Author's Notes (16)
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Yo, been a while. Just one more week... And I'll be free of these damn exams.
Okay, time for some recaps:
Paldea. Y'know wat? I'll interweave their introductions into Serena's POV since our favorite honey blonde needs story arcs of her own, and from what most have mentioned, the school is a perfect setting for that.
That's right, you guys get your Goku sooner than later!
As for Ash becoming a teacher in Paldea... Yeah, sorry. The dude's main priority now is reuniting with Serena so any extra roles he could be taking will have to wait for a loooonnnnggg time.
Gotta say folks, this ain't my best work. This chapter's mostly a recap of the previous chapter and its aftermath while setting up the juicy Orange Island finale; hence the name. The creative juices ain't flowing in this one so forgive me.
As for M02, I admit the latter half was kinda rushed. Lugia may be fighting a 1v3 but I feel like I didn't showcase its powers clearly, but hey, at least it didn't go down like a chump after a few electric shocks. Plus, Carnwennan taking most of the screentime was a problem in hindsight.
The problem with Fated is that its a very perspective-heavy story, and as such, we're gonna be going juggling POVs a lot. And that's on me, I screwed myself over. So, once we reach Johto and beyond, I'll most likely revisit M02 and add in some things. They won't add anything to the plot but I wanna give my respects to Lugia and Melody's characters since I felt kinda bad cutting down their screentime. Everyone needs their justice, goddamnit!
And that's the thing with Fated. No one gets disrespected, at least not intentionally.
That's why, MegaSalamence, my dude, I can tell you really dislike SwSh characters and that's fine since... the games and anime were... that.
So, I get it. But, just like how SV characters shine, I wanna give SwSh their justice since this whole fic is created with that gen as its basis. I mean, Arthurian lore in Pokemon is just a raw idea. So yeah. No killing off characters unless its necessary.
Fun fact: some of the Fated characters are templates of Fate/stay night characters.
We know Ash = Shirou, Serena = Saber with a dash of some Rin, but Kimia is actually based on Luvia due to their similarities. So, better get those theories working on the little things like who's the Illya/Chloe/Miyu of Fated to the OMEGA HUGE things like who is the ORT of Fated.
Goldie... well, he's kinda a complicated case.
Before we get into the questions:
*Obligatory proud and smug face on the 'Power of One' wordplay.*
Now, onwards to da QnA.
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From f46adpg:
Arceus not being the creator and more like an overseer somewhat confuses me.
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Yeah, about that. There's too little feats for Arceus to be considered a God-like Pokemon. I mean, seeing is believing, right? Hell, I would argue the creation trio felt more powerful than Arceus for crying out loud. The only reason they were lacking in Arceus' movie is cuz of plot. That's just my opinion.
A meteor shower like in the movies isn't gonna cut it in Fated's absurd powerscaling. So, in Fated, Arceus gets expanded.
And I mean, EXPANDED. I likened it to a Lovecraftian God due to how absurd the wording in Arceus' canon lore is.
A being with a thousand (read: infinite) arms... A thousand (read: infinite) universes... One arm each...
That's as far as I go. But with the riddle above, you can definitely see how ACTUAL Arceus is too big to even care about interfering... (cuz that's his arms' job)
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Froakie:
Alright, this is how its gonna go after reading y'all's reviews:
Frog boi stays, but he's gonna evolve one stage per region. So Johto's still Froakie, Hoenn's Frogadier, and... Oh, would you look at that?
SINNOH. (HUEHUEHUEHUE)
Though, this opens up a new can of worms of the 6 Pokemon limit...
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Will other games have cameos/references?
Yep, they'll be referenced but as far as cameos go, I'm still deciding whether to include them in the fic (after reunion, of course).
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Princess/Blacksmith story
Wow, some ppl really find it interesting. And that's a good thing too.
This little folktale is gonna get tragic once I've actually complied it into one whole chapter. For that, I gotta channel my inner Hans Christian Andersen.
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From MegaSalamence:
So does Tracy exist in your Story?
Nope. I mean, the dude isn't even supposed to exist in the anime. The whole reason why Tracy was created was to replace Brock since they were scared he was a racial stereotype.
Which Rivals would Ash be annoyed by in Fated?
100% Trip. Fuck Trip.
The anime didn't have the balls to go through with the racism angle they were implying so Fated's going for that.
There's another one, but that guy is spoiler territory.
Would Mythical Creatures like Mermaids and Harpies appear in this fic?
Dude, I've read the fic and its an interesting read so far. Will finish it when I've the time.
As for this question, it's already been answered.
A mythical creature had already made her appearance in M01. And you guys already know WHAT she is.
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And that's about it.
Bonus shower thought:
If Serena's the Saber of this story... and she's French... Oh, god. I'VE UNINTENTIONALLY MADE HER JEANNE! ZYGARDE SYGNA SUIT SKILL: FLAGBEARER DOESN'T HELP AT ALL!
Jokes aside, WOOOOO! IRIDA'S IN THE GAME! Now that she's here, I can finally plan- I mean, what? *whistles*
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Chapter 61: Orange Finale
The world crisis had been averted, but the aftermath of such a cataclysmic event still left scars on the world as every region sought to rebuild their lands after the unnatural weather phenomenon.
Villages that did not need to account for heavy rains were devastated by erosions never before seen. Tropical islands that had sunny and rainy as its default weathers were unprepared for snowstorms.
Nevertheless, humans and Pokémon rebuilt their homes, never letting the avoided disaster affect them as they worked together. This happened across the world while the Worldwide Pokémon Association called for a meeting with the Professors to discuss their handling of the aftermath.
3 days after the Shamouti Crisis…
Professor Oak was in a meeting with the Chairmen of every region including the regional Professors and well as Champions. Since Kanto was co-led among the Elite Four, Agatha, Lorelei and Bruno were present.
Unfortunately, the Paldea Champion was unavailable due to management of their region after the global disasters. Knowing that, most Champions and Elite Four let out a breath of relief, most likely because of the fact no one really liked them.
"The La Primera isn't here? Thank goodness," a man with red and orange hair resembling a mane broke the silence.
Hearing this, a middle-aged man from Paldea's side pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Wandering King Alder… I wish you were my boss instead," the salaryman drawled.
"Wahaha! Sorry, Larry. Your boss might kill me if that happens; and I really don't wanna deal with her."
"You and me both…"
The two men chuckled silently before silencing themselves in the presence of Professor Oak.
Once everyone was present, the elderly man started while wearing a serious expression.
"First of all, thank you for meeting me in such short notice," Oak began.
'Sada and Turo aren't here. Geeta too?' the Professor noted mentally.
"As you are aware, the Shamouti Crisis from a few days ago was caused by a Collector by the name of Lawrence. His inexcusable actions to capture the Great Guardian of the Sea has been dealt with."
"Hm, did the great Lugia punish him?" the Hoenn Chairman asked.
The humans generally do not interfere with the business of Legendary Pokémon and in turn, the Gods did the same. That was why Lugia's 'punishment' towards the late Collector was not considered a death sentence but an act of natural cause.
"Yes, but that's not the most important part," Oak continued as he opened a window on the screen.
The camera feed behind him displayed an ashen-haired man with his signature red mantle as well as the unidentified shadow werewolf that seemed to be assisting him as they sprinted towards Ice Island with unnatural speed.
"That man," Cynthia narrowed in.
The screen showed a snapshot of the man in red smirking to the camera with his designated codename:
ARCHER.
While the shadowy werewolf conjured by Carnwennan was designated:
SHADE.
"My student was saved by him during the attack on Augustine's Academy. Diantha and I have been searching for him since that day, but we've came up empty-handed."
"Which brings me to my question…"
"Even accounting for the discrepancies of time, how did that man reach Shamouti Island all the way from Kalos?"
Next, it was Diantha who chimed in.
"Cynthia has a point. After investigating the airspace around Kalos as well as documented passes in the airports, no such man with his description has ever been recorded. Not to mention the headache I went through by inspecting the ships and ferries."
The majority in the meeting murmured in confusion. They were baffled as to how one man could cause this much commotion. What's more, the evidence of the ashen-haired man's initial appearance did not correlate with his second appearance at Shamouti.
…It was as if he had teleported.
That thought ran amok within everyone's heads.
"…That man," Oak spoke up.
"I've seen him before."
Instantly, everyone's attention was turned to the elderly man. They knew that Oak was not one to joke in such a situation unlike his cousin who could not seem to read the room.
"Which is why I'm imploring the Champions of Sinnoh and Kalos to conclude your investigations."
"But sir!" Diantha protested.
"Dear Diantha… He isn't someone you can capture," Oak pursed his lips as he began to recall his first ever meeting with the man.
"My first meeting with him…"
"Was when I was 10."
Everyone present were stunned as to what the Professor was insinuating.
"Despite that, he hasn't changed at all appearance-wise."
"That's why, whoever this Archer is…"
"Do NOT try to fight him."
"Because that is no man…"
"That is a monster."
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4 days after the Shamouti Crisis…
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"Mm…"
A pair of bloodred orbs exposed themselves to the surrounding light, basking themselves after a long rest.
'Where…'
"My body is made of swords!"
The sudden realization caused the raven-haired boy to jolt from his bed with a paled expression on his face as he checked his body.
Vertigo-like nausea choked his throat as he began to recall the previous events that led him to this state. Mainly, the ashen-haired man.
'That prick… I get his logic, but it pisses me off,' he growled to himself.
Ash took off the patient gown from his torso while rolling up his pants, leaving him relieved that his legs were there.
'Phew… my legs are okay.'
The raven-haired boy hobbled unsteadily towards a nearby mirror and scanned his body for any lingering wounds from his desperate survival in Ice Island.
The X mark on his left chest was still present, a remnant of Mewtwo's [Psystrike] while new scars blended in with the faded ones. All in all, it was a healthy body, albeit slightly scarred.
'I survived… I didn't die.'
'I held on…'
Tonelico… You did an amazing job.
"…Thank you," a small smile crept onto his face, thanking his unknown saviour.
"Now then…"
The raven-haired boy stretched his muscles as he greeted a new day. Turning back to his bedstand, Ash gave a crooked smile as he laid his eyes at the Dagger, prim and proper for his use.
Unlike the Sword, Carnwennan did not change form and was perpetually fixed to its current appearance. And for the raven-haired boy, it got his boyish charms firing overtime.
'…Just for a bit,' he mused with excitement as he picked it up.
With swift movement, Ash swished the Dagger into a reverse grip and began slashing the air with sparkling eyes. Apparently, he was enjoying it way too much.
'I look so cool!' he beamed at the mirror with a child-like expression.
Ka-chak!
'Next up is thi—'
Ash froze into his next position as his eyes met the surprised expression of Daisy and Pikachu on her shoulder. Right now, the raven-haired boy was imitating the ashen-haired man's running stance, his entire body close to the ground, lowering his centre of gravity while holding the Dagger in front of him, still in reverse grip.
Heat began rising onto the boy's face as the dreadful embarrassment did not just creep up on him…
It slammed onto his face with full force.
"…Pi," Pikachu cracked first.
Followed by hearty snickers from Daisy.
"…Please stop," Ash scratched his nose, unable to handle the embarrassment.
"Don't mind if I do."
The sudden shift in demeanour from Daisy sobered up Ash as he was petrified at the 'smile' she was showing him.
'…Ah, shit.'
"Let's talk about this…" Ash raised his arms in surrender with cold sweat as the Dagger he held dropped to the ground with a thud.
"Do you know how dangerous that was?! Did you ever think about what you're doing?!" Daisy reprimanded with a furious shout.
The raven-haired boy shrunk as he was blasted by her scolding, stepping back towards his bed.
However, a part of Ash, despite understanding her grievances with him, was unable to understand what it was that he did wrong.
"Can you please… for once, weigh your choices—?"
"I did."
Now it was Daisy's turn to stare blankly at the raven-haired boy, her face slowly turning into one of horror as she gazed upon Ash's expression.
It was not a face of anger nor annoyance. It showed no semblance of guilt nor sadness.
All that Ash displayed on his expression…
…Was that of indifference. Like a child who did not understand his wrongdoings.
"I did think about it and in the end, the whole fiasco ended without any problems, right?" Ash said matter-of-factly.
'Seriously, all's well ends well, right? I don't get why she's so upset…'
The raven-haired boy's thoughts wandered away as he widened his eyes at the sudden tears coming out of Daisy's eyes. He turned to Pikachu but was met with a bitter expression on his partner's face, causing him to raise a brow in return.
'…Did I say something wrong?'
"Mmf."
While pondering upon his words, Ash was engulfed into a hug by Daisy, surprising him as he took a step back but relented in the end.
He had saddened the older Oak sibling too much; and so, gave into her hug despite his aversion to physical contact. Serena was still the only exception though.
"Ashy… You still don't get it, do you?" Daisy whispered as she tightened her hug.
'Huh? What does she mean by that?' the boy wondered.
"In the most logical way possible, yes, you did nothing wrong. In fact, you saved the world," the older sister broke off slightly, ruffling his long raven hair gently.
'Yeah, that's what I'm trying to sa—'
"But…"
"The ends don't justify the means, y'know?"
'...What does that mean?'
"…But helping others isn't wrong," he tried to counter, eliciting another tight squeeze from Daisy.
Ash was not the brightest person regarding the opposite gender, but even the boy knew his answer had saddened the older girl once again.
…
Snip, snip.
Snip, snip.
"There, all done," Daisy beamed as she gave a prideful nod to her foster brother's new look.
Ash's rambunctious hair had been culled back to its original look with shorter spikes since Daisy felt that his unruliness was part of his charm. Nevertheless, Ash was ecstatic as well since he could finally feel the cool air on his nape after what felt like forever since his last haircut.
'The scar's visible now, but eh,' the boy shrugged.
"Thanks a lot, Daisy—"
"Hmm?"
"—Nee-chan…"
Due to Daisy's frustrations towards Ash's behaviour as well as knowing it was next to impossible to change his ways, the older Oak sibling decided to punish the raven-haired boy in the form of calling her 'Nee-chan', something Ash had never called Daisy before.
"Do I need to do this, Daisy… nee-chan?" the boy glanced suspiciously at the sharp glinting edge of the Dagger.
Ash had half a mind to kill himself right then and there.
"Can you promise me you'll be less reckless next time?"
"…"
The raven-haired boy submitted quietly as he put on his new clothes that his foster sister prepared for him.
Ash's new appearance had been updated. It was the same blue themed clothes he wore previously, but the cutting had been modified to give him a leaner look unlike the previous one which made him look like a child wearing adult-sized clothes by comparison. The boy was grateful for Daisy, though he was holding back for fear of calling her 'Nee-chan' again.
It was not good for his sanity.
'I can move a lot better in this,' he smiled to himself as he put on a new pair of black gloves.
"Right, by the way, where are we?"
"We're still at Shamouti Island. You were unconscious when we found you, Ashy," Daisy answered.
The older girl as well as Ash's Pokémon decided beforehand not to tell the boy of the mysterious woman, not wanting to add any more onto his plate.
Daisy closed her eyes, remembering the grotesque state Ash was in with torn limbs and covered in an alarming amount of blood. It was a nightmare to behold for a Doctor like herself. Her entire reason of being hard on Ash hinged from her fear.
Her fear of her foster brother losing his life before his eventual reunion.
"Right, is there a PC nearby?" the raven-haired boy asked.
…
…
…
"She's not picking up…" Ash grimaced, tightening his fists as his worries grew.
The raven-haired boy had tried calling Serena's PC address multiple times to no avail. Soon, he found himself gritting his teeth with an anxious expression on his face.
'Should I just go to Kalos now?'
Ring, ring!
Right on time, an incoming call made its rings known as Ash frantically checked who it was.
'The call is coming from…'
"Penthouse suite of Hotel Richissime?"
Click.
The screen went black as it loaded the caller, revealing itself to be a surprised Serena staring back at the boy.
'Sere—'
"…Mmf!"
"Oi, oi! Why're you crying for?!" Ash panicked instantly, not knowing what to do.
The warm tears would not stop falling from the snot-nosed honey blonde, finally able to rest easy seeing her beloved safe and sound.
"I'm okay… I'm here," the raven-haired boy placed a gloved hand onto the screen, hoping it would alleviate her worries.
"Sniff…!" the honey blonde did the same, trying to calm herself.
The two were separated from each other, and yet Serena found comfort as her hand seemed to touch his on the other side of the screen. The grin on Ash's face cheered her up a lot.
"Y'know, if I was holding a handset right now, it'd look like I'm in jail," the raven-haired boy joked, eliciting a snort from the honey blonde.
"You dummy… Joking at a time like this," she blew her nose with a tissue, chuckling slightly from his dumb joke.
"Are you really okay, Red?" Serena asked, finally steadying her voice.
"Yeah. I look good, don't I?"
"I can't tell, you always look good."
Ash tried to fight off the blush that was forming on his face as he rubbed his nose. He was weak to surprise attacks.
"That's not good for my heart, y'know?"
"Eh?! It hurts? Did I do something wrong?!" Serena panicked, oblivious to the paralyzed boy turning away from the screen.
'How is she this cute?!'
"No… But thanks," Ash squirmed with delight, holding himself back from the diabetic-induced attack.
'This girl's dangerous…'
"Anyways, ahem! Why're you here anyways?" Ash asked, curious as to why she was not at home.
Serena began explaining that her teacher had brought her to her place to cool off after the Shamouti incident had quelled since the woman noticed the honey blonde's troubling turmoil.
"Well, that's nice of her," Ash nodded.
"I'll be staying for a few days since Mom's stuck at Santalune City with the snowstorm piling up the roads. Miss Cynthia agreed to take care of me and even helped bring my things over," Serena beamed.
"That's great."
"She's so cool… And then, and then!"
Ash nodded periodically, just glad that Serena was safe; after all the tribulations he went through, this piece of good news was a godsend.
"Oh, did you see him already?" Serena asked with a smile on her face.
'Him?' Ash wondered who it was.
"Your sixth Pokémon, Red. Well, you'll see him soon."
Ash was surprised. He did not expect the honey blonde to gift him a Pokémon for his last remaining slot. The boy was struggling to find a replacement for Butterfree, after all.
"I managed to convince Professor Sycamore since Froakie was itching to battle," Serena explained.
'Oh, so it was Froakie that Yellow talked about,' he remembered.
"Thanks, Yellow," the raven-haired boy grinned gratefully.
"My Orange League's gonna end with one last match that's broadcasted. So…"
"Will you watch i—"
"Ash," she intercepted, sending pleasant shivers down Ash's spine as he loved hearing her say his name.
"You don't have to ask that question," Serena chuckled.
"…"
"…I wanna hug you so bad," Ash blurted out.
"W-w-wha?!"
The reddened ears were truly a treat to see.
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Present time…
'Man, was I lucky she didn't realize that was me,' Ash mused in relief that his identity as the Shade was not compromised.
"Kero!" Froakie croaked with enthusiasm.
"Alright, let's keep going!" Ash grinned in return.
The raven-haired boy was training with his team during his time on the blimp. Compared to his adventures on sea, it was much slower. By his calculations, Ash guessed that it would take about 3 more days before they reached his final Challenge.
"Kero!" Froakie shot out a [Water Pulse] with extreme precision.
"Good, Froakie!"
'Woah, this guy's good,' he thought with his grin still intact.
In the days that followed, Ash had been assisting Froakie since he was the newest but soon found out he did not need to. The blue frog was a natural fighter and from what Serena told him, a Pokémon that was always training and up for a battle anytime.
"Froakie!" Ash called out to the blue frog to which he happily hopped onto his shoulder.
"You and I are gonna be good friends."
"Kero!"
And the training resumed.
Pokémon Academy, Kalos Region
"Ahhh~ It's warm again!" Blue cooed like a cat, embracing the sunlight with all its splendour.
"It's not snowing~" Calem and Shauna agreed as they faced the glass window.
"I swear, those 3 share a single braincell," Gary deadpanned.
"Well, Calem and Shauna have been rather happy-go-lucky since I've met them," Serena chuckled.
Although the saying 'opposites attract' was the more famous one, Calem and Shauna fell for one another due to their shared similarities. A kinship that blossomed into love.
'That saying reminds me more of this guy,' the honey blonde gave a smirk towards Gary.
'Why do I feel like she's bullying me?' the orange-haired boy twitched a crooked smile towards Serena.
"Oh right. About Red's final Challenge," Blue suddenly perked up.
"Yep, Miss Cynthia said we can watch it at her place," Serena nodded.
As per the honey blonde's request, the blonde woman immediately approved of the watch-along since she was dying to see the last of the Pallet trio's latest performance since the Festival of Champions.
Due to the aftermath of the weather disasters, school lessons were suspended for the week with the students coming to school only for their clubs or to do their homework.
Serena, Gary, and Blue were in the club group with the latter two being in the Research Club and Drama Club respectively.
Calem, Shauna, and Kimia were in the homework group with the latter being their agreed tutor. Kimia did not mind at all.
Meanwhile, Trevor and Tierno were kicking up their feet at home since they had finished their work.
"You're a godsend, Kimia," Shauna praised as she wrote down her notes.
"I'm glad to be of help," the princess smiled before turning to Serena with a bashful expression.
"This is your first time watching Red battle, right?" the honey blonde hit the nail precisely.
"Indeed…"
"Then, let's enjoy watching it together, Kimia."
"…Yes!"
The predicted storm did not come to pass.
…
Hotel Richissime, Kalos Region
"Miss Cynthia! I'm back!" Serena entered the penthouse.
"Sere-chan! You're back!" Cynthia greeted.
The two were living together (temporary) and got along exceedingly well. The Champion even taught the honey blonde a few tricks in Battling when they entered the penthouse's private battlefield.
'I still can't wrap my head around how huge this place is…' Serena deadpanned.
"Sere-chan. There's something I want to talk about with you," Cynthia said with a stern tone.
"Okay?"
The two sat face to face in the living room on their respective sofas as the blonde woman cleared her throat to begin.
"Serena, are you an Incarnation?"
'…Ah, merde.'
"Don't play dumb. I've been sensing the two on your person for quite a while," Cynthia chuckled at the blanked Serena.
'Well, cat's out the bag, you two,' the honey blonde relayed her thoughts to the two invisible Cores on her shoulders.
Instantly, the two Cores made themselves known to Cynthia, who was fascinated at the Legendary Pokémon with sparkles in her platinum eyes.
"You must be excited since you study legends and myths," the honey blonde remarked.
"Of course. Kalos legends are rather different from Sinnoh's but just as interesting," the blonde woman agreed.
"Nice to meet you,"
"O Great Verdant Guardian."
Seeing her graceful greeting, the two Cores bowed similarly towards her.
"To think we would be found out like this," Squishy wobbled sheepishly.
"As expected of an Incarnation. Their senses are rather keen," Puni-chan commented.
"By the way, I'm not their Incarnation… yet, anyways," Serena raised a hand.
"Really? Well, that explains why you look normal now," Cynthia nodded to herself.
"Hm? What do you mean?"
"Well, as you know, I'm an Incarnation myself. But unlike most, my God chose to be my family's guardian since ancient times, starting all the way from the first known patriarch and matriarch, Volo and Cogita Descartes," Cynthia explained.
"Woah… So, is your last name…?"
"No, the Descartes name went extinct by the 4th generation."
Cynthia took a sip of Serena's ready-brewed tea with a relaxed smile before revealing her last name.
"Cynthia Tauropolos. That is my full name."
"Tauropolos?"
"Hmm, in its native language, it would be something like 'bull-slayer'," Cynthia answered with a smirk at the end.
"…Does your family have no shortage of cool names?" Serena asked in awe.
'Seriously, even her family line just screams MAIN PROTAGONIST!'
"Back to the topic at hand, Incarnations have a sort of special ability that lets them sense other Incarnations. All of which has something to do with our 5 senses," the blonde woman continued.
"In my case, I sense through sight. Ever since I've met you, I could see the outlines of your body distorting like heatwaves, though I suppose that's because Zygarde was always on you."
"Ohh…"
The honey blonde listened to Cynthia's explanation intently and closely. As an avid fan of stories and fables herself, this was a gold mine of knowledge.
"Sere-chan, why don't you want to be an Incarnation?" the Champion asked, curious to know.
"Well, it's not like I don't want to. Just not right now," the honey blonde clarified.
"Squishy and Puni-chan are being hunted by people in red suits and from what you've implied, being an Incarnation seems like an easy way for them to find them."
"That's why, as their custodian, I wanna protect them as I am now. Then I'll probably feel worthy enough to be their Incarnation."
The blonde woman stared at Serena with surprise. She had never seen a person refusing to be an Incarnation right away and instead opted to take care of the deity without their powers.
"You still surprise me, Sere-chan. That Intimidation and your determination as Zygarde's custodian… I've really taken a liking to you," Cynthia beamed.
"Eh?! Ah… um… I'm glad you think that way," Serena blushed, caught off guard by the charismatic beauty before her.
"But sorry! I already have someone I like!" Serena apologized cheekily.
"Uwaahhh! I've been rejected~" Cynthia clutched her heart comedically.
…
…
After their talk, Cynthia and Serena made their way to the penthouse's personal battlefield to observe the latter's progress.
"Alright, Fennekin! Store [Embers] in your mouth!" Serena commanded.
"Fouuuuu…!"
"Ko!"
A jet of flames spew from the yellow fox's snout as it engulfed the field. The honey blonde's changed clothes comprising of a black tank top and baggy sweatpants were stained with her sweat after a long training session.
"Well, Fennekin's improved by 5 seconds," the blonde woman observed, the yellow fox yipping happily in the woman's arms.
Cynthia was tutoring Serena at the girl's request, wanting to lessen the time taken for [Flamethrower (Fake)]. Like a muscle exerting, Fennekin had managed to shorten the charge time after repetition and practice.
"Aim needs a little work, though."
A charred field greeted them.
'Erk…' / 'Fou…'
"Say, Miss Cynthia. Why don't you ever show your Pokémon?"
The blonde woman assumed a pensive stare before smiling back at the honey blonde.
"Do you wanna see her?"
A vigorous nod answered the woman.
"Well then…"
"Don't get too scared now..."
…
Dance in the heavens—
—Garchomp.
…
From the woman's capsule, a bright flash of light illuminated the battlefield.
As the light receded, Serena and Fennekin found themselves staring at an overpowering sight.
Grrr…
It was a draconian of dark blue scales, its underbelly red like poppy flowers with horns resembling engines of aircrafts. Its hand was equipped with a large sharp claw, glinting a dangerous white similarly to the talons on its muscular feet. The spikes adorned on its body gave off a threatening allure as well as its scythe-like wings that curved akin to two crescent moons.
The shark-like dragon rose from its kneeling position, towering above the honey blonde and Fennekin, both of which did not dare take their eyes off the Pokémon.
A pair of intense golden irises encased in black sclera acknowledged the frightened pair before it, its razor-sharp teeth parted to roar with commanding dominance with the golden star adorning its snout inched closer towards Serena.
Though frightened by the fearsome Pokémon before her, the honey blonde stood her ground as the royal blue eyes exuded their intimidating pressure to match the dragon.
Unfortunately, it was lacking compared to Garchomp's initial wave of ferocity; but…
"Gar!" the land shark grinned as it extended its claw towards the honey blonde.
"Eh?" a flabbergasted Serena blurted out, instinctively accepting the handshake.
"Hahaha, she likes you," Cynthia chuckled as she petted the draconian Pokémon.
"Dragon type Pokémon are prideful by nature. They don't take too kindly with cowardice, so your Intimidation gave Garchomp here a great impression."
As it turned out, Garchomp was a big softie during her downtime. It did not take long before Serena began cuddling against the land shark.
"Now that I take a better look, you're really beautiful, Garchomp!" Serena praised as she sparkled at the magnificent scales of the Mach Pokémon.
"Gar!"
"Like Pokémon, like Trainer, huh?"
Behind her, a sheepish Cynthia could only smile at that passing comment.
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"…This is a funny sight," Ash smirked.
Before him was Froakie holding onto the Dagger as if he would be using [Cut]. The antonymous view of a mythological weapon wielded by a Pokémon was rather amusing and oddly pleasing for the raven-haired boy to behold.
"Kero…" Froakie croaked in awe at the Dagger in his hand, clearly exuberated by its appearance. "You like it?" Ash grinned.
'Shame we can't use it for the Challenge…'
Unfortunately, Carnwennan did not count as a Held Item in the eyes of the guidebook for Battles. Instead, it was more in-line with a Key Item.
'The heck's the point of a weapon if I can't use it in battle?' he peeved.
Carnwennan was not an offensive type of weapon. Unlike Caliburn, the Dagger served nigh-inefficient power within it, meaning even if Ash were to equip it with the blue frog, it would not make a difference.
'Well, it'd just encumber him anyways.'
"Kero."
"Hm? Oh, you had enough fun?"
The blue frog nodded as he hopped towards the rest of team. Froakie was immediately accepted in the party, getting along well with Pikachu and Charizard the most since they were similar in nature, though varied in their intensities.
Ash held onto the Dagger that Froakie passed to him and flourish it absently as he recalled the events so far.
"I don't care if you make it out alive, but if you have enough resolve then heed my final advice to you…"
"Haaahhh… that was ironically the most helpful thing he said to me so far," Ash muttered with annoyance, remembering the man in red's counsel.
'Right after stabbing me too.'
"Pikapi!"
The raven-haired boy snapped out of his musings to find his team staring at him, eyes full of determination as they were raring to go. Seeing his Pokémon's excitement, Ash grinned in return as he walked towards them.
"Yosh! Let's do this, you guys!"
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Pummelo Island, Orange Islands (3 days later…)
"Woah… It's a big island," Daisy commented as the blimp neared the island.
"Yea— ?!"
Before the raven-haired boy could say anything, his peripherals found a speeding blob of orange below them. The creature flew with rocketing speed as it blitzed towards the island, far faster than the blimp or Lapras could ever travel.
"What was that?" Daisy wondered aloud.
"A Dragonite," Ivy supplied while placing her chin on the head of raven, much to Daisy's chagrin.
"Pummelo's quite known for their species since it's a revered Pokémon there."
"Ohhh… They must be strong," he whispered a breath.
The possibility of battling strong Pokémon against his final opponent was getting higher, much to the boy's delight.
"Pikapi!" / "Kero!"
The two Pokémon on his shoulders made their excitement known, tugging a grin on Ash's mouth.
"Yeah."
'I can't wait.'
…
As he had done a couple of times, Ash successfully registered himself for the Challenge. Since the Challenges were broadcasted worldwide, the raven-haired boy had to choose a timeslot for his Challenge.
Ash, however, already knew and picked the afternoon slot of 12pm. It was not his idea as the honey blonde was the contributor since they had to find a time where it was convenient for both.
'Kanto and Kalos has a 7-hour difference, huh? Didn't know that,' the boy mused as he walked out of the Pokémon Centre.
"Hey, hey! Ashy!" an excitable Daisy called out from afar as she pointed towards a statue.
"Coming, hold on," he sighed.
'I hope Bill survives her in the future.'
Ash and Daisy were together as the two Professors that accompanied them were busily meeting with other world-renowned persons, not that Ash nor Daisy knew. In the meantime, the two were stuck like glue due to the older Oka sibling's insistence to stick herself onto him for fear of his unfortunate talent of getting into trouble.
The raven-haired boy ambled towards Daisy to check the statue, surprising him slightly at its appearance.
"Dragonite…" he recognized Lance's ace.
"Cool, ain't it?" a third voice made itself known.
The two Pallet Town natives swerved their heads along with Pikachu and Froakie towards the sudden appearance of the voice.
It was a man of spiky black hair. He wore a sleeveless vest of maroon with orange stripes and a black tank top underneath. Suffice to say, he seemed more of a bodybuilder than a Trainer.
However, the keen bloodred eyes caught onto the man's belt as it carried 6 PokéBalls around it, clueing him as to who it was that was standing beside them.
"Ah, Mr Drake!" Daisy gasped in recognition, much to Ash's surprise.
Ash blinked.
"Daisy! You've grown quite a lot," Drake exclaimed.
And again.
'Okay, why does it feel like I'm a side character…?' Ash wanted to retort as he was the only one who felt out of place here.
"You must be the one my colleagues talked about," the man revived the conversation.
'Colleagues? Wait…'
"You're the Supreme Gym Leader," the raven-haired boy realized.
"And you must be the Faker."
"Again with that, how did that name even catch on?" Ash let out a sigh.
Hearing his exasperation, Drake merely guffawed.
"Hey, just wait till you win a Regional League. Your official epithet will be given."
'Da heck? This Faker nickname's just an unofficial one?!' the boy grumbled as he was wishing to change his cringeworthy name asap.
"I see you guys are intrigued by our worshipped guardian's statue."
"Dragonite?"
"Yeah, the legend goes that the first islanders of Pummelo were saved by a benevolent Dragonite at sea when their boats capsized. The first islanders were fishermen and as such, brought fishes as offerings for the great Dragonite, who blessed Pummelo Island into what it is today," Drake recounted the story of Pummelo to the intrigued tourists.
"And to tell you the truth, kid, my own buddy here's a descendant of that Dragonite along with two others," he boasted while grasping his capsule towards the boy.
"Mr Drake, you keep saying the same thing whenever I come here with Grandpa," Daisy deadpanned to a boisterous Drake.
'A Dragonite…' Ash felt a spark of excitement within his heart as he took out his Dex and scanned the statue.
[=]
Dragonite, the Dragon Pokémon
This marine Pokémon has an impressive build that lets it freely fly over raging seas without trouble. It is said to make its home somewhere in the sea. It guides crews of shipwrecks to shore.
[=]
"A Dragon Type. I've never battled against one before," Ash let out a toothy grin.
The raven-haired boy was beginning to itch for battle against the Dragon type Pokémon. It would serve as a consolation match against his cancelled match against Lance back in the Grand League.
"Feisty kid, aren't you?" the Supreme Gym Leader noticed with a nodding Daisy agreeing.
"Just like my cousins."
"Cousins?"
"Oh right, Mr Drake's a relative to Lance and Clair," Daisy revealed.
Ash hummed in understanding since he could see the resemblance in their hairstyles.
"Wait, so the other two descendants…"
"Yep, Lance and Clair have them. Though, that prim and proper little squirt still hasn't evolved her Dragonair yet," the man chuckled as he recalled the events of the Grand League.
Hearing such a revelation did no attempts to stop the boy's eagerness to battle.
"Too bad you're gonna hafta wait for the Stadium to finish rebuilding."
"Rebuild?"
"Yeah. That Shamouti headache a week ago destroyed the Stadium, leaving it in literal pieces. It's a wonder nobody got hurt."
The aftermath of the potentially world-ending event was beginning to sink in for Ash as he pondered more on the effects of his actions, or rather, inaction due to Nameless cleaning up the mess.
'…Yeah, I don't wanna think about that asshole for now.'
"So that's why Nurse Jenny said that applications were only for the next week," Ash understood now.
With no other choice, the two thanked Drake before leaving for the Centre once again.
…
Night fell quickly as Daisy watched with a disheartened gaze at a hardworking Ash setting up camp outside the Centre. The older girl joined him for dinner as the boy insisted.
The two Professors that accompanied them were working overtime due to the numerous meetings they had with other regions; Ash made a mental note to make some herbal tea for them.
'I'm still not there with soup…' he frowned slightly.
"Why don't you eat the Centre's food, Ashy? Doesn't it take time to cook?"
"Well, yeah. But I enjoy it so it's fine."
The raven-haired boy swivelled the wok as the fried rice within spun with a waft of aroma. The amazing smell assaulted the Pokémon as well as Daisy as drool began to form in their mouth.
"It's therapeutic, even. And besides…" Ash stated as he sprinkled some salt on the rice.
"Having you here makes me wanna do my best."
'Dang it, did I sprinkle too much?'
The older Oak sibling gave off a wide smile upon hearing that, simultaneously proud as well as fearful of the boy's genuine remarks.
"If you keep saying things like that to other girls, you're gonna end up breaking their hearts, y'know?"
"…I don't see the connection, Daisy… Nee-chan," he frowned at the forceful smile the girl gave.
"Haah… For a boy whose got a sweetheart, you're still dense."
"Sounds to me someone wants less food on their plate."
"Wah, sorry!"
The older Oak sibling pouted as she watched a smirking Ash serve everyone their plates.
"Hey, Ashy?"
"What?"
"When are you meeting with Serena?"
Ash gazed at the serious expression on Daisy's face, as if questioning why he was still on a journey when he could be gone in Kalos within 2 days' time.
'I think I can tell her,' the boy decided.
"To tell you the truth, before I knew Yellow was in Kalos, I was called by Professor Oak to a certain meeting when I came to the Orange Islands," he explained.
"Grandpa did? For what?"
"Well… Basically, I'm chauffeuring an object with me that the Professors wanna use for research."
'Can't tell her about the GS Ball. Might as well just leave it at that.'
"After being oathbound to my 'pilgrimage', imagine my disappointment when Yellow came out nowhere and revealed herself…" Ash prodded air quotations before groaning his displeasure.
'Wow… his luck really sucks big time,' Daisy watched sympathetically.
"But… Serena understands…"
'She'll always understand me.'
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One week later…
The thunderous applause encircled the stadium as the crowd cheered in anticipation of the match of today.
Drake stood stalwartly on his side of the battlefield, smiling towards the other end of the darkened entrance, awaiting his challenger.
Meanwhile in the entrance, Daisy and the two Professors saw the raven-haired boy off.
"I'm rooting for you, you two," Oak placed a hand onto Ash's shoulder.
"Good luck, Ash, Pikachu," Ivy ruffled his hair.
"Make sure you guys win for Serena!" Daisy grinned.
The three wishes empowered the raven-haired boy as he showed the silver locket within his left fist, its chain wrapped around his arm while serving as a reminder that the honey blonde was watching.
"Yeah!" / "Pikachu!"
Hotel Richissime, Kalos Region
"It's starting," Calem jittered in his seat.
The children seated themselves on the two sofas facing the large television while Cynthia grabbed a chair whilst watching the introduction with an interested glint in her eyes.
{ WELCOME ALL TO THE PUMMELO ISLAND CHALLENGE! }
{ A 6V6 THAT WILL DETERMINE THE CHALLENGER'S RIGHT TO LEAVE THEIR NAME IN THE PALACE OF VICTORY! }
"Palace of Victory?" Gary raised a brow.
"It's the Orange Island's equivalent to the Hall of Fame," Cynthia answered.
"Have you been there before, Miss Cynthia?" Shauna asked.
"Of course. It's not an official League, but the Challenges there helped strengthened my bonds with my Pokémon," she nodded.
"I highly recommend it. Especially since it's Lance's cousin we're talking about here."
{ ON THE HOME SIDE, WE HAVE OUR ISLAND'S PRIDE… }
{ THE SURPEME GYM LEADER, DRAKE! }
"That guy? He's Clair's cousin too?" Blue widened her eyes.
"Yeah. The 3 of them hold the Pummelo guardian's descendants in their team, the Dragonite of Pummelo," the blonde woman continued helpfully.
{ AND NEXT! OUR CHALLENGER FOR TODAY… }
{ ASH KETCHUM OF PALLET TOWN! }
The new appearance of the raven-haired boy caught everyone by surprise as Ash stepped out from the shadows with his capped Pikachu, revealing a short but spikier version of his previous hairstyle. His blue themed clothes were the exact same but slimmer than before while his black T-shirt underneath was replaced with a black tank top.
Serena and Kimia stared.
Their eyes traced every inch of Ash's body, hungrily seeking out for a glimpse of the boy's upper arms that were covered by his vest. The princess snapped out of it before commenting on Serena's behaviour.
"Ahem! Serena, we're here to watch A… Ash's match. Please contain yourself," Kimia fumbled all over her words.
Meanwhile…
Snap!
"This one's good…" the honey blonde mumbled to herself.
Snap, snap, snap!
"The angle's off here… One more."
A serious Serena was snapping pictures of Ash with her PokéDex from different angles, skidding left and right for the perfect shots as the others watched with sweat drops.
The honey blonde was amazingly unashamed of her actions.
"Serena…" everyone deadpanned.
"Hmph, I could say the same for you, Kimia…"
A shameless Serena turned back towards the others with a bleeding nose and serious eyes.
"Keep your hormones in check, princess."
"YOU'RE ONE TO TALK!"
…
"Hey, kid," Drake grinned.
"Shame you didn't get to battle Lance, huh?"
'Way to rub it in,' Ash thought sarcastically.
"But don't worry about it."
"Drake of the Orange Islands!"
"The Supreme Gym Leader will face you now!"
As soon as Drake made his proclamation…
Ash showed the world his battle-hungry grin, baring his sharp canines.
Clink!
The bloodred eyes blazed.
"Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town!"
The final struggle.
The locket met his lips as the boy cried out in unbridled joy.
Chapter 61: Orange Finale
"The future Pokémon Master!"
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Fated Lore Explanation: Gigas Calendar
The Gigas Calendar is Fated's version of the Gregorian Calendar.
The corresponding months follows the horoscope signs in Personality Assessment and Horoscope of BW AND B2W2. The list is there for all to see.
The year follows the period of the Regi titan that represents the age.
For all of Fated, its Regieleki (most) and Regidrago (some). The reason for this is because BC and AD aren't a thing in Pokemon due to me not wanting to bring in Christianity into Pokemon. So, this is the workaround I made with help and references from the reviews.
Example: 8th August 1996 and 3000BC
In the Gigas Calendar, it would be written as 8th Bravia 1996, Regieleki and 3000, Regirock respectively.
(The Pokemon months are written only in their first half of their name. E.g: March, Alomomola is Alomo)
Since in-universe, the story is set in the Modern Era, the Regieleki part isn't needed. But for students, exams must be written in the above format.