"Goodbye, Celebi!"
"Pika~!"
The boy in the red-and-white cap waved with a smile, his faithful Pikachu perched on his shoulder, bidding farewell to the green forest sprite with tiny wings.
"Bi~!"
Celebi, smiling brightly, waved its little hands as it soared higher. Its body shimmered with radiant light, and in that glow it gradually vanished.
"What an amazing journey, huh? Turns out there's another world… and another version of us, too, Pikachu."
Ash tilted his head to glance at Pikachu.
"Pika~!"
Pikachu nodded in agreement. This fantastic trip had been full of surprises—it had even met a version of itself from another time and space. How interesting!
"If we ever get the chance... I'd love to go back and battle that guy one day."
Ash thought back to the alternate version of himself he had just met. A wistful yet hopeful look crossed his face.
But then, he froze—eyes widening as he suddenly noticed a purple-haired boy and a Froslass who had seemingly appeared out of nowhere.
"Pika? Pika?!"
Pikachu, confused by its Trainer's expression, turned to look—and froze in shock too.
When did that guy show up?!
What the heck—when did he get here?!
"Was that a Mythical Pokémon just now—Celebi?"
Paul tilted his head slightly, lifting his Rotom Phone to scan the spot in the sky where Celebi had vanished. He asked the question casually, but his sharp gaze was already fixed on Ash.
As he observed the boy and his Pikachu, something in his expression shifted—his eyes narrowing with recognition.
"Ah, yes." Ash responded instinctively. "We stumbled across Celebi inside a huge tree hollow. It took us on a very special kind of journey."
He smiled and introduced himself. "I'm Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town, and this is my partner, Pikachu. I'm aiming to become a Pokémon Master."
"Paul. I'm from Veilstone City in the Sinnoh region." Paul replied coolly. "I'm actually on my way to Pallet Town to see Professor Oak."
After the brief introduction, Paul didn't bother to hide the way he was sizing Ash and Pikachu up.
"Ash… I know you. You're the Champion of the Indigo League."
"Heh, you flatter me." Ash chuckled. "Still, it's great to meet you, Paul!"
Despite Paul's indifferent expression and the cold aura he gave off, Ash didn't seem to mind. With his usual friendly tone, he continued:
"If you're looking for Professor Oak, you're in luck. I was just about to head back to Pallet Town myself. My mom called earlier and said the professor wanted to talk to me about something. I can take you there if you'd like."
A few days ago, Ash had just wrapped up the Wind Festival in Fula City when he got a call from his mom, Delia. According to her, Professor Oak had something important to discuss, so she asked Ash to return home.
On the way back, Ash had unexpectedly caught a glimpse of Celebi in the forest. Driven by curiosity, he and Pikachu had followed it into a hollow tree—and somehow ended up in another world entirely.
After a few fascinating adventures, Celebi had sent them back to their own timeline—specifically, back to Viridian Forest.
And that's where they were now.
So, when Ash heard Paul say he was heading to Pallet Town, Ash didn't think much and took the initiative to invite him.
"Then there's no need to bother. It would be better for you to go back earlier than taking me."
Faced with the sincere invitation, Paul didn't even hesitate before bluntly turning it down.
"Why go back early?"
"Pika?"
Ash could understand that some people didn't like traveling with others or bothering them, but he couldn't quite grasp why Paul was so insistent on him returning early.
Surely it wasn't because he was worried about Professor Oak, right?
"I'm going to Pallet Town not just to find Professor Oak, but also to challenge powerful Trainers."
"But I heard that Gym Leader Blue Oak and Champion Red have both left the Kanto region."
"That leaves you, the Champion of the Indigo League, as the only remaining Trainer worth challenging."
Paul stared straight at Ash as he said this.
Based on what was known about Professor Oak's role in various timelines, he was probably a powerful Trainer in his own right—but there was no way he'd actually accept a battle challenge.
So heading to Pallet Town meant only one viable target remained: Ash, the protagonist of this world.
"Ah, I see now. So you want to challenge me, huh?"
Ash blinked in brief realization, then grinned.
"In that case, I'll head back first. I'll see you at Professor Oak's lab for our battle."
"Charizard, I choose you!"
With that, Ash tossed a Poké Ball, releasing a well-trained Charizard.
"Roooaaar!"
As soon as it emerged, Charizard let out a fierce blast of fire into the sky, then turned its gaze toward Ash.
"Pika~!"
Pikachu immediately leapt onto Charizard's arm, bumping fists with its clawed hand.
"Thanks, Charizard. Take us back to Pallet Town."
"I'll be waiting for your challenge in Pallet Town."
Ash gave a cheerful wave as he climbed onto Charizard's back. With a beat of its wings, the fire-type soared into the sky, gradually vanishing from Paul's line of sight.
"How's the energy charge coming along?"
Paul turned away, hands in his pockets and spoke to the Rotom Phone hovering beside him.
"Energy surge detected. Estimated time until next cross-dimensional jump: six months."
Rotom responded in its usual automated tone.
"Six months? There are certain special places that help accumulate space-time energy faster, right?"
Paul had always been curious about the mechanics of dimensional travel. The last time, it had taken him to Hisui. But where would the next jump lead? What kind of world, what people…?
"Yes. But such places are extremely rare, and most of them aren't stable enough to remain accessible for long periods."
Rotom explained based on the data it had.
"Rare, huh? They are. But if they really exist… then finding them shouldn't be that difficult."
Paul looked up slightly, a confident smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.
That said, he wasn't in a hurry. There were still plenty of things he needed to take care of in this timeline. Rushing to collect energy for some unknown time-space traversal wouldn't do much for him—or his Pokémon's—growth anyway.
Now, it was time to start planning—roughly at least—for the eventual battle against Ash.
Naturally, Paul didn't think it would be particularly difficult. No matter how strong Ash had become, his tactics… had rarely ever shown any true depth.
More importantly, Paul preferred to counter Ash with carefully selected matchups rather than get swept up in that same infectious, head-on style of battling.
Of course, Paul also pulled out his phone and reopened Ash's profile for a quick review.
Ash Ketchum
Status: Trainer (also known as the Hero of the Rainbow, Aura Guardian, Protagonist… the one who forges unbreakable bonds)
Notable Adventures: Featured in Pokémon the Movie: I Choose You!, Secrets of the Jungle, Lucario and the Mystery of Mew, Mewtwo Strikes Back, and The Power of Us
Achievements: Champion of the Indigo Plateau Conference
Pokémon: Pikachu, Charizard, Swellow, Snorlax, Sceptile, Infernape, Gengar, Heracross, Dragonite, Krookodile
…
Yes—this Ash was different from the one in the anime. The nature of this world had altered his growth trajectory.
He couldn't remain ageless like his animated counterpart, but despite having only participated in a single League tournament, the caliber of his Pokémon and his strength far surpassed the Ash of the anime at a similar point.
In fact, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that any one of these ten Pokémon could easily sweep through the six-member team of the anime-era Ash.
"Gathering so many regional aces after traveling through only one region… Classic you, Ash."
After reading through the data—and especially when he got to Infernape—Paul couldn't help but feel a hint of nostalgia. But that was all.
Perhaps what stuck slightly was that he and Ash no longer shared that unique bond forged through Chimchar. And yet, in Paul's eyes, Ash still held a distinct place.
If Red was the embodiment of battle, and Blue was the master of raising Pokémon, then Ash could truly be called the one who represents bonds.
When a certain strength reaches its peak… it can no longer be ignored.
"The road ahead is long and winding..."
With a quiet sigh, Paul centered himself, found a quiet spot, and released his Pokémon for training and communication.
(End of Chapter)
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