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sunsetdew0101 · 10 months

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Second Chance

Chapter 6

Ash tried not to show her discomfort, but from the chuckles of her two traveling partners, she wasn't having much success. In her defense, a completely unknown man started hugging her after she shooed away some angry Zubats.

At least Brock, even though he was laughing at her misfortune, was watching the man intently, with the same look that Daisy had when she took Ash and Gary to Viridian to see the fairs held every now and then. It must have been something older brothers had.

"No offense, mister, but what made those Zubats so mad at you?" questioned Brock when the man in the lab coat finally released Aisha.

"Never call me mister. I am Seymor, Seymor the Scientist." He took a gust and looked to the side like he was in a cartoon scene. "Knowledge. Research. I am Seymor, the Scientist."

"Note to self: Never call him mister, or you'll end up with a cheesy self-introduction," murmured Misty to Ash, who nodded in agreement.

"Ok, uh, Seymor. Why did the Zubats attack you?" Brock deserved an award because, beyond the initial excitement, he completely ignored the weird situation.

"Because of this. Follow me," the group glanced at one another but followed behind Seymor. Not without keeping Pokeballs handy.

But their destiny was close. The main entrance to the Mount Moon Tunnels was immediately ahead of them. But instead of the expected darkness, it was possible to see inside the cave entrance. That wasn't supposed to be possible. The slight luminosity from bioluminescent plants that grew in the dark allowed the trainers not to kill themselves inside the cave? Yes. The bright lights showing all the shades and shapes of the rocks that decorated the walls? No.

"See? The caves are all lit up inside. Someone must have installed these lights, but the Pokemons living inside need the dark." He looked worried as he pointed around, "All this lighting is making them confused and uncomfortable."

"Which would explain why the Zubats would come out of the cave and attack you; They would see a human and react accordingly," concluded Brock. His face looked displeasure as he saw the results of a small but significant change in the Mount Moon ecosystem, like the Paras planting their mushrooms and a dehydrated Sandshrew.

Aisha stopped to give poor Sandshrew a drink, and as she eyed the Pokemon, she couldn't help but be curious. It couldn't be the interference of the League.

It was a delicate balance, keeping the lanes safe and in good repair and leaving the surrounding ecosystems untouched enough so it wouldn't affect the Pokemons that lived there and disturb them. Something as drastic as putting floodlights inside the tunnel and cave system? Very unlikely; the current champion was fiercely protective of Pokemon. He would never have allowed it.

"Wait, but why would anyone come to Mount Moon and cause trouble? It's too close to Pewter and a frequent hangout for trainers. Someone would have noticed something by now." And Misty, he had a point. There was no point other than being an idiot or a psychopath. There was nothing about Mount Moon but oh, oh!

"The Moonstone." Declared Ash as she put the bowl away after the Sandshrew left. "There's a legend that a moonstone meteor fell here, hence the mount's name. There's no proof that it's true, further than the shards we used to evolve some Pokemon. That and Clefairy are known to inhabit Mount Moon. In addition to being rare, they are also difficult to find in these tunnels."

Misty was blowing up the light bulbs in the cave with the help of Starmie's Swift while Seymor explained his theories. He believed that the Pokemon had come from space and that a giant Moonstone, which no one had ever found, was their spaceship.

"What a... original idea, Seymor." And she had the subtlety of a brick, not that Ash would tell her that. That girl was scary.

With a distant shout, their conversation stopped. It looked like some Pokemon was injured or in danger. And with the situation of the surrounding lights, they doubted it was a coincidence.

Brock signaled for them to be quiet, and once they were in position, they started walking toward the distressing sounds. Pikachu was bristling with what he heard, but at least he wasn't sparking with anger. Espeon stepped lightly but was in no better shape than Pikachu. Whatever it was, it was putting the Pokemon defensive. And that didn't bode well for them.

The sounds grew closer, and they carefully ducked behind some boulders at the entrance to a large alcove. When they stalked, they had to control themselves not to gasp in horror and terror. And it wasn't for nothing; the scene was horrible, but considering who was behind, it wasn't surprising.

"I'm starting to think we're cursed," Misty muttered at the sight of the familiar uniforms.

"I'd say we're pretty bad luck, but that will do too," several large cages scattered with Clefairies, Zubats, Sandschrew, and other Pokemon that lived in the cluster of caves spread along Mount Moon, and none of them seemed to be doing well. Ash ground her teeth at the sight. "We have to release them. Most will not last if they continue to receive this treatment."

"B-but it's the Rockets! We can't just f-fight them directly! They'll k-kill us!"

"Seymor has a point. We can't fight them without a plan." Brock walked away from the cave silently, and the group followed him until they were at a reasonable distance. "I've got a better idea."

Brock's plan was simple. He would report the presence of Rockets on Mount Moon to the Pewter City Police and request medical assistance for injured Pokemon. Once the call was over, Misty and Seymor would go to the entrance and wait for help, thus being able to show them the way to the alcove where all the cages and Rockets would be.

Brock and Ash would return to the cave to lie in and make sure the Rockets didn't get away, or at least make sure they didn't go too far, while the cops didn't arrive. Unfortunately, even the most elaborate of plans is not 100% fail-safe.

One of the Grunts spotted them, and before they could stop him, he signaled their presence. In a short time, several Rockets surrounded them, but when one of them started to pull a gun, Pikachu released a bolt by reflex that made him unloose the pistol. That got them all moving.

Ash had never fought with such bad odds. Ten Rockets against two trainers wasn't good news, as that also meant about ten Pokemon to fight, even if between her and Brock were six Pokemon to fight back. Aisha thanked all her lucky stars that Pikachu knew Thunderwave, and these Team Rocket grunts had mostly Poison types and a few common Mount Moon species that Budew was strong against.

Type advantages never guarantee victory, but at that moment, everything was helpful. And the Rockets weren't going easy on them, so they also had to dodge attacks aimed at themselves. Fortunately, a stray Thundershock hit a Rocket and ended up paralyzing it. From then on, whenever the opportunity arose, Pikachu used Thunder Wave on Rockets that were trying to launch another Pokemon when theirs fainted.

It was a blur of movement, screams, lights, and explosions until the Police with Misty and Seymor were where they were and took matters into their own hands. Where the half hour of waiting had gone, Ash didn't know, but she couldn't deny the relief she felt when she saw that they had backup and could pull away from the battle.

Once back at the cave entrance, it was a race between being examined by the EMTs and interviewed by the Police about what had happened. Brock took charge of the situation and answered all the questions, with Ash giving her two cents in filling in the few blanks about the case. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed that the other two were in the same predicament, but before Ash could go to them, the paramedics started examining her.

It took a while, but when the paramedics finally released them, Misty gave a strangling hug to Aisha while Seymor dumped an enormous amount of questions. Which was no wonder, considering who they'd fought, even though they'd ended up in good shape. Of course, being in good condition didn't mean being intact: Brock had a sprained pulse and a few scratches, and Ash had to have eleven butterfly bandages in different places besides the various scattered bruises.

Seymor offered to guide them through Mount Moon so they wouldn't take so long inside the mountain. And once they were released, they made their way out of there. There wasn't much conversation until they got to the door of Mount Moon everyone was too tense, too attentive to the slightest noises as if someone was going to jump out of the shadows and attack them.

Their parting wasn't very dramatic. Seymor spent a good five minutes thanking Ash and Brock for what they'd done and promised to watch the League to support Ash. But other than that, it was a pretty calm split compared to what we had so far on the journey. Once the young scientist returned to the mount, they continued their journey.

Despite the tingling in their legs and arms that screamed for them to run as far away from the Mount Moon as possible, the group kept their pace steady. It was a quick pace but was as slow as they could manage without breaking into a run like someone was behind them.

Not even Pikachu or Espeon were unscathed from the anxiety that afflicted them. Ash's hair was like a broom with the amount of static coming off Pikachu, and wherever Espeon passed, small pebbles and leaves would levitate into the air before falling back to the ground.

Aisha was sure they wouldn't get a good night's sleep that day.

Ao3

Index

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Fic Dividers Used Here

#Second Chance #Ash Ketchum #Fem Ash Ketchum #Pokemon Delia isn't a good mother #Gary Oak #cannon divergence #alternative universe #ao3 #pokemon characters #Chapter Six #Pokemon #Pokemon Anime #Pokemon Anime Fic #pokemon fic #Ash Ketchum fic #Fem Ash Ketchum fic

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malama-art · 1 year

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i miss alola

#pokemon #professor burnet #professor kukui #ash ketchum #rowlet #rotom dex #art #fanart #my art #read a fic about ash and kukui... it was so good

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alolanrain · 2 months

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Tempted to do a 5+1 where Ash reveals a very crazy detail about him in an interview and then the +1 being something that just breaks the internet as a whole somehow.

#ash ketchum #fic idea #I have the first point and the last point but nothing for the middle

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chiekorita · 4 months

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✨ chiekorita's palletshipping recs ✨

my will always re-read list. not a comprehensive list so i will add on as i go thru the fics again.

ratings listed in front of title. (c) means completed.

the unfinished collection by misswonnykins (ratings varied w each chapter)

as title says, unfinished but they're all *chefs kiss*. fav is the first chapter. ash wooing gary unknowingly pls read

[t] a pokemon trainer's guide to romance using modern technology and terrible pick-up lines by bgtea (c)

ash and gary being menaces w each other thru terrible pick up lines even in diff regions. the puns are amazing ok and v funny and cute.

[t] after all these years by archwriter (c)

the story of how they break and keeps on breaking until they come back together. the emotional rollercoaster this got me thruuuu like destroy me. can be read platonic.

[g] tying loose ends by archwriter

sequel to after all these years. ash's role as the chosen one coming back one by one and his recovering relationship with gary on the side. the way everything in his life is written and having gary mixed in naturally like that. i still reread this since years ago.

[t] my brilliant friend by afoolserrand117

gary a professor and researcher being made to do a friendly battle w ash to raise funds for his research. more gary focused esp w his mewtwo related ptsd (which i don't see much explored so it was niceeee). we get to see a more confident ash as opposed to gary. pls this is so good and cute and fun.

[m] a call to arms by feranelia

pacrim!au. the pokemons are jaegers. ash and gary butting heads thru their first, second, third consequent meetings and ended up being drift compatible. prof oak best shipper btw. arts for this also chefs kiss

[t] and into love go streaming by laniekayaleese (c)

high school!au. more on the coming of age movie feeling. boys discovering feelings. this is very vibes.

[m] find it, fix it by tayeah (c)

gary in saida labs getting a visit from ash. gary running from his feelings only to run back into them basically? angstyyyy and delicious.

[t] romantic by misswonnykins (c)

ash trying to pull off the best proposal ever with the help of his friends. super cute and fluffy.

[t] this dear thing called heart by salvations (c)

music!au. shigeru joins a satoshi's band after prof ookido's death. angsty stuff. mostly friendship focused but a good dose of palletshipping thru out.

[g] the sweetest betrayal by essence_of_silence (c)

little moments of ash's two fav partners being bff with each other more than with him. super cute. very sitcom/romcom vibes. i come back to reread this a lot bc of pikachu picking his pipichu over his pikapi.

[g] honesty by silver_fish (c)

hanahaki!au. gary starts coughing up flowers. more often when he's around a certain trainer. everything i ever wanted in a palletshipping hanahakiiiii my fav tropeeee read this one too pls

[t] [series] operations 101 by estelle4ever

ash's friends trying to set him up gary and made up a whole operation. operationS. funny shenanigans of well meaning friends and just cute stuff. it's a series but the main part of them getting together is done ✅.

[m] intuition by evie warner

prof oak's past coming back for him and gary's the target. ash caught up in it too. going off from the glitch in the games w missingno. this one is abandoned but it's still So Good. got me reading thru this in one sitting.

#palletshipping #ash ketchum #gary oak #shigesato #satoshige #mostly for personal archiving #trying not to list every fic from some writers tbh lmao #long post

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echidnapower · 5 months

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Ladies and gentlemen, it's here. The time has come to bring an end to the Team Galactic arc for my Diamond and Pearl rewrite.

Over 10 years, 80 chapters and over a million words worth of writing in that span. It's been a journey, and even still it's nowhere near over.

So now, sit back and enjoy, and leave a review if you're so inclined. I would greatly appreciate it.

#pokeshipping #pokemon #misty #ash ketchum #pokeani #my fics #team galactic #dialga #palkia #azelf #mesprit #uxie #brock #Dawn #Cynthia #Pikachu #Lucario #aaml diamond and pearl #aaml #fanfiction

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lovelyunknown · 11 months

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Hhhhh

Pokeani XYZ is massive nostalgia for me (sorry to those of you who feel like it was yesterday, it reminds me of middle school).

Anyway, the Kalos Crisis sometimes comes into my head and makes me have angsty plot bunnies.

In other news, Hanamusa has become very popular and I reaaaally ship it now. Not only for... You know, Delia and Jessie being cute. But also ash and Jessie being kind of familial with each other.

Mushing these together gives me the idea of Jessie and Ash finally taking about what happened in Kalos and freaking the hell out of Delia.

#the inciting incedent is a misplaced joke from jessie about 'your crazy frog' that makes ash sad #because beside pikachu #greninja is the closest pokemon to ash #BECAUSE YOU KNOW WEIRD BOND MAGIC SHIT #anyway #they were kinda tortured togethwr #and jessie doesn't know everything about it #but she understands better than his mom #who is totally freaking out because ash told her notning about this #id also like to write a 'greninja returns' fic too #hanamusa #hanamusashipping #pokeani #pokemon #ash ketchum #delia and jessie #ash greninja

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so-sures-blog · 7 months

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Of butterflies and roses

Summary: Drew hadn't fallen for May first; he been struck, curious about this doe-eyed girl in a bandana — distracted, fumbling, so very nervous —and her Beautifly. Drew liked to pay attention to people, how they got to who they were. It helped him in contests, to weed out who would be the real competition. Drew saw May playing with her little frisbees and thought, “She wouldn’t make it.

But now — now, Drew leaned forward and stared as May stumbled onstage and proceeding to blindside the audience with her plastic frisbees; with five Stringshots, a Gust, and one beautiful Silverwind.

A small smile made its way onto his face.

“Huh, what do you know?” Drew said to himself. “That wasn’t too bad at all.”

***

Or: a love story about surprises and realization

***

When Drew first sees May playing on the beach with her plastic pink frisbees he thought she was a joke.

Contests were a serious thing and they weren’t for the faint of heart. Drew has seen many bright-eyed amateurs bounce on stage to perform their shallow appeals before running off in tears when they lost. Drew knows this girl will be no different.

Because her idea of an appeal was pathetic and lame. Her performance lacked flair and finesse, and was much too shallow. She had no style, baseless confidence, and her naïveté was going to get her as far as her performance will.

Beautifly sends a Gust at the frisbees, and the girl daintily catches two of them on a spin as her friends cheer.

Drew watches in amusement as the third sails right over her head and catches it.

***

The girl passes the appeal round and is matched up with Drew right off the bat.

After their first meeting, she is determined to beat him and win the contest, and Drew scoffs at the fairy tale. He has more experience than she could ever hope for under his belt, and he can’t wait to beat her.

In the end, he leaves her in tears on the stage. She’s slumped to the ground by her Beautifly, her lips pressed into a wobbly line as tears glass her eyes. Drew gets a sudden sense of deja vu as he stares at her; he’s reminded of his first loss — his very first loss against Solidad. He remembers the feeling of defeat and devastation and turns away.

At least in his first contest he made it into the finals. With her, it seems like she barely trained for the battle round at all. (He is a little bit disappointed — he was hoping she would put up as much of a fight as she did their first battle.)

With this loss, Drew would see what type of person May would be.

Would she give up like many others have when they faced him, or would she stand up and try again?

***

Drew takes his loss against Robert hard, but moves on by training harder and winning another contest. He tells Solidad about him in one of their weekly calls, but carefully leaves the girl he’s met out of it. He still hasn’t decided on what type of trainer she is, and there will be no point in telling Solidad about her if she never shows her face again after defeat.

He spends his time training Roselia and Trapinch, searching for a new partner for his team, and winning himself another ribbon before heading to Fallarbor Town for a contest. He’s heard the competition is going to be steep.

Occasionally, he thinks of the girl in the bandana and her Beautifly, but it’s a thin, fleeting thought he easily dismisses in his busy days.

***

When Drew sees her training in Fallarbor Town, he feels something startling and surprising in him. His eyes are immediately drawn to her and he can’t help but make his way over to her to tease her about her botched up combinations — (because really, how can a coordinator not know about combinations?)

Based on their first meeting, May doesn’t like Drew. He’s arrogant and criticizes her and offers nothing good to say about her combinations. Drew shows off his newly acquired ribbons and tells her she has no shot of winning a competition this steep.

He walks away, mouth uncurling into a grin and hopes the fire he’s sparked in May will be enough to make this contest a memorable one.

***

It's Drew who loses in the Fallarbor Contest, and normally he would be upset about that if it weren’t for the fact of who won.

May won the Fallarbor Contest, and with nothing but her own skill and talent. She took the same combinations he made fun of and turned them into something elegant and powerful. She and Beautifly beat Grace and won the ribbon — her very first ribbon — and May’s never looked more alive and in sync with her Pokémon.

Drew feels reluctant admiration, pride, and (strangely) joy press into his gut and leave a tingling sensation throughout his body.

May finally did it; and although Drew still thinks that she wouldn’t have been able to beat him if they were paired up in the first round, her fight against Grace almost deserves a congratulations.

***

It was Roselia’s idea to keep giving May roses, and Drew went along with it. He doesn’t know why exactly, but Roselia is very intuitive and reminds him of Solidad, who is spending her off-season in Kanto training.

He feels like the roses are falling into some sort of routine of theirs, and strangely enough, Drew likes it enough to not want to think about what it means.

“I suppose this rose is for Beautifly, right?” May spins the flower between her fingers and teasingly asks. Her smile is light and playful and Drew feels his stomach suddenly knot in on itself at the sight. He’s not quite sure what to think of that.

“Yeah, something like that.” He keeps his response vague and puzzling before turning away before she realizes that the rose is just as much for her as it is her Pokémon.

***

Drew starts to talk about her to Solidad at around the second contest she wins. That’s two times May has defeated somebody who has beaten Drew, and he is fascinated. He talks to Solidad about their first meeting, how she totally blindsided him with the sudden Silverwind in their first battle. He talks about the first contest she won, the Pokémon she used, and is completely, totally, utterly unaware of the knowing look Solidad has in her blue eyes.

“Looks like you have yourself a rival, Drew,” she interrupts with a grin.

Drew scoffs. How can May ever be his rival?

***

It’s a while before he sees May again, but almost against his will he keeps his ear against the ground for her. He hears she wins the Lilycove Contest and the Purika Contest — after a bit of difficulty, apparently — but hasn't heard anything else.

It’s six weeks until the Pokémon Grand Festival and Drew is just out training his Masquerain when he hears someone call his name. He turns around to see May and her friends waving at him so he makes his way down the cliff to them.

May shows off her four ribbons and informs him that she’ll be entering the Pacifidlog Contest with the same happy-go-lucky smile and bright blue eyes. And because Drew doesn’t not like how she looks at him and he doesn’t like how he doesn’t like it, he makes fun of her enough to challenge him to a battle. It doesn’t get far before a trio calling themselves Team Rocket burst from the ocean and proceed to vacuum them into a giant mechanical Magikarp before exploding.

This is what he gets for spending time with May, Drew thinks as he stares out at the foggy ocean. He and May had woken up on the beach alone, together, surrounded by wreckage and with no idea where the others were. Thankfully, Roderick comes and saves them from their incessant bickering, and they set off to find May’s friends.

Admittedly, Drew is a bit excited to have landed on Mirage Island of all places. Few people have managed to set foot on the land, and it was crawling with liechi berries. That’s why when Drew finally spotted them so close to the cliff, he wasn’t as careful as he could've been.

The earth gives out beneath their feet and as they’re falling the only thought Drew has in his mind is that he’s probably going to die. May grabs onto Bellsprout’s vine, and Drew can tell as she grasps his hand that it's not going to save them.

May’s grip slips and they both hit the water, hands still firmly locked with each other. The current rips them apart and Drew desperately surges to the surface, gasping for air.

“May!” He calls, using whatever air he has left in his lungs. The water is stinging his eyes and roaring in his ears, but he’s still desperately searching for the brown-haired coordinator.

He spots her up ahead, choking on the spray of water and being submerged again and again before Drew swims forward and grabs her arm. Her blue eyes find his green ones, and they’re big and wide and scared as she fights against the current. They struggle to stay above water, Drew trying to support May as much as he can before they hear Roderick’s yell above the buffeting waves: “There’s a waterfall dead ahead!”

Fear freezes his veins. If they weren’t going to die, then they certainly would now. There isn’t any time to think straight before it’s on them, but May tightens her grip on Drew as panic seizes them both and Drew clutches her wrist as hard as he can before they go over.

They slam against the bottom, the impact sweeping them apart before Drew falls unconscious.

When he wakes up it’s nighttime, but the first thing he sees is May’s worried face and big blue eyes. She’s crouched over him, and when he opens his eyes her face breaks out into a big, relieved smile. Drew doesn’t know what happened or where he is, but he does know his heart is doing acrobatics in his chest right now and he feels dizzy with the knowledge that May probably saved his life before the Wynaut did.

The Wynaut are nice and thoughtful for wild Pokémon, and with them Drew and May find themselves becoming more at ease from their near-death experience. May releases all her Pokémon and goes to play with the Wynaut while Drew sits to the side and watches with a small smile on his lips.

The May in front of him right now is totally unencumbered and free. Her smile is big and her laugh is bright and for the first time Drew is able to see her in the light that she is a girl, not just a coordinator. This is the first time they are together outside the context of contests, and that means that the girl he is looking at right now is the real May. Normally when they met May would put up a front and talk all big for the sake of their rivalry, but not now. Now, she is completely natural.

Almost against his will, Drew feels a powerful emotion grow inside him as he watches her.

***

May has grown — slowly and steadily, with the help of her friends and Pokémon. Drew sees her start to win contests, learn strategies, her trust in her Pokémon becoming more prominent with every move she calls.

Alongside his admiration, there is something new and exciting that pulse in his veins now, and it makes Drew determined to win. Solidad calls it competition from across the phone line in Pewter City, and Drew actually feels like laughing.

Because, him? Competitive about May? It hasn’t been that long since she was stumbling through coordinating and trying to figure out combinations. But then, he realizes, it has.

May has grown into coordinating, training her partners and catching new Pokémon. Drew thinks that she can make it into the Grand Festival, and looking deeper, he thinks that he wants to face her there.

Drew knows that Solidad can see the realization on his face and quickly hangs up before she can tease him.

His Vibrava had evolved into a Flygon a while ago, and Drew has a sudden idea about who he wants him to train for.

***

It’s not a surprise to see her at the Grand Festival, but Drew is never going to admit it. May lights up when she spots him and is quickly running towards him with a bright smile. Her enthusiasm makes him smile and as she snatches his rose almost petulantly, he feels the strange emotion bubble up again.

Unfortunately, Harley shows up and May is instantly swept up with his bravado and false promises. Drew already knew she trusts easily and is unfalteringly kind, but Harley was pushing it and May is totally unaware. She almost blows her chances at competing in the Grand Festival battle rounds.

Frustration bubbles up, and Drew knows it’s unreasonable, but May doesn’t get it. She’s made it all the way here, and she was talented, but she still doesn’t get it. To be a coordinator one had to trust in themselves and their Pokémon, and find their own style to make their own Pokémon’s appeal shine through.

And May didn’t get it.

Fortunately for her, she manages to impress the judges enough to pass the appeal round and win her way through the battle rounds — until she’s matched up with him. They face off against each other in the third round of the Hoenn Grand Festival; and as they stare each other down from across the pitch, Drew recalls their first battle. He hasn’t had a real contest battle with May since then, and although Drew knows how it’ll end he still wants to see how she’ll react.

Drew calls out Roselia and Flygon. May’s never seen his Pokémon before, and when he tells her that he raised his Flygon specifically to battle her he can tell she is both flattered and scared.

Drew makes the first move and the battle is on.

***

In the end, it isn’t Drew’s time as Robert comes out on top in the Grand Festival Finals, but it was a good battle and Drew gave it his all. He learned a lot from battling Robert and was already coming up with combinations for next year.

He impatiently waits his way through the closing ceremonies and as soon as the party starts he disappears to the beach to practice with his Pokémon. They train for about an hour before someone stumbles upon them, and Drew turns when he realizes it’s May.

She’s confused about why he’s still training and Drew is reminded that it is her first season of coordinating. He gives her advice before heading on his way, but can’t help but leave her with one last thing.

“I’m hoping to see you back here next year too, May,” he says. “You were good.”

She stares at him, gaping slightly. (Has he really never complimented her before? It seems like she takes up most of his thoughts to not have.) Her sapphire eyes are wide as the seabreeze tousles her hair. He’s suddenly aware of the waves crashing against the shore and the stars shining in the night sky. Drew can barely hear the sounds of the party drifting towards the beach.

For such an open space, it feels so entirely intimate in the moment. May looks beautiful in the moonlight, and the realization of what that means strikes him.

Drew walks away from her, feeling as though someone once so out of his reach becomes touchable for just a slither of time.

***

Drew goes to Kanto for the next contest season and is surprised to see May already there. She’s still as rose-scented, sun-kissed and vibrant as she was in Hoenn and Drew is unable to withhold the realization that he likes her. He really, really likes her.

The realization follows him throughout Kanto, so he throws himself into contests and combinations to avoid thinking about it altogether. His Pokémon notice, but Roselia is the only one who knows and Drew can sense her disapproval. He ignores it — they’re rivals above all and Drew values that — her — more than his feelings.

Still though, he can’t help but go see her. Drew knew so little about her. He could easily spot her voice out of a crowd, but he wanted to hear her stories. There was still so much to May that he didn't know. Drew never really minded being a mystery to the average person (sharing parts of himself was something he was naturally against), but with May he wanted her to know him.

He wondered if she had similar thoughts about him and if part of her wanted to know more.

Drew gathers his five ribbons and heads to the Grand Festival. He’ll see her there.

***

Drew meets up with Solidad the morning of the Grand Festival.

When they first met, Solidad had beaten him and Roselia in the final round of their first contest and then invited him out to lunch afterwards. Although Drew had his reservations, he still went.

Solidad explained that she had a season of experience over him, and that her battle with him had to be the most grueling one she’d ever faced. She was impressed with his performance and wanted to see him again in another contest.

As they competed together more throughout the season and their respect for each other grew, he started to open up to her more and meet up with her more often. It's only natural that Solidad is now his best friend.

They have run into each other a couple of times in Kanto, and had carefully shared contest information and have appropriately planned out their routes so they didn’t meet up at every contest. Still, Drew had looked forward to the towns where their paths were scheduled to cross.

“So, what did you think of May?” Drew asks a bit too casually as he sips his tea. He’s not really a fan of the taste, but Solidad loves it so he drinks without complaining.

“I like her. She’s really sweet and friendly. The total opposite of you,” she says with a teasing smirk.

“Uh huh, sure,” Drew rolls his eyes. “Do I even want to know what you two said about me?”

Solidad’s eyes twinkle. “That’s between girls only. Whatever May says is completely on her own volition.”

“Great. She’s definitely going to rub something in my face now.” Drew takes another sip of tea and struggles to not make a face. Solidad does the same, watching him with calm blue eyes.

“I’m a bit sad you haven’t introduced me to her earlier though,” she speaks up suddenly. “Seeing how much you talk about her. I can see why you like her.”

Drew chokes on his tea, and for once it wasn’t because of the taste.

Solidad knows. She's probably always known, Drew rationalizes, but the knowing smile the older coordinator wears cements the fact that nevertheless, Solidad knows.

But then again, if Drew had really wanted it to be kept a secret, he wouldn’t have introduced them in the first place. But Solidad was his closest friend and Drew liked May (enough to give her advice, give her roses) and he had wanted the two of them to meet.

“She — uh, I, uh — ” Drew stammers. He feels uncharacteristically embarrassed and it throws him off his game. “I — ”

“It’s okay, Drew.” Solidad thankfully cuts him off. “You don’t have to explain yourself. I’m actually glad you’ve found someone like May. She’s good for you.” Drew’s face burns and Solidad’s face softens as she observes his flustered reaction. “Just … don’t let your feelings get in the way of your performance, okay?”

Drew scoffs at the thought. “Don’t worry, I won’t,” he reassures her.

He may like her, but they're still rivals.

***

It’s a surprise when he sees Ash and Brock come to talk to him instead of Solidad, but figures she’s probably having a talk with May after he snapped at her.

Guilt twists in his chest as he thinks of her hurt expression before he ignores it and turns to face the sunset. Don’t let your feelings get in the way of your performance, Solidad had said. Drew internally scoffed. She should have said, “Don’t let her performance get in the way of your feelings.”

Seeing her perform with her Munchlax … it shook him. For so long, May had always been the one behind him, chasing after him. It didn’t hit him until today that … she can pass him. She can beat him.

She had changed; she was a threat. He had changed; he was no longer untouchable.

And that scared him.

“Look, I said it was on my mind, alright?” Drew snaps.

“I know that Drew,” Ash clambors down to join him. Pikachu hops down his shoulder.

“Solidad’s having a little talk with May right now. I think it would be a good idea to do the same thing,” Brock says. Drew hmphs.

“You know …” Ash breaks the silence, rubbing Pikachu’s head. “Watching you out there earlier made me think about all the rivals I’ve faced in battle over the years. I never talked to them about how they trained or anything.” Ash turns to face him. “We deal with that on the battlefield.”

Drew can’t help but stare, shocked at the comparison. It's no secret that a lot of competitive battlers don't take coordinators seriously. They saw it as more of a glorified beauty contest than showing off the strength of the Pokémon with appeal. Not to mention, coordinating was more seen as a feminine form of battling, with its emphasis on beauty and combinations.

For a while, Drew thought Ash was one of those battlers — that’s why he challenged him to a battle in Fallarbor Town. But no, Ash is here drawing comparisons from his battling to relate to coordinating. To him and May.

Ash and Brock are here, telling him in their own way that they understood him. That they took his side.

Drew relaxed. “I hear ya,” he chuckles. “We’re rivals, May and I.”

Somehow, that seems to sum up everything and nothing at all.

***

It’s the Kanto Grand Festival at the Indigo Plateau, and it's Drew up against May in the quarterfinals. He walks onto the stage and hears the cheers so loud it makes his ears ring. The atmosphere of the stadium is electric, and Drew keeps his head straight.

His eyes wander across the field to May and he sees the determined glint in her eyes that Drew knows is reflected in her own. Two years, two regions, and two talented coordinators.

They’ve been ready for this their whole lives.

***

In the end, it’s only one of them who can win, and after a long, grueling battle, the winner is decided.

The screams and cheers from the stadium are overwhelming so Drew closes his eyes and takes a breath, steadying himself.

The battle was incredible. May was incredible.

She is still standing there, staring up at the scoreboard in disbelief and unable to believe what it reads. She’s surprised, shaky from the battle, but happy-ecstatic and Drew is proud to have lost to her. It's been two years since they met, since he first saw her on the beach of Slateport City with her plastic pink frisbees, and since then she’s been surprising him ever since. They’ve both changed since they first met; the final battle an accumulation of everything they learned on their journey.

Absol slowly makes his way to him, head already bowed in defeat. His Pokémon took his losses harder than Drew did, but this time the trainer wasn’t feeling bad about this one at all.

Absol looks up in surprise when Drew reaches forward and rubs his head. “Thank you, you fought hard. You're the best, Absol.” Absol lights up at the praise, gratefully pressing his head into his hand.

Drew turns to notice May’s gaze on him, questioning and uncertain. She’s worried about how he’ll take the loss against her, and suddenly the feelings Drew has tried to keep from fully consuming his heart come forth.

It’s because she surprises him. She’s surprised him from the very beginning — from the first time they met, the first time they ever competed, the first time he truly saw her — and she kept on surprising him, whether it be her skill or her passion or her love towards people and Pokémon. Drew hadn’t fallen in love with May; he was struck, stunned by the care and awe he has for her. She completely blindsided him and turned his world upside-down. He never would have imagined that the girl he had met on the beach would turn into one of his greatest rivals.

Drew’s eyes soften, mouth pulling into gentle smile as he nods. It’s okay. He lost, but it was to May and he is okay with that because she more than deserves her victory. May beams at his approval, throwing her arm around Combusken in celebration.

Drew watches for a moment longer before closing his eyes and turning away, smiling.

***

Drew doesn't stick around after the festival. His bags are packed and he’s headed out. Drew has no new destination in mind, so he just travels around Kanto, exploring the parts he didn’t get to see before. He spends two months just wandering, training and discovering himself. His mind is on May, and coordinating, and on where to head next for the next Grand Festival.

Drew finds a beautiful lake — a glittering expanse of blue in front of him — with plenty of open space to practice some tricky appeals he has been working on. He calls out Roselia and Masquerain and they work on some doubles appeals for around an hour before Drew gives them a rest. Roselia wanders along the shoreline, looking happy and relaxed while Masquerain flutters around the lake.

Suddenly, to his surprise, Roselia runs towards her trainer, exclaiming happily. Drew blinks, alarmed, before he hears a familiar voice speak up behind him.

“Hey, Drew!”

Drew turns to see Solidad approaching with Slowbro, a smile on her face.

"What are you doing here?" Drew asks before he can stop himself.

Solidad laughs. "Jeez, it's nice to see you too."

Drew smirks and waves his hand at her. "You know what I meant."

"Well, am I not allowed to want to see you?” Solidad asks gently. “You practically ran away from the afterparty of the Grand Festival, and I’ve barely heard from you.” She settles on the grass right next to him as her Pokémon goes to greet his.

Drew runs a hand through his hair and winces. “Sorry. I've been busy.”

Solidad shakes her head. “Typical of you, isn't it? But don't you think you’ve trained enough?”

Drew shrugs and says nothing; she knows what his answer is. They both watch as Roselia comes forward and Solidad rubs her head. “So, have you decided on where to go from here?”

“I think I’ll head to the Johto region next.” Drew says. “What will you do?”

“Johto too, I think.” Solidad turns to meet his gaze. “Just because I became a Top Coordinator doesn’t mean I want to stop. I want to keep coordinating, traveling, and winning. I want to be a master coordinator and be accepted into the Ribbon’s Syndicate.”

Drew smirked and closed his eyes. “Yeah, you’re not the only one, you know.”

The Ribbon Syndicate was a big ordeal for coordinators alike. It was a private, special organization that only coordinators with a legendary status could call their home. Members would finally earn that sought after "Master" status and finally become a part of the world's elite, setting an example for all young coordinators alike.

Solidad smiles. It’s quiet for a while, both of them watching their Pokémon get along before she speaks. “I gave her your rose, you know. She caught you as you were leaving, right?”

Drew tenses, before he relaxes. “Yeah. Thanks for giving it to her. I … couldn’t give her that one in person.” It feels entirely too honest than he meant it to be, so he avoids Solidad’s eyes as she studies him.

When Drew had first given roses to May, it was a mocking. The flowers were filled with taunts about how her Pokémon were carrying her to victory. Then Drew had started to notice May, and his roses became fleeting — everyone knows what red roses meant. How could Drew give out roses when he didn’t even know who he was really giving them to?

But now this one was different. After everything — their fight, their battle, the final leg of their journeys — the rose held a different meaning now. It is a confession of his affection, respect, and awe for her.

It was the only genuine rose.

And they both knew it.

“Here,” Solidad holds out a shrunken Pokéball and Drew takes it. He glances down at it and blinks.

“This is Butterfree’s Pokéball,” he says, surprised. “Why are you giving this to me?”

“Because you need it,” she says simply. “You’ve done enough reflecting, Drew. You need to get out of your head, and the best way to do that is with a new partner. He’s yours now.” She stands up as Slowbro wanders towards her and returns him.

“Where are you going?” Drew is still reeling.

“To Johto,” Solidad raises a brow as if to say ‘obviously’. “And you’re going to Fennel Valley.”

“What’s in Fennel Valley?” Drew is scared to ask.

“You’ll see.” Solidad smiles.

***

Drew does end up making his way to Fennel Valley and runs into May. As soon as he sees her, he understands why Solidad sent him here instead of going to the Johto region first.

Drew feels like he’s seeing himself a week ago. May is lost, out of sync, and confused. It’s a mental thing he’s seen in himself and other coordinators stuck in a rut, and Drew tries to pull her out of it.

He challenges her to a battle, his heart beating faster when he sees the fire relight in May’s eyes.

They’re talking outside later — May sitting beyond the fence while he leans against it — and Drew tells May he’s going to Johto. He studies her reaction, trying to see how she’s feeling, and watches her eyes lower as she leans against the fence with him. “It’s pretty there, right now,” she says.

Drew gazes at her. She’s looking at the sunset, how the pinks, reds, and golds reflect off the mountains. The sprawling region in front of them looks beautiful, but Drew can’t seem to take his eyes off May. There’s no moonlight this time — May’s dripping with the sunset glow, chestnut hair waving in the wind, azure eyes deep and Drew feels like his heart is going to crawl out of his chest looking at her.

He really, really loves her.

Harley interrupts, as he always does, and soon he and Drew have to leave. May calls out goodbyes behind him as he walks away, and Drew raises a hand in return.

Life insists on — they’re rivals, May and him. They will always come together. As frequently as roses bloom, they will meet each other, again and again.

#pokémon #pokémon fanfic #contestshipping #contestshipping fic #pokemon analysis #contestshipping analysis #character study #vignette #drew pokemon #may pokemon #ash ketchum #brock pokemon #max pokemon #pokemon solidad #pokemon harley

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marvelousmisterstark · 2 months

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Chosen has Fallen

Cyllene watches the young man, and he watches right back.

There’s a caution in his amber eyes, eyes much too old for the sixteen year old who bears them. He watches her like she’s the enemy. Watches her like he’s waiting for her to lash out. Watches her like she’s a ghost.

Like she’s familiar.

Even if she wanted to, his beast of a Pikachu would kill her before she had the chance.

At first glance, Cyllene had been sure the boy had a Raichu draped over his shoulders. A Raichu that looked so at home wrapped around this human. The beast was massive, and dwarfed Akari’s Pikachu as if it was a Pichu. The two didn’t even seem to be the same species.

This Pikachu was a hulking, narrow-eyed, scarred thing, battle wounds worn like the stars Cyllene so seldomly bequeathed. Old, odd red scars burned a long-healed pattern into its flesh, circles with branching lines situated on its forehead and stomach. The fur on its tail had been worn away over time, now a razor’s edge raised in warning.

Its cheeks sparked red with cursed lightning.

The boy wasn’t much better.

His flimsy clothes did nothing to hide the array of old injuries; lacerations, burns, gouges, bites, and a particularly harsh lichtenberg figure that carved through his right palm and up his arm.

How could this boy bear all the brutality of Pokémon and still treat this monstrous Pikachu as a brother? How could he be so calm with Laventon’s three research subjects so lovingly wrapped around his legs, or cradled in his arms?

Cyndaquil’s flames could erupt without warning, scorching the boy’s leg in seconds.

Oshawott could take its scalchop and slash through his achilles tendon, crippling him without a thought.

Rowlet was so close to his throat, it could tear through the skin and muscle and vasculature and there’d be no time to save him.

Instead of fear, the boy's cautious expression would deepen to sadness when he looked at them. Standing there like these beasts were old friends.

He stood there like his life wasn’t in the hands of others.

Cyllene was wary.

This boy falls from the sky, no word on his origins or how he came to be here, just that he had Fallen from Heaven’s Fracture.

This was an omen, she knew. An omen for better or for worse, and it was up to her to decide if Jubilife Village’s fate would rest on his shoulders. Give this Fallen free range over her home and risk the sky’s wrath? Or cast him out, and risk forsaking the cure so mercifully proffered?

In the end, she could only test him.

And in the end, she could only show Ashura his new home.

#ash ketchum #pokemon legends arceus #legends arceus #captain cyllene #pokémon #pokemon #hisui #Ash in Hisui #pokemon akari #ash's pikachu #Might turn this into a fic #tbd #tumblr blurb

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winstrates · 9 months

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If you were a Pokemon fan on fanfiction.net circa 2013, you probably remember the absurd amount of assassin AUs that existed for the Pokemon anime. Those were wild, huh?

This fic is one part a writing exercise and one part just some pretentious indulgence. I’ll be attempting to emulate the style of these older fics - the batshit plotting, the minimal prose, and the wacky author's notes.

It’s a bit experimental, so this might not be for everyone! But as they said in the olden days: DON’T LIEK DON’T READ > <

Three girls. One mission. Their destiny is clear - to assassinate their targets and complete their mission. But what happens when their hearts get in the way? Will love win? Pokeshipping, Contestshipping, Ikarishipping.

#pokemon anime #pokeani #anipoke #pokeshipping #contestshipping #< ikarishipping exists within the metanarrative but not in the fic itself #like. the genre demands it happens but the way i have this plotted its not going to #coordinator may #coordinator dawn #trainer misty #ash ketchum #coordinator drew #trainer paul #my art

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hereforthecartoons · 2 years

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We as a society need to stop potraying ash as the 'uwu cute one' in ships. Ash could probably bench press half his rivals. And beat most of them in a physical fight. Man is a unit.

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sunsetdew0101 · 10 months

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Second Chance

Chapter 3

Ash arranged the clothes scattered around the room. Her backpack was ready on the table for the next day. Her humming bespoke her excitement for the day ahead. Tomorrow was the day.

She and Gary would finally get their licenses, get their starter and go on to become real trainers. They'd been waiting forward to it for years, and now that it was so close, it felt like a dream.

Aisha had prepared herself in the best way possible for the trip, the notebooks full of training notes and recipes, now stored in her backpack, were proof of that. Nothing would pull her out of the blissful cloud she was in.

Not even the feeling of deja vu she felt while shopping for materials and packing her bag.

Espeon had noticed Ash's disturbance, but she didn't make a fuss to alert the other humans. She knew her trainer well enough to realize it wasn't the appropriate time to show her concern.

Despite her infinite energy and delight in learning about every Pokemon and Region, Aisha was very secretive about her thoughts and feelings: Even with her family.

Part of it was her mother's fault. Even though she had good intentions, which no one believed, Delia was a bitter and manipulative woman. Thanks to that, Ash became wary of strangers and careful of what she said.

The deja vu sensations she had, as if she were doing it all over again, didn't help her wanting to expand her horizons. Until now, only Espeon knew about these moments, and Ash intended to keep the information within her team.

Knowing too much was dangerous nowadays, especially with Team Rocket having their fingers in every pie. Ash didn't know where these feelings or vague knowledge came from, but she wouldn't publicize it. She was just another trainer from Pallet looking to try her luck in the big leagues. Nothing more, nothing less.

She pretended she didn't feel the slight chill down her spine, concentrating on talking to Daisy, who had come to wish her good night.

Ash loved Professor Oak. She really did. The man had been a father and grandpa to her and had opened the doors of his home to her and defended her from Delia.

But regardless, he was an idiot. And Ash thought about it with all the esteem possible. The Professor was a genius, and his research and discoveries about new Eeveelutions were proof of that.

But he, after twenty years of being a Regional Professor, still managed to forget to sleep the day before the delivery of licenses and initials. This time, the lack of a healthy sleep schedule in recent months made him forget that he would have four trainers instead of the usual three.

Fortunately, there were still a few houses with lights on in town, so only Ash and Gary were present to observe the chaos. Daisy decided she still hadn't had enough coffee to deal with the current crisis once the Professor cuss. Now she was leaning against a wall sipping with her Sylveon.

"I have an extra Pokemon," he muttered absently. "But he hasn't been tamed yet. And he's more aggressive than I feel comfortable with, to give him to the other coaches. But I don't have an alternate starter either."

"Can we see him, Grandpa?" asked Gary.

Later the Professor would say that he almost denied his grandson's request. After all, having already taken care of a Pokemon or not, that one was too aggressive to show to beginners. But something urged him to agree.

Once he returned with the Pokeball, he released the Pokemon.

He was a little dusty and looked like he could use a few extra meals. And if the flash of cheeks said he would make anyone stupid enough to approach him to pay.

Ash always wanted a Charmander as a starter. But, at that moment, when she looked into Pikachu's eyes, a weight settled inside her. She didn't know how, but something told her that she would regret it for the rest of her life if she left Pikachu for another trainer.

And Ash knew better than to ignore those feelings.

Look, Ash wasn't the most planner out there. But she had made a plan for her trip around the Kanto region: She marked the routes, the cities, and the gyms she desired to challenge to stop by or wanted to take. And she even planned budgets for food, medicine, and bus and boat tickets.

Essentially, she prepared herself for eventualities. Things happen. She just made plan B, in case.

But she hadn't planned to owe a bicycle on her first day of travel! And for a good reason! Bikes cost an arm and a leg. No new trainer could pay the price for one at the snap of a finger. But once she got separated from Gary in lane 1, she accidentally pissed off some Spearows who attacked her and her two Pokemon.

Luckily Espeon got inside the Pokeball, but Pikachu refused to, causing her and the electric mouse to run halfway to Viridian City while being chased by the flock of hell birds. Pikachu was injured, and Aisha tried to defend him with her body. But Pikachu decided she wasn't that bad and fried the Spearows and the 'borrowed' bike.

The only good thing about the story was that they got to see Ho-Oh, and Ash was able to take some pictures of him. Pokedexes were underrated. But the disaster did not stop there. Once at the Viridian Pokemon Center, and after expounding Pikachu's sorry state, she assured Misty that she would see every penny of the bike's price back, the worst happened.

Three members of Team Rocket invaded the Pokemon Center and demanded all the Pokemon present. And as much as Ash wanted to battle them, Pikachu had just come out of surgery, and she doubted Espeon was strong enough to fight them.

Ash and Misty helped Nurse Joy transfer the Pokeballs from the storage room to Pewter while the Rockets searched the Center. Both girls were scared, and although she tried to hide it better, so was Nurse Joy. And it was not for less.

The Rockets were a constant danger, and although their attacks had lessened in tone, their presence was perceptible in both Kanto and Johto. Every year hundreds of trainers, new or veterans, were missing.

At best, they found the corpses of the missing trainers. At worst, they found them alive but so severely injured that death would have been a mercy. Some of the rest willingly joined the Rockets or were forced to.

Luckily only the three of them were at the Pokemon Center that night. Unfortunately, only two were active trainers, and one had been a trainer for less than twenty-four hours. At least Nurse Joy had sounded the emergency alarm for the station, but by the time they arrived, a lot could happen.

When Officer Jenny arrived, the Center had blown up thanks to an electrical surge created by Ash's Pikachu and the others that worked at the Pokemon Center. The Rockets were unconscious and tied up in the wreckage, while Ash and Misty were outside, covered in soot and a few light scratches.

"We will travel," declared Misty. Officer Jenny was taking away the Team Rockets' grunts in front of them. "What?"

"Together," she explained to Ash. "You owe me a bike, and after today's show, I bet the Rockets will keep an eye on you. So, you want some company?"

"I don't have a choice, do I?" asked Ash resignedly. The smirk on the redhead's face was self-explanatory.

Maybe the Rockets would ignore them, and when she finally got the bike paid, they could go on their original routes. After all, what is one new trainer among many?

Ao3

Index

<- Previous Chapter

Next Chapter ->

Fic Dividers Used Here

#Second Chance #Ash Ketchum #Fem Ash Ketchum #Pokemon #Delia isn't a good mother #Gary Oak #cannon divergence #alternative universe #ao3 #pokemon characters #Chapter Three #Pokemon Anime #Pokemon Anime Fic #pokemon fic #Ash Ketchum fic #Fem Ash Ketchum fic

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