Chapter Text
The stars glittered with a vibrance scarcely seen by the naked eye. The skies were clear, the clouds thin, the wind fair. The grassy plains below rustled in the breeze, the few Pokemon in the illuminated night sky running freely, and standing atop a forested outcropping was a young man named Ash Ketchum. His partner, a Pikachu, sat on his shoulder. The starry night they watched was a night that symbolized their journeys together: but it also symbolized their end.
“Y’know, Pikachu, I think it’s time to go home.”
The mouse on his shoulder was surprised, and slightly off-put, but shrugged, accepting his partner’s decision with an affectionate nuzzle. Ash scratched his partner’s chin in return as they watched the stars above.
“We’ve been journeying for a long time, and I wish it would never end…” He sighed, his voice lowering in remembrance. “...But I think we need to have a break for now… Have some fun with the others at the ranch. But you know what, Pikachu?”
Pikachu cocked his head, and Ash pointed at a distant spot far away.
“Once our break is done, we’ll go wherever you want. Just pick a direction, and we’ll travel so far we’ll discover things no one has ever seen before.”
Pikachu put a hand to his chin, but soon pointed in the same direction Ash had. Ash chuckled, and got up, smiling.
“Come on Pikachu, let’s head back to Pallet Town.”
Ash departed deeper into the woods, the moon shining where the boy had once sat with a glowing fondness. In the bushes nearby, a light sparked and dimmed, filling the surrounding shadows with light.
The night carried on, the winds of change picking up speed as the skies’ guiding stars glowed ever brighter.
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The beams of sunlight shone brightly, and unfortunately for Ash, they had made a beeline straight for his face. He murmured to himself, tucking the covers to his chest as he absentmindedly shifted out of their way. He drifted off back to sleep, but the sunlight was unrepentant, and shone even brighter than it had before. Throwing in the towel, Ash finally gave in to the light’s wishes, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes and taking off his covers…
…Covers? Hadn’t he fallen asleep in the woods? Last he remembered, he was in a sleeping bag, with Pikachu-
Ash flew into a panic, practically leaping out of his bed in a wild frenzy. He frantically eyed every corner of the room he was in, but saw no sign of his partner. Ash’s breathing began to slow as he took in his surroundings… His bed was clean. Well-done up, barring the mess his awakening had caused. He eyed the rest of the small room, and it was much the same: clean, yet well-lived in. The exception lay in a bed, directly adjacent to his, which was like a tornado had whipped through its covers.
But the object that caught his eye was not the bed, but rather the mirror beside it. Though it had been partially blocked off by some hastily hung up clothes, his silhouette was clearly visible within the mirror’s reflective surface…
He was wearing a completely different outfit- a single piece blue and white uniform- a far cry from his standard outfit of choice. His clothing, however, was the least of his concerns, for the moment he reached his face, he realized that it was not only his clothes that had changed, but himself.
The boy looked almost entirely different now. His eyes shone a brilliant sea blue, glistening with curiosity in the fresh, morning light. His skin had paled substantially, as if he hadn’t been outside in some time, and his face was overall sleeker in appearance. His lightning bolt birthmarks had vanished entirely, but that was not what stood out to him the most about his new appearance. Rather, it was the fact that…
“I have two hair colors now!?” Ash flicked his hand through his hair, a black bob with a highlight of blue on the inside. His face lit up in wonder, which eventually evolved into a nervous smile. “That is so cool.”
He adjusted his hair, but curiosity struck him, and he stood there for several minutes in a vain attempt at trying to figure out how his new hair colors worked. He was interrupted, however, by a sudden knock on the door. Ash briefly panicked, but the knocker neglected to enter, instead yelling at its sole occupant from outside.
“Heyyyyyy, Liko! Rise and shine slowpoke! We’re getting our first Pokemon today! Don’t take too much longer, or you’re gonna be late!”
The overly peppy, excited voice left as soon as it came, the sound of footsteps making their way back down the hall. As the voice outside left, however, Ash was left with a different question.
“Who’s Liko?”