Five years had passed since the Paradox Pokémon incident in Fuchsia City.
Five busy, incredible years exploring a world I'd only experienced through games and anime before.
I stood at the summit of Mt. Silver, the wind whipping around me as I gazed out over the regions I'd conquered. My team stood beside me, no longer the fledgling Pokémon I'd started with, but powerful, fully-evolved partners.
Zephyr, my Pidgeot, preened his magnificent wingspan. Sun, my Primeape, shadowboxed nearby. Blaze, my Arcanine, sat regally at my side. Kaisel, my Scizor, polished his gleaming red exoskeleton. Rayna, my Tyranitar, basked in the harsh weather. And Levi towered as a magnificent red Gyarados, his scales glimmering in the setting sun.
And of course, Astra. My Mewtwo. My first legendary. My friend.
"Nostalgic?" her voice echoed in my mind.
"A little," I admitted. "Hard to believe it's been five years."
"Five years, eight regions, sixty-four gym badges, five Elite Four challenges, and three World Championships," Astra listed, a hint of pride in her voice. "Not to mention the complete dismantling of Team Rainbow Rocket."
Not bad for five years of "therapy."
"Those guys were more annoying than dangerous in the end."
"Giovanni's plan to unleash Ultra Beasts across multiple dimensions was not 'annoying.'"
"Fine. Mostly annoying."
In truth, the Rainbow Rocket campaign had taken nearly two years of my time here. Tracking down their bases across every dimension, defeating their admins, and finally confronting Giovanni himself in an epic battle that had nearly forced me to reveal my Celestial Inventory powers again. Instead, Astra and my team had pulled through, proving that I didn't need magic to be strong in this world.
The climb to World Champion hadn't been easy. The World Coronation Series had been the toughest competition I'd ever faced, requiring me to battle the strongest trainers from every region. The final match against Leon had been particularly grueling, coming down to Zephyr versus his Charizard. Even with his abilities, it had been a near thing.
I pulled out the golden medallion that marked me as the Monarch—the strongest trainer in the world.
"Are you sure about this?" Astra asked, already knowing the answer.
I nodded. "It's time. I've conquered everything this world has to offer." I smiled at my team. "We've conquered everything together."
"And the friends you've made? The rivals? The admirers?" There was a teasing note in Astra's voice.
I chuckled. "I'll miss them."
"You're avoiding the question," Astra pointed out.
"I'm not avoiding anything," I said, but even I could hear the defensiveness in my voice. "I just... I had my fun here. Made connections. But none of them were meant to last."
It wasn't fear of getting attached.
...Okay, maybe a little fear.
But mostly it was that quiet understanding I'd always carried; this world, like so many others in the future, was a stopover. Not a destination. I trained with legends like Red and Leon, spent nights talking evolution with Professor Oak, and argued stone theory with Steven Stone. I even—somehow—ended up mentoring a few new Champions.
But Fairy Tail had never stopped calling to me. Thoughts of Fairy Tail had lingered. Gildarts would be wondering where I was. Makarov was probably worried. And Erza, Kagura, Jellal, and the others weren't children anymore. I'd missed so much of their growth.
I hadn't thought about Alma until now, but to be honest, time has given me a lot to reflect on our relationship. Over the years, I have come to realize that she was right all along.
Standing on this mountain with five years of clarity behind me, I finally understood what she meant
We belonged to different worlds.
And I couldn't force that to change. Not with love. Not with power.
At the same time.
In five years, I'd had my share of connections—some passionate, some fleeting, some that might have grown into something more if I'd let them. But I never did. Maybe I was afraid of being left again. Or maybe I always knew these worlds were just temporary stops on a much longer journey.
"What about your title?" Astra asked. "They'll wonder where the Monarch has gone."
I shrugged. "Let them. Besides, it's not like I won't go back here."
Well, to be honest, I wasn't sure. There were many worlds on my checklist, and by the time I decided to come back here, decades had likely passed. Some, or perhaps all, of the people I knew are likely old or even long deceased by then.
"Still, you'll miss this place."
"Of course."
I knelt down, pressing my hand to the stone beneath me, feeling the pulse of this world again.. A world of adventure, of friendship, of battles won and lost. A world that had welcomed me and allowed me to become its champion.
"Thank you," I whispered to the mountain, to the regions spread out below, to every trainer and Pokémon I'd met.
In my inventory were dozens of Pokémon eggs carefully preserved in special incubators, ready to be gifts for my guildmates. I had a few for Laxus, naturally, but also for Erza, Gray, and the others. Even Makarov would get one. I'd spent years carefully selecting which Pokémon would suit each person best.
I stood and took a deep breath. "Time to go home."
I reached into my Celestial Inventory and pulled out my portal gun, a swirling portal of blue and gold light emerging from thin air.
I recalled each of my Pokémon except Astra.
"Ready?" I asked Astra.
"I have been ready since you mentioned Fairy Tail the first time," she replied. "I am curious to see this world of magic you speak of so fondly."
Together, we stepped through the portal, leaving one world behind and returning to another.
Home. I was going home.
To Fairy Tail.
To my family.
As the portal closed behind us, I couldn't help but wonder what adventures awaited in Earthland. And how much explaining I'd have to do about my five-year "vacation."
The portal closed behind us with a soft hum, and I found myself standing on the familiar grounds of Fortress Leonhart.
After five years in the Pokémon world, coming back felt like slipping into an old, comfortable jacket.
"So this is your home," Astra said.
"Yep. Home sweet home," I muttered, feeling a strange tightness in my chest.
The fortress looked exactly as I'd left it. Time seemed to have stood still here, preserved like a snapshot of my past life.
I took a deep breath. "NIMO? You there, buddy?"
For a moment, nothing happened. Then the air in front of me shimmered, and NIMO's holographic form appeared—a small, sleek, blue humanoid figure with lines of code occasionally running across his surface.
"Welcome back, Aiden!" NIMO materialized with a bright flash, his voice containing unmistakable excitement.
"It's been a long time, buddy."
"Yes, it has been. To be exact, three years, four months, and twelve days since your departure. My systems remained fully operational during your absence, though I must admit, it was rather dull without your constant misadventures to monitor."
I couldn't help but smile at his familiar sarcasm.
Guilt hit me like a punch to the gut. I'd left NIMO here, abandoned him without explanation while I ran away to lick my wounds in another world.
"I'm sorry, NIMO. I didn't mean to be gone so long." I paused, frowning. "Wait, three years?"
Fascinating. Time dilation between dimensions.
"Thanks for holding down the fort." I looked at him.
"My pleasure, Aiden. Besides, Someone had to ensure your villain's lair didn't collapse into ruin," NIMO replied with a theatrical sigh. "Though I am curious—what celestial emergency prompted such a lengthy vacation? Or did you simply tire of this particular dimension's brand of chaos?"
"It's a long story," I said with a wry smile. "But I brought back some friends." I gestured to Astra, who was watching our exchange with obvious interest.
"NIMO, meet Astra. She's a Pokémon." I felt NIMO perked up at the mention of Pokémon.
"A pleasure to meet you, NIMO," Astra's telepathic voice echoed, her eyes gleaming with amusement. "Aiden has told me much about you."
"And these," I said, releasing the rest of my team one by one, "are the rest of my partners from the last five years."
Zephyr emerged with a proud cry, his massive wings spreading wide. Sun bounced around energetically, pumping his fists. Blaze shook out his magnificent mane and barked happily. Kaisel clicked his pincers together, eyeing the fortress with calculation. Rayna stomped one foot, testing the ground beneath her. And Levi coiled his massive body, looking almost too big for the courtyard.
I felt relieved that the fortress was spacious enough to hold them all comfortably.
"What an impressive group," NIMO observed, his tone genuinely interested as he analyzed each Pokémon.
I looked at each of them fondly. "We've been through a lot together."
"Come on," I said to my team, clapping my hands together. "Let me give you the grand tour. NIMO, can you unlock all the doors? I want them to see everything."
"Of course," NIMO replied with a nod. "I should mention the eastern garden pond might be perfect for your Gyarados. And there's training space that your Primeape might enjoy."
"Thanks for thinking of that," I said, impressed by his thoughtfulness.
"Welcome home, Aiden," NIMO added as the massive front doors of Fortress Leonhart swung open. "It's good to have you back."
I smiled.
"Yeah, I'm home."
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Author's Note:
It took me some time to get this right. I wasn't happy with my first attempt because it felt incomplete.
Anyways, Enjoy the chap :)
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