1,223The Pokémon World was as limitless as it was uncanny. Odd occurrences, occurrences that could and would not be explained by universal law, were warily attributed to Pokémon.
Occurrences like storm clouds pouring rain in sudden starts and stops for hours before vanishing, leaving only the scent of petrichor on bone dry streets.
Occurrences like forest floors rising up to meet far flung branches before settling back down in the dark depths of shaded afterthoughts like a hidden giant gasping for breath.
Occurrences like missing children stumbling from the darkness decades later, looking no older than the day they departed while their eyes held exhaustion and loss.
Then there were occurrences that even Pokémon were not formidable enough to explain. Crystal lakes solidified overnight to something too infallible to be ice. Red-tinted skies blanketing entire regions, thickening the air with uncertainty. A worldwide ripple sucking energy from every man made creation across the globe until the stars and galaxies were as bright as they were meant to be; if only for a little while.
And sometimes, as seldom as the birth of a Legend, these occurrences pick up in prevalence, and if one looks closely enough, one can find a single soul at the eye of the storm.
Pallet Town
Gary threw his head back and laughed, soaking up the admiration and attention dedicated to him by the surrounding teens. Liam had just done a hilarious impersonation of a Mr. Rime, tap dancing included.
Feet kicked up on the desk and arms behind his head, Garrett Oak, grandson of famed former Champion and current Regional Professor Samuel Oak, smirked. He couldn't really complain about his life. His classmates and peers revered him, the town knew him, and his teachers celebrated him.
Yup, life was good.
But one thing prevented 'good' from being 'perfect'.
"Who can tell me the common factor linking all revived Fossil Pokémon? Yes Gary?"
"Due to the degeneration of organic matter within stone, all fossil Pokémon take on a Rock typing upon revival. It is speculated that certain species had different typings upon extinction, however with the emergence of restoration machines and supplemented DNA from Relicanth, all Fossil Pokémon have a primary Rock Typing."
"If this had been a week ago, you would be correct." Mr. Aster started, "However, new research from the Galar region has altered that conclusion. Does anyone know why the recently published study changes what we know about Fossil Pokémon? Yes, Ash."
"The Galar Region's Dr. Cara Liss teamed with Archaeologist Suki Nishigori to completely revolutionize the revival process using two fossils to fill in the missing nucleotide sequences in DNA. This has been exceedingly controversial because the two fossils used are not of the same species, resulting in Fossil Pokémon not natural to any Earth, past or present. None of the four hybrid species have the Rock typing. Dr. Liss has stated that once they have more samples of each of the four species found in the region, she can completely map the genome, and in the process, erase any need for Relicanth DNA. This is not unique to Galar, they have merely expanded and built upon the current fossil restoration process. I imagine this will urge scientists from the other seven League-affiliated regions to dive back into attempting to completely reconstruct DNA of already revived species."
That. That – or who – is why Gary's life wasn't perfect.
Ash Fucking Ketchum.
Apathetic, dark, secretive, ruthless Ash Ketchum.
Ever since they were four years old and Delia Ketchum dumped Ash at Oak's lab for a week, the two have been rivals. Or rather, Gary has driven himself spare trying to keep up with Ash. The bastard soaked up everything Oak said and could repeat it back word-for-word. Then, just because he could, he went and added a little flair by drawing connections and expanding conclusions.
It wasn't surprising that Ash would stay at the lab more often than not. Gramps and Ash got on like a house on fire with how they talked about research. Ash still came around most days after school, but not nearly as much now that they were 13. They were old enough to not need constant adult supervision. They were leaving in two years and would have to be self-sufficient.
The one comforting thought to Gary was that he had one thing Ash didn't.
Friends.
Well, except for that one chick a few years back. But still. The antisocial jerk kept to himself. He didn't even speak to his own mother. Well, that was more because Delia wasn't around anyway. From what Gary could gather from careful observation (eavesdropping), the woman had some fancy job in Viridian and never wanted to settle down.
'Humph, not that I can blame her, with a kid like that. That son of hers is one fight away from living behind bars' He sneered to himself. (Gary ignored the fact that Ash never, ever started the fights, only ever ended them. Brutally.)
The teacher praised Ash for his truly wonderful answer. True praise. Gary got what could be praise's third cousin twice removed. Gary Oak was supposed to know this stuff. Naturally. He was Professor Oak's grandson after all. But Ash, he was the only son of a single mother who had never gotten around to making a name for herself.
Gary snorted, drawing obviously fake sympathetic glances and grunts from his contemporaries. He didn't kid himself, his peers were in awe of Ash Ketchum. That or scared shitless. He had this magnetism to him that could either lift you up or send you crashing down; hard. It was unpredictable. Chaotic.
Gary would take what rapport he could get, fake or not. Anything to get one over on Ketchum.
The small Pallet Town class of seven made it through their last lesson of the day. Since school took place in a room that was added as an addition to the laboratory, Gary didn't walk out with the others. Liam and his twin, Luke, clapped him on the back on their way out while Astrid punched him on the shoulder. Lillian and Viktor walked past with a quick "see ya" and then it was just Gary and Ash.
And before Gary could think better of it… he opened his mouth.
"Must be tough, only getting recognition from a single inconsequential teacher day in and day out. Not that they actually care. I mean, not even your own mother wants you. How does that feel, Ashy?"
The target of his ire paused with his back still to Gary. Then slowly, like a feral Luxray, all tense grace and predation, Ash turned.
Red.
No matter how many times Gary has looked at them, the red eyes sent a shiver of warning down his spine, like a Froslass just passed through.
Upon those amusement-filled eyes locking on him, Gary was frozen. Neither noticed the old professor silently watching the exchange.
"You know," Ash started lowly, "it's the pinnacle of freedom when no one has any expectations of you. Free to follow your own path. Free to make your own choices. Free to live your life how you want to. You, however…"
At this, a sharp grin slowly appeared at the corners of Ash's lips, revealing unnaturally sharp canines and Gary braced himself.
"Aren't the expectations just suffocating? Doesn't the pressure of your grandfather's shadow threaten to break you? One misstep, one bad decision, one failure, and the world will say 'well, not everyone can achieve what the great Samuel Oak did.' And all those expectations will make any possible success feel hollow. Empty. Useless. Now… out of the two of us… Who deserves pity?"
When Gary had mentioned that Ash brutally ended fights, this is what he meant. Ash didn't end fights with fists. He ended fights with words.
Gary felt cold. It's like Ash viciously dug up every shameful fear that he had buried deep inside and twisted them into icicles that were unforgivingly driven into his chest.
With a smirk that looked more like a Persian that had successfully captured a Pidgey, Ash swept past Gary, not even needing to stoop so low as to bump his shoulder. Gary watched silently as the teen walked out the back door and into the ranch. As soon as the door clicked shut, Gary fled.
Professor Samuel Oak hummed to himself when the two boys were gone.
'Well that was… enlightening.' Oh don't get him wrong, Oak was worried for his grandson. Not necessarily because of Ash, but because it seemed he had hit the nail on the head perfectly. Oak didn't realize how much pressure Gary felt.
However, the professor would speak to Gary later. His grandson was astoundingly resilient. No, he was more curious about Ash.
Oak had known Ashton Ketchum since he had been a year old. Delia Ketchum had moved back home eight years after she had left. But with her return, she had brought a son. Oak didn't ask questions, merely helped his former student-turned single mother when he could.
She had been different, naturally. Eight years gone would do that. She had been quieter, more observant.
Ash had been an interesting baby, small smiles, intelligent red eyes, and grabby hands. It took Oak longer to register the change in Ash than he felt comfortable to admit. It actually wasn't until Ash was four.
Delia had come knocking early one morning, which wasn't unusual. Oak had greeted her before seeing Ash was with her for once.
But something was… off.
Delia spoke with frantic eyes, darting this way and that, asking if Ash could stay at the lab for a few days. All the while, Ash would reach out and grab her skirt. Each time, without looking at him, the mother brushed his hand away. Ash would try to cling to her calf, and she would shift her leg to avoid his hands. Each time.
Of course Oak agreed to take Ash. But he thought a few days meant two. Not seven.
During that week, the professor got more and more unsettled. He would see flashes of that baby he knew, like when Ash got to play with Skitty kits, but then that small smile would be gone. Before she had left to travel, his granddaughter, Daisy, had been a wonderful help with the two four year olds. She never looked worried or angry after bathtime, which led Oak to one conclusion.
Emotional neglect.
Thus, Oak became a grandfather for the third time. He tried to offer what support he could to Ash, but he could never undo those years of critical development. Where Delia ran off to every once in a while, he might never know. He only hoped it wasn't anything dangerous. For Ash's sake.
Shifting his weight, the weary professor thought. What could help Ash heal where 9 years of spotty love and support couldn't?
The sound of papers shifting had him turning, frowning when nothing appeared amiss in his lab. There was a manilla folder on the counter, one he didn't remember setting out. Shaking his head at his old age, Oak grabbed it and headed to the filing cabinet. He mindlessly flipped it open and pursed his lips.
He had forgotten about this one.
Sighing, Oak put the folder back with the others, ignoring the many, many files of abandoned Pokémon. Pokémon too violent, too unpredictable, too dangerous. This one though… this one was a hazard to itself as well.
It was hard not to think of Ash when he opened that particular file; the Pokémon snarling to hide the hurt.
Deciding to see where the boy in question ran off to, Oak made his way through the door to the ranch. As always, Fern was soaking up sun beside the lab, ready to take Oak anywhere in the expansive property.
"Hello love, did you see where young Ash ran off to?" The Exeggutor's many faces all smiled in greeting. Two stomps with her left foot made Oak quirk an eyebrow.
"Really, to the meadow? Thought he would be off to see the new Politoed find her place in the hierarchy." Oak got the mental impression of a shrug from Fern. She stepped forward, ready to teleport, but her trainer shook his head.
"Thank you, but a walk will do me some good. You're free to join me if you like." Fern rolled her six eyes before plopping back down to photosynthesize.
Chuckling, Oak turned and began the short walk to the meadow. As the number of sponsored trainers grew, so did the ranch. Multiple habitats and ecosystems existed within its boundaries, his old friend Cyrano a huge help in developing the whole thing. The meadow was where many Grass, Fairy, Bug, and Normal types could be found.
Approaching the colorful span of flowers, berry bushes, and grasses, Oak furrowed his brows. When his vision turned out to not be tricking him, the old professor froze in shock.
Nestled within a grove of mago berry trees was Ash. He was seated cross-legged with a serene smile on his face while a Florges placed flowers in his messy raven hair. This alone would have been surprising, but even more so was the Clefairy seated in his lap.
Now, many people see the fair Fairy type and think serene, calm, weak. But as someone who has studied the newest classification thoroughly, they were anything but.
Fairies were fickle, emotional, chaotic. Even within a species, you could never anticipate how they would act. Oh, the Pokédex says Wigglytuff like to cuddle? Oak once witnessed one use Sing and Nightmare on his trainer because the trainer left him at the ranch a day longer than he'd said he would. Then look at a species as a whole; Mawile know how to use their adorable appearance to lure in prey.
Fairies could change their opinion of you like a switch was flipped and then change it again just as quickly. They could love their trainer, but attack them because of a perceived infraction. They were mischievous and wicked, but the world still viewed them as angelic.
So to see two fairies actually acting as the world expected them to was astounding.
A smile stretched across the professor's age-worn face. Excitement coursed through his veins, making his blood sing. While he would love to officially have Ash take one of the famed overpriced Affinity Tests, Oak could see the outcome clear as day.
This changed everything.
With this last piece of the puzzle, he knew Ash might achieve what two others had only ever attempted.
Running as fast as his old bones could take, the professor made it back to his lab. He entered and went straight to the same filing cabinet he'd opened not an hour ago. He grabbed the same manilla folder before dashing over to another cabinet to find the chipped Dusk ball, smiling all the while and ignoring the voice in the back of his mind.
It had to be a coincidence, right?
Walking back out to the ranch, Oak held the shaking ball up to the light and stared at it; assessing. Nodding to himself, he spoke.
"Now, I know you've been here a very long time. But I think I've finally found a trainer for you."
Ash hummed softly with the feeling of gentle fingers adjusting his hair. His low humming was complimenting the lovely soprano of the Clefairy on his lap. Ash reached a hand behind him and waited only a second before the daisy's soft petals could be felt. Silently thanking Zinnia, the flower joined the others in the whirl on Clefairy's head; stem woven within the swirl.
Ash had been doing this for years, although the first couple times his fragile masculinity halted him from participating. The Clefairy, a Cleffa at the time, had bounced up to him with all the gravity of a balloon.
He could still remember his shock. He knew the reputation of the elusive Fairy type. They only appeared to trainers with pure hearts. Since then, of course, he learned the truth. The Cleffa line only appeared to people who had an affinity for the erratic Fairy type. With the existing stereotype, it's no surprise people assumed only sweet, kind, pure trainers caught the Mt. Moon inhabitants. With the classification as the Fairy Pokémon, the Cleffa line had a higher sensitivity to Fairy affinities.
That had been the first time Ash felt he could be someone.
He knew his other two affinities, it was difficult not to when he spent so much time at the Ranch. But the other two… well, he wouldn't be surprised if people immediately assumed he'd been a criminal since the day he opened his eyes.
Also having a Fairy affinity changed things. Opened his options.
Since then, he had learned about the type and knew there was nothing weak about them. Nevertheless, he stopped caring what other people thought of him since then. Mostly.
He didn't need other people.
So, Ash wove flower crowns and danced within berry tree groves and sang to the moon even when he knew it went against every assumption people had of him. Like the Fairies.
Zinnia stepped away, all her white flowers finally moved from Ash's hair to Clefairy's fur. Ash turned his head and smiled at the Meadow Matriarch. She, ironically, belonged to Daisy Oak, but decided to stay at the Ranch permanently to watch over the inhabitants after a wild Arbok snatched a Marill.
This is probably the only Florges he'll meet in his lifetime. Shiny stones, after all, sell for millions.
The raven haired teenager stood up, Clefairy still in his arms, and turned to show the Florges his work. Zinnia scrutinized the arrangement, shifted the petals of one flower, before nodding. Wow, only one adjustment, Ash was getting better.
Tilting his head down to the still singing Pokémon, he waited until she tilted her head (body) back to meet his eyes. "Do you want to keep the flowers in or take them out?" The fairy violently frowned and pushed away from his chest, landing with much less force than normal (weird thaumaturgic energy), and bounced away.
Shrugging, he turned to Zinnia in time to see her freeze. Out of nowhere, she threw up a Protect just in time for two figures to teleport in. Recognizing her trainer's grandfather, the Garden Pokémon dropped the Normal type energy and stepped to the side of the thirteen year old.
Ash's eyes moved from the professor's odd look of 'mad evil scientist' to the Exeggutor who had already planted herself and started absorbing the sun's rays. Then observant red eyes narrowed in on the Dusk ball in Oak's hand.
No one spoke for a moment, and the Professor's manic smile eased into something softer. It made Ash even more uncertain.
"Ashton, I have something- someone for you to meet." He held out the ball, and Ash kept his expression carefully blank as he crept forward like some sort of cautious Snubbull.
When he was close enough, Oak dropped the ball into his hand, and the first thing Ash noticed was how violently it was shaking.
Eyes darting between Oak's eager expression and the ball in his palm, Ash finally hit the release button.
The light of a released Pokémon grew, and grew, and grew until the silhouette was practically as tall as he was. As soon as the light died down and the dual roar shrieked across the Ranch, Ash understood what was happening.
How did Oak figure it out?
But Ash didn't have time to dwell on it when the massive reptile lunged.
But not at him.
No, it lunged at its other head.
"Enough."
The Dragon froze.
"Professor… care to tell me why a Zweilous almost ripped its other head off by your feet?" And that was exactly what would have happened. There was a reason only three Hydreigon have ever been documented. Up until 20 years ago, the scientific community didn't even know Zweilous could evolve again.
One head usually ate the other and bled out before they could reach their final state.
The right head had a grisly scar cutting through the side of its mouth, a mangled upper lip showing off two needle-sharp teeth. The left head was growling at the right, and Dear Mew wasn't that a sound that injected fear into every blood vessel.
"Yes, well, I've had Zweilous here for a few years-" the left head bit the right's cheek, "and she's been quite unhappy here-" the right growled and headbutted the left's snout, "so I've been trying to find a good trainer for her since her old one couldn't, uh, handle her-" The left yowled and snapped at the right's snout, "and after seeing that you also have a Fairy affinity-"
"Both of you ENOUGH." The meadow went silent with Ash's forceful statement. The two heads ceased their brawl and turned to the human before her. The teen had his feet braced, his arms crossed, and a glower on his face that could rival a Mightyena.
"If you end up killing the other, you both die. Or are you too weak to not give in to your trivial impulses?" The two heads roared in hostility, lifting the front leg to charge.
"NO, you listen to me, this is how it's going to work. You will get equal amounts of food, you will not fight, and you will not kill each other until the moment you are set to evolve. Then, and only then, will you battle for dominance. You think you can become a Hydreigon on your own? Please, stronger Zweilous than yourselves have failed to do so. You think you're different? Prove it."
The two heads growled in sync, but didn't take another step forward. The heads thrashed, but not at each other, more like they were trying to come to terms with what Ash had said.
They huffed, they snorted, they stomped the group and ripped up large chunks of grass leaving behind holes much deeper than expected. One head shot blazing purple flames at a tree, the other's teeth were cloaked in bone-chilling dark energy. The Zweilous rushed at the thirteen year old, Oak's shout falling on deaf ears.
But Ash stayed planted.
The Dragon and Dark type swerved at the last moment. Turned around with a growl, the two heads huffed once more, then slowly layed down and rested their heads on the ground.
Yes, Ash had studied Fairy types. But he had also studied his other two affinities.
Strength, stubbornness, power, and pride were the traits of Dragons.
Ferocity, cunning, creativity, and resourcefulness were the traits of Darks.
The one trait that tied Dragons, Darks, and Fairies together was chaos.
Their energies, their actions, their loyalties; all chaotic… until you gained their trust. Then their trainer was the one thing that mattered above all else.
"Ash…" the teen whipped his head around, having forgotten about the old professor. The man looked ready to break from the tension in his body. Fern wasn't much better.
"How...?"
Professor Oak watched from the shade of a Bluk berry tree. An enigmatic teen sat facing a volatile reptile a couple meters away. There was about a foot of distance between the two, and Oak was soaking up the interaction.
He was absolutely astounded by Ash earlier. Oak had a lapse in judgment, forgetting just how vicious Zweilous was. Ash could have been torn to shreds.
Oak knew Ash had been doing some self study, one doesn't spend hours in a professor's library for fun, but this was something else.
Ash knew how to assert his dominance over not only a Dragon type, but a dual Dragon and Dark type. And it wasn't just reading. No. Ash had practice. One didn't simply tame a Zweilous on their first try with no wounds to show for it unless they had practiced the approach.
It wasn't supposed to look easy.
The professor was still reeling from the display. How much did he not know about Ash? Shaking his head and focusing back on the history-maker in front of him, Oak watched in quiet fascination as Ash finally set a hand on each head. He watched the quick blink of surprise on Ash's face when his hands made contact. Zweilous fur was unexpectedly soft.
The Hostile Pokémon stilled, but didn't overtly react. Digging his fingernails into what he knew were thick scales beneath the fur, Ash slowly relaxed the Pokémon. The left head did try to nip his fingers here or there, but with a quick strike on the nose, she settled down.
It was a bit heartbreaking to see how unnerved both Ash and Zweilous looked at the gentle contact.
With shadows growing longer and the horizon glowing orange, Oak softly cleared his throat. Unfortunately, with such horrible eyesight, Zweilous' hearing was on par with Audino, thus both heads jerked around to face him and her corded muscles tensed.
The professor's brows furrowed when he felt, more than heard, a low vibrating rumble wash through the clearing. The Zweilous immediately relaxed and accepted the hands back in the black fur.
Oh. Hm. Well, this was fortuitous.
Uncommon even among those with Dragon affinities, Familial Thrum was a small ability to somewhat replicate a nesting sound. Dragons were, after all, mostly pack animals. Leaders and mothers in a thunder of Dragons were able to assert calm and authority using the sound.
It was actually a huge risk for Ash to use it so soon, it could be taken as an act of insolence, to assume one had authority so shortly after an introduction was made. Oak wondered why the Zweilous allowed it.
"I apologize for interrupting, but we should make our way back to the lab. It's getting dark, and you know how the Ghost types are." Ash shrugged. Even with the similarities between Darks and Ghosts, Ghosts avoided Ash like the plague for some reason.
Both drew power from some unknown dimension that most people referred to as the Nether, though how it was channeled differed between the two. Ghosts channeled a pure, gaseous energy that acted as an antithesis to the mundane, eating away at anything real. Darks channeled a more concentrated, thicker form that behaved similarly to liquid and repelled anything Psychic.
Oak still hadn't been able to unlock why the two were different, or even where they came from. The Nether was this sort of undefined, paradoxical dimension that was theorized to run parallel to reality.
The teen stood, and Oak paused to admire the picture the two made. The top of Zweilous' crest reached Ash's neck. Hiding a smile, he realized the hair between the two was actually rather alike; black choppy bangs covering the forehead in wild disarray, a small piece or two sticking up in the back.
Fern had made her way back to the lab hours ago. He had stayed behind to watch the development of, what he knew would be, a powerful partnership.
Oak followed behind the two as they all made their way home, giving him time to truly think about what he was doing.
Oak knew from the first time Ash verbally demolished one of his classmates that he most likely had the two most distrusted, dangerous, and rare affinities.
It caused him many sleepless nights.
Ash was already somewhat ostracized, with his red eyes, harsh words, and poor homelife. The boy avoided creating any connections with the people around him. These two types would only make it worse. He could try to deny his affinities, catch other Pokémon, but it would never feel right, poisoning his journey with wrongness until he couldn't handle it anymore. Oak didn't wish that on anyone.
Having affinities was a gift. A small percent of the population had them. While having any affinities didn't necessarily prevent someone from catching Pokémon of any element, they did create deeper bonds. Technically everyone had Normal and Fighting affinities since those types had more neutral energy.
Professor Oak was the one who discovered the existence of affinities after all. The only affinity he hasn't been able to figure out was one he wasn't sure existed at all. Ghost type was… tricky.
Ghost Masters were all uncanny in similar but diverse ways. They were often distracted, seeing things that weren't there or feeling things no one else could. Masters Agatha, Morty, Phoebe, and Fantina saw the world in ways others didn't, or couldn't.
They were also very reluctant to come in to help with research, though Oak wasn't surprised by Agatha's harsh rejection.
But back to Ash. When he had seen Ash with the Fairies earlier, it's like the clouds parted and mythical Meloetta sang. Ash's path wasn't so helpless anymore. The Fairy stereotype would only help him.
As the lab came into view, Oak picked up his pace, making sure he passed Ash and not Zweilous, and took the lead.
"I want to show you her file and if the two of you are amenable, make the ownership transfer official. She'll be listed as a family member of sorts until you get your Trainer License." Oak let them hash it out silently behind him. Entering the lab, he went straight back to the filing cabinet on which he left the file. Ash still held the Dusk ball in his hand.
"You're more than welcome to stay here tonight, I know Delia is out of town. It's up to you though." Oak knew better than to assume authority over the boy.
Ash nodded and took the file, rolling the Dusk ball around in his hand. Oak turned to leave, but Ash's voice stopped him, the hesitance in it halting him more than anything else.
"Professor… why?" His heart quietly broke for the teenager. It was easy to forget Ash was only thirteen. As strong as he appeared, and oh was he strong, he was still a kid.
"Ash, you've always striven to be the best, to prove to yourself that you can do whatever you set your mind to. I know you have the potential to be an incredible trainer. But… I was worried. You had Dark and Dragon affinities. You would have been ridiculed, distrusted, and targeted at every turn. You might still be. But today showed me you also have a Fairy affinity. It gives me hope, because not only will the Fairies balance your team, but you could change how the world views these Pokémon. People won't be so quick to write you off when you can train Fairies."
Oak gave Ash a moment to process before speaking again.
"What do you know of Chaos Trainers?" The boy's eyebrows furrowed. To his amusement, he could sense a little annoyance from the teen before he shrugged.
"I'm not surprised. As you know, there are certain titles for trainers that specialize in a couple types. Mineral Trainers for the Ground, Rock, and Steel typing. Garden Trainers, for Bug, Grass, and Poison. Foundation Trainers for Grass, Fire, and Water. Tempest Trainers are Dragon and Flying, like Lance.
"But Chaos Trainers, they specialize in Dark, Dragon, and Fairy. If it were more of a well-known specialization, I'm sure more people would understand the nature of Fairies. However, there have only ever been two that have attempted to gain that title. One died, killed by his own Murkrow after winning his seventh badge in Sinnoh. The other… the other dropped the Dark typing, becoming a Fantasy Trainer. She became Champion of Kalos."
"You mean… Diantha?" Oak nodded. The professors talk, naturally. Sycamore's predecessor, Professor Fir, tried to help her, but she couldn't handle her Absol. She obviously did quite well for herself with the Dragon and Fairy types. But still, no one has ever claimed the title of Chaos Trainer.
"Ash, you still have two years before you can leave on your journey. Take the time to work with Zweilous, and decide how, and what, you want your journey to be. Goodnight Ash."
Hello and welcome to the first chapter of what will be a very very long story.
Like everyone, I was inspired by Traveler but also Deathman's Dragons though it hasn't been updated in a long time. Hydreigon is one of my favorite Pokémon and I'm really excited to kick off this story.
Affinities are very much a cultural thing, maybe 30% of the Kanto/Johto trainer population has at least one affinity. Obviously many people still choose to train a variety, but not having one of your affinities can wear on the trainers psychologically. I'll expand on affinities a little more, but they won't actually be a huge part of the story.
While Fairies are just as chaotic and dangerous as Darks/Dragons, their stereotype will actually help Ash. If he only had Darks and Dragons, no one would trust him. The perceived 'goodness' of Fairies will somewhat offset those negative assumptions.
We'll learn more about why Darks and Dragons are distrusted later on!
I'm a huge fan of foreshadowing, and have dropped a couple of nuggets that will become part of the larger plot.
Yes, Ash is super OOC. But this is the type of protagonist I like, so… yeah.
Gary's an insecure jerk in this, but honestly, who isn't insecure in some capacity?
Trainers start at age 15 in Kanto/Johto. It varies in other regions.