold means to say is thank you, ma'am," Yellow said, as the group followed Mary back to her house.

Chapter Text

"Right here," Ash said, staring at a gigantic crevasse on the side of the mountain.

After a night of calm, albeit cramped sleep, the trainers made their way to mount Silver, tracing the geodudes trackways back to their lair. It wasn't far off, and the crew quickly found themselves looking at a massive, rocky cliff face.

"Sooooo we're just gonna walk into a gigantic, dark, possibly haunted cave to find some monstrous pokémon and what? Scare it off?!" Gold said

"Maybe. Whatever it is, it can't be that difficult to calm or subdue, especially if it's just one pokémon," Gary said.

"And… why would it be haunted?" Ash asked

"Just preparing for the worst," Gold said, arms crossed in defensive certainty.

Blue kneeled down to take a closer look at the geodude tracks. He placed his hand down, bristling his fingers in the loosened dirt and sand.

"Hey Blue, what's going on?" Yellow asked.

"The dirt here's loose, very loose. It's likely the geodudes just arrived here this morning. We have to be careful. They might still be agitated."

"Right," Yellow said, the rest nodding. They moved forward, into the maw.

The grandiosity of mount Silver, or any of the gigantic mountains that were noted cornerstones of culture in the many regions of the world, never quite translated to the internal caverns that would wind through these monoliths. Cold, damp, and uneven, they provided the perfect environment for the many pokémon that were partially responsible for the existence of such tunnels, alongside the natural consequences of erosions and time.

The trainers marched onwards, making their way through the interior of the mountain. They received little resistance from the geodudes that preferred to rest after their day of panic. Other denizens of the caves like the blind flying Zubats and Golbats kept their space, preferring to eye the trainers at a safe distance.

"Hey, any of you hear that?" Ash said, placing his hand next to his ear. For a while the only sound they could hear were the echoes of howling wind reverberating throughout the caverns. A more subtle sound seemed to begin to emanate from deeper in the cavern. A low hummed, bellowing growl. It was certainly a pokémon, a big one.

"That… doesn't sound good…" Yellow said

"Sounds big, and nasty" Gold concurred "And probably not a ghost."

"Tread carefully. Who knows what else is in these tunnels" Blue said.

They moved deeper into the cave system, with Ash bringing out Quilava to provide a source of light. The cave began to widen, almost correlating with the intensifying bellows. They crept around one last corner, finally exiting into a chamber. It was massive, with large blue and white crystals jutting out from the floors and ceiling. A subterranean stream flowed through the cavern, splitting it down the middle. On the far side of the cave was the source of the bellowing. A Tyranitar.

The soft-green pokémon turned around, now facing the trainers. It was a truly fearsome pokémon, its large upright body giving it ample height despite its short, stocky legs. Large spikes jutted out of its back and shoulders, adding to its intimidating visage. It emanates a loud roar from its sizable head, its mouth lined with sharp, pointed teeth.

"TYRAN!"

"A Tyranitar? Great…" Gary said, pulling out a pokeball from his belt.

"Guess this is our trouble maker huh?" Gold said

"Likely…" Blue said, his pokeball already in hand.

"TYRANITAR!" The Tyranitar screamed loudly as it charged towards the group, flailing its body and tail to increase its range, aiming to hit as many people, and any other objects in the vicinity, as possible.

"Split!" Blue loudy called as the trainers leapt out of the way of the Tyranitar. The Tyranitar launched itself straight into the wall of the cavern, dust and debris blasting out from the point of impact. The Tyranitar lurched itself out of the newly created hole in the wall, looking surprisingly unfazed.

Ash paused for just a moment. Something felt wrong with this pokemon. Not just in its rampaged state, that was obvious enough to everyone present. He felt a strange sort of deja-vu, an indescribable feeling of familiarity he got when he looked at the pokemon. Pikachu and Quilava leaped in front of him, poised to protect their trainer.

"So what are we gonna do about this, guys?" Gold said in a panic, tossing out a pokeball and bringing out his Pichu. The little yellow pokemon resembled a pint-sized pikachu, with a somewhat larger head-to-body ratio. This one in particular had a tuft of hair sticking out the top of his head, seemingly taking after his trainer.

"Hey Pibu, you ready for a fight?" Gold said with faux enthusiasm to the small pokémon.

"Pichu? Pichu!" The Pichu sneered at Gold, quite displeased with his trainer's decision.

"Yah… sorry buddy…"

From the other side of the cavern Blue released his Charizard. The orange dragon-esc pokémon burst out a plume of fire from its horned head. With large wings almost as prominent as its belly, its presence almost matched that of the Tyranitar.

"Alright Charizard, get in close," Blue called out. His Charizard spread its wings and launched itself at the Tyranitar, hovering just above it. The Tyranitar snarled, snapping and biting at Charizards heels to no avail.

"Blastoise, go!" Gary called out, letting out his Blastoise. The blue turtle-like pokémon sported two massive cannons erupting from his shoulders, and an armored, near impenetrable brown shell. Like Charizard it was quite large in size, something that was quite apparent when it jumped next to the Tyranitar, cornering the opposing pokémon alongside Charizard.

The Tyranitars aggressive snarls turned to higher pitched sneers as its head swung between the multiple pokémon that were encroaching upon it. It eventually backed itself into the corner of the cave, its aggression waning.

"Alright, now what?," Gold asked, awaiting any sort of order.

"It's still dangerous," Blue said, keeping his eyes pointed at the Tyranitar. "We should probably knock it out for now and then…"

"No," Ash rushed past Charizard and Blastoise, standing mere meters away from the Tyranitar. He showed not a hint of fear, nor hesitation.

"Ash, what are you doing?" Gary called out. He considered calling out an attack then and there if Ash wasn't so close to it.

"Please…" Ash crept up slowly towards the Tyranitar, placing his palm outwards. The Tyranitar ceased its panic, eyeing the small human moving towards it. His eyes met Ash's. To the others in the room those eyes were filled with a burning intensity, the look of a pokémon ready to tear apart everything in sight. Well, to the other trainers present that's what it seemed like. Yet…

It was those eyes that made it click for Ash. He had seen them before, the eyes of the scared, the meek, the helpless. The eyes of a lost child, forcefully ripped from the safety of its home. It wasn't just any Tyranitar. It was his Tyranitar. The one he had raised during his time in Johto while it was still a small Larvitar. A Larvitar that had distrusted all humans, but who learned to trust them because of the kindness of Ash and his friends.

"Hey, it's me. Ash. Do you remember?" He asked, merely inches away from the large pokémon. The Tyranitar whimpered, bringing its massive head closer to the trainer's hand. If he chose to, he could have bitten Ash's entire arm off in an instant. Instead, he placed his muzzle on Ash's palm, his face still sullen, but at least calmed.

"You do remember." Ash said quietly, a smile on his face. Tyranitar backed up before lying down, right in front of the trainer. Quilava and Pikachu ran up to Ash, examining their trainer, who in turn sat next to Tyranitar.

"I'm alright guys, thanks for trusting me," He said.

"Pika," Pikachu ran up to Tyranitar, who opened one of its eyes. He smiled, recognizing the little yellow pokémon. Quilava followed closely behind, lying down next to the much larger pokémon.

"Woah… what just happened?" Gold asked, looking at Yellow. "Can he do that whole mind reading thing too, or…"

"No…" Yellow said, admittedly as surprised as Gold. The trainers lowered their guard, as well as their pokémon, loosening their stances and relaxing their faces. Blue and Gary stepped up to their pokémon, congratulating their respective partners on a job well done, somewhat. They kept their distance from Ash and Tyranitar.

"Old friend of yours, Ash?" asked Gary

"I've known this guy since he was just an egg," Ash said, softly rubbing the side of Tyranitars head. "He was stolen by a group of poachers before he hatched. He didn't trust any humans after that. It took a while for him to open up to us." Ash's tone was hoarse when he mentioned the poachers. He never understood how people could be so callous towards pokémon. Granted, he hoped to never understand such villainy.

"Well," Gold proclaimed from across the cavern, falling into a sitting position on the rocky floor. "Another battle well fought I say."

"Pichu pii!" Pibu ran up to Gold, livid.

"What? You did gre…" Gold was interrupted by the electricity flaring in Pibu's cheeks. It wasn't that Pibu wasn't fully capable of fighting a larger opponent if need be, but he certainly didn't appreciate being thrown at one without warning.

"Alright, alright, I'm sorry!" Gold begged. Luckily for him, Pibu was in a forgiving mood. He was also more interested in examining the other members in the cavern. Pibu's eyes fell on Yellow. He ran up to Gold, this time tugging at his sweater while pointing towards the straw hatted trainer.

"Huh, oh right. Hey Yellow! I think he wants to see mama!" Gold called

"Huh, oh!" Yellow was startled. Pibu ran up to her, looking up expectedly. "Okay Pibu," Yellow pulled out a pokeball and let out Chuchu.

"Chu! Pika!"

"Pi! Pichu!"

The mother and child spoke diligently to each other, though what they were discussing was anyone's guess. That is until Pibu turned towards Pikachu, running up to him next to Ash. Chuchu followed, with Yellow and Gold trailing close behind.

"Pi?" Pibu pointed at Pikachu, looking quite confused. Chuchu shook her head in response. Ash looked at Yellow, puzzled.

"Yah… so Red also has a Pikachu he named Pika. Chuchu and Pika had an egg a few years ago, which hatched into Pibu," Yellow said, kneeling down next to Ash and the pokémon. "Your pikachu reminds him of Pika, like his father."

"Heh," Ash giggled. "Well Pibu, we'll find your real father very soon." Despite his current, cheery mood, he couldn't have been more earnest in the moment.

"Pika" Pikachu began talking to the smaller pokémon. Chuchu interceded, and soon the three pokémon were in full discussion. While it was common for trainers to somewhat understand their pokémon when they were being spoken to directly, it was an entirely different story to listen in on one of their conversations.

"He's really calmed down now," Yellow said.

"He's tired, thrashing around like that. But he's still scared and hurt… Yellow, can you take a look at him?"

"Alright," Yellow looked at the Tyranitar. On the surface he seemed fine save a few scratches and bruises from rushing into the cave walls. On a closer inspection of the leg however…

"Right here," Yellow said, pointing to a bright, silver scar behind Tyranitars knee. She placed her hands on it, which began to glow.

"So, I finally get to see your famous healing powers in action," Gary said, who alongside Blue had also made his way towards the growing group surrounding the Tyranitar. Charizard and Blastoise stood on guard, just in case.

"I can't do much but dull the pain…" She examined the wound more closely. "It's from a steel type move. Something attacked Tyranitar…"

"Is that right buddy?" Ash asked. Tyranitar nodded before pointing towards the stream that ran through the room. Blue and Gary moved over to the stream, following it to the end of the room. While they hadn't realized it beforehand, the stream led into a large hole in the ground, leading into another chamber connected to another tunnel system.

"I guess whatever attacked Tyranitar is down there," Blue called to the other trainers.

"We should go down and find that pokémon," Ash said, about to stand up. He hesitated however. He didn't want to leave Tyranitars side right now.

"It's alright," Yellow stood up. "I'll go with Blue and Gary and find the culprit. Gold will stay here with you, just in case".

"Yes sir!" Gold saluted. "We'll keep Red-look-alike safe, won't we Pibu?"

"Chu…" Pibu looked at Yellow with a sad expression.

"Don't worry, I'll leave Chuchu here. Have to leave someone responsible here after all, right?" She teased. Chuchu and Pibu giggled.

"Alright, you guys get going. I wanna get out of here as soon as possible, this place is creepy," Gold said. Blue and Gary leapt down the hole.

"Stay safe you guys," she said, leaping down the hole in turn.

Chapter Text

The cavern began to feel colder and colder. Yellow guessed that was a good sign, that they were getting closer to the nest of whatever pokémon had menaced Tyranitar. She shuddered, only imagining the sort of creature that could stand against a Tyranitar all on its own. Granted that was assuming that it was only one pokémon awaiting them at the end of the tunnel. What if it were a group of ravenous monsters, baiting them into a trap to be devoured, she and her friends old and new being lost in mount Silver forever… Unlikely considering she, Blue and Gary were more than capable trainers. Still, she felt like there was little else to think about as they made their way through the claustrophobic space, the light of Charizard's tail lighting the way. Granted, she found her thoughts falling into such pessimistic platitudes more and more since Red went missing. She couldn't help it.

"Hey Yellow, you alright?" Gary asked her, breaking the trance that she only now realized had engulfed her.

"Ya, I'm fine… it's just cold in here, ya know," she said, faking a shiver. "Buuurrrrrr."

"Right, well…" Gary decided not to task her right now. They needed to focus. They could be ambushed at any moment by any number of cave-dwelling pokémon, something he learned from experience. Caves were not exactly his favorite research locations. He placed his hand on the cave wall. While most of what he felt was the regular rough texture of a rocky wall, he also felt faint areas of unnatural smoothness. It was at this moment that he registered the slight pressure that had been building in his nose, the faint smell of ozone. These walls had been carved out by steel.

"We're getting close, be extra careful," he said. Yellow and Blue nodded.

"Pika-pika!," Pikachu said to Pibu, quite delightedly. Quilava paced around the room on his own, examining the large crystals.

Gold stared intently at the trio of pokémon, determined to decipher exactly what they were talking about. But no matter how affirmatively he crossed his arms, or how hard he squinted his eyes, the archaic language of the mouse pokémon family eluded him. He sighed, giving up. This was far beyond his area of expertise. He turned his attention to the other human in the room, who was still sitting beside the large, dangerous pokémon that was twice their size, combined.

"Don't worry buddy, soon we'll make this place safe for you," Ash said to Tyranitar. Gold wasn't exactly sure if it was Tyranitar that needed to be protected in this place. It was only because they had come with such a large traveling party of trainers and powerful pokémon that no one got hurt. He sat down, gazing at the various crystals surrounding the room. He half considered taking a picture of one of them and sending it to Kris. Hey it's you! The joke wrote itself, really. He took out his phone and pointed it at a sizable crystal structure near the back end of the cave, a cheeky grin on his face. He was about to snap a photo before he paused. Through the magnification of his camera he got a better look at them. They shined a glimmering silver, yet the core of these crystals were imbued with a hazy bluish-green hue that seemed to almost "swim" through it. He couldn't deny that they were quite beautiful. He put his phone back in his sweater pocket and moved up to it. He broke off two smaller crystals from the larger growth.

"Hey Gold, you taking souvenirs or something?" Ash asked from across the cavern. Gold was startled, not realizing that Ash had likely been watching him the entire time.

"Something like that Red-look-alike" Gold said, placing them in his sweater pocket. "Guess they reminded me of some friends. Thought they'd make a nice gift."

"Must be some close friends. You care about them a lot, don't you?".

"Ya, you could say… that," Gold caught himself. He wasn't one to get overly sentimental, especially around someone he's only known for a few days now. Yet something about this Ash made it so easy. He shrugged, trying to save his image.

"Hey Gold, why don't you tell me about them. Your friends."

"Huh?"

"Well we're not doing much, and I would like to know more about you dexholders."

"And why would you assume that they are also dexholders?"

"Well, I… uhh…" Ash was stumped. Why did he assume they would also be dexholders?

"I mean they are. But still…" Gold said, the cheeky smile back on his face.

"Well, you got me good," Ash said with a chuckle. He swore he could hear Tyranitar chuckling under his breath as well. Gold went up to Ash, sitting in front of him.

"Well where to start…" Gold said, stroking his chin. "Well there's Silver. He's a little cold sometimes, and sometimes people think he's kinda mean when they first meet him. We were rivals for a bit."

"So like me and Gary?"

"Not at all. He was on a mission to stop an old evil geezer and I… well I just didn't leave him alone. Granted I thought he robbed me, but that's a long story."

"Sounds like it."

"But he's super tough, and he's got a good heart, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise."

"Guess I won't."

"Then there's Kris, well… Crystal. She's a super-serious gal with a short temper"

"Really?"

"Well, at least when she's talking to me!"

"Oh, of course."

"She's smart though, work's with the old man professor Oak a lot."

"Sounds like you're all really strong, in your own ways."

"You know it!" Gold said triumphantly. Ash rolled his eyes, though his smile didn't waver. However, he noticed a glint in Gold's eye. It looked as though Gold had just gotten an idea. Considering his brief experience with the rowdy trainer, he doubted it was a good one. Gold reached into his pocket again, this time pulling out a deck of playing cards.

"You play, Red-look-alike?"

"Well… no…"

"Well, I'll teach ya. Something simple to start off with."

Ash couldn't help but feel that this was a mistake, as Gold handed him his first card.

The cavern began to widen, and a strange hum could be heard echoing through it. They were very, very close now, likely a few meters away from the invasive pokémon's chamber. The scent of metallic ozone became stronger, almost overwhelming. They could see a bright light at the end of the tunnel.

"Be ready for anything," Blue said as they passed into the room.

Similarly to Tyranitars chamber, they were suddenly surrounded by large crystals darting both the floor and the ceiling. However, all the crystals in the chamber seemed to have been broken off in the center, a metallic coating painting the now blunted tips. The walls similarly had coatings of metal layers scattered throughout. Near the back end of the room was a large rocky outcrop, completely covered in the metallic coating. It was almost like the rock itself was made of pure steel.

"Where could it be?" Yellow asked, though her attention quickly turned to the steel growth, as did the other trainers.

"Charizard, use flamethrower on the rocks over there," Blue pointed without hesitation. A wave of fire spewed from Charizard's mouth, completely engulfing the outcrop. The steel turned a fiery red, smoke spewing out of it like a cauldron. A loud, piercing call emanated from it as the room became engulfed in the strange smoke.

"I can't see anything," Gary called, covering his face. Who knows what they might have been inhaling at this moment. The metallic smell became far stronger than before.

"Where… did… he… go," Yellow said in a coughing fit.

"Charizard! Clear the room!" Blue called. Charizard leaped with surprising grace behind the trainers, spreading his wings as wide as he could and swiftly flapped them forward. A massive gust of air blasted through the entire room, catching the smoke and blasting it out of the room. The room cleared and the trainers took a breath of fresh air, before turning their eyes to the outcrop once again, which had begun shifting. The ground underneath it rose, uprooting the metallic structures, which crumbled upon impact with the stone floor. Out of the debris arose a strange pokémon.

"It's a Duraludon," Gary said. The pokémon looked like a miniature tower, with large pillars for it's legs and feet. It's small head was almost embedded into its body, and it looked to have a sort of tail jutting from it's back.

"A Duraludon? What's that?" Yellow asked. She had never heard of such a pokémon, especially one living in Johto.

"It's a pokémon from the Galar region!" Gary said as he tossed a pokeball, releasing his Blastoise once again. "What's it doing here?"

"We'll figure it out when it calms down," Blue said, preparing for the pokémon's next move.

"Alright, go Omny!" Yellow yelled as she tossed her pokeball. Out came a pokémon consisting of a brownish spiked shell, it's squishy blue body sprouting a number of tentacles and a toothless beak.

"Star!" Omny called, ready for action. Yellow gave the pokémon a reassuring nod.

"Ludon!" The Duraludon cried out in turn. Glowing silver energy gathered around its mouth, and a flash of metallic energy launched directly at the Blastoise. The large pokemon took the brunt of the attack. While he didn't topple, the immediate hit clearly took a lot out of him. Duraludon stood motionless, its small eyes clearly keeping tabs on the trainers and their pokémon.

"Blastoise, you alright?" Gary asked the large blue pokémon. Blastoise nodded. He was far from being out of the fight from a single hit. The moment gave Gary some pause however. This pokémon was quite unlike the panicked Tyranitar from earlier. It looked stern and collected, not wasting its energy on rabid attacks.

"Alright Charizard, get in close and use fire punch!" Blue called. Charizard blasted into the air with his powerful wings, launching itself at the Duraludon with his fist engulfed in flames. It swung wide for the Duraludon, hitting it right on the side of its large neck. To Charizards shock however, the Duraludon was unfazed. In turn it reared back, its bulky left hand becoming imbued with a greenish-blue energy. It swiped at Charizard.

"Charizard, dodge him!" Blue called as Charizard leaped out of the range of Duraludons dragon claw, hopping back towards his trainer.

It's so strong, no wonder Tyranitar was having such a hard time. Yellow tried to approach the Duraludon, walking slowly towards it.

"Guys, wait. Omny, back me up okay, but don't attack until I say so," Yellow said.

"Are you sure?!" Gary asked, halting his own counterattack.

"Yellow…" Blue's annoyance was quite apparent. Even Charizard looked somewhat disgruntled to halt the flow of battle.

"We don't have to fight…" She moved slowly towards the pokémon, her hand outstretched. "Maybe it's just scared like Tyranit…"

The Duraludon fired another flash cannon right at Yellow's feet. However, a beam of water fired from behind her, colliding with the flash cannon and detonating the energy before it could hit her.

"Star!"

"Thanks Omny."

"Yellow!" Gary called.

"I'm okay!" Yellow said through somewhat gritted teeth. She hated battling, especially a wild pokémon, but it was clear that this pokémon was not interested in a peaceful resolution right now.

"Alright, Omny, use ice beam," She commanded. Omny released a solid line of ice energy towards the Duraludon. Once again it took the hit head on, remaining completely unfazed.

"He won't budge," Yellow said.

"Blastoise, use hydro pump!" Gary called, finally seeing his opportunity. However, just like the previous instances, the Duraludon brushed it off.

"It barely flinched…" Blue noted as Gary commanded his pokémon to dodge a volley of flash canons. It seemed like Duraludon was becoming more agitated as the fight dragged on.

"We have to find a crack in its defenses," Blue said, Gary and Yellow nodding in tandem.

The trio continued with a flurry of ranged attacks, though the results remained the same. The pokémon barely moved, unleashing a barrage of its own attacks in turn. It seemed like it was almost invincible. Almost…

Gary saw it first, the pokémon slightly teetering back. He could see a glint of panic in the Duralodons face as it stepped backwards. It looked like it wanted to turn around, yet it just couldn't.

"We have to get behind it. It's guarding something," Gary said.

"Omny, circle around him," Yellow commanded.

"Charizard, distract Duralodon!" Blue followed. Charizard flew up close to the enemy pokémon, dodging blasts of metallic energy. He continuously leered in and out of the Duraludons space, keeping the pokémon quite preoccupied. Omny took the opportunity to move to the Duraludons side, quickly getting behind it. Almost immediately, the Duraludon turned around, almost completely ignoring Blue's Charizard.

"Omny, what is it?!" Yellow asked, noting that the pokémon looked surprised by whatever it saw. Before her pokémon could answer, the Duralodon released another flash cannon, slamming directly into Omny. Yellows pokémon toppled to the ground, down but not out.

"Charizard, now! Seismic toss!" Blue yelled.

Charizard found its mark as it gripped the back of Duraludons leg, lifting it up with all his might. The pokémon was so heavy that he barely raised it over his head, though he was still able to launch the pokémon towards the back of the cavern wall. All the trainers took pause at what they saw. With the large Duraludon no longer blocking their sight, they all saw the distinctive shape of pokémon eggs embedded into the earth. Charizard landed next to the eggs, with Omny crawling up beside him.

"It looks like we found our answer as to why Duraludon was fighting so hard," Blue said and Duraludon climbed back to its feet. The pokemon eyed the Charizard and Omistar intensely, though didn't immediately attack.

"It doesn't want to accidentally damage its eggs," Yellow said, moving past the eggs and up to Duraludon. It glared at Yellow, though this time it's stare was less stoic. Rather, it was almost similar to Tyranitars, the clear sight of fear etched in its eyes.

"It's alright, we're not here to hurt you," She said, walking towards the estranged pokémon. She now stood just a few meters away from it. It was then that she noticed the marks. Burns, blisters and ice infused wounds, all marking the outside of Duraludons thick hide. They had been damaging it immensely, but the pokémon had held strong through it all, not daring to show any weakness to draw attention away from its eggs.

"Im… I'm so sorry…" She said teary eyed. Yellow placed her hand on Duraludon, her hand faintly glowing. The Duraludon didn't resist as she attempted to heal its wounds. She had already used a large portion of her power on Tyranitar, but she managed to heal some of the more superficial wounds.

"It looks like we have a turf war in here" Gary said, moving up to Yellow. "I think that in my world Tyranitar lived in these caves, while in yours it was Duraludons nest. They are natural rivals, so when the worlds merged they ended up fighting over the mountains. And with them being such powerful pokémon, this conflict could have lasted weeks."

"Huh, quite the conclusion," Blue said, taking a closer look at the eggs. They didn't look right…

Gary pulled out a potion from his sack. The clear fluid rested in a spray bottle specifically designed for easy use when healing a trainer's pokémon. He applied the medicine to the Duraludons' more severe injuries. It winced in pain, though it seemed grateful. Since the trainers hadn't harmed its eggs, the Duraludon seemed to trust them, at least for the moment.

"So what do we do?" Yellow asked.

"I'm not sure. I don't know if Tyranitar and Duraludon can live in peace together. It would be tough…" Gary said, still treating Duraludons wounds.

"First, there's something off about these eggs," Blue said. Gary handed Yellow the potion and went up to the eggs.

"I see what you mean, though I'm not an expert on pokémon eggs," Gary noted.

"But Gold is," Yellow chimed from across the room.

"Right…" Blue said, holding back a sigh.

"Ha! Another win for the hometown hero!" Gold jeered, scooping up an unquantifiable amount of invisible poker chips.

"Lost… again…" Ash said in despair, the weight of his constant defeats becoming far too much to bear.

"What? You got close this time Red-look-alike" Gold said, the lie slipping so easily through his crooked grin. "Just one more game huh? This one will be yours I'm sure!"

"Well… maybe this time…" Ash reached for his next card, though he knew that he lost well before the game had even begun.

"Hey! Gold!" A familiar voice said from across the room. The trainers turned to see Blue on his Charizard.

"What? Can't you see I'm busy?!" Gold replied, quite agitated.

"We found the problem, and we need you to examine some eggs, right now," Blue demanded. "You come over too Ash. And bring Tyranitar, and make sure it doesn't become aggressive!"

"Fiiiine," Gold conceded.

"I'm free," Ash muttered under his breath.

It was an awkward reunion.

Tyranitar and Duraludon stared daggers at each other on opposite sides of the cave. Despite their injuries, it was clear that they would tear each other apart if it weren't for the collage of strong pokémon standing between them.

"Hey, we'll figure this out, okay?" Ash said standing next to Tyranitar. Despite the words of encouragement, he wasn't exactly sure how they were going to solve this issue. Gary had filled him in on his theory. This mountain chamber was home to both of these pokémon. He didn't like the idea of kicking either one out.

Gold crouched next to the eggs, eying them with the intensity of an expert. He licked his thumb and placed it on each of the eggs. He frowned.

"The eggs are too cold, way too cold. At this point they…" He paused, taking a deep sigh. "We have to bring them into a pokémon center for treatment."

"Too cold? But how? Didn't Duraludon pick this place for its nest willingly?" Gary asked.

"Well if what you said is true, then it might have moved the eggs here after Tyranitar showed up. The eggs were likely placed in the chamber above, which is slightly warmer."

"Is that true Tyranitar?" Ash asked. The green pokémon lowered his head in shame.

"Come on buddy, that isn't right," Ash said.

"They're wild pokémon Ash," Blue said. "Tyranitar and Duraludon are natural enemies. It's ingrained into their psyche, you can't blame them for their natural instincts."

"Ya, you're right…" Ash conceded. In reality he was quite aware of how wild pokémon can act. Still, it was hard for him to imagine that his small, harmless Larvitar could do such a thing. But he wasn't a Larvitar anymore, was he?

"So we need to get the eggs to a pokémon center, then what?" Yellow asked Gold from across the room, next to Duraludon.

"Well, the best thing would be to bring them back here and place them in the location of Duraludons choosing," Gold said, scratching his chin. "Sure we breeders are quite adept at taking care of pokemon eggs, but it is best that they are raised in the wild by their respective parents."

"What about Tyranitar? I doubt they'll play nice after we've left," Gary said, glancing at both pokémon.

"Wait a second, why not bring Tyranitar with us? Ash, why don't you capture Tyranitar?" Blue said.

"Capture Tyranitar?" Ash asked.

"Well you know and understand Tyranitar, and he clearly trusts you."

Ash pondered for a moment. Blue had a point, and Tyranitar wouldn't have to fight over Mount Silver anymore. Still, he didn't want to force his friend out of his own home…

"Tyranitar, would you like to join me?" Ash asked, looking up into the eyes of the large pokémon.

"Tyranitar!" Tyranitar said in approval, leaning down to look at Ash at eye level. Ash pulled out a pokeball from his belt, gently tapping it on Tyranitars head. Tyranitar became engrossed in red energy, which syphoned into the pokeball. The ball shook three times, then clicked with an audible ping.

"Good to have ya back on the team, Tyranitar," Ash said to the pokeball, before placing it back on his belt.

"Well, problem solved," Gold said, lifting up one of the eggs. "Now stop being so lazy everyone! Help me bring these up!"

Chapter Text

Heart Village did not host a traditional pokémon center. Luckily the exit to the cave was a fair distance away from Silver Town. Blue, Gold and Gary opted to take the Duraludon eggs to the pokémon center in Silver Town while Ash and Yellow went back to report their findings to the Heart Village Elders. They found themselves back at the Stones house, kneeling down in front of the two Elders and relaying their brief adventure. Ash swore that they didn't move an inch since the last time they were here. Maybe they were actually made out of stone.

Chapter Text

The functionality of pokémon centers was universal in all the regions of the world. All functioned as specialized hospitals designed to care for injured and sick pokémon. Their interior design did vary based on personal flare and circumstance however. Take Silver Towns pokémon center, a state of the art facility that was exceptionally large, designed to house hundreds of trainers during the Silver conference. For now the interior remained somewhat empty, save for a handful of trainers waiting in the lobby, seated on a set of large couches.

"Just a few more minutes," Gold said, his arms crossed.

"Why are you so antsy? It was your decision to bring them here…" Blue said from the other end of the couch, browsing through his pokedex.

"I just don't trust these Nurse Joys from Red-look-alikes world. One look-alike is one thing, but dozens of them? In every region?"

"You get used to it," Gary said. Besides, once the worlds merged the pokémon center saw an influx of non-nurse Joys working alongside the famous group of twins. For folks from Blue's world, it took some getting used to.

"Well, I ain't complaining when they're so easy on the eyes, still, your world is weird."

"Regardless they're well trained and dependable. Especially here in Silver town. Isn't that right Ash?".

Ash was fast asleep, his head slumped over his shoulder. Pikachu had spent the last five minutes poking his leg to no avail. He turned to Gary, omitting a sad "pika".

"Pancakes must have taken it outta him," Gary said.

"Or we did," Gold said with a devilish grin.

"Or more likely his vision. I doubt his sleep was too restful…" Blue said.

"And he woke up from a coma only a few days ago. Maybe he hadn't fully recovered…" Yellow sounded almost guilty. He offered to help me find Red. I should have declined, or waited till he was healthy, or…

Blue placed a reassuring hand on Yellow. The other trainers perked up. While their faces remained neutral, their surprise was obvious.

"If he's anything like Red, then there's no way you would have stopped him from helping," He said, his tone of voice warm.

"Ya. I know.., thanks Blue," she said.

"Even Blues going soft. The world's really gone mad.." Gold chided as a bell rang. "Looks like they're ready". Gold, Blue and Gary got up and moved over to the counter at the back of the center, Nurse Joy standing diligently for the trainers. Over the counter was a set of pokémon eggs, encased in large, glass containers that Gold had become all too familiar in handling.

"The eggs are perfectly healthy. It's a good thing you brought them here," the Nurse said.

"What can I say, I make good decisions," Gold said, taking one of the eggs. Blue and Gary followed suit.

"Thank you ma'am," Gary said, shaking his head at Gold's remarks.

"Be well, and hope to see you again soon," The Nurse said as she made her way to the back door, leaving the trainers at the counter.

"Least they're polite," Blue noted.

"And pretty," Gold said. Blue rolled his eyes.

They made their way back to Ash and Yellow. Yellow looked to Ash, who was still fast asleep. She looked at Pikachu, who's cheeks flared with electricity. Yellow shook her head, instead tapping Ash lightly on the cheek with the knuckle of her index finger. He jolted awake.

"Huh? What? Oh? Hey Yellow."

"Glad you're back" She said, giving Pikachu a victorious grin. The small pokémon looked confused.

"Thanks for not shocking me awake Pikachu," Ash said, catching the lingering flair on Pikachu's face.

"Pika!"

The group exited the building into a fairly empty parking lot, save for Golds jeep next to the center itself. They carefully placed the eggs on the seats next to the other two. It was a tight squeeze, considering that at least one person would be sitting in the back when they went to return the eggs to the layer. Gold pulled out a translucent pokeball, which contained the Duraludon from the cave, pointing it towards the eggs.

"See, perfectly intact! In a few hours you'll be safe and sound inside Mount Silver again," he said. The Duraludon looked grateful, if a bit uncomfortable being in the pokeball.

"Ya I know buddy, but it was the best way to get you here safely," he said. They had kept Duraludon at the pokémon center the previous night. Luckily, the nurses were well equipped to deal with a pokémon who had sustained injuries from a battle.

"So, guess this is where we part ways," Ash said, double checking his backpack.

"Yep. Sorry I can't come with ya Ash. But duty calls. The old man has me busy these days. A lot of this merging business has raised a lot of questions," Gary said

"I am currently tasked as well. Though I'm sure you'll be fine, especially with Yellow by your side," Blue said.

"Don't worry, we will," Ash replied.

"Besides, it won't just be us two. I've contacted professor Rowan. Some of the Sinnoh dexholders will be joining us," Yellow said.

"More of your friends?" asked Ash

"I don't know them as well as Gold and Blue," Yellow said.

"Don't let that fool you Red-look-alike, anyone from our world with a pokedex is more than a capable trainer."

The group shared handshakes and pleasant goodbyes.

"We gotta meet up again sometime, we never finished our game of cards, or our conversation about your Kalos friend," Gold said, shaking Ash's hand.

"Yeah… sure…" Ash responded with a soft smile, contrasted with Gold's cheeky grin.

"Heh… you're alright Ash. Good luck". Gold said before releasing his grip and hopping into his jeep with Gary and Blue. They drove off, leaving Ash, Yellow and Pikachu in the parking lot.

"Wait, did he just call me…"

"I think he did, Red-look-alike," Yellow said with an uncharacteristically sly grin.

"Please, don't."

Why does Gold get to have all the fun? Yellow sighed.

"There's a flight leaving here tomorrow going straight to Jubilife city. We'll stay at the pokémon center tonight," Yellow said. At that moment she heard what has become an all too familiar sound. The sound of Ash's stomach grumbling.

"Ya, let's grab something to eat. I'm feeling burgers!"

It had been a few months since Blue visited his grandfather's lab. Structurally nothing had changed, with only a few machines either disappearing or being replaced entirely during the merge. Machinery both state of the art and archaically ancient sat side by side, surrounded by shelves containing dozens upon dozens of pokemon. Now there were even more shelves, housing the pokémon collected by Ash and Crystal over the years.

The strangest sight stood right in front of him however. Two identical professors Oaks. He was not happy about this, at all. The professor Oak on the left walked up to him.

"Blue, it's great to see you!" He said in earnest glee.

"Good to see you too, gramps," Blue replied.

"And it's a pleasure to meet you, Blue" The other Oak said, reaching out his hand.

"Likewise, professor Oak," Blue shook his hand in turn.

"You're taking this well," Gary commented, standing beside Blue.

"Trust me, I'm not."

"Well, I have some specimens for you to look at Gary. I'm sure you'll show Blue around," Oak said, turning his attention to a batch of papers in his hand.

"I got it, old man. Follow me, Blue," he said. The Oaks nodded before turning their attention to their papers. Gary and Blue moved over to a set of desks, adorned with very old computers. Gary sat down while Blue pulled up a chair. Gary turned on the computer, the dial up noises grinding against Blues psyche.

"It's gonna be like this for half an hour," Gary said

"Great…" Blue sighed.

"Are you sure about this? You don't have to watch me work, you know. I wouldn't call this exciting stuff."

"I've thought a lot about what you said, about change. I still don't fully understand it all but.." he sighed again, but this time a sigh of regret. "I didn't see Red a lot during those years. I wasn't… there for him, so I never understood why he stopped wanting to battle competitively."

"Or maybe you weren't there for him because you didn't understand, and at the time, maybe you didn't want to," Gary responded.

"Maybe you're right. But I think maybe, by experiencing something new, with a person who used to be like me, maybe I'll figure it out" he said. Gary could tell this was tough for the older trainer. Maybe it was because he understood his stubbornness all too well.

"Well, at least you're trying," Gary said, looking back at the computer, which continued its dial up process.

Blue felt a vibration in his pocket. He pulled out his phone, he was receiving a call.

"Excuse me" He said, getting up and walking away from Gary. He answered the phone, speaking quietly.

"Yes… yep… safely… right in his coat… no… he's bright but not too observant… a LOT like Red… yes… Keep me updated."

He hung up, placing the phone back in his pocket, with one last sigh.

"Pesky woman."

"He said he loves you,"

"... huh?"

Yellow groggily awoke in her plane seat. She never liked flying all that much, so sleeping through the trip helped to pass the time. Ash looked to be somewhat drowsy himself, with Pikachu sleeping on his lap.

"Who..?" She asked, wiping away the crust in her eyes.

"Red. Before he left he… he said he loves you," Ash said. "I'm sorry I… almost forgot. The visions are always fuzzy when I wake up and…"

"No, no it's alright. Thank you, Ash."

"No problem," Ash's smile was weak, though he still felt guilty. Half for almost forgetting, and half for waking Yellow up so abruptly. He figured he would let her sleep for the rest of the trip, uninterrupted as penance. She did try for about 30 seconds before she tapped Ash's shoulder.

"So Ash… tell me about this Kalos girl."

"Oh right… heh…" Ash's eyes lowered. Not again... He steeled himself for whatever Yellow had in store, trying to look her in the eye. When he did however, he realized that her expression was soft, and genuine.

"Hey it's alright. I've been there too ya know."

"Right, well, her name's Serena. We traveled together when I was working my way towards the Kalos league. She actually remembered me from Professor Oak's summer camp from when we were little, and I…" Ash paused briefly to look at Yellow. She stared at him intently, hinged on every word. "... didn't. She traveled with us for a while though, following her dreams of becoming a pokémon performer."

"Did she have feelings for you?"

"Ya… well I think… well…" He stuttered. "Yes. It was kinda obvious when I think about it but…" Ash took off his hat, tussling his hair "I didn't really figure it out till later." he chuckled. In retrospect, his density was quite astounding. "when she, uhm…"

"When she…"

"When she kissed me," he said, bracing himself to what was coming next.

"Aww!" Yellow clasped her hands "was she your first?".

"Well not my first… but," he wasn't even attempting to make eye contact at this point "it was the first that I liked…"

"That's the one that matters the most," Yellow said. "So, what happened after?"

"Not much really. We went our separate ways, I went back home and she went to Hoenn to try out pokémon contests. We kept in touch, and we're still friends but…" he sighed "I don't know. I guess we both just decided not to mention it after."

"Oh… heh…" Yellow placed a reassuring hand on Ash's shoulder. "Take it from me, love is complicated. You're both young, and probably scared of all those crazy emotions. But it's clear you feel something for her, and if she kissed you, well…"

Yellow wasn't exactly sure if Ash went red only at that moment or if he had been like that the whole time. She was still only partially awake ",she probably still feels something for you".

"Thanks Yellow," he said. The embarrassment washing over him, his tiredness returned in full force. He closed his eyes, falling asleep. Yellow decided to open the planeside window, staring out into the starry sky.

"Love you too, Red," she said, quite as the night.

Chapter Text

Sinnoh: Distortion (Arc 2)

Jubilife city could be regarded as the Silver Town of the Sinnoh region, the only major difference was that it was much, much bigger. It wasn't just the largest city in Sinnoh, but one of the largest cities in the world. The airport was densely packed with people, not an uncommon scene to behold even before the merge. While modern cities were developed with economic spacing in mind, they could never have been prepared for the doubling of an entire population. Even after a few weeks the chaos hadn't fully subsided.

After a few hours, Yellow and Ash finally managed to escape customs. Once outside they could see that the sun was setting. They had already reserved a small hotel nearby to stay the night, before trekking over to Mount Coronet. They would also be meeting some of the younger dexholders over there, to assist in their search. They stood outside the airport entrance, surrounded by sizable apartments and high-flung branded stores, passerbys hailing cabs and lugging around heavy suitcases.

"The place is nearby," Ash noted, looking at a map on his phone. "We can make it on foot in a few hours."

"Pika…?" Pikachu said timidly.

"You can stay on my shoulder bud"

"Pikachuuu!" the little pokémon smiled.

"Or we can hail a cab," Yellow suggested. Ash pondered for a bit, before he was interrupted by a familiar voice.

"Hey, it's a nice night out, how bout a stroll down Jubilife's lively streets."

Ash and Yellow turned around. Behind them were two familiar women with a Piplup standing beside them. The small blue penguin pokémon hopped in the air, delighted to see them.

"Zoey? And Dawn!" Ash exclaimed.

Zoey stood a bit taller than Dawn, and her spiky orange hair and dark red eyes contrasted with the other girls' more done-up, blue dominated style. They both dressed similarly however, both sporting designer shirts that screamed "city folk". Ash wasn't surprised to see them together. They've been dating for a few years now, after all.

"Ash! You know you can call and say you're in town," Dawn said.

"Lup!" Piplup exclaimed in turn.

"Now let's be nice Dawn. I'm sure he was just about to give you a call," Zoey responded with a wink.

"Ya, of course!" Ash said with a giggle. That got him a soft punch from Dawn. It stung a bit more than he thought it would. He opted to keep his mouth shut, though his grin betrayed his noble intentions.

"Speaking about being rude," Zoey turned to Yellow. "Hello there, what would your name be?"

"Name's Yellow. Nice to meet you."

"Name's Zoey."

"And my name's Dawn," Dawn raised Piplup by its waist, holding him out in front of Yellow. "and this is Piplup."

Yellow placed her palm on Piplup's forehead. Piplup's face grimaced, feeling her thoughts reach into his.

"Your Piplup has a lot of energy, but I've rarely seen such a loyal pokémon," Yellow said.

"Huh… umm..." Dawn looked to Ash for some sort of explanation.

"Yellow can read the minds of pokémon."

"Right…" Dawn said. I hope she can't read human minds!

"Don't worry, it only works on pokémon" Yellow said with her hands raised. Dawn was not convinced. Zoey wasn't all too concerned.

"Why are we sticking around here?" Zoey exclaimed, looking out at the big city. "Let's get going!"

They were not the only young adults out on the streets, but they might have been the loudest. The group of trainers had been walking down the busy Jubilife streets for almost an hour. The sun had now completely set, but the streets were far from lifeless. The streets were teeming with all kinds of people, on their way to eateries, bars, or just prowling the nighttime roads, letting the good times find them. Friends, families, loners, socialites, it was like the city functioned as its own ecosystem, as dense and intricate as the great Marsh of Pastoria city.

"...I'll never forget the look in his eyes. I've never seen him angrier than on that day. Luckily, I was faster," Ash said, finishing his tale.

"Of course you of all people would lose a z-crystal," Dawn exclaimed in the midst of laughter.

"Hey, I didn't lose it, I just forgot it at home!" Ash retorted

"Still counts as losing it," said Zoey.

"Too bad Kiawe didn't get a hold of you. Might have finally smacked some sense into ya," Dawn chuckled.

"Wow, go gettem Dawn!" Zoey exclaimed.

"Thanks. Guess I'll have to watch my back," Ash said.

"I mean I can always get Pikachu to shock the lights outta ya, right?" Dawn said.

"Pika!" Pikachu's cheeks flared, causing Ash to flinch, though all Pikachu let out was a mischievous grin. The trainers burst into laughter.

"Everyone really has it out for you, don't they?" Yellow said.

"Stay around him long enough, you'll find a reason," said Dawn.

The group of trainers continued down the Jubilife streets. Pikachu and Piplup walked side by side, almost as if they were marching together. That was at least until Piplup slipped in a small pothole on the sidewalk, full of water. The small pokémon tumbled, splashing the water up right next to Dawn. She jumped out of the way, though lost her own footing, falling right on her back. The group erupted into laughter, though Zoey quickly helped her up.

"Piplup!" Dawn scolded, admittedly through a giggle that she was not trying to hide. Piplup quickly got to his feet, glaring at Pikachu as the yellow pokémon laughed at him.

"You and Piplup really are perfect for each other," Yellow said.

"Wait, hold up," Ash said through his chuckles. He noticed something shiny on the floor where Dawn fell. He reached for it, picking up a small pair of keys.

"My keys!" Dawn plucked the keys out of Ash's hand in an instant.

"Ash losing a sacred crystal, Dawn losing her keys," Zoey looked to Yellow. "How are we gonna get these two through the night!"

"Through a lot of luck," Yellow replied.

"Oh please, me and Ash are perfectly capable. So there's no need to wor…"

"Ahh!" Zoey caught her in the act. "Come on Dawn!" She said in mock disbelief.

"Well it's true!" She said as the trainers passed a stoplight, quickly crossing even as the sign blinked red.

"Speaking of losing things, you lose anything big in the merge?" Zoey asked.

"A candle, but I got lucky. How about you guys?" Ash asked.

"I think I lost some pencils… and a shoe," Zoey said.

"I didn't lose much, but the weirdest thing happened!" Dawn exclaimed.

"Oh right! The other Johanna!" Zoey interjected.

"Other Johanna?" Ash asked.

"Yep! After the merge I head downstairs to check on my mom, and then there's two of them! Super weird, right!"

"Right…" Yellow pondered for a moment. The name sounded familiar…

"Hey, look!" Zoey pointed at a small building across the street. It looked like a small, semi-fanciful lounge. Next to the door was a sign. Traveling Comedy duo! Sinnoh Stars!

"A comedy show? Really?" Dawn said, feigning surprise.

"What? Sounds like fun. We can also grab something to eat too…" Zoey said.

"Sounds good to me," said Ash, the prospect of food being all the persuasion he needed.

The group hastily crossed the street. Yellow would have preferred to use the crosswalk, but she wasn't about to be left behind. Luckily there wasn't a car in sight. The trainers made their way into the lounge.

The 'Piping Purugly' didn't sound like the most prestigious of locales, but Ash was never too picky when it came to where they ate so long as the food was good.

The trainers sat in a dark room at a circular table, surrounded by roughly a dozen others. They were lucky that the lounge had a free table at all, owing to a family that had to cancel just a few minutes before they arrived. The place was packed with people, all chatting away about who knows what, their conversations colliding into an ambient drawl of noise.

"You ever been to a place like this Ash?" Zoey asked, mozzarella stick in hand.

"Once or twice," Ash said, attempting to decipher the drinks menu. Maybe I should just get a soda…

"How about you, Yellow?"

"A few times, sure."

They were interrupted by a young man walking up to their table, a small notepad in hand.

"Hello, welcome to the Piping Purugly, what can I get you kids today?"

"We'll get two Magikarp Mojitos," Zoey said, placing her menu down.

"A Verspenemoth for me," Yellow said.

"I'll take a Kanto-city brew," Ash said.

"Alright, I'll get your drinks in a minute!" The waiter walked off, almost blending into the crowded room.

"Just a beer, Ash?" said Dawn, eyebrow raised.

"Ya," Ash responded, taking a moment to bite into a mozzarella stick.

"You drink?" Zoey asked, somewhat surprised.

"Not often. Just a few here and there."

"Pika pika," Pikachu chimed, seeming to approve of Ash's drinking habits.

At that moment a bright light shone into the room, highlighting the stage at the front of the room, backdropped by a large red curtain. It was quite large, built for elaborate stage plays and intricate sets.

"Now presenting tonight's featured appearance, a duo of trainers who saved the Sinnoh region more than once in their world…" A booming voice rung from the ceiling, emanating from a handful of hidden speakers "Everyone give a hand for Diamond and Pearl!"

From behind the curtain burst forth a pair of young men, both dressed in fine suits and ties. The boy on the right, Diamond, sported short, sleek black hair and dark blue eyes. Opposite to him was a Pearl, sporting a slightly messier set of blonde hair and orange eyes.

"Well, this is quite the crowd we got here tonight, wouldn't you say!" Diamond said.

"Yes, and look how many of them have their pokémon out!" Pearl responded.

"Pika!" Pikachu cried out, feeling acknowledged.

"Pip-lup!" Piplup also cheered. A number of other pokémon could be heard, calling out in ample delight.

"...aannnddd' Pearl said before the duo took a collective deep breath, delivering the next line in unison with the utmost enthusiasm.

"Speaking of pokémon!"

"Hey, it's Diamond!" Dawn called, though the others at the table could barely hear her through the applause. Wait a second? The other one looks like… Barry?

"Hey Pearl! I see a Pie-plup in the crowd!" Diamond said

"Dia, you know it's Piplup, right?"

"Oh of course, my bad Pearl."

"Glad we got that sort…"

"It can't be a Pie-plup cause they hate it when the water gets pi-ping hot, right?!" Diamond said before getting a swift slap to the face from Pearl.

"Now that's enough!" Pearl screamed, much to the delight of the crowd.

"Sorry Pearl. Anyway, I think I see an Oddish out there too…"

"No Dia!" Pearl screamed, delivering another clunk to Diamond's thick skull, the following hyperbolic "ouuccchhh" from his partner drawled out at the perfect length. The practice was paying off and it showed, the room continuing to erupt in raucous laughter, even after almost an hour.

"We can't agree on anything Pearl!" Diamond objected, rubbing his non-existent wound.

"Well what about the crowd? Don't you just love em, Dia?"

"I don't know Pearl, if they got their hands on me, they might have just beat ya to the punch!"

"I'll show you a punch!" Pearl screamed before charging at the other trainer. He chased him in a circle, their arms and legs flailing widely, just fast enough as to not at all close the distance.

"Got ya now!" Pearl proclaimed as he grabbed Diamond in a headlock, forcing his mic right in the other trainer's face. "Now tell these people what you really think!"

"I think… that they're all really nice and we couldn't have gotten a better crowd" Diamond cried through crocodile tears, a smile plastered on his face as the crowd roared in applause.

"And I think so too," Pearl said, releasing his victim. "We love you all! Have a great night folks!" The duo took a bow to the applauding crowd, before the curtains closed.

Ash and the rest of his table were joined in the collective applause, smiles and cheers all around.

"Ya know, I really know how to pick em'!" Zoey said.

"You sure do! Wow…" Ash wiped a tear from his eye, finally catching his breath after almost an hour of belly-laughter.

"I didn't know that Diamond and Pearl were that good," Dawn said, catching Yellow's attention.

"So, you know the juniors?" She asked

"Of course! Diamond lives in the same house in his world," Dawn replied. She paused to take a sip of her drink. "Juniors? Oh! You're one of those Dex holders he was telling me about! Super small world huh?"

"Yes, I am"

"Heeeey, speaking of look-alikes…" Zoey pointed towards the center of the room. At another table sat two young women. One of them looked almost identical to Dawn.

"Oh? Another Dawn?" Ash asked.

"This like, what? The third one now?" Zoey said.

"Hey!" Dawn got up, waving towards the other women. She got her attention, her look-alike looking surprised, and somewhat lost at how to respond.

"It's alright junior, come on over," Yellow waved at her. She got up, as well as a younger girl that had been sitting beside her. She also looked similar to Dawn, though more like a close relative. They both wore formal dresses, and the younger girl's hair was shorter than Dawn's. Up close the trainers noticed that they both had gray eyes.

"I figured you wouldn't be far from Diamond and Pearl. How are you doing, Platinum?" Yellow said.

"I am doing well, senior Yellow," Platinum said. Her voice was identical to Dawn's as well, though her tone of voice was notably softer than the energetic coordinator.

"And I don't think I've met you before," Yellow said, looking at the young girl.

"The name's Moon, a pleasure to make your acquaintance," she said, holding an air of stoicism betraying a wisdom far past her age.

"My name's Dawn," Dawn said, Zoey and Ash quickly following suit.

Moon smiled, somewhat awkwardly. Platinum placed an assuring arm around her shoulder.

"Moon here's my little sister. She just turned 12, so we're celebrating."

An uncoordinated deluge of happy birthdays rang around the table. Moon was praying to every deific pokémon who might have been listening that they didn't start singing.

"Thank you, seniors," Moon said, showing a small, though genuine, smile.

"We should get back to our table," said Platinum. "But maybe we can talk afterwards?"

"Well, we do have to check into our hotel after…" Yellow said.

"Where are you guys staying, anyway?" Dawn asked.

"The Berlitz inn" Ash answered "It's close to here, I think"

"That's where we're staying too!" Dawn exclaimed.

"Perfect, I will see you all there," Platinum said.

"But the rooms are all sold out… and it's gonna be pretty late when we get there".

"Oh it's not a problem," Platinum said, turning around. "I own it". She walked away with Moon, leaving the table goers stunned.

Chapter Text

It might have been past midnight, but none of the trainers felt remotely tired.

Chapter Text

Yellow's night was peaceful, more so than that of her fellows.

The room they rented was not too large, with a single bedside table separating their respective beds. She looked over to Ash. He was out cold.

Probably doesn't stay up late often, huh? Fine by her, it gave her time to get ready. Not that she needed it, her morning routine was fairly quick, and in no time at all she was dressed and ready for the day. She looked back at Ash. Still asleep. Might as well let him rest. She left the room and entered the long hotel hallway. The red and white decor gave the place an old timey feel. She thought it was nice, looking down the hallway where the elevators were located.

"Are you sure about this?"

"Yes, very. I can take care of myself, you know…"

"I know you can take care of yourself. But still…"

Yellow turned around. She hadn't even noticed that Dawn and Zoey were in the hallway as well. They were standing close to each other next to their doorway.

"Ash will be there, and Yellow and those there Dexholders."

"But you saw that Pachirisu…"

"I know, that's why I'm going. I have to help, somehow."

Zoey sighed. There was no changing Dawn's mind when it was made up. All she could do was go with her…

"Hey, I know what you're thinking," Dawn placed a hand on Zoey's cheek. "But your parents haven't seen you in a long, long time."

"Yes I know but still…"

"Listen. It's just a short trip to mount Coronet, then I'll meet you back at Snowpoint City first thing tomorrow, alright. There's no…"

"...need to worry, I know, I know," Zoey said softly. She placed her hand on the back of Dawn's head, pulling her in for a quick kiss on the forehead.

"What am I ever going to do with you…" It was at that moment that she noticed Yellow, staring from a few meters away.

"Hey there Yellow! Or should I call you senior?" Zoey called.

Dawn turned around, startled.

"Oh… Yellow!" she gasped. She thought they were alone. Granted, perhaps an open hallway wasn't the best place to have their conversation in the first place.

"Oh sorry.. Umm… I'm just heading downstairs," Yellow's exaggerated hand motions eventually pointed to the direction of the elevator. "To get breakfast."

"Breakfast sounds good, right Dawn?"

"Yaahh, right." Dawn said, quite flustered. The three made their way over to the elevator.

The hotel dining room was packed, as expected. Yellow figured that they would probably have to save some food for Ash, what little there was left. She looked around for a free table.

"Looks like the place is full," Dawn observed.

"Maybe we'll have to eat outside or… oh, look!"

Zoey spotted the other dexholders at a large table near the side of the hall, waving them over. There was just enough room for the rest of them, including Ash whenever he pulled himself out of bed. The trainers got their respective plates in order and sat down at the table.

"So, where's senior Ash?" Diamond asked, taking a bite out of his 5th piece of toast.

"Hmph… senior Ash," Dawn giggled to herself quietly. She could hear similar sentiments from Zoey and Yellow.

"He's still asleep." Yellow said.

"Sounds like Ash," Dawn said, cutting into a pancake.

"So what's the plan senior Yellow?" Pearl asked.

"We're heading to Mount Coronet after breakfast. We will explore the ruins until we find… umm"

"We find…"

"Well, something important. I… don't know," Yellow said, disappointed with herself.

"So, we don't know what we're even looking for?! How are we supposed to find this thing if we don't even know what the thing is?!"

"Relax Pearl. I'm sure senior Yellow and senior Ash will know what it is when they find it, isn't that right?" Platinum said to Yellow with confidence.

"Yes. I wouldn't pull you all into this if it wasn't important."

"Well, we know it's important senior Yellow," Diamond said. "You're looking for senior Red. We can't leave him in whatever scary place he's in."

"I don't think you're helping Dia," Pearl said.

"... but it sounded really, really scary. That's why we have to help senior Yellow!"

"Thank you, all of you!" Yellow said, her smile genuine.

"And I'm coming too," Dawn said. Zoey smiled, despite rolling her eyes.

"Oh good. Senior Dawn's coming too," Diamond said.

"Please Diamond, it's just Dawn," Dawn replied. This wasn't the first time she had made this request. She figured it wouldn't be the last.

"Yes. Sorry. Dawn's coming too!" Diamond proclaimed again. "How about you, senior Zoey?"

"Please, it's just Zoey. And I wanted to come too, but I promised my parents I'd see them today, and they're leaving the region tomorrow for a few months."

"Well don't you worry senior Zoey. We'll make sure Dawn gets back to you, unharmed," Pearl said. "We aaarrreee expert bodyguards, afterall."

"Really?!" Dawn asked. Diamond didn't mention that at all.

"Not really. We tried though, kinda," Diamond corrected.

"Dia! No, Diamond! I'm trying to make the lady look-a-like and her girlfriend feel better!"

"I don't think you're helping much now," Diamond said.

"That's 'cause you messed up my pitch!"

"We're all dependable, I assure you miss Dawn, and miss Zoey," Platinum said.

That's when Yellow heard it. The faint sound of a familiar voice screaming from down the hall in front of the dining hall.

"We slept in again! Breakfast is almost over!"

"Pikaaa-chuuuuuu,"

Ash blasted into the dining hall, still dressed in his night clothes. Pikachu followed close behind. Unfortunately for Ash, the floors had been polished just the previous night. No problem for the average passerby exiting at a reasonable speed. For someone rushing in however…

"Hey guys! I Gowoaaaaa!"

Ash lost his footing. In vain he tried to catch himself, but he merely threw his balance off even more, making his fall even more volatile. Eventually he couldn't resist any longer, and gravity took him, landing in a jumbled mess and his head slamming into the wall.

"Ooouucchhh!" He exclaimed, gripping his head on the point of impact. Some of the other hotel goers came by to investigate, his Pikachu rushing up to him.

"Pikaaaa?"

"I'm… I'm alright Pikachu," Ash said, grunting as he picked himself back up.

"You gotta be more careful young man," an elderly woman said as the crowd left.

"I will, thanks," Ash said. He looked around the dining hall, still gripping his head. He saw his friends sitting at the end of the hall. Beside Yellow was a large plate full of food that he assumed, well hoped, was for him. He would have rushed over, but he opted to walk this time.

"Morning guys."

A collective "morning" rang from the group, with various levels of giggling laced throughout after his blunder. Pikachu ran up. A bowl of pokémon food was waiting for him on the ground as well, next to Piplup who was already done eating.

"Nice of you to join us," Yellow said.

"Oh Ash, always in a rush," Dawn said, finishing the last of her toast.

"Ya, heh," Ash sat down, immediately digging into his plate. Most of the others had already finished eating, except Diamond, who had a third plate full of food ready. He was already digging in, and Ash followed suit. They both ate with a ravenous disposition. It was borderline inhuman.

"Wow…" Dawn said as she and the other trainers looked between the two.

"Are ya sure senior Red is senior Ash's copy?" Pearl asked.

"I… I don't know…" Yellow said, witnessing the carnage.

The trainers waited outside of the hotel, standing near the driveway. Ash took a deep breath of the morning air, which was nice and cool. Pikachu hopped up to his shoulder.

"Chuu?"

"Yah, it is a nice day Pikachu," He scratched the little pokémon's head.

"There's the taxi," Zoey called as a cab car drove up to them. "Well, this is goodbye, for now,"

Pleasant send-offs were given by the other trainers, except for Dawn. Zoey walked up to her.

"You remember to stay safe, alright," Zoey told her.

"Ya ya, thanks mom," Dawn responded as she hugged her.

"Right, I'll see you at Snowpoint," Zoey said as they released each other. Zoey hopped into the cab, waving goodbye as she drove off.

"Where to now?" Diamond asked.

"I want to check in on my sister before we leave, if we have the time."

"Of course we do, come," Yellow said as the group walked to the pokémon center. It was a brief walk, and the group quickly found themselves inside, waiting at the front lobby. It was quite large, though still smaller. Jubilife didn't even have a local pokémon gym, so most trainers would only stop by briefly on their way to Mount Coronet or the nearby mining town of Oreburgh city. After a few minutes of relative silence, a Nurse Joy entered the room from behind the desk.

"Your sister is waiting in the next room, Miss Platinum. I request that your friends wait out here."

"Yes, no issue, thank you," Platinum walked to the back with Nurse Joy, making their way down a small hallway. They walked past various rooms, all containing injured pokémon going through treatment, some minor, others more severe. They turned into the room where Pachirisu was recovering, Moon still waiting behind the glass.

"Good afternoon, Moon."

"Afternoon Platinum," Moon responded with a hug.

"How is Pachirisu looking?"

"Honestly, this case is far beyond my expertise. It's just not… scientific…"

"Just not scientific?"

Moon motioned towards the computer screen. Platinum took a look, it was similar to yesterday. The vital signs for Pachirisu were clear, the ones present. The sections of it that were covered in the black substance however… ceased to be.

"Her breathing has stabilized since yesterday, but she's still unresponsive…" Moon said, visibly shaken.

"Moon…"

"I just…" The distress was growing in her voice. "I feel so helpless. What use is a doctor who can't help their patient."

"Hey," Platinum placed her hand on Moon's shoulder. "All you can do is your best. Even if your best is just taking care of Pachirisu."

"Yes, of course, as is my responsibility," Moon said.

"Good," Platinum said. While she smiled at her, Moon couldn't help but notice a soft sigh come out of Platinum.

"I will be alright Platinum. You should go. You and your friends should start your investigation as soon as you can."

"I will. Goodbye, for now," Platinum said before hugging Moon again, her grip slightly tighter than she intended. She left the room, with Moon going back to her analysis. Platinum made her way past the desk and back to the other trainers.

"So how's Pachirisu?" Ash asked, somewhat bluntly.

"She's doing better, though still a long way from recovery."

"Platinum… you look worried," Diamond said.

"Dia! She's just… well…" Pearl was somewhat lost for words.

"I am," Platinum sat down. "I'm worried about Moon. This whole situation is worrisome, and I don't like leaving her here alone."

"Well Nurse Joy is here, as well as the other staff," Ash interjected.

"Yes, but…" Platinum knew that Moon could take care of herself, and that she was surrounded by other professionals who will keep her safe. Still…

"Platinum, it will be alright. Your sister's smart." Dawn said.

"Right, of course. Okay." She took a deep breath, calming her nerves. "Let us leave, to Mount Coronet."

The trek to Mount Coronet from their hotel was not a long one, though it did involve crossing through the dense forest that sat between them. The pathway was at least well worn, with many trainers making the long trek to mount Coronet.

"Pipluuuup," Piplup complained to his trainer.

"Come Piplup, it's not that far off," Dawn answered, before looking to Platinum. "So, did you pick Piplup as well?"

"Pick?"

"Yah, you know. When you were old enough to become a pokémon trainer, you got to choose between three pokémon and…"

"Oh the lady had all three pokémon when she started her journey," Diamond interrupted.

"Yes, well it wasn't necessarily to go on a pokémon journey as the trainers in your world call it. I was on a pilgrimage that my family has partaken in for generations. My father had given me three pokémon to assist me."

"Yah, and she gave the other two to us!" Diamond exclaimed. "But she did keep her Piplup, so I guess you two have something in common."

"Awesome. Did he stay a Piplup?" Dawn asked.

"No, she was quite happy to evolve."

"So she must be an Empoleon by now, right?"

"Yep. Let me bring her out," She reached for her belt, tossing the pokeball. "Empoleon, go!"

Empoleon was quite the intimidating pokémon. While still retaining its penguin esque qualities, it was almost 5 times the size of Piplup, with a set of horns adorning its head, giving it an almost ominous presence.

"Poleon!" Empoleon looked down on Piplup. Pipulup puffed up its chest, hoping to match the larger pokémon's visage. He thought he was doing a well enough job of it. Most of the present company thought otherwise.

"Well, at least you're trying Piplup…" Ash commented.

That's when it caught his eye, just behind Piplup and Empoleon. Something off in the forest, laying amongst the shadows provided by the trees. It moved quickly through the brush, though it caused little disturbance to its surroundings. The darkness of it, it almost felt like… the absence of light, like it wasn't something that was present, but rather a piece of space that was just… missing. He couldn't explain it, but he knew it was bad news, and there was one thing he could easily tell about it, from the brief glimpse it provided him before it fled into the tree line.

It wasn't a pokémon. It looked like a human.

Chapter Text

"Did… did anyone else see that?" Ash asked, pointing towards the woods.

Chapter Text

"Another Mountain, huh?" Yellow felt the great monolith looming over them. If Mount Silver touched the sky, then she swore that Mount Coronet pierced through it, and reached the stars.

Chapter Text

How?

"Senior Ash?!" Platinum looked frantically between Ash and the mystery trainer. "So that's…"

"Yes… it is…" Ash could barely look at his old rival. "Paul?! What happened?"

What happened?! You did, Ash. Years ago in Sinnoh, when you beat me! ME!

"Paul, I…"

An onslaught of voices filled his mind, overwhelming and exceeding painful. He tried covering his ears to no avail as he collapsed to the ground.

"PIKA!" Pikachu screamed as the voices amplified in his head as well, collapsing with his trainer. Ash held the small pokémon as Pikachu began to squirm.

"Ash!" Yellow screamed before she, Platinum and Frostlass fell in turn. They were all engulfed by the force, tortured screams burying into their minds.

My path was set before me… Paul's words sat just above the tormented howls. The league victory was mine. My goals… He moved towards Ash. And then you… you…

He used his free hand to bring Ash to his knees, forcing him to drop Pikachu. Ash tried to resist, but the pain was far too much. He could barely think, his own internal voice choked out and drowned.

I lost! To you… and I didn't know what to do. So I turned to my brother. I gave UP, like my brother! Because of YOU.

"Paul I…"

Paul wrapped the tendrils that led to Torterra around Ash's neck, placing a single foot on his chest and reeling back, choking the life out of the young man.

"Paul… please… I…" Ash tried to talk, to reason, to say anything. "I'm…"

Absolutely

"I'm sorry…"

Pathetic.

"I think… we lost them…"

Out of breath, Diamond, Pearl, and Dawn had finally outpaced the distorted trainers. They finally managed to lose them a few corridors down. The creatures were fast, but luckily for the trainers they were clumsy. They figured they were safe, at least for the moment.

"We need to find the others," Dawn said, recovering her breath.

"Yeah. There could be more of those things in these caves," Diamond said.

"These ain't caves Dia…"

"I don't think that matters right now, Pearl."

"Well, I guess we keep mov…"

Around the corner stood another massive door, carved in stone.

"Another door…" Pearl sighed. "Great, guess we'll have to find another lever to be dropped into another secret maze."

Dawn placed a single palm on the door and pushed. It wasn't heavy like the ones before, and it almost slid gracefully along the rocky floor.

"Guess this isn't another tra…"

The words were ripped from her as the group looked into the darkness of the chamber. The black substance that was coated all around the room, even wrapping itself over the blue torches, their light heavily dimmed. Among the deluge of the ill-coated walls were various bulbous like protrusion, almost perfectly circular spheres that looked almost like bubbles. There were at least 16 of them, at least from what Dawn could see. On closer inspection she could see a rigid, angular patterning on them, giving them an almost biomechanical nature.

"Uh oh…" Diamond slowly moved into the room behind Dawn.

"Yep. More spooky stuff." Pearl moved past the others, examining one of the bubbles. He could faintly see through it…

"Agh!" Pearl leaped back as he noticed a hand sticking out from the sphere, only partially encased in the substance.

"Pearl!" Diamond and Dawn rushed up to him.

"Oh no…" Dawn noticed other parts faintly sticking out. Another hand, a leg, and a… wing?

Creeping closer to the bubble, she noticed a dark, feathering wing in the mesh. It looked like a Murkrow. She looked at the hands and legs again. They were small, likely belonging to a child…

It was almost like a cocoon. And Dawn knew who was inside of it.

"Oh no…" Dawn immediately grabbed onto the hand, fiercely pulling as hard as she could. She wouldn't budge however, being stuck to the wall with what felt like solid concrete.

"Senior Dawn!" Diamond attempted to help the other trainer to no avail.

"No!" Dawn's hand slipped as the force of her efforts sent her tumbling back.

"It's no use!" Pearl grabbed Diamonds arm, noticing the Murkrow wing as well. "... the girl from yesterday…"

"She's in there! We have to get her out!" Dawn took out a pokeball. "Maybe we can get our pokémon to…"

"Senior Dawn, look." Diamond pointed towards the end of the cocoon, tracing his finger over its lower portion. Leading away from it was a line of the dark substance leading towards the back of the room, almost like an extension cord. They noticed that the other cocoons had a similar line, all focusing on a central structure. It looked like a pedestal, flat on the top and bottom and rounded near the center. Floating just above it was a large, darkened orb.

"What is that..?" Dawn asked.

"I have no idea senior Dawn. But we should probably get out of here," Pearl said, noting another door next to the pedestal.

"But we can't leave all these people!" Dawn shouted, looking at the other cocoons she spotted more limbs and other odd bits of pokémon sticking out.

"There's nothing we can do right now senior Dawn!"

"But maybe we can find some way to free them if we keep searching these catacombs," Diamond said. "Look, there's another doorway." Diamond pointed towards a large door, sat right next to the pedestal.

Dawn nodded. She made her way towards the door, with Diamond and Pearl following closely behind.

I can't breathe…

It was one of many thoughts racing through Ash's mind as Paul threatened to crush his windpipe. His vision became blurry as the lack of oxygen starved his brain.

Gave up! I GAVE UP!

The intense winding scream pierced his mind, drowning out his other thoughts. It was Paul's voice for certain, yet it was detached. These thoughts didn't formulate from any sort of human connection. He knew that this creature wasn't Paul. But its emotions were so… real. They were Paul's emotions, and he was hurting.

No, Paul had been hurt. Long ago. And it was because of Ash.

Ash's vision began to go black. He couldn't see the other trainers, but he guessed that they were still writhing on the floor. He could hear Pikachu writhing on the floor near him. They were trapped, and he was going to die here…

A bright flash of light. At least that's what it looked like, from what little he could see. He felt a slight release of tension around his neck, and he used the opportunity to take a deep breath. He still couldn't see straight, but at least his vision stopped worsening. The light intensified in his peripheral vision, a bright orange flame. Fire…

Quilava?!

Paul released his grip fully, turning his attention towards Quilava, who stood in the center of the room, arms outstretched.

Ash tried to scream Quilava's name, but the oppressive voices continued to rage in his mind. He could breathe, but he was once again back on the floor. He grabbed Pikachu again with his right hand, his other outstretched towards the blue pokémon.

"Quilava!" He screamed over the voices, though he couldn't even hear himself.

"Qui…" His flames began to swirl around him, nearly engulfing the pokémon. Suddenly, the purple flames on the torches ignited all at once, and the screams inside the trainers' minds suddenly ceased, now centering around Quilava. The purple fire of the torches raced towards the pokémon, coiling around it like a snake.

No more interruptions!

Torterra launched itself towards Quilava, the smaller pokémon almost disappearing under him. Before the trainers could react, a blue light emanated through Torterra, and a large, purple explosion ignited under him. Torterra was flung against the wall, Paul being forcibly dragged with him.

Ash and the others finally made it to their feet, Pikachu clutched in his arms. For a moment, they were dumbstruck by what they saw.

Where Quilava once stood was a significantly larger pokémon. At a glance, it looked to be a larger version of Quilava. A Typhlosion. Quilava must have evolved! But there were some… odd differences.

The most obvious were the flames on its mane. Rather than being an uncontrolled plume of fir, it consisted of purple flames that writhed like they were swaying in a wind that they couldn't feel. Smaller plumes of purple flame lined the pokémon's collar, and it was somewhat skinnier than the average Typhlosion.

"Quilava?!" Ash spoke in a raspy voice.

"Typhlosion!" The pokémon cried out, smiling at his trainer.

Considering he was saved from the brink of death, Ash figured he shouldn't question this sudden turn of events just yet.

"Oh, my bad. Typhlosion, you ready to fight?!" He returned the smile. He could finally think straight. They finally stood a chance.

"That's not like any Typhlosion I've ever seen," Platinum said.

"No time to question it right now!" Yellow said as she tossed a Pokeball. "Chuchu! Come on out!"

"CHU!"

Paul and Torterra quickly picked themselves up, now eyeing the trainers. A Frostlass, Pikachu, and strange Typhlosion standing between them.

Failed…

"Paul…" Ash called out meekly.

I've failed again, and again…

The distorted young man collapsed to his knees. He begins raking his darkened fingers into the solid rock.

And again and again and again…

"Ash… what should we do?" Yellow asked, nerves on fire and seconds away from declaring an attack.

Ash stared at Paul in bewilderment. Was this really his fault? Were these feelings harbored within him this entire time? Was he the only one..?

How many others have I…

"Plosion!"

Typhlosion stared at Ash, his reassuring grin unwavering. The interruption brought Ash into the present. He was suddenly aware of Yellow and Platinum staring at him as well, and Pikachu in his arms, looking expectantly at the trainer.

"Senior Ash, we can take it from here,"

"No, I'm alright." He placed Pikachu on the floor. "Let's see Typhlosion in action."

"Pika…"

He stepped in front of Typhlosion, giving him a reassuring pat on the back as he passed.

"Paul?"

For a moment, Paul looked up, right before Torterra grabbed him by the back of his neck and launched him at Ash. They almost collided before Typhlosion jumped in between them, a barrage of purple flames knocking Paul back down. Torterra screamed in agony, rearing on its hind legs and crashing itself into the wall behind it.

What was that?! This new Typhlosion was full of surprises.

How many others were there, Ash?

Ash didn't respond. There were a thousand things he wanted to say, but he just couldn't.

In your grand quest to fulfill your dream, how many others did you crush underfoot?

Still nothing. Ash felt paralyzed. The world around him faded away, and he swore that through the darkness he could see Paul, undistorted, and human.

The man he defeated. The boy he ruined.

"It was just another battle…"

I should have been stronger…

"It was a tournament! One of us had to lose!"

If only I could…

"And on that day, it just happened to be you!"

If only I just… could have… gotten…

Paul leaped into the air once again. This time, Yellow and Platinum were ready.

"Chuchu! Use thunder bolt!"

"Frostlass! Use shadow ball!"

The time for talk was done. All that rang in Ash's mind was a single phrase he had never heard before.

"Typhlosion! Use infernal parade!"

The combined attacks landed directly at Paul, long before he got anywhere close to Ash. The area ignited in a deluge of electricity and dark energy, all consumed in a purple blaze. When the energy dissipated, all that was left was a dark puddle of the black substance, right where Paul was hit. Torterra in turn was nowhere to be found.

"...it just happened to be you."

"Ash!" Yellow ran up to Ash. He grabbed his arm, shaking him back to reality.

"Yellow!" Ash frantically looked around, taking a headcount of the other trainers and their pokémon. "Everyone's okay. Good."

"Senior Ash, I'm sorry," Platinum said as she placed Frostlass back into her pokeball.

"We heard everything" Yellow put back Chuchu as well. "You and Paul…"

"It's… it's nothing…" he said, almost inaudibly.

"Ash…"

"No. We need to find a way out of here. And a way to get Paul back. And that girl. And anyone else that this…" he stepped lightly on the substance. He wished it was solid enough to kick "whatever this does!"

"Plho!"

"Typhlosion." Ash scratched the fur on Typhlosions neck, the purple fire no longer emanating from him. He was surprised at how cold it felt. "You did great, bud. Lookin ' great too." Typhlosion smiled.

Yellow eyed the pokémon and trainer. It was almost uncanny how Ash's mood shifted on a dime when it came to pokémon. She wondered if they just had that sort of effect on him, or if he simply cared more for them then he did for himself.

"It's not like any Typhlosion I've ever seen," Yellow reached out her hand towards the pokemon as well. Before her palm could touch his forehead, Typhlosion shuffled back, shaking his head.

"Typhlosion? It's alright, it's just Yellow. She probably just wants to read your thoughts,"

"Typhlosion…" Typhlosion continued shaking his head. For a moment he reactivated the flames on his neck, pointing towards them.

Yellow squinted at the flames. "That fire…"

"That isn't a normal Typhlosion." Platinum stepped forward. "I recognize its slimmer body and purple flames from some of my ancient history books. It's an older form of Typhlosion from ancient Sinnoh. It is said that these forms of Typhlosion are connected to spirits…"

"To spirits?" Yellow asked.

"Yes. It is said that it traps spirits and purifies them in its flames. It's probably why he doesn't want you reading his mind, senior Yellow."

"Right," Yellow said, rubbing her hand awkwardly.

"Trapped spirits huh? Weird…" Ash said as Typhlosion turned around towards the back end of the cavern. He looked at the torches on the wall, recalling that the flames gathered around Typhlosion. "Then those torches…"

"They're… alive?!" Yellow yelled, suddenly aware of every single torch in the room.

"Maybe they could be trapping dormant spirits..? But then why did they call to us during the fight? or… no! No! There will be time for scientific inquiry later. Like Ash said, we need to get out of here."

"Right, now over here…" Ash looked to where Paul was guardian. At the moment, it looked to be just be another massive wall.

"Hey!" A voice suddenly called to them from the other side of the cave. The trainers turned to see Diamond, Pearl and Dawn.

"Platinum!" Pearl and Diamond rushed towards their friend.

"We found ya. I told ya we would Diamond!" Pearl said.

"You weren't saying much while we were running through the tunnels Pearl."

"Well it thought about it okay! That has to count for something!"

"Good to see you're all safe," Dawn said, waving to Ash and Yellow.

"Least everyone's together agai…" Yellow was cut off by Typhlosion, whose purple flames ignited and began to encircle the room. The fire seemed to worm its way towards the ceiling like a living organism, and the torches once again ignited. The group watched as the fire coalesced on the wall that Typhlosion stared at. The flames split the wall in two, outlining a massive seam in the rock that the trainers swore wasn't there before.

"Hey senior Ash, when did you get a Typhlosion?" Diamond asked.

"A weird Typhlosion at that," Pearl added.

"Look… it's creating a door…"

The cave wall almost split at the seam, the fire seeming to burn it away. Soon there was nothing left but cinders, the flames gathering back into Typhlosion. The pokémon stood motionless.

"Piika…"

"Typhlosions quite something, huh?" Ash said as Typhlosion walked back to his trainer, panting heavily. "Tired, huh?" He placed Typhlosion back into his pokeball.

"Wonder why he opened that door?" Yellow asked.

"Cause it's where we need to go," Ash said as he stepped through the gate. Whatever they needed to find in this mountain was inside, he was certain about it.

Chapter Text

It was the largest chamber yet. It was also, quite surprisingly, beautiful.

Like the other chambers they have seen, runic arcs decorated the rugged stone walls. This time however, they glowed in ethereal colours. Bright reds, greens, blues and all different sorts illuminated the area in vast canvases, depicting scenic views of people interacting with pokémon in their daily lives.

"Wow, it's beautiful…" Yellow said. Her eyes were drawn to what seemed to be images of children fishing near a small lake with a crowd of what she assumed were Woopers dancing happily around them.

"Dia? Platinum? Did any part of Mount Coronet look this pretty when we were last here?"

Platinum didn't even respond to him. It didn't really matter, as all the trainers were somewhat distracted by what they were seeing.

"Who built this place?" Dawn asked.

"There have been ancient civilizations that have lived in Sinnoh for centuries. These ruins… I've seen similar ones in textbooks but… nothing like this," Platinum said, coming back to her senses.

"And why was Paul, or… whatever that thing was defending this place?" Yellow asked.

"So many questions, yet…" The images were almost overwhelming. Platinum's analytical mind was in overdrive. Yet she found herself tranced by the dazzling array of images. She felt hypnotized…

They should probably leave soon.

"Look. Over here." Ash was the only one not looking at the glyphs on the wall. His eyes were glued to a small obelisk at the back of the room. A glowing black orb sat on its pedestal, yet his focus was on what was underneath it. A carving of a human handprint.

"Pika?" Pikachu was just behind Ash, sensing what he was about to do. He turned towards the others. Should he alert them? Maybe give Ash a jolt so he'd come to his senses. He opted for a more diplomatic approach, calling out to the trainer.

"I know I shouldn't Pikachu, but… I… I feel…"

"Pikachu!" At that moment the other trainers looked at Ash, inches away from the Obelisk. Dawn realized it looked similar to the small structure in the room of cocoons.

"Ash! Wait..!"

But it was too late. Ash placed his hand on the Obelisk.

The images on the wall began to shift and contort. The various depictions of these people and the simplicity of their daily life began to warp in purple and blackened spirals, the light of the images rapidly fading and reappearing.

"Seniors?" Dia tried to focus on the other trainers, but the entire room had come to life, completely overwhelming the sense of the trainers. He swore that the images had begun ringing as well, or at least that's what he wanted to call it. A ringing that drowned out the screams.

"Everyone! Close your eyes and cover your ears," Yellow shouted. The others followed her example. Whether it was a good idea or not was a matter of opinion at this point, but she was acting on impulse. There wasn't much in the way of thinking right now, and her mind reading abilities have left her sensitive to such stimuli.

Damn! Why did I go and do that?! Ash clenched his teeth. His sense came back in full force the second he touched the obelisk. He wasn't in exactly the greatest mind set after being accused of destroying the life of his rival, and even in better states he wasn't exactly known for taking calculated and methodical actions.

Seconds went by, feeling like years, the room buzzing in their ears. They didn't even try to scream above the noise, merely hoping that it would stop. And stop it did, only after a few moments, slowly fading out. Ash opened his eyes first.

"The walls… they've changed…"

Dawn didn't bother listening. She opened her eyes.

"Ash?! Why did you have to go…" She had been ready to give Ash an earful, but her anger quickly faded when she looked back at the walls. The collage of colours had almost disappeared, with each wall now illuminating only a single colour, the right Red, and the left Blue.

"The walls changed. Is that bad?" Diamond asked.

"I don't know…" Platinum quickly scanned the walls. She noticed that the images were no longer separate scenes of individuals and their pokémon. Rather, they now looked like a mural, a continuous painting that stretched from one end of the cavern to the other.

The walls told the story.

On the right wall, marked in the calm blues of the ocean, a massive pokémon appears from a darkened hole in the sky. The people of the land fear the creature, some bowing to it, and some raising spears. A great battle was about to ensue. And then…

The spear holders were interrupted by the ones who kneeled. A great debate erupted amongst them. Then they threw down their spears, approaching the creature in peace. It lowered its pointed head, allowing them to touch it. And then…

A blacksmith, a passionate soul who lived to create tools for his people. Tools that were used to defend his fellow villagers from those that might harm them. And now he would wrought his greatest creation. He had turned to gem cutting, and had carved a beautiful, glowing white crystal. A gift for the strange creature that had become a friend to all the villagers. And then…

The people present their gift, placing it on the creature. The glow of the crystal brings it comfort. It smiles, letting out a cheerful call. It is now a part of itself, and he will cherish their gift forever. And then…

The creature leaves, leaving the people as they wave goodbye. From beyond the veil it keeps a watchful eye over the world. While coming from a world of darkness, it would serve as a beacon to all who entered its domain, only using force when it deemed it necessary.

And thus, Giratina was written into their history. The pokémon that Ash had once befriended, a misunderstood pokémon that simply wanted to be left in peace. And so the story ended on the right wall. Yet that wasn't the only story being told here.

On the left wall, marked in the fiery reds of a blistering flame, a massive pokémon appears from a darkened hole in the sky. The people of the land fear the creature, some bowing to it, others raising spears. A great battle was about to ensue. And then…

The kneelers were interrupted by those who held spears. They gave them spears in turn with little debate, and they approached the creature with their armaments held high. And thus, the creature and people fought a long, lengthy battle that lasted for years. And then…

A blacksmith, a passionate soul who lived to create weapons for his people. Weapons used so that his fellow villagers could raid the other tribes, increasing their resources and power through bloodshed. And this was his greatest weapon to date, though its design was quite deceptive. On the outside, it looked to be a simple ball. But it was a capture device, similar to the others that were designed to tame the local oddities that they shared the world with.

After a lengthy battle, the blacksmith tosses the ball. The creature roars as the ball opens, unleashing a swarm of black tendrils that latch on to it. They are freezing cold, yet seers the creature's body as it pulls it in. The struggle is brief, and the creature is locked within the ball. The portal opens again as the ball is tossed within it. The creature awakens, back in its world, trapped there forever. And then…

The creature was gone and the humans celebrate. From beyond the veil if keeps a vengeful eye over the world. It came from a world of darkness, and now it retreats back into its role as an unwilling protector of this world. It would blend in with the shadows and use excessive force to drive invaders from its home, it's only goal to escape this place once again and destroy those who sent it back.

And thus, Giratina was written into their history. The pokémon that Platinum and her friends had once defeated. A malevolent pokémon whose ire towards humanity would never falter. And so the story ended on the left wall.

The images faded, and the walls turned to stone once again. The torches in the room glowed the blue flames that littered the rest of the catacombs.

"Did you all…" Yellow stuttered; a flurry of information flooded her mind. It's almost as if the images had come to life, and the stories they told played so vividly that she swore she was living out each event in the flesh.

"Yeah, I did…" Ash moved over to the right wall, placing a hand on the stone. "This was our world's Giratina. I've seen it before. It was actually very friendly, when it wasn't angry at other pokémon," Ash said with a slight chuckle.

"And on this side…" Platinum motioned towards the left wall. "It's the Giratina from our world. We stopped it a few years ago."

"But what could this all mean? Why Giratina?" Yellow asked.

"It was Giratina," Ash said assertively. "The pokémon from my vision."

"But… which one?" Platinum asked.

"I don't know… I think it was the one from your world. I felt only… hatred from it. But… a part of it felt familiar. Like I've met it before…"

"It was just a vision though, so who knows what it all really means," Pearl said.

"But we were sent here. Well, Red sent you here," Platinum said. "Whatever happened to him was probably because of Giratina."

"Maybe it's not just about what happened to Red, but what happened to everyone," Dawn said.

"So the merging… all the look-a-likes…" Diamond pondered.

"Everything. It has something to do with Giratina. Both of them," Ash concluded.

"Hey guys! Come look at this!" Pearl shouted, alerting the others to the obelisk that had now changed once again. The black orb had disappeared, and taking its place were two small objects. One was another shard, nearly identical to the one that was given to Ash by the stones. The other was a pristine, clear crystal.

"That crystal and shard… they're from the murals," Platinum said. "But…"

"The shards…" Yellow stepped forward, taking a closer look at them. "These shards. They must be…"

"It's a pokeball." Ash finished.

"By why is it broken then? What happened to it?" Pearl asked. The entire room had become fixated on the artefacts.

"You saw what it did," Ash said sternly. "Of course they destroyed it afterwards. It's… evil."

"And Red wants you to get all the pieces to… fix it?" Diamond asked hesitantly.

"Perhaps? We're assuming a lot here based on a handful of visions and a few pieces of rocks," Platinum said. "Let's just… just…" She collapsed, sitting on the floor.

"Platinum!" Pearl and Diamond ran up to her, kneeling down beside her.

"Hey, are you okay?!" Diamond looked panicked. He immediately pulled out a water bottle and soaked a small towel from his backpack. He placed it on Platinum's forehead.

"I'm alright. Thanks." She said with a smile.

"Just stop thinking for a bit, alright?" Pearl said.

"Ummm… is she actually alright or…" Dawn asked, turning her attention away from the shard.

"Just overthinking a bit. It's a lot to take in. We'll have to research this place for weeks and…"

My sweet child. Where is she?!

In their minds the trainers heard a sinister call. Dawn, Pearl and Diamond all recognized it. It was the distorted women from earlier, her Ekans uncoiling from her neck and hissing at the trainers.

"She followed us here!" Dawn yelled.

The distorted woman launched herself at Ash. Before anyone could respond she pinned him against the obelisk. The Ekans was inches away from clamping down onto his neck.

I can't find her! I can't I can't I can't!

Ash tried raising his hands, planning to scramble out of the women's grasp. To his surprise however, she lept off him herself, shielding her face.

Terrible light! Terrible!

He turned to see a glow emanating from Yellow's hand. It wasn't her own power, but the crystal, which she pointed directly at the distorted women. The trainers all heard a hiss ringing in their heads before the figure retreated, back into the catacombs.

"That's the key!" Dawn scrambled towards Yellow, grabbing her arm.

"Wait? I just woaaaa…"

"Wait? Senior Dawn?!" Pearl pondered for merely a second before the realization hit him as well. "Dia! Let's get Platinum up. To the bubbles!"

The trio got up and scrambled towards Dawn, who was dragging Yellow out of the room. Ash shrugged before taking one last look at the Obelisk. He quickly grabbed the shard and stuffed it into his pocket, before catching up to the other trainers.

Luckily Dawn somewhat remembered the way back to the room of tubes. She didn't want to get lost in these catacombs, again.

Ash, Yellow and Platinum took a moment to examine the room. They couldn't believe what they were seeing. Ash's heart sank when he noticed the cocoon that likely contained the small child and her Murkrow that he caught the other day. How could this happen to anyone?

"Over here." Dawn brought Yellow up to the central pedestal in the room, the black orb still swirling over it.

"All of these bubbles connect to this pedestal. Maybe if you inserted the crystal into it or… something…" Dawn shrugged. Truth be told she had acted impulsively once she saw the crystal's influence of the distorted trainers. She didn't have a clue as to if this would actually work, but they had to try.

"Alright. Everyone, get ready." Yellow inched the crystal over to the orb. The crystal began to pulsate, the golden glowing energy intensifying, illuminating the entire room. The bubbles became almost translucent, and the trainers could see the people inside. A little girl with a Murkrow in her arms, a younger woman clutching her Ekans, an old man, side by side with his Krookodile, and a dozen other people littered the room, trapped inside the cocoons with their pokémon. Ash winced as he looked at a gigantic cocoon that sat in the corner of the room. Paul, standing valiantly next to his Torterra.

"Now!" Yellow screamed as she forced the crystal into the orb. It immediately dissipated, the golden energy making its way up the tendrils connecting it to the cocoons. It snaked its way through the entire room, destroying every trace of the substance. The people within the cocoons slumped to the floor. They could hear everyone murmuring to themselves.

"Lisa… where are…"

"Hey, Krookodile? Are you…"

"Mom… where are…" The little girl sat up first, quickly glancing at everyone else in the room.

"Who are…" she turned over to the women with the Ekans. "Mum!"

"Lisa!" The women sat up as Lisa launched herself into her mothers arms. Her Murkrow followed, greeting Ekans with an equal fervor.

"Hey, you?" A young man they didn't recognize pointed towards the trainers as he stood up. "Did you… free us?"

"Well, I guess we did," Pearl said.

"Let's help these folks to their feet," Diamond said. The trainers spread themselves, helping the freed individuals get their bearings. Ash ran over to Paul. The other trainer was sitting down next to his Torterra, not daring to look up. Ash reached out his hand.

"Hey, you don't look so great," Ash said. He tried to force a smile, but he doubted it was showing. Paul didn't return the gesture, standing up without Ash's assistance.

"You should focus on the others. I'm alright," he said, still avoiding eye contact. On the contrary, he looked far worse for wear than the other individuals in the room.

Ash nodded. There would be time to talk later.

Chapter Text

There was no light at the end of the tunnel, and considering that it was almost midnight, they weren't too surprised. Luckily, the group managed to retrace their steps and escape the mountain with relative ease.

The trainers had managed to escort up to 20 people of various ages out of the mountain, a mix of other aspiring trainers on their separate adventures as well as locals from the nearby towns and cities, some who had been reported missing for a few weeks. They were all tired from their endeavors, and within the first few minutes of obtaining a signal the group were able to call several ambulances to escort them back to the local Jubilife hospital. After dropping off their pokémon at the nearby pokémon center, Ash and his friends found themselves standing just outside the hospital, a single street light being their only source of illumination in the starless night.

"So, we know that whatever happened to Red has something to do with Giratina, specifically the one from our world, but possibly the one from yours as well, as Ash suggests" Platinum said, trying to break down all the information they had gathered.

"And the shards are pieces of a pokeball that was used to banish him to the distortion world long ago," Dawn said. "So maybe Giratina has somehow come to this world, captured Red for… some reason, and we need to re-create this pokeball to stop him?"

"Possibly? But then why the white crystal? It was made as a gift for your world's Giratina, and it can affect those trainers who turned into monsters…"

"And what even are those creatures? They must have something to do with one of the Giratinas…"

"Agh. Maybe you'll get one of those visions again, senior Ash. Maybe he'll tell you more," Pearl interrupted.

"Maybe…" Ash sighed. His lowered face and droopy eyes betrayed the look of someone whose mind was elsewhere.

"Sleeping on it would be a good idea," Dawn concluded.

"We can decide what to do next tomorrow," Yellow said, tugging at Ash's coat. "Let's head back to the hotel."

"Yeah, proba…"

"Mr. Ketchum?!" a women in a doctor's coat suddenly approached the trainers.

"Yes?" Ash replied.

"One of the patient's wishes to speak with you. His name is…"

"Paul?"

"Yes. Do you have the time?"

"Ash?" Yellow gave him a concerned look. Maybe he should save it for tomorrow...

"Ya'll go ahead. I'll head back to the hotel as soon as I'm done." He said sternly. The other trainers nodded and made their way back to the hotel.

"Alright. We'll see you in the morning," Dawn said as Ash followed the nurse into the hospital.

"Right this way." The nurse opened one of the many doors stretching down the large hospital corridor. He entered the room. Various dressers full of who-knows-what were spaced around a small computer desk and the patients table. Sitting on said table was Paul, dressed in a white shirt and pants. He didn't say a word as the nurse left the two trainers alone, closing the door behind her.

"Hey Paul, you doing alright?"

No response. The air was tense between the two, not unlike how it was between them during Ash's time in Sinnoh. Ash recalled Paul's sinister glare that would make his blood boil. Yet now Paul could barely look him in the eye.

Ash looked at the chair sitting next to the desk, wondering if he should take a seat. He noticed Paul looking up, ever so slightly. Paul shifted himself over to the right of the table, creating a space for Ash to sit, still silent. Ash took a seat on the table next to him.

A few moments of silence passed between them. What did Paul even want to say to Ash? What could he even say?

"...gotten over it."

Ever a man of few words.

"Back in the mountain. That's what you were trying to say…" Ash was taken aback for a moment. "Wait… so you remember…"

"Everything."

"Even while you were still trapped in that cocoon?"

"Yes. It's hard to describe but that cocoon seemed to… absorb my essence, creating a different version of me using my… soul, I guess you could call it. I could see through it… feel though it… and the entire time I heard voices in my head. One was a simple command. Guard that door. But also…

"Also?"

"There's something else too. Another voice. My own voice."

"And what was that voice telling you?"

"Things that I didn't ever want to hear. All these thoughts that I thought I had stuffed down a long, long time ago. It became the only thing I could think about. The only thing I was allowed to think about." Paul felt his heart racing and the pace of his breath quickening, the memory of it sending him into fight or flight mode. He steadied his breath, closing his eyes for a moment to collect himself.

"So all those things you said back there…"

"It was my true feelings, all of it." Paul took a deep breath, staring out at the wall in front of him. He had yet to look at Ash directly. "It was after our league match when we said goodbye. I caught your match against Tobias. I figured that at least if I lost, I had lost to the person who was destined to win the league anyway. I thought I could take some comfort in that. And then you lost. Badly."

"Yeah, I did." Ash wasn't too fond of the memory. "Tobias was strong. Probably the strongest trainer I had ever faced. You think you could have beaten him?"

"I doubt it. Still, I had gained a lot of respect for you. Didn't make losing any easier, especially to someone who went against everything I stood for."

The same guilt he felt at Mount Coronet washed over Ash once again. He always hoped Paul the best after their rivalry. But now he wondered if he should have said more after their league match. At the time he thought that they left in an amicable state.

"And then after you went to work with your brother? Right?"

"No. Like I said before I continued challenging the Kalos league and a few others too... I never made it far though, and I felt hopeless for a while. Then one day my brother contacted me. Asked if I wanted to work with him for a while, help him out with pokémon breeding."

"And you took him up on his offer."

"Not immediately. I scoffed at the idea at first. But I wasn't doing much else and after giving it some thought, I accepted."

"And how did that go?"

"I wasn't lying to you the other day. It was great. And it was thanks to you."

"Well… thank you," Ash said, relaxing his demeanor. "I think your brother knew that I could help you out. But I think he knew it went both ways too, ya know? That we both had something we could teach each other. And he was right. The way you treated your Pokémon seemed so… cruel to me…"

"And you wouldn't be wrong, especially with how I treated Chimchar."

"It certainly didn't work for all of your pokémon, but many of them shared your passion and determination. It took me a while to respect that. It's why you were able to beat me so many times before that our league battle."

"My brothers certainly observant. He kept mentioning how I had become more patient and compassionate towards my pokémon afterwards. That's the kinda stuff I used to scoff at when we first met, stuff I picked up from you". Paul said, finally looking at Ash. "But part of me still wonders how things could have turned out if…"

He caught himself. It was quite late in the night, and while Ash was paying attention, he knew that he must have been getting tired. The man had saved him today, the least he could do was let him head to the hotel for a good night's rest. Still, there was one more thing he had to admit, to both Ash, and himself.

"Well, it doesn't matter now. And in the end, I have to thank you. But I think a part of me wishes I won that day. Part of me believes that I could have become as strong as I had dreamed if it weren't for you, someone that I had disregarded as a nuisance for so long. A small part of me believes that my dreams were ruined because of you. It's the small part of me that still…" He turned away again, letting out a deep sigh. "That still hates you."

He wished he could take that last part back, even if it needed to be said.

"I'm… I'm sorry…" Ash felt like he was just buried alive. "I… I wish…"

"No. This isn't your fault," Paul mustered up the courage to look at Ash again. But now it was Ash who could barely look him in the eye. "I'm sorry for saying that. You should…" He sighed. The more that was said, the worse he'd probably make it. "You should get going."

Ash got up, making his way out of the room. As he opened the door, he took one last look back.

"Goodbye Paul. Take care of yourself."

"You too, Ash."

On most days, he didn't want to be here. Especially tonight.

I could use a good night's rest tonight, Red.

I'm sorry, but you know we have to do this again. I'm glad to see you're alive. And you found the crystal.

Yes, we did.

Ash realized that Red hadn't shown himself yet. He was just speaking into an ever-stretching ether.

You saw them to, didn't you? The distorted trainers under Giratinas command.

I did. But why?

Why?

Why not tell us all this beforehand? Ash' ethereal hand was clenched. He had been jolted around for days, and he was tired of it.

I'm sorry Ash. I can't explain everything. This process, of reaching out to you, it isn't just casual conversation.

Then what is it?

During these moments we are mentally linked. We 'are' the same person, in two different realities. I use Giratinas power to turn that link into a literal one, where I can transfer information to you. But I can only transfer so much before the connection is cut. Even this right now is taking everything I've got.

Giratina's power? Does that mean… His eyes widened as he frantically looked around for Red. Are you… just like…

Yes…

Red appeared right in front of him. For a moment he looked almost normal, but then Ash realized that was only half of him. The other half was blackened, swirling with that same energy that had consumed Paul and the other lost trainers.

Red… what's going on? Were you captured?

Yes, but you won't find me. Not until he shows himself. But you can save the others. You've seen them, the trainers, their souls twisted, distorted, and weaponized. And I'll soon be one too. Red raised his hands, his good eye focusing on his distorted hand. He's got somethin' special planned for me. Don't bother asking, I don't know what.

Red! We can save you! Maybe…

If you want to save me, and everyone else, you have to stop him. And you know what you have to find.

The pokeball!

Yes. The distortion ball. Its shards scattered throughout the world. You already have

Where are they?

The swirling energy on Red began to dissipate into dust, being reabsorbed into the void.

There's one in that ancient tower of the draconids… and another in the… bottom of mount Akala…

Red?! Red…

And once again, Red disappeared.

The morning was rough. Every time Ash had another 'talk' with Red, he swore that he woke up more and more tired each time. It wasn't like he was gonna get a good night's rest regardless, but he at least hoped that he would get the chance to.

It didn't help that the next few hours would be grueling hours of travel. At least it was comfortable to sleep on the plane. But still, he drifted in and out of consciousness as they said goodbye to the dexholders outside the hotel. The bright sun outside helped with his somewhat dour mood.

"Don't worry. We'll learn everything we can about those ruins." Platinum said.

"And what about those monsters? What if there's even more down there." Yellow said.

"Well, that's what my experienced bodyguards are for," Platinum said, pointing back at Pearl and Diamond.

That morning Ash had informed the professor Oaks about his vision. They had soon contacted the professor Rowans to conduct research on the ruins and to learn everything they could about the ancient legend that they all witnessed in the catacombs. Of course, they had requested Platinum's help immediately, and of course she had already planned to research them whether the professors asked her to or not.

"Nothing's gonna hurt the lady while we're around!" Diamond proclaimed.

"We'll keep her safe, seniors," Pearl concurred.

"No need to worry, right?" Platinum gave a knowing smile to Dawn. The other girl chuckled.

"Well, let's get outta here," Diamond said as the trio stepped into the taxi waiting for them, and drove off.

"Well… looks like I'm off too," Dawn said. She looked at Ash with concern. He was starting to develop bags under his eyes. "Hey… you sure you don't want me to come with you?"

Ash shook his head. "It's alright Dawn. Besides, we don't know how many of those things are out there."

"Or how many more of those places that make them are out there as well," Yellow added. "We spoke to the Oaks this morning about Ash' vision. The Rowans are going to need to get the word out, and to help prepare for whatever's about to happen."

"Well, the crystal seems to be the only way to free people," Dawn said.

"Yes, and the professors have a plan. That's why we're going to the Hoenn region first," Yellow said. "Apparently the professor Birches who live there might have a solution for that."

Dawn nodded. It was a lot to take in. At least Yellow seemed to have a good head on her shoulders.

"Well take care, both of you," she said as she nodded.

"Hey Dawn," Ash said just as she turned her back. She looked at him, seeing his hand raised high above his head and a smile plastered on his face. "For old times' sake."

"Oh Ash, we're not kids anymore you know."

"Oh well… I…" he was about to lower his hand before hers met it.

"Doesn't mean we can't act like it sometimes." She kept her hand raised, now facing towards Yellow. "You too, senior."

"You know, it's only polite when the other dexholders say it," Yellow said as she reciprocated the high-five.

"Pika!" Pikachu stood excitedly.

The three shared a chuckle, before Dawn finally set off. Ash and Yellow made their way to the airport. Ash looked up at the sky, watching the planes flying by. He pondered, thinking of all the people and pokémon on those planes, and what their plans were. Likely seeing family, or heading to other regions to challenge the leagues. He sighed. He was one of those trainers so long ago. And now…

Well right now at least he had another goal, one that would effect the entire world. He and Yellow had to find the fragments of the distortion ball and stop Giratina from whatever it was planning.

They wouldn't fail. No matter what.

Chapter Text

Hello Everyone

It's kinda shocking that my fic has come this far. I'm officially 1/3 of the way through, with 2 of the 6 planned arcs being finished. Progress has been going well on the Hoenn Arc, though it might be a few weeks before it is finished.

Anyhow, I thought I upload a bit of an interlude chapter to divulge some of my own thoughts, as well as answer some questions regarding my fic.

First I would like to explain what's become a source of confusion for the fic, the merging.

I've noticed some people believe that the "merging" of the anime and manga universes created two universes, one where some characters went to one universe and some went to the other. However, I would like to clarify that the idea is that the universes literally "merged". Every character from the manga and anime exist in one universe. Admittedly, there are some assumptions that are made with this premise. Mainly being that every location that exists in one universe also existed in another.

Now of course, the real world implications of this would be catastrophic. Society would likely go into a lengthy period of complete chaos when once considers the entire population of the planet nearly doubling.

However, this fic was made as a crossover with the focus being on the story and characters, so I decided not to bring to much focus to the consequences of the merging, toning it down so that society functions as normal with a few quirks. I guess this would beg the question as to why I came up with this concept in the first place, rather then going with the usual "portal sends a handful of essential characters to the other world" idea that's common in most other fics. To put it simply, I wanted a premise that stood out. Now there issss more to this premise, but that will be revealed later in the story.

Another were people theorizing that Ash wasn't Red counterpart in this series. I'm… not sure where this idea came from. Perhaps it is the obvious character differences between the two, with Ash being less serious and stoic then Red, especially the Red as we saw him in the FR and LG chapters. However, it should be noted that characters who we all know are look-a-likes can have wildly different personalities. May and Sapphire are probably the best example of this.

Now, I have some direct questions to answer.

From MegaSalamance64, one of my most avid commentors so far.

1: As of this Chapter, Where are Serena (Again, I'm sorry to bring her up once more when it's not time for her to appear yet but just bare with me ok?), Greninja, The Team Rocket Trio and the Kalos Dex Holders are located?

I can't answer this one juuuuust yet, as some of these characters will definitely appear in my fic and I would like to keep them a surprise when they do. I will say that one of the characters listed here will be appearing quite soon. Its likely you know who it will be, but still. We can pretend that I'm good with surprises.

2: How much of the World Fusing between the Anime-Verse and Manga-Verse in this Fanfic is considered the Anime-Verse and via-versa with the Manga?

As said, it's a complete merge of the two worlds with the assumption that every physical location that appears in one appears in the other, even if off screen. As noted I have created a bunch of new locations for the fic as well, for the sake of worldbuilding.

Also, in terms of the movies being canon, you can assume they are, though I don't have direct references to them planned as of yet.

3: Would Ash be obtaining Mega Evolution in your Story?

I will say that I don't have plans for this right now. I get that Pokemon battling is a big part of the series overall and a lot of people place importance on how powerful characters can become when compared to others, but I personally place less emphasis on that. My action sequences are relatively short as you might have noticed because of this. Right now, I have a different idea for the rest of Ash's team as well. You'll see…

Now for a question from cricketlaxwolvesbandy

1: Are Ash and Serena getting together?

You'll just have to wait to find out, I suppose.

Not a lot of questions, but still a decent amount to answer. There are some other things that I'd like to air my thoughts about.

As mentioned in the first chapter of this fic, I wanted to make this fic since there, at least to my knowledge, a completed crossover between the anime and manga on both AO3 and . There exists a handful, but non of them were really what I was looking for. Of note are…

Pokespe meets anime

This one is likely the reason I've gotten praise for "respecting the anime" cause this one quite infamously… does not. As admitted by the author, it basically serves as a parody, using most of the anime characters and scenarios as punchlines. As it was written in 2010 the sense of humour is… quite 2010 in nature. Most of the humour boils down to "the animes logic is cartoonish and therefore, bad", and the manga characters exist mostly to boss around the anime characters.

While the fic isn't great, what is amazing is its comment sections. Its basically people either defending the fic and praising it for its mockery of the anime, or chastising it for that same reason. The best part is that both sides are very angry, and very instant that the other side are the actual angry ones and that they aren't themselves.

Gotta love the internet.

When pokeworlds collide.

This ones also fascinating in that it exists as almost a response to Pokespe meets anime., in that the author routinely insists on their intent to have the manga and anime characters be equals. The story's fairly standard, with the characters from the anime and manga form kanto to sinnoh joining together to figure out how they have come together and how to fix the issue, with plenty of battles and throwbacks along the way. Admittedly, the writing here isn't the strongest, and a major problem occurs with focus as ALL the characters are travelling with each other at ALL times. That means in a single scene theres almost 20 characters present.

However, what's really interesting is how the author began responding to his comments. The fic garnered a number of trolls on it, mostly slamming the author for portraying the anime characters being as competent as the manga characters, with one user in particular combining this criticism with intense sexual provocations. The author however decided to respond to said criticism in the fic itself in the authors notes which weren't relegated to being in the beginning and end of the fic. As the fic goes on they become more and more frequent and frustrated, and is somewhat more of a fascinating read then the fic itself.

Crises on two pokeworlds

The first fic mentioned that doesn't have drama in the comments, like Collide, it's what you'd expect from a crossover fic like this. Characters from one world are thrown into the other and have to find a way back while stopping an evil force that will destroy both worlds. The writing here isn't great but isn't the worst either, and most of the characters aren't too out of character (by fanfiction standards where most characters are ooc by nature). However, there's a lot of switching between different groups of characters at a quite frequent rate, and there are a glut of OC's which begin to steal the show at points. It is a shame that this was abandoned like the others though, as it seemed to have the right intentions and remained focused throughout.

Ash Grey Chapter

This ones conflicting. It is easily the best written of the four, and makes the decision to gradually introduce characters throughout while maintaining the focus on the kanto characters, keeping the story stable. The characterization is solid as well, with a proper dynamic between Ash and Red that serves as the emotional core of the series. That's also however where my major problem lies. Ash's characterization is solid, with him having residual angst from his league losses and him being at a point in his life where its starting to eat away at him. An angstier ash isn't anything knew to the world of fanfiction, but it works here. The Issue however lies with Red. Red in this fic is meant to feel more grizzled then when we saw him in the FRLG chapters, however he mostly comes off as being incredibly mean spirited, especially to Ash. The issue is immediate as well, with Red almost immediately discounting Ash simply because he didn't have a league victory. Red in the manga is one of the simpler characters, and like ash is subject to a lot of change when it comes to fanfictions, but this version feels quite a bit to unlikeable, and sours my views on this fic. It is nice however that it has been reuploaded to AO3 for people to check out however.

I think I'll end this lil bit with that. I wonder how folks will regard my fic when compared to some of these others. It's been well received so far. But I could always make people angry in the future for… whatever reasons they deem appropriate.

Maybe I'll have my own spats with people in my comments. Maybe it could be fun.

It definitely wont be, but you never know.

Also, I have a surprise coming in next week. Not another chapter, but a cool little idea I had with the artist who made the cover for this fic on . This one however will only be on AO3, so stay tuned for that.

Thanks for reading.

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FULLMETALCHEMIST                                                                                  

F-U-L-L-M-E-T-A-L A-L-C-H-E-M-I-S-T

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At least the run got her back to camp sooner, and having an extra pair of hands picking up the firewood didn't hurt either.

Chapter Text

The light nearly blinded everyone present in the room, with a loud crash that sounded like a ceramic plate being smashed. When they managed to open their eyes, they saw that the machine pulsated with light. After a few moments, the machine simmered down.

"Did it work?" May asked, still covering her eyes with her arm.

"We'll find out in a sec," Emerald said as he pressed a small, unseen button on the underside of the machine. With a loud click a chamber opened next to him, revealing a small, blackened crystal.

"Hmm… not exactly what we needed."

"Let me see," Clemont plucked the crystal from Emerald's hand, eying it closely.

"Something probably went wrong with the sequence. We'll have to make some adjustments and try again."

"I guess we'll leave ya science types to it. Maybe we can go get some…" Sapphire turned to face the other trainers, soon realizing that Ash and Serena had left her periphery vision.

"Hey, where'd they go…" That's when she looked down. She found the two trainers crouched with their knees to their chest, their eyes shut tight and hands placed on their ears.

"Uuuuhhh… Ash...?"

"Are we okay?" Ash yelled, still prone.

"I think we're still in the air!" Serena yelled, also unmoved.

"I feel the smoke in my lungs…"

"These burns will sting for weeks…"

"Ash? Serena?" May poked the trainers back to reality. They frantically looked around the room.

"Oh… we're still here…" Ash said while patting himself over, making sure nothing was singed.

"An everything's in one piece… good…" Serena said, suddenly aware that everyone was staring at them.

"Oh, come on guys. I haven't had an invention blow up in months!" Clemont claimed defensively.

"Months?" Wally exclaimed.

"BLEW UP?!" Emerald was more shaken.

"Like I said. Hasn't happened in months."

We're all going to die. Emerald snatched the crystal back, tossing it into a small container near the side of the room. "Shouldn't take us too long to figure it all out."

"Anyhow, you guys should get goin'. Get ready for the big festival," Wally said, cleaning up

"Ummm… no one's told us about any festival." May said, looking at Ruby and Sapphire.

"Probably shoulda told them on the way here," Ruby said.

"Sorry, got distracted," She shrugged. "Let's get outta this lab and get some lunch. We'll tell ya all about it."

"We'll get back to you guys as soon as we're done. Good luck at the festival." Clemont said as the group left the lab.

Littleroot was no Petalburg, especially when it came to the dinery options. Luckily, the modestly sized and named 'Littleroot Café' was close to the laboratory, and suited the trainers' needs quite nicely. They sat on the patio chairs located outside the establishment, enjoying the fresh breeze arriving from the nearby ocean that separated Hoenn from the other regions.

"Alright, what's the whole deal about a 'festival?'" Ash asked as soon as they sat down, wasting no time.

"Well, in your latest vision from Red, he mentioned the "Draconid tower", correct?" Ruby asked.

"Ya… he did…" With the chaotic introductions, Ash nearly forgot why he was in Hoenn in the first place. His previous visions had been lurid in his memories, sure, but the last one was particularly taxing.

"Well, the Draconid tower sits on the other side of Hoenn. It's an ancient site, and very, very sacred to the Draconid people."

"The Draconid people?"

"They're an ancient tribe from Hoenn. They got alotta experts on dragon type pokémon. They even worship some of em'" Sapphire said. "And they got a tower. Not as fancy as Sky Pillar or anythin', but they don't care to much."

"And it would be sacrilege to approach the temple without their blessing."

"Luckily for ya'll, they're hostin' a festival tomorrow. The festival of the dragon, hosted by the leader of the Draconids herself. And anyone attending may receive the blessing of the dragon, which will give you access to the sacred ground."

"Me and Sapphire have been invited, and we're allowed to bring as many guests as we please."

"They really do like their dragons…" May whispered to Serena.

"So we have to go to this festival, and then...?" Serena asked.

"Nothing fancy. Just enjoy yourselves and don't cause any trouble. You don't even have to get dressed up," Ruby said.

"Sounds great. Wouldn't mind the break," Yellow said.

"Pika!" Pikachu agreed.

"Sounds like you're excited." Ash said.

"Piiiiika."

"So… what are ya all about?" Sapphire asked Ash.

"Huh?"

"I heard ya like battling. Also heard yer pretty good at it too, bein' the Alola champion and all that."

"Well, I'd like to imagine that I've got some battling chops."

"How good are ya really, though? Red was the best of us. I'm sure you've heard it a dozen times now, but only cause it's true." Sapphire's tone was intense, perhaps more so than even she intended.

This feels familiar. Ash guessed that he shouldn't be surprised that some of the other dexholders would also want to test him on his skills.

"I guess you're gonna challenge me to a battle?"

"Got that right!" She nearly leaped out of her chair. "One on one. Keep it short and sweet. Should be all it takes to see if you got the stuff."

"Sapphire, please leave him alone," Ruby tried to intervene, though even he knew his efforts would be futile.

"You sure you're up to it Ash?" May asked, though his intense gaze already gave her the answer.

"Well, I'm not gonna back down from a challenge," he said as he got out of his seat in turn. "Where we doing this?"

"Right here, right now." Sapphire said, motioning towards the dirt road that sat beside the café.

"Ash…" Serena lightly grabbed his wrist. Something about this seemed… off.

"I'll be alright. It's just a battle." He said to her, the intensity in his voice toned down. She released her grip, though she wasn't quite convinced.

The trainers made their way to the empty road. It was only now that Ash truly noticed his opponents almost feral demeanor. Sure, she clearly had a wild side, but her eyes were full of a focused determination.

It was the eyes he used to have. The ones that wished to constantly battle, constantly improve. The hunger that he hadn't felt in a long, long time.

"Yer ready, Ash?"

"Pikaaa?"

"Not this time Pikachu. Just sit back for this one," Ash said as he tossed a pokeball from his belt.

"Go, Tyranitar!"

The large Pokémon glared at its opponent. He was ready for a fight.

"Usin' one of yer big boys huh?" Sapphire jeered as she tossed her pokeball. "Well, let's match strength for strength. Go, Rono!"

From the ball appeared a large Aggron. The grey-metallic Pokémon held a similar posture to Tyranitar, though it showcased a larger head bearing massive horns.

"Aggron!" The Pokémon bellowed at its opponent. Tyranitar simply glared at its opponent.

"I'll let ya have the first move, Ash."

"Alright. Tyranitar, use crunch!"

Tyranitar charged at its opponent with brazen fury, its jaw glowing with a lucid glow.

"Rono! Take the hit!" Sapphire commanded, her tone stern and without hesitation.

In an instant Rono raised his arm, taking the brunt of the attack with his forearm. He didn't even flinch as Tyranitar locked on.

"Now spin 'im right round Rono!"

Rono locked his right foot into the ground before rearing back, jerking his body into a 180 rotation that lifted Tyranitar right off the ground, slamming it back down with a force that nearly shook the earth.

"Tyranitar!" Ash yelled as the smoke from the impact cleared. Tyranitar looked worse for wear, slowly getting back to its feet.

I fell right into her trap. Didn't even make her work for it.

"Alright Rono. Now use a metal claw!"

Rono's large claws glowed a metallic white before slashing right into Tyranitar's hide, sending the other Pokémon down to the ground again. Once again, Ash's hesitation had cost Tyranitar another hit.

It's like the Blue fight all over again… yet this felt worse. His mind spun with a deluge of thoughts. But this wasn't right. He knew better than most that you had to keep your mind in the present. You couldn't afford to angst over your recent failings.

Like how your fighting spirit has disappeared…

Like how you've admitted that you're in love, and have no idea what to do next…

Like how you've let down so many people over the years with every loss…

And how even when you've won, you've failed to inspire who-knows how many other trainers…

"Yer taken too long Ash! Rono, finish him with a hyperbeam!"

Right. Still battling.

His Tyranitar was in dire straits. This single hyperbeam would probably end it right there.

I might have lost. But I'm not gonna lose without getting a single hit in.

"Tyranitar! Roll over!"

He didn't exactly understand Ash's reasoning, but Tyranitar did as Ash commanded without a second thought. Now was not the time for hesitation. The hyperbeam missed him by a hair's breadth as he maneuvered his massive bulk over. The impact of the hyperbeam left a massive crater right in front of Rono.

I bought some time. That Aggron will need to recharge from that hyperbeam.

"Now roll over again! And aim your tail right behind his legs!"

"Once again Tyranitar spun around, his bulky tail slamming into Rono, sending the other Pokémon tumbling toward, his head slamming right into the giant hole. Just as Ash planned.

But now what? Should I go right in? Or maybe create some distance and use a hyperbeam of my own...? No, I can't let this slip by me.

"Now! While he's trapped! Use dragon claw!"

"Too slow again Ketchum! Iron defense!"

Tyranitar's attack was easily deflected as Rono became sheathed in a metallic coating. All he succeeded in doing was lodging the Aggron out of his predicament.

"One more hyperbeam Rono! Now!"

Again? Already?!

"Get outta the way Tyranitar!"

A second to late was all Sapphire needed. The beam nailed Tyranitar head on. In an instant, the large Pokémon found himself on the ground, knocked out.

He lost. Badly.

"Jeez. Guess he's been really outta it, huh?" May said, back at the table.

"He wasn't this bad against Blue though…" Yellow said.

"Ash…" Serena's voice could barely be heard by the others at the table, save May, who gave her a sympathetic glance.

Ash scrambled towards his Tyranitar. At least he wasn't critically injured. A good night's rest and a potion or two would do just the trick. Ash's pride however…

"You did a great job Tyranitar." He placed Tyranitar back into his pokeball. "Get some rest."

"Well, I would hardly call that a fight." Sapphire said, her arms crossed.

"Ya…" Ash could barely respond.

"I've been told yer a decent enough battler, but that ain't what I saw out there today. Any trainer worth their salt knows to keep their head in the moment. But yah look like yer heads up in the clouds!"

"Guess today just… wasn't my day."

And now you're making excuses, too.

"Listen. I don't know if yer as good as Red or not. It doesn't really matter to me quite frankly. But you of all people know what's going on, so you better…"

"Do I?"

That caught her off guard.

"Hey Saph…" Ash and Sapphire hadn't even noticed that Ruby and the others had walked up to them. "Maybe you should lay off him a bit. It's just one battle."

"You know how things are right now Ruby. This things gonna start getting bad, soon. We can't afford to get sloppy. What if things start goin' south one of these days and Ash here can't get it together when it counts?"

"Maybe he is just having a bad day! One lost battle doesn't mean he's gonna let us down!" Serena's voice was far weightier than Sapphire had ever heard it. Guess she should have expected it, considering what she saw that morning. Her planned rebuttal was interrupted by Ruby's hand on her shoulder. He didn't say anything, but his sympathetic stare said it all.

Guess I would'n be so different, huh?

She bit her tongue. Besides, the message was quite clear.

"Hey, it's alright," Yellow said to Serena. "We all know that Ash is capable. Things are just a little tense right now."

They didn't object. She of all people understood what was at stake.

"I'm headin' back to the lab for a sec." Sapphire turned around. No one tried to stop her. "I'll see y'all later."

As she stood there the trainers were left in awkward silence.

"Piiikkkaaaa?" Pikachu looked up to Ash, the trainer staring at the ground.

"It's alright Pikachu. I just…" he turned around. "I need a few minutes to myself. Can you stay with Yellow for a bit?"

"Pikaaaa…" With his ears lowered he went with the other trainer.

"Ash… we can talk if you…" Serena's voice had softened, though the slight treble was obvious to everyone present.

"Thanks but it's fine. Just need a sec to clear my head." And he too walked off.

Every Pokémon trainer worth their salt knows that nature provides. It was easy enough to understand. Those who have spent their years on the road quickly learned to appreciate clean rivers to bathe in, or the occasional freshly plucked berry, ripened by the seasons and ready to be eaten by those with a keen eye. During his adventuring years, Ash had also come to appreciate the amount of free space he could utilize to train out in the wilderness, practicing techniques without concerning himself with things like property damage.

Right now he found a newfound appreciation for the space. Once again, nature provided, giving him the space to be away from everything and everyone in equal measure. He sat at the edge of a small lakebed, located just at the edge of Littleroot town. A nice, secluded spot surrounded by scenic trees and small Pokémon milling about their day.

Despite the tranquil surroundings, a flurry of different thoughts swirled around his mind. He could hardly focus on… anything really. The more he tried to latch on to his anxieties, the further he dug down, lost in an eternal pit that he couldn't climb out of. He's been here for nearly an hour now, and all he has done is sink, further and further…

"Woop?"

The cheery voice startled him from his stupor. He turned, realizing that a Wooper had investigated his presence. The small, armless blue Pokémon smiled intently at him, the purple feelers on the side of its head bobbing up and down with excitement.

"Hey there."

"Woooop!" The Wooper quickly ran away from him, using its stubby legs to dig into the mud. It used its head to retrieve a small stone, quickly running back to Ash and placing a stone next to his foot.

"Oh… ummm…" he picked up the stone. It was… clearly a stone. Completely unremarkable, not different from any other stone one could pick up around the lake.

"Woooper!"

With enthusiasm like that, it was hard not to be grateful.

"Thanks. I'll keep it safe," he placed the stone in his pocket. The little Pokémon ran off, perhaps to search for more forlorn souls. Once again, Ash was left with just himself and the sounds of nature. At least until another voice once again interrupted his melancholy.

"Couldn't have picked a better spot really. Though I'd say the other side of the lake would give ya a better view of the forest."

It was Ruby, and it seemed that he had come alone.

"Oh, hey…"

"Now, I know you wanted some time alone, but you've been gone for a while now. I know how it is. We all need some time to ourselves, especially us men when we get into our feelings." He sat down a few meters away from Ash. "But I don't think the silent tough guy act really gets us anywhere, ya know?"

"Tough? Me? Heh… can't say I'm feelin' all too tough right now."

"I mean how can ya? You got beat down pretty hard back there."

"No kidding."

"And in pretty poor fashion too. At least lose with some flare if you're gonna go down so easily."

"I thought you came here to help."

"Who said I was?"

Fair. Ash shrugged, choosing to stare off at the lake. He could play along for a bit longer, he guessed.

"Ash… Sapphire doesn't sugarcoat her words, nor does she ever say anything without a reason."

"I know, and she's right. My head wasn't in the battle today. I know I need to stay focused on the fight."

"That's a good start. But I think it's gonna take a bit more than some self-reflection next to some dingy, gross lake. These sorts of answers don't come easy, you know."

"Sounds like you can relate."

"Hmmf." Just when I thought I was being subtle.

"Well," Ruby gripped the edge of his hat. "Life has a way of throwing you a few curve balls."

With a quick motion Ruby took off his hat. Ash was surprised by what he saw. Right beneath his finely kept hair were two giant slash marks sitting right on top of his left eye.

"See these? I got them in a scuffle with a Salamence back when me and Sapphire were just kids. Sure I managed to chase it off, but it left its mark."

"Woah… at least you got outta there alive."

"Please, it barely stung, though in the moment I couldn't see the blood crawling down my face." He took a deep breath. "And I guess I looked pretty fierce too. At least Sapphire thought so. She couldn't even stand to look at me afterwards, or at least I thought."

"Doesn't sound like Sapphire to me."

"Sure doesn't. But that day changed the both of us. We met again, years later, and those memories and feelings were still there. But I… hid them. I buried them deep down and kept them there for years."

"Why?"

"Same reason you couldn't pay attention in today's fight. All those thoughts swirling around in your mind, you lose sight of what's important. You start telling all sorts of lies to yourself, like all I have to do is focus. Sadly for me, I have these marks. A constant reminder of the truth, cut straight into my head."

Ash didn't respond. Ruby smiled warmly at the other trainer.

"I think we all have them, you know. Reminders. The things you can look at and know the truth. I'm sure you'll find yours." He pointed at the scars on his head. "And no matter what it is, you'll find the beauty in it, I'm certain."

Ruby placed his hat back on. Ash simply laid down on the grass, his focus shifting to the clouds.

"Hey Ruby… thanks for checking up on me."

"Anytime."

Evening already, huh… time seemed to just fly by these days, at least to Sapphire. There's been a lot to handle since the merging. Most would assume that she was used to it. Having spent much of her formative years living in the wilderness while assisting with her fathers research, she knew better than anyone that living with nature meant living at your own pace. It was all too easy to simply disconnect from the rest of the world, being at peace with yourself and your thoughts.

Guess it was easy to fall into old habits, as she sat on a bench outside of the Birches lab. She wasn't lying when she said she was heading back to the lab earlier, but she didn't really intend to actually do anything. After her display after the battle with Ash, she needed a moment to cool off. She figured that the others would probably want little to do with her right now anyhow.

She didn't mind. She knew she had to say what needed to be said. If Ash was as good as Serena and May suggested, then he'd come around in no time.

"Hey, have room for one more?"

Sapphire turned to see May, standing idle by the bench. Serena, Yellow and Pikachu were nowhere to be seen.

"Oh, sure." Sapphire slid over. May promptly sat beside her. "I'm surprised yer here. Where are the others?"

"Yellow and Serena went off to find something to get for dinner. I decided to come see how you're doing."

"Me? Ain't you worried 'bout Ash?"

"Of course. But you didn't sound so great after the fight either."

"Obvious, huh?" Sapphire sighed. "It got pretty tense back there. Senior Yellow's right of course. These are crazy times and were all a lil' stressed out. Still, I don't take anythin' back."

"Oh it's fine. Well… maybe you could have toned it down just a bit."

"Hmmf. Maybe just a little." Sapphire pondered for a moment. She didn't really want to dwell on that right now. "How's ya little brother doin?"

"Max is doing alright. I gave him a call the other day. He just got his fifth gym badge in the Kalos region." May almost shuddered to think that her "little" brother was almost a young man by now.

"It's kinda funny. I didn't have any siblings growin' up. Neither did Ruby. What's it like?"

"Honestly, it's really weird. Sometimes there's your best friend, and sometimes your worst enemy. Most of the time, they're both." She shrugged.

"Right, I get it." At least she tried to. The reality was that she didn't get a lot about May. They were so different, in almost every aspect of their lives. They've spoken to each other numerous times over the past few weeks, trading stories about their many adventures and aspirations, yet Sapphire still felt that there was an impermeable wall between them. She knew that they didn't exactly have to click to work together, but still. It was herself, right? Or at least another version of herself depending on whichever budding theory about the merging you decided to latch on to.

"My turn for questions. How'd you do it?"

"Do what?"

"How did you put up with Ruby pretending to forget about your confession for all those years."

"Coming back swingin', huh?" Sapphire chuckled. "Didn't think I was gonna go down this road again today."

Of course she and May had already discussed their personal relationships to each other, but the conversations never went all that deep. May knew the details however. That the pair had confessed to each other while the Hoenn region faced a crisis, and that Ruby had denied that the confession ever happened for years.

"Not sure how I did it really. For a while I could barely stand to look at 'im. But… he was still my best friend, ya know? Felt like he was the only one who truly understood me sometimes." Sapphire leaned back on the bench, facing the clouds. "What a jerk, right? But I guess we have a thing for 'em, huh?"

"Oh Drews not that bad."

"Fair." Sapphire chuckled. She'd only spoken to Drew once, through a video call with May. Though combined with the stories that May told about her initial journey throughout the Hoenn contest circuit, she could at least confirm that he was headstrong, to put it lightly. Granted, it was a trait they seemed to all share, so perhaps it was simply something in the Hoenn air.

"Anyhow, he came around to confessin' to me. Took another crisis to do it though. Well… and me gettin' ticked off with him for one to many lies did the trick to."

"Ruby's quite the handful, huh?"

"He's lucky he's worth it."

They were interrupted by the sound of ringing coming from May's pocket.

"Hello? Oh. Hey. Alright, we're coming." May placed the phone back in her pocket. "It's Serena. They just got dinner. She told us to meet them back at your place. I'll message Ash and Ruby, let them know."

"Hey… May…" Sapphire hesitated as May stood up. Was it alright to be this on the nose…?

"Yes?"

"I'm glad I have someone to talk about this stuff with, ya know?"

And I hope you see me as a friend… The thought barely left Sapphire's mind before May reached out her hand, hoisting Sapphire up.

"Anytime. That's what friends are for, right?"

"Right. Now let's see if Serena's taste in food is as good as yours."

"It's not."

Chapter Text

Meteor village could be considered Hoenn's unwavering soul. Whereas many other towns and cities embraced modern infrastructure and technology, the small village had remained virtually unchanged for generations. Well, at a glance at least. A closer inspection would easily reveal an array of solar panels lining the old timey houses, and within the homestead themselves were an assortment of modern-day conveniences that one could find anywhere else.

The village's most peculiar feature was its location. The entire village was situated inside a massive cave system, separated from the rest of the world by a large waterfall. Just entering the village was a challenge, as one would have to navigate a labyrinth of rocky tunnels that were said to have been carved out by the great Rayquaza itself, at least according to Draconid legends. Though perhaps this was a grander tale, it is now believed that the cave systems were created by years of erosion, caused by internal water systems and glaciers formed over a millennia ago.

After nearly half a day's travel the group of trainers had made their way into the village. Exiting the run-down bus that they rode in on, they were greeted by two men wearing festive robes, bowing to the trainers once they had all made their way into the large plaza where the festival was taking place. Outlying the plaza were various households, the largest among them standing in the centre. Everywhere they looked they could find a varied assortment of dragon motifs outlining every nook and cranny of the various stands that dotted the area, hosting festivities mostly consisting of dragon themed games and snacks. There were people everywhere, sporting robes and other assorted attire of various colours.

"Welcome trainers," The man on the right said.

"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance once again, Ruby and Sapphire." The man on the left said as they both rose up.

"Glad to be back." Sapphire replied.

"And it is good to see you brought honoured guests." The man gestured his hand toward Ash, Pikachu, May, Serena and Yellow.

"Honoured guests? Really Harold?" They were interrupted by a feminine voice. The trainers saw a black-haired woman approaching them, wearing similar robed attire and walking on a set of crutches.

"Zinnia!" Ruby called over to her.

"Glad that you both made it." Zinnia said. "Now you two run along now. The festival's just getting started!"

The men bowed to Zinnia before promptly wandering into a large crowd of people, disappearing from view.

"It's been too long."

"You're looking good, Zinnia." Sapphire said.

"Hey, I do try." She looked to the other trainers. "Glad to see you brought some more friends. A pleasure to meet you all."

The group responded in turn.

"I'm sorry ma'am." Yellow said, eyeing Zinnia's crutches. "I think I can help with…" As her hands started glowing, Zinnia shook her head with a smile.

"Thank you but I'm alright. Sapphires told me all about your healing powers miss Yellow. But my injuries are far too severe. Truth be told, I'm lucky to be standing."

"Oh… I'm so sorry."

"Don't be. It's a mercy that the Dragonlord spared my life."

"Dragonlord?" May asked.

"The great Rayquaza. Our great Dragonlord that we dedicate this festival for. Years ago I attempted to tame our lord to save Hoenn in its time of crises." She tapped her crutch on her right leg. "Rayquaza had other ideas however, and I paid the price for my hubris. Haven't walked properly since."

The festive atmosphere started to feel a lot less festive for the trainers present.

"Luckily these two here were blessed by Rayquaza and prevented the disaster. We hold this festival in honour of both our lord and this valiant duo."

"Guess we really are honoured guests." Ruby chimed.

"Anyhow, no point in standing around discussing old achievements. Come enjoy the festival! We're holding a banquet in the main hall in a few hours, so don't fill up on too many sweets!" She said as she looked back at the large homestead. She was slightly startled when Sapphire placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Hey, it's been a long time. If yer not too busy, let's catch up."

"Of course. I'm heading home if you wanna come with."

"Sure," Sapphire said. Ruby nodded, and the trio made their way off.

"You kids stay out of trouble now." Ruby shouted back to the others.

"Isn't he the same age as us?" Serena asked.

"Speak for yourselves." Yellow said. She looked over to Ash, who simply shrugged. He didn't say anything. In fact… he hadn't said anything almost all day. Pikachu stood next to the trainer, looking up at him.

"Pika…"

"Oh, right Pikachu." he came back to, for the moment.

"Well, you heard the dragon lady. Let's get to some festivities!" May shouted, rushing into the plaza as the others followed behind.

This game had to be cursed.

Yellow and May found themselves at one of the stands, a simple game of bean toss. It seemed simple enough. Toss the beanbag into the right hole, and receive a prize based on the smallest hole you managed to score on. But that's where the grand manipulation came into play. Every time you were just so close to scoring the big… well… err… small one! The giant Snorlax plush hung right above the impossible goal, the temptation literally dangling right over the forsaken player, looking them in the eye with a devilish grin that could only be described as the incarnate of evil. Malice that was as soul piercing as it was huggable.

This time, for sure. Yellow tossed the bean bag, her aim true and her heart even truer. It soared through the air… right over the goal. It wasn't even close.

"Again?! How?!"

"This a young man's game, senior Yellow!" May mocked the older girl as she tossed a bean bag of her own. It too gracefully soared over the goal.

"Oh, I thought your youthful exuberance was gonna carry you to victory junior!"

"Exuberance?!"

They wanted that Snorlax, and they refused to settle for anything less. There was only one, which meant that only one of them would live on to profound glory, while the other would have to stew in the shame of defeat, forever.

"Hey, wanna try one of the other games?" Serena looked at Ash, who was staring blankly at the other trainers.

"Oh. Sure." He said with a smile. It was strange. She had never seen him smile like this. A smile lacking joy nor passion, one clearly meant merely to comfort those around him rather than any expression of genuine elation. Try as he might to not concern her, his eyes could never lie.

"You know, we don't have to be here. If you're feeling tired or sick we can…"

"I'm fine, really." That smile again. "Come on, we can try the balloon darts."

"Pikkaaa?" Of course, Pikachu could feel it too.

"I'm alright buddy, really." Pikachu didn't respond. No point in continuing to speak if he was just going to be lied to.

They made their way over to another stand. It was modestly sized, a thin line on the ground separating the trainers from a large wall with various Pokémon shaped balloons hanging off it. Next to the stand an older woman sat on a small wooden chair. A golden circlet sat on top of her white hair, matching the red and golden embroideries on her festive robe.

"Hello! You two look like a capable duo."

"Somewhat." Serena admitted.

"How are you enjoying our humble festival of the dragon?"

"It's been fun so far. We are grateful that you allowed us to attend your sacred festival."

"Pika pika!"

"It is our honour to host such amicable guests. And what would your name's be?"

"The name's Serena."

"My name's Ash."

"Hmmmmm," she pondered for a moment, eyeing the duo. "And I'm assuming you've come to try your hand at some darts?"

"Yes we have miss… ummm…"

"Just call me Grannie. Everyone here does." She gave the pair a handful of darts.

"Thank you Grannie," Serena said.

"Pika!"

"Seems like it's the little one who does most of the talking for both of you, huh?" She said, smiling at Ash.

"Oh, sorry…" he blinked rapidly, snapping back to reality. "Thanks for the darts."

"Of course." Grannie watched as Ash and Serena made their way to the dividing line. Serena tossed the first dart, aiming for a large balloon that was shaped like a Wailord. Dead on, and the balloon went out with a sharp pop!

"Got one! Your turn Ash."

Mustering up the will, he tossed the dart with moderate precision, aiming for the balloon shaped like a Magnemite. He missed it by mere centimetres.

"Huh. Guess it's just not my day?"

"Well of course you missed. Your throw is too heavy," Grannie said.

"What?"

"Your aim was true, but when your actual throw lacked focus. You're carrying something with you, something that's weighing you down."

"Oh...? I'm sorry… I just…" Serena was right earlier. He didn't want to be here. He didn't want to be… anywhere.

"Oh, hey guys!" He heard May sneaking us behind him, alongside Yellow, both holding a Venipede plush.

"Playing darts, huh? Who's winning?" Yellow asked.

"Well… you see…" Serena wouldn't say she felt like she was winning much of anything.

"Serena's got one over me actually. Guess she's a natural."

That's when Yellow and May saw it too. A dead smile for dead men.

"You know, in the main house there's a nice balcony that gives you a nice view of the falls. I'd think you'd do well to see it for yourself young man."

Ash looked at Grannie. Despite looking placid, her expression gave him the feeling that this was more than just a suggestion.

"I'll check it out. Pikachu, can you stay with the others for a bit."

Pikachu silently nodded, hopping off the trainer's shoulder.

"I'll see you all later." He said before walking off.

The remaining trainers looked at each other, all concerned.

"He's been like that since yesterday… Ruby said he spoke to him after, but it seems like he's still taking that loss pretty hard."

"Ash always feels a little down after losing, but this is… different," May said.

"We can't just leave him," Serena said.

"And we won't. Come on." The group began to pursue him.

"Actually, if you would be so kind, could you two stay back and assist this old lady? I could use the help of some young folk like you," Grannie said, gesturing to Serena and Yellow.

"But Grannie, we…" Serena protested. Not exactly the best time to be asking for favours.

"I know. And I think you'll be quite interested in what I have to say."

Serena and Yellow looked at each other. Something was off with this woman. While they both wanted to speak to Ash, it was probably a good idea to play along, at least for now.

"Alright. We'll stay back." Yellow said on behalf of the two. Serena hesitated, before nodding in agreement.

"Make sure he's okay, alright?" Serena said sternly to May.

"Don't worry, I will."

"Right over here." Zinnia said as she, Sapphire and Ruby made their way into one of the smaller houses on the outskirts of the plaza. The trainers made their way inside, up a small ramp that sat in front of the door. The interior was as humble as it was untidy, sporting a single large room. Notes and maps were scattered everywhere, as well as an assortment of dragon themed trinkets and other oddities.

"Sorry for the mess," Zinnia said as she walked over to a metallic wheelchair next to her bed. "Been a busy week planning for the festival. Not a lot of time to clean up, you know."

"I'm sure… it's… uugghh…" Ruby wasn't a big fan of messy households.

"If you ain't causin' a mess are ya really doin' any work?"

"Course you'd say that." Ruby scoffed.

"Oh it's true, not that you would know. You've been slackin' off all the time as of late! I didn't see ya doin' any sorta trainin' in a while!"

"I don't know if you noticed but we've had more pressing matters to attend to!"

"Yah. And we've gotta keep ourselves ready and sharp!"

"Sharp? How can someone with such a blunt attitude even fathom such a concept!?"

There they go again. Spend any amount of time around these two, and the bickering becomes part of the environment. She set herself up in her wheelchair, relaxing her aching arms. She placed her crutches against her bed.

"Oh, I'll show you sharp once we get goin'."

"Well, there's no time like the present. Can one of you give me a push?" Zinnia asked.

"Sure," Sapphire took the handles and the trio made their way out of the building, back towards the festival. Soon they found themselves in the crowded plaza once again, now bustling with even more people. With the sun almost set they could now see a volley of lights emanating around the area. Some even took the form of various dragon type pokémon.

"We have a ton of options. The entire village really came together on this one," Zinnia said, admiring the scenery.

"Let's try the good ole' dunk tank!" Sapphire spotted the stand amongst the crowd. It was one of the larger stands in the area, crowded by a small group of children. When the trio got closer, they saw that it was a couple of look-alikes, 3 pairs of them to be precise. They were busy speaking to the elderly man who ran the stand, each child sticking out their hands to receive a ball.

The dunk tank itself was quite large, being almost the size of a man. On top of the wooden platform, built to plummet its host into the cold water below, sat a small Salandit. It didn't seem to mind its precarious position, aimlessly scanning the area.

"You know, this place feels more like a carnival than any sorta 'sacred festival' I've ever heard of." Ruby noted, watching as the first of the children aimed their ball at the dunk tank target.

"Perhaps we leaned a bit on the festive this time, but we are a remote people. There certainly are times for self - reflection, but we decided to be a bit looser this time round. Just because we decide to host a few parties does not dilute the thanks we have for Rayquaza, or you, or the rest of Hoenn."

"Fair enough." Ruby couldn't argue. Being centre stage during both crises, he was well aware of what it took to stop the meteor. Only through the combined efforts of the most determined that Hoenn had to offer were they able to destroy it with the help of Rayquaza. It was hard to forget riding the great dragon up into space and fighting off the mysterious pokémon that resided inside the meteor. Nor could he ever forget the connection he and Sapphire created on that night.

Not created, acknowledged… He reminisced as the final child tossed their ball at the tank, missing the target by a thread.

"My turn!" Sapphire already had the ball in hand. With a casual toss she nailed the target, sending the Salandit plummeting. He swam around in the water for a bit, surprisingly calm for a fire type pokémon.

"Come on Salandit, you're supposed to pretend you're drowning! You gotta give 'em' kids a good show!" The old man complained. The Salandit shrugged before returning to the edge of the tank, quickly climbing out and setting itself back on the platform.

"Ya'll wanna give it a go," Sapphire asked.

"I'm good," Ruby said.

"Not really my style." Zinnia said as she looked at the Salandit. "You're safe for a couple more minutes, bud."

"Salan!" The Salandit waved in approval.

"Well alright. Let's try… there!" Sapphire pointed to another stand in front of a small racing track. The three-legged race!

"Sure, why not." Ruby shrugged as he pushed Zinnia to the station, along with Sapphire. A few other members of the village were also present, already paired up. Some with loved ones, friends, and even some look-alikes.

"I guess it's just gonna be you and Ruby?" Zinnia asked.

"Actually… I think I'd like to have you as a partner." Sapphire responded.

"Oh? But… I…" Sapphire had to be playing a mean joke. Zinnia could hardly stand on her own, let alone with her leg attached to another person. "I can't even stand. I'd just collapse on the side you're not holding up." She was too tired to play into it right now.

"And that's why I'll be attached to your other leg." Ruby said with a smile.

"A… four-legged race. I mean we could… I'm sure the other runners wouldn't mind. But we'd certainly lose…"

"So what? We're here to have fun, like ya said, right?" Sapphire said.

"That means you too." They stuck their hands out, offering to help her up.

"Guess it wouldn't hurt," she said as they helped her up, placing her arms around their shoulders. They walked over to the stand keeper, a young woman who had just finished up attaching a young set of look-alikes.

"We're all signin' up together," Sapphire said.

"Oh?" The women took a glimpse at the trainers. "Oh, Zinnia! Glad to see you're enjoying the festival too."

"I did plan most of it. Might as well get something out of it."

The young women wrapped the trainers' legs to each other with a rope made of a soft material. Tight enough to keep them together, but not rough enough to cause any discomfort. The trio hobbled over to the starting line, alongside a dozen other participants.

"Alright everyone," The stand master said over a megaphone. "Everyone ready?!"

"Yes!" the crowd answered in unison.

"Alright, on three! Two! One! GO!"

And the racers launched off, hobbling at various speeds. As Zinnia thought, they were dead last. She had to take care when moving her legs, however Ruby and Sapphire were taking their time as well, letting her set the pace and following her movements, neither one attempting to quicken their pace.

"I'm sorry I'm so slow…"

"You're doing great. Just one step of a time." Ruby said.

"Thanks… I can't believe we used to be enemies…"

Ruby and Sapphire looked at each other for a moment. Indeed, it was hard to imagine that they had met Zinnia when she was trying to foil their attempts to stop the meteor from destroying Hoenn, all from a justified though misguided vendetta against the Devon Corporation. It was only after her fated meeting with Rayquaza that she came around, with a heavy cost.

"It's like you said. This festival is to give thanks to everyone. And everyone includes you." Ruby said.

"Thanks…" she could feel herself tearing up. Ruby and Sapphire smiled at each other, as they made their way, slowly but surely, to the finish line.

Grannie was right.

Ash found his way to the main house, where one of the Draconid attendants assisted him in finding the balcony that Grannie had mentioned. The balcony gave him a view of the entire festival from high up, as well as a gorgeous view of the flowing waterfall, illuminated by the multicoloured light emanating from the plaza below. He looked down, looking at all the people that had gathered for this festival. There must have been hundreds of them.

He tried to calm his mind as he looked over the village. It wasn't like yesterday, where his mind torrent in a seemingly never-ending loop. Rather he felt like he was in a lucid haze, completely detached from everything and everyone around him.

What's wrong with me… He felt that the answer should be obvious, but now instead of being unable to latch on to a stable thought, there was simply nothing to latch on to in the first place. He gripped the wooden railing of the balcony, tightening his grip. He felt the worn wood digging into his palm. He tightened further, now feeling the sting. It was a light pain, nothing he couldn't handle, but it was something. He just had to feel something. His eyes were still set on the village, though he might as well have been staring at a wall. That was until a large object appeared right in front of him that overtook his entire point of view. It was a small sphere of frosty blue ice.

"Cone?"

He released his grip as he backed up slightly, the sudden intrusion startling him. That's when he realised that it was May, holding up a snow cone right up to his face.

"Oh, hi May. Thanks…" he took the snow cone from her hand. He ate the entire thing in a single bite.

"The view really is gorgeous up here." May said as she leaned over the balcony. "Grannie was right. It's a good place to clear your mind."

"I guess so…"

"Ash… we're worried about you. Are you okay?" She asked.

"Yeah. I'm fine…"

"Ash…"

"No really, I'm…" He sighed. May made no attempts to hide her concern. The others were probably feeling the exact same way. It would be cruel to continue this charade any further.

"I've just been… having a hard time, you know?"

"I get it. You've been through a lot in the last few weeks."

"Not… just the last few weeks. I feel like I've been out of it for a while now."

"A while, huh? When did you start feeling like this?"

He didn't respond immediately. He felt the words hanging on the tip of his tongue. But it was like some unseen force was holding his throat.

"Hey." She placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "I'm here and I'm listening. You don't have to tell me anything you don't want to."

"But I do… I… just…" He slumped to the ground, his back against the railing with his knees sitting in front of his chest. May lowered as well, sitting promptly beside him.

"It was a bit after I became the Alola champion." He took a deep breath. There was no going back. "At the time, it was probably the happiest moment of my life. I was finally a regional champion. It felt like I took a big step in accomplishing my dream."

"Of becoming a pokémon master?"

"Yeah." He chuckled. "I really ran with that line for a long time. Even after I won, I planned my next journey right away. I thought of going back to one of the regions I had already competed in to try again. Maybe Johto or Sinnoh. But then I just…" He paused. May waited as he collected himself.

"I can't remember who, but I faced up against a trainer back in Pallet. Just some kid looking for a good fight. We did, and I won. But it felt… weird. Usually when I'm battling, I feel focused. Whether I was winning or losing, it felt like it was just me and my pokémon against the world. But after that battle, I just felt… nothing. And I kept battling. Again, and again and just… nothing. That's when I realised that…" He took a deep breath. "I didn't want to compete anymore. I was done."

"Oh Ash… people change all the time. It's just a part of life."

"Sure but… what about everything I did to get to this point? All those years of training, those years of fighting, those years of… of losing. So many close calls at those pokémon leagues. I told myself that if I could just win one, then it would all be worth it. And then I did it. I finally proved that I could do it, that I had what it took to be a champion. And now I wanted to just… quit. To throw all of that away. How many other trainers had the same kinda dreams that I did? How many of them fell even shorter than I had, never even getting close to the top, no matter how hard they tried? How many of them failed because I beat them? And now I'm here with nothing left to prove, even though it feels like I haven't proven anything at all."

"Ash… you can never throw all of that away, even if you wanted to. Those experiences made you who you are today."

"And what am I? For two years I just floated around, region to region, trying to help a professor with some small-time research while I tried to get my fighting spirit back. And it never came back, so I decided to 'settle down'. Thought that maybe I could 'find myself' if I took some time off. And then all this happened, and it feels that I'm just blindly following one lead to the next. Everyone's counting on me. One of the strongest trainers in an entirely different world is asking me to save everyone, and I have no idea what's even going on." he hadn't even noticed the tears starting to run down his face until his throat started to close up. "I don't even know who I am anymore…"

"Hey…" May placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "It's alright."

"I'm so sorry… I just… I just…"

"It's okay. Just take your time. I'm right here."

Seconds passed. She could hear Ash pushing back the odd sniffle and whimper, until he finally managed to compose himself, at least somewhat. He released him, with Ash now sitting cross legged and facing May.

"Thanks."

"Don't mention it."

"I'm so sorry I'm just dumping this on you. Not really matching the festive spirit..." He wiped his nose and eyes.

"Ash… remember when I started my pokémon journey with you? Remember what my dream was?"

"It was…" he paused. "I'm sorry, I can't."

"That's because I didn't have any. I just wanted to travel. See exotic locales like all those travelling documentaries I used to watch as a kid. But then we met. We travelled around Hoenn, getting into all sorts of trouble. I learned to love and care for my pokémon, and I discovered pokémon contests, something that I love even to this day. Ever since I met you, my life has felt like one big adventure."

"Serena said something similar yesterday…"

"And so does Dawn, and almost all our other friends. It's because of who you are, Ash. When we were all starting out and we were tossed out into the world, you came into our lives. You were exactly what we needed when we needed it the most. A friend. Someone we could rely on, someone who had our backs through thick and thin."

"But you're all great people. You would have found plenty of friends without me."

"And we did. But we also found you. And there isn't anything that's ever gonna change that, because you are you. Doesn't matter if you're Ash the pokémon master, Ash the Alola champion, or Ash from Pallet Town. To us you will always be one of the best friends anyone could ever ask for. No matter what you do or how you feel, we'll always be here for you, cause you were there for us. And that is something that will never change."

He just stopped crying, and now, he didn't even attempt to stop the tears from flowing.

"May… I…" he could barely speak. All he could do was give her the biggest hug he could muster. "Thank you."

Chapter Text

He stopped crying, eventually.

Chapter Text

No matter where you are, know where you sleep.

This was one of the many rules that Sapphire lived by when she was doing research in the wild for her father. It was essential to have a safe and secure location to settle for the night. Passing out in the middle of nowhere could be quite hazardous, especially in areas where nocturnal pokémon were common.

She definitely wasn't used to waking up in a bed she didn't remember crawling into. Certainly not in someone else's house, and certainly not with her head resting directly on her boyfriend's chest, both of them snuggled under a soft comforter.

I could get used to this.

Her eyes adjusted to the light that poured in from outside. By the wooden lodging she assumed that they were still in the homestead. They must have both passed out the previous night. She was pretty certain that they almost all did. After Ash's little stunt on the roof, the entire night became a frenzy.

She probably should get up, maybe even see if and where the others were in the house. But she was just so cosy, and she wouldn't want to wake up Ruby. He would always go on about getting his beauty sleep or whatever else he would prattle on about. In her humble opinion, she didn't need it. She may have been biased though.

"Mornin' Saph."

"Morning Ruby." Looks like that wasn't going to be an issue. She turned to look at his face. Ruby was awake now, barely. His eyes were still half shut and his usually finely combed black hair was a tangled mess.

"We should probably get up and get ready," he said.

"Do we have too? Can't we just stay in bed all day? Why go climbin' ol' towers and stuff?"

"I thought you liked climbing things all day."

"Shuddup."

"What? Am I wrong?"

"Listen here," she crawled up to his shoulder. "Climbin' trees is all sorts of fun. But man-made buildin's? Yuck! Too symmetrical, and people always stare at ya when you try to climb em."

"Maybe they're just staring cause you're just so stunning."

"Alright mister," she poked him on his nose. "You need to get back to sleep. You ain't good at all this smooth talkin'."

"I think I'm pretty good at it, actually." His face was oh so punchable, in the best way.

"What am I ever gonna do with ya…" she sighed, closing her eyes for a moment. She could have easily gone back to sleep right then and there.

"Hey… we really should be getting up. What if senior Yellow finds out we've been sleeping in for so long?"

"Oh like senior Yellow's gonna be up before us! She was almost gone even before Ash's lil stunt."

"That's fair. I guess we can stay in for a few minutes."

A few moments passed of silence, Sapphire's eyes shut as Ruby stroked her hair. For a while the world just seemed to fade away. All they could hear were their faded breaths and the various chips and songs of the various bird-like pokémon that flew outside.

"Ruby…" Sapphire's voice came back to her, somewhat shaky. "Are you worried at all?"

"Worried? About… oh…" In the early morning bliss, he'd almost forgotten about why they were all here in the first place. "Yeah, sure. But it's not like we haven't dealt with stuff like this before."

"But it's… different now. All this mergin' business and all that. So many new people and pokémon all about. Just a month ago everythin' changed all of a sudden and we couldn't do a thing about it."

"That's true. But why does it matter? I mean we've met so many good people from that other world, right? If you ask me, it's been a pretty positive experience."

"I know, I know. Still…" She sighed. She wasn't sure why she was feeling so… on edge. "I dunno. Maybe I'm just being all worrisome for no reason."

"You're always worrisome. But that's only 'cause you're so observant. With those beautiful eyes…"

"You're really not good at this," she said, as her fears washed away in restrained giggling. She wasn't the only one, as they realized that they could hear similar sounds on the other side of the wall.

"Guess that's our queue to get up now." Ruby said as they kicked off the blankets.

It didn't take them too long to find out what all the commotion was about. Just down the hall was a sizable living room. It was modestly decorated, with various photographs of Draconid villagers hung on the wooden walls. A set of humble couches and chairs surrounded a small hearth, which at the moment was surrounded by May, Yellow, Serena, and around half-a dozen Draconid children. They were all intently watching Ash and Pikachu, who were lying on the ground next to them.

"And there we were. The Spearow were all gone and me and Pikachu lying down in the rain and covered in mud."

"Pikkkaaaa…"

"Weren't you and Pikachu hurt?!" one of the children asked, leaned forward and completely invested in the story.

"Oh, you bet."

"Didn't you wanna quit after all that?"

"I know I sure did. But then that's when we saw it…" Ash sat up. He stuck out his arm, pretending to reach for the skies. "The rain stopped, and the clouds parted, and there was Ho-oh flying right above us."

"Woooow," Several of the children awed in unison.

"How big was it?!"

"I bet it was as big as a plane!"

"Well… maybe not quite that big, but…" he was standing up now, his arms stretched out to his sides. "It was big…" He slowly walked around the children in a circle, with his arms outstretched, Pikachu mimicking him and following close behind. "And he just flew right above me. It was so majestic…"

"Majestic huh?" May said. Ash was always a bit over dramatic when it came to pokémon.

"Very. One of the most beautiful pokémon I've ever seen." And he wasn't one to mince words describing them, either. A handful of the children had started following his lead as well, and now Ash was now leading a small line of children walking around the table.

"Looks like everyone's cheery this morning," Ruby said.

"Morning junior," Yellow replied.

"Morning to you all," Grannie's voice called from the other side of the room. Ash and his small train of cohorts stopped their march. The children stood at attention.

"Morning kids. I have to ask you all to leave for a moment. I have some very important matters to attend to with our guests."

"But Granniiieee…" One of the children began to protest. A stern look from Grannie gave him pause however. The children simply bowed heads.

"Yes Grannie," they said as they left the room.

"You're not the only ones who were a little bit too tired after the festival yesterday." Grannie said. They noticed that she had a bowl of water in one hand as she moved up to the trainers. "You really stirred things up around here young man." She motioned towards Ash.

"Sorry. I guess I got… caught up in the moment."

"I'm sure Serena didn't mind one bit."

"Not at all," Serena said, her smile as wide as it possibly could be.

"But alas, we have business to attend to. You all want admission to the Draconid tower, correct?"

"That's right. According to Ash's vision, there's another shard in that tower," Yellow said.

"Ah yes. Personally, I am not aware of such a shard, but our tower holds many treasures that have been passed down through generations. It's likely your shard is in the treasury right at the top of the tower. Getting in there however might be a problem…"

"A problem? What's wrong?"

"The tower itself sits on the coastline, and has been guarded by the Draconids for years. It certainly is a sacred place, said to be where Raquaza slept for centuries before moving to its own holy tower in the sea, as Ruby and Sapphire here are well aware. A few of our trained villagers lived near the area, making sure the tower was maintained and safe from outsiders. We lost contact with them a few days ago…"

"Grannie…" Sapphire interrupted. "Why didn't you tell us this earlier?"

"I'm sorry my dear. Even after we all worked together to stop the comet all those years ago… many in the village believe that we shouldn't rely on outsiders to deal with our problems. But the situation is getting dire. We've already sent villagers to investigate the tower and they haven't returned either. That's also when we started getting reports of dragon-pokémon migrating to the area. Dozens of them by the day."

"This sounds bad…" May's concern was shared silently by the others.

"I know I'm asking a lot to send you all into that tower. But please… find my villagers and bring them back to me."

"Of course, Grannie," Ash replied without hesitation. The others nodded. "We'll find your people, I promise."

"Thank you dear…" She raised the bowl. "Come, let me grant you the blessing. It's but a symbolic gesture, but it's the most I can give you."

The trainers lined up next to each other. One by one, Grannie dipped her thumb into the bowl, and outlined a circular symbol on their foreheads.

"When the way becomes blocked by the darkness, may the Dragonlord's flame light your way. When the way becomes cloaked in uncertainty, may the Dragonlord's winds guide you home."

She bowed to the trainers, and they all bowed in turn.

"I bid you all farewell. Rest up here for a while, and we'll provide you with transportation to the tower. Consider this place your home." She made her way out of the room. "Good luck to you all."

The trainers stood silent for a moment, a feeling of dread hanging over them all. This simple retrieval mission just got a lot more complicated.

The trainers decided to make some calls before heading out to the tower. Ash and Serena were assigned to check in on the lab. They retreated to their shared room, sitting on the bed while he held out his phone in front of them. It rang for a few minutes before it was finally answered. On the small screen appeared Clemont, blackened soot marked on his face and lab coat.

"Hey! Perfect timing!" he was enthusiastic, more so than one would expect considering his current state. "I have Bonnie on hold. Just wait a second…"

After a handful of button clicks, the screen split into two. A young girl appeared on the secondary screen. She was significantly younger than the other trainers, with blond hair similar to Clemonts.

"Ash! Serena!" Bonnie said, ecstatically.

"Pika!" Pikachu hopped into Ash's shoulder, opposite Serena.

"And Pikachu!"

"Bonnie! How's it goin'?" Ash asked. Bonnie had become a full time pokémon trainer just a few years ago. It was crazy to think that she was still under the age of ten when he travelled with them during the Kalos circuit. The girl seemed to be somewhere outside, likely sitting on a log.

"Just taking some time off. Finished the Vertress Conference a few weeks ago and I'm spending some time with dad. Big brother's supposed to be here too!"

"Come on Bonnie you know what's going on. This is important!"

"Oh, I'm sure it is…" She said, her sly grin an all too familiar sight for those present. "Glad I was home when the merging happened. Can't wait to see my look-a-like pop up one of these days…"

"Dedenne!" They heard a squeaky voice just out of Bonnie's view.

"Of course you wanna say hi," she said as Dedenne climbed up her arm and onto her shoulder as well. The Pokémon looked like a little Pikachu, with a slender tail and orange colouration.

"De! Dedenne!"

"Pika! Pikachu!".

"Dedennes looking as strong as ever," Ash said as the Pokémon engaged in fervent conversation. "Hey, you never showed me which pokémon you chose from professor Sycamore. Why don't you let 'em out too."

"Right, well…" she turned her head to something off camera. "I requested something a bit different. Hey! Come over here!"

They could all hear the sounds of large footsteps approaching Bonnie. It was something big. Really big.

"You remember my friends, right?" She turned the camera. All they could see was a massive black eye.

"You're standing too close to the camera! Back up a bit!" Bonnie commanded. The figure obliged, backing away from the camera, revealing itself as a Tyrantrum! The massive red Pokémon showcased its massive jaw, with a large white mane that punctuated its prowess.

"Tyrantrum!? Like the one you raised from a Tyrunt."

"Yep! The exact same one. The day I became a trainer I got the professor to contact the scientists at the fossil research lab. They actually wanted me to take Tyrantrum on my journey! Said it would make for some good research."

"Tyrantrum!" The Tyrantrum deep bellows sent shudders down their spines, even from several oceans away.

"That's…. quite the starter you got there…" Serena said, clutching Ash's arm. She didn't even realize what she was doing. Bonnie did, however.

She always noticed.

"Well, I won't keep you here forever. I'm sure y'all have some world saving to get going to. Just remember to keep an eye out for someone pretty for my brother!"

"Really, Bonnie?" Clemont whined.

"Haven't given up on you yet, big brother."

"Some things never change, huh?"

"I guess they don't," Ash chimed.

"Remember what I told you Bonnie. You see anything strange out there, you contact me right away," Clemont said.

"I will. See ya!" Bonnie exited the call, and Clemonts screen grew to fill in the space.

"I guess I should let you know that the crystal synthesis is almost complete. Just a few more tests and we should be good."

"That's great!" Serena said. "We're heading to the Draconid tower in a bit. The village Elder told us the shard Ash is looking for should be there."

"Okay, but be careful. We started getting some strange readings from that area."

"Readings? What kinda readings?" Ash asked.

"Well… just last night when we checked our digital maps, we noticed that where the Draconid tower should be is… nothing."

"Nothing?!"

"It's been wiped off the grid. It's gone."

Those who lived in the subtropical Hoenn region were no stranger to stormy weather. During the wet season, massive thunder clouds were a common sight. The storm that had gathered around the Draconid tower was already bad enough for anyone on the ground. It was so much worse in the sky.

And today, of all days, the Hoenn skies were quite unforgiving.

The trainers figured that the Draconids transportation would likely be unorthodox. They didn't expect to be flying on the backs of a pack of Flygon. The insect-esc dragon type pokémon were quite larger than the average Flygon, yet they glided through the biting wind and rain with ease, even while carrying nearly double their weight on their back.

"Pikaaa…." Even while clutching onto Flygon back alongside Ash, the little pokémon looked all too serene as lightning and thunder cracked around them.

"Glad to see you're enjoying the trip," Ash tried to speak to Pikachu. Despite being right next to him, he doubted the small pokémon could hear. He couldn't even hear himself over the raging storm.

No one else bothered to say anything during the trip. Grannie led the group, flying on a particularly large Flygon that commanded the rest with ease. The trainers held steady, strapped to the pokémon with large harnesses specifically designed for stormy conditions. Admittedly, they all questioned the reliability of such devices, the fear of plummeting below the clouds ever present. Perhaps a near vice-like grip on the harness wasn't necessary, at least according to Grannie, but they were sure it wouldn't hurt.

The storm died down as they got closer to the tower. The clouds still loomed overhead, though they're colour began to shift from a cacophonous charcoal grey to a more matted, bluish fog. Grannie stopped mid-flight. Her head swung back and forth. It seemed like she was surveying her surroundings, but all anyone else could see was an endless blue abyss surrounding them.

"We're not alone…"

"What do ya mean Grannie?" Sapphire asked, gazing at the blue skyline.

"This energy… it's draconic in nature… " She patted her Flygon on its neck. Only she could hear the low rumble it emitted. "The Flygon sense it. This energy is drawing in the dragon-type pokémon. There's some surrounding us already, just out of view."

"There is?" May frantically looked all over. Not a single pokémon in sight, yet now she could feel hundreds of eyes staring back at her through the clouds.

"They're just watching… for now. Come, we're getting close to the tower."

They flew on, not one saying a word. They caught glimpses of the pokémon that were keeping an eye on them, with the occasional wing or tail creeping out of the fog. They were being followed. Worse still, they could hear the calls of various pokémon. The cacophony was overbearing, full of battle fuelled roars and pained cries in equal standing.

"Here it is… the… oh dear!" At one point, the Draconid tower would have been a phenomenal sight. A massive cylindrical structure was carved in stone, sitting next to the blue Hoenn ocean and backdropped by a large shale cliff face. However, the majesty of the tower was drowned out in a dark coating. The blackened substance that Ash and Yellow had seen in the Coronet Catacombs had engulfed the entire structure, the leaking sludge pouring onto the base of the tower. The surrounding areas, a massive beach of stones, was teaming with dragon-type pokémon of all types. Belligerent blue Garchomp tussled with the ever-fierce Dragonite as the snail-like Goodra prowled. Worse still, some of the pokémon were covered in the black sludge itself, battling the non-tainted pokémon with unmatched aggression. The trainers landed over a small hill overlooking the area. They promptly dismounted the Flygon.

"Oh no…" Serena gasped.

"This is gonna be… complicated," Ruby said.

"Guess this is why yer friend said they couldn't see the tower on their scanners. But where's all this comin' from?" Sapphire asked. She turned to Grannie, who to her surprise was looking away from the tower towards the sky behind them.

Guess she can't bear to look at it. Couldn't blame her really. This used to be a sacred place after all.

No. It is a sacred place. There was no reason to believe that they couldn't figure this out. She could see it on the faces of the other trainers. They couldn't just sneak in and take the shard. They had to figure out how to stop this.

"Hey Ash, is this the same stuff you found in Mount Coronet?"

"It is." Ash was certain.

"Alright, we need some sort of plan. If it is the same stuff, then maybe the crystal can help destroy it." Yellow pointed towards the tower. "If I had to guess… the core of this is in there."

"Alright. We have to make it into the tower, but we don't have the crystal."

"Children, I am enthused that you are committed to saving our tower, but perhaps you should aim to pay more attention to your immediate surroundings."

They turned towards Grannie, and finally saw what she saw. A large figure quickly descended upon them.

"Take cove…" Ash's panic quickly faded as he got a better look at what was approaching. Clearly a pokemon, with a bat shaped head and blue colourations patterning its blacked winged body.

A friend.

"Noivern!" Ash raised his arms with elation as the pokémon landed next to him.

"Noi!" Noivern called enthusiastically in turn, bringing his head close to his trainer.

"Good to see you," Ash said, rubbing the pokémons muzzle.

"Guess this one of yer Pokémon, eh?" Sapphire asked.

"Yep. I travelled with Noivern during my journey in Kalos."

"Hey Noivern. Long time no see," Serena chimed. Noivern turned around to look at her, smiling in turn. That's when she noticed that there was something around the pokémon's neck. A small note and capsule was attached by a small leather necklace. She plucked off the letter and capsule with ease.

"Looks like you got something for us," Serena said. She opened the letter first. "Hey guys! We finally finished synthesising the crystals and figured you might need it back asap. The Birches were busy (as always) so the Oaks sent us a 'messenger' to help deliver it. They felt it would be appropriate considering you guys are going to the Draconid tower. Good luck, and stay safe. - Clemont."

She opened the capsule. Inside were both the crystal and Noivern's pokeball. She tossed them both to Ash.

"That's one problem solved. But we still have to get to the tower." Ruby chimed. "So we can't fly in… and I'd rather not take the aquatic approach…"

"Noivern!" Noivern suddenly turned his head to the sky, towards the ocean. A massive thundercloud had formed over the area, far darker than the surrounding blue clouds. Yellow lightning crashed within the cloud, which slowly approached the area. Both trainer and Pokémon flinched at the thundering booms that blasted out of it. Even the distorted Pokémon took pause in their rampages to witness the ever-looming behemoth.

"What… is… that?" May stuttered.

No one else uttered a word. They didn't even notice that Grannie had stepped past them, her hands clenched, and head pointed towards the ground.

"Oh, hail the merciful lord. The great bearer of storms and the true sovereign of all dragonkind."

Her hands raised to the sky as the heavens ripped open. The great green dragon swirled its serpentine body with grace, unleashing a furious roar that tore through the soul of every living creature present.

"Rayquaza…" Ash looked at the legendary Pokémon with a profound respect. Almost everyone present had witnessed its power first-hand in some capacity, but this was… different.

The legendary pokémon surveyed the surrounding area as the groundside pokémon looked on, swaying its long neck back and forth, almost as if it was looking into the eyes of the other various pokémon. It let out another bellowing roar, causing all of the unaffected pokémon to flee the area. They either ran or flew in all directions as the distorted dragons attempted to give chase.

"But which one…" Ruby tried to get a good look at the Pokémon as it guided along the battlefield. He didn't know if the Raquaza from Ash's world was any different from the one that he and Sapphire had fought with all those years ago. Yet this one's power was unlike anything he had seen before. Even while it was mega-evolved it hadn't radiated with such raw power.

"Don't look to surprised children." Grannie still hadn't raised her head. "The world is full of pokémon that have existed before recorded history. And the truly ancient ones conceal powers far beyond our comprehension. Such power is only revealed when their ire is truly drawn."

"Even the meteor…"

"Not even the meteor was noteworthy enough for the Dragonlord's true wrath. Though perhaps that was because he had faith in you and your friends."

Lightning bolts crashed around the entire area. Howling thunder and lightning blasted rock and sand into the sky wherever the bolts landed. Any distorted pokémon caught in the storm was almost completely annihilated on impact.

"Look! The tower!" Yellow called.

The black sludge around the tower began to convulse and pulsate, like a massive snake was squirming underneath the surface, wreathing, and writhing throughout the entire structure. Rayquaza's attention shifted to the tower, its attack briefly halting. Most of the distorted pokémon had turned to blackened blots on the ground already. The remaining few had already scattered or opted to shuffle aimlessly about.

The storm continued to intensify around Rayquaza however, with electricity continuing to surround the pokémon. It raised its right arm, electricity gathering around its palm. The energy contorted and extended in its palm horizontally, taking the shape of a spear of pure lightning. Rayquaza launched itself from its cloud. It glided through the air, arching its small arm back and slamming the spear into the tower with a massive crash. The tower ignited, emitting a blinding light around the entire area like a tiny electric sun.

"Wow…" Ash was in awe. He'd met his fair share of legendary pokémon in his travels. The power of such pokémon was always something to both behold and fear. But Grannie was right. It was nothing compared to this.

Truly legendary.

Chapter Text

"What… is that?"

The tower remained untouched, even after the massive amount of energy had been unleashed upon it by Rayquaza. From the point of impact May and the other trainers could see that a strange, blackened object was sticking out of the tower and had latched onto the end of the spear. It looked almost like a twisted arm, with crooked fingers arcing around the spearhead.

The spear dissipated, releasing Rayquaza from the grip of the tower. The legendary pokémon eyes widened with fury as it released a hyper beam directly at the arm. The arm was unfazed, absorbing the energy into its palms. The energy coursed throughout the tower before it retaliated, releasing the energy another massive explosion, knocking the mighty dragon right off and hurtling towards the ground.

"Rayquaza!" Ruby screamed as the legendary pokémon plummeted, hitting the beach with a loud thud. The blackened pool at the base of the tower unleashed a flurry of blackened tentacles, gripping onto Rayquaza's serpentine body. They began to sink back into the sludge, dragging the pokémon along with it. Rayquaza thrashed about, unleashing various beams of energy at the mass of tentacles to little avail. They were destroyed quite easily by the powerful attacks, though they soon regenerated and would simply grasp on to the freed sections once again.

"We have to help!" Ash called as he sprinted towards his Flygon, leaping onto its back and taking off almost immediately.

"Noi!" Noivern raced behind his trainer.

"Ya'll heard 'im," Sapphire was already on her Flygon as well. The other trainers quickly leapt onto their own Flygons as well. "We'll keep Rayquaza safe, Grannie!"

"I'm sure it will be fine. Might wanna keep an eye on that young man though."

With that the trainers followed, their faces tearing up as dust and rain pickled their faces. Their eyes stung and their focus blurred, the only indication that they were approaching the tower being the energy radiating from it becoming brighter and brighter.

"How are we gonna do this?!" Ruby wasn't exactly fond of reckless plans, even though he was no stranger to them.

"Just keep hitting those tentacles till it lets go!" Ash screamed. Perhaps an impulsive plan, but there was no time to think of something more nuanced or calculated. Not while Raquaza was seconds away from being absorbed into the abyssal substance.

The trainers approached the site of battle and began their assault. Individually they each took turns attacking the tentacles, the Flygon using a mix of flamethrowers and dragon breaths to destroy them.

"We're not fast enough!" May screamed as she pulled out a pokeball. "Gonna need some help. Go Altaria!"

Looking more like a large plume of white feathers then an actual dragon, Altaria shot out of its Pokeball ready to fight.

"Altaria! Aim for those black tentacles!"

Altaria joined in the firefight, though it would be optimistic to believe that a single Pokémon could turn the tide so easily. The feathery pokémon darted around lighting bolts and oncoming tentacle attacks with a surprising grace.

"Altar!" The pokémon unleashed a barrage of energy bolts at the tentacles. As the tentacles were either blown up completely or withered away in blazing flames, more would almost immediately spring back up. It seemed like they were merely slowing them down. Little did they realise that they had been slowing them down just enough.

Rayquaza unleashed another terrible howl as its eyes glowed a sizzling yellow, a swirl of electrical energy gathering around its palm. Another darkened storm cloud gathered above the tower, now casting a shadow over the entire beach.

"Everybody get outta here!" Sapphire quickly looped back as lightning strikes crashed around them. The others quickly followed as the bolts became more and more intense, slamming into the tower. The black sludge writhed, and the tentacles ceased their assault for but a moment. Rayquaza leered up off the ground and slammed its palm against the tower, sending a thunderous shockwave of electrical energy surging towards the entire structure.

A shriek that pierced the ears of everyone present. The tentacles folded into the structure, giving Raquaza just enough time to escape their grasp completely. The large pokémon retreated back towards the beach, but not before turning around to look at the trainers. For a moment time seemed to stand still as the dragon's eyes met each and every one of theirs, before he quickly disappeared over the horizon. The storm calmed down and the tower returned to a neutral state.

"We did it… huh…" Ruby said, catching his breath.

"Good job Flygon. You too, Noivern." Noivern flew next to Ash, nodding in approval. His attention however was focused on the cliff face where Rayquaza had disappeared to. The trainers were more concerned with the tower.

"What were those tentacles? In Mount Coronet we were attacked by those distorted trainers. But we never got attacked by the walls," Yellow said.

"Whatever… that is on the tower, Rayquaza doesn't like it. We gotta go speak to it." Ruby adjusted his hat. "Let's go see where it went off to."

It seemed quite… calm.

After the violent display it exhibited just moments before, Rayquaza sat peacefully away from the cliff's edge, its lower body coiled like a Ekans at rest. The legendary pokémon didn't move an inch as the trainers approached.

"Everyone be careful. We don't know what it's gonna do."

It's only been a few years since we last met, dear Sapphire. Though it's good to see that your instincts are as sharp as ever.

The deep, feminine voice echoed in the trainer's head. Ash immediately knew that it wasn't the voice of a distorted trainer. This wasn't an invasion of the mind, but rather the words floated gently along the surface of their conscience. And unlike the distorted trainers, they could clearly tell what the source of the voice was.

"Rayquaza… you can…" Sapphire stuttered.

Yes. Most of the ancient pokémon that you share this world with can as well. Though most of us like to keep to ourselves when we can.

"This whole time, huh? Even when we stopped the meteor?" Ruby asked.

As I said, we keep to ourselves if possible. It didn't seem necessary at the time, and considering that we managed to destroy it and the creature that dwelled inside, it seemed I wasn't wrong.

"So… it's really you." Ruby stepped up to Rayquaza, raising his palm. "It's good to see you again."

Likewise. With a smile Rayquaza brought its large head down, placing its muzzle on the trainer's palm.

To think that one day it would be you saving me. In my own rage and hubris I thought I could rid the invaders from the tower. But I underestimated its power.

"What is it?" Sapphire asked.

It's a wound.

"A wound?" Ash asked.

A wound in space and time. Pure dark matter of the world beyond, taken physical form.

"The world beyond? You mean the distortion world?"

Yes. The place that Giratina eternally resides. At least we thought.

"So somehow Giratina escaped and is the cause of all of… this…" Yellow said.

The merging of our worlds. Quite the conundrum we have all found ourselves in.

"So… your tower."

It has been plagued by Giratinas dark matter. But that's not all. There's something inside of it. You saw how it moves. Dark matter remains in a subdued state unless it has a host.

"What could'it be?" Sapphire asked.

I don't know… though… It's what draws me to the tower. It's something…. Familiar…

"We need to get inside that tower. There's something we need to get from it." May said.

Ah yes. You're after the shard of the distortion ball.

"You know about that?"

Of course. I was quite aware of Giratina's conflict against humanity. It had waged a vicious battle for many years before the creation of the distortion ball. In an age that predates the invention of your pokeballs, it was designed to trap any Pokémon against its will, even those who are as strong as I."

"Piika?"

Yes, little one, even one so opposed to staying in their pokeball.

Ash and Yellow turned cold at the memory of the chamber in mount Coronet. They could hardly believe that they had committed themselves to recreating such a device.

Do not hesitate now. With the power Giratina wields now, there is no other way to stop it.

"But how did Giratina become so strong?" Ash asked.

That I do not know. But its power must be great if it was truly responsible for our dimensions becoming one.

"One thing at a time. We need to get inside that tower. If it's like the catacombs in mount coronet, we can use this," Yellow said as she pulled out the crystal.

Hmmmmmm… what a strange crystal you have there.

"It can destroy dark matter, we just have to find its core."

Hmmm… Rayquaza pondered a moment. Let us gather our strength first. I will help you get inside the tower and retrieve your shard.

"Thank you umm… Rayquaza…" Serena said.

Ha…

"Hmm?"

To work with humans has always been such an odd experience. And now to speak to them… these truly are strange times.

"We have a lot of pokémon on hand, including the Flygon, maybe we can…"

The group split off, with Ruby and Sapphire preparing their assault on the tower with Rayquaza. Perhaps they should have been all listening intently, giving in their own feedback and ideas. May however was far more preoccupied with her Altaria, brushing down its now soot coated feathers.

"'Taria!"

"I know I know. You don't like being brought out by surprise but you're one of my best flying types! And I thought you would wanna see the draconid tower!"

"ALTARIA!"

"Okay so it's not exactly… in the best shape right now, but…"

"Altaria doesn't seem too happy," Serena chimed, walking up to the pair with Ash, Yellow, and Noivern.

Yellow moved up to Altaria, touching its small beaked head. The pokémon was taken aback by the sudden intrusion, though she felt like she could trust this girl, at least for now.

"You're quite fierce. Strong too. Huh… interesting."

"Interesting?" May asked. Ruby and Sapphire had informed her about Yellow's unique abilities, though seeing them at work didn't feel any less surreal.

"You've only had her for a few years yet her familiarity with you goes back… more than a decade ago."

"It's the Swablu you took care of. You found her again." Ash said.

"More like she found me. I barely recognized her, but she remembered me. Even after all those years."

"You saved her life. But more importantly, you let her go back to her family."

"And she came back to you when she was ready," Serena said. "Those experiences stick with you, no matter how brief."

"Noi!"

"Taria!"

The two pokémon chirped at each other for a bit. Noivern raised its wings high above its head, with Altaria following suit.

"Now what are you two doing?" May said with a chuckle.

"Looks like they're sizing each other up. Dragon pokémon tend to have big egos." Yellow said.

"Noi!" Noivern looked over to the group of Flygon standing near the edge of the cliff, its wings still raised high in the air. The Flygon simply shrugged.

"Maturity level might also have something to do with it…"

"You can say that again," Ash said as he turned to Pikachu, standing on Ash's shoulders with his arms raised as high as he could.

"Hey guys!" Sapphire called to the rest of the group. "Get'on over here. We think we gotta plan!"

Chapter Text

Ash could never hate a pokémon. He'd been harmed by so many in the past, both malicious and otherwise, but he knew that they were always just pokémon. He could never fear any pokémon too, for the exact same reason. Sure, superficially he might have been scared by one at any given moment. No one wanted to be on the jaws end of an angry, charging Tyranitar. But actual fear? The feeling of your muscles tensing up and breaths becoming shallow. Before recently, never.

But the current situation was testing his resolve. He stared at the group of Gyarados who now stood at the edge of the beach, all staring up at Rayquaza who was regaling to them the details of their operation.

It's not that Gyarados was a particularly frightening pokémon… well it was, but he had met his fair share of them in the past, a fierce individual even belonging to one of his oldest friends. But at this moment, all he could see was the massive serpentine monster charging at him at Lake Moon. He remembered the hyper beam launching at him while he was already at the brink of consciousness, the raging energy engulfing his entire vision…

He didn't realize he was shaking until a soft hand clasped his own. Serena stood beside him, her arm interlocked in his, a look of concern clearly present on her face. She didn't say a word. She didn't have too.

He smiled. For the moment it was just them on the Hoenn beach. Nothing to worry about. Nothing to fear.

From a way away, the other trainers sat on a set of rocks, running through the plan again and again in their minds. As attacking from the sky seemed destined to fail, they decided to attempt an aquatic approach. Luckily for them Rayquaza was quite knowledgeable about the tower, including the fact that a group of Gyarados had made the surrounding area their home, patrolling the shoreline to keep out unwanted guests. The hope was that the combined power of Rayquaza, the flying dragons and the Gyarados could punch a hole through the dark matter, at least long enough for a group of trainers to get inside the tower, retrieve the shard, and destroy the core. On paper, a simple plan.

Yellow fiddled with the crystal in her hand. She could… feel the power that radiated within it. It felt oddly familiar, like when she utilized her own healing powers. But this felt a lot stronger, even stronger than her own abilities were back in their prime.

"Chuuu?" Pikachu sat next to her, also eyeing the crystal. Though she didn't intend to ignore him, Yellow didn't answer.

"Got a lot on your mind, senior?" She hadn't realized that Ruby and Sapphire had moved over to her rock, now sharing the space.

"Yeah. Guess I do."

"Thinkin' 'bout Red?"

Always. "No. Just…"

"Right. No, we get it," Ruby said. "Gotta keep our eyes on the mission and all that. Can't let ourselves be distracted."

Yellow nodded. Ruby had a lot of respect for the capabilities of their seniors, but he couldn't even imagine how she kept it together all this time. If he lost Sapphire… well…

He almost had, and it was all his fault on top of it. But this was so different. Yellow didn't even have the solace of knowing why Red had disappeared. The love of her life, wiped from the face of the earth.

"I appreciate your concern, junior, but I'm still your senior. So I should be the one asking if you are ready."

"Are ya kiddin'? Of course we're ready to kick that who-knows-what outta that tower!"

Good to see your fire hasn't wavered. The trainers looked to see Rayquaza had finished conversing with the Gyarados, and had now turned to them. The plan is set. Now you must decide who will fly alongside me, and who will ride alongside the serpents.

"Splitting up, huh? And there's an even number of us. Perfect split…" May said, the trainers now congregated around each other.

"Me and Ruby can take the aquatic approach, and we can bring Yellow in with the crystal." Sapphire noticed how Ash was reacting to the Gyarados. Maybe it was best if he didn't…

"No. You and Ruby fought with Rayquaza before. You two understand it better than the rest of us." Ash said.

"Well… you can still come with us, if you want," Ruby offered.

"No, I…" he stuttered. He knew it didn't really matter where he went. But still…

"I'm good for both," May said.

"I… want to go with the Gyarados," Yellow said, the crystal clutched in her palm. Truthfully she could have just handed it over to someone else.

She just really didn't want to.

"Ash…you don't have to ride the Gyarados." Serena said quietly next to him.

"No… I should. I'll go with the Gyarados," Ash decided.

"I'll go too!" Serena said.

"Guess I'll be flying. Altaria's not gonna be too happy," May said.

Excellent. Rayquaza flew over to Ruby, Sapphire and May. Yellow, Ash and Serena moved over to the Gyarados, who awaited patiently.

The largest individual swam over to the trainers, eyeing them intently. The trainers matched its gaze.

"Looks like the leader," Yellow said.

"GYYAAA!" The large Gyarados roared directly at the trainers. Serena and Yellow hardly budged. Ash flinched for but a moment. The large pokémon lowered its head towards him. Ash took a deep breath as the massive jaw of the pokémon stood mere inches away from him.

It's just a pokemon. It's just a…

Once again he felt Serena's hand grasp his, though this time his hand was clenched into a fist. She raised their hands slowly towards the Gyarados, pausing midway between it and themselves.

She looked at Ash, both with concern and acceptance. The choice was still his. He took another deep breath as he relaxed his hand.

It's just a pokémon…

The pair placed their palms right above Gyarados' mouth. The pokémon scales were surprisingly smooth, yet quite tough. The Gyarados smiled.

"Looks like you guys are making friends," Yellow said as she approached them, also placing her palm on the Gyarados. "He says we look strong, and he says thanks."

"For saving Rayquaza? It was nothing really. We couldn't just stand by and watch…"

"Heh…" Yellow chuckled. "Not for saving Rayquaza. As far as they're concerned there 'dragonlord' didn't need any help. He's thanking you, Ash, for trusting him."

"Oh… well… of course I trust you," Ash said with a smile.

Why wouldn't he? It was just a pokémon.

The tower loomed like a glistening black blade that cut through the landscape. For the moment it remained placid, through the careful eye could spot the slight hints of movement underneath the deceptively solid exterior.

Ruby, Sapphire and May sat on their Flygons, hovering around Rayquaza who kept its eyes to the ocean, tracking the Gyarados who swam at the surface of the ocean. Sapphire could spot Noivern flying right above them, following along slowly.

The plan was simple really. The Gyarados would make the first move, firing off a wave of hydro pumps at the tower once they could get in range. At that point Rayquaza and the Flygons would assist in the assault, battering the tower until they could create a large enough opening for the trainers to get inside.

"Think a couple of Gyarados is all it's gonn' take?" Sapphire asked.

Perhaps. The dark matter has embedded itself deep in the tower.

"So… that's a maybe," May said.

Do not fret. Just wait for the signal and trust your instincts.

"Solid enough plan, or at least as solid as our fight against the meteor," Ruby said as he scanned the area around them. "Any sign of the distorted pokémon?"

It will take them a while to spawn again.

"Ash and Yellow said they saw trainers and their pokémon trapped in some kinda dark matter cocoon in mount coronet. But the distorted pokémon down there didn't seem to have any trainers with them."

The effects of Giratina's dark matter are mysterious even to me. The answers are likely in the tower itself.

"Of course they're probably in that hideous tower. Lets just hope they can handle whatever's inside…"

Suddenly, they saw Noivern fire a dragon-pulse into the air, the ball of blue draconic energy bursting high above the clouds.

The flare had been lit.

Now.

The airbound trainers saw the Gyarados lined up next to the tower, firing off a series of hydro pumps. The sudden attack set it into a frenzy, the blackened tentacles lashing out at the Gyarados. The Gyarados darted and weaved around them, gliding through the water with surprising ease, quickly repositioning themselves and continuing their assault.

"Chaaarrggee!" Sapphire screamed to the heavens as she flew in, the Flygons quickly swarming the tower while the dark matter entity was occupied. Like before they barraged the tower with a flurry of flamethrowers, dragon pulses, and other powerful blasts of energy that caused the towers dark matter to reel. The substance twisted and deformed as it attempted to swat away the Flygons, with select parts of the tower becoming momentarily visible as it stretched itself thin.

"Altaria! You doing alright?!" May called as she lost Altaria in a barrage of tentacles and Flygons. In the chaos she heard a faint Teria. Looks like she was, for the moment.

"Let! Go!" May turned to see Sapphires Flygon caught by one of the tentacles. It thrashed around in its grip of the tentacle as Sapphire attempted to keep her own on the struggling pokémon. Around her other Flygon were becoming trapped and swatted.

"Sapphire!" Ruby charged towards her, barreling through the other pokémon. "Flygon! Use flamethrower!"

Ruby's Flygon blasted the tentacle holding Sapphire hostage.

"Took ya a while Ruby! Yer' better not be gettin' sloppy on me!"

"As grateful as ever, huh?" Ruby said with gritted teeth, just barely dodging another tentacle.

"I'm just sayin', AH!" A stray flamethrower almost caught Sapphire's head. She ducked out of the way, just in time. "We ain't gonna get nowhere with yer head in the clouds!"

"Sapphire! All our heads are 'in the clouds'!"

"SHUDDUP!"

How they managed to find the time to bicker now was far beyond May's capacity at the moment.

You must scatter…

May turned around and saw Raquaza looming behind them, electrical energy gathering in its palms.

Graceful.

Gyarados were fierce pokémon, and when enraged, they were absolutely barbarous. A thrashing Gyarados would destroy anything in its path, with tact and rhythm being quite forgotten the moment they picked their target. Yet Serena couldn't help but be enamored by the harmonic patterns that the Gyarados moved in to dodge the oncoming tentacles being unleashed by the tower. They worked like a cohesive unit, giving each other enough distance to maneuver while remaining in hydro pump distance.

The trainers didn't have any trouble keeping steady as the Gyarados ducked and weaved around the tower's edge. Noivern held steady, firing energy blasts at any tentacle the Gyarados couldn't dodge. The trainers could see that bits of the actual tower were becoming visible.

"It's working!" Ash yelled over the chaos. Yellow and Serena were barely within earshot of him on their Gyarados.

"A bit more and we might get in!" Yellow screamed.

Their laser focus was interrupted by Rayquaza's voice. It said one phrase, and this time not a passive request like before. This was a demand.

"Scatter?" Ash said as the Gyarados immediately did as they were told, moving out of the towers range. He looked up to see the Flygon were following suit, darting away from the tower as Rayquaza's hands collected electrical energy within them.

"Is it going to…?!" Yellow asked in a panic. Rayquaza couldn't possibly be trying to solo the tower again.

But that's just what it did, as Rayquaza flew directly at the tower. Rayquaza hurtled it's fist towards it, and this time the tower did not catch it. On impact the electric wave seemed to ignite the dark energy, which now squirmed intensely in a dizzying rage. That's when everyone in the area heard a loud crash. It was the sound of hundreds of tons of carved stone blasting out of the back of the tower, creating a gigantic crater near the top of it. Rayquaza slinked away as the dark matter pulsated erratically.

"Oh my…" Serena could hardly say anything as she saw a mountain of debris collapsed behind the tower, slamming into the ocean below. Luckily the resulting waves didn't reach their location, dissipating quickly.

Quickly! Get inside, now!

The lower half of the tower had been rid of the dark matter as it swirled around the newfound opening. The trainers charged forward on their Gyarados.

"Alright!" Ash said as they finally got back in range. "Use hydro pump right at the wall!"

The Gyarados collectively unleashed a barrage of high-pressure water blasts. They tore through the stone, creating a massive hole in the side of the tower.

"Yes!" Yellow cheered. "We did it!"

The trainers Gyarados quickly led them to the edge of the tower, raising their heads to allow them inside.

"Thank you!" Yellow said as she hopped off the Gyarados' head.

"Yah, thanks a lot guys," Ash said as he hopped off as well, taking a moment to pat the large pokémon on the head. "I never doubted you."

The Gyarados smiled before turning back to the rest of it's group. Noivern flew in next to Ash.

"You did great too, bud," Ash said to his Noivern. The group turned around, looking into the murky abyss.

"We can't waste any time! Let's go!" Serena said as she hopped in. Ash and Yellow followed closely behind.

From their perch the airborne trainers could see the Gyarados letting Ash, Yellow and Serena into the tower.

"Yes! They made it in!" May cheered on her Flygon as Rayquaza approached them.

"And it looks like the dark matter is… errr…" Ruby was the first to see it. The dark matter around the tower had stopped pulsating at random. Rather, it began to constrict around the tower, the matter collecting into a single, tubular mass. The clot that blocked off the opening at the top of the tower also constricted, though they could see that the top of the mass began to take the shape of the draconic head. Small, protruding arms formed down the tube, the same ones that blocked Rayquaza lightning spear just a few hours ago. The head of the creature reared up into the clouds, letting out a shriek that ruptured their souls.

"It's… it's…"

Rayquaza.

There was no mistaking it. The head of the creature sported the trademark flatted horns and angular, beaked mouth of the legendary pokémon. Like the other distorted pokémon, it was missing its eyes.

"That's not good…" May said. Her heart sank at the sight of it. She was certain this was the Rayquaza from her world, and it was very likely the real body was somewhere inside the tower. She recalled the times when she had witnessed the legendary pokémon do battle against the enigmatic Deoxys, a pokémon from across space that had found itself stranded on earth. She recalled its power, equal to that of the Rayquaza that now fought alongside her. Terrifying yes, but equally magnificent. To see it reduced to this monstrosity…

The distorted Rayquaza opened its mouth, unleashing a hyperbeam at the trainers. It raced towards them at a surprising speed, far exceeding the lengths of a regular hyperbeam.

"Watch out!" Sapphire called as the beam scattered the Flygon.

We've awakened the beast. We must hold it off long enough for the others to stop it from within.

Easier said than done.

Chapter Text

It was a horrid sight.

Ash, Serena and Yellow hopped down to the base of the tower, into an empty main chamber. Normally, the interior of the tower was hollow, a winding staircase circling around the walls leading to the top of the tower. The structure itself was a place of worship and little else, with the occasional pilgrim making their way to the top of the tower to give tribute to the great Dragonlord.

Yellow could only imagine what the walls had once looked like. Perhaps they were full of ornate, intricate carvings or beautiful paintings of the many dragon type pokémon that the Draconids adored. Conjuring such images helped her to deal with the reality of what she was looking at. The interior of the entire structure was completely coated in the dark matter, layers upon layers that were strewn about, almost looking like the excretions used by Durant's to make their nests. Even worse were the many, many cocoons that were present along the coating, each one likely containing the distorted pokémon that they saw outside. That's when she noticed that one in particular was large, extremely large. Her eyes traced the base of it near the bottom of the wall to the top. But the top just kept going… and going… and…

"Oh… no…" Ash looked up as well. "That one goes all the way to the top. Rayquaza's in there."

"Pikaaa…" Pikachu trembled on Ash's shoulder.

"How..?" Serena stuttered. How could such a massive pokémon become captured like this?

"Those distorted pokémon are strong… They might have caught Rayquaza off guard," Yellow said. Considering how easily her world's Rayquaza dealt with the distorted pokémon outside, it was the only answer. Still… it wouldn't have been easy to capture regardless.

Do we even stand a chance…

That's when they saw that the hole at the top of the tower suddenly broke open, the dark matter that clogged the wound convulsing and compressing into a slender figure. From their angle they couldn't see exactly what it was, but the sound of energy blasting away from the tower gave them a solid hint.

"Rayquaza's fighting back. We have to hurry!" Serena said, frantically scanning the area.

"Over there!" Ash pointed towards the center of the room. Like in mount Coronet, small tubes and wire-like webbing connected the cocoons to a single pedestal, now illuminated by the natural light pouring into the room. Like before, an ominous orb hung over it. Yellow took out the crystal. It pulsated upon being placed in view of the pedestal.

"Alright." Yellow took a deep breath. "All I need to do is to place this in and…"

Intruders.

Defilers.

Unwanted.

The voices descended upon them. They could hear several people in their heads.

"Trainers…" Yellow said quietly to Ash. He nodded to her, continuing to survey the room. They could appear at any moment…

He turned to Serena. She was hardly moving now, breathing heavily with her eyes to the ground.

"Serena…" He whispered to her. Her breathing became heavier, and cold sweat began to run down her face.

You dare trespass here?

How? How did we let you in here?

Failed! Failed the village! Failed the Dragonlord!

"Serena," He placed a hand on her shoulder, bringing her back to him, though her eyes were still wide as they stared at him.

"Ash… they're…"

"They're just words," he told her as the voices intruded in his head. Even though he and Yellow warned the others about the distorted trainers, actually experiencing it was something else entirely.

"Right… yeah…" She tried steadying her breath, her eyes still pointed down. She felt so… helpless. It's not as if she hadn't seen her share of horrors on her journeys, but this was… different. These voices… they were oh so quiet, yet piercingly loud.

Well… crawl into my brain more like it… How could she be like this? Ash and Yellow were so calm right now. Sure, they've faced these… whatever-they-were before, but she doubted they would have made it back if they froze up like this. They must think I'm a coward.

It wasn't true of course, and she knew it. Ash would never, and she had only known Yellow to be kind. Still… she couldn't help but feel a bit envious of Ash's fearlessness. She finally looked up at him. To her surprise, his face wasn't one of cold-hearted stoicism like she imagined.

"We're right here. I'm right here. They can't hurt you." Not the most creative words of encouragement, but he wasn't thinking straight either. His eyes darted around, his mind racing at what to say next. It wasn't fear, at least not for their assailants. It was… her. He couldn't bear to see her like this.

"I'm okay," She finally said, clutching his arm and lowering it. "We can do this."

He nodded, turning his attention back to the pedestal. There, forming out of the dark matter on the ground next to it, rose five figures. They were definitely human, each seemingly cloaked in monk-like cloaks, not dissimilar to the various garbs found on the Draconid villagers. As expected, they were missing their mouths, and on their hands were long threads that led to a small mass that stood up to their thighs. The trainers could tell that they were meant to be Gibles.

"These must be the Draconid villagers that Granny talked about. They've been turned…" Serena said.

You intrude on our sacred grounds?

"No! We are here too free you!" Yellow shouted. "We know you are under Giratina's control. Let us help you!" She raised the crystal up to them. Maybe it would scare them off like the Coronet distorted trainers.

Defend! We failed to defend this place!

Failures. Failures all!

They didn't even flinch.

"There's no use Yellow! These ones must be stronger!" Ash called. "Noivern? You ready!"

"Noi!" Noivern cried out as he leapt in front of his trainer.

Guess we're fighting them. Serena steeled her nerves. These were far worse than she even imagined. But she couldn't think about that right now.

"Go, Delphox!"

Appearing from its pokeball was a bipedal red and yellow pokémon resembling a fox, its overall visage resembling fantasy witch. The pokémon held out a large stick, held together by a red bow near its tip.

"Phox!" The pokémon stood fearlessly next to her trainer.

"Ratty! Let's go!" Yellow called as she tossed out her Raticate. The pokémon stood poised to attack.

Begone! The tallest of the distorted trainers reared his leg back, and swiftly kicked his Gible high into the air.

Gibbblllleeeee!

The distorted pokémon cried as it was flung into the air. The trainer leaned back slightly before launching his whole body into the air as well. The propulsion of his body shifted him upside down, where his leg made contact with Gibble, hurdling it towards the trainers.

"Watch out Noivern!" Ash yelled as Noivern leaped over the Gible. However, the tendrils attached to it yanked the distorted trainer right towards Noivern's new position. The monk collided with Noivern in midair, tossing the pokémon to the ground. Quite surprisingly, the monk landed right on his feet, quickly hopping out of their reach. His Gible was merely dragged along with him. As it slowly got back up, and the trainers could hear faint whimpering emanating from it.

I'm sorry friend... But we cannot let them pass!

"Noivern, are you alright?!" Ash asked as Noivern got back to its feet.

"Noi!"

"Pika!" Pikachu hopped off Ash's shoulder. "Pika Pika?!"

"Just take it easy buddy…" Ash said as he tracked his opponent. "Noivern! Use dragon pulse!" Noivern launched a powerful ray of energy directly at the monk. He and his Gible jumped right out of the way, though the Gible was slightly too slow and got nipped on its leg.

No! We cannot fail!

The remaining monks proceeded to Attack, launching a similar flurry of kicks towards Raticate and Delphox. The trainers were ready for the attack, and dodged them, just barely. The monks were exceedingly fast, even while their Gibles hurtled through the air.

"We need to hit them head on!" Serena yelled. "Use Mystical fire!"

Delphox raised her stick, unleashing a wave of ethereal fire at one of the monks. The Monk dodged it handedly once again.

You cannot escape. This voice sounded like a young women. The monk reared back and launched her whole body towards Serena, who was caught off guard. She crossed her arms over her head, bracing for impact.

"Iron tail!" Ash called out loudly as Pikachu jumped towards the monk, slashing it with his tail glowing a metallic white. The tail cut directly through the monk's torso. The monk and their Gible fell to the ground, dissolving back into the ground.

No! She failed.

Defeated! We can't!

The monks looked in despair at their fallen companion. It was all it took, as Yellow Raticate charged towards them with his claws viciously outstretched.

"Up!" May screamed as she pulled on her Flygon's harness, dodging a fierce blast of energy from the distorted Rayquaza.

It was nearly impossible for the trainers to get in close as it fired off a flurry of concentrated hyper-beams at them. Even Rayquaza was having trouble dodging the oncoming blasts.

We just need to hold out for a bit longer!

"Why did I sign up to be a distraction?!" Ruby cried.

"We're gonna be okaayyyaahhh!" May screeched as another blast was sent flying right over her head.

"Just focus on not gettin' hit!" Sapphire called. The Flygon flew erratically to avoid the blasts. It worked for a time, until suddenly…

Crash! A stray hyperbeam caught one of the Flygon right above Ruby, sending the pokémon plummeting towards him. He tried to steer up to avoid a collision, but he was barely fast enough. The Flygon collided with his in midair, the impact of the collision knocking him off the simple harness. Soon he was free falling, the Flygon far too entangled with each other to take notice of him.

"Ruby!" With no hesitation Sapphire dived straight down towards him. Luckily, she was fast enough, catching him in her arms.

"Hey there… ummm…" Any wit he attempted to conjure faded as he took note of his position, his girlfriend holding him bridal style on a Flygon, her eyes filled with the intent to kill.

"You idiot! You're gonna go get yerself killed liked that in front of me!?"

"I… Well…" He had little time to explain before she tossed him into the air. He barely had time to start screaming again before a large, clawed hand grabbed him in the air.

I got you, don't worry.

He looked around as he was trapped in Rayquaza's grasp. Luckily it seemed like they hadn't lost any of the other Flygon. He couldn't see the ones that fell however. He hoped they were okay…

HALT!

The Flygon paused, hovering in place. The hyperbeams stopped, and the distorted Rayquaza stood motionless for a moment.

"Maybe it's… no. nope. Not getting my hopes up."

Ruby's doubts were well founded. The distorted Raquaza began to gather energy in its hand. The power swirled around its palm before elongating, taking an odd, curved shape. The tops extended backwards, then connected with a solid beam of energy.

It was a bow.

"What… is that..?" Sapphire asked, holding her breath.

Make no mistake. That thing also wields the power of the Dragonlord.

It's small arm, bow in hand, raised towards the sky. It then used its head to bite down on the bowstring and used its long neck to arch it back. Then it opened its jaw, and suddenly, a hail of blue bolts launched up from the bow, flying high into the heavens before arching directly on top of Rayquaza and the trainers.

Rayquaza flipped upside down, raising its free hand to unleash a powerful lightning spear. This time, radiant energy surrounded the spear, creating a shield that covered almost the entire area. The bolts crashed against the shield, the thundering echoes booming loudly for miles.

"Wow…" May couldn't help but stare at the spectacle above her. The energy bolts dissipated on the shields, the blue and yellow energies mixing into a dazzling display of color. As gorgeous as it was terrifying.

Ugghh… They could feel Rayquaza buckling slightly under the pressure. They couldn't even tell how the distorted Rayquaza was doing this, but they could hardly see past the shield barrier.

Too strong… The shield won't last much longer.

Ruby was still held in Rayquaza's other hand, the heat of the spear was… surprisingly soothing. He could almost relax, were impending doom not right above him.

And then it stopped. Quite suddenly, actually.

Hmmm… Rayquaza looked to the tower, as did all the other trainers. The distorted Rayquaza was suddenly thrashing about quite violently as a glowing golden light enshrouded it, burning away the dark matter entirely.

And then it was gone. The tower stood proudly once more, free of the corruption. It was unfortunate that its once majestic visage was somewhat muddled by the gigantic hole in the rooftop.

And so, it is done.

The light was almost blinding, as the crystal burned away the dark matter. Various dragon type pokémon collapsed from their cocoons, all exhausted from their ordeals. And then there was the massive body of Rayquaza, slinking down to the ground. All the pokémon groggily got up, eyeing the trainers with suspicion.

"Uhm… I hope they're happy to see us…" Serena said, backing towards the pedestal. They were suddenly surrounded by a small army of Garchomp, Noivern, Flygon and other pokémon which she'd only seen in passing before. Not to mention the massive Rayquaza, which slowly raised itself above the ground where the trainers stood. It looked individually at all the trainers one by one.

"You're free now," Ash said. "You're all free!"

Rayquaza turned its head to the hole in the ceiling. It gave one final nod to Ash, Yellow and Serena before flying out of the tower. The other dragons left along with it. Except for…

"You… you…" Behind the trainers were five individuals, each one standing beside a Gible. They moved slowly towards the trainers, almost limping. "You saved us… we're…"

"It's okay," Yellow ran up to them. "We can take you back to the village."

"Thank you…" the monk on the right, a young woman, said before sitting down next to her Gible. The small pokemon inched up to her, letting out a sad Gible.

"You did nothing wrong… I wasn't strong enough. I failed our…"

"No!" Yellow interrupted. "None of you failed anyone. You were all corrupted."

"Yes… I know…" She sighed, taking heavy breaths. "We just need time…"

"I'm sorry… but we need to get the shard," Serena said. "Right Ash?"

"Right," he said, looking at the stairs.

"Wait… you mean…" The woman reached into a pocket on her cloak. She held out the obsidian black shard in front of the trainers.

"You just… had it on you?" Yellow asked.

"Yes… before I was taken. I just… felt like it was important…"

Ash and Yellow looked at each other briefly, before Ash reached out to grab the shard. The more of these he got, the less he wanted to hold on to them. He wrapped it in a small piece of cloth and placed it in his bag.

"We should get out of here." Ash said, placing Noivern back in his pokeball and heading towards the main door, now released from the dark matter's grasp. The other didn't object as they followed him.

"We did it!" Sapphire cheered as she landed on the beach, with May and Ruby following close behind.

"That was… wow," May finally let herself breathe. They dismounted off their Flygon and met the trainers in front of the tower.

"Nice that we all got out of this in one piece," Ruby said, still clutched in Rayquaza's grip. "Hey… can you…"

"Of course," Rayquaza said as she lowered Ruby down to the beach. The trainers turned towards the dragon.

"Dragonlord!" The monks immediately went down on their hands and knees. There Gibles did the same, barely balancing themselves with their small hands.

Ruby raised an eyebrow. "You know… I'm sure you don't need to…"

It's fine. You'll never convince them.

Ruby shrugged. He had far more pressing matters to attend to. Said matters rushing up to him in a fury.

"Don't go getting yerself into trouble like that again!" Sapphire scolded.

"But we were all fighting at the same time! It was just an accident, jeez… fight for something noble and this is what I get, huh?"

"Yeh but you can at least fight good ya know? You got distracted!"

"Well… it was…"

"And don't you dare say it was 'cause of me. Ash and em got the job done! And that's with the girl he's been smitten with all day right beside him!"

"Well… it wasn't you who got distracted," Serena said quietly to Ash. Her tone was trying to be playful, but the shame was obvious.

"You did great Serena. We all did."

"Right…" She wasn't convinced. Not yet at least.

I think it's time I departed. Rayquaza looked up to the sky.

"Leaving so soon?" Sapphire asked, finally pausing her tirade.

Yes. But I'm sure we'll meet again soon. Giratina's influence will continue to spread, and we will all be called to fight against it.

"With the crystals Clemont and Emerald are making, we have a chance of stopping them," Ruby said.

Perhaps. But the key is the distortion ball.

Ash shuddered at the thought.

Do what must be done, young human. Goodbye.

And Rayquaza took off, leaving the trainers standing next to the tower.

"Come on," Yellow said, mounting her Flygon. "Let's get back to the village."

Chapter Text

He should probably get some sleep.

Ash felt exhausted. The restless ride back from the Draconid tower took almost a day, and none of the trainers got anything close to a good night's rest. A soft bed waited for him in the guestroom back at Sapphire's place, and Pikachu had already taken the offer. But he just couldn't. Not right now anyway. May and Yellow stayed back at the Sapphires house, letting time slip by watching their old, boxy television. Ruby and Sapphire stopped by the lab to check up on the crystals. He probably should too… but that could wait until the morning. And Serena was… well somewhere. She disappeared when they got back to Littleroot, saying she wanted to relax by the park.

Ash was well aware that the events at the tower had left her shaken. She barely spoke during the ride home. Admittedly, neither did anyone else, so she could have just been tired. Still… they hadn't seen her for a few hours now and the sun was setting…

He shook his head. Certainly she just needed some time to herself. Or did she? Maybe he should go find her. But would that actually make things better? What if he made it worse? It is probably best to give her some space. What could he possibly say that would make her feel better? He was barely keeping himself together. But he was her friend. It wouldn't be right to just do nothing. What if she needed him? But what if he only thought she needed him?

"Ahhh!" He gripped his head. He was overthinking this. Right? Of course he only wanted what was best for her. That's what friends do.

And they were more than friends… right?

No. Not the time to think about that. He sighed. He should go back and get some sleep. They could talk in the morning if that's what she needed. But still… it felt wrong to not go and check up on her.

He took a deep breath. This wasn't him. When did he ever hesitate to be there for one of his friends? He looked at the direction of the park. He was in the center of town, a few minutes away from it. He realized that the sun was hanging quite low now. It was getting late, and she probably hadn't eaten anything yet. He was surrounded by stores, but most of them were closed. All except a small butchery. That'll do.

He hoped inside. It was a small place, with various meats hung about beside a large counter. He doubted he had the time to cook something up then and there, and he was quite certain that it wouldn't be anything all too appetizing. But a couple of sandwiches would do. He moved up to the counter. A young man was slouched over a small chair, his eyes closed and mouth drooped, a set of headphones fastened to his ears.

"Umm… excuse me?" Ash asked, leaning over the countertop to get a better look at the man. "Hey umm… excuse me?"

Still nothing. Ash shrugged. Maybe if Pikachu were here he could give him a good shock to get his attention. He knocked on the counter. Still nothing.

"I don't have time for this…" He went over to a small corner in the shop, sandwiches aligned on a refrigerated rack. He grabbed two, placed 5 pokedollars in front of the store clerk, and ran out the door.

It didn't take long to find her. The park was quite small, with a sidewalk circling a flat patch of grass. Perfect to play catch with your kids or fetch with your trusty Lycanroc. There was a single bench facing the center of the field, and he saw Serena head poking just above it. She was staring off into nothing, blankly staring at her feet. She looked up for a second, letting off a deep sigh before looking back down again, shaking her head.

He was about to call out her name, but stopped himself. He probably shouldn't startle her right now. Opting for subtlety, he moved up to her first.

"Hey… you hungry?" He intended to say something with a bit more tact, but this is what she was getting.

"Oh, Ash…" She looked at the sandwich in his hand. "Thanks." She took one of the sandwiches from him. It wasn't the greatest sandwich she'd ever eaten, but it was good enough. Hunger is the greatest spice after all, and she didn't realize how hungry she was until the sandwich disappeared mere seconds after she took it.

"Feeling better?" She nodded. Ash looked at his sandwich for a moment, before holding it out to her. She hesitated.

"Have you eaten yet?"

"I'll be alright. Take it."

Ash giving up food? Her eyes widened in surprise. Sure he wasn't a glutton or anything, but still… she swore he loved food more than anything.

Well… almost anything, she had hoped. Seems like she was right. She should probably reject the offer though, it wouldn't be very polite to eat right in front of him. But…

She was still hungry. She took the sandwich, finishing it almost as quickly as the first. She looked at Ash, slightly red from her moderately indignant display. His smile didn't help her embarrassment, though it did let her forget her troubles, for the moment.

It always did.

"You must have been sitting here for a while," Ash said.

"Maybe a bit too long."

"I get it. It's a nice park."

"It's not that nice."

"I mean… there's so much grass! You can run around… or play catch or…"

"Have a battle?"

"That too…" His voice trailed off somewhat awkwardly.

Sadly, the momentum of the conversation vanished in that moment, and Serena was ripped back to reality.

"I'm sorry… I…"

"No no, it's fine." He shook his head. He hoped this would be easier, but they had stalled enough. "I just came to say I'm here for you."

"Huh?"

Too strong. "Sorry… I meant… uumm…"

Her confusion was obvious as he tripped over his words. How was this so hard? It's not like he's never helped out one of his friends in their time of need through a few words of encouragement. But right now any coherent thought was escaping him.

"Just… I…" He lowered his head, took a deep breath, and looked back up, right into her eyes.

"Serena… are you doing alright? You've been looking a little bummed out since we got back."

A little unrefined but it got the job done. Now he just had to get over the fact that he sounded like a complete idiot for the last 20 seconds.

"I'm fine. Really. It's just…"

All too familiar words.

"It's okay. I'm… I'm here for you, no matter what. You don't have to tell me anything you don't want to."

"It's just… back at the Draconid tower… when we fought those trainers I… I got scared. And I froze up." She clutched her shoulders.

"Serena… it's alright to get scared."

"But Ash… I messed up when you guys needed to count on me, and I just stood there. You had to save me, and who knows what would have happened if you weren't there with Pikachu."

"I know the feeling…"

"What? But you're not scared of anything. Ever since I've known you, you've just been so… fearless."

"Not at all. I get scared all the time."

"Oh really? When?" her voice rose, catching him off guard. His response however, was surprisingly quiet.

"Like… well… right now. When I came to find you. I didn't know whether it was the right thing to do."

"You were just checking up on me. This isn't the first time you know."

"I know… but it just seems so difficult now. Back then I was so full of confidence. Picking up my friends when they were down was a no brainer. But now… I feel so unsure about everything. I don't know how much help I can really be to anyone."

"But you still came to help me. That was pretty brave," she giggled.

"And you still called out Delphox to fight at the tower, and fought alongside us."

"Only cause you talked me out of it."

"Being brave doesn't mean facing our fears alone. Like the other day at the festival."

"Right. You were really down that day."

"Yeah I was. I was scared then too. Scared that I wasn't myself cause I didn't love battling anymore. But then May spoke to me. She reminded me about all the people I've met and helped. That I would always be myself, no matter what."

"She's right. May's always so confident. She says she gets it from you, you know."

"I know. I think you guys give me too much credit." He chuckled. She did too.

"Well… I'm glad she helped."

"She did. And the funniest thing… I'm still scared. I'm still scared that I might lose myself again. I'm still scared that I'll have no idea what to do when this is all over. I'm still scared that I might let all my friends and Pokémon down. But I know that no matter how scared we are, we don't have to go through it alone."

She held his hand in her own. "Then let's do that then. Let's be brave, together."

The following day found Ash and Yellow ready to depart. They stopped by the lab. The place had become an absolute mess, scorch marks and debris littering the area. Despite this, Clemont stood over the machine, sat in the center of the room with pride.

"The future is now…" He spoke with restraint and certainty in equal measure as he pressed a large button that now sat on top of it. "Thanks to science."

A slight glow emanated from the machine, followed by a low ping. Like before a small door opened near the bottom, placing a small crystal inside a container. Clemont held it up to Ash and Yellow.

"Science sure is amazing," Ash said as he examined the crystal, a near perfect replica of the one he and Yellow used. Actually it was arguably better, being perfectly smooth from edge to edge. Not being untold centuries old also helped.

"Pikaaa…" Pikachu said, eyeing the crystal in awe.

"It's quite pretty. You guys did a good job," Yellow said.

"We already got a few created. We'll start sending them out soon," Emerald said, sitting by a small table at the side of the room. "You did good work out there. Got the crystal, made nice with Rayquaza, even heard you got yourself a girlfriend at the festival."

"Well… I…" He didn't remember ever confirming that with her… but considering everything going on over the last few days…

"Pikaaaaaa?" Even Pikachu was a bit confused. Certainly Ash would have told him if such an event occurred.

He would see her at the airport later. He and Yellow would be heading to Alola, while everyone else would stay back to help the professors research in dealing with the dark matter distortions. That included Serena and May.

"Well, if you ever come back with her to this lab, remember. No flirting. It's bad enough with Ruby and Sapphire getting all worked up around each other in here."

"Wait… you what?" Clemont said, visibly surprised.

"You were right there when they told us! It was only yesterday!"

"I must have been tweaking the crystalizer. But…" He blinked a few times before looking back at Ash. "You're dating someone now? Serena, right?"

"Yes..? well… no. Well… I think…" Ash found himself rambling, again.

"I think that's for them to figure out right now," Yellow said. They might have protested, but the look Yellow gave them made their blood run cold. Emerald quickly went back to his work.

"Well, good luck with saving our skins and all that. Don't get yourself." Emerald went back to work.

"Right… yeah…" Clemont said, still a bit shaken. "Good luck Ash, with everything."

"Hope to see you again soon Clemont," They shook hands, sharing a small nod.

"See you later, Senior." Emerald called out.

"Thanks junior. Good to meet you, Clemont."

"Good to meet you too Yellow. I hope you manage to find Red."

A small nod, and they quickly made their way out of the laboratory. To their surprise, Ruby and Sapphire were waiting outside.

"Glad we were able to catch ya," Sapphire said.

"We're a bit busy tonight so we couldn't meet you at the Petalburg airport, but we still wanted to say goodbye," Ruby said.

"It was great meeting both of you. We couldn't have gotten the shard without your help," Ash said.

"Maybe," Sapphire responded. Wasn't exactly the response he was expecting.

"Don't sell yourselves short juniors," Yellow said with a slight chuckle.

"Hmmf. Anyhow, we just wanted to tell ya to stay safe out there. We all gotta keep an eye out around here for a bit. But I think y'all got this. You just better bring back senior Red back in one piece, alright?"

"You bet we will. Right Ash?" Yellow asked.

"We will." Good to see that she was fired up. Guess he shouldn't be too surprised. Every shard they acquired was one step closer to getting him back.

"You got this. Just remember what you're fighting for and you can't fail," Ruby gave a knowing smile to Ash. He nodded in turn.

"We won't keep ya waiting, and Wally's waiting for us. Let's go Ruby."

Ruby and Sapphire walked off. Right before Ash and Yellow could leave however, Sapphire turned around for but a moment.

"Oh yeah, tell my look-a-like and yer little girlfriend to come back asap. Dad needs 'em too for some work."

"Everyone's really on the whole girlfriend thing today, huh?" Ash said.

"What can we say, we all got a little chatty after you ran off into the night to go find her. And then you both didn't come back till the sun set."

"I mean we had a good talk and then sat together for a while at the park…"

"Yeah, of course. Well, I guess you're gonna have time to talk to her a little bit more before the flight. Better pick your words carefully."

He swore she winked at him, but he wasn't really all there at the moment. With a cold sweat brewing, he started his trek with Yellow to Petalburg.

Just past the escalator would be the gate leading to the flight terminal. And considering that they hadn't seen May or Serena at any other part of the airport, it's likely that they were waiting for them there.

Ash took a tentative step onto the elevator, Yellow standing right behind him, holding Pikachu in her arms.

"Chu!"

"Pikachu's happy to be seeing all your friends again during the last few weeks," Yellow said.

"I have been too, buddy," He rubbed the small pokémon's head.

"He wishes you luck."

"Luck? With wha…" He turned as they reached the top of the escalator. There they were, Serena and May, standing at the top, waiting for them. Both had smiles plastered on their faces, and Serena's face seemed to beam at the sight of him. They stepped off the escalator, standing somewhat awkwardly in front of the young women.

"Well, I guess this is goodbye. It was great seeing you again Ash. You too, Pikachu!" May said.

"Pika!"

"It was great seeing you to, May. Maybe next time I can see Max again, too," Ash said.

"Next time. And it was nice meeting you, Yellow."

"Thanks for being such a great dance partner," Yellow said.

"Anytime."

"I hope we can see you again one day, Yellow. Maybe with Red, too," Serena said. Yellow nodded. Serena looked to Ash. She was about to speak, before she was interrupted by May.

"Hey Yellow, I wanted to ask you something. Just some girl talk, if that's alright."

"Sure, no problem."

Yellow and May walked out of view, sitting on a nearby bench. Ash and Serena didn't even question why they brought Pikachu with them, nor did they notice that they weren't saying a word.

"So… I guess this is goodbye for now," Serena said.

"Yeah… it sure is…"

"Maybe we'll see each other when this is all over…"

"Yeah… and then we can… talk and…"

Silence. A few moments passed. How did they keep ending up like this? Serena sighed. After all that's happened in the last few days, were there any doubts between them?

"Ash… I…"

"I love you."

She felt her mind short circuit for a brief moment, before coming right back down to earth.

"Well… took you long enough to say it," She gave her cheekiest smile.

"Serena…" he held her hands in between them. "When I get back… I'm gonna take you out on a date and it's gonna be amazing and we'll go anywhere you want and then we'll…"

He had already cracked like an egg, and after she shut him up with a kiss, it was his turn to completely short circuit. The idea of thinking right now was a foreign concept. When she finally released him, he was far past the point of talking too.

"Instead of thinking about that… how about you focus on getting yourself back safe and sound. Just remember that your girlfriend's gonna be waiting for you, alright?"

He nodded, his face completely red. He watched as she went back to May, the two waving to him and Yellow as they went down the escalator. He could hear ecstatic whispers and giggles even as they reached the bottom.

"Hey… lover boy," Yellow tapped his shoulder, finally snapping him back to reality. "Come on. It's not like it's the first time she's kissed ya."

"Yeah but…" He was still as red as a tomato berry, long lost in his thoughts.

"Pika..?"

"He just needs some time, Pikachu." Yellow grabbed his arm, dragging him to the gate. "And some sleep on the plane might help too."

For the first time in weeks, sleep sounded oh so nice. He finally had something pleasant to dream about.

(Chapters finished, but a lil' something extra for the AO3 readers... solely because this site actually allows you to upload images)

F U L L M E T A L  A L C H E M I S T 

Chapter Text

Alola arc: Family

A picture is worth a thousand words… or so they say.

Ash had a lot of them, almost a hundred pictures taken during his travels. He should probably have a lot more, but he never took any himself. Luckily, there were plenty of strangers who wanted to take pictures with him and his friends, and of course, he had collected a sizable collection of commemorative photographs taken during special competitions, leagues and otherwise. He rarely found himself looking through them, but right now felt different. Maybe it was because he was traveling to Alola, his home away from home, or maybe it was because he finally sorted out his feelings with a certain girl from Kalos. Whatever it was, he was feeling nostalgic, and he had plenty of time to kill on the plane ride to Alola. He flipped through the laminated pages of his photo album, Pikachu leering over his shoulder.

The trip down memory lane was always a little awkward, especially in the early sections. Looking through the pictures from Kanto was always a shock. Almost 12 years ago now, the smile staring at him belonged to a stranger, a kid who loved pokémon more than anything in the world… and not a clue as to how to properly train them. Combine that with a chip on his shoulder towards… well… everyone, and it wouldn't be out of place to refer to said kid as a real brat.

"Pika-chuuuu." Pikachu pointed at himself in the images.

"You haven't changed a bit, Pikachu." At least, physically. The feeling of electricity coursing through his nerves was etched into his memory, in no small part due to Pikachu's' temperament back then. It's not like it was even something that had stopped when he reached adulthood, as he was well reminded of the feeling every time he didn't wake up on time for special occasions.

"Pikaaaa," Pikachu smiled at his trainer. Ash gave the little pokémon a big one-armed hug, his cheek rubbing against Pikachu's.

"Back then you woulda shocked the life outta me right now," he said with a chuckle.

"Chuuu…" Suddenly, Pikachu's red cheeks flared with electricity, a mischievous grin on his face. Ash hoped that Pikachu wasn't feeling nostalgic.

Luckily, Pikachu spared him, and the two went back to flipping through the pages. The young boy from earlier was getting a bit taller as the photos went on, though not by much. He wasn't particularly tall, 5'6 last time he measured. Guess it wasn't surprising that he was never taller than the various women in the photos. Not that he ever minded…

"Mind if I take a look?" Yellow's voice startled him. He thought she was still asleep.

"Oh. Yeah, sure."

She leaned over, gripping the edge of the album.

"Awwwweee… look at you. Lil' teenage Ash."

"Oh, come on Yellow…" he didn't even try to hide his embarrassment.

"Pika-chuu?"

"You're cute too, Pikachu." She rubbed the little pokémon's head. "You still are."

They turned through the pages, going through Unova, then Kalos, then Alola…

She stopped turning near the end of the album. The photo she paused on seemed to have been taken after his travels in Alola, with the Ash in the image looking identical to how he looked now. He was next to a taller man in a lab coat and… no shirt? Ash himself seemed to be holding something in a small blanket. On closer inspection she realized that poking out of it was a small head. It was a baby.

"That's Professor Kukui. He was my teacher during my time in Alola," Ash said.

"Teacher? You went to school?"

"Yeah, a pokémon school. Why do you sound so surprised?"

"I mean…" In their time together, she would never take him for an academic.

"You meaaannn?"

"Oh nothing, just…" She was cut off by his snickering.

"I'm messing with ya. I know I don't seem like the 'sit down and study' type. I'm gonna guess Red wasn't much for that sort of thing either."

"You know it." she snickered in turn.

"Anyway, I ended up staying at his place during that time. He even got married to another teacher while I was there, Professor Burnet. That's their son, Lei." He pointed at the small child.

"One big happy family, huh. Two teachers, their adorable son, and big brother Ash."

"Professor Burnet always calls me that. It's funny, I never had any siblings growing up."

"It was just you and your mom, right?"

"Yep."

"No dad?"

"Not for a long time. He left on his own pokémon journey when I was still little. He never came back."

"Oh, I'm sorry." Yellow was quite aware that this wasn't an uncommon scenario. The life of a pokémon trainer is long and arduous. Many people leave their families, intending to return once they find their fortune and fame. Many never returned.

"It's alright. It never really bothered me anyway, and I always had my mom, and now I know so many people that care about me" His smile couldn't have been warmer. "We're not all related, but I don't think that really matters. Kukui, Lei, all my pokémon and friends. You're all my family, you know?"

He seemed to catch himself, as if sobriety had returned to him, though he hadn't drunk anything as far as she knew. His smile didn't fade, but there was at least a twinge of self-awareness now present.

"Sorry. Just got a little carried away."

"No, it's fine, really." She tried to suppress a giggle for his sake. "It's nice to see you like this. Alola must mean a lot to you."

"Well, I am the Alola champion."

"So, you're a local hero to boot. Guess we should expect some special treatment while we're here, huh?"

"We do get a beachside view."

"But Ash… it's Alola. We'll always have a beachside view."

"Yep!" He burst into laughter. She joined him, shaking her head. However, their fun would be cut short by a voice on the intercom.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we are approaching Melemele Island and will be landing shortly. This is a reminder that access to Ula'ula Island is currently restricted and will be for the foreseeable future. Have a nice day."

They've heard the warning a few times on their ride. They expected the worst.

"A whole island. You think it could be Giratina?" Ash asked.

"Maybe but… that's a lot. I mean we saw him taking over underground caverns and a tower but… now an entire island? So soon?"

Ash shrugged, not saying anything else for the rest of the trip. If what they suspected was true, then they may be running out of time.

He never got tired of it.

Alola was just unlike any other region he had ever visited. Sure, they all had their specific cultures and distinctions that gave them their unique identities, but nothing could really compare to the small island chain. Of course, the first thing anyone would think of was the weather. Always bright and sunny, the Alolan sun was the primary reason for the emphasis on tourism in the region. Tourists looking to escape the chilly Kanto falls and the harsh Sinnoh winters would flock to Melemele's sandy beaches. It's what brought him here in the first place, before he even knew about an entire pokémon school that was looking for new students with a knack for pokémon training. At the time he was 18, and considering he was fresh off a runner-up spot in the Kalos league, they were quite eager to take him in.

It was midday, and the sun was still high in the sky. The heat was far from oppressive, though it did help that the taxi windows were wide open. Usually, Kukui would have greeted him at the airport directly, but he couldn't make it today. Understandable, all things considered. As per usual the Oaks had filled in the professors in Alola about Ash's vision, and getting to the heart of the great Volcano on Akala Island would likely be a daunting task, if the shard was even there.

The taxi drove through the streets of Hau'oli city, one of the largest cities in the region. Smaller than the imposing Silver Town and Jubilife city, Hau'oli certainly had its own charms. Alongside the usual chain centers and malls were plenty of open stands selling all sorts of locally made foods, souvenirs, and other oddities. Tourist traps were aplenty here, but so were the earnest smiles. As Ash looked out his window, he noticed a handful of people waving at him, people he was sure he had never met before.

"Alola Champion Ash!" They called him. He waved in turn.

"Pikaaa!" Pikachu stuck his head out of the window.

"Alola!" Ash called back. He noticed that it was a woman who called out to him. A near identical looking woman stood beside her, looking puzzled. He guessed it was her look-alike.

"Looks like you really are a local hero," Yellow said.

"To half these people anyway. I wonder who's the champion here in your world."

"I don't think they ever had a league here. Though I'd say they were a bit more focused with the ultra-beast problem around a year ago."

"Ultra-beasts? We had a similar problem when I was at the Pokémon school. A bunch of them even attacked right after I won the league."

Ash looked out the window again as they reached the border of the city. Larger apartments gave way to smaller, lightly built households. Alongside them was a sight that was new to him. Dozens and dozens of tents everywhere, with a lot more people around them than they expected, even after the merge.

"A lot of people… probably from Ula'ula," Yellow said.

"Not a lot of people lived there from what I remember. Still…"

It was hard to get a good look, but they could see people carrying over supplies and other items to the tents. Ash wasn't surprised. Alolans prided themselves on their hospitality, and such boastfulness would be quite unearned if they didn't deliver during times of duress. Still… These people couldn't stay like this forever.

Kukui's house was located on the outskirts of Hau'oli, close to the beachhead. A humble white wooden home with a blue roof, it was quite the cozy looking abode. Hopping on the sizable deck, Ash eagerly knocked on the door. It didn't take long to get a response.

"Professor Kukui!" The door opened to a tall individual. His black eyes and hair would usually mark him as unassuming, if it weren't for his peculiar choice of wardrobe, or lack thereof. He wore a set of track pants and a lab coat… unbuttoned with no undershirt.

Guess it helps with the heat… Yellow thought as he watched the man give Ash the biggest hug he probably could.

"Ash! It's good to see you!" Kukui said.

"Great to be back!"

"He's here? Already!" They heard the voice of a woman scrambling towards the door. Her erratic white hair stood in contrast with her plane, blue shirt and pants.

"Ash! Welcome home!" She joined them in their joint embrace.

"Burnet! It's great to see both of you!"

"Pika-chuuu!" Pikachu swung his tail side to side in glee next to Yellow. She smiled; it was a sweet sight.

"Oh, how could we forget your friend!" Kukui said as they released each other. "Alola, Yellow!"

"Oh hell… um… Alola professor Kukui, and you must be Professor Burnet."

"Yep. It's great to meet you. Come inside, we have a lot to talk about." His enthusiasm seemed to dim somewhat. The group entered the household. It was a humble home, with the main hall containing the living room and a small kitchen. Papers were scattered everywhere around said living room, with dozens of stacks of sheets placed just between the television and couch itself.

"Sorry for the mess, but as you know there's a lot we have to do," Burnet said.

"Sit down, there's a lot we have to talk about," Kukui said, motioning Ash and Yellow towards their dinner table. The trainers took a seat. Pikachu hopped up on the table as Kukui sat on the other end. He looked at Burnet and nodded. The other professor simply nodded back before she went upstairs.

"I'm not gonna lie to you Ash, I'm not so sure of these visions you've been having. I mean… mount Akala? Sure the volcano's been dormant for some time now but…"

"I know it's strange, professor. But these visions haven't been wrong yet. Each one led us to another shard piece."

"Ash… I trust that you're doing the right thing, but…" Kukui lowered his head, speaking under his breath. "No, not a chance…"

"Hm?"

"Professor?" Yellow asked, concerned.

"No, I was…" He raised his head, now smiling. "I was trying to think of a way to talk you two out of this, but knowing you, that's impossible."

"No can-do professor. We gotta save everyone from Giratina, and Red's counting on us to find him."

"Red? Oh right, your look-alike."

"Yes… and my fiancé," Yellow said.

"Fiance? oh… I see." Now he looked almost guilty. "Of course, I understand. Well, we're going to need some more time. We can't just go in there without a plan. We're trying to scan the Volcano to see if there's any specific route we can take. Also maybe get any strange readings to clue in on where your shard can be. Normally it wouldn't take us too long… but we're having other problems."

"Ula'ula island, right?"

"The island has been completely overrun by the distorted pokémon you've been fighting. They swarmed the island seemingly from nowhere. They're starting to pop-up in other parts of the world too."

"This is getting bad," Yellow said. "We have to get the shards soon. This pokeball is apparently the only thing that can stop Giratina."

"Right… well hopefully by tomorrow we can…"

"A… Al-o-laa."

From the staircase they heard a high pitched voice that could only come from a toddler. Looking at the staircase they saw Burnet holding the hand of a small child, awkwardly waddling down the staircase together.

"Alola, Lei!" Ash said with a smile. It wasn't the first time he had heard Lei speak, though the last time he was here it was barely audible, single word sentences. Lei hobbled over to him, holding a piece of paper in his hand. He stuck it out to him.

"Here… take paper?" he said with a struggle. Ash took the sheet. On it was a crudely drawn yellow and red circle.

"The sun, right?" Ash asked.

Lei nodded, before hobbling over to Yellow, pointing up at her intently.

"Who… are… you!?"

"My name's Yellow."

"Yellow!"

He looked over to Burnet, who nodded in approval.

"He's getting so big now," Ash said. ", and he likes drawing too, now."

"Oh you know it, and he's becoming a bit of a handful too. Now he won't stop talking."

Lei nodded again, though Ash doubted he understood what his mother precisely meant. He went over to Ash again, tugging his hand.

"Big… brother… Ash!"

"He's always asking to see you. He misses you when you're not here," Kukui said.

"Well… I'm here now, at least for a bit," Ash said, following Lei to the living room. Pikachu followed close behind. Standing in the center of the room, the small child attempted to arch his arms, one over the other, with one hand facing up and the other, facing down.

"Practicing Z-moves, huh?" Ash said, crouched down eye to eye with him. He noticed Pikachu attempting the same.

"Hey be careful Pikachu. I don't think the professors would appreciate a gigavolt havoc right in the middle of their living room.

"Pika-chuuuuu!"

"I think I heard about those," Yellow said.

"Yep. All you need is a Z-crystal, and you just…" He stood up, creating the visage of a lightning bolt with his arms and hands. ", and then you scream out the name. Gigavolt Havoc!" he yelled as he stuck out his fist.

"That's easy, huh?" Yellow chuckled.

"Well… there's a bit more to it than that. But he's got the bas…" Kukui looked at Ash, his son trying to mimic the older boy and nearly falling over. "Spirit."

"Ash did always learn more by doing. Considering he mastered Z-moves so quickly," Burnet said.

"I suppose he did beat me in our exhibition match," Kukui said, scratching the back of his head. "Maybe I should reconsider my teaching methods."

A sudden ringing could be heard from Kukui's pocket. He pulled out his phone, quickly answering it.

"Yes… already… okay good." He hung up, placing the phone back into this pocket. 'Sorry. Hafta cut this short. We gotta head to the lab."

"Right now? But Ash and Yellow just got here, and what about Lei?" Burnet protested.

"We can stay back and watch over him. Right Ash?"

"What? Oh… yeah. We'll take good care of him," Ash said.

"Thanks Ash." Kukui was already at the door.

"We'll be back soon," Burnet stopped by Lei. "You behave now."

Lei nodded again, as Burnet and Kukui left the house.

Chapter Text

Yellow recalled that Ash was from Pallet town.

Yet from how he was all too aware of the ins-and-outs of the Kukui household, one could assume that he had lived in Alola his whole life. The homeowners hadn't returned yet as evening became night, and they were all starting to get a bit hungry. Yellow thought they would order from out, but Ash insisted that he cook something up for themselves and the young toddler, who was quite preoccupied watching cartoons on the television. Ash hovered over the stove, tossing in who-knows-what into a large pot, Pikachu standing on the countertop next to him.

"Pika pika?"

"No, not toooo much salt. Not like last time."

"Pika-chuuu!" Pikachu was holding something. A small red bottle.

"Not this time Pikachu."

"Chuuuuu!" He lowered his ears, placing the bottle back down.

Yellow watched the scene unfold. Ash hadn't mentioned what he was making exactly, but it certainly smelled… like food. Oh well. She wasn't much of a picky eater anyway, and at least nothing was burning, for now. She sat next to Lei on the couch. The small child was locked to the screen. Yellow herself was somewhat bored.

Better than being stressed about Red or Giratina or whoever else. She felt a little guilty. Giratina's dark matter was spreading, and she was just sitting here. Sure, they had the means to free people from those hives, but it was far from a simple task. There was also the fact that Giratina's influence was spreading, with more and more people now becoming distorted. Just a few days ago it was a couple of people from an ancient town. Now it was almost an entire island. Who knows how much bigger this would get, and the entire time everyone who was captured would be suffering in their own minds. Ash had told her about Paul's thoughts while he had been a distorted trainer. Just the idea of it…

Guess I'm not bored anymore. She sighed before turning to Lei, who was now facing her. He was obviously confused, though whether he was actually concerned was anyone's guess.

"I'm alright." She put on a smile. "Nothing wrong here, just…"

"Yellow?!" He pointed at her.

"Yes…?"

Lei nodded. Seems like he got the answer he wanted… she hoped. She got up from the couch as Lei turned his attention back to the TV, stretching her arms. Ash and Pikachu were still focused on the stove. She looked around the room, and her eyes fell upon a large shelf. Moving up to it she saw that it was full of odd items, most notably a set of pokeballs organised next to a small collection of movies and books.

"Hey Ash, are these Kukui's pokémon?" she called.

"Nope. They're mine. Kept my Alola pokémon right here in Kukuis home."

"Oh." I guess this is his 'champion' team.

She snooped through the other belongings. A handful of books lay beside the pokeballs. 'On the photosynthetic capabilities of Alolan Exeggutor.', 'Lycanroc night form, mass hysteria, and the influence of urban legends in contemporary Alolan culture', and various other titles that went straight over her head. Science books, nothing unusual for the house of two pokémon professors.

Next to the books were a couple of DVD cases. She half-expected them to be nature documentaries or something similar. To her surprise, they mostly comprised of… wrestling promos? All featuring a similar looking figure on the covers, all of their facial features being hidden behind a red mask.

"Looks like the professors are big fans of the…" she squinted at the lengthy title. The highlights and best moments of Alola's premier wrestler, the… "Masked Royal".

"Oh right! That's…" Ash paused, almost like he was contemplating… something. "He's one of Alola's most famous wrestlers! Kukui and Burnet are big fans."

He was hiding something, and he wasn't so far away that he could fully hide the mischievous grin creeping along his cheeks.

"All Right! Food's done, just gonna let it cool down. Keep an eye on it, Pikachu ." Ash stepped away from the pot, making his way to Yellow.

Another set of DVDs caught Yellow's attention, a handful of movies. 'Terror of Mechatyranitar', 'Sharptillery vs Wailroc', 'Tales from the Kricketune', and those were some of the less obscene names she shuffled through. A strange collection to say the least, though not so out of place considering the wrestling DVDs right beside them.

"Some of my old movies," Ash said, now beside her. "Me and my friends used to watch these all the time after school on Friday's."

"Quite the… collection you got here."

"What can I say, I have good taste," he smiled sheepishly.

"Good taste, huh?" Guess he wasn't wrong, in a sense. Sure, these weren't exactly high class pieces, but they were perfect for weekend nights with friends looking for a bit of fun. They weren't exactly her thing, but Red loved stuff like this.

"I would say we should pop one in, but I don't think they'd be great for Lei," Ash said.

"Not at all." Yellow stared at one of the cases, the creature on the cover being an incredibly dopey yet horrid depiction of a Sharpedo and Octillery smashed together. She placed the cases back.

"Maybe one day I'll show him one of the ones I've been in," Ash said.

"Wait," she shook her head. "You've… been in movies?"

"Yep."

"Like… a movie star?"

"I wouldn't say a star."

"But you've been in movies… how? Why?"

"I don't know, I just… stumbled into them." Of course he did. He reached for one of the DVD's. "Like this one. Kukui and Burnet watched it with me once. It was… kinda embarrassing if I'm being honest."

Yellow looked at the DVD cover. 'The Legend of the Pokémon Knight'. The title was a bit more digestible than the prior options, and there he was, a mid-teen Ash Ketchum in a ridiculous medieval styled outfit. Standing next to him was a girl with purple hair who… wait…

"Isn't that… the Unova champion? Iris, right?"

"Yah she is. Wait… from your world or…?"

"I guess in both worlds. It makes sense. Most of the champions look-alikes are also champions in the same region, save for Lance…"

She was interrupted by a slight pang in her stomach. Ash raised an eyebrow when he saw her clutch on to it.

"Looks like I'm pretty hungry. I'm sure he is too." Yellow gestured towards the couch. Lei's face was poking out from behind the pillows, staring right at them.

"You hungry too, Lei?" Ash asked. Lei nodded. He might have been listening to them for a while now. Even if he didn't know what they were talking about, he always listened intently whenever Ash was talking. Burnet had always told him that Lei liked the sound of his voice.

"Alright, let's get you something to eat." Ash walked over and picked up Lei. "You've gotten big."

"I… hungry."

"I bet," He carried him over to the table, setting him down on a small chair. Lei's head barely reached the table itself.

"Just a second." Ash went over to the kitchen as Yellow sat down at the table as well. He quickly returned with a handful of bowls, Pikachu following close behind him. He placed them down, taking a seat next to Lei.

Yellow veered into the bowl, not certain what to expect. To her relief, and in a twisted sense, minor disappointment, it was homemade mac-n-cheese.

"I know, nothin' special, but it came out alright this time, right Pikachu?"

"Pikkaaa…"

"Guess it can't be that bad," Yellow took a small spoonful of the pasta. Not bad. Granted, it was Macaroni and cheese.

"We'll, it's your turn." Ash took Lei's bowl into one hand and spoon in the other. "Open up."

Without hesitation Lei took a bite. Yellow couldn't help but stare at the scene. Ash was just so… rabid when it came to food. She never thought she would see the day where he didn't immediately go digging into his own bowl. Of course, there was no reason to think that he wasn't capable of demonstrating the patience to feed a toddler, though judging by how eagerly Lei was willing to take food from him, she doubted it was a first for Ash anyhow.

"You like it?" Ash asked.

Lei nodded as Ash gave him another bite.

The initial chaos of the merge subsided far sooner than anyone anticipated. In retrospect, it wasn't all too surprising. The people of both worlds were no stranger to life-altering events on a global scale, and altruism was not in short supply. Most people were happy to share a home, at least temporarily despite the obvious inconveniences. However, the awkwardness varied from person to person. Many found immediate friendship in their look-alikes. Others found it to be somewhat surreal. It couldn't be helped really, especially when some look-alikes didn't have any differentiating features at all.

Such was the case with Gladion, as he stared into what might as well have been a mirror, granted almost a decade younger. Beyond the height difference his look alike was basically a doppelgänger. They shared the same angular blond hair, green eyes, and always on-edge demeanor. They even shared the same name, and their mother and sister were also carbon copies of each other. Most unfortunate was that they shared a general mistrust of strangers, and as far as they were concerned, their respective look-alike was quite strange indeed.

The pair sat in the gigantic lobby of the primary Aether foundation facility. Overly clean and pristine, the building's interior had been designed to be 'welcoming' towards guests. For both Gladions however, the facility didn't bring much comfort at all, though it was clear that one was far less at ease then the other.

"You sure we can trust her?"

It wasn't the first time he'd heard that question from his much younger look-alike. He didn't even need to say who "her" was.

"I'm certain." It was the answer he always gave, and he knew that it wouldn't be the last time he would have to give it.

"Are you?"

"In my position, you would too."

"Hmmf". That's usually all it took. "Guess that's why you trust me so easily."

This was new. "Why wouldn't I trust you?"

"I mean a lot of folks got look-alikes, but not many of them were ripped from ultra-space when the merge happened. Who knows what I actually am."

"Exactly what I would say. No doubt you're my look-alike."

"Still…. I know our mothers are… different. But how different can they be?"

He sighed. The distrust was not surprising. Their mothers were both obsessed with the Ultra-beasts, powerful pokémon from another dimension, a concept that was far stranger a few months back. That obsession tore a rift between their mother and her children, to different degrees. For the older Gladion and Lillie, it was growing up with a mother who seemed to overlook their needs for her own at every turn. His look-alikes situation was far more… intense. A life of alienation devolved to almost total insanity, with their mother taking a complete stranglehold over every aspect of their lives. Oddly enough, both Lusamines were held in the grip of an Ultra-beast, and while Gladions mother would recover and atone for her mistakes, his look-alikes would fall into a coma in the ensuing conflict, still unconscious even to this day.

"I understand your concern but our Lusamine's different. You can take my word for it or not."

"Fine."

It's not like there was anything he could really do about it at the moment. Currently, the Aether foundation was at the forefront in regards to research about the merge, with Lusamine as the spearhead. Granted, they haven't really determined… anything concrete about its origins, save what Ash had told the professors from his current escapades.

It was tough work, and felt almost impossible, but it had to be done. Even if they had to put everything else on hold for the time being.

Even if that meant they had to pause the search for his father…

"Gladion?"

It was professor Kukui, with Burnet right beside him. Gladion recognized them as the pair from his world. Despite that they too had carbon copy look-alikes, the Kukui's personalities couldn't be more different. The fact that the professor didn't opt to ambush them was evidence enough.

"Professors." He and his look-alike got up as they moved towards him.

"Good to see you both. Mom and the others are inside."

Pleasantries would have to wait. They nodded and made their way to the labs.

The aether foundation laboratories were the best in the world. Period.

Just entering one immediately highlighted this fact. To say that the equipment was state-of-the-art would be an understatement, as it implied that the technology was at least at-level with a handful of competitors. In reality, the technological prowess of the foundation was only matched by its talent. Top scientists and researchers from across the globe could be found in these sanitised halls.

Kukui always preferred his school, quite frankly. He guessed that Lusamine understood that, as they were told to meet her in one of the lounge room consisted of a handful of dull couches and tables. Compared to the rest of the building, it was nice and mundane.

The small group entered the room. Lusamine was already sitting on a small couch next to Lillie. Lillie was the spitting image of her mother, with both of them sharing Gladion's blonde hair and green eyes. On another couch sat three other individuals. One was Lillies look-alike, who like Gladion's was a near carbon copy save for the significant age difference. Next to her sat another individual around her age, Sun, a young boy with grey eyes and unkempt black hair, wearing loose fitting attire that was perfect for the Alolan heat.

"Everyone's here, good. Well almost everyone," Lusamine said.

"I guess the other professors are still busy, huh?" Gladion asked.

"Yes. I asked them to come but they insisted on staying in the city. There's still a lot to take care of."

"Surprised they let Lillie come on her own, all things considered…" Gladions look-alike said.

"Gladion. Please." Lillie's look-alike said. "Not right now."

He nodded. She was right. Everyone in the room was clearly on edge. In the corner of his eye he caught his older look-alike ease up.

"Anyway, what have you got?" Any news about Akala?" Kukui asked.

"We're getting some strange readings from the interior of the volcano. It's certainly dormant, but we have no idea what those readings are. They're unlike anything we've seen before."

"Which means that whoever goes in there will have no idea what they're up against…"

"We don't have to send anyone in yet. We can wait until we get some solid data," Burnet said.

"How long can we afford to wait? It looks like your champion Ash and Senior Yellow's quest might be the only way to stop this, before it gets worse," Gladions look-alike said.

"What if it's more dark matter?" Kukui asked.

"Doubtful. Reports from other areas say that locations tend to come up as almost non-existent when in contact with dark matter. We can see the volcano and its tunnels are still there. They're just… odd."

"It might be dangerous and all, but that's what dexholders do. Deal with all kinds of trouble, right?" Sun said.

"Kids got spirit…" Kukui sighed. "I still don't like this. But it looks like we don't have much of a choice."

"I think we're all rushing things," the older Lillie spoke up. "We still don't know where that shard could be. We can't go looking around the volcano blindly."

"Agreed," Lusamine reached for her bag. "Anyhow, that's not the reason I asked you to come here." She pulled out a small, plastic box. She opened it, revealing a set of white glowing crystals inside. "They finally sent us some crystals from professor Birch's lab. This is just the first batch."

"Maybe with these we can finally take back Ula'ula…but…" Kukui said.

"But what? These are the key to freeing that island. That's what the crystals do, right? Destroy dark matter wherever the cores are. Even repel some of those creatures…" Gladion said.

"Not all of them, according to their report from the Draconid tower. Quite frankly we don't even know how these crystals exactly work, even if we can make them."

"I want each of you to take one for now, just in case." Lusamine held out the boxes. The others in the room took a crystal each. "That's it for now. I'll send the others their crystals soon. I'll contact you all when we find out where that shard might be."

Chapter Text

Chapter Text

Though the situation was dire, the scene was hopeful.

The refugee camps were certainly makeshift. It was clear at a glance that the tents provided were either donated by the citizens of Hau'oli or salvaged by the Ula'ula refugees before the island's takeover. There were tents of all colors and sizes scattered throughout a large, grassy field, situated right in front of a small set of hills.

"There's so many people," Ash said, mostly talking to himself. Hundreds of people and pokémon, bringing in or moving supplies, and even handing out food. There certainly wasn't a shortage of things to get done.

"Peli!" Above their heads flew a group of Pelippers. Their white and blue feathered bodies were almost hidden behind their large yellow beaks. Said beaks were carrying large bags, holding equipment and supplies heading for the camps.

With Kukui at the foundation and Burnet taking Lei into town, Ash and Yellow decided to keep themselves busy by helping out at the refugee camps. They also figured that asking some of the refugees about the situation at Ula'ula couldn't hurt either.

"Where should we start?" Ash asked Yellow and Pikachu.

"Pika…" Pikachu scanned the area. They were spoiled for choice.

"Not sure… maybe…"

"Well, some of my staff is on break right now, but I could use some help handing out lunch for everyone. Of course… if that's not a problem for the champion". Yellow turned to see someone she didn't recognize. It was a woman around there age, with green eyes and hair to match. She was dressed for the Alolan weather, wearing a simple blue shirt and shorts. She was looking at Ash, a large smile on her face.

"Guess this was one of your friends here?" Yellow asked.

"Yep," Ash said.

"Yep? That's all you gotta say," Mallow's smirk betrayed her judgmental tone. "Come on? You can sound more excited to see me."

"You know I'm always excited to see my friends in Alola," He responded. Mallow repressed a giggle.

"Nothing gets past this guy, huh?" She looked at Yellow. "Too sincere for his own good."

"It grows on ya, you know?" Yellow reached out her hand. "The name's Yellow, by the way."

"Names Mallow. Nice to meet you," Mallow said, reciprocating the handshake.

"Guess I shouldn't be surprised that you're out here helping. I'm sure the others aren't far, either" Ash said.

"The Lanas and Kiawes should be here soon. Even our Sophocles came back to help out."

"Lanas and Kiawes, huh? Guess everyone got a look-alike..." Ash said.

"Yep. Have you met Kukuis and Burnets? There here too. Lillie… Gladion…"

"Feels like everyone in Alola's got one," said a voice that was almost identical to Mallows, but sounded nearly a decade younger. When Ash and Yellow saw her, that's exactly what she looked like. "Hello everyone. You must be Ash. Alola's very own champion."

"Sure am… um…" Ash stuttered.

"Also Mallow. Actually, almost all the Alolan look-alikes share the same name."

"Sounds like it can get a little confusing."

"More than a little," the trainers broke into a light chuckle.

"Pika pika!" Pikachu chimed.

"Lucky for us, me and other-Mallow here also share our cooking talent. Speaking of which, you gonna come help us?" The older Mallow asked.

"We'd be happy to," Yellow answered.

"Why, thank you, young man."

The old woman smiled warmly at Ash as he handed her a bowl of stew, her look-alike sitting next to her and waiting patiently for her share.

"That's not just any young man you know. That's the Alola champion," The look-alike said.

"Oh? Well… it's a great honor to meet the champion himself."

"I'm not that special ma'am," Ash answered. Though he believed what he said, the smile on his face betrayed a tinge of pride from the compliment. He handed the look-alike her bowl of soup "I'm just here to help, like anyone else."

They nodded, and Ash went to get more bowls to hand out. Yellow was somewhere on the other side of the camp, handing out towels to the refugees.

"Pika…" Pikachu was understandably feeling down as he looked around the camp, walking next to Ash.

"I know Pikachu. But look…"

Ash motioned towards a couple of people to their left. It was a group of kids playing with a small soccer ball in front of them, kicking it right above the head of the small pokémon who's blue, waterlogged head was almost as round as the ball. It hopped up in the air in vain, trying to catch the ball with its spindly green legs. A Dewpider.

"They made it out, and they have each other, and their pokémon."

"Pikaaaaa….."

"I know… there's still a lot of people trapped. Trapped in that dark matter. Scared… and afraid…" Ash leaned down grabbing Pikachu and hoisting him on his shoulder. "But we're gonna save them. You, me, our pokémon. The dexholders, and every trainer who can take the fight to 'em!."

"Chuuu?" Pikachu gave a smile. A slightly nervous one, but a smile, nonetheless.

"A bit much?" He smiled back. Equally nervous, though a smile, nonetheless. Pikachu's responses were playful enough that he knew it wasn't too awkward. He hoped.

A few more minutes and he made his way back to where the younger Mallow was. She stood in front of a wooden table, with a handful of soup bowls lying on top of it, waiting to be distributed. Behind her stood a sturdy tent, and from the strong scent of boiling vegetables that came from inside, Ash guessed that's where all the soup was being cooked at the moment.

"Hey Ash! I think we're good on your side," Mallow said.

"Oh… great! Anything else I can do?"

"Pika?!" Pikachu said.

"Actually…" she paused, contemplating for a moment, before her eyebrows raised. She was looking at something, just past Ash's shoulder.

"Can I borrow him for a bit..," said a soft-toned voice behind him. "We'll bring him back in one piece… hopefully."

Ash turned around, seeing a girl with blue hair and eyes that looked quite similar to the Alolan oceans.

"Hey Lana. Mallow mentioned that you were here too," he said.

"We just got here. Come on, we're very late, you know," Lana responded with a frantic tone.

"We're late? But me and Pikachu got here hours ago!"

"Pika!"

"Well, you're not needed here right now. Which means you're needed somewhere else. Somewhere that's not here. Which means you and I are late!" Lana proclaimed as she grabbed Ash by the arm. He could hear the fading giggles of Mallows look-alike as he was dragged away.

Just a few blocks away from the refugee camps was another one of Alolas sandy beaches. Normally the beachhead would be populated by tourists, but due to recent circumstances, it remained closed.

"Lana? Where are we going?" Ash asked.

"We're going fishing," Lana said.

"Fishing? Right now?"

"Yep. We're looking for Octillery. We can use their ink for medical ointments that the refugees need."

"Octillery ink? For ointments?"

"Of course. We learned that back at school, remember?"

"I… uhmm…" Ash rattled his brain. "I think I fell asleep during that lesson…"

"I know," she said, plainly and not withholding a shred of judgement.

"Hey, cut me some slack! It was probably after a long day of fighting off ultra-beasts!"

"Nope. It was before all of that."

"Really?"

"Yep," she lied.

They soon made their way over to the edge of the water. Ash looked out at the open ocean, stretching for what he could only assume were countless miles. How anyone could catch anything on that vast expanse was a mystery to him.

"Aright. Any minute now…" Lana scanned the waters, honing in on a point just a few meters away from where they were standing. Ash and Pikachu looked closely too, seeing a faint but growing ring of ripples forming at the water's surface.

Suddenly, the surface broke, and appearing next to the shoreline was Lana's look-alike. Like Mallow, she was significantly younger than the one that Ash knew. As she surfaced, Ash realized that she was riding on a Primarina. A blue and white Pokémon with the body of a seal, with a notable mane of light blue hair arching back from its pointed head.

"Hey… you must be Ash?" Lana's look-alike asked.

"That's me. I hear you two need some help catching some Octillery. Pikachu and I are here to help."

"Pika-pi!"

'Oh… that's good, anyway, I, I found some, some Octillery over here," The look-alike said.

Ash looked at his world's Lana, concerned.

"She has a bit of a stutter. Just don't mention it," Lana said, pulling out 2 extendable fishing rods from her bag. "

Good to know. "Alright… I'll guess we'll start fishing." Lana handed him the rod. It was simple in design, and weighed almost nothing. A small Magikarp-shaped lure hung at the end of the line. He tossed the line easily enough. Lana did the same, though with a near unnatural grace that made him feel like a toddler taking his first swing.

"I'll keep look - looking. See if I can find any… any other good spots," Lana's look-alike said. Ash and Lana nodded as she descended under the water once more.

"How's your time been, back in Alola?" Lana asked.

"It's been great, mostly…"

"I guess seeing Kukui and the family kinda got ruined by a sudden refugee crisis. Hope they didn't spoil your fun too much."

He didn't know how to respond. It was often hard to tell if the hint of malice in Lana's voice was genuine or jovial.

"Hey, I'm kidding," she giggled. Ash let himself breath, not even realizing that he was holding his breath in the first place. "It's always good to have you back. Everyone misses you. Having you back here, right now… it helps a lot."

"I'm always happy to be back… if I knew what was going on… I woulda come sooner…"

"There was no predicting this. Besides, we all know about your quest to fix that pokeball. Better you focus on fixing everyone's problems."

A few more moments of silence passed. It was common knowledge that while casual conversation was often the most exciting part of fishing, it was also the most tiring.

Ash pondered. He pondered about all that was going on. He was no stranger to the odd pokémon induced calamity. But this wasn't like anything he'd ever faced before. The sheer scale of it was… daunting, nd yet he was standing on a beach… fishing…

He needed to think of something else.

"So, how's Eevee doing? Decide to evolve him yet?"

"See for yourself," Lana reached for a blue pokeball on her belt. "Come on out Sandy and say hi."

Not an Eevee, but rather a similarly shaped pokémon with blue scales, a long tail capped with fluke, and a set of fins adorning its neck.

"Wow! He's involved into a Vaporeon!" Ash said. All things considered; it wasn't all too surprising.

"VAPOREON!" The pokémon jumped up with glee.

"Pika! Pika!" Pikachu cheered ecstatically.

"Looks as strong as ever," Ash said.

"Sure is. You know… if Sandy had evolved sooner…" She glared at Ash. "I think I coulda taken on Guzma in our match. If you ask me, you wouldn't have stood a chance, and I would be the Alola champion."

"I… uumm…"

"Just kidding."

With little to do but chatter in the refugee camps, the area was constantly full of noise. Yellow found it difficult to believe that anyone in particular could be loud enough to break through the cacophony. Until now.

"THE ZENITH!"

"OF MY MIND!"

It was two voices, nearly identical in tone and stoicism, though one held a higher pitch than the other. Whoever was making a show of themselves were surrounded by a small crowd. Yellow noticed that much of the crowd were wearing black shirts, with odd, almost childish looking skulls emblazoned on them.

"Y'all should know those don't work on us," Said an equally stoic, though far more sinister voice.

"That's a lot of power they messin' with. Don't think we should be playing around with that." another voice clearly, identical to the last one.

Yellow looked at the crowd. She certainly wanted to see what all that commotion was… but she also needed to get back to handing out towels…

"LIKE THE GREAT MOUNTAIN OF AKALA"

"BECOME LIKE A RAGING FIRE"

"AND BURN"

"INFERNO OVERDRIVE!" - "INFERNO OVERDRIVE!"

The torrent of fire shot above the crowd, blasting towards the sky like a pillar. A display of incredibly overwhelming power. Yellow rushed towards the crowd, quickly breaking through to the front. The crowd surrounded a large, open area, clearly meant to be a battlefield. 4 individuals, a duo of look-alike pairs to be precise, stood facing each other, next to their quite intimidating pokémon.

On one side stood two men, one being a bit taller than the other. They both had brown eyes and brown hair, with red highlights that gave it the appearance of an open flame. They both wore red shorts and sandals, and like Kukui, no shirt. The taller individual stood behind a large, red and yellow turtle like pokémon, with large spikes adorning its shell. Unmistakably a Turtonator. The shorter trainer stood behind a pokémon that Yellow was quite familiar with, a Charizard. Its orange, dragon-esc body and flame coated tail tip couldn't be mistaken for any other pokémon.

On the other side also stood two men, but this time they were around the same age, clearly adults. Though… only one of them dressed like it. The more placid of the pair wore a simple shirt and black pants. The other, however, was a bit more eccentric, his black pants a bit baggier and matching an equally baggy sweater. They both shared a messy head of white hair and cold, gray eyes. Yellow saw that they were both holding their pokémon. Seems like whatever battle they were having had just finished.

"That inferno overdrives serious business, Kiawe. You guys using it at the same time was a bold strategy," The person in the black sweater said, clearly impressed.

"A risky strategy, but it paid off" the taller Kiawe said.

"I don't know about you, but I ain't sure if I can keep up with these kids anymore Guzma…" The man without the sweater said, looking at his look-alike. "Man… that's still weird to say."

"Even if you can't win, battling is still a great way to become closer to your pokémon, and to blow off some steam," Kiawe said.

"And they're getting smarter than us too."

"Speak for yourself. I'm just getting back into it, and once all this fuss is over, I'm gonna become the second Alola champion!" The Guzma with the sweater said.

"Yyyyaaaaaaaaa." Yellow was startled by a man screaming beside her, wearing those odd black clothes. "You tell em' Guzma!"

"Ya! Guzma! Or… Guzmas?! Wait, which ones which?!" Said a woman on the opposite side, also in a similar outfit.

"Alright guys, match is over. Get back to it. The extra blankets just got here, and we need to get them handed out asap," the Guzma with the sweater said.

"You heard the boss! Let's get going," said the man beside Yellow. Within seconds, the entire crowd disappeared, seemingly without a trace, leaving Yellow standing dumbfounded.

"I better get back to it," said the sweaterless Guzma. "I don't know if that makeshift kitchen's anything without me there."

"I better get going too," said the younger Kiawe. "I'll see you later Kiawe… he's right. That is weird." The duo placed their pokémon back into their pokeballs.

The look-alikes made haste as well, leaving their doubles standing in the middle of the battleground. Kiawe turned to where the crowd once was, right where Yellow was standing.

"Hey, looks like you're not from around here," he said to Yellow.

"No, actually," Yellow responded.

"We ain't getting a lot of visitors these days. As you can see, this place isn't exactly a vacation spot. So, what're you here for?" Guzma asked, glaring at Yellow.

"I'm here with a friend. His name's Ash…"

"You're here with Ash!?" Kiawe said, his eyes widened.

"Figured our esteemed champion would make his way back sooner or later, especially now," Guzma said. "So where is he?"

"Ok the other side of the camp, handing out soup, I think. I guess you're another one of his friends."

"Yes, friend, and rival," Kiawe said.

"And what about you?" Yellow asked Guzma.

"Friends might be a stretch. But I guess I should thank the kid for beating some sense into me a few years back… anyhow, I should be getting back to it too. Can't let my crew see me moseying about while they're out helping refugees." He turned around, heading towards some of the larger huts. "See ya later Kiawe, and Yellow, tell Ash he owes me a rematch after he fixes this mess."

"I heard Ash was back in Alola, though I heard he was staying at Kukuis, something about going into mount Akala," Kiawe said.

"That's right. Looking for another shard of the mysterious pokeball, but… they don't know exactly where it is yet, so we're helping out around her for the time being."

"Great Akala doesn't give up its secrets easily."

"Great Akala?"

"Yes. It's the power of the great mountain of Akala that fuels my passion, to become stronger every day," Kiawe said with brimming confidence.

"Ash, you… almost everyone else…" Yellow said, talking more-so to herself then the man in front of her. "There's something about this place that just… brings people to life, I guess."

"You've noticed that, huh? That's just Alola. It's land, its people, it's pokémon. It's just who we are."

"No, it's nice… really," Yellow said somewhat hesitantly. She was concerned that she had offended him, considering his stringent tone of voice.

"It's fine… it's something you pick up on after you've been here long enough," he smiled, allowing himself to relax. "So, where were you heading?"

"I was helping out to hand out…" oh, right. "Oh! Mallow must be looking for me! I need to get to…" She looked around in dismay. She forgot where the towel stand was.

"Don't worry, I know the way. Follow me," Kiawe said. Yellow followed along, closely behind him.

Chapter Text

Lusamine hated computers.

That wasn't entirely true. Of course, she appreciated how the invention had benefited almost the entirety of humanity, let alone the world of science. It was far too useful to discard, and it wasn't like she was bad with computers, as the kids say. On the contrary, calling her a technical savant would be a grand understatement.

Yet, every time she looked at one, it was a reminder. Of the countless hours staring at computer screens, studying, and researching the enigmatic ultra-beasts. For years it was her only goal, her one purpose in life. In her endless search for them, she had neglected almost everything else in her life. Her friendships, her family, even her children when they needed her the most…

She shook her head. Those times were long gone, now. The last two years weren't easy. After the ultra-beast incident, she had gone with her children on a quest to find their father, who they had believed was dead for years. The adventures were numerous, and at first, she was just happy to have the opportunity to bond with Lillie and Gladion again. To finally be the caring mother she knew they deserved. Then they hit their first dead end. Then another. Then another.

They'd almost lost hope, but their latest lead looked promising… as they always did. It seemed like they were close… so close…

Then the merge happened, and the entire world changed overnight. At first it wasn't all too bad. Luckily for essentially everyone, the peoples of both worlds were quite accommodating. It almost seemed like things would return to 'normal', or at least as 'normal' as things could be, but then the distortions began. There were isolated reports at first, with the odd trainer suddenly disappearing into the night and not being seen again for days. It was only after Ash entered mount Coronet that the sighting began to get more and more intense. Just as the regional professors were preparing to issue nation-wide warnings about the distortions, Ula'ula island was taken overnight. Waves of distorted trainers had swarmed the island, with those who couldn't escape being captured to wherever their nest was. Luckily, it seemed like the distorted trainers didn't know how to cross over to the other islands, at least for now.

The catastrophe had put her family's quest on hold. Right now, Alola needed her, and she knew that failing wasn't an option.

Considering that Ash was back, she doubted that they would, though part of her felt like their victory here wouldn't come without a cost. She shuddered to think about what that cost would be.

Now, more than ever, she had everything to lose.

She had spent hours now plugging in data to pinpoint the source of the anomaly in Mount Akala. After working out the quirks and kinks in the system, it was simply a matter of running the simulations. The work was monotonous, to say the least, and she found her mind drifting. She had almost completely zoned out before it happened. Finally… the data points had aligned correctly. She was so close to finding exactly where the anomaly was. If she could collaborate the data with the other scientists…

"Finally…" she said, taking a deep breath in. That's when it hit her. The intense pain in her eyelids, her muscles stiff and her brain clouded in a hazy fog. She was exhausted.

She was in a lab room, one of dozens housed at the foundation. State of the art computers aligned clean, gray tables. This single room could house up to 30 scientists at once. Right now, it was only her. She had ordered the others to take the day off. Of course, they protested. How could they not? She hired good people. Most of the time. Alas, it was difficult to say no to the owner of the entire foundation.

She got up from her desk, taking her first stretch in who-knows how many hours. She walked out the room, already pondering her next course of action… the best that she could, anyhow. What she really needed now was a nice, long rest, though she would never admit it. Her thoughts were interrupted by the person standing in front of her as she opened the door.

Passing by was Lillie's look-alike. Lusamine froze for a second. It was…uncanny. The fact that she was basically Lillies body double, yet significantly younger. They both shared that look in their eye, the one that betrayed a wisdom beyond their age, gained through years of living without the support that they deserved.

"I'm sorry," Lillie said, clearly startled.

"No, it's alright," Lusamine replied.

"How is… how is the search going?"

"We're close… very close. By tomorrow, we will know where the anomaly is."

Lillie nodded. She looked down the hallway, purposely avoiding eye contact. Lusamine understood. She had only heard bits and pieces, but she knew that the Lusamine from the other world was even worse than she was towards her children. Where Lusamine had been neglectful, her look-alike had been emotionally abusive. She didn't blame the else-world Lillie and Gladion for keeping their distance from her. Like them, Lusamine and her look-alike shared an identical appearance.

"She's still in a coma…" Lillie said.

"You're mother?"

Lillie nodded. "I wonder what she'll think when she wakes up to all of this…"

"I'm sure she'll be… surprised. Like we all were…"

"If… she gets up at all…" Lillie finally looked towards Lusamine. Lusamine's heart sank at the sight, that look of utter helplessness. Lillie sat down on a bench next to the door, head held down.

Lusamine didn't know what to say. Perhaps the girl just needed some space. She was just about to excuse herself, before Lillie spoke up again.

"Do you… have a minute?"

"Yes," she didn't hesitate, and sat on the opposite end of the bench.

"Thanks… I'm sorry I…" She took a deep breath. "I just… I don't know what I should think about you."

"I understand. I know this has to be hard on you and your brother," Lusamine said. "I know that I must remind you of her every time you see me."

"I do… and yet...?" When she was taken by the ultra-beasts, she almost remembered who she was… remembered what life was like when our father was around. I asked her to come find him with us before she went unconscious. I… I wonder what she would have said… maybe she would have finally apologized for… everything."

"She… I…" Lusamine paused, collecting herself. It would be easy to tell her what she knew she wanted to hear. Of course, she would have apologized.

"I don't know what she would have said, Lillie. Maybe she would have but… maybe not. You and your brother deserve an apology, and so much more."

"I know… but I see how you are… with your Lillie and Gladion. I know that you all had your issues too… but you made it work. I'm glad that you did but…"

"You wish you had that too."

No response, just gloomy eyes.

"I'm sorry… how could I…"

"You're right," Lillie was looking right at her now. Lusamine was surprised to see that her eyes were full of intensity, like she could stare down a charging Steelix. Less surprising however, were the faint tears flowing down Lillie's face. "I do! And it hurts… but it's… it's not…"

She let Lillie cry for a bit. For a few minutes, all that could be heard in the hallway were her choked sobs and light whimpers.

"I'm so sorry… it's not your fault. You're not her, but…"

Lusamine wished that she said something in that moment, but she didn't. She didn't say anything as Lillie hopped off the bench, rushing down the halls. She didn't say anything as she heard the final "I'm sorry," spoken as a barely audible croak from the girl as she fled through the large set of doors at the end of the hall.

Rude awakenings are often sudden, and certainly unwelcome, but rarely are they actually rude. But rude was the only word that Yellow could use to describe the rhythmic, incessant tapping that she was feeling at the center of her forehead.

She furled her brow, making sure that her assailant was well aware that they had upset her.

"Awake yet?"

He was kneeling right in front of her, carrying a smirk that irked her to the core.

"Now I am," she said, trying to sound threatening, though her yawn really ruined the intended vibe.

"We're getting late, you know. You can't just help every injured Pokémon you find in the grass."

She let her head fall back, lightly resting on the tree that she was sitting under, her eyes closed. She really wanted to fall back asleep. This time, a very different voice called to her.

"Pidge...?"

The light tweet called to her from the small Pokémon that had been sitting in her lap. A small Pidgey that she had found laid out on the grass, its left wing mangled and torn. There was no way she was going to leave the poor thing all alone against the elements in that state.

"I'm okay," she said, smiling and patting the Pidgeys brown, feathered head. The small, bird-like Pokémon cooed at her touch. "And now, you're okay too."

"Lucky for you, the best doctor in Kanto was here to help you out," the irritating voice said to the Pidgey.

"Oh, be quite Red," Yellow said with a giggle. He raised his hands in defeat, before taking a seat beside her.

"How's that whole monastery thing going?" Red asked.

"Good. Everyone's nice, we're always helping people, food's good."

"Sounds nice… and boring."

"I think you should join too. Maybe you can start thinking of something outside of battling for once."

"I cooouuulllddd…" he leaned up against Yellow. ",but I think you got all that covered."

"Pidge!" The Pidgey suddenly woke up, stretching its once injured wings. After a quick stretch, it sprung out of Yellow's lap, flying up high into the sky.

"Bye Pidgey!" Red waved at the Pokémon.

"Byyyaaaa," another yawn. Red laughed again. Before she could say anything, he quickly got up himself. In a swift motion, he picked her up off the ground. She held her in his arms, walking away from the tree.

"Hey, you don't have to…" another yawn. "You don't have to carry me… like a child…"

He smiled down at her. She couldn't even pretend to be annoyed right now.

"How bout you take it easy for a bit," he said. She meekly nodded, before falling asleep in his arms.

"I love you," Red said. She could feel him leaning in for a kiss on her cheek. But then she felt… a tapping again. This time on her shoulder. And it wasn't a person… it was… a stick? And she wasn't in the arms of her boyfriend but… she was back on the ground? The air smelt like seawater and there was chatter everywhere. Specifically, the voice of a young boy.

"Hey miss? Why are you sleeping here?" She opened her eyes to see a young boy standing in front of her, holding a stick. She looked around. She was sleeping against a tree again, this time a large palm tree, near the refugee camp, back in Alola.

"Oh… I'm just… taking a break…" she answered.

"Well, there's no time to take a break miss! There's a lot to do and everyone has to do their part!" The child scolded.

"But… I…" the kid wasn't technically wrong, but that didn't mean that he had to be so rude about it.

"No excuses! You better…"

"Hey, what's going on over here?" said a voice just out of view, far friendly and quite familiar.

"Oh! I'm ju… just…" the kid turned around, stuttering wildly at the person behind him. "Oh! Champion Ash, and Pikachu!" He beamed.

"Pika-chuuuu!" Pikachu cried from Ash's shoulder.

"Hi…. Hhhmmmm…" he pretended to look around the tree, before pointing at Yellow with a smile. "What's that person doing over there?" Ash asked.

"I don't know. But she's just mozing around here, so I'm tryin' to get her back to work!"

"Is that so… huh?" He hardly suppressed a giggle. "Well… I don't know about you, but she's clearly been putting in a lot of work too. I think she's earned a break."

"Oh! Okay! Well… I guess I'll see ya later! Bye miss!" The kid yelled before running off, back to the tents.

"So, you actually working hard?" Ash asked, still smirking.

"Well… I…" she wanted to say I was. Simple enough, really. But she couldn't. Her mind floated back to her dream, and she wished she could go back, even if it was just for a few more seconds.

"Oh… I'm sorry," Ash didn't know what he was apologizing for, but he felt he had done something wrong. Yellow looked… lost… to put it lightly.

"No… it's fine… really," she said. She tried to relax. Ash's concerned face told her that it wasn't working. Without asking, he sat beside her.

"You thinking about Red?" He asked.

"Yes…" she answered, hardly loud enough to hear. "I was… dreaming."

"Dreaming about what?"

"I… can't remember. We were out… somewhere," Yellow shrugged. "I just know it was a while ago…."

"Sounds nice. I hope he was better at this whole romance thing then I was."

"In that you were…. Similar," Yellow giggled. "Dense as a Geodude."

"Pika-pi!" Pikachu said to Ash.

"Don't have to rub it in, buddy…" Ash said. He looked back to Yellow.

"But he got it eventually. Or at least I hope he did, after I confessed to him."

"Knowing me, he probably loved you for a long time, even if he didn't know how to say it."

"Thanks Ash."

A light jingle ring from Ash's phone. It was a text from the professor.

"What is it?" Yellow asked.

"It's from Kukui…" Ash quickly read the short text. "He wants us to meet him back at home, right now."

"Why?"

"They figured it out. We're heading to Mount Akala tomorrow."

Chapter Text

Yellow always found the smell of seawater a bit peculiar.

Maybe it was just her Kanto nativity, a place that was hardly known for its beaches. That being said… Ash couldn't seem to be happier, staring out the bow of the small boat that was taking them to Akala island. As he gleefully looked out over the ocean, she wondered if he was just feeling nostalgic, or if he was just trying to spot any water type Pokémon.

"See anything Pikachu?" He asked. Pikachu stood next to him, balancing himself on the handrail.

"Pikaaaa… chuuu…." The small Pokémon scanned the waves. He shook his head in disappointment.

"I guess a lot of the Pokémon don't wanna come out right now..."

"Pika…."

"You're probably right," Yellow said, now standing beside him. "Pokémon are very sensitive to changes in the environment. A lot of them probably sense what's going on at Ula'ula, even if they don't understand why."

"Chuuuuuu," Pikachu said, his ears lowering. Ash rubbed the little pokémon's head.

"I know pikachu, but Kukui said they don't even know where the heart of the distortion is. And we gotta focus on stopping Giratina…."

"Pika-pi."

Ash frowned.

"It's all over the news now... and it's not just Ula Ula. A lot of places are being taken over by Girantina's distortion."

"I saw that too… it feels like…" Ash looked up at the waves, his hand still on Pikachu's head. The little Pokémon looked at his trainer, and wondered if Ash wanted nothing more than to disappear into the waves.

"Like the weight of the world is on our shoulders," Yellow finished.

"Something like that."

The trio stood in silence for a few moments, before a set of islands appeared from the horizon. Akala was the closer of the two, the great volcano standing stoically over the ocean. The sight might have been uplifting, were it not for the other island right next to it. Cloaked in a darkness that choked the Alolan sun, it was hard to believe that Ula'Ula had once been a thriving island at all.

"Oh no…" Ash's heart sank at the sight. They were still miles away, so all they could see was a blackened strip of land over the horizon, though the sight wasn't any less haunting.

"Pika…"

"Ash I'm…" Yellow was at a loss for words. This was far beyond the Coronet tunnels or the Draconid tower. "I'm so sorry."

"All those people who had to run. Now their homes are somewhere in… all that. And what about the people who didn't make it out…?"

"Chuuu… pika-pi?"

"We'll save them," Ash said, determined. "We'll save them all."

Though Ula Ula was gone, Ash still tried to find comfort in Alola's natural beauty.

Akala stood next to large stretches of open plains, farmland that was heavily curated by the Alolan's which provided most of the food for the surrounding islands.

The farm that he and Yellow were now standing on belonged to Kiawe, whose family had been running for generations. It was no secret that they took pride in their work. The fields were pristine, full of the bull like Tauros basking in the afternoon sun. However, the peaceful scene was suddenly disturbed as two particularly large individuals roared at each other.

"Look at those two. They're almost identical," Yellow said. While the duo was a fair distance away from the commotion, they could easily see the large statutes and equally large horns displayed on the two.

"Maybe they're each other's look-alikes," Ash said.

"Pika-pi!"

"Or maybe they're just excited," he said with a slight chuckle. "Guess I would know."

"You have a Tauros?" Yellow asked.

"Well… not just a Tauros."

"What? You got like… a herd of them? Like on this farm?"

"Not exactly. I'll tell ya all about it, later," he said, as the duo moved on. Just across the Tauros field was Kiawe's homestead. The humble house and barn sat at the edge of the small Paniola Town. As Ash and Yellowed entered the premises, they could already spot a handful of people hovering around, speaking to each other in an enclosed circle. Ash immediately recognized them, it was the older Gladion and Kiawe, as well as Sun and Moon.

"We can send in two teams. One from the south entrance, and one from the west. We can cover more ground that way," Gladion said.

"Splitting up is dangerous. We still have no idea what's in those tunnels," Kiawe said, turning to stare at the mountain. "Who knows what secrets Akala is keeping from us."

"Bunching us up together would be dangerous, besides… oh…" Gladion looked up, as Ash and Yellow walked towards them. "Look who's here."

"Alola, Gladion! and Alola, Kiawe!"

"Alola. Good to see you again, Ash," Kiawe said, stepping forward. "Though, I don't think I saw you at the refugee camp yesterday. Don't tell me the Alolan champion is getting too big for the little guys like us."

"Lana and Mallow got to me first…" Ash replied.

"And Alola to you again, Yellow. Hope you had a good rest. You probably don't want to fall asleep in the volcano."

"Right… sorry…" Yellow said, smiling sheepishly.

"Alola senior Yellow, and senior Ash," Moon said.

"Wait, your senior Ash." In an instant, Sun ran up to Ash, his face teeming with delight. "Wow! Senior Reds look-alike himself!"

"Oh… umm… hi."

"You're also from Kanto, right?! Well, so am I! The name's Sun, head employee of professor Kukui's delivery service! A pleasure to meet ya!" He went in for an ecstatic handshake.

"Nice to meet ya, Sun. the names, uhm… you know." he returned the handshake.

"Sorry senior Ash. Sun gets a bit too excited sometimes," Moon said.

"It's alright. Good to see you again, Moon."

"The others are waiting inside. We should get to it," Kiawe said. The others nodded, save one. They started to walk off, before Ash caught Gladions eye.

"Hey Ash, you got a minute?" He asked.

"Sure," Ash responded. "You guys go ahead. We'll catch up."

"Pika," Pikachu hopped up to Yellows shoulder, giving his trainer a nod in turn.

"Don't take too long," Kiawe said. He left for the barn, the others following closely behind him.

"We have time," he said, cocking his head. The two began walking, hugging the edge of Paniola town, the small and colourful homes to their right, and the scenic open fields to their left.

"It's good to see you again. It's been a long time," Gladion said.

"It has. How long has it been? Two years?" Ash replied.

"Just about. Two years since you became the Alolan champion…" Though Gladion kept his head down, his smile was earnest. "You know you got lucky, right?"

"Lucky? Our Lycanrocs were neck and neck. Wasn't any luck to it," Ash returned the smirk. "Well… maybe just a little…"

"Just a little luck? It's kinda crazy when you think about it. A little luck is all that stood between me and the Alola championship," Gladion said as he stopped walking, leaning against a handrail. Ash followed suit, and the two stood silent for a few moments. There was tension in the air, certainly, though Ash realized that Gladion didn't mean anything by it.

He hoped.

"How have you been doing?" Gladion asked, likely trying to restart the conversation.

"Alright… it's been a tough few weeks. But that's been the case for everyone."

"True. But not everyone has been out there saving the world like you and Yellow have."

"But everyone's still doing their part, especially now."

"Fair enough." Gladion looked out at the town. "Crazy to think that Ula Ula was just like this a week ago. There weren't any reports of people disappearing before. We have no idea where all those distorted trainers came from, or even where the heart of the distortion is."

"Right…" Ash shuddered, the memory of all those people in the distortion cocoons. "I saw the island on the way here. Did Acerola and Nanu make it out?"

"They did. They led the escape, got as many people as they could out of there."

Ash let out a sigh of relief, though he wasn't too surprised that they managed to make it out. Acerola and Nanu were two of Alolas strongest pokémon trainers. He remembered Nanu giving him a particularly hard time during his trials on the island.

"Hey… how were you doing for the past few years? Ya know, searching for your dad and all that..?" Ash asked, hesitantly. He regretted asking, seeing Galdion's face darken almost instantaneously.

"There's not much to say. We've spent two years chasing dead ends," Gladion replied, his already stoic voice sounding even more weighty. "And then all of this happened, just as we were getting so close."

"You'll find him, I'm sure of it."

"Lillie thinks so… but I think it's just 'cause she picked up on that positive attitude of yours. I'm not so sure…"

"You can't lose hope. Not just for your dad, but for Lillie and your mom too. They're gonna need you at their side."

"You really think we can find him, huh?"

"Yep, and all you'll need is just a little bit of luck."

"Hmph…" That did the trick, as Gladion cracked a smile. "I think we should get back to the farm. Everyone's waiting for us."

Kiawe's barn used to be like any other. A simple, wooden structure used to shelter various pokémon. But currently, the entire structure has been outfitted as a makeshift laboratory for the expedition. Wires and other gadgets strung along and around the stalls, all flowing into the tack room. A space that was once used to hold saddles and bridles now houses some of the most advanced computers on the planet. At the moment, those computers were transmitting from the Mossdeep space center, the screens showing the images of a pair of look-alikes.

"We have narrowed down the source of the anomaly to 2 distinct areas of the volcano," the person on the right side of the screen said. He was certainly the older of the two, though they both shared identical features, a tuft of orange hair over a round face.

"So, we should send in two teams. That would decrease your search time significantly," said the much younger individual on the left screen.

"I understand Sophocles, but it's too risky," Kukui said, sitting down at the monitor. Surrounding him were the Kiawes, the Lillies, the younger Gladion, Yellow, Sun and Moon.

"We know, professor, but smaller teams will help you maneuver through the mountain more quickly," the left Sophocles said.

"And it would decrease your time spent in the volcano overall," said the right Sophocles.

"I'm sorry professor, but I think that's the right call," said the older Kiawe.

"We're capable trainers, professor. Everyone here helped to fight off the ultra-beasts in their worlds," said the younger Kiawe.

"With all due respect professor, my compatriot is correct," Moon said.

"We can do it, professor Kukui!" the older Lillie said. Kukui sighed. Seems like everyone had made up their mind.

"Alright, I trust you. All of you. Does everyone have their crystals?" Kukui asked.

The trainers pulled out their crystals, each one a near perfect replica of the ones that Ash and Yellow had found in the depths of Coronet.

"Good. As soon as Ash and Gladion get here, we can…"

"Hey everyone," Ash said, as he and Gladion entered the room.

"Nice of you to join us," the younger Gladion said.

"So, what's the plan, professor?" the older Gladion asked.

"We're gonna split everyone up into two teams to investigate the anomalies. If we're lucky, one of those anomalies will be the shard of the distortion ball."

The discussion was long, though not unsurprisingly so.

There were a lot of factors to consider. It was quickly suggested that the teams be split up by the world that they had come from. While sound enough on its own, Kukui was quick to notice the age difference among the groups. While the younger group was far from being incapable, it was Moon who noted that each team should have at least some of the older trainers present as the group leaders. After a few more minutes of organizing and moderately heated debate, the teams were finalized. The first team would consist of Ash, the older Gladion, Sun and Moon. The second team would consist of Yellow, the Kiawes, and the younger Gladion. The Lillies would stay back to help coordinate the squads.

As everyone prepared for the expedition, Ash stood next to the barn house, leaning against the wooden exterior. Pikachu stood next to him, staring out at the open fields.

"Pika-pi?"

"I know bud, I'm nervous too."

"Pika! Pikachuuuu!"

"That's true. Maybe it won't be so bad. Guess I should be more worried about my next dream…"

"Hey Ash…" He heard a soft and familiar voice just outside his peripheral vision.

"Hey Lillie, good to see you. You too, Snowy."

Standing beside Lillie was Vulpix. The small Pokémon, covered in shiny white fur, was a unique variant of the species native to the Alolan mountains. It's round, bushy tail, wagged playfully upon seeing Ash and Pikachu.

"Vul!" The small Pokémon chirped.

"Pika-chuuuu," Pikachu replied.

"Snowy looks really strong," Ash said. "You must have been training a lot."

"We have! We train almost every day! Snowy and I are so strong now!"

Ash couldn't help but smile at her enthusiasm. To think that just a few years ago she could hardly even touch a Pokémon. She had changed so much, and if you asked him, it was the combined effort of everyone at the Pokémon school that helped her to overcome her fears, pokémon and otherwise.

If you asked Lillie however, she'd give Ash most of the credit.

"We'll, I just came to wish you luck. And also, this." She stuck out her hand, giving Ash one of the replica crystals.

"Kukui told me that Yellows keeping the actual crystal…. So, I thought I'd bring you one."

Ash felt the crystal in his palm. It was uncanny, he could almost feel the same kind of power from the replica as he did for the regular crystal. He could hardly tell the difference.

Hardly, and yet… he could. He couldn't describe the sensation. Maybe it was his intuition, but he could just tell that it was… different. It wasn't even that the replica felt off in any capacity… just… unfamiliar.

"Thanks Lillie," he said, placing the crystal into his pocket.

"Ash… what do you think you're going to find in there?" Lillie asked.

"If we're lucky, one of the shards."

"But there's two anomalies. Which means that there's something else in there."

"Maybe it's some kind of Pokémon. Maybe another ultra-beast that we missed…" Ash guessed.

"Well… whatever it is, just… be careful. Alright."

"We're all gonna make it out of that mountain. I promise."

She nodded. She felt naïve believing him without a doubt, yet it was just so easy.

"So… I heard from Gladion that you didn't have a lot of luck finding your father," Ash said, somewhat hesitantly.

"No… we haven't, but that's okay," she said determinately at least on the surface. "We'll find him soon; we just can't give up. Just like you taught me… er… I mean us!"

"I know you will, and I can't wait to meet him when you do."

"I think he'll like meeting you, too. Just like when we met your mother…" she paused for a second, clearly considering what she was about to say next. "Hey, Ash…?"

"Hm?"

"Your… no. Sorry, forget I asked."

"huh? What's up? You know you can ask me anything. Besides… we got a lot of time to kill."

"I realized that you… never really mentioned your dad before."

"Right… never really feel the need to. I didn't know him much growing up."

"Oh… I understand… I'm sorry."

"Don't be. Yellow asked me something similar on the way here. It's just… is," Ash shrugged.

"You ever think about him?"

"Not really, I mean…"

Ash stared down intently. Pikachu and Snowy looked up at him in silence, along with Lillie.

He tried his hardest to remember his father. His voice, his face, any final words to his infant son before he set off on an adventure he'd never return from. Nothing came to him.

Ash shrugged again.

"Sometimes I wonder what would happen if we met each other… I doubt we'd even recognize each other. Heh…" Ash smiled. "That's not true. Mom always said that I looked just like him. So… who knows…" He shook his head, though his smile didn't waver.

"I'd think he'd be proud of you."

"Maybe…"

It was at that moment that both of their phones rang.

"It's time," Ash said, his gaze suddenly as cold as the breeze that clung to the open ocean. "Let's get to it. We'll talk after, if that's alright."

"Okay," Lillie said, as the pair made their way inside.

Chapter Text

Another mountain.

Yellow felt like she was getting far too used to a very specific sight. The gaping maw of a mountain entrance, forever dark and foreboding, promising secrets hidden in a cavernous, dark abyss. This one might have been the worst of all. An active volcano. The question that she guessed was on everybody's mind was 'exactly how active."

"This is it, the western entrance," Kiawe said.

"Let's not waste any time," The younger Gladion said as they entered.

At the very least, Yellow was starting to get used to the winding, rock-laden corridors. In the crevices she could see the usual denizens, Zubats and Geodudes. These geodudes in particular had little black rocks adorning their heads, and their rocky skin was a lighter shade of gray than the ones she was used to. Yellow also noticed that they seemed to be… scared, but scared of what?

Considering what she had seen during the past few weeks, there were a lot of potential answers.

"Keep your eyes peeled," Gladion said as he pulled out his pokedex. On it was a small digital map of the Volcanos tunnel system. "We're going to reach the core in a second. Watch your step.:"

Just as Gladion said, the trainers saw light pouring in through the end of the tunnel. Though it was… not sunlight. Rather than the warm, welcoming glow of the Alolan sun, it was a vibrant, hazy purple.

"What's that?" Yellow asked.

"Guess there's one way to find out,'' the younger Kiawe said. "Let's go."

The group rushed towards the light. They crossed the passage into a gigantic cavern, the heart of Mount Akala. What they expected was a large magma pool sitting at the bottom of the cavern, contrasting with the Alola sun pouring in from above. However, as they looked down over a small ledge, the entirety of the cavern was filled with a viscous, purple substance. It almost seemed like lava, though the rugged surface formed by the melting mineral deposits looked oddly smooth. Furthermore, within the 'purple lava' were large, angular white crystals.

Throughout their short trek into the tunnel, none of the trainers noticed that they couldn't feel the heat of the lava. They had also failed to notice that they were feeling somewhat… lighter.

"Hey, guys…" Gladion was the first to feel his feet leave the ground. "Somethings wrong with the…"

He was cut off, as everyone was suddenly tossed into the air, flying over the central cavern and hovering right above the purple lava below.

"Charizard, come out!" The older Kiawe's Charizard burst forth from its ball. It flapped its large wings against the invisible force to no avail. Quickly, it found itself stuck in place, like all the others.

"Oh no…" Yellow whispered, as the gravity holding them released its grip, sending the trainers plummeting below.

Ash felt like he was becoming an expert at this whole "diving into dangerous mountains" thing.

In his younger years he had certainly traversed through his fair share of ominous caves. He'd even run into another one of his look-alikes in a tunnel system back in Kalos. It was quite a lame version of himself, though Ash wondered what had ever become of him. Perhaps the other Ash had found his fighting spirit during the time when he had lost his own.

"This is… odd…" Moon said.

"How so?" Gladion asked.

"We're currently heading towards the core of the volcano. And yet… the temperature doesn't seem to be going up."

"Now that you mention it… I'm starting to feel a little chilly," Sun chimed. "Guess that's pretty weird when you're in the middle of a volcano."

"I doubt it has much to do with the shards. It might be because of that second anomaly," Gladeon said.

"That could be it… but… I don't know," Ash chimed. "I still don't really understand what they can do… and I've already collected three of them…"

"But according to what you and Yellow have written to the professors… they haven't been analyzed to do anything once they have been collected," Moon said, as she tapped on her pokedex. "We must make a right up ahead, and then down towards the base of Akala. It's a bit away from the primary magma chamber."

Soon enough, the trainers made their way to the descending chamber. A long, unnervingly flat tunnel leading straight down towards what the trainers imagined was a gaping abyss.

"Pika?" Pikachu said, worryingly.

"Yep… we have to get down there," Ash took a tepid step unto the slanted surface. His shoe could barely get a grip on it.

"This is an oddly smooth lava duct," Moon analyzed. "It's gonna be hard to get a grip with our shoes. Maybe we should use some of our pokémon to.."

"You ready Pikachu!?" Ash cried with childlike exuberance. Before the little pokémon could question, and likely protest, what his trainer was about to do, Ash grabbed him tightly and leaped down into the lava duct, his back sliding easily against the smooth rock surface.

"Yahaaaaaaaaa…"

In almost an instant, he was gone, leaving the other trainers stunned.

"... and I thought he changed…" Gladion said.

"My sister told me he was prone to some… unusual behaviors…" Moon commented, peering down into the duct.

"Well, what are we waiting for?!" Sun chimed, grabbing Moon's arm. "Let's follow him Ms. Customer Package!"

"Wait… Sun, we should…" Too late. The momentum of his hold dragged her right unto the corridor, and before she knew is, she was right next to Sun sliding down the lava duct.

"Waaiitt a seeccoooonnnn…"

"Figures…" Gladion sighed as he propped himself up, sitting at the edge of the duct. "Maybe I should have gone with the other team…"

A slight chuckle escaped his lips as he pushed himself into the winding darkness, as his voice joined the choir of cheers.

The fall happened in less than a second, but it felt like an eternity. Perhaps the feeling would have gone away if they had hit the ground. They didn't.

Yellow was the first to open her eyes. She was on her back, staring up into the sky past the mouth of the volcano. She swore that it stretched up for miles. There was something else too. Small, hazy blots in her vision. She wiped her eyes, assuming it was just some dirt. They didn't go away. As her vision cleared, she realized that it wasn't something affecting her vision at all. It was clumps of rocks, suspended in the air. The clumps ranged from tiny pebbles to large boulders the size of her head, and they were everywhere.

As she tried to get her bearings, her heart jumped a little as she placed her palm to the ground. Or at least… tried to. While she couldn't feel a solid surface, her hand flattened out against an invisible pressure. It was at that moment that she realized that she wasn't on the floor, or, more precisely, there wasn't a floor at all. Her whole body was hovering inches above the ground.

The jolted up, looking around herself for the other trainers. They were all there. The Kiawes and Gladion… they were all hovering above the purple lava swirling beneath them.

"Hey… is everyone okay?" She called.

"Ya… we're fine, mostly," The older Kiawe said, catching his breath. Yellow recalled that he was screaming the loudest on the way down.

"Senior Yellow… what are we gonna do now?" Gladion asked. Yellow pulled out her pokedex. They had certainly descended into the volcano's interior, no surprise there. What was slightly more surprising…

"Guys… the second anomaly… it's right… here…"

"What? What do you me…"

Gladion was interrupted when the larger stones that were suspended in the air suddenly burst in tiny crystalline shards that flew in almost all directions.

"Charizard?! Use flamethrower!" Kiawe commanded, as the large pokémon unleashed a cone of searing flame.

"Kitty!" Yellow tossed out a pokeball, releasing her Butterfree, a large, purple, butterfly-like pokemon. "Use gusts on the crystals!"

The pokemon spread its wings, unleashing a blast of air that collided with the Charizards fiery breath, turning the flamethrower into a spiral torrent of flame that seared the crystals on impact.

"Has anyone been hit?" Yellow asked.

"We're all good…" Gladion responded.

The group frantically looked around themselves, searching for the assailant. Left, right, forward, up, down…

It was down, swimming beneath them, down in the purple lava. Something long and serpentine, but still a gray blur. A blur that was getting bigger… and bigger…

"Charizard! Use..!"

It happened again, before Kiawe could give out another command, the trainers suddenly found themselves in the air again.

"Not agaaaiiinnn," The younger Kiawe cried out, spinning in place.

"What's happening?!" Yellow panicked, also flailing.

That's when they finally heard it. A loud, ominous rumble ripped through the air, as the gray blur burst through the ground, flying towards the trainers.

The pokémon… looked like an Onix. The silhouette was certainly there. The main body was composed of multiple, large sized boulders giving it the general appearance of a large snake. But dotting the surface of the creature were large, irregular, purplish crystal growths, organized into two distinct, perfectly symmetrical rows flowing down the creature's back.

"On-ixxxx," the creature bellowed, a roar that ripped through the trainers' souls. The Onix charged towards the trainers, before suspending itself between the 4 of them.

"That is one strange looking Onix," Gladion said as the pokémon stared at him. It looked amongst the trainers, one by one. It paid particular attention to Yellow.

"Hello… ummm…" she stuttered as the Pokémon leered up to her. As it crept up to her, she could feel the pressure in the air slightly increase, as she was pulled slightly closer to it by the gravitational force that had kept them airborne this entire time.

"Senior Yellow!" The younger Kiawe called as he pulled out a pokeball. "Go, Maraw…"

"Wait a second!" Yellow shouted towards him. He lowered the ball, watching silently.

"You're… not like other Onix's." She raised her glowing palm towards the Pokémon.

"You sure about this, senior?" Gladion asked.

"It's alright," Yellow said, completely focused on the Pokémon in front of her. The Onix was clearly observing her, its eyes trained on her palm.

"So… why don't you tell us about yourself," Yellow said as she placed her palm on the head of the beast.

In that moment, she awoke herself to the world.

Certainly there must have been a better way to get deeper into the volcano.

Though Galdion would never admit it, Ash certainly picked the most fun method. He just have known, considering the smile on the other trainer's face as Gladion reached the bottom of the lava duct, finding himself in another large section of the volcano's tunnel system.

"Wow Gladion, I think you were screaming the loudest out of all of us," Ash said, offering his hand to help Galdion up.

"Pika!" Pikachu concurred.

"Wasn't that loud…" Gladion took his hand.

"Unfortunately senior Gladion, you sounded quite ecstatic on your way down," Moon said as she pulled out her Pokédex. "We're very close to the first anomaly. It should be just ahead of us."

The four trainers continued down the dark, winding tunnels, the Pokédex leading them through the maze-like tunnels. The dark corridors seemed to be closing in on them. It was difficult to tell if that was actually the case, or if the situation was starting to drive the trainers mad.

"Right here. Just around this corner is the source…" Moon said.

"Everyone, be ready for anything…" Gladion said. The other trainers kept their hands over their pokeballs.

The trainers turned the corner to find…

A door.

An absolutely massive, ornate stone door. Intricate patterns that seemed to be of storms and rain were painted along its surface. At least… that's what it seemed like at first…

"Look at that. It's like stars!" Sun said. The other trainers noticed it too. The small droplets of 'rain' had a faint, purple glow to them, and the seemingly random swirling patterns weren't nearly as random as they first appeared. The swirls coalesced around a central group of 'stars', forming the shape of a galaxy.

"That's certainly the source of the anomaly," Moon said.

"But senior Ash… what is that?" Sun asked.

"I… don't know… we haven't seen anything like this before."

"Pika-chuuuuu…"

"I know Pikachu. You think the shard's in there, too?"

"Chuuu…" Pikachu said, hesitantly.

"Wait… look at the center," Moon said, as the center swirl of the galaxy began to shift right in front of them. With an almost uncanny elegance the stars realigned from a nebulous blob to a near perfect handprint.

"That's a…" Gladion said as about to urge caution, before Ash suddenly moved towards the door. "Wait, Ash?! We don't…"

"I have to do this," Ash interrupted, as he placed his palm at the center of the door.

In that moment, he awoke himself to the world.

Chapter Text

There was no stone, nor cave, nor anything else. There was no floor, or ceiling. There was no up, no down, no left, no right. Just an endless expanse of stars. Giant orbs of blue and red fire crashed and merged into each other, painting the void in a dazzling array of ethereal hues. It was beautiful, beyond anything Ash had ever seen before.

A moment ago he had been in the depths of mount Akala, crawling through a darkened cavern back ended by a mysterious stone door, and suddenly he was… here. He had placed his hand on the stone door and in less than a second, the entire world had collapsed around him. He wasn't dreaming or having another vision… or at least he hoped he wasn't. No, this was different. The void in his visions felt like a true loss of self, a place that existed outside the realms of tangible reality. This place was far from that. He just knew… this place was real.

But where am I? What is this place?

He looked around to find… anything, really, but the expanse seemed as empty as it was endless. Until he suddenly felt a presence behind him, and a friendly voice.

"Ash? Is that you?"

It was Gladion. Ash sighed in relief.

"Gladion! How did you get here? How did I get here?!"

"When you touched the wall you just… disappeared."

"Disappeared?!" Ash guessed that he shouldn't be surprised, considering where he currently was. At this point, anything was possible.

"Just like that, and the hand-sign on the door was still glowing. So I followed, and I told the others to stay back, no matter what."

"I'm glad you're here too. Don't like the idea of being stuck in here all by myself."

"Well, someone's got to keep an eye on you. You're honestly more immature than the actual children," Gladion said with a somewhat humorous scathe.

"Oh… uumm… I'm sorry," Ash said sheepishly.

"Ash… where are we?" Galdion asked, finally taking in his surroundings.

"I have no idea," Ash responded, plainly.

"Perhaps… I can help."

A third voice, the voice of someone who was clearly much older than they were. Even stranger, it sounded a bit like… Gladion? Not a look-alike, but a close relative. Someone like…

"Dad?"

Gladion hadn't heard that voice in years, yet the memory of it was so clear. The voice he had heard when Lillie took her first steps, all those years ago. The face it belonged to had hardly changed either, sporting the same green eyes and blonde hair as the rest of the family. The man named Mohn, dressed in the same lab attire that he disappeared in, stared at Gladion with an expression of joy, tempered by unending pain.

"Gladion… yes… my son," Mohn said, his voice somewhat coarse, like he hadn't spoken in a very long time.

"Dad…" Gladions voice trembled. How could… but he thought… it couldn't…

"I never thought I'd see you again, here of all places."

"Is that… really you?" Gladion asked, his eyes glued to the older man. He knew that this was impossible. Maybe he was getting the same sort of visions that Ash was, the ones that were leading this very quest. That's all this had to be. Just a vision. This couldn't be…

"It's really me, Gladion."

Mohn took a single step forward, and in the blink of an eye he was right in front of Gladion. It was instantaneous, as if he hadn't even taken a step. As if time hadn't passed at all.

"Dad...? What are you doing here? Where… are we?"

"We don't have a lot of time for you… or your friend here," Mohn finally looked at Ash. "I don't recognize you young man. What might your name be?"

"Ash Ketchum… from Pallet town." Ash's voice was shaky as well. He was almost as surprised as Gladion to see the man standing before them.

"So, my son has made friends… good. He was always a friendly boy, but I was worried he might have some trouble after I… left."

"Dad, I… we…," Gladion finally took a deep breath. "We were looking for you for years. The whole family, Lusamine and Lillie…"

"Lillie? My little princess… well I guess she isn't so little anymore…"

"You can see her again, dad. The whole family. If you can just come with us…"

Mohns face sank. Ash could feel it, a shift in the air, like they've been engulfed in a cloud.

"Gladion, Ash, come with me…"

Another blink, and the stars began to dance around them.

"You have them, don't you?" Mohn asked. "The shards of the distortion ball."

"Yes…" Ash answered.

"And you're here for another one. The shard you're looking for is here, I can assure you, as well as the answers you seek."

"Answers? Dad, what answers?" Gladions asked, his breath becoming shakier with each passing word.

"To everything."

This was… different.

When Yellow had first discovered her powers at a young age, it took her a while to get used to them. The healing part of it was easy enough, if anything she was overjoyed to learn that she could help any person or Pokémon with a single touch. The mind reading however, was something else entirely.

Pokémon didn't think like people did. She couldn't 'hear' their thoughts in any sort of comprehensible sentences. Rather it was a purely emotional response, but emotions that were directly focused on a certain person, place or thing. She could then translate these emotions in her mind, being able to articulate these thoughts into a human language. She would be lying if she said that she fully understood how it worked.

Never had she ever experienced anything like this.

She had intended to find out the intentions of this strange Onix, yet she almost felt like the table had been turned. It was almost like her mind had been entered by a foreign presence, and she didn't like it.

As she looked around, she quickly realized that she wasn't in the same volcano anymore. She could still see the mouth of the volcano above her, but the strange, purple lava below was gone. Instead, a thick layer of pitch black smoke hung to the ground. That's when she realized… it wasn't just underneath her. It was everywhere, creeping from the corner of her very vision. As for herself, she was still floating, but it wasn't against her will. It wasn't some unseen gravitational force that was keeping her up. It was… nothing. Any concept of up or down was absent from this place. She simply was, and the Onix itself…

Perpetual darkness, a longing for something, or someone?

The large Pokémon was now floating right in front of her, a loud booming voice echoing in her mind that she could very much tell was his.

"What? Where are...? How…?"

Confused. Communication is undeveloped. Strange humans, strange world.

"You're… you're that Onix? From Mount Akala, right?"

Correct. The mountain of fire, Great Akala, it's my home. Once I was a stranger, but a stranger no longer, only to strange humans.

"You're not like other pokémon… I'm not reading your mind, but…"

This realm isn't of my mind, but of yours. Your mind, clouded in shadows of longing. Longing for something, or someone.

Yellow stood silent. She was well aware that they were in the recesses of her mind. The dark, cold fog was far too familiar for her not to realize.

Who does this human long for?

The question felt as inescapable as the all-consuming dark.

"Another person. His names Red… he's… my fiancé…"

Fiancé?

"We're in love."

Ah… yes… an intimate connection, once lost, leaves one in deep longing.

"He's not lost!" Yellow's voice was hoarse, and she could see a ripple within the dark as she spoke. "He was taken from me!"

Yet, the absence remains, unfaltering and continuously unwinding. If the longing persists, then it will be your undoing.

Yellow took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. She didn't even know where she was… could this really be her own mind? But… how?

You're confused? Confused by your underdeveloped communication. I apologize.

"Underdeveloped what? Can you…" another deep breath. Now was the time for answers. "Can you please tell me where we are, and what you are?"

As I said, this is the recess of your mind, shadowed in a deep longing.

"I can see that…" she looked around at the darkened fog. The more she looked, the colder she felt. "It certainly feels like it. But how did we get here? Why are we here?"

You can touch minds. You reach out, to know the thoughts of the unknowable, but you have yet to meet a Pokémon that can touch minds in the same way.

"Oh… right…" so this is what it feels like. She never thought her powers were so… invasive.

In my world, such communication is commonplace, but not here. Here, your minds, humans and Pokémon, are closed.

"Your world… but everyone from Ash's world… they can't…"

I am not of your world, or the other that has joined yours to become one. I am from elsewhere, a place much different from this one. A world unheard of by your ears and minds.

Another world? Guess she shouldn't be surprised. Clearly there were a universe's worth of possibilities out there. Even so… this was a lot to take in.

"Then how did you get here?"

The worlds, all the worlds, are not inseparable, and there are some places where the connection is strong. So strong that they pull towards each other, particularly in the event of calamity.

"Calamity? What calamity?"

For something that couldn't exist, it seemed so clear.

Ash and Galdion gazed at the 'sky', the stars continuing to swirl into seemingly impossible shapes, ebbing between images familiar and alien all at once.

"It is difficult to describe what this place is, but by now you are well aware that different worlds exist out there, containing versions of ourselves that are as alike as they are different," Mohn said.

"Yes… a bit too well actually…" Ash replied.

"There are places in our world where those worlds are 'connected'. In these places we can see the space between these worlds, places that exist outside of space and time. It was here that I sought to learn the secrets that eluded me."

"The ultra-wormholes," Gladion said.

"Yes," Mohn motioned toward the swirling vortexes in the sky. "My research brought me to this place, though this was far from what I was looking for. Instead, I found this place, the space between our world and the one that has joined it. Here, in the space between, where memories are etched into the stars."

The stars continued to swarm and contort, turning into a haze of black and red. Finally, the clouds coalesced into a form that they could recognize, a Pokémon that Ash was all too familiar with.

"Giratina…" Gladion broke the silence, saying the name that had begun to send shivers through Ash's spine.

The stars continued to coreless into even more shapes, forming giant spheres of green and blue. Each one unique in their own ways, but all of them undeniably the same.

Earth.

Giratina, with its long serpentine body that arched across the sky, slithered between the worlds, each time coming all too close before rapidly jolting away from each one.

"Giratina, a Pokémon that has been banished to its world, the distortion world," Mohn said. "It found a way to escape the distortion world, and existing outside the realms of reality, traveled through time and space. The memory doesn't say how, or why, but travel it did."

"Sir… how do you know all of this?" Ash asked, trying to keep himself together.

"Every time you witness the memory, you understand a bit more of it, each time. I've lost count of how often I've witnessed it myself," Mohn looked down, an aching disappointment etched on his face. "So many times, for so many years, years I should have been home with my family…"

"Dad…" Gladion reached out, placing his hand on his father's shoulder. "You just…" Gladion paused. There was so much he had to say, but he steeled himself. Regardless of what he wanted to say, there was only one thing that had to be said. "Please, continue. Tell us what's happening."

"Of… of course," Mohn raised himself, once again motioning to the sky, as Giratina continued to comb around the Earths. "It traveled to different worlds, and each time it was chased off."

"Chased off by what?" Ash asked.

"By their worlds Giratina. Some were stalwart defenders of their earths; others were violent recluses simply defending their territories. All were too much for Giratina to handle, so it continued to search. All until…"

A final Earth, their Earth. From the earth formed another Giratina, the one Ash befriended years ago.

"Like the others," Mohn continued. "Our Giratina fought against the invader. It battled bravely against the other Giratina, carrying its own memories of the people it sought to defend." Mohn looked at Ash, who couldn't help but smile at the thought.

"But this time was different…"

The Giratina of Earth was suddenly pierced by the vicious spikes of the other. Its body went limp as it was hoisted up, far above the planet, even beyond the starry sky. Its form began to disassemble, becoming a formless mass of ethereal light once more. The energy was then enveloped by the other Giratina, before disappearing altogether.

"Giratina… it lost," Gladion said.

"Yes. Our Giratina was not only defeated, but its very essence was consumed by the other. That is what caused our worlds to conjoin."

Ash felt the air leave his lungs and his veins run cold. Though they had only met a few times, Ash considered the legendary Pokémon to be as much of a friend as any other that he has met on their travels, and now it was gone. Gone in an act of seemingly needless cruelty. As he watched the remnants of his friend being absorbed into the visage of malevolence, he could feel a piece of his own soul disappearing with it as well.

"But… how?" Was all Gladion could ask, his mind at the brink of overloading.

"Another mystery, though I suspect that it has to do with Giratina's relation to dark matter. It is something that cannot be observed, and yet it is suspected to embody almost everything in existence. Perhaps when it merged with the other Giratina…" Mohn pondered for but a moment. "Regardless, you now understand what caused the merging of the worlds, and what you are up against."

"Giratinas strong…" Ash said. "Really strong, but how is he able to take control of people, like all those people on Ula'ula?"

"It's a power it gained from one of the other worlds. Though he would lose against the other Giratinas, it would learn and accumulate its own power over time, until finally it managed to defeat one here on our earth."

The odds felt insurmountable. Ash could feel the sweat on his brow building. Could they really stop… all this.

"Why… why all this?" Gladion said. "What does it want?"

"It wants our world, in its image. A world where every person and Pokémon is trapped under its control, to do as it sees fit."

Silence, as the stars began to dissipate and return to their neutral positions. The vibrant colors that once painted the scene above were gone, replaced by an unending, black void. As their vision turned dark as well, Ash and Gladion saw Mohn reach into his pocket.

"This is what you have come for," Mohn said as he placed the black shard into Ash's hand.

The trainers tried to respond, but they felt their bodies become weak. Gladion felt his muscles collapse and his eyes droop, an inexplicable fatigue washing over him and Ash as they fell to the ground. He could feel his mouth open, and he watched Ash do the same, but not a single sound came out of either of them. Mohn knelt beside Gladion, now collapsed on the nonexistent floor. The image of his father huddled over him was the last thing he saw before his vision went black.

"Gladion, take care of our little princess and your mother for me. Perhaps one day, we will meet once more, and become a family again. I love you, son."

Dad… no…. His final thoughts before oblivion.