Chapter Text
Disclaimer :
This is a fan made fic purely for entertainment.
I do not own Pokemon Franchise or any connected entertainment used in this story other than my plot and my OC's.
Chapter-{4}
From Ashes once more...
Ash groaned as he rubbed his head. He faltered as he took a step forward. He felt like shit. He hope he didn't look like shit, either.
His eyes went to the mirror and promptly blanked out..
"No!, no, no, no, no!!!." Ash gave a startled scream. His voice, it was high pitched and childish. Nooo!!!!, give him back his deep smooth voice back, damn it.
What stared back him nearly made him faint.
Before Ash was his own younger image, around fifteen year or sixteen year around. It seemed familiar to his look when he was travelling Kalos, or was it Unova ?.
However, what made him scared was the those tattoos over him as he stared through his pajamas and more importantly his red eyes.
Ash gave a weary heave of breath, he stumbled and fell back over to the bed..A flurry of memories assaulted his being..
His red eyes turned glassy. He shuddered and convulsed before falling limp. He gave a shuddered breath.
"Alternative Universe.." Ash breathed. He took a deep breath. He shook his head before taking a large deep breath and released. His eyes focused and he gazed at the mirror, his crimson red eyes glowing with an unfading determination pooling across them.
He was the Ash fucking Ketchum. As if this could phase him for Lugia's sake.
Ash gave a startled yelp as the mirror rippled. His back burned. Around his spine where the markings were, the crescent gold crown glowed. The six black tentacle turned to dark miasma of tendrils, crimson red spikes glittered.
A pair of red eyes stared calmly at him. Those crimson blood eyes made those who stared to lose their souls in an infinite spiral of despair and madness. Chaos swirled in them, a deadly malovence bloomed with blood like red eyes. Those eyes distorted reality and phantasm to a mess of paradoxical chaos.
Ash felt relieved seeing them as he rejoiced..
"It's good to see that you have not lost your will, Ash. for the first time, Azelf had made a commendable choice.." A draconic head, a serpentine look with golden pair of horn curved back. The golden crown covers the jaws like a mask.
"Giratina!." Ash shouted in pure joy. Giratina's crimson eyes softened..
"You might've as well be the only one person I know that might be rejoiced to the see the devil after the end of the world." Giratina said with morbid bemusement. Ash rolled his eyes.
"Oh, don't you dare say that, Giratina. That's what the old fossils that didn't know you personally just made up your personality over some rocks made ages ago by even more ignorant old fossils." Ash scoffed. Giratina ?, devil ?. Yeah, and he is normal guy that had a normal life.
Ash was pretty infuriated when he heard the Pokedex entry and the theories and all things made by the researchers that just speculated Giratina by simply the evidence of some old ruins.
Ash hadn't particularly happy at the sheer defamation of one of his most beloved legendary friend. Giratina was, by far, most likable of Sinnoh legendary for Ash with only Darkrai(Alamos, only) and Azelf coming closest. Though Manaphy and Phione belonged to Sinnoh he didn't meet them at Sinnoh to be exact. Regigigas was nice and chill guy, but still didn't reach the friendship he had with Giratina.
Ash took it personally, he speed run through the ruins to ruins, and one of the reason Ash apprenticed under Brandon and submitted several paper (granted, he took Professor Oak and Professor Kukui's help to prepare—actually they really helped, so did Professor Newton and Mewtwo) that clearly disapproved over ages of the the entire world's conception. Those old fossils tried to reject and dissaprove Ash's paper.
Unfortunately, for them they were dealing with the guy who was fucking stubborn as a Bagon to fly and gutsy enough to punch Mewtwo.
And Ash succeeded in changing an entire era's beliefs and become one of the most revolutionary and leading researchers in Mythical and Legendary Pokemon.
Ash loved how sour Gary's face was those days.
"Yes, I suppose. However, this alternative world thread remains ignorant and far too dissimilar. A change in the axis of reality to regain it's former perception." Giratina mused.
Yes, apparently alternative world. He knew when he gained the memories of this world.
There were a lot of things that utterly changed. Ash was hysteric when he found himself in his fifteen year old past self in a fucking alternative universe. He deduced.
The world itself shifted. He was going to start his journey at fifteen, not ten. Apparently, this Alternative Universe opposed sending 10 year olds to the wilderness amongst the danger that lurks inform of a untamed and dangerous magical creatures that could easily kill a human.
Something, Ash whole heartedly agreed. Kanto used to do it, and still did it until Ash's reign as the champion. Hoenn had their limit age for Pokemon Trainers to 11 while Sinnoh had 13 or 14, Unova had been 11-12, Kalos had a 15-16, Alola had been around 14 year age, Galar had 15, Paldea was 10 but thankfully there was a Pokemon Academy made by Champion Geeta, Orre...Ash's mind shut down at that thought.
At the end of the day, Ash had increased age limit. Though to this day, Ash felt annoyed he couldn't increase more than 15 year age limit.
Yes, Ash should feel hypocritical considering what he himself would feel if he had to 5 more years to become a trainer. He would most likely be very livid. But Ash of all people understood the dangers one could end up encountering through their journey. He didn't want any children to become accustomed to the trauma he always held.
Whenever he skimmed through League report of how many trainers that went missing or worse dead, he could hear the screams and cries of the parents, the trainers that end up dead.. It felt as if he had failed them..
Ash's eyes turned cold. What the hell was he even thinking, there was a world to save, not some nameless people that he had failed in a different timeline, maybe he would probably save them this time. Ash tried console himself.
"Guess I get to attempt once more, don't I ?." Ash gave a fake smile as he grinned. The amount of fakeness made Giratina's eyes sting. Fake it till you make it, huh ?.
Giratina watched monotonously, it seemed another therapy session is needed. Giratina wanted nothing but to drag back Lugia, Mewtwo and even that tsundere Rayquaza to console the boy. The boy really didn't deserve half of the shit going on.
He said a complete unrelated thing to any trauma inducing thing and Ash still managed to still fucking get himself wallow in guilt and grief. Fuckin' amazing.
"Yes, that is something you must do. Follow the trail of your previous expedition. I would remind you if there are events that you had not followed or if that remains too important to miss.." Giratina stated.. All that happened, Huh ?. Ash thought somewhat dryly.
"The linear events that had happened might perhaps not be consistent and the personalities and the individuals you've met might differ." Giratina warned.
"Wait!?, what about my Pokemon!, What about Pik—"
"Do not worry for the rodent, he's just as important piece amongst the grand scheme of this new world as you are. Your rag tag team of misfits shall indeed be needed therefore in due time they too shall reminisce zenith. " Giratina's word eased his mind. He would've been devastated if such was the case. He was no sure how he would survive without his pokemon. They were his family and he couldn't ever do it without them..
"...What about other.." Ash asks hesitantly..
"Do specify, Ash.." Giratina quirked up,
he tilted his head.
"Uh..my Mom ? and my friends or any others ?." Ash asks hopefully.
Ash hated how Giratina's face turned stoic. He had been around the Ruler of distortion enough to know what that means..
"Ash..the mere act of ignoring the fragments of space time frequency and bringing you back had several complications. This world is now merely several moments old, in a way. It's cosmological age might match that to the old timeline. But this world and even the outside of the cosmos is currently nothing but a babe, it should be treated with gentleness and utmost care. This world's law and it's authority is as fragile as a glass." Giratina explained. His eyes gained a dissapointed and dissatisfied look, it was aimed at Giratina himself as if it was his fault.
"It is nothing but my own inability, Ash. The phantasmal creation of cosmos had been thrown to my responsibility. Arceus had created the world swiftly before making me the gardener of this new garden..." Giratina confessed his eyes gaining an look of uncertainty..Giratina was unsure...
"Wait, had Arceus kicked his job onto you ?." Ash asks with a look of anger. That fucking lazy Llama. This was one of the thing Ash hated. Forcing somebody to take the job that should be rightfully done by them. Ash hated when Gary, Lorelei and Koga dumped their paper works to him. He never liked the paper works. Even during the time he was at Pokemon School at Alola, he struggled with theoretical exercises.
Though he had drastically improved, having Sabrina helping him over the paperworks. Despite being the Kanto Elite Four member, she had also helped him with Alola regional affairs too.
" I do not understand the meaning of this idiocy. I am but a Destroyer, a Renegade of the Creation, I am the Ruler of the Twisted Reflection. The Shadow that existed to entrap the Outer Influence within distortion...Yet, why have I, an Ruinous Ruler given this chance to nurture the entirety of life ?...I feel a sense of trepidation I have never felt, is this the concern of having the beating alive life to hold responsible ?...I do not like this..." Giratina revealed his growing sense of apprehension and uncertainty dwelling within him.
Giratina had for all his stoicism had instantly spilled his worries to Ash, he could not show his weakness to his siblings, both the Temporal Pokemon and Spatial Pokemon were nothing but a bickering fools in his eyes.
However, Ash Ketchum despite his airhead and idiotic behaviour had shown to be much more experienced than them in this field. And Giratina trusted Ash. They kept each other's back.
"I would've given you a long spiel of how you would do well and you can do it. But I know you would do it well. Only thing I can offer you is an shoulder to lean on and and my ears to listen till either of us cry as go asleep." Ash gave a dry and weary smile. He had far too much experience in this regard, regrettably.
"...Thank you." Giratina mumbled. Giratina quickly shook away before instantly gaining a stoic look.
Granted, he does open up to this kid who had wormed a way into the cosmic dragon's heart that doesn't mean he would babble down like mewling hatchling.
" Arceus...have simply created this new string of cosmos and threw me his responsibility. Dialga and Palkia are stabilising time and space respectively. I safeguard the fabric of reality. The lone existence yours interferes with this new timeline. Your pokemon shall be once more revoked to zenith. How ?, neither do I know. Arceus is a cryptic senile cretin now. " Giratina growls. Haggard spikes of reality fluctuates around the golden masked jaws of the Ruler of the mirror worlds.
"And their have been...certain people that have recalled their past timelines too.." Giratina informed Ash as his eyes snapped open.
"Wait!, didn't you say I was the only one ?." Ash asks skeptically.
"When the world was woven anew, Arceus had let you recall the past timeline, and I was given right to mark you as my Crest of Crown...a shame that few others had the same idea..nevertheless, a few other had deemed it necessary to mark a few other individuals during the end of the old timeline allowing these Marked Ones to recall the past timelines too.." Giratina explained. However, Ash lost it at the Crest of Crown part.
Then the Renegade god notices the markings, his eyes glows. Ash suddenly feels a immense heat course through his spine. It didn't hurt, it was a comfortable hum like a haunted melody of a violin..
Ash understood as he threw away his shirt(his rippling bod's now skinny, Ash really want to cry now) turned to show Giratina the marking...
"The Crest of Crown.." Giratina whispers... Ash tilted his head. A what ?.
"...It's a marking. A final and ultimate seal of the deities that mark their...chosen—" Giratina ignores Ash's groan "—another one of these new world's "quirks" , but these are more or less a anchor to your existence as a 'glitch' from the past timeline..I do not have any expertise I'm this field, this is another one of Arceus cryptic designs in the world. I will further look into this, seeking to gleam anything useful.." Giratina grunted, already feeling an oncoming headache from this new additions.
"Uh...Giratina, It's not like I don't mind this cool tattoos but is there any way you can, I don't know ?, hide it ?." Ash asked almost sheepishly. The several other tattoos over his body is making him feels like a gangster. The ruby glowing on his forehead makes him look like alien, frankly.
"Hmmm...Let me see..." Giratina hums as his eyes glows a crimson and gold waves of spectre hits Ash's head as he grunts falling onto his bed as he sits upright trying to nurse the headache.
"...Why do I feel like there is a mental switch for this ?." Ash asks blandly.
"Because there is." Giratina replied coolly. Ash deadpans. He mentally switched off. The marking and the crimson gem on his head fades..
"Thanks, Giratina.." Ash rubs his heads sheepishly as he thanked the Renegade Pokemon. Giratina rolled his eyes.
The mirror started to ripple once more..
"Farewell, I would keep in contact and please try not to die." Giratina glares as Ash laughs nervously..
The mirror returns to normal. His reflection once more clear.. Ash's eyes turned to the clock in the mirror, his eyes widened.
Shit.
"Not again!!!?." Ash groans as he rushes, speedrunning through his wardrobes.
Atleast he won't be running in pajamas this time.