Author's Notes
Hey, all! One more chapter before the month ends. And before M03!
As such, this chapter's more of a setup/preparation chapter with some good ol' worldbuilding.
This one's a bit of a pain in the ass to write since it jumps locations A LOT. So fair warning.
But it's over now! I can finally start writing the good part!
There's a conclusion to a certain character's mini arc in the middle so be sure to read that part.
Also, also! There's no Ash this chapter! He just get brought up a lot. Dude's AWOL until next chapter.
And now, reviews!
Tainan republic:
Nice chapter you cooked up
Larvitar
He's just so cute, like the baby carrier and the game boy is just so adorable, like I drew him playing the game boy and my heart is just about burst. And the interaction between Serena and it just had me TLDR: cuteness overload and I should probably see a cardiologist to calm my heart
Ash
When did bro start using hood slang? Also, crazy ash go brrrrr. I wonder what he's gonna forge? (cough, cough, it's a sword isn't it? Cough, cough). The wall smashing reminds me of a certain anime with cream puffs and a buff ass Harry Potter *bling bang bang boom intensifies*
Whitney
Damn she's a bitch, like your description of her fits her down to a t. Like holy hell, how is she a gym leader and the absolute power abuse is just insane to be honest. Glad ash handed her ass back to her. She really needed the humbling
Bill
The entire fandom feels the same way bro, everyone.
Good luck with the revision with legends za, o7
O7 to the goat and godfather of anime/manga, Akira Toriyama
o7 to Goatyama. Dude's last chapter was the first time I've ever read Dragon Ball and it's surprising cool. I know the characters so it wasn't as if I was lost, but the Beast form was new so that surprised me. Pan and Goku interaction was cute too.
With that being said, there's a small reference about DB in this chapter so keep your eyes peeled for that.
Larvitar being cute is a given. I have a baby cousin who's just the cutest thing in the world and she's what I based Larvitar on. God, she's cute.
Ash using hood slang is a funny quirk of his. I think I've said before that Ash had somewhat of a hood upbringing with the amount of fights he got into and because of his rather 'old man' speech like 'ain't', it's just a quirk he has. Who knows? It might infect others...
As for the forge stuff, you're gonna hafta wait next chapter.
As for Whitney, I'm surprised you guys enjoy bitchy Whitney but I'm not complaining.
I can make a case for Giovanni's redemption since the manga shows it but somehow, I really didn't want Whitney to be a 'good' person. Glad people like it, lmao.
All hail, Bill!
Legends ZA is just the beginning. Now I dread the day when Legends Eternatus gets ann... FUUUUUUUUCCCCCCKKKKKKKK!
lolwhatno:
HOLD UP! Backtrack a little.
I did not expect Whitney to be the one that corners Ash. But, hello? The battle? (High on excitement). Tbh, I came to this story for Amour, and I thought that would be the only thing that's highlighted in the story. But it's the battles that get me high on adrenaline. Idek how that's possible, but reading your action scenes always require like four reads because I get so high on emotions and forget to actually understand.
But I think it's your writing style that draw me in, like, the use of bold, italics and putting a sentence in the centre makes all the difference since I imagine as I read. Like reading bold words gets rid of all the background things happening with the story in my head and focuses solely on the character - in the end it turns out to be like a movie/anime scene in my head, and it's so cool. You write in a way that it's impossible for the readers to imagine anything else than what you want them to imagine, if that makes sense.
Also, the trainers scale!
How would you rate Blue and Ash?
Idk what you put in chapter 77 but I've read it 7 times now, it's the only thing that goes through my head. I've read so many fanfictions, all with great lore but mediocre writing, so you imagine my excitement when I FINALLY found a story that I actually like. It's gotten to the point I can't read any other battles because they don't seem satisfactory. And if the battles are so great and THEY AREN'T EVEN THE MAIN FOCUS OF THE STORY imagine how mind fucking the best part will be (gets shivers through the body again).
All hail Bill! He's the greatest guy around! More Amour moments, let's go!
Thanks for the entertaining read, man!
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Battles:
Lmao, that's a high compliment! But trust me, I'm still holding back. The battle scale of the latter parts is even more crazier with what I have in mind. Not to mention...
I think a part of why my story's battles could be seen as entertaining (not for me since... I wrote it lol)
Is due to the extra power systems in place such as Black Fl- I mean, Clutch Critical, UNITE moves (been a while), and Sync Moves (again, been a while)
It's also because I visualize it like an anime so the perspective change, the inner dialogue and bold/italics really make it easy for readers to get engaged.
But for me, the more I think about it, the more it looks like a half-baked anime.
Sighhhh... the woes of being a writer (I can never enjoy the story since I know what'll happen)
Welp. Guess I'll go crazier.
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Trainer's Scale:
This is more of a fun fact feature rather than an actual scale since it traps the Trainers into a bubble where the lower ranks cannot beat the upper ones.
Like a Gifted cannot beat a Savant, etc etc. No, that's not how it works.
Lance said it in the Grand League arc: "There are no guarantees in Pokémon Battles."
Meaning in Fated, battles are back and forth and not stat checks. Even someone like Brendan could beat a Champion in the right conditions.
But if you're curious: Blue is a Talented since although she's good enough to enter the Grand League, she's not a battle-oriented Trainer.
Ash's category is VERY iffy and Gary will explain it in the chapter.
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And yes. ALL HAIL BILL!
Rajiv A. Rajaram:
Damn bruh you made Whitney a total bitch here lmao. God I was glad Ash gave it to her because of her attitude but it was hilarious to see her egg him on. Immediately as you described the CC I knew it was a Black Flash! I like how you added Serena to the chapter and the smooch was the icing on the cake. We know he's looking to make a birthday present for her so it's all in seeing what comes of it. A locket maybe? Who knows! Overall a fantastic chapter and I'm glad we got an Ash battle. Just wondering, do we get to see Ash get his shiny Noctowl? Ngl he's one of my favorite Pokémon so I hope he does tbh.
Thanks again, Rajiv.
CC being Black Flash was something I came up with whilst watching season 2 and it looked familiarly like [Railgun] so I just said: Fuck it, we C.C now.
Serena being added served as cheerleading support plus her witnessing battlelust Ash since that's always fun. But it's also to show off the new Bag as I saw an advertisement recently about a bag with several compartments and it hit me: Why not a mini PC in the Bag?
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Birthday present:
You're gonna have to wait next chapter to find out what it is. And I find it funny no readers actually think Ash forgot about it despite his track record for denseness.
Guess that means Fated!Ash's personality is getting ingrained, huh?
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Shiny Noctowl:
Really sorry about this, Rajiv, but Ash probably isn't getting another Pokémon in Johto.
The reason being writing too many Pokémon runs the risk of me forgetting some of them.
So maybe Shiny Noctowl will make an appearance but unfortunately in the hands of another Trainer.
C0rrupted1:
I forgot that there was a shiny Rayquaza in the movies. Interesting.
Wouldn't Ash saying 'God damn it' actually be considered rude or disrespectful and be right up his alley? Or saying the equivalent to 'Jesus Christ' in vain be up the alley? Or is it that god in anything is something he doesn't want to say?
I think that was considered a no for anyone religious. Or at least I remember my mother getting annoyed with me when I would say that when I was younger. If anything, with how people now a days say 'I swear to god' to try and convince people they're telling the truth, only for them to be lying regardless, having that mean nothing seems like something that be said. But again, feel like anything god related is a no.
Serena on the go and at the ready. This'll be funny.
'Just start dating already'...Bold of you to assume they aren't already. Long distance Bill. For a man turned pokemon then back (and possibly seen a giant [or a retcon Dynamax] Dragonite), not that far fetch.
Whitney's nuts. I was expecting the version from Pedro's Pokemon Gold, where she's just battle hungry and loves to see them squirm. But for her to be just a bitch...I actually dig it. Having everyone be nice and all that would get boring, so just having this teenage demon be like this is funny and breaks the mold. Though I'm expecting some kind of complaints and even Lance to make a call down the line or something cause this punishment/requirement was just crazy just cause Ash is 'ugly'. The trainer's spirits she'd break if young.
Ditto has unhinged level of potential. Curious though, Froakie wasn't the original plan cause you had asked us if he should join the team. What was the original plan then for say this fight or even the original Pokemon? Totodile center stage? Pikachu having another go against Ditto?
side note: I was unable to fight whitney cause my Gold copy couldn't keep a save cause battery was dead. so had to change it myself, and it was more nerve wreaking then I care to admit.
So maybe I'm overthinking but Ash knew what Serena was asking for when she asked about the the month. Is he putting to practice what Nameless told him? Lie by twisting it around? If not, thinking this is like a walk before a sprint.
Also hell yeah, M3. Dan Green the Entei, let's go!
Also two question:
1) With Brendan here, I'm wondering if the future companions/characters going to be the same age as when they're first met or will they age up by the time Ash arrives? Like Poppy for example. Will she still be as young when Ash arrives or will she actually be older? That's something I've always wondered about since say if with the Alola gang, will still be in school or if they'll be old enough to not have to attend anymore.
2) Again with Brendan having three Pokemon that aren't starters, I'm curious. Are 'starters' only given to specific people who go to professors/been recommended or can anyone get one? Cause I know say Cynthia started off with Gabite but would someone like say Steven get a starter then eventually retire it (take it as you will) when he figures out his preference? I always wondered that for any of the Gym leaders.
Another great read, C0rrupted!
Ash does say 'goddamnit' but never 'oh my god' or anything similar to that since that's like exclaiming to god which he hates. All deliberate writing.
As someone who was brought up in a Christian school, yes: Don't take the Lord's name in vain. (Not Ash though. He's gonna be different kind of menace)
...Would be funny if Ash ever said 'On god'. lmao
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Serena on the go is the most perfect way to put it.
Though, I'll keep it to a minimum since it'll feel like Serena's whole purpose is to be present with Ash and that's a no-go since the goal is to make our honey blonde independent and her own character.
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Whitney being a bitch just fits, man. I dunno what to tell ya.
Definitely not my bias ass making her into one due to past trauma...
Ash being 'ugly' is really him being average. If anything, Serena's (and by extension, Kimia) the weird one(s) for calling him handsome. (That'll change, don't worry (glow up is real))
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Sorry to hear that about your Gold, mate. Being unable to keep saves suck.
Ditto is just Luffy, change my mind. The amount of potential is insane that I think [Transform] is legit a bait move.
Ditto should just watch One Piece to get better at battling.
As for the original plan...
Haha... I dunno how to tell you guys this but... I kinda... never plan the battles?
Really, this isn't a brag or anything. I legitimately don't plan the battles.
I just write whatever comes to mind and basically boils down to:
'What if I... Damn, that's a good attack, I should write that,' I thought to myself as I stared into the darkness, ready for sleep.
And with some visualization from anime, bing bang boom: You get battles.
So! What I'm trying to say is: I improvise based on what Pokémon that battles, what they're capable of and translating all that into one battle.
(Which is why I'm scared to write many battles this early in the story since I'll run out of ideas by the end)
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And yes! Ash taking Nameless' advice is what I was going for!
Remember: Ash only answered the question. Nothing more, nothing less. He never said he forgot and thus, never lied.
Kudos to you, C0rrupted!
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1) Brendan and by extension, the other characters are gonna be the same age as the main trio plus Serena.
I mean, what do you think I made the school for? It ain't an Amour fic without a school setting. (Which is weird, ngl)
What do I mean by the above? You'll see when Hoenn ends.
As for Poppy: She'll be older somewhat, retaining her youthfulness but mature enough to not be weird
(She's 9 officially in SV so she'll be aged up a bit to 11 since that's how old Ash is right now so it won't be weird)
Simple math, in Fated currently: Poppy's 6 years old now.
For the Alola gang, they're the same grade as Serena so they'll graduate at the same time as her. But don't worry.
Just because I have somewhat of a bone to pick with SM (since it's cuz of the anime and games that XY was shafted) doesn't mean I'm gonna disrespect them.
In fact: Alola and Kalos arcs are probably Fated's longest arcs.
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2) As for 'starters', not all children get the standard starters so their starters are other Pokémon like Zigzagoon or something like Psyduck. Going to a Professor guarantees you a standard starter, though since starter Pokémon are found in the wild as well, other Trainers could find them there too.
It's kinda like those Pokémon fangames where all Pokémon are available and starters are just roaming around in routes.
Cynthia is a prime example, yes. She got Gible as her starter.
As for cases like Steven, he probably got a Beldum.
Since us as players, we are accustomed to the idea of boxing the starters but in-universe, it doesn't make sense for the Trainers.
In-universe, both Fated and canon, most notable Trainers clearly care about their Pokémon (not early Paul lol) and are like first time players where boxing your starter is a cardinal sin. You take that starter, no matter how shit it is, everywhere.
So to answer your question:
It's more like their preferences were set in stone (haha, like Steven Stone) before they even got their first Pokémon. Their starters just happen to be a perfect match.
And that's it! See you guys at M03!
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Chapter 78: Homecoming
Pokémon Academy, Lumiose City
A bright day started, and the students were chatting away in class, excited for the upcoming days.
"It's the holidays!" Calem cheered.
"The holidays!" Shauna joined in.
"Holidays!" Blue added as well.
The students could not wait for the holidays…
All except one.
"Haaaahhhhh…" Serena sighed with a foul attitude.
"Hey, cheer up, Serena…" Gary tried to comfort.
"He didn't remember my birthday… sniff," she pouted, turning away in a huff.
'Man, this girl's a pain in the ass…' the orange-haired boy twitched.
However, Gary found it extremely strange regarding Serena's lamenting.
'But it's strange, that guy never forgets things… Especially when it comes to Serena,' he mused to himself.
'There should be no way he doesn't remember…'
In the end, he chalked it up to an oversight from his childhood friend.
No matter how improbable it may seem.
"But still, aren't you guys excited to be going back?" Serena asked.
"Sure am, but it just isn't the same with our third guy," Gary chuckled.
"We're going back to Kanto for a bit," he added.
"There's… someone I gotta see first."
The honey blonde stared at Gary, noticing the wistful eyes despite the smile and connected the dots.
"…I see. He's probably waiting to see you," Serena comforted.
The orange-haired boy listened to her words before shooting a thankful smile.
"Thanks."
Hotel Richissime, Kalos Region
"Cynthia, your toothbrush," the honey blonde handed the blonde woman her items.
The Champion was preparing to leave as she began packing her luggage. Her reason for leaving was due to her duties as Sinnoh's Champion. There were applicants for her Elite Four, after all.
"Oh, Sere-chan! I don't know what I'll do without you…" Cynthia wailed playfully at the unimpressed Serena.
After living with her teacher for so long, Serena had gotten used to the Champion's airheaded and indecisive nature. The worst experience she had was during their trip to Lumiose's gelato parlour that sold ice cream made from Alto Mare.
The honey blonde recalled the agonizing minutes of her mentor scrutinizing each flavour while the line got extremely long. The anxiety Serena felt that day was vowed: 'Never again'.
Despite her airheaded behaviour, Serena was impressed by Cynthia's battle sense. When it came down to it, the Champion was the epitome of the word:
Strongest.
However, the blonde woman would always refute that claim every time.
'In that area, she's similar to Red… Mmf!' she pondered before pouting again.
"Alright, what's the matter?" the blonde woman noticed, poking the girl's inflated cheek.
"…Birthday," she muttered.
"Hm? Oh, you mean Ash?" Cynthia realized.
"Did he forget your birthday?"
"Ghh!"
Even though it was what Serena wanted to hear, it still hurt.
"He didn't react at all when I asked him what month it was," Serena pleaded her case.
"Maybe a surprise?"
"…Maybe."
The honey blonde accepted that.
…
As night came, Serena tucked in both of her Pokémon to sleep. After that, she also placed the Cores gently on a pillow.
"Goodnight, Serena," they bode.
"Goodnight, you two," she smiled.
A few minutes later, everyone was out, taken off to dreamland except for Serena.
'Something's been bugging me,' she stared at the ceiling.
Her thoughts traced back to Froakie and Ash's performance on the battlefield.
She kept it to herself but could not stop thinking about it.
The Clutch Critical took everyone's attention but Serena's eyes were solely on the raven-haired boy, much to her embarrassment.
But because of that, the honey blonde witnessed something rather chilling.
As Ash cried out his final move…
A ghostly visage stood beside him:
'Who was that?'
A woman with snow-white hair and a black veil.
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Lumiose City, Kalos Region
"Alright, an outing with all 3 of us!" Blue cheered as Serena and Gary followed her.
"I feel like a third wheel here…" Serena complained.
As she said that, both Gary and Blue blushed, suddenly conscious about the mood.
"Don't worry. You two have a loooot of time to flirt tomorrow~" the honey blonde instigated with a mischievous grin.
Seeing the two scratching their necks in embarrassment, Serena threw them a lifejacket.
"So for today…!" she patted their backs.
"Treat me as a stand-in for that dummy!"
The two Kanto kids sported grins on their faces as the three walked around the city.
…
"Why am I here?" Gary questioned himself, stone-faced in the middle of a clothing shop.
The trio had been walking around Lumiose City's Vernal Avenue when the two girls spotted the most appealing store of all:
The Boutique Couture.
'Of all places, it had to be this one…!' the orange-haired boy paled.
It was the only boutique that sold mainly designer fashion and luxuries, draining Gary's facial expression even more.
Kalos was also known as the region of fashion, after all. It was not a stretch to say it was the pioneer for style.
"Ta-daa!" Blue came out of the fitting room with a brightened expression.
The chestnut-haired girl revealed herself, wearing a short blue parka with an orange tank top within while complimenting her top was a pair of aqua skinny jeans.
Gary beheld with amazement, stopping to take in the view with an embarrassed Blue fidgeting.
"You look amazing…" Gary struggled to keep his mouth closed.
"T-T-Thanks…" she blushed.
"See? Told you he'd like it," the honey blonde whispered from behind.
Serena acted as the chestnut-haired girl's clothes-picker and her sense of fashion did wonders for the Kanto girl.
"And it's cheap too," she whistled at the price tag.
As it turned out, the Boutique Couture was holding a collaboration with Cyllage Boutique that day and was selling their products and vice versa.
Gary took a glance at Blue's parka, surprised to see that it costed only 2,400 PokéCoins, a far cry from the retail's average of 200,000.
"You knew about this?" Blue was amazed.
"Lumiose City is the most populated city in the world, so boutiques usually do collabs with more modest stores so that the price range is comfortable for both the rich and the average," Serena explained.
'It's a common business move, after all,' the honey blonde thought.
"But the reason why I didn't you two is cuz I wanna see Gary's face when he entered," she added with a snicker.
"Gee, I hope you got what you wanted," he replied sarcastically.
With Gary offering to pay for Blue's clothes, the trio exited for their next destination.
…
Next up, they ambled towards the heart of the city, Prism Tower.
And as luck would have it, they spotted a familiar pair of siblings.
"Oh, it's Serena!" Bonnie beamed as she noticed the trio.
"Oh, hello there," Clemont followed, a polite smile on his face.
"Hi Bonnie!" the honey blonde kneeled to the little girl's height with a grin.
She adored the little sister very much despite only ever meeting her once before. As they talked, their persons painted themselves more like sisters.
"How surprising. Bonnie may be extroverted, but she's dialled up to 11 when it's with Serena," the bespectacled boy remarked.
"Maybe she's good with kids," Blue suggested.
"Just like a certain guy we know," Gary nodded.
As much as Ash may grind his gears, the orange-haired boy had noticed how well he got along with children.
Especially the one who visited 2 years ago.
'If I remember correctly, I think it was Professor Hale's daughter,' he noted.
They were 9 years old at the time, meaning a year before they set off on their journey.
'Oh, right. We're meeting them when we get back.'
"By the way, have you guys eaten?" Clemont asked.
The trio shook their heads.
"Then let's eat together!" Bonnie jumped excitedly.
"No need to raise your voice, Bonnie. But yes, would you like to join us?" the older brother asked in a more polite manner.
'These siblings are really like night and day…' all three mused.
However, they had no reason to refuse and so, Clemont and Bonnie led the way.
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South Boulevard, Kalos Region
"Restaurant… Le Nah? Funny name," Gary commented on the name.
They had arrived at a rather cheap looking restaurant, which Clemont and Bonnie assured was guaranteed to give the trio a fun time.
The quintet entered with a waiter directing them to their seats.
"Ah, welcome, monsieur Clemont et madame Bonnie," the waiter bowed courteously.
"Hello, Georges!" the lemon-haired girl waved exuberantly.
"I see you've brought friends. Right this way, monsieur," Georges the waiter directed.
Like a well-oiled machine, the waiter served the customers with their usual lemon water along with their menus.
Gary and Blue marvelled at the price of the meals, which were a lot cheaper than what the average was in South Boulevard.
"Surprised? It's one of the benefits of Professor Sycamore's academy, or your school," Clemont chuckled at the gobsmacked expressions of the duo.
"It's thanks to Pokémon Academy?" Blue wondered aloud, prompting the lemon-haired boy to answer.
"Yeah. Because Lumiose City now has an educational institute, that means students would be roaming about."
'True, I remember that the Academy was built recently compared to other Kalos schools,' the orange-haired boy nodded.
"Because of the influx of students, I, as the Gym Leader—"
"Big Brother was amazing! He made the city open these restaurants for the students!" Bonnie interrupted with exaggerated movements, causing her brother to hold his head in annoyance.
"You opened these restaurants? That's amazing," Serena wowed.
"That would explain why the waiter knew you… So you were a bigshot, after all," Blue nodded along.
"Ahaha… it's nothing that impressive," the lemon-haired boy scratched his head, embarrassed by the praise from the girls.
"As a Gym Leader, I have some involvement regarding Lumiose City so my proposal for these chains of restaurants went through fairly easily."
"And before I was rudely interrupted…" Clemont glared mildly at his sister.
"Ehehe…" Bonnie rubbed her head sheepishly.
"I wanted to ensure the students here have a great time studying and not worry about the costs for living expenses."
'That's… surprisingly reasonable,' Gary agreed with Clemont's decision.
A chain of cheap restaurants would give students an easier time with their wallets whilst incentivising them to explore more of the largest city in the world.
"I see, that's a wise business idea," the orange-haired boy smiled.
"Ahaha… I had an ulterior motive though…" the lemon-haired boy exposed truthfully.
"Monsieur et madame, your meals have been prepared," Georges returned with their food.
"And before you dig in, might I suggest a quick Battle to savour for later?"
The trio blinked in confusion at the man's request, prompting a small chuckle from Clemont and Bonnie.
"This is the uniqueness of the restaurants: Double Battles," he explained.
A battlefield was prepared in the middle of the floor, whirring into form while keeping the wooden floor within, effectively replacing it.
"A Double Battle?!" the girls exclaimed.
"Kahaha! I'm guessing it's data for Clembot?" Gary guffawed with a guess.
"You're quick on the uptake, Gary. Yeah, that's actually the main reason why I pushed for the approval of these restaurants."
"Don't get me wrong, education is important. But science will always be my main priority!"
'And so that you can shirk off Gym Leader duties for your hobbies…' Bonnie stared, unimpressed.
Gary and Blue decided to go together while Serena and Clemont paired up for the second bout.
"Blastoise, in!"
"I'm counting on you, Venny!"
The Kanto duo faced off against Roger the chef while Serena, Clemont and Bonnie chatted as they awaited their turn.
"Serena, Serena. What Pokémon are you using?" the lemon-haired girl asked innocently.
"Well, Fennekin, I choose you."
Her capsule opened and summoned the yellow fox, materialized atop of Serena's lap.
"Wooooow, it's a Fennekin!" Bonnie shouted in delight.
"Fou?!" Fennekin yelped, digging herself deeper into the honey blonde's tank top.
"Bonnie, you scared her," Serena chided lightly, comforting the fox.
"Oops, I'm sorry…" she apologized, putting her hands on her mouth.
"Fennekin, this is Bonnie and her brother, Clemont."
The yellow fox peeked from the comfort of her Trainer's embrace, noticing the sibling humans who smiled towards her with zero hostility.
Fennekin sniffed the air and then Bonnie. Her nose tracked and traced the little girl's scent, trying to identify any sort of aggression. Fortunately for both the little sister and the yellow fox, the former did not have a single bad bone in her body.
Lick.
Fennekin greeted the cheerful Bonnie with a lick, a form of salutations before returning into Serena's embrace.
"Woahhhh, did you see that, Clemont?"
"Yes, Bonnie. Sorry about her, Serena. My sister can be very excitable when it comes to Pokémon," the older brother apologized on Bonnie's behalf.
"It's fine. I know someone who's just like her," the honey blonde grinned.
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After their meal, the trio parted ways with Clemont and Bonnie.
The lemon-haired boy, despite being a Gym Leader, was still amazed at how Serena completely dominated the battlefield. Granted, the difficulty was of the lowest, but by utilizing her Intimidation, it was easier than child's play.
"The look on Clemont's face, ahaha!" Blue laughed.
"Sere-chan just did a 2v1 without missing a beat!"
The chestnut-haired girl kept reliving the moment of the Electric Gym Leader ironically paralyzed from sheer awe at Serena's prowess.
"Training with Cynthia has its perks, I guess…" the honey blonde shrugged.
'I was fighting for my life each time… Can't believe I'm saying this, but Rhyhorn racing is a lot… No scratch that,' Serena shook her head.
"But seriously. With how much training you had in such a short time, you could be at least a Talented," Gary remarked, impressed.
"What's a Talented?" Serena questioned.
"Oh right. I forget that you're not really into Battling."
"It's the Trainer Scale, used to measure a Trainer's battle potential."
Serena thought about it for a moment before getting a gist of it.
'So it's like when V*geta took out the scouter?' she guessed.
She loved that anime, after all.
"The order goes as follows:" the orange-haired boy put up his fingers as he listed them.
"Average, Talented, Natural, Genius, Gifted and finally Savant."
"So I'm a Talented?" Serena asked.
"It's hard to say. Green's a Genius, but that was before he even had real experience," Blue answered.
"So normally, Trainers would say 'at least' since it's more of a gauge than an exact measurement."
"Ohh… Like a range?" the honey blonde quirked her brow.
"Got it in one, girl!"
As they ambled back to Pokémon Academy, the trio conversed as they walked.
Laughing along the way, anybody could tell it was a bunch of friends going out together.
"Then what about Red? Is he…?" the Kalos girl questioned again.
"That's the weird thing. We don't know," Blue answered nonchalantly.
"His style of Fakes makes it really hard to determine his potential so I chalk him up to be 'unique'," Gary sighed.
"By the way, I'm a Talented! It may be the second to last one but at least I'm above Average," the chestnut-haired girl boasted with a pun at the end.
Serena was further impressed. The fact that Blue was a Talented and yet managed to reach Top 8 in the Grand League was a praiseworthy feat.
To make it even more impressive, Blue was undoubtedly not a Trainer focused on Battling, which was more than remarkable for her age.
Pat, pat.
"Yoshi, yoshi~" Serena patted the chestnut-haired girls' head almost instinctively.
Before the honey blonde knew it, her hand had already a will of its own. Gravitating towards the Kanto girl, who had blue eyes that sparkled.
"W-W-Wow… This is…"
Bleu short-circuited.
"I am older than you two. That makes me the Big Sister, right?" Serena tried her best to play it off, fighting off the blush.
Her reasoning was sound. After all, the 4 Oriental regions took seniority very seriously. Among the 4, Serena was by far the oldest with Ash being the youngest.
"Gary, come here," the honey blonde beckoned with her free hand.
"…I'll pass," he turned away.
Grab!
"You're not getting away, Green," Blue snickered.
Pat, pat.
Gary froze on the spot as he felt his hair rummaged.
"You might not be proud of what you did in the past…" Serena started, eliciting a hitched breath from the orange-haired boy.
"And I sure as hell dislike it…"
The honey blonde's brow twitched at the memory of Gary's rampage, but it was water under the bridge now. All thanks to a certain troublemaker.
"But you and Blue deserve praise for what you accomplished."
That was it. A simple statement.
"You guys did your best."
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Lumiose Airport, Lumiose City
The next day, Serena and Grace waited alongside Cynthia and the Kanto natives for their respective flights as they were returning to their regions.
"Here you go," Cynthia gave a keycard for both mother and daughter.
"Since I won't be around for a while, you two can come by the penthouse anytime you like."
"Oh, Cynthia, this is too much," Grace gasped audibly.
"Don't worry about it. I know about Sere-chan's Rhyhorn racing lessons and since there's plenty of space in the penthouse battlefield…"
'Excuse me, Cynthia?!' the honey blonde shivered.
"That's right… You've been skipping out a lot lately, haven't you?" her mother smiled wickedly.
'Nooooooo!'
The invisible blobs on the honey blonde's lap wobbled their condolences towards their custodian.
Although it was a risk to bring Squishy and Puni-chan outside, Cynthia assured Serena that they would be fine due to their camouflage ability. It would take another Incarnation to be able to sense their presence.
And then, Cynthia's flight came first.
"Okay, see you two next time," the Champion waved to the two Kantonians.
"Yeah."
"Come back with some souvenirs!"
"Sure, sure," she grinned.
"And take care, Grace. Serena."
"Thank you for all you've done for us, Cynthia," Grace waved.
"And be sure to stay healthy," Serena added cheekily.
The blonde woman immediately ruffled the younger girl's hair for that slight before bowing to them and leaving.
'Take care of her and yourselves, Verdant Guardian.'
'You as well, Renegade's Incarnation.'
…
"Take care of yourself," Serena waved.
"You too," Gary nodded.
"Waaah, just come with us, Sere-chan!" Blue stuck to a sheepish Serena.
'I can't… There's no way I'm letting these two out of my sight,' she thought, referring to the Cores.
"Sorry, Blue."
"Then, I'll bring back a lot of gifts! Both for your birthday and souvenirs!" the chestnut-haired girl pumped her fists.
"Haha, I look forward to it," the honey blonde laughed.
And just like that, the two went away, waving back to Serena and Grace until they could see them no longer.
"Serena?"
"Yeah?"
Grace held a stern look as she gave the honey blonde Cynthia's keycard to her.
"Mom?!" Serena gasped.
"Don't worry, I've talked about it with Cynthia," the mother assured.
"We were chatting one day, and the topic of independence came up. Then, I decided to follow her advice and let you live by yourself."
"Mom…" Serena stared.
"You could've just said I was a pain to live with, y'know?"
"I'm trying to be understanding here!" Grace retorted.
"But thanks, Mom," Serena dropped the pretense, thanking her honestly.
"…Pft, let's be real. You just want to flirt with a certain someone all day, right?"
"Annnd, we're done!"
The honey blonde sped ahead with a humiliated huff, following by her chuckling mother right behind.
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Indigo Airport, Kanto Region
"WE'RE BACK!" Blue shouted at the top of her lungs.
The boisterous declaration echoed from the plane's exit, earning the chuckles from the other passengers.
"You're becoming a lot like Red…" Gary deadpanned.
"Well, he's not here right now so someone's gotta pick up his share of enthusiasm," Blue pouted.
Swiftly, they disembarked their flight and made their way around the airport.
The Kanto region had two modes of arrival and departure:
Indigo Airport of Indigo Plateau and Vermillion Port of Vermillion City.
One by air and other by sea.
The reason why Kanto's airport was situated in the Indigo Plateau was due to the location being a tourist attraction as it was where the Elite Four resided and the view was widely known to be spectacular.
Gary and Blue took the flight was due to its proximity to their hometown.
"Oh, it's them!" an enthusiastic cry called out to them.
At the waiting area was both Daisy Oak and Professor Oak.
"Gramps! Daisy!" Gary waved.
"Professor! Daisy!" Blue followed suit.
The 4 reunited with the older sister scolding her brother for not contacting much with his family.
"I expected this from Ash, but not from you, y'know?" the older Oak sibling gave her brother a noogie.
"Ow, ow, ow! Fine, it's my fault!"
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Pallet Town, Kanto Region
The gentle breeze wafted and danced around the two Trainers. A scent of nostalgia flowed as their car entered the serene town.
"Pallet Town's still as peaceful as ever," Gary commented as he rolled down the car's window.
"Can't wait to see Mom and Dad," the chestnut-haired girl smiled.
"Ah, about that," Oak remembered.
"They're actually on vacation in Unova so you probably won't see them."
"Urgh, my parents are still lovey-dovey at this age…"
To reiterate, Blue's parents did not hate their daughter; or rather, it was the opposite. They were absolutely enamoured with their daughter, giving her freedom and pampered her lots.
However, after Blue became a Trainer, her parents resumed their honeymoon period and were rarely at home. Although the chestnut-haired girl was happy her parents got along well even after so many years, it was frustrating for her to listen to her mother's gushing about her husband.
'Mom and Dad won't shut up about each other…' she recalled.
…
The two got settled back at their respective homes, spending the rest of the day recounting their events in school at Kalos.
A table full of Kanto cuisine for dinner had both the students drooling in anticipation.
"I bet Sycamore's school had Kanto food, but I can assure you that mine's better," the older sister huffed proudly.
It was delectable.
"Alright! So for our plans, we're going to Vermilion Port tomorrow," the researcher announced.
"Is it in the afternoon?" Gary asked.
"Yeah, don't wanna wake you kids that early."
"Then that's fine. I got some place I wanna go first."
Everyone looked at the orange-haired boy suspiciously. However, Blue was the first to realize where he was implying.
"I'll go with you!" she raised her hand.
"…I see. Then we'll meet you at Vermillion City," Oak smiled.
With a nod, everyone turned in for the night.
…
The morning light had not arrived yet. However, the sky was brightening.
Outside the Oak's residence was the orange-haired boy, ready and awake.
"Mm…" he stretched his body to limber up.
'How does Red wake up this early? I know he has insomnia but earlier than this is ridiculous,' he pondered.
The raven-haired boy's sleeplessness was well known as it had plagued him since the Rocket incidents.
"Why did you wake me up…?" a groggy Blue rubbed her eyes as she exited the house.
She had slept over for the night.
"You looked so pretty asleep, I didn't wanna wake you up," Gary chuckled.
"Are you callin' me ugly when I'm awake?" the chestnut-haired girl fired back with an incredulous glare.
He held his silence for this was a battle he was bound to lose.
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Lavender Town, Kanto Region
Gary returned his Pidgeot as he and Blue landed, thanking him for his service.
The orange-haired boy had arrived right in front of his desired location.
The place where he refused to go after his grief took over.
The source of his pain.
"Pokémon Tower," he exhaled.
Hesitation was present in his body as he found himself unable to take a single step.
His clenched hands watered, bearing the full brunt of his weakened will.
Biting his lip served as a small superficial punishment towards himself.
But Gary knew this day was here. The day he finally visited.
To his late friend.
"Green."
A calm voice called to him.
Replaced by the darkness emitting from the Tower's entrance…
…was the beaming smile of the chestnut-haired girl.
She gave no words towards him, knowing it was impossible to convince him with them.
Instead, Blue opted to give him courage in her own way.
The girl gave him her hand.
A lone hand reached out to him, its owner still smiling towards him.
Pain and loss.
Sorrow and grief.
They swirled no more.
That was all Gary needed.
His rival's words came true, after all.
"As long as you've got me and Blue, you'll always have a second chance. 'Cuz we're never gonna abandon you."
"…One road, huh?" he whispered to himself.
'Isn't that right, Red?'
With a brightened laugh…
Gary took her hand lovingly.
…
"Gara!"
A familiar skull warrior hobbled towards the two new visitors. His eyes recognizing them with warm welcome.
"Marowak! So this is where you've been!" Blue hugged the Pokémon tightly.
The Bone Keeper Pokémon was now wearing a small vest with a symbol on the breast pocket. Attached at the back were mini holders for both of his bone clubs.
"So the locals appointed you as the Tower's keeper, huh?" Gary bent down to pat the Pokémon.
"Gara!" he nodded.
'That symbol…' the orange-haired boy remembered seeing.
"Did a girl named Reina gift it to you?"
"Garara!" he nodded again, more enthusiastic this time.
"I see. So it's the Volunteer House's doing."
]=[
ATL Entry: Lavender Volunteer Pokémon House
The Lavender Volunteer Pokémon House, located in central Lavender Town, was founded by Mr. Fuji in order to care for abandoned Pokémon. Many members of the organization live in the safe house, looking after the abandoned Pokémon.
The Lavender Volunteer Pokémon House is in fact Mr. Fuji's own house; however, it is designed for abandoned Pokémon. There is a pen in the corner for Pokémon to play in, and a kitchen area that has a delicious smelling odour admitting from it.
Due to the structure of this humble organization, Mr Fuji's house could be seen as an adoption centre as well.
]=[
Marowak held the two Trainer's hands as he walked them towards their destination. Along the way, Marowak gleefully introduced his found family, a group of Cubones who were still wary of humans. And also, his old home where his mother and him used to live. It was now a living nest for the younger Pokémon.
As the skull wearing Pokémon patrolled the floors, the Ghost Types that lingered acted as Marowak's eyes and ears as they could traverse the floors much easier.
'He became the boss here...' Gary and Blue thought mirthfully.
Then, they noticed. Marowak held their hands while leading them towards somewhere.
Gary and Blue never told him but the skull warrior already knew.
It was obvious where.
…
The second floor.
2F of Pokémon Tower.
The memories surged within Gary as he walked through them.
"Stop it, Green!"
"Eevee's in no condition to battle!"
Each step, the guilt ate away his soul.
But Gary had enough of it. He had to be strong.
Put on a strong face so that he could face his friend properly.
'Don't look away, Gary Oak,' he held his gaze forward.
His jade green eyes trembling as he struggled to look down.
'Don't you dare run away.'
And finally… they arrived.
The final resting place of his late friend.
"Raticate…" Gary knelt on both legs.
A picture of his fallen friend and his pendant still there.
"I bet Red visited you before he went off, didn't he?" he started.
Gary noticed how clean Raticate's tombstone was and attributed it to Marowak's tireless duty of keeping the gravetower clean and presentable for the visitors.
"…I'm sorry."
"I used you as an excuse. Used you to convince myself I didn't need you."
"I'm sorry."
"Even though you're the reason I got this far… I pushed you away."
Poof! Poof!
Espeon and Arcanine materialized beside the kneeling boy.
Blue stepped away, sitting on a nearby bench alongside Marowak as they watched the orange-haired boy let it out.
"I told myself that 'Power' mattered more… Told myself you weren't needed in my ideals…"
"I said so many things I can never take back…!"
Pitter, patter. There went the tears as Gary continued to release everything.
A long time coming, he let it flow out of his proverbial bottle.
"I'm so sorry! I should've never kept you out of your capsule!"
"I should've let you rest! I should've…!"
He choked on the last words.
"…I should've protected you."
Gary's head planted itself onto the ground, as if begging for Raticate's forgiveness.
"You're no longer here with me, but…"
"But… I'll keep going. We all will."
Espeon and Arcanine shed no tears. But they bowed to the gravestone with weary heads.
"Grrr."
"Kyaa."
"We're not leaving you behind. We're not leaving you behind because…"
Marowak's eyes glinted in remembrance as he heard Gary's words.
The jade green eyes finally raised; the boy gazed resolutely towards Raticate's grave.
"No matter how far we are, you'll always be with us."
The similar words were enough to draw a smile from the skull warrior.
"But don't get it wrong, Raticate. We're not abandoning you. No matter how far we are, you'll always be in our hearts."
'Sounds like a Red answer,' Blue gave a tender smile.
"So… watch over us, Raticate," Gary stood back up.
The pendant he left with Raticate…
He took it back. Worn around his neck once more.
With a sniffle, Gary gave a hearty and teary grin towards the tombstone.
No longer shadowed by his guilt and darkness, he finally moved forward.
"Smell you later, Raticate."
A brown rat smiled.
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Olivine City, Johto Region
The next day, after arriving in Johto, the Oak family plus Blue touched land after riding the ferry.
"We're finally on land…!" Blue raised her arms in a stretch.
"The toilet's right there, hurry up," Gary pointed towards the Centre.
Rolling her eyes, the chestnut-haired girl immediately dashed towards the healing building and left behind the Oak family.
"You two have been quite close lately," Daisy eyed mischievously at her younger brother.
"Are you seasick or something? Having delusions is one symptom, you know?"
An arm lock gave the boy surrender.
All of a sudden, a gruff voice welcomed the family.
"So my little disciple's all grown up, huh?"
It was like an elephant addressing a gazelle as Gary spun towards the voice in a snap, choking at who it was.
"Master!" the boy straightened.
"Oh, Chuck," Professor Oak greeted with a firm handshake.
The one named Chuck guffawed as he accepted.
He was a large, hefty, and muscular man. He had fair skin, brown eyes, and short brown hair, along with a large, spiky moustache. Despite his large appearance, Chuck was visibly strong and not merely fat. His body was that of a strongman build, giving off an aura of a humongous bear.
"Good to see you, Professor," he said politely, unlike his boisterous manner.
"I heard from Jasmine that you folks were coming for a visit, so I thought to myself: 'Why not? Haven't seen the brat in a while'."
Chuck eyed the orange-haired boy again, this time noticing his build and arms.
"Are you not eating much, brat?"
"I told you before, I'm not trying to end up like you, Master."
"Wahaha! Looks like this brat gained quite the tongue, huh?"
He was pleased to see his disciple again.
Blue returned, only to find a scowling Gary locked in the arm of his Master.
"Ah, Blue. This is my Master, Chuck of Cianwood City," Gary introduced.
"The Gym Leader."
The chestnut-haired girl bowed to the man.
"Hi, I'm Blue Leaf. I'm Gr- I mean, Gary's childhood… friend."
The slight pause on the word 'friend' caught the attention of both Daisy and Chuck.
"Hey, Daisy-chan? Is this…?" Chuck whispered to the older sibling.
"Mhm, mhm! Looks like it's finally happening~" Daisy giggled.
The orange-haired boy narrowed in on the gossiping duo, remembering his time in Cianwood.
It was only for 3 months that he trained under Chuck, back when he was 7 years old. After Ash's declaration of being the Pokémon Master, he requested Professor Oak to train under Chuck shortly after.
Because of being under Chuck's tutelage, Gary was able to gain an understanding of Pokémon Battles, even at a young age. Even the burly man called the boy a genius back then due to how much he improved.
'But he just won't stop nagging at how thin I was back then…' he furrowed his brows.
He would always fondly remember the Gym Leader's wife scolding her husband and treated him with the utmost hospitality. She was the reason he could endure those 3 months with her blinding love.
'Maybe I should get something for her.'
"Oya? So these are the ones you were waiting for, Cianwood?" a new voice interrupted.
Sure enough, a teenage girl walked up to them bearing a serene smile.
"Oh, Olivine. It's my disciple and his family," Chuck roared heartily.
"Ah, Professor Oak," she bowed gallantly to the elderly man.
"You must be Jasmine. I heard many great things about your Gym," Oak nodded kindly.
The Steel specialist turned towards both Gary and Blue, startled slightly but regained a composed expression.
"To think the other two have arrived as well," she chuckled lightly.
"Other two? Us?"
"Wait, is she referring to…?"
"Yes; your friend, the Faker. It's been quite some time since I last saw him."
Gary and Blue brightened at the mention of the cringeworthy epithet tacked onto their childhood friend without his consent.
"Red's been here already?!" Blue shouted.
"Has he already beaten this Gym?!"
"Haha, not yet I'm afraid. I happened to meet him when he arrived in Johto with Cerulean," Jasmine giggled.
"Well, when he does reach here, make sure to go as hard on him as possible," Gary requested with a smirk.
"I'll keep that in mind."
The conniving trio chuckled evilly with the two Kanto kids imagining the eventual hardship of their friend.
…
"Professor Elm!"
"Professor Oak!"
After some time, a van stopped outside the Centre where they waited, and the two researchers met up after a while. From the van came out a trio of children and Bill, who Daisy was squeaking to meet.
"Bill!" Daisy hugged the man.
"Hi, Daisy!" he returned it with an affectionate pat on the back.
Gary's eye twitched at the sight of it, prompting an elbow from Blue.
"Hey, you two," a familiar redhead exited the van along with a white-hatted boy.
"Misty!"
Then, they saw the person next to Misty.
"Oh, right. This here's Brendan. He's travelling with us to get his Provisional license changed to an official one."
'If I recall, collecting all 8 Badges is the alternate requirement for that. Then is he not participating in the League?' Gary mused to himself.
"Wow, how dazzling!" Brendan clamoured.
"Such beauty! Such coolness!"
"Are you two fashion models?!"
The hyperactive boy left the two speechless.
"Hahaha! Haven't seen this in a while," Misty laughed.
"The name's Brendan Birch! The future top coordinator of Hoenn!"
With that bombastic introduction out of the way, the two worlds collided, and they began conversing about the link between them.
…
"HUH?! RED WENT SOLO?!"
"Yeah, said something about wanting to be alone for a while," Misty plugged her ears.
Blue noticed that the timing for their arrival did not coincide as it had been a few days since they separated to which Misty and Brendan cleared by saying that the children wanted to go sightseeing, thus extending their trip by quite a long time.
"So it's like that, huh?" Gary crossed his arms.
"Yeah, who knows where he is now…" Brendan sighed.
All of the people present knew of how much a directionally challenged person Ash was and grew increasingly more worried as they pondered on the topic longer.
"…Let's count on Pikachu and Froakie," Brendan finally said.
Always bet on the two Pokémon deemed the boy's compass and map.
After that, the companions shared stories about the raven-haired boy, earning many giggles and laughs from the childhood friends.
"He caught his Heracross by doing what?!" Blue exclaimed in her seat after hearing how the boy tangled with the blue beetle.
"It's just Ash things," Misty waved it off, already tired of rebuking the boy.
"Say, was he always this crazy?" Brendan asked the two.
Gary and Blue absorbed his question and began to call to mind Ash's previous shenanigans. They only began noticing it after…
'After he met Serena…' the two realized.
The incident where he took off, saving Pikachu after the latter ran off.
That was the turning point where Gary sought Chuck for training after Ash's declaration.
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The next day, it was time to leave once more.
Their destination was to the Professors' colleague's home: Greenfield.
Along the way, the 3 children got themselves acquainted with Gary and Blue with the Trainers widening their eyes at Silver's surname.
"Is your Dad…?" Blue asked gently.
The red-haired child nodded slowly, looking down as his worldview began to tumble.
"My Dad really was a bad guy, wasn't he?"
The chestnut-haired girl turned towards the orange-haired boy, worried about his state of mind as he lost his friend to the boy's father's organization.
"…Who knows?" Gary finally spoke.
"That doesn't mean I hate you or anything."
He rubbed the red hair with a grin on his face.
"If you think your father's a good person, then I believe he has changed."
"Even if… I lost something precious to me in the past…"
Gary gave a heartwarming smile as he remembered Raticate.
"I have to move forward, leaving all that burdensome pettiness behind."
'Because that's what Raticate would've wanted.'
Silver shot up, instantly taking a liking towards Gary and Blue.
"You're way better than that Ash guy."
Stand up to your past.
"Hmph, of course. I'm Gary Oak, after all!"
Defeating nightmares.
"Always finding a way to diss him."
Unknown lied ahead.
With that…
Chapter 78: Homecoming
They left for G̷r̷e̶e̵n̵f̸i̷e̶l̵d̶.