Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The stars glittered with a vibrance scarcely seen by the naked eye. The skies were clear, the clouds thin, the wind fair. The grassy plains below rustled in the breeze, the few Pokemon in the illuminated night sky running freely, and standing atop a forested outcropping was a young man named Ash Ketchum. His partner, a Pikachu, sat on his shoulder. The starry night they watched was a night that symbolized their journeys together: but it also symbolized their end. 

“Y’know, Pikachu, I think it’s time to go home.” 

The mouse on his shoulder was surprised, and slightly off-put, but shrugged, accepting his partner’s decision with an affectionate nuzzle. Ash scratched his partner’s chin in return as they watched the stars above.

“We’ve been journeying for a long time, and I wish it would never end…” He sighed, his voice lowering in remembrance. “...But I think we need to have a break for now… Have some fun with the others at the ranch. But you know what, Pikachu?” 

Pikachu cocked his head, and Ash pointed at a distant spot far away. 

“Once our break is done, we’ll go wherever you want. Just pick a direction, and we’ll travel so far we’ll discover things no one has ever seen before.”

Pikachu put a hand to his chin, but soon pointed in the same direction Ash had. Ash chuckled, and got up, smiling.

“Come on Pikachu, let’s head back to Pallet Town.” 

Ash departed deeper into the woods, the moon shining where the boy had once sat with a glowing fondness. In the bushes nearby, a light sparked and dimmed, filling the surrounding shadows with light. 

The night carried on, the winds of change picking up speed as the skies’ guiding stars glowed ever brighter. 

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The beams of sunlight shone brightly, and unfortunately for Ash, they had made a beeline straight for his face. He murmured to himself, tucking the covers to his chest as he absentmindedly shifted out of their way. He drifted off back to sleep, but the sunlight was unrepentant, and shone even brighter than it had before. Throwing in the towel, Ash finally gave in to the light’s wishes, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes and taking off his covers…

…Covers? Hadn’t he fallen asleep in the woods? Last he remembered, he was in a sleeping bag, with Pikachu-

Ash flew into a panic, practically leaping out of his bed in a wild frenzy. He frantically eyed every corner of the room he was in, but saw no sign of his partner. Ash’s breathing began to slow as he took in his surroundings… His bed was clean. Well-done up, barring the mess his awakening had caused. He eyed the rest of the small room, and it was much the same: clean, yet well-lived in. The exception lay in a bed, directly adjacent to his, which was like a tornado had whipped through its covers. 

But the object that caught his eye was not the bed, but rather the mirror beside it. Though it had been partially blocked off by some hastily hung up clothes, his silhouette was clearly visible within the mirror’s reflective surface… 

He was wearing a completely different outfit- a single piece blue and white uniform- a far cry from his standard outfit of choice. His clothing, however, was the least of his concerns, for the moment he reached his face, he realized that it was not only his clothes that had changed, but himself. 

The boy looked almost entirely different now. His eyes shone a brilliant sea blue, glistening with curiosity in the fresh, morning light. His skin had paled substantially, as if he hadn’t been outside in some time, and his face was overall sleeker in appearance. His lightning bolt birthmarks had vanished entirely, but that was not what stood out to him the most about his new appearance. Rather, it was the fact that… 

“I have two hair colors now!?” Ash flicked his hand through his hair, a black bob with a highlight of blue on the inside. His face lit up in wonder, which eventually evolved into a nervous smile. “That is so cool.” 

He adjusted his hair, but curiosity struck him, and he stood there for several minutes in a vain attempt at trying to figure out how his new hair colors worked. He was interrupted, however, by a sudden knock on the door. Ash briefly panicked, but the knocker neglected to enter, instead yelling at its sole occupant from outside.

“Heyyyyyy, Liko! Rise and shine slowpoke! We’re getting our first Pokemon today! Don’t take too much longer, or you’re gonna be late!” 

The overly peppy, excited voice left as soon as it came, the sound of footsteps making their way back down the hall. As the voice outside left, however, Ash was left with a different question.

“Who’s Liko?” 

Chapter Text

With no idea of his current bearings, and even less of an idea of why he was in a different body, Ash had immediately set about searching for clues. Most people who knew him would likely chastise his investigative skills, but there wasn’t much to investigate in the first place, with the main point of interest being a small yellow satchel near his bed. He had started digging through it as fast as he possibly could; he was concerned about what might happen if the girl outside returned, and thus made sure to quicken his pace. 

Looking inside of the satchel bore very few objects, but the few that were inside were highly critical ones. Outside of some old snack wrappers and spare change, there was what looked to be a school ID card, a small book, and an intricately detailed necklace. Ash made sure to put the last one back where he found it in order to be safe. At the very least, it most likely wasn’t going to end up being too important to unraveling this whole mystery. 

Ash quickly glanced over the ID card, which depicted a person very much resembling his current body smiling shyly at the camera. The card displayed the name of “Liko Yonder,” the same name the girl outside had called him before.

He then opened the book, and the first page made it immediately obvious that it was a diary, for the interior cover was labeled with the phrase “Diaries for Kids!” and the company’s accompanying logos. Ash cringed at the hot pink lettering, quickly settling his thoughts on the writing in question. It seemed to be a basic day’s summary, though the first page’s writing was rather incomprehensible. Ash chose to flip ahead to more recent events, but as he did, a card dropped from the book’s pages, which Ash snatched off the floor. He squinted at the note, whose handwriting appeared heavily smudged, as if whoever was writing didn’t have much experience. 

Hey there, I hope you’re enjoying the fresh start so far! Timelines are a bit wonky, so I couldn’t restart you fresh, but I did the best I could to accomplish something similar. 

Oh, and by the way, don’t worry about the new identity! You haven’t overwritten anyone… It's complicated. Involves some placebos, memory alterations… reality-bending stuff… but yeah, you shouldn’t have overwritten someone… probably shouldn’t have. Don’t worry about it!

It’s up to you on where you want to go next! Hope you have fun on the new journey, buddy I don’t know the name of but probably will know the name of eventually! Don’t be a stranger! 

…That was a bad choice of words. Sorry. 

The note ended without a signature, and Ash assumed that whoever the note maker happened to be was not very skilled with… whatever they had done. Ash paused, mulling it over, before picking up the diary again. He leafed through it, landing on the last page that had been written in, and the date on the top of the page listed… March 31st, and the year… 

Ash’s eyes widened. The last entry was written a day before he had started his journey with Pikachu, so many years ago… but if this was the prior day’s entry, then… 

Ash deep dived into Liko’s bag, and eventually landed on a Rotom Phone, lying dormant at the bottom. He hastily powered it on, and inputted a number he had enough experience with to memorize. He rang it up, hoping- almost praying- that the person on the other end would pick up. After about a minute, a voice came from the phone.

“Hello, this is Brock of the Pewter City Gym. How did you get this number?”

“Hi, Brock… do you know a kid named Ash, by any chance?”

Ash momentarily flinched from the sound of his voice, which was now much higher pitch in nature, but Brock continued to talk before he could dwell on the thought. 

“No… I’m afraid I don’t remember anyone by that name. Why do you ask?” 

“No reason!” Ash nervously laughed. “I… uh… sorry for bothering you…”

“It’s fine… but who are you?”

“Uh… don’t worry about it! I just… have a good day, alright?”

“Wait, what are you-”

Ash hung up before Brock could finish, and he breathed a sigh of relief. It was exactly as he thought. He had been sent back in time to the day he had started his journey… but why? He had no idea. Was it to start a new journey? Live a different life? Do something else entirely? And who had sent him back? It wasn’t Arceus or Dialga’s style to leave a note like that… Celebi didn’t have the ability to place him in a different life… just who…?

A sudden knocking came from the door.

“Likoooooo! If you’re any more late, all the good ones are gonna be gone before you get to pick!”

“I… I’ll be out in a second!” 

This seemed to satisfy the girl, who responded with a satisfied “Yep!” before practically skipping away from the door. Ash breathed a sigh of relief, before eyeing his new, already tired body in the mirror, slumped against his bedside. He breathed in, his eyes filling with resolve as he set his mind to what was next. He eyed the nearby closet, and deciding that whatever outfit he was sleeping in was probably not adequate schoolwear, he made his way over to it and opened it, only to find a row of entirely identical outfits inside. He stared at it for a moment, taking a moment to comprehend what was in front of him, as he sighed. 

“Seriously? Couldn’t have had anything cooler than…” Ash grabbed one of the outfits. It was a brown plaid, adorned with a bright red bow on the front. “...This?” 

He groaned, but begrudgingly accepted it. He grabbed one of the outfits from the closest, but as he sat down on his bed, he began to question what would happen next. The note said it had rewritten reality, but that girl outside clearly remembered “Liko”... what would happen if she asked questions he didn’t know how to answer? He could feign amnesia again… but what would happen because of that? 

"Liko!" 

Well, he'd figure that out later. For now, he had a much more immediate problem to deal with. 

Chapter Text

One thing Ash had overlooked was that the girl had assumed he had any idea about where he was going. Ash, unfortunately, did not have a good sense of direction, nor did he have any idea what direction he was meant to go in to begin with. He had figured he was in a school, but what he hadn’t realized was just how massive it actually was. He had already gotten lost in the labyrinthine corridors several times, and he had to constantly push past the teeming swarms of people to get anywhere he wanted. 

Ash eventually halted, stopping for breath, as he frantically glanced around for any sign of a  map. There was nothing nearby, and after taking a few more seconds to get his breath back, darted down another hallway in a desperate attempt to find where he was meant to be going, only to realize too late that there was an obstacle in his path. Ash stumbled into the stranger in a head-on collision, and he tumbled to the floor. Rubbing his head, he hastily apologized. 

“Sorry, sorry, I didn’t mean to bump into you-”

The man simply looked at him with a mild indifference. The man was sharply dressed in a suit and tie, his hair parted into two different colors down the middle. He was entirely unperturbed by the whole encounter, instead regarding Ash with a mild curiosity.

“Can I… help you?”

Ash addressed the man as he got up. “Er, uh, yeah. Do you know where the students are receiving their first Pokemon?”

The man raised an eyebrow, but said nothing more as he pointed down a hallway to his right. 

“Down this hall, take a left. Once you see the conglomeration of students, you’ll know you’re in the right place.”

Ash dusted off his uniform as he got up, smiling gratefully. “Thank you… gotta dash! I’m running late!” 

Ash waved goodbye as he darted past the man, who simply watched him leave with a hint of disdain. The man scoffed, readjusting one of his gloves, as his Rotom Phone flew out next to him of its own accord. The man interacted with the phone, as if noting something down, with barely a second thought spared for the child who had just bumped into him. A few seconds later, he had disappeared into the crowd of students, gone as if he were a phantom to the wind. 

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The “smile and wave” approach had been working to great effect so far. Ash kept nodding, going along with everything his apparent best friend Ann had to say. She was very much a chatterbox, and it allowed him to pick up some useful details about where he was and just who “Liko” happened to be. 

He had, according to Ann, wound up in the Indigo Academy; it was a name Ash recognized, as his mother had constantly insisted he should try to aim for the school once his journeying was done. Gary had also planned on going, though Ash had forgotten to ask how that had gone, or if he had even done so in the first place. He had struggled to suppress his frown at that thought.  

Still, Ash knew the school was a good one: it was regarded as one of the most prestigious schools in the Kanto region, and according to Ann, Liko had apparently come from Paldea to study from abroad. Ash knew it was hard enough getting in as a Kantonian student… to get in as a Paldean one must have required Liko to be exceptional in some way. He wasn’t sure about what her apparent skill sets were meant to be, but he could only hope he was able to keep up with Liko's apparent talents. 

As for Ann herself, the girl was certainly a wild card. She always had a single tooth pointing out of her mouth, and her hair was made up rather messily. Once something had exited her mouth, Ann tended not to stop until she had said everything she needed to, which had led to something of an information overload for the poor boy. 

Either way, she was apparently his roommate, which Ash had guessed solely from the mess she had left behind. It was a plus in his book, as he likely didn’t need to explain much about whatever past Liko had if she was unfamiliar with him, and she would allow him to learn more about the school’s inner workings… that, and Ash was already beginning to quite enjoy her company.

“Alright class! Settle down, because your first partner Pokemon are on their way!” 

The class immediately settled into silence. Even Ann, after a few seconds taken to realize what was going on, fell into an almost reverential focus. Ash couldn’t help but feel nervous, even though he hadn’t been a part of this school until today. 

“Before we get to the choosing, I would like to remind you all that today is a very important day for all of you. Today is the day you receive your first Pokemon, and as a result, today is the day you start your journeys into the world.” 

Ash grumbled to himself about having already gone on several of them, though he stopped after Ann gave him an extremely puzzled glare. 

“Because of this, I encourage you all to choose carefully and wisely, though I am certain that you’ll find your destined partner one way or another.” The teacher coughed as a multitude of Poke Balls were laid out on several very long tables at the front of class. “But that’s enough talking from me. Your first partner Pokemon are waiting!”

The Poke Balls burst open in a brilliant flash of light, and on the table, where the Balls had been, now stood a number of Pokemon, many of whom Ash recognized from his travels. The species on the table ranged from traditional first Pokemon like Charmander and Chikorita to more unconventional species, such as Sandile and Noibat. There were certainly many more options than what he initially had been able to select from; he chocked it up the school’s influence. 

As his new classmates all rushed to get their partners, Ash felt uncertain as he eyed the pool of Pokemon below. Normally, he would have pounced on this opportunity to make a new friend, especially while Pikachu was missing in action… and yet, he felt conflicted. His mind was racing with what if scenarios about what would happen upon eventually reuniting with Pikachu, upon potentially getting home… What if he had to leave his partner behind? What then? What if-

“Come on Slowpoke, you’re gonna miss your chance to get all of the cute ones!” 

Ash was forcefully snapped out of his daze as Ann practically began to drag him by the arm down the stairs. Ash complained about it, grumbling all the way down to the tables at the front of the class, but if Ann heard him, she didn’t seem to care. She eventually placed him down in front of the first table, and while he was momentarily dazed, dusted off his shoulder before disappearing into the crowd.  

Ash reluctantly eyed the tables in front of him, unsure of which Pokemon to choose. A Larvitar played together with a Gible, a Gligar bickered with a Rowlet on another table, a Sprigatito licked its fur, staring intently at him. Ash wasn’t quite sure who to choose… 

Then, he stopped. The Sprigatito. He looked back at the cat, who was seemingly being ignored by the other trainers. Sprigatito was staring at him, not with a look of curiosity or anger, but rather one that spoke of mild annoyance. Ash, intrigued, made his way to the cat, who seemingly ignored his approach, content with licking its own fur down. 

“Hey, Ash, looking good. New haircut?” 

Ash’s face burst into a wide grin. He couldn’t quite understand any and every Pokemon perfectly, but if there was any one Pokemon he would always understand, regardless of species, it would be…

“Pikachu?”

The Sprigatito nodded. “The one and only… though I’m a bit more green now, if you couldn’t tell.” He yawned, stretching his back. “I dunno, guess I’m Sprigatito now? Not exactly opposed or anything… this is pretty comfy… seriously, no wonder Leavanny was so chill all the time… “ 

Ash glanced around, making sure nobody was listening in, before kneeling down, lowering his voice into a whisper as he talked to his partner. 

“How are you a Sprigatito? Me being in a new body by myself, I can get… but how are you-”

“I dunno, I was just in a dream, and this voice was like “Hey, what do you wanna be?” and I basically just said “I dunno, whatever’s nice and fun and works for my best bud…” Pikachu glared at him. “I sure hope this works well with you, otherwise I’m going to find that dream voice and give him a run for his money.”

“I… uh… yeah, it’s fine.” 

Pikachu yawned. “Good, let’s get this show on the road then… hurry up, if you don’t mind… this table is not very comfy and I’m already missing my shoulder spot…”

Before Ash could react, another trainer appeared, and immediately attempted to reach for Sprigatito. Ash practically pounced on his mouse-turned cat, holding him tightly to his chest. He gave the trainer his best death glare, and the trainer sheepishly turned away, pretending as though they had never interacted with either Ash or the Sprigatito in the first place. 

Pikachu, now Sprigatito, immediately scampered out of Ash’s arms, taking his rightful place on Ash’s shoulder. Ash chuckled, scratching Pikachu beneath his chin, as he made his way back to his seat. Sprigatito struggled to hold his place on Ash’s shoulder, complaining about it being “way too small” and about “having too many legs to hold onto one thing” the whole way back. Eventually, when Ash took his seat, Sprigatito leapt onto the table, instantaneously curling into catnap position. Ash grinned.

“I thought you wanted the shoulder spot?”

Sprigatito opened one eye with mild annoyance. “Not anymore. Your shoulders are too weird now.” He glanced upwards at Ash’s head. “...Your hair looks extra comfy, though.”

Ash chuckled slightly, petting his partner on the head. “We’ll test that when we’re back in my dorm. I don’t think anyone here is going to be too impressed if we try and fail it now.”

“You’ve got a dorm now?” Sprigatito smirked. “How many years, and here we are, only just now getting proper housing for ourselves.”

“Heh, well, I mean…” Ash paused as a thought struck him. “Wait, what do you mean a voice let you choose what you looked like!? I didn’t get that!”

Sprigatito quickly scanned an eye over Ash, nodding. “Yeah, I can tell.”

“What’s that supposed to mean!?”

Before Sprigatito could continue, the pair were interrupted by Ann, who arrived holding an Oshawott in her arms. It had a mischievous smile on its face, one it shared with its trainer.

“Hey hey, Liko, look at my new partner! Isn’t he just a cutie?”

Sprigatito raised an eyebrow. “Liko? Your name’s…?” Sprigatito immediately began to burst into a laughing fit, his giggles barely suppressed for the sake of Ash’s self-conscience. “Liko… that’s gotta be the dumbest name I’ve ever heard!” 

“Yeah, and be lucky I haven’t named you Beatrice.” 

Sprigatito’s laughter died out immediately. “...You wouldn’t.”

Ash winked. “Who says I haven’t already… Beatrice?” 

Sprigatito cringed, disgust filling the little cat’s face, as Ann practically dive bombed the little Pokemon. She snatched the cat in her hands, immediately showering it with affection.

“Oh my gosh, Liko, you didn’t tell me you were gonna choose possibly the cutest thing I’ve ever seen as your partner!”

Sprigatito immediately reflexed, only to realize he didn’t have the ability to shoot Thunderbolts on command anymore. He glared at Ash, his eyes a distant cry for help, but Ash was happy to let Ann indulge in Sprigatito’s “cuteness” for a little while longer. Fair was fair, in his book. 

“Oh man, Liko, she is just the sweetest thing… look at her! I could just cuddle her for hours!”

Both Sprigatito and Ash picked up on the key part of Ann’s sentence at the same time.

“He’s a girl!?”

“I’m a girl!?”

Ann paused, looking at Ash curiously. “Huh, you didn’t know that? I thought it was pretty obvious.”

Sprigatito squirmed out of Ann’s grip, landing on the desk gracefully, as he looked himself over. He paled in realization. 

“Shoot… She's right.” He looked up at Ash, terrified, but instantly relaxed, shrugging. “Oh well, at least my sister will be happy if I ever see her again.”

Ash was preparing to ask about when Sprigatito possibly could have had a sister, but Ann immediately decided to dump more fuel into the metaphorical fire.

“But yep, you guys are a pair of identical sisters in a pod! You’re gonna get along great, I just know it.”

Ash paled, looking himself over as things finally clicked into place for him. He looked at Sprigatito, who was unimpressed, shrugging, as if it should’ve been obvious in the first place. Ash shied away from Pikachu, anxiously eyeing the floor.

“Aw, look at you two, gettin’ all embarrassed. You two are gonna be absolute besties by the end of this week, lemme tell ya!” 

Ann rambled some more, praising the bravery and initiative of her new partner Oshawott. Oshawott attempted to show how “cool” he was to Sprigatito, but one glare seemingly was all that was needed to establish Sprigatito’s superior strength. Ash and Ann chatted some more, but soon, the class began to fill out, ready for a free half-day courtesy of the partner selection, and Ann dashed off, spewing out explanations of needing to go shopping for another friend’s birthday party. The moment she was gone, Ash began to leave, with Sprigatito making sure to take a resting position on his head before he could leave. 

One destination found. The next...? 

Chapter Text

The moment the pair entered Ash’s dorm, Sprigatito leapt off of his head, immediately making sure to snatch the window spot all for herself. Ash, meanwhile, practically leapt onto his bed, exhaustion overwhelming him. Sprigatito eyed him from the other end of the room, and the two sat in silence for what felt like an eternity. Sprigatito, concerned, eventually spoke up. 

“So… uh… Ash… Liko? I dunno, what do you want to go by?” 

Ash groaned. “I have no clue… I’ll work it out tomorrow. Who knows, maybe this is all a temporary thing, and-”

“Not happening. The guy in my dream clarified this was a permanent thing.” 

“Seriously, why did you get so much more information than I did? I got a hastily slapped note in a diary, meanwhile you got an entire prophetic vision.”

Sprigatito shrugged. “I think it’s just because I’m the favorite.” 

Ash smirked. “Hey, no one was saying you weren’t, little buddy.” Ash stretched, sitting up on his bed, as he turned to face his feline friend. “Say, did your dream tell you anything else important?”

“Outside of the voice being pretty uncertain about how to do things, not really.” Sprigatito eyed the window. “I just woke up in a Poke Ball, and here I am.” He glared at Ash. “You better not stuff me back in there, for the record.”

“Not planning on it.” Ash paused, realizing something. “Let me fire back one of your questions. Do you want to go by Sprigatito now?”

“Yep.” Sprigatito stretched, getting up. “If I’m the cool girl Sprigatito now, then I’m gonna rock the cool girl Sprigatito style.” Sprigatito smirked. “Boy, if I ever see Bayleef again, I am so gonna rub it in her face that I am the cooler girl Grass-type starter here.” 

“What about Snivy?”

Sprigatito paled. “I think Snivy would end me if I even dared to try one-upping her.”

Ash laughed. “I guess you’re still scared of some things, eh partner?”

“Oh, har har.” Sprigatito rolled her eyes. “If you don’t decide what name you’re going with soon, I’m going to start calling you Ashley out of spite.”

Ash paled. “You wouldn’t.”

“I would.” She pridefully smirked. “You call me Beatrice, I call you Ashley. It’s only fair.”

“The Beatrice thing was a joke!” 

“Maybe it was, maybe it wasn’t. I’m a cruel cat, what can I say?” 

The two friends sat for a while longer, exchanging back and forth jokes as if nothing had ever happened at all. In Ash’s mind, it was comforting to have something of a familiar presence with him again… even if that presence happened to be a mildly irritable cat now.  

“Oh yeah, by the way, Ash.” Sprigatito suddenly turned stern. “What’s the game plan? I doubt you’re gonna be staying in this rich, stuck-up school forever. This very much does not feel like your thing.” 

“It isn’t, but…” Ash sighed. “Do you know what day it is today?”

“I dunno. Mother’s Day? You’re a bit late on getting her a gift.” 

“It’s April 1st. It’s the exact day we left out on our journey together.” Ash looked out the window. A thunderstorm was picking up on the horizon. “We’ve been sent back in time, Pikachu. We can’t go and contact anyone we know, because then we’d interfere with our own past… and I don’t want to risk ruining any of the times we had together.”

“So it’s a waiting game, then?” Sprigatito eyed him, puzzled. “We wait a few years, suddenly you disappear and then reappear again, except with a cute little makeover? Misty’s gonna have a field day, you know.”

“I’m not sure…” He sighed, looking around the room. “I’d love to just sit by and wait… but…”

Sprigatito’s face lit up. “Oh, I know that look. I can just tell you’re itching to hit the road again!”

Ash smiled. “You know me too well, partner.”

“Well, what are we waiting for?” Sprigatito got up, raring with energy. “Let’s go and ditch this shindig!”

“Wait, I didn’t mean just yet!”

“What did you mean, then?” Sprigatito’s face dropped. “Oh no. You don’t mean to tell me that you’re actually considering going to school?”

“Well, look, the only one I went to was the one in Alola, and that didn’t teach me much beyond battling, so…”

“Ash, we’re a Pokemon and trainer duo who wander the road and survive entirely off the kindness of strangers. We don’t need a basic education when we can just Pokemon battle our way out of everything.” 

“I know, but…” Ash sighed. “I think Ann mentioned that there’s a remote option for schooling. Maybe we could try that?”

“Won’t “Liko’s” parents be a bit miffed that their wonderful and illustrious daughter is ditching school in favor of becoming a traveling vagabond?”

Ash blinked. “Oh. Right. I have parents.” 

Sprigatito facepalmed. “You didn’t even look into this girl’s backstory, did you?”

Ash shrugged. “Look, I was in a bit of a rush earlier, alright? All I got was basic info.” 

Sprigatito sighed, eyeing the book conspicuously laid out on the floor. She eyed it, motioning towards it with her paw, and Ash groaned. 

“You’re not serious, are you?”

“It’s your life, Ash. You gotta learn at least the basics about what Liko’s whole shtick is before you go running off to the boonies hoping to find some way to get back home.” 

Ash looked back at the book, and, albeit reluctantly, reached for it, flipping back to the very first page.

“Fine, but you’re reading with me.”

Sprigatito’s face lit up. “Oh, goodie! Future blackmail. Let me at em.”

Ash smirked as Sprigatito snuggled up next to him on his bed. He lifted the book up, starting on page one. 

“Dear diary. Today, I turned four years-” Ash paused, checking the date. “Wait, how far back does this go !?”

Sprigatito ignored him, pointing at the paper. “Oh, apparently you got a special Pikachu-themed night light because you were scared of the dark.” She smirked. “How adorable. Did you miss me that much?” 

Ash had a feeling he was in for a long night.

Chapter Text

Ash, despite Sprigatito’s insistence, spent the next few days continuing to stay at school. Outside of his Pokemon’s badgering, Ann’s snoring, and the pain of math class, it was genuinely a fun experience for him. His classmates were fun, any would-be bullies got shooed off by Sprigatito death glaring them, and his performance was consistently good. If it weren’t for the fact he needed to return to his life, he would have been content to stay there for many more weeks or months… perhaps years.

Ash had followed up on what Ann had said and went to check out the online schooling system. It was apparently designed for if a student needed to work from abroad due to circumstances outside of their control. In Ash’s case, all he needed to say was that a very close family Pokemon got stranded in some far off region, and per his “family’s” request, he needed to go out and take a look. It was a perfect plan, and it wouldn’t even necessitate sneaking out of the window in the middle of the night, as much as Sprigatito had practically begged him to do that at least once. 

In preparation for his departure, Ash had researched Liko’s diary, and it unfortunately didn’t help him much. He had practically gotten “his” entire life story, and while it was a very memorable life, it didn’t help him decipher much of Liko’s “standard” personality or motivations. She seemed a bit shy, though given Ash’s outwardness, it seemed that specific trait didn’t have much of a reason to be worried about. 

He did, however, learn of Liko’s family. She apparently had a mother, father, and grandmother: anyone else was either deceased many years ago, or so far abroad that the girl had never met them before. Ash could only get parts of who they were from the fragmented diary entries, but they seemed to be kind, caring people whom Liko could depend on. It was good for him, because it meant he might have a good chance at explaining his situation without any hostility should he ever come across them.

“So, wait, how does this whole shtick work, anyway?” asked Sprigatito one morning, as Ash was digging into a bowl of cereal in the school lunchroom. “If the note said you just apparated into existence, how do you have an entire life and backstory to work with? Is the family not real? Did they come into existence with you? What gives?”

Ash, too busy chomping down spoonful after spoonful of cereal, shrugged Sprigatito’s concerns off, deciding to label it as a “later problem.” He’d probably have to interact with at least some of them at some point, at least if they did actually exist, but meeting them wouldn’t need to happen until later… Probably… Hopefully. 

Eventually, though, after a few more days of prep time, some discussion with the administration office, and some talk with his new friend Ann, Ash prepared to depart for the wider world, albeit with his Rotom Phone, so he could continue remote schooling, and so he could contact Ann, who insisted that Ash retain her number so the two could “gossip” about Ash’s adventures and Ann’s school life. Everything was set, and eventually, the fateful night came for his departure. 

Having finished schooling for the day, which involved some impromptu exams before he was fully able to leave, Ash stretched in front of the window. The cool air that night smelled of freedom, reminiscent of what he had felt the night he had left on his journey for the first time. It was a feeling Ash wished to relish in a little longer. Sprigatito watched her trainer with interest from the bed; despite her usual laidback nature, she was alert and ready for the slightest of signs that Ash was ready to leave. 

“You gonna take any longer at that window? I swear, stay there any longer and you’re practically gonna be putting on a theater performance for the random passerby out there.” 

Ash annoyingly glared at Sprigatito, before glancing back at the window one last time. The moon was shining brightly, its soft glow embracing the area around him. As the winds blew past, he breathed in once more, and he knew then was ready to leave. 

“You’re right. Enough waiting. Let’s go, Pika… Sprigatito!”

Sprigatito snorted. “Still getting used to it, eh?”

Ash chuckled. “Kind of. You know how it is.” 

Ash made his way to the door, but Sprigatito stayed in place on the bed. Ash stopped, confused, and Sprigatito simply patted a bulge in the covers next to him. Ash hadn’t noticed the bulge before, and, curious, pulled back the sheets, finding a hastily put together parcel, labeled messily with Ann’s name on the front. Despite the less and stellar make-up, Ash instinctually smiled. Opening up the parcel, he found a bag, labeled with a local clothing store’s logo, and a letter, which appeared to be handwritten by Ann- and rather cleanly, for once.  

What’s up bestie? I know you’re leaving soon, and I know how sad that’s gonna make both you and me. We were practically the coolest girl on girl duo the whole school had ever seen… I hope you come back in person for the next school year, man. I know we’re gonna talk practically ALL the time when you’re out and about traveling, but I’m gonna miss ya physically, ya know?

In any case, I noticed you kind of shipped in with only the Academy uniforms. Seriously, in all of  our little bits of girl time, you never once changed out of that boring plaid thing. So, I used my absolutely incredible expertise in fashion to craft you the cutest possible little getup for your travels. Hope ya like it, cause there’s no refunds, bestie. Sorry, not sorry. 

In any case, good luck out there! You better keep yourself safe, or else I’m gonna chew you out the moment you come back! And, P.S, if little Spriggy comes back with even a single hair out of place, you’re getting the full course of Aria’s Pokemon Hair Care routine videos on our TV, ya hear? You ain’t escaping this movie night! 

Catch ya later, bestie. 

Ash grabbed the wrinkled plastic bag from the bed, scanning it over. Breathing in, he reached inside, scooping out the bag’s contents. He found- delicately placed on a coat hanger- a white shirt, black shorts, a thin, light blue coat, and a pair of socks and sneakers, the latter still having the price tag attached to them. He looked over the whole outfit, judging its design, until he noticed that there was more inside of the bag. He dug inside again, this time finding a second set of the same outfit, though this one was slightly more wrinkled than the prior set. He smiled, and silently thanked Ann under his breath.

“Sprigatito, could you look away for two minutes?”

“Already doing that, buddy. No matter what body you’re in, you’re still incredibly ugly compared to my beautiful face.”

Ash feigned incredulous as he smirked at his partner. “You gonna talk like that around Snivy?”

Sprigatito glared at him. “Don’t you dare invoke her name.”

Ash giggled to himself as Sprigatito turned away. The cat eyed the wall with an obvious disinterest, occasionally breaking her focus with yawns as she patiently waited for her trainer behind her. Eventually, Ash gave the signal that he was ready, and Sprigatito turned, finding Ash changed into his new outfit, with his knapsack now strapped across his chest. Ash scratched the back of his head nervously.

“So, uh… how do I look?”

“Bit of a deviation from your usual style, but it still carries the same vibes to it.” Sprigatito raised an eyebrow. “Knapsack at the front? Really?”

“Hey, I mean, I thought “Well, it’s a bit too small for the back” and then I kinda shifted it here to test it out, and it honestly feels like it’s gonna slip off way less-”

“Yeah yeah quit yapping. You had me at “too small.”

Ash smirked. “And what’s that supposed to insinuate?”

“That you’re short. And that’s coming from the one who rides on your head. Seriously, I’m not getting much of a view up there.” 

Ash huffed, but ignored her as he turned to leave. Sprigatito, however, still refused to budge. 

“You’re forgetting something.”

“What?”

“Our first night here, we decided you’d talk about the whole Ash-Liko thing tomorrow. It’s been two weeks at this point.” Sprigatito glared at him. “So come on, tell a girl what she wants to know. Which are you rolling with?” 

Ash went silent, eyeing Sprigatito silently for a few moments, before speaking up again.

“I think… I think I’ll be going with Liko.”

Sprigatito raised an eyebrow. “Oh? How come?”

“Well, if I’m back in time, I don’t want to potentially confuse anyone I meet. If there’s two Ashes running around doing world saving feats, it’s gonna get confusing really quickly… who knows what that’ll mess up?” 

Sprigatito smirked. “And it’s totally not because you like the name in any way.”

“Nope!” responded Liko, perhaps far too quickly. “Totally not. Just to make sure time goes as it should, y’know?”

Sprigatito rolled her eyes. “Yeah, whatever you say, Ms. Yonder.”

Liko’s face flushed with embarrassment. “How did you-”

“I can read, y’know, and you don’t exactly hide your school ID when you use it at lunch.” 

Sprigatito giggled madly at her friend’s embarrassment, and Liko eventually began to laugh alongside her. Sprigatito happily leapt onto Liko’s arm, climbing onto her head and curling into a pile on top. Liko smiled, and as she walked out of the door, she made sure to turn off the light in her dorm as she departed for broader horizons. 

Outside, from afar, a man watched Liko leave through his binoculars. The man, his hair parted into two colors, regarded what he saw with little emotion, cold calculation running across his face. He threw a Poke Ball, releasing a Corviknight into the air. 

“So… Liko Yonder.” The man regarded the name coldly. “You have what I want, whether you know it or not… and if there’s one thing you should know about me…” He clenched his fist. “Is that I, Amethio, always get my way… one way or another.”