Chapter 5- Pokemon Adventures Ruby and Sapphire
In the living room, Ian and his elders were entertaining their guests.
"Thank you, all three of you," Grandma Talya said as she offered tea to Norman, Caroline, and Birch.
"It's no problem, ma'am. But honestly, I think your Pokémon already handled everything," Norman chuckled, scratching his head as he spotted Shiftry perched on the roof.
"Still, thank you. And congratulations to both of you—time really flies. You're already expecting your second child," Grandma Talya smiled warmly at her former students.
"I never imagined you'd be settling down, building families and careers," she added, eyeing Birch teasingly. "Especially you, Birch. I always thought you'd stay a wandering mess, either lost or being chased by wild Pokémon."
Birch laughed sheepishly under her gaze, clearly caught off guard by her candid remark.
"You're heading to Mossdeep tomorrow, right?" Grandpa Yun suddenly asked, surprising the group.
"Yes, sir," Caroline replied.
"Then let's travel together. Talya and I are also headed there to meet an old friend," Grandpa Yun suggested with a nod.
"We'd be honored, sir," Norman responded respectfully.
"Oh, right—where are your kids and Birch's wife?" Grandma Talya asked.
"Roxy and the kids went shopping, ma'am," Caroline replied with a laugh. "They'll head back to the hotel later. Ruby never wants to be away from Sapphire when we go on outings."
"Haha! Just like Ian, always trailing after little Cynthia back then," Grandma Talya laughed, recalling fond memories. "He was like a tiny admirer."
Ian, who was listening nearby, wanted to deny it—but he remembered well how his predecessor, despite his frail body, always followed Cynthia around.
Birch laughed along, but when he noticed how dark it had become outside, he checked his watch—and his expression shifted. Seeing this, everyone chuckled, and the trio said their goodbyes before heading out.
Next Morning – On the ship to Mossdeep City
Ian and his family were aboard a ship bound for Mossdeep.
Grandma Talya, sipping tea on the deck, raised a curious question. "So, what's the real reason for visiting Mossdeep? As I recall, there are only three attractions there: the Space Center, which you three aren't exactly fans of; Wailmer watching, which you can also do in Lilycove; and Shoal Cave—which is off-limits due to wild Ice-types. Not exactly child-friendly."
Birch scratched his head, chuckling. "Hahaha, we really can't hide anything from you, ma'am." He received glares from Norman and Caroline.
"Well, I did teach you for four years," Talya smirked. "I know how you think. Besides, Mossdeep's under high security lately. And those old fools at the League won't tell us a damn thing."
"Well, it's related to my Elite Test," Norman admitted. "And… a legendary Pokémon. They also invited both of you because of the Rayquaza relic."
Talya's expression shifted at the mention of Rayquaza.
"What's our connection to that relic?" Grandpa Yun asked.
"That… I don't know, sir," Birch answered. "The Alliance just insisted you be present."
"I want to ask about the relic," Talya said, turning serious.
"Yes, ma'am?" Birch straightened, uneasy under her piercing gaze.
"Have the Draconids reacted to the experiments involving Rayquaza's remains?"
"Actually… they didn't oppose it," Birch explained. "In fact, they offered help. The other two clans want to assist as well."
"That's strange," Talya muttered. "But it confirms my suspicion—their 'guardian deity,' Rayquaza, who has the authority of sky, has stopped responding. They're desperate for alternatives. But what I know is that the Lorekeeper was accepted by a child Rayquaza and became its partner."
She sighed bitterly when it came to the other two clans. "I hate those clans stopping us from the investigation. And the League council followed their leads and bunch of cowards. They stripped us of all rights. When my boy needed help the most, they did nothing. If Yun and the others hadn't stopped me, I would've razed the Parliament to the ground."
Everyone fell silent. They all knew what happened to their teacher's family—and why she bore such resentment.
Meanwhile, elsewhere on the ship…
Ian was with Ruby and Sapphire—Norman's and Birch's five-year-old children. Ruby wore his iconic red-and-black jacket, black trousers with yellow cuffs, boots, gloves, and a white hat. The only difference? His eyes had a slight red hue.
Sapphire, dressed in a cute princess gown, had deep blue eyes and carried herself with an adorable energy.
Ian sighed as he watched the two kids play, acting like a couple while using Ruby's Ralts as their baby and Skitty and Poochyena as their pets. Vigoroth, their Pokémon guardian, kept a watchful eye nearby.
'They're only five and already playing house,' Ian mused. 'Weren't they supposed to be fangirling over Red around this time? But Red's not even a trainer yet. I read a news article about a girl being abducted near Professor Oak's training camp two years ago… That must've been Blue. Grandma mentioned Oak has four grandkids—Mary, Green, and two baby boys.'
'Is this the manga world?' Ian wondered, eyes narrowed. The kids in front of him were starting to make sense in that context.
Suddenly, he sensed a spike of energy.
He looked up—Ral, his mischievous Ralts, was charging a Shadow Ball at him. But before it could land, another Shadow Ball intercepted it mid-air.
It was Ruby's Skitty—Coco—who had protected him.
"Thanks, Coco," Ian said gratefully. He then turned to his own Pokémon. "Ral, what the hell was that?"
Ral made a silly face before teleporting away.
"Heh, you just want to play, huh?" Ian sighed, getting up to chase after her.
"That big brother's really weird," Sapphire said, staring at the open door.
Ruby nodded. "Yeah, but… how did he block Rara's Shadow Ball?"
"Coco, what do you think?" Ruby asked his pokemon. The Pokémon tilted her head thoughtfully, then nodded before returning to their game.
Elsewhere, Ian was still playing tag with Ral. But as he ran, the system's recent update buzzed in his mind—reminding him he now had access to vital data on people and Pokémon around him.
And he intended to use it.
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{Ian Reinheart}
{ Race: Human}
{ Ability: (???)(Genetic Ability), Inventory }
{Blessing: (Jirachi's Blessing) (descendant of the blessed one) }
{ Pokemon: 2
Ralts Lvl 28
Charmeleon Lvl 39
Trapinch Lvl 25}
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As Ian browsed through his personal system profile, one section left him stunned: the Blessings tab. Among the details was a peculiar line referencing his bloodline, and more intriguingly, a blessing marked by Jirachi. What unsettled him most, however, was the part labeled [Ability: ???]—completely obscured, offering no further explanation.
"I get the Jirachi part... but my bloodline? Does that mean my family was also blessed? Were my parents the ones with divine connections? Or both of them?" Ian thought.
He sighed, brushing it off for now. "At least I have a blessing—even if it's not doing much at the moment." That said, the Appraisal function was turning out to be a game-changer. With it, he could view a person's abilities and check Pokémon stats, including moves, level, aptitude, ability, and gender.
Curious, Ian pulled up his Charmeleon's information.
[Charmeleon]
Level: 40
Gender: Male
Ability: Blaze
Aptitude: Gold 3
Moves:
Status: Scary Face (Growl), Smokescreen, Rest
Physical: Slash (Scratch, Dragon Claw, Metal Claw), Rock Smash, Rock Slide (Tomb), Thunder Punch
Special: Flamethrower (Ember), Fire Blast (Flame Burst), Fire Fang, Dragon Pulse (Dragon Rage, Dragon Breath) (Egg), Ancient Power (Egg)
Ian smiled with pride.
"So he's already beyond evolution level, if we're going by the games. He almost reached Quasi-Elite rank, thanks to all the training my dad gave him in his Charmander stage before he passed Charmeleon on to me."
He remembered what Aptitude meant: a fusion of IVs, EVs, and move compatibility—essentially, a Pokémon's full potential. Two Charmeleons might know the same moves, but the one with higher Aptitude would always perform better and sustain more move usage.
"It's a good set overall. Especially for someone like me—I've rarely used the Charmander line in any playthrough, except for X & Y."
Suddenly, a flicker of energy behind him made him turn—Ral had popped up out of nowhere.
[Ralts]
Level: 28
Gender: Male
Ability: Trace
Aptitude: Platinum 3
Moves:
Status: Growl, Teleport, Double Team, Heal Pulse, Lucky Chant, Calm Mind, Toxic, Taunt (Expert), Protect, Rest, Life Dew, Trick, Will-o-Wisp, Confuse Ray (Egg), Skill Swap (Egg), Disable, Mean Look, Thunder Wave
Special: Disarming Voice, Psychic (Confusion), Magical Leaf, Draining Kiss, Shadow Ball, Hidden Power (Steel)
Physical: Shadow Sneak (Egg)
Ian was shocked by his Ralts moves.
"What the hell… is this really a Ralts?! Or a Gengar in disguise?! Look at all these status moves—and half of them are Ghost-type! This kid's toolkit is full of tricks."
He remembered what his mother had told him: his Ralts—and Diantha's—were born from a peak Elite Gallade and Gardevoir pairing. That explained the genetic excellence... but this? This was ridiculous as to why his Ralts were proficient on Ghost type moves and as he remember Diantha's Kirlia was also proficient on ghost type especially shadow ball move.
"Platinum 3 Aptitude too? No wonder he's out-leveled even my Trapinch…"
With a slight sigh, Ian summoned his Trapinch.
[Trapinch]
Level: 25
Gender: Male
Ability: Arena Trap
Aptitude: Gold 2
Moves:
Status: Protect, Sandstorm (Sand Attack), Rest, Stealth Rock, Laser Focus
Physical: Astonish, Crunch (Bite), Sand Tomb, Dig, Bulldoze, Rock Slide, Bug Bite
Special: Mud-Slap, Giga Drain
Ian frowned. "You've been slacking, haven't you?" he muttered under his breath.
Trapinch just stared back innocently, then opened its mouth wide.
"You just want a snack, don't you?"
Trapinch's head nodded slowly in anticipation.
Ian sighed. "Yup. Definitely the laziest one on my team."
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After finally catching the ever-mischievous Ral, Ian returned to the ship's lounge area, where the elders were gathered. He spotted Ruby and Sapphire seated beside their parents—but the two children seemed lost in their own little world, chatting softly and giggling, oblivious to the adults' conversation swirling around them.
The older trainers were deep in their own rhythm—sharing news, laughing over old memories, and discussing their current lives. With little to contribute to such seasoned talk, Ian quietly took a seat near the large TV screen and powered it on. Two prerecorded video files popped up: one labeled with a cheerful cartoon logo, and another titled "League Match 200th."
Curious—and figuring the cartoon might entertain the kids—Ian selected the first one.
But to his surprise, the screen flared to life not with animated laughter, but with the intense flare of a Pokémon battle.
On screen, a Claydol whirled in the air, locked in fierce combat with a sleek, elegant Milotic. The arena shook with tension as the crowd roared, and a sports commentator's voice echoed through the lounge speakers.
"Milotic's using Recover—oh! Claydol just used Heal Block!"
"Milotic is reeling! Claydol advances with Rapid Spin—it connects!"
"Hyper Beam! Direct hit!"
The Milotic was blasted into the arena wall, collapsing in defeat. The screen froze as the victor was announced.
"And that's it! Milotic is unable to battle! Jane Stones takes the win!"
Ian blinked at the name.
"Stones...? Wait—Stones as in Devon Corporation? Is she related to Steven?" he murmured, narrowing his eyes. "Could be a cousin, maybe even a sister?"
His thoughts wandered to the people he'd met in this world—Steven Stone, Winona, Wallace. All of them would go on to become icons of the Hoenn region. Ian still wasn't fully used to the idea that the timeline he was in seemed to mirror the world of the Pokémon manga, but with enough differences to keep him guessing.
Just as he began pondering the implications, a soft sob beside him cut through his thoughts.
He turned and saw Sapphire, her eyes glassy with tears, trembling as she tried to hold them in.
"What's wrong?" Ian asked gently.
"I dunno," Ruby replied, frowning as he looked between his friend and the TV.
"Huhuu… Milotic was hurt," Sapphire cried softly, pointing at the screen. Her lip quivered, tears slipping down her cheeks.
"Oh… You don't like battles, huh?" Ian asked, kneeling slightly to meet her eye level.
Sapphire gave a quick nod, burying her face in her hands.
Her parents had already noticed and moved over. Birch scooped her up in his arms with a tired but knowing smile, handing her over to his wife who rocked the little girl gently.
"She's always been like this," Birch explained to Ian with a sigh. "Sapphire sees Pokémon as friends first, not fighters. That kind of battle… it's hard for her to watch."
He chuckled a little. "Though she does have a soft spot for looks. The cuter or more elegant a Pokémon is, the faster she gets attached."
Ian turned his gaze back to the screen, where the match was now showing highlights of the Milotic's defeat in slow motion. It had been a clean, strategic win—but the visuals were brutal. Milotic's grace, broken by impact.
"She really does see Pokémon differently." Grandma Talya said "Not just as partners in battle… but as companions with feelings. That kind of heart... it's rare these days. Most kids dream of becoming battle champions."
Ian looked at Sapphire again, now nestled safely in her mother's arms, then at Ruby, who sat quietly, watching her with concern.
'But if this is anything like the world of the adventure manga… then one day, these two will trade places. Sapphire will learn to fight with everything she has, and Ruby will come to love Pokémon appearances and hate battle.'
Ian leaned back in his seat, watching the two of them. A small smile crept onto his face.
I guess everyone's journey was full of wonder. After all, we don't really know our future.
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