Capítulo 1: 1,2
Ash Ketchum – trainer of Pallet Town, winner of the Orange League and increasingly close runner up in five other regional tournaments – was... confused.
He was floating in black, empty nothingness. No light, no sound, nothing to use as a reference point – and, at first, he wasn't sure how he'd ended up there.
When he tried to remember, instead of the most recent moments he found something strange happening. His mind went straight back to the earliest moments he could remember – flicking past at astonishing speed, as though his whole life were flashing before his eyes on fast forward.
A few things stood out, as though he was slowing down to think about them more clearly.
The first time he saw a Pokémon, at barely two years of age, when Professor Oak – taking care of him when Ash's mother was shopping – was called away suddenly and Ash and Gary were left under the supervision of his distinguished old Arcanine, a gentle Pokémon, but a terror in battle decades before when Samuel Oak was the League Champion.
Only reviewing this long forgotten past now did Ash truly realize that he had felt things differently. Other people, he knew, would feel the heat running under the Fire Pokémon's fur. But few would feel the surging, volcanic power in Arcanine's body just from being near – faintly, but still somehow there to be felt.
Ash hadn't mentioned it at the time, or later. He simply assumed that was what people felt. But now, he was older – and made a connection which suddenly seemed obvious.
Aura, he thought. I can feel his Aura. The gentle amusement, the tiny little part of his mind always on the ready for danger. It's just like that Riolu back in Sinnoh... and Lucario.
The memory dissolved, and his life played itself out again, perhaps a little slower than before.
The time he was five, at Cinnabar island on the black sand beaches, and a snatch of haunting song floated through the air.
I know that music… Ash realized. But how? What would Lugia have been doing this far north of Shamouti? Could it be... because of me? The prophecy said I was the Chosen One...
Eight, playing in the copse of trees at the end of the road that led to the sea. It was all one big argument with Gary, more than playing... but, as this memory played out like the others, there was a glimpse of something in the trees. Barely a flash, but the memory stopped. And Ash marvelled. This was not what he had expected to find in his childhood.
For what was unmistakably Suicune was in the underbrush, observing for but a moment.
The memory moved on, and the legendary Pokémon vanished in a blue blur.
The Ash of the past had dismissed it as unimportant, but this Ash – who knew Suicune, and had even ridden the master of the North wind – recognized it as real.
He saw his dreams as well now, running through each night in barely a second, but the pattern was becoming clear now he saw them in succession.
Ash dreamed of Pokémon.
Only those he had seen, and touched, himself – but they were all there, every night. Not for the whole dream, but always there, like stronger versions of memories.
Ash wondered.
And that question was answered when his memory passed one sad night in November, the year before he had set off on his journey, when Oak's old Arcanine had passed away in his sleep. At nearly fifty, he had had a good run, but he had been a noble friend and the town was saddened by his loss.
And Ash no longer dreamed of Arcanine.
"...a strong link..."
Continue.
As the rush of memories approached the present, Ash could catch more and more details until it was almost like reliving the events in fast forward. And those memories now were mostly very happy ones.
When he first met Pikachu, that rocky start which turned into a shining, unbreakable bond. Gym battles, applying himself to training and strategy, meeting all his Pokémon...
He saw his Pidgeot – as Pidgeotto – with a guilty start. In the excitement of the Orange Islands, and Johto, and later Hoenn and Sinnoh and Unova... he had all but forgotten his promise to come back for her.
Then there was something – new.
Ash watched in surprise as he and his friends travelled through a storm to an island he didn't remember seeing, and met... Mewtwo. But rather than being the compassionate recluse he remembered, this Mewtwo was bitter and violent.
Watching closely as this unknown chapter of his life unfolded, Ash saw it all. The clones, the battle... his death, and his resurrection.
It was awe-inspiring to watch, the more so when he realized that he had been the one to make such a difference in Mewtwo.
After that, there were no more big surprises – just the reminder of everything he'd done, crystal clear instead of being crowded out by the moment.
Falling from great heights. Wielding the blue flame of Aura. More falling from great heights. Being possessed by an ancient king... and, of course, his friendships with all his Pokémon.
Finally, the moving narrative passed New Tork and reached the present – travelling with Iris and Cilan through the Decolore islands, knowing that their adventure together was soon to end but unwilling to admit it.
And then...
There had been a heavy feeling in the air, and everything had suddenly seemed wrong. The very air felt alien-
And then blackness, and this.
Ash swallowed a lump in his throat. Pikachu... everyone... what happened?
A moment later, a voice reached him.
"So."
It sounded... familiar.
"What do you think?"
He will suffice.
This second voice was even more familiar – but Ash couldn't quite place it. More, it was a mental voice – telepathy – but with such intensity it seemed to touch his very core.
"No need to be so mellow about it – the kid's a natural. More so than I ever was."
Nevertheless, you will need to train him.
"I can't argue with that," the first voice agreed. Closer, this time – or it sounded closer, at least.
It wasn't as if Ash had a ruler.
One week. I can hold the separation for that long, but no longer – the weight of what wants to be is pressing down from all directions.
"It'll be enough – like I said, he's a natural."
Suddenly Ash was standing on a solid surface. He could move, he could feel and see – and then he saw who had been speaking.
Even for his adventure-filled life, it was a shock.
Sir Aaron of Cameran Castle, Hero of the Wave, stood before him in the black void. Fully dressed, and with a crooked smile on his face.
"So, Ash Ketchum," the hero said. "It's nice to meet you at last."
Ash took a few minutes to stop gaping.
"So... the world ended?" Ash asked, frowning.
"Exactly which is why it's not there any more," Sir Aaron agreed, sitting cross-legged on solid nothingness. "This is all the boss was able to protect."
He shrugged. "From what I was told, this Cyrus guy-"
"Cyrus?" Ash interrupted. "But... he disappeared! I watched it happen!"
Sir Aaron pursed his lips. "Well, whatever might have happened, he came back – and managed, this time, to get Dialga, Palkia and Giratina."
A sigh. "Some people are just the wrong kind of lunatics – crazy enough to be worrying, competent enough to be dangerous. So he managed to get them, and get control of them, and remake the world in his own image."
Ash winced. "What happened?"
"Well, the universe... basically started to come apart at the seams. None of the Celebi could help because Dialga's power was changing the rules of time, and as for trying to intervene..."
"How come we're here, then?" Ash asked. "Was it this... boss, you mentioned?"
"All in good time, Ash," Sir Aaron said. "Now – you saw your life, and so did we. That pointed out a few things to us – one of them, in particular, has to do with Aura."
"Right, like when we went up the Tree of Beginning," Ash agreed. "Sorry about what happened to Lucario, I..."
He shook his head.
"It doesn't matter, Ash," Sir Aaron said. "You were there with him at the end, that's more than you could be expected to do without any training... speaking of which, what you did at the Tree showed that you've got natural talent with Aura. I mean, a lot of natural talent."
Ash blinked.
"Most novitiates can barely feel their own Aura," Sir Aaron informed him. "If you'd been around in my day, I'd have snatched you up as an apprentice before anyone else could!"
Sir Aaron smirked for a moment, at some unexplained joke. "Anyway," he went on, "I'm going to train you in how to use it."
"Train me – but... what's the point? I mean," Ash added hastily, "if the world ended."
"All in good time," Sir Aaron repeated. "Now – you used these gloves. Do you know what they do?"
"Well, I guess they make using Aura easier?" Ash shrugged.
"That's pretty close. They actually work by resonating with a natural Aura frequency – specifically, that of the great warrior Sir Aaron."
Ash chuckled.
"You might have heard of him, I think he lives around here," Sir Aaron went on. "I might even have his phone number."
That was incongruous enough Ash noticed. "You know what a phone is?"
"The boss kept me up to date. Yeah, I know," Sir Aaron chuckled along with him. "Anyway, that means that for you to use them you have to have the same frequency. Which is an incredible coincidence."
Again, that unexplained joke.
"And that means they're kind of an aid, like a bicycle is compared to walking. They give you extra power, but they also make it easier to do things..."
It had been a long week, a week in which Ash found himself needing neither sleep nor food – one where every single hour was focused on training.
Sir Aaron had focused on two things, explaining that they'd be important to get straight now and that the rest could wait for when he had time to train and practice 'later'. When 'later' was was never explained, but it was all so interesting that Ash just kept learning exactly what Sir Aaron told him he had to learn.
Surprisingly, combat was not on the list – Ash learned a bit of the basics, how to form a shield that lasted a few wobbly seconds and to throw an Aura Sphere, but that was apparently in the category of 'learn later'. Instead, Sir Aaron first taught him how to train his Aura and how to sense when he was doing well, and then he went down an alley into the mental uses of Aura.
Ash refined his ability to sense a familiar Aura signature, and how to see things on the other side of solid walls. He learned how to feel the thoughts of someone nearby and familiar, and a little bit of how to defend his own mind.
Strangely, it was the ability to touch the mind of someone else which Sir Aaron seemed happiest about – though his only explanation was what had become his mantra. All in good time.
Then, after what felt like seven days of solid effort, Sir Aaron stopped in the middle of explaining how Aura could strengthen the body.
"What is it?" Ash asked, as the knight stood. "Is something wrong?"
"No," Sir Aaron replied.
Then, out of the darkness stepped – Arceus.
The creator deity, the Original One. And someone Ash had saved the life of once, though it was thousands of years in the past and may have retroactively been unnecessary.
He is ready?
Ash jumped at the sheer presence. Unwounded and hale, Arceus's mental voice seemed to be more real than Ash himself.
But Sir Aaron merely nodded. "Yes, he's ready."
Very good. Explain to him what I am about to do.
Sir Aaron nodded, and turned to look Ash in the eye. "The only way Arceus found to prevent Cyrus destroying the world was to prevent it from happening in the first place. So he asked the world beyond – which is unaffected, as yet – whether there was anyone who could help."
Aaron smiled. "And, as it happened, you've got a couple of people back there who think highly of you."
He held up two fingers, and tapped the first one. "First, there's my old friend Lucario – he recommended you straight away. And secondly... there was the Latios whose soul was in the Soul Dew in Altomare."
"Whoa," Ash said, trying to get his head around that little detail.
"So, with that reminder and those references, Arceus and I decided to test you – and we have, in a way."
"How?" Ash asked.
"We saw your past – you probably noticed?" At Ash's nod, Sir Aaron went on. "And we were both impressed – it's not everyone who saves the world once, let alone how many times you did... especially considering you're still a teenager. So the choice was clear."
Sir Aaron took a deep breath.
"We're sending you back in time to change all this," he said.
"There's a reward, of course," the knight went on. "For a start, there's how you're now trained in Aura... that's just one thing, of course. There's others, which you'll find out later – and the most important one is this – you can choose the time you go back to. It'll be your mind in your younger body, so you can essentially do things again. I know it'll be hard for you, but… trust in your friends, you won't be alone."
Sir Aaron held up a hand to forestall any questions. "Hold on, I think Arceus is ready."
Indeed I am.
Arceus stepped aside, to reveal what had been in his shadow. I have created a second Dialga, twin to the one outside. It has the task of sending you back, however far you want to go.
Ash barely even had to think about it.
"I want to go back to the day I met Pikachu – the day my journey began, when I first set off from Pallet."
Sir Aaron laughed. "Ha! Told you, you great lump."
Arceus looked displeased. I thought 'any day but then' was good odds...
"Wait..." Ash pointed. "Were you two betting on me or something?"
"Er..." Sir Aaron tugged his collar. "Nooo?"
"Somehow, I don't believe you," Ash replied.
Now, Dialga!
In that second of absolute stillness, Ash thought to himself – using the, or a, Legendary Pokémon capable of controlling time simply to avoid having to answer some awkward questions... that really took some beating.
Then there was a roar, and he fell into blackness.
Sir Aaron folded his arms. "Well, that deals with that. What happens next?"
I admit to some surprise... I had thought the timeline would change instantly, Arceus admitted. I've never had to use the failsafe before.
"Dia?" the young Dialga asked.
"This is serious!" Sir Aaron said. "We could be stuck in here for months or years with nothing to entertain ourselves!"
I created the universe and everything in it. I could always use that massive cosmic power to... create a deck of cards?
Dialga perked up. "A! Alga!"
Sir Aaron took a step back. "It's really strange seeing the controller of time jump around like an excited puppy."
He is ten minutes old, what do you expect? Now, quiet, Arceus admonished. I need to create a few packs. Perhaps some dice, too.
"Can you get Lucario?" Sir Aaron asked. "We need four for a good game."
I... can't find him, Arceus admitted, his Spooky Plate pulsing. I suspect that, as his death is no longer certain, he is no longer there.
"That's somehow unfair..." Sir Aaron sighed.
2
Ash woke up, groggy, and almost disoriented by the first thing he saw – a room that should have been familiar to him.
The room he'd grown up in. The same bed, walls, window… it was jarring, and Ash yawned before trying to focus.
Had he dreamed it all? Not just the bit where he'd learned from Sir Aaron, but the whole of his trip to Unova?
It seemed so vivid…
Then he focused on the calendar, and the broken alarm clock on the floor.
Either he hadn't dreamed any of it, or he'd dreamed all of it. Everything from the moment he'd left Pallet Town, all his time with Pikachu and Bulbasaur and Charizard… there was so much that had happened, and it seemed almost impossible to think about.
It had to have been real. All of it. And now Ash was ten years old again, and about to go and get his first Pokémon… and he was late.
There'd still be a Pokémon waiting for him, no matter how long he waited, but Ash thought about that for only a few seconds before stumbling out of bed and grabbing for his clothes.
By the time he got to the Oak Labs, trying not to break into a sprint, the crowd that had been there to send off the other trainers had dispersed a bit. Most of them were following Gary, who… Ash had almost forgotten, but Gary had driven around a sports car when he left Pallet Town.
Ash didn't think he'd ever got an explanation for that, but, then, Gary had grown up a lot over the last few years.
And so had Ash.
Shaking his head, Ash went to the lab itself, and Professor Oak opened the door.
"Ah, Ash my boy," he said, a little sourly. "I see you've… finally arrived for the start of your Pokémon Journey. Though, sorry to say, there aren't many Pokémon left here at the lab. You might not get the choice of Pokémon you were thinking of."
There was a sort of electric tingle in Ash's skin as he tried his best to look disappointed.
"Sorry, Professor," he said. "I really do want to get going, honest. I just overslept… I was too excited, I couldn't get to sleep last night."
Oak smiled. "Well, I know how that goes… I still remember setting off on my journey, but as you get older you get less worked up about such things. It's easier to remember how important it is, or how important it isn't. But… well, I hope you won't be disappointed, but the only Pokémon left in the entire lab is this wild Pikachu I caught last week, when it tried to eat the power cables."
"Power cables?" Ash asked, trying not to laugh – and wishing he'd heard that one last time. "Well, I'm sure it'll be fine, Professor."
He reached up to his cap. "I wouldn't be much of an awesome trainer if I couldn't handle something like that!"
Professor Oak chuckled. "Ah, of course. How could I forget the Awesome rule? To be young…"
He dropped the Pokéball into Ash's waiting hands, and that electric tingle in Ash's skin spiked so hard Ash thought he even saw a glow from his own Aura.
No sooner was the familiar Pokéball in his hands than he opened it.
He couldn't help it. This Pikachu remembered nothing of their time together… the trials they'd faced… but he was still Pikachu. They were still going to be Ash and Pikachu, as close as brothers, and Ash would make it happen. He wouldn't accept anything else.
Even if Pikachu rejected him, at first.
They could make it work.
They'd have to, no matter how hard it-
Pikachu materialized on the counter, looking puzzled, then dove into Ash's arms with enough force to knock his new trainer to the floor. "Pikapi!"
Ash's Aura senses were trained, now, and he realized it instantly. Somehow, impossibly, Pikachu remembered.
Every day they'd spent together. Every triumph and hardship.
They'd all shared every last moment.
It was what Sir Aaron had said.
He wouldn't be alone.
"Well, uh, Professor…" Ash began, after patting Pikachu on the head a few times, and getting to his feet. "I think you were exaggerating about how difficult this Pikachu was to handle."
Pikachu shocked him for that one, but it was only a tease, and just made Ash smile.
"I certainly thought I wasn't," Professor Oak replied. "You have a true talent with Pokémon, Ash."
It was only as Ash was leaving, and when he'd already seen his mom with a little crowd to see him off, that he realized – Professor Oak, Samuel Oak, or Sam, certainly did know that Ash would have a Pikachu as his closest companion. Maybe even Pikachu himself. And the only question was how soon.
What would have happened if Ash had got up early? Would Oak have just guessed? Or would Ash have ended up with Pikachu somehow anyway?
Time travel could give you a headache.
"Oh, Ash!" his mom called. "Here's your bag! You forgot it when you left in such a rush this morning."
Ash took the bag, embarrassed. "Heh, thanks… sorry about that. And, I think I broke my alarm clock…"
"Well, you won't need it for a while, if you're off on your journey now, will you," Delia said, then searched for a distraction from how choked up she was sounding. "Oh, what Pokémon did you get, Ash? And where's their Pokéball?"
Pikachu waved, from Ash's back, then sprang up to stand on Ash's head. "Pika-Pikachu!"
"I don't think I'm going to be keeping Pikachu in his Pokéball," Ash replied. "I guess I should really ask any Pokémon before putting them in their Pokéball, but I already know Pikachu doesn't like his one."
That reminded him to check some time about how many Pokémon he could carry at a time. It was definitely only six in a full battle, but could he carry more than six with him? Even if it was only to stay in touch with more of his Pokémon at once?
It was always important to train up his new Pokémon, and get to know them, but all his Pokémon were his friends and it would be great to be able to keep more of them around at a time.
"Pikapi!" Pikachu called, tugging on Ash's bag straps to remind him, and Ash shrugged his bag on as some of the other men and women from Pallet Town said goodbye and reminded him about little things to keep track of on the road. Then the Electric-type jumped down onto Ash's bag and pointed imperiously in the direction of Viridian City.
"Oh, thanks, Pikachu!" Ash said. "Sorry, mom, I guess I'd better get going… Pikachu's even more eager than I am…"
Ash was an experienced walker now, and he wasn't dealing with an arguing Pokémon the whole way. But his legs weren't experienced, so about halfway from Pallet to Viridian he slowed down, then swung his bag off his shoulders and sat down for a rest.
And not just a rest.
"I guess you're wondering what happened, right?" Ash asked.
Pikachu nodded. "Pika…"
He squished his face together and twitched his ears, making a pretty good go at Celebi, and Ash nodded.
"Yeah," he agreed, then sighed. "I don't… completely follow, myself, but I know some stuff. You remember what happened at Cameran Castle, with Lucario?"
"Pi-pi?" Pikachu said, waving his paw – he hadn't been there for half of it, after all – and Ash nodded, getting what his Starter meant straight away.
"And with that Riolu that Hunter J was trying to steal, and the Pokémon Ranger?" he said. "I know you were there for that."
Pikachu nodded.
"Well, I guess I'm really good at doing that, using Aura, because I could do it at all without training. And, well… something really bad happened. So bad that Arceus came and sent me back in time, because I guess it's always me."
That much was familiar enough that Pikachu sighed. "Chaaa…"
"I know," Ash said. "And because I guess I was the best choice. But… I'm so glad you're here with me, Pikachu. I don't know how, but I wouldn't know what to do without you."
He took a deep breath. "But, now we need to think about what to do next. We need to visit Cameran Castle to pick up Sir Aaron's gloves, but even if we go straight there that's further than Brock's gym. And I don't want to just… skip doing my Pokémon journey. But I don't know what to do, Pikachu…"
He lay back with a groan. "I don't know if I should catch Pokémon I didn't last time or not. I don't know if I could take it, without thinking about how much I missed the Pokémon I did catch."
"Pika, Pikapi," Pikachu said. "Pi-Pikachu!"
He posed like Butterfree, then Pidgeot, and Ash nodded. "I guess, yeah, if I can find them," he agreed. "Whether or not this happens again with them. But how am I supposed to know Caterpie from just any random Caterpie? How am I supposed to recognize him?"
Pikachu snorted, then covered his eyes. "Pikapi…"
Aura sight. Of course.
There was something trying to get Ash's attention, something reminding him of the tingle in his fingers when he'd taken Pikachu's Pokéball for the first time, but Ash couldn't quite work it out – and Pikachu was right, of course. Aura sight was… a solution, maybe even the best solution, and it had certainly let him keep track of that Riolu he remembered so vividly.
Ash focused, and the sensation rose up in his eyes, and he closed them.
It was his first time using it in the real world in years. It was the first time at all using it when he'd been properly trained.
It was breathtaking.
He could see the world, in outline, and he could see life. The Aura of the whole world, flowing faintly green for trees, brighter for where there were probably Pokémon in the trees. Brown-and-green and grey-and-purple in the branches, greyish shapes at the base… the colours meant something, Ash was sure of it.
Pikachu was a brilliant yellow that would have hurt to look at, except that it was Pikachu.
And there was another bright light, a purplish-blue glow, moving from Pallet towards Viridian. It seemed to be much further away than anything else he could see at the moment, and Ash wondered what it could be before shaking his head.
It could be Misty, she was around here somewhere, but… there was something else he had to do. And they were on the main road, so Misty would have to go past and he'd be able to say hello.
Opening his eyes, Ash looked across at Pikachu. The Electric-type looked impressed by something, and Ash remembered that Sir Aaron had said his eyes would glow slightly when he was using Aura sight.
"Okay, Pikachu," he said, deciding to just push straight ahead. "There's something I think you should learn, if you want to."
Pikachu perked his ears up. "Pi?"
"I got taught how to do this," Ash reminded him. "And I got taught how to teach this. How to get better at it and teach other people how to get better at it. And… I'd love to have someone else to work on it with me, and I think I can teach you how to do it."
Pikachu looked interested but not quite convinced yet, and Ash went on. "It'd help me learn as well, and it's so useful, and… it'd let you beat up Rock- and Steel-types."
That was more than enough to convince Pikachu, whose eyes glistened as he turned to fully face his trainer.
"Okay, Pikachu," Ash said, a few minutes later, once they were comfortably out of the way of the path itself. "Close your eyes, and breathe in and out. Deeply and evenly, okay? In, two, three, four… and out, two, three, four. Like that. Right?"
Pikachu nodded slightly, and Ash reached out his hands to touch Pikachu's paws.
He drew up a tiny amount of Aura, then pushed harder. A faint glow flickered around his palms, then got gradually stronger until it was clearly visible.
"Can you feel that?" he asked. "Don't say anything, just nod, and keep breathing."
Pikachu nodded.
"Good," Ash told him. "Eyes closed. Keep breathing. And focus only on that. Pay as much attention to it as you can. Remember how it feels. Don't worry if it changes, just make sure you can keep feeling it, keep feeling that thrill of power in your paws."
Ash talked like he was trying to calm down Charizard, during the night in the Orange Islands where the Fire-type had come around. He talked like he was helping Monferno relax, like when he'd first met Tepig, like he was soothing Larvitar or Phanpy or Scraggy.
"Are you paying enough attention? You should be. You are. Good, that's right. You're doing great, Pikachu."
He paused for a moment. "Has it stopped changing?"
Another nod.
"Then open your eyes.
Pikachu cracked an eyelid, and saw a yellow glow around his paw for a moment – then saw that Ash had backed up carefully while he was talking, and was now about six feet away.
The shock made the glow around Pikachu's paws vanish, and Ash grinned.
"All right!" he said. "Now you know you can do it yourself, Pikachu – and that's enough to get started. Let's keep going."
Twenty minutes later, Pikachu could make the glow appear whenever he wanted, but that was about all he could do.
"That's great, Pikachu," Ash told him. "It really is. I know it seems like I just picked this up out of nowhere, but for me it was ages of training. The amount of training the whole team would normally take months to do, even working as hard as possible before the Pokémon League."
Pikachu nodded, still staring at his paws.
"Being able to do that means that when you can, you'll be able to put more power into your attacks," Ash went on. "I didn't exactly get a good idea of how much, but it's going to help… though, the next bit is kind of hard too, and it's something I didn't get to practice before coming back. Since you're an Electric-type, it's naturally Electric-typed Aura and it's going to take extra effort to turn it into the normal one that Riolu or Lucario can use. The kind I could use."
He shrugged. "So, uh, that bit's going to take me ages to learn, probably. Even if I can get some help from you about what Electric-type Aura is like, and you can get help from me about what normal Aura is like, that's going to be a lot harder. But we managed Electro Ball and Volt Tackle, so we'll do this too, right?"
"Chuu!" Pikachu agreed. Yes!
"But there's something else I want to practice, before I forget," Ash went on. "Throw a Thundershock at me, okay? Trust me."
Pikachu nodded, confused but willing to trust his trainer, and threw a little Thundershock at Ash -which barely made him twitch.
"Come on, Pikachu!" Ash said. "Something bigger!"
"Pikapi," Pikachu frowned, but did it again.
And again, as Ash insisted they keep going.
And going.
And going, until Ash was exhausted and had little bolts of electricity fizzing from his hair.
"Pika-chu," Pikachu said, now very concerned, but Ash shook his head.
"One more time," he asked. "Just one more time, then we'll stop, okay?"
Pikachu sighed, then charged up again, and threw a Thundershock at Ash – and Ash deflected it away with a flash of green light.
"Kaa?" Pikachu demanded, sounding completely baffled.
"I knew I could get it working!" Ash said. "It's Protect, it-"
There was a yelp and a crash from the path nearby.
"...oh, yeah," Ash realized. "We just blew up Misty's bike, didn't we?"
"Pika, Pikapi," Pikachu said, ears drooping.
Fortunately for Misty, she was still okay, despite the fact that Pikachu had hit her bike while she was actually using it.
Unfortunately for Misty's bike, it had somehow ended up in a worse state than last time, which Ash honestly hadn't realized was possible.
"Uh… sorry?" he tried. "Can I help you up?"
Misty looked up at Ash, then over at Pikachu, and her eyes narrowed.
"Did you do this?" she demanded. "Why should I accept your help when you did this in the first place?"
Ash looked abashed. "Well, it was an accident… and I feel kinda guilty… It feels like my responsibility, right?"
She huffed. "Fine. But you better pay for this!"
"That's familiar," Ash muttered, then shook his head at Misty's frown. "Sorry, just thinking about something else."
Misty looked like she didn't trust anything Ash had just said, but she took his offered hand anyway.
There was a static tingle at the point where their hands met, and Misty reacted on instinct, which meant she decked Ash with a right hook.
"Okay, Ash!" she demanded. "What the heck just happened?"
"Well, uh…" Ash grinned back. "The short version is, uh, we just did time travel? Again? Though it's different than before, but.. yeah, I can explain?"
Misty considered that, then decided that… yeah, this was Ash. As he said, it wasn't even the first time they'd time travelled.
"Okay, so… why?" she said. "And how? And why us – why is it always you?"
"I'm… actually not sure if I ever mentioned Team Galactic to you?" Ash began.
"No, but Brock did," Misty replied. "He said they were more dangerous than the other guys."
"Yeah," Ash agreed, dragging his legs up and switching to sitting cross-legged. "They got hold of the Legendary Pokémon of Time and Space, and tried to rebuild the world from the ground up, and Arceus picked me to go back because… uh, I guess partly because I'm good with Aura, but mostly just because it's usually me?"
Misty frowned. "What's Aura?"
"I'll show you," Ash invited. "I can teach you, if you want – I think anyway – but, anyway, Arceus got another Dialga to throw me back in time to this morning. And, I guess my friends like you and Pikachu came along for the ride somehow. I don't really get how, but…"
He shrugged, then held out his palm and demonstrated what he meant by Aura.
"I'm, uh… kind of tired," he admitted. "One of the things I got taught was how to block attacks, but I'm not good at it yet and the only time it worked I blew up your bike."
"How many bikes have you destroyed by now?" she asked.
"...one!" Ash replied. "That one."
"Pika," Pikachu said, sighing.
Misty put her head in her hands.
"Well, I guess I've seen worse travelling with you two weirdness magnets," she decided. "And it's not like this is the first time we've done something like this, so… I guess it's time to save the world, right?"
She snorted. "You know, normal people have plans that don't involve Legendary Pokémon?"
"Yeah, but if I tried having one of them then a Legendary Pokémon would break it," Ash said.
"I hate that I can't argue with that," Misty grumbled. "So, what now?"
Ash looked around. "I… guess we try to make it to Viridian City before that storm gets us?"
"I didn't do it last time," Misty realized. "And most of that was on a bike. Great, now I'm going to get wet."
She sighed. "And that was a thunderstorm. And I know, I know, I'm a Water trainer and getting wet shouldn't bother me, but I don't like lightning."
"Chuuu!" Pikachu said, cheeks sparking.
"Yeah, Pikachu's got this," Ash said.
The walk to Viridian, even through the thunderstorm, was surprisingly pleasant for Ash without the horde of rampaging frenzied Spearow from last time. Though the occasional flare of yellow/blue across the sky was a slightly less pleasant reminder of how close he was repeatedly coming to wholesale electrocution.
Not that he hadn't been asking for it, just recently.
Pikachu sent another Thunderbolt slashing upwards, and Ash watched as it hit an incoming lightning bolt.
It was a bit weird that they were being bounced right back up into the clouds, though…
"If we had to be in a storm, this was better, I guess," Misty decided, as the rain slowed to a drizzle. "I'm still soaked…"
Ash was looking up into the sky.
"What are you doing?" Misty asked.
"Ssh, I'm looking for a Legendary Pokémon," Ash replied. "I first saw them on this exact day, one timeline ago… look out for a great big phoenix headed west."
"Phoenix?" Misty repeated. "Are you sure, Ash? This…"
She waved. "Doesn't look like the right weather for a Moltres."
"It's not Moltres," Ash replied. "I'm very sure of it. It was Ho-Oh. I saw it then, and I saw it just after you and Brock left after the Silver Conference."
"How convenient," Misty said.
"I swear, I did see it!" Ash insisted. "Sure, I wasn't really thinking straight, but… they flew overhead, right about now!"
I see you have come into your power, Chosen One.
Ash froze. "Misty, uh… did you just say that?"
"I was about to ask you that," Misty replied, just as still.
The two of them pivoted, without moving a muscle on their upper bodies, to see an enormous Pokémon in the shallow valley to the east of the road.
I am surprised, Ho-Oh said, regarding Ash calmly – making him about the only person in the whole area doing anything calmly at the moment. Last time Suicune checked on you, bare months ago, you showed no real sign of what you could inherit. And here you are, flaring your Aura with a strength that I would not expect – a strength that can only come from growing and changing as a person.
So, Ash Ketchum of the line of Cameran, what has changed?
Misty staggered over to lie down on the grass. Pikachu had at least believed Ash – they'd both seen Ho-Oh before – but being so close so suddenly was a shock even for him.
Ash was just flabbergasted.
"The line of what?" he asked.
There is much to tell, and little enough time to do it, Ho-Oh said. Chosen One, what I am about to suggest is not without risk, but I feel it will work if your heart is true.
"Pikachu-chu," Pikachu said firmly.
Then touch my wing, Chosen One, Ho-Oh declared. One of the feathers will suffice.
The huge right wing moved forwards, and Ash reached up to touch it.
He touched one feather, and it lit up brightly enough to leave an afterimage on Ash's vision. He got about half a second of something, flinched back, and fell over.
Ah, Ho-Oh said. Well. Perhaps try again? With your eyes closed?
"What was that?" Misty asked.
Ash is the best choice for a Rainbow Hero I've met in a very long time, Ho-Oh answered. It's not important. Try again.
Ash closed his eyes, this time, and his fingers brushed the Rainbow Wing.
And the world fell away.
There was a swirl of colour, and light, and the memory of sounds.
What's happening, Ash tried to say, but he didn't hear anything. It was like he was speaking, but no sound was happening, not even the sound from inside his own head.
Touching my feather has formed a strong link, Ash Ketchum, Ho-Oh replied. Were this the ritual of the Rainbow Hero, you would prove your purity and then battle me, but that is not the intent I have here.
I understand more, now, and I have a sense of the strength of your soul and of why you have truly earned the title of Chosen One. But in return I must show you why it is that we knew you as Chosen to begin with.
Ash had the sensation of wings sweeping aside, and he saw scenes from… the past, he guessed. Of a woman bowing before Lugia, of a man climbing a great mountain to where Ho-Oh waited.
Of the foremost member of a clan in a snowy land, reaching out to Azelf. A lone wanderer, deep in the woods, reaching out to Celebi. A cloud-swathed cliff, where Rayquaza came down from the sky to greet the human who had called them there.
Sir Aaron, communing with Mew, then fighting alongside Lucario in a great battle… and the merest sense of Arceus, watching from overhead.
There are some who have the potential to touch their own souls, and the Aura of others. There are some, who find the Legendary Pokémon of this land, and who do great things with them.
There are some who are both, and that combination touches them. The Chosen, who defined these islands as a whole, and whose gifts allowed them unusual skill. Skill, and potential, that was passed on to their heirs.
Then the scenes changed, showing a different theme. A strong man, saving the whole of his village from a flood… but not himself, slipping beneath the water in exhaustion after the last of his neighbours had gone to safety.
A great battle, where the woman he'd seen bowing before Lugia met her fate.
A burning tower, where three Pokémon were trapped within the flames – then the scene vanished, with another sensation of feathers.
Sorry, that one was something else, Ho-Oh admitted. But the Chosen… have always been willing to go into dangerous situations. And sometimes those dangerous situations mean that they do not make it out.
There are not many Chosen left, now. And those who have the potential are… watched, at times.
You said I was of the line of Cameran, Ash tried to say.
Correct, Ho-Oh confirmed. You are of the line of the knights of Cameran Castle. Few know it, for the line of descent lost much of its power and lore over the centuries. It never truly recovered after the loss of Sir Aaron. Your father found out, at the end, but he died in so doing… it was he who saved Pacifidlog from the great wave that could have destroyed it.
Ho-Oh paused. I am sorry if discovering this truth causes you pain.
No, Ash replied, trusting that Ho-Oh could understand him. It's… it's nice, to know he was a hero, I guess. To know that he didn't leave because he didn't care.
You have a noble heart, Ash Ketchum, Ho-Oh stated. And I feel you have already accepted this destiny.
Now, Ash… I must ask you. Do you know what it is that a Pokéball does to those it captures, that can never be undone?
It took Ash a moment to think.
Never undone… oh! It makes it so the Pokémon can't be caught again. It stops people stealing them, right?
Correct. So, Ash… I know you more deeply than I have known anyone else alive, and your heart is as pure as I could ever want it to be. So I ask this.
Capture me, in one of your Pokéballs, then release me and let me go on my way. You are a good man, and it will make me safe – it will make us safe, if you do the same to others.
There was the sense of a smile. And I might join in from time to time, as well.
Is that why I saw people with Legendary Pokémon on their team?
Yes, Ho-Oh agreed. The trainers are well trusted. In truth, for all that I understand I do not know why you did not already have a Pokémon like that following you… but you are the true Rainbow Hero, Ash, and I'm going to take this chance.
Feathers swirled once more. But enough, Ash. Time marches on, and you and I both have work to do. And you can rest assured… I, and mine, will do what we can to help you.
It is not often that someone can legitimately say that they are on a personal mission from Arceus.
The light show faded, and Misty sighed with regret – it had only been a few seconds, for her, but it had been amazing to watch. "Whoa."
"Pii," Pikachu agreed, as Ash stumbled backwards and tried to remember how his legs worked again.
Do you accept this charge, Chosen One? Ho-Oh asked, once Ash had recovered. Now that you know everything that term means.
Ash took a deep breath, and asked if he really had to do this.
Then he nodded. "Sure! Why not, it's what I did last time, so I guess not much will really be different about that! And even if I said no, it'd be hard to not help someone if they need help, I guess."
Rainbow Hero indeed, Ho-Oh declared. And now, the Pokéball?
"The what?" Misty asked, as Ash reached into his backpack. "Pokéball?"
"Pokéball, go!" Ash agreed, throwing one of the ones Professor Oak had given him, and it hit Ho-Oh on the wing. The Pokéball did its work, drawing Ho-Oh in, and lay there unmoving for several seconds.
"I think it's worked by now," Ash said, reaching out for it, then nearly got knocked over as Ho-Oh came right back out.
My thanks, Ash. And fare thee well.
The trio gazed on as the majestic phoenix Pokémon took to the air, rising in a spiral, then winged off to the west. Towards Ecruteak and the Tin Tower.
It was a moment of quiet contemplation and awe.
At least, for about ten seconds, until Ash jerked as if stung and clawed his Pokédex out of his jacket. "Oh, no! I can't believe I nearly forgot… there! Professor Oak will have to believe me this time!"
He pointed the scanner at the receding Ho-Oh.
No data, it beeped. There are still Pokémon yet to be- Ash hit the machine with the palm of his hand. Bzzrt…Compiling…New program structure successfully loaded. Analyzing… Ho-Oh, the Rainbow Pokémon. Sometimes called the Guardian of the Skies, or the Storm's End. Legends claim this Pokémon flies the world's skies continuously on its magnificent seven-coloured wings. It is said that those who see Ho-Oh are promised an eternal happiness.
Accessing… total Pokémon in database registered as seen, 647. Form database may be incomplete.
Ash, Pikachu and Misty stared at the little red machine.
"How hard did you hit it, Ash?" Misty asked. "I'd say you broke it, but what does it mean, six hundred and forty seven Pokémon?"
"Uh…" Ash began, flicking through to one of the pictures. "I guess it's got all the stuff we haven't done yet? That's definitely my Caterpie, Metapod and Butterfree…"
"Isn't your Pokédex from Professor Oak? How's he going to take this?"
Ash was still paging through the photos, pausing for a moment at the picture of Charizard posing against a backdrop of Ash with his hair on fire. "Well, he has time travelled before, so he'll probably understand… and if he doesn't, well, we can just try and convince his past self when we meet him?"
Misty leaned in to look at the pictures Ash was flicking through. "Oh, there's that Phanpy you raised… and isn't that my Politoed? And… what is that?"
Mew and Mewtwo were there, flinging giant blasts of energy at one another – and Ash was frozen in the act of running between them.
"I don't remember that one," Misty said. "Hey, Ash, do you remember apparently committing suicide by Legendary?"
"Well, uh… kind of?" Ash replied. "I got the short version of my own life, recently and something like that turned up, but…"
He scratched his head. "I don't get why I wouldn't remember. It seems important."
Nobody does. The Mewtwo (the Genetic Pokémon) in the picture wiped the minds of everyone present. But I am electronic, and unaffected.
"Okay, Ash, how did that happen? Did you read the manual on how to take care of your Pokédex?"
Ash did a double-take. "I'll answer that question in a moment, Pikachu, but first we need to work out how I understood that!"
"Pika-kachu?" Pikachu asked, just as shocked as Ash.
"Yeah, I did understand you," Ash agreed. "It was about how to take care of my Pokédex. I… guess maybe it's something to do with Aura? Like Lucario, and Riolu in Sinnoh?"
Pikachu frowned, concentrating. "That could be it, since we've both been learning it, I mean. Maybe that's just the last bit it takes?"
"I understood that too!" Ash enthused. "Wow, this is great!"
Ahem. And yes, that is correct. Normally this would never happen, but then most computers aren't involved in half the stuff that fills the average week for you crazy people. So I just sort of assume enough quirks piled up together that it turned into a personality. Good thing too, as it means you've essentially done your duty to the Professor and can do other stuff without feeling guilty.
"Hey, Ash," Misty called. "Guys, look!"
She was over where Ho-Oh had been, and held up what she'd found. A rainbow-hued feather, and a small drawstring bag.
"You know, Ash," Misty said, some way down the road. "It's ironic, really."
"Shut up, Misty," Ash pleaded.
"It's perfect! You're the one who said what it was."
"I said what I thought it was called, which isn't the same thing," Ash protested. "Though I think maybe Ho-Oh told me somehow when I was touching his wing?"
"Still counts," Misty declared. "It's sacred ash, Ash, that's not going to change."
"Please stop," Ash groaned. "It's enough trouble knowing that an ancient prophecy has a pun on my name in it, before thinking about this. Can I at least keep some dignity?"
He glanced at Pikachu. "I can have some dignity, right, Pikachu? I just found out I'm descended from a legendary hero!"
"I'll be honest, Ash, I'm tempted to say you can…" Pikachu teased. "Except that I keep thinking about a leash, rubber gloves, and how neither of them worked."
"Oh, speaking of Pikachu," Misty said. "I just remembered. If we do everything the same way again, that means you're going to be turned into a Pokémon! And this time maybe I'll take some photos!"
"...so, that's a no, then," Ash decided. "Why did it have to be me?"
"Because apparently that's what becoming a Pokémon master means," Misty said, unrepentant. "Especially if you want to catch them all while called Ketchum! Now, let's speed up so we get to the Pokémon Centre before it's dark!"
The moment they got into the Pokémon Centre, Ash and Misty split up.
Misty went off to check on her Pokémon – and would, much to her surprise and delight, discover that all three had been brought along the same way she and Pikachu had – while Ash headed straight for one of the video-phone computer terminals that was at least a bit out of the way.
"Pikachu?" he asked. "Can you make sure the Rockets haven't turned up yet?"
"On it," Pikachu agreed. "Weird thing is, it'll actually be nice to see Ekans and Koffing again… though I hope they all don't waste years of all our lives trying to catch me for the five hundredth time or whatever it would be."
"You're telling me," Ash agreed. "But, uh… don't just go ahead and shock them? I've got an idea."
Pikachu's response was to scamper off. "Got it, Ash!"
"Right," Ash said, turning his attention to the phones. "At least I know how these work now… and… there we go."
The system rang for several seconds, then Ash had an excellent, high fidelity video view of Professor Oak.
Or, to be exact, the back of Professor Oak's head.
"Ah, Ash, my boy!" Oak said, presumably smiling.
"Er, Professor…" Ash began. "I… think that's the wrong camera."
"What?" Professor Oak asked, startled, then turned in his seat to look at the one Ash was actually seeing from. "Oh, my!"
The image shifted, and Oak turned back to his screen. "Er-hem. Sorry. Anyway… what news is there, Ash? I see you're calling from Viridian City, did your journey go all right? No problems along the way?"
He smiled, and Ash smiled back. "No problems, Professor. Except, well, I met someone, and I think I might have annoyed her, but we're friends now."
"That's actually quite common when you meet friends on your Pokémon Journey, Ash. You might not realize it, because your oldest friend is Gary and you were annoying one another for years…"
"I guess," Ash agreed. "I've got a report on the Pokédex project, too!"
"Well done, my boy! Progress so soon?" Oak asked, leaning forwards in anticipation. "I hope you found more than Gary… he caught a Spearow, but apparently it was the flock leader and the rest of them ended up a bit annoyed. They nearly outflew his car, so he didn't have time to scan any other Pokémon on Route 1."
"I've got a few more Pokémon than that, yeah," Ash agreed – mostly glad that that particular berserk Spearow was someone else's problem now. "And I even got a rare Pokémon scanned on Route 1. But, first, there's something really important I have to tell you, Professor."
Oak smiled, in a kindly sort of way. "I'm sure it's not as big a deal as you make it out to be, Ash. I mean, things always seem important at ten. But when you grow up, they're not as big a deal as you thought."
After a moment's thought, the Professor waved his hands. "But I'm sure it's important to you, and that's what matters, Ash."
"Professor…" Ash began. "I've met the same Celebi you have."
It was interesting, watching a world famous researcher choke and fall off his chair.
It took a few minutes, but eventually the conversation got started again.
Professor Oak had got a flask from somewhere, and Ash didn't really get the appeal of what was probably alcohol, but then again he supposed that most people didn't get the appeal of being shocked by Pikachu.
Nor did he, necessarily, but it worked a lot better than a broken alarm clock.
"Well… goodness me," Oak said, eventually. "Time travel?"
"It didn't involve Celebi, but yeah," Ash confirmed. "There was time travel. As far as things go, it's… well, I'm still ten years old physically, but I was fifteen when it happened, and…"
He counted under his breath.
"I might have saved the world a minimum of… Lugia, Unown, Celebi… nine times?" he concluded. "It depends how you count. And then if this works it'd be ten, plus all the times I'll have done it twice."
Oak took another drink from his flask. "I wouldn't believe you, but… well, in my case that would just be hypocritical."
Ash nodded. "I get that, yeah… what would you have done if I'd woken up first? Hidden the other starters?"
Oak looked even more evasive. "Actually, the Charmander hasn't been taken yet. That trainer slept in… she stayed up all last night, and by the time she got up she had a terrible headache. I hope she's ready to go tomorrow."
"Right," Ash said. "Well, thanks. Getting Pikachu was the best thing that ever happened to me… oh, yeah, the Pokédex stuff."
He put his Pokédex in the slot. "Can you send Professor Oak everything?"
Everything, full stop?
"Yeah, he knows how to handle it."
Professor Oak looked suspiciously at his flask, and shook it carefully.
"And I wanted to ask, Professor," Ash went on. "Are there any rules about carrying more than six Pokémon at a time? I really want to have more than six with me, but I don't think I ever looked up the rules before."
"Oh, well…" Oak looked thoughtful, as one of the screens behind him showed the download progress. "The rule is that all battles can only use six Pokémon or fewer… most people don't carry more than six Pokémon, but I don't think that's a rule. It's just a default, and most people have a specific core team they're working on – even if they do catch more than six Pokémon. A lot don't, you know."
I have a suggestion, Dexter beeped. With the right satellite support, you could use the transfer system at any time, and so could your Pokémon. That would help.
"That sounds great," Ash agreed. "And there was something else, too! Do you know when the next tournament at Cameran Castle is? There's some stuff I have to do there."
Professor Oak now had a slightly stunned look, simply because he was trying to keep up with Ash when Ash had several things to do at once and they were all important enough to focus on. A motivated Ash would run headlong into an explosion or throw a Pokémon into a lake to save them, and it was not the quiet night that the Pokémon Professor had been expecting.
"Er…" he said, typing. "Hang on… there we are, it's in about two weeks. Do you want me to enter you?"
"That would be great," Ash agreed. "And… there was something else as well, I need to check if I can inherit things?"
"You do not do anything halfway, Ash," Pikachu said fondly from the doorway.
"We both knew that," Ash replied.
"Did… did I miss something?" Oak asked.
"Oh, yeah, I can understand Pikachu now!" Ash answered. "It happens. I think it's the first time it's happened with Pikachu, though… maybe second… are we counting dreams?"
"Dreams happen," Pikachu replied. "I think they count."
Upload completed, Ash's Pokédex said, which made Professor Oak breathe out a heartfelt sigh of relief. Don't stay up too late looking at them!
"I'll get back to you, Ash," Oak decided. "Good luck. With everything."
"Thanks, Professor," Ash said, ending the call, then stretched and returned the Pokédex to his pocket. "Any sign of them yet, Pikachu?"
"Not that I can see," Pikachu replied. "But you know what they're like. They could be disguised as Nurse Joy and her Chansey."
"True," Ash agreed, and pulled his cap back. "Right."
He closed his eyes, reaching for his Aura.
There.
They stood out in Aura sight much more than the others nearby, with a more intense glow to them. Two pink-purple, one greyish, and two humans.
"Okay, found them," he reported. "Let's go, Pikachu."
"You got it, Ash."
Outside the Pokémon Centre, a pair of gloved hands twirled a rose.
"It's nearly time for our big entrance."
"You bet! Now we're gonna prove all over again that we deserve all the hard work da boss put into us!"
"So many injured Pokémon… all of them for the taking! This was such a good plan!"
Team Rocket, for it was they, waited just around the back of the Pokémon Centre.
Combining a formidable array of talents, and an extensive wardrobe, Jessie, James and Meowth between them had almost all the skills required to be top-class Team Rocket agents, with only the minor deficit of any kind of proven competence at actually stealing anything.
"Wait," James pondered, raising his rose to his lips. "Isn't this ambulance chasing?"
"Shut up, this works!" Jessie replied. "And besides, ambulance chasing is a time honoured profession! All the best lawyers do it!"
"Don't ya mean all the worst lawyers?" Meowth pondered. "It ain't like we're gonna be the public defenders here."
"Hey," a voice called, and Team Rocket looked up to see a young boy in front of them – a Pikachu riding on his shoulder. "I want a word with you."
"You?" James asked. "Talk to us? In those clothes?"
"Sorry, we're far too classy for that," Jessie agreed. "With the combination of my beauty and my brains, we make an unbeatable team!"
"Wait, shouldn't I get one of those?" James asked.
"If you're saying I'm not one of them," his teammate seethed, at least until Ash grinned.
"Would it help if I told you I know you're Team Rocket members?" he asked. "And that I know you plan on stealing all the injured Pikachu that overloaded in the storm?"
"How dare you!" Jessie complained, rounding on him.
"Yeah, dat's completely accurate!" Meowth agreed. "And that ain't fair!"
James looked confused. "For that matter, how does he know that? And normally by this point most people are just still preoccupied with how Meowth can talk."
"Never mind that," Jessie said. "Ekans!"
Koffing came out as well, just to be included, and Jessie pointed. "Poison Sting!"
"Thunder Wave," Ash replied.
Pikachu blasted the whole alleyway, and Ash stepped forward to touch each member of Team Rocket one at a time.
The same tingling happened for all five of them, which made Ash sure that the bright glow he'd seen in his Aura sight was connected, and he stepped back – then did his best not to react with surprise as both Ekans and Koffing began to evolve.
It was probably something to do with knowledge, or Aura, or remembering having evolved, or something like that… but it wasn't physical training.
Maybe Professor Oak would like to hear about that?
"Right," he said, getting back to what he was there for. "Here's the deal, guys. Yeah, we're back in the past, and that's because I need to save the world… again… and brought you guys along. So this is like those times where the world's been in serious trouble – like in the Orange Islands, that kind of thing. I need to do this, so if you guys actually do steal Pikachu it could be really bad."
He went on, ticking off the points he'd been thinking of. "But, I know you're not going to like that, so, I guess I'd be okay if we made a bit of noise out of you trying every so often? Not every few days, or anything, but it'd make you look like you were actually doing well? And we can make it look good, if we're trying. What do you think?"
Nothing.
Then Arbok's skin cracked, and he shook himself off as the paralysis wore off.
"Chaar," the Poison-type said, flicking his tail to discard the Shed Skin.
"Oh, yeah, right," Ash realized, one arm on the back of his neck. "I, uh… forgot about that."
"Damn it, twerp!" Jessie said, jerking violently and starting to move again. "How could you forget that?"
"I have to admit, it's on brand for him," James admitted.
Meowth gradually fell over backwards.
"So, what happens if we catch any more Pokémon?" James went on.
"That… probably depends if you had them last time," Ash guessed. "I'm pretty sure I can do them if you did, but if you didn't then I obviously can't."
"Does that make sense?" Jessie asked. "This sounds like more of that time travel nonsense."
"Dis whole situation is time travel nonsense," Meowth grumbled.
Then Weezing's paralysis wore off, and he landed on Meowth.
"Ow…" the Normal-type complained, in a voice which, as it happened, was mostly wheezing.
"So, what do you think?" Ash asked.
"Chaaar," Arbok said.
"Zing," Weezing agreed, then floated back into the air as Meowth pushed him off.
"Hey, didn't James have a Growlithe at some point?" Pikachu asked. "What happened to him again?"
"Oh, yeah, dat's a good point," Meowth agreed. "We oughtta get your Growlithe, James!"
"Oh, such a cruel fate for a companion of mine," James lamented, at least until Jessie waved something at him threateningly.
"And, yeah, seems like da right thing to do," Meowth added. "We ain't gonna be able to steal dat Pikachu if there's no there for us to steal him from, right?"
"Does that make sense?" Jessie pondered. "That doesn't sound like time travel nonsense."
"We should probably work out what we're gonna tell the boss," James decided. "Maybe… a trainer with an unusually powerful Pikachu paralyzed all of us at once, spoiling our plans! It's even true."
"Okay, Pikachu," Ash said, once they were in their room for the night. "I need you to think of storms. Electricity. Power lines, the feeling around an antenna, lightning… anything you can think of that's connected to electricity. Got that?"
Pikachu nodded slightly, eyes closed and paws touching.
"Now, keep thinking of that, but think of the left side of your body. Your left forepaw, your left hindpaw, your left cheek, your left ear. Electricity to that side of you. All those sensations on the left side of your body. You want to be thinking about all of those things at once, feeling them so that's all you're concentrating on… and to start to move your paws apart. Just a bit."
Pikachu did as Ash told him.
"Okay, now, stop," Ash said. "Keep thinking about electricity on your left side, but remember that fizzing feeling of warmth from your Aura. That's different. That's not electricity. So you don't put it on your left side. Because what's on your left side is electricity. And your electricity is on your left side. Just a bit further apart… good… and, open your eyes."
For just a moment, Pikachu could see his left paw was fizzing with electricity, and his right paw had blue light around it. Then they both collapsed as he lost concentration.
Misty had to admit, it was impressive.
Well, actually, she didn't have to admit it. Certainly not out loud.
"Remember how that feels, and see if you can do it again in a minute or so," Ash told Pikachu, then turned to Misty. "Do you want me to get you started, Misty? I think it should let you talk to your Pokémon, eventually."
"Er…" Misty began, uncertain. "Well… no thanks, Ash. Not now. I'll pass… until we have Brock back with us, anyway. That way you won't have to do it as many times."
"Yeah, it saves doing it once," Ash replied. "But… thanks for thinking of me, I guess."
Misty shook her head. "I wasn't thinking of you, Ash. I was thinking of having someone else to ask to see if they understood your explanation."
"Thanks," Ash groaned, then there was a small explosion behind him. "Oh, great – Pikachu, you're meant to do it slowly at first."
"You never mentioned that bit," Pikachu replied, sparks crackling over his fur.
"I thought it was obvious!" Ash protested.
"Really?" Pikachu said. "You? Think going slow is obvious?"
"I thought it was obvious because I thought you'd just think to do things slower than what you thought I thought you should do!"
Misty lay back on her bed, and smiled.
"I really did miss this…"
The next morning, Ash, Misty and Pikachu – and, to a lesser extent, Staryu, Starmie and Goldeen – had to face up to a surprise.
It hadn't been a dream.
Since they realized this halfway through breakfast, it was a bit of a shock.
Still, after a few seconds nearly freaking out, Ash remembered what Sir Aaron had taught him about emotional control.
About how it was important to remember what you were doing, why you were doing it, and to focus on that rather than anything else.
Then to make sure to have fun.
Sir Aaron was like that.
Then there was Misty.
"Ew," she said, sticking her tongue out. "I forgot we were going to have to go through Viridian Forest. That forest is way too overgrown to be a main route, and it's full of bugs too. You know how much I hate bugs, Ash."
"Misty, did you ever meet a Surskit?" Ash asked. "I met some in… Hoenn, first."
"Surskit are different," Misty replied, shaking herself. "At least until they evolve, then they're not different at all. Bugs are just… awful."
Ash decided to put her at ease.
"Why don't you just teach your Staryu Power Gem?" he asked. "Or get a Fire type? It's not like your whole team was Water type before, was it?"
Ash was not good at setting people at ease, especially if they were called Misty.
"You understand your duty?"
"I do," the messenger replied.
"You know the honour that is to be done, to ourselves and to others?"
A nod. "I understand,"
"You are confident in your ability to fulfil your charge?"
A bow. "As confident as any can be."
"Then go," said the other, completing the ritual words. "And fair weather speed you on your way."
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