Chapter Text
“How about Iron Tail?”
Ash asks Pikachu, some time just after the sun started setting. The two of them bask in the horizon’s orange glow, and in a few minutes, it’ll be evening and officially mark the end of their first day together as partners.
And Ash can tell that, although Pikachu still has his reservations, his new-old-partner has taken a shining to him and their new partnership—even if he still hasn’t gotten around to sitting on Ash’s shoulder yet.
Pikachu thwacks his tail on the ground, mulling it over.
“I suppose I still need to work on more physical techniques aside from Quick Attack and Tail Whip, and adding a Steel-type move will be great for handling any pesky Fairys and annoying Rock types. Reminds me of how I had a bad experience with a Graveler once.”
Ash winces, and even their new companion—but not team member , as they hadn’t officially asked to join them—makes a noise of sympathy.
“Boy, do I know what ya mean. Those walkin’-and-talkin’ boulders fancy themselves as god’s chosen fellas for dealin’ with Electric type boys such as yerself; they sound so sure of ‘emselves, like Electivires can’t just Brick Break their way through Golems.”
“...you sure do sound like you’ve been around, Diglett.”
The mole Pokemon giggles proudly.
“O’course, sugar! I’m a self-stylized worldly traveler such as what yer aspirin’ to be. I’ve been to Sinnoh, Johto, Hoenn…once I even accidentally hitched a ride all the way to Alola! My cousins over there are rockin’ some luscious locks, lemme tell ya.”
And Ash chuckles at that. When Pikachu ends up asking what Alolan Diglett and Dugtrio are like, Ash hands over the Pokedex to show him a picture, and the three of them spend a few seconds sharing some laughter.
It’s nice to have a new friend. He hadn’t been expecting it, but after Diglett came by Ash’s house (which she spent an hour asking around for) to deliver what she found out—which wasn’t much, apparently, as fusion was still relatively new but she sure had opinions— she found herself impressed by Ash and Pikachu and decided to slot herself in as a travel partner for a while.
Not quite a Pokemon partner—not yet, if what Ash’s instincts are telling him are anything to go by. But he can wait, and he’ll be fine with whatever Diglett decides in the end.
“Once we arrive in Viridian, do you want to try? I’ve got some experience teaching a Pokemon a Steel-type move.”
Pikachu gives him an askance look, and Diglett follows suit.
“...experience, huh? Is this related to that complicated thing earlier?”
“What’cha two talkin’ about?”
Diglett tilts her head at the two of them, and Ash realizes his verbal error a bit too late. He laughs awkwardly.
“Yeah, it’s…uh. I dunno how to explain it all that well? But I have…a lot of…Pokemon battling experience?”
Understatement of the century, a dry voice echoes in the back of his mind, and Ash curses Goh for infecting him with his self-deprecating sarcasm.
Diglett bobs her head.
“Uh-huh. And…it’s also yer first day as a Pokemon trainer. Say, is this one of those Celebi things?”
Ash jolts. How does she—
Pikachu blinks.
“Celebi who?”
He bites his lip. He—tries to come up with something to say, not willing to reveal the full implications just yet.
“It’s— similar, I think? Probably? I just kinda woke up in— not the place I’m used to. How do you know who Celebi is?”
“Like I told ya, I’ve been around, sugar. Hear a lot about that spring onion and her time-travellin’ antics and responsibilities.”
“Did you just say time-travel?”
Pikachu demands, and Ash grits his teeth when he sees the realization dawning on his face.
“Like I said—complicated.”
His partner frowns, face screwing up in an expression Ash can’t identify.
A sensation not unlike his heart dropping into his stomach fills him, and he’s about to try and rectify and explain— when a loud, shill cry rings out in the air, shaking the trees and scaring Pidgey and Spearow alike into flying off.
The three of them look around, alarmed, and then Ash spots a speck in the distance. His ears ring as he realizes—his chest suddenly blazes, heart racing. He takes out Dexter, and the Pokedex automatically starts recording.
“Unidentified cry detected. Please raise the camera to the source—”
Over the setting sun, a rainbow forms out of thin air. Ash tremblingly points Dexter, and stares, stares, stares at the Pokemon hovering over it, until his Pokedex finally says:
“Pokemon identified. Ho-Oh, The Rainbow Pokemon, also known as: The Storm’s End.”
His feet shift and it’s like he’s hovering, distantly, as the legendary bird that he saw that first day of his journey (and the day he— separated from Goh, and met Lugia once more) appears once more, flying closer and closer towards them. A gravity that Ash has only ever experienced with legends warps around him, almost like an embrace. He feels Pikachu jumps up on his shoulder to get a better look, as the Pokemon finally reaches them.
Ash almost expects it to stop and land, but it— he flies past without pause…except for a moment’s slow, casting its crimson gaze upon him.
And he—looks back, meets Ho-Oh’s eyes, and he—smiles.
Without saying a single word or cry, it nods back, before turning away. The Storm’s End soars higher and higher and speeds off into the sky.
Ash, Pikachu, and Diglett stand still for what seems like minutes, before Pikachu hesitantly speaks up.
“...that was a legend. I’ve only ever seen one once before—why did it—”
He trails off, before meeting Ash’s eyes. Ash—closes his eyes.
“It was…probably because of me. Maybe. I don’t know—I just locked gazes with him, and I think that he just—wanted to say hello?”
Pikachu’s paws scuff on Ash’s shoulder. He grimaces, then laughs, giving Ash a helpless grin.
“First time travel, now this. You’re going to be the death of me, aren’t you.”
It wasn’t a question. Ash lets out a laugh, unprepared, and it’s like letting go of a breath he didn’t know he was holding.
“Pikachu—”
“You better explain everything to me and Diglett later. Isn’t that right?”
The mole—Ash slightly jumps; he almost forgot she was still there—nods vigorously.
“Oh heck yeah. If what you said was true, sugar, I’m definitely gonna want those explanations. And a Pokeball.”
Ash blinks. He only managed to get one in case they spotted Rattata on their way to Viridian, but then—well, the local Pokemon they bumped into said they had already left, and…
“Wait, why?”
Diglett gives him an unimpressed look. Pikachu even more, as he slaps him on the face and shoots a little jolt for good measure.
“I’m joinin’ yer team, ya yack.”
It takes him a moment to get what she meant. Ash pauses, and mentally facepalms. Oh wow, he really is dense.
“...oh. Oh! Oh, that’s g—”
Ash grins, elation rising in his chest—then stops, getting this gut feeling, and instantly turns back to the direction that Ho-Oh left in.
“Uh…Ash?”
Then—he raises his hand and just about manages to not get slammed into the ground by the high-speed projectile that was shooting towards him at the speed of a bullet. Pikachu and Diglett shout in surprise, and he grimaces at the acute heat trying to set his hand on fire.
Actually, wait, no, that’s his hand burning with the familiar sensation of a burn. Ouch. He’s pretty sure his glove is ruined, too.
He unfurls his palm, revealing what Ho-Oh had almost certainly just flung at him from what could only have been hundreds of miles away.
“Gah, I hope that doesn’t scar. Is this what I think it…is? Oh, huh.”
“No fucking way.”
Ash pokes at the pouch of what he highly suspects is Sacred Ash—and what is definitely a Rainbow Wing embedded in the string tying it closed. Pikachu starts cursing even more.
Diglett just whines.
“Dear god, sugar. If this isn’t a sign from—can I join now please?”
theVeryBest: gary, you won’t believe what i just saw. wth!
yousnoozeyouloze: ?? what??
theVeryBest: sheesh, hold on, it’s still sending.
theVeryBest: [attached storms_end.mp4]
theVeryBest: it’s real, i promise. ho-oh actually appeared! oh, and…
theVeryBest: [attached sacredash_rainbowwing.png]
theVeryBest: it even gave me these two…things? i dunno what they are. professor oak won’t tell me—i think he’s still trying to confirm my recording’s real.
[yousnoozeyouloze is typing…]
yousnoozeyouloze: Ashy-boy wtf happened to your hand.
theVeryBest: oh, right. it uh hurts? i think i suffered a first degree burn…or was it second? i’m at the viridian city pokemon center right now. nurse joy checked it out for me! she says it should heal in a week, and that, uh, i shouldn’t mess with fire types. i don’t think she’d believe me if i told her ho-oh flung something at me so hard and fast that it set my hand on fire.
[yousnoozeyouloze is typing…]
theVeryBest: gary? you still there?
[yousnoozeyouloze has gone offline.]
theVeryBest: hey!!! don’t go offline on me! i’m not joking, i really saw ho-oh!
theVeryBest: wait is that you outside of the pokemon center
theVeryBest: you were in viridian this entire time?
theVeryBest: gary, i know that’s you and chartle out there. i can hear you commanding him to use flamethrower! when did he even learn flamethrower?? stop trying to break into my room!
theVeryBest: GARY YOU’RE WAKING UP THE OTHER GUESTS
[theVeryBest has gone offline.]
[theVeryBest has gone online.]
[yousnoozeyouloze has gone online.]
theVeryBest: you’re paying for the door.
yousnoozeyouloze: fuck you
[yousnoozeyouloze has gone offline.]
Omake of Infinite Perspective 01
"Yeah. I'm that awesome. Bask in my radiance. Enjoy my gifts, Ash Ketchum--only a select few get to ever use them. Heh. Hehehe. Kekekeke. No, that's not right."
Somewhere past a mountain, Ho-Oh was flying away from the Chosen, patting himself on the back for doing his job. (Metaphorically—his wings couldn’t exactly do that.) Ash Ketchum…what an interesting human being. He even had a lot of aura coursing through him already, and it had a quality of refinement to it that he’d only ever seen in Aura Adepts. How lovely! There weren’t that many Aura Adepts still running about in this day and age, despite how…easy it was.
So, it was in the middle of that self-indulgency that he quietly realized he hadn't actually...given those gifts.
"Wait.”
Ho-Oh—paused. Looked back, then down at his side. His eyes went wide.
“FUCK."
His screech of abject horror was so loud, an entire colony of Wooper and Quagsire trekking the risky, winding mountain path nearly fell to their doom. A Psyduck that somehow managed to join them was their singular saving grace—throwing out a curtain of powerful psychic energy to stop them from an untimely demise and the death of their bloodline.
Ho-Oh, without a moment's notice, hurriedly used Extrasensory to grab the Sacred Ash pouch he forgot to give --along with the Rainbow Wing (that Raikou had tried to steal and Ho-Oh stole back) wrapped haphazardly into it.
"Augh, okay, okay, okay—let's just—Ancient Power, Air Slash? No, no, I'm not trying to KILL Ash Ketchum the moment I give this to him, that'd be a horrifying waste of the Sacred Ash—"
(But it would be funny.)
So the legend began preparing several moves in a pitiful attempt to try and toss the late gift...he squinted, psychic abilities and fearsome Legendary Powers pinpointing Ash Ketchum’s exact position...just over 3, 7 kilometers away? By his—very accurate, very cool calculations. Then finally—
"GOT IT! Safeguard to keep it secure from the high speeds, several miniature Future Sights for propulsion, and— THREE Whirlwinds—NOW!"
BOOM.
Ho-Oh was hurled backwards from the sheer force of the dense, whirling sphere as it was flung across the sky in a matter of seconds.
"...hm."
The sonic boom the compacted attacks Ho-Oh created made the nearby mountain start having an impromptu avalanche. He blinked.
"Well...problem solved? Uhh...Celebi can handle any issues. I'll just...give her a call later. Heh. I'm so awesome. Great job, me. I just hope I don't have to resurrect anyone..."
And thus Ho-Oh flew away, nonethewiser that a colony of Wooper and Quagsire (plus one Slowpoke) were stricken with a religious fear and fervor of his rainbow grace, and that if it were anyone else but Ash, the ball of death he created would have shorn their body into pieces—if they weren't instantly exploded and set on fire, that is.
Somewhere below—just above the treeline—Celebi, who had watched the entire thing, facepalmed.
She didn't have to actually do any timeline corrections, but it was the principle of the thing.