Chapter Text
a life in this world for a life in this world makes much more sense, don’t you think?
“Huh?” Ed blinks.
you are correct in all of your assessments of the Gate. The Truth tells him. and it is also True your Life's Passion for your Life's Purpose is equivalent. however, for your brother to continue to live his life in this world, i think it's fairer that you aren’t able to. i'll take you and put you somewhere else, Alchemy intact, and put your brother back.
Ed wants to yell, wants to scream about the unfairness of it all. Wants to beg to be in the same world as his baby brother. But he’s too tired. Everything aches, and his soul itself still hurts from fighting Pride. As long as Al is alive and in his body with their family friends, he’ll take whatever he’s dished.
“Will he know what happened to me?” Ed asks, quietly, and the Truth cocks its head, considering.
i think so. it won’t do either of us to have him lose himself in an attempt to bring you back from a place where you are not. It is silent for a moment for, and then. i will have to take your arm back for this. I will return your automail completely as it was before you fought the dwarf.
“Thank you.” Ed murmurs because he’s so tired and can’t do anything else.
They stand together, in the void before Ed’s Gate, and the Truth says:
remember, Alchemist - be thou art for the people. that will help you in your new world.
And Ed is dragged through his Gate.
Ash has made his first friend in Kalos.
Though maybe he doesn’t count, because he’s definitely not from Kalos, and he’s already friends with Alexa. But Ash thinks he counts, and that’s what matters.
Anyway, new friend!
Edward, he’d called himself. He doesn’t speak any language Ash recognizes - and he knows a lot of languages. Especially now that he’s traveled through six regions. What he does speak sounds, to Ash’s ears, like a mix of Kalosian, Galrain, and something else that he hasn’t heard spoken before. So their conversations are a mix of mime and pointing.
Edward is... probably not from this world. At least, that’s what the feeling in Ash’s gut says, and Ash has a pretty good gut when it comes to things like this. His eyes are like Ash’s - far too old and tired for his youthful face. They’re even the same age! Almost, Ash still has a month to go.
His Aura looks a little weird too, but Ash doesn’t actually know how to do much more than see the Auras and the tether’s between people, so he’s not sure if that’s a ‘from another world thing’ or not.
Ed’s aura is, for the most part, bright blue - like Zekrom’s lightning - and gold - like Uxie’s head. The only bits that aren’t are his right arm and left leg, which are a bright, swirling white that spreads like splinters up to where his brain is. Ash has no idea what any of that means, but it’s interesting nevertheless.
He doesn’t seem like he wants to hurt people, though, and Pikachu doesn’t seem to mind him, so Ash thinks he’s gotten pretty lucky with His First Friend In Kalos.
“A library would probably help.” He tries, first in Galarian, then in Kalosian. At the shake of a head, he gestures to the bookshelf on the wall of the Pokémon Center they’re sitting in. Understanding flashes in Ed's golden eyes, and interest. He makes a ‘go on’ gesture.
“We’ll find one.” Ash says, “You can stay here at night. I’ll book you in for tonight. I’ve got something to do -” He’s not explaining the gym challenge. Not with the language barrier. It will take too long. “I’ll meet you here tomorrow morning?” He repeats it again in Galarian, but pauses halfway through when Ed shakes his head. He understood enough to get the gist.
Ash gestures for Edward to follow, and Pikachu jumps up onto his shoulder, chirping. He pushes himself up and wanders after him. Ash leads them over to the huge map of Lumiose on the wall of the Pokémon Center, and notices how Ed stiffens as he stares at it.
The shape of a city isn’t the weirdest thing to freak out about; Ash himself gets jumpy whenever the weather takes an unexpected turn for the worse (side effect of both Shamoutii and almost freezing to death that one time. He doesn’t hate his life, because he has so many friends and loves them all too much to hate the life that brought them together, but sometimes it’s a close thing.) He just points to the library, which, thank Arceus, is nearby, and drags his New Friend towards it and away from the map.
They part ways at the library because Ash has a gym to fight, and he shoves some money into Edward’s hands. “For food.” He says, and when Ed looks like he’s about to argue, continues, “I have so much money. Just take it.”
He’s got a gym to battle, after all!
Or not.
Several hours, an electrocution, two new friends, a Team Rocket encounter, and meeting Professor Sycamore later, he’s almost forgotten about Ed.
He feels incredibly bad, but Froakie’s still healing up, and he thinks Ed will understand. The older boy seemed reasonable. Maybe - Ash is good at understanding people, not reading them.
Then Team Rocket shows up again, and Garchomp is on a rampage, and he’s throwing himself off Prism Tower to save Pikachu, and himself being saved by Mega Blaziken, and he passes out in his Pokémon Center rented bed, exhausted.
Serena stares at the TV screen, because she knows that boy.
At least, she thinks she does. The eyes and hair look the same, and she swears the voice sounded the same as it had all those years ago - if, slightly older.
She stares, until her mother hollers that dinner is ready, and she gets up, grumbling and groaning as she goes, because all her mother is going to talk about is Ryhorn racing.
She glances back to the television, still reporting on the Garchomp rampage in Lumiose City, and Professor Sycamore is asked to make a statement.
She narrows her eyes, and an idea forms in her head.
“Maman?” She asks, poking at her steak “Would you... could I, maybe, uh...” she trails off, unsure how to ask.
“Could you what, Serena?” Her mother prompts, gently. Serena takes a bite and chews, then asks.
“Could I go on a Pokémon Journey? Go to Lumiose and get a starter, travel Kalos...”
She trails off, suddenly unsure. Does she really want to do this? Is it a spur of the moment thing, it might not even be Ash.
“If that is what you want to do.” Her mother says, slowly, carefully “Then I will support you.”
Serena frowns, “I’m sensing a but...”
“This seems very sudden.” She is informed, "You’ll sleep on it today, and if you feel the same tomorrow, you can go.”
Serena smiles up at her mother “Yes maman!”
“Now eat your steak. You’ll want your protein if your going to be any good at Ryhorn racing!”
She groans into her dinner. Its always Ryhorn Racing.