"There's really a place like this? Then I've got to see it too! Ash, come on, let's go!"
Hearing about the Reflection Cave fired Clemont up immediately.
He quickened his pace, eyes sparkling with curiosity.
Ash, however, felt a bit uneasy inside.
A parallel world inside the mirror?
He himself had awakened memories from another parallel world already…
Interesting. If he remembered correctly, this part of the original story had indeed been fascinating.
And judging from how things were going, it even carried the scent of a movie-level plotline.
Before long, under Serena's lead, the group arrived at the entrance of the Reflection Cave.
The moment they stepped inside, they were surrounded by countless naturally-formed mirrors.
They looked like strange stones, like crystals, yet reflected just like polished glass.
"Wow… it's true! My reflection looks absolutely perfect in this mirror!"
Serena stood before a large crystal-like mirror, twirling happily with a bright smile.
Bonnie too, though still just a little girl, couldn't resist her natural instinct as a girl to admire herself.
She mimicked Serena, standing in front of another mirror and scrutinizing her reflection.
"Dedenne, look, look! You're in the mirror too!"
"Dene-dene!"
Dedenne tilted its head curiously, then giggled as it wagged its little tail at its mirror self.
"Nature really is incredible… for something like this to form naturally—what a marvel!"
Clemont immediately began scribbling notes, treating the phenomenon as potential groundbreaking research.
"Pika!"
Ash, on the other hand, stood silently before a tall mirror, waiting.
Just like in the original story, he wanted to see if the other him inside would stretch out its hand to grab Pikachu.
And then—
The reflection actually did!
Pikachu noticed it right away, fur standing on end.
The mirror rippled like water, waves spreading outward.
But Ash didn't hesitate. Before that "other hand" could grab Pikachu, he boldly stepped forward, pulling Pikachu with him straight into the mirror!
He passed through the surface like stepping through a curtain of water.
"Pika?!"
Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie all whipped their heads toward Pikachu's startled cry—
And what they saw almost made their souls fly away!
"Ash was… swallowed by the mirror?!"
"Ash! Ash!"
Serena's face went pale. She pounded her fists against the cold mirror desperately, terrified she'd break it and lose him forever.
"How can this be… the legend is actually real? Did Ash… get pulled into the parallel mirror world?"
If that was true, then… did it mean she might never see him again?
No!
The mere thought pierced Serena's heart like a knife.
An unfamiliar, suffocating pain welled up inside her chest.
Why had she been holding back her feelings, waiting for the right moment?
Now that she faced the possibility of "losing" Ash, regret tore at her…
Clemont and Bonnie were also completely at a loss.
------
Meanwhile, Ash, with Pikachu still in his arms, landed on the other side of the mirror.
He found himself in a vast forest, brimming with wild Pokémon.
But right in front of him—
Stood another Ash.
"Ah! Y-You… who are you?! Why are you pretending to be me?"
The other "Ash" looked identical in every way—
But his behavior was shocking.
"…You've got to be kidding me."
Ash couldn't stop himself from swearing.
This version of him… was crying.
Crying! Trembling with fear, eyes full of doubt, shoulders hunched like he carried no confidence at all.
"Ash!"
"Ash, please come back! We didn't mean it when we teased you earlier, we were just joking! Don't run away again!"
"That's right, Ash, big brother is right—ah, look, Ash is right there!"
Suddenly, rushing from the distance came the mirror versions of Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie.
But these weren't quite the friends Ash knew—
Serena here was hot-tempered and easily irritated.
Clemont, unusually energetic, was sprinting ahead even with his heavy gadget-filled backpack.
Bonnie followed, completely idolizing her brother. To her, Clemont's word was law.
They finally caught up, and froze when they realized—there were two Ashes standing there!
"What's the meaning of this?!" Serena snapped.
Meanwhile, the other Ash whimpered and explained through sobs:
"M-My Pikachu went missing… I ran into the Reflection Cave and suddenly saw my reflection holding Pikachu, so I reached for it… then this guy showed up out of nowhere! I-I'm scared…"
He dropped to the ground crying loudly.
Ash: Seriously…?
He almost coughed up blood in frustration.
Forget it. He had no more interest in investigating the personalities of these mirror versions.
Best to head back to the Reflection Cave and return to his own world.
Ash calmly explained everything to them—
But before he could act, Team Rocket barged in with one of their mechas!
They were already clutching this world's Pikachu in their hands.
"Wha—?! The twerp is a twin?!" Meowth gawked.
"Then this Pikachu… is also? No wonder something felt off!" James realized.
"Doesn't matter—let's just nab them all!" Jessie commanded.
But before they could make their move, the real Pikachu fired a crackling Thunderbolt!
BOOM!
The machine exploded, sending Team Rocket blasting off once again.
"Something about this world just feels… off," Jessie groaned midair.
"You're not the only one, nya—I feel the same!" Meowth agreed.
"I hate this weird vibe!" James shouted as they disappeared into the sky.
-------
Ash darted forward like a meteor, catching the other Pikachu mid-air and returning it safely.
The mirror-world Clemont adjusted his glasses and said:
"So you're from the parallel mirror world. Your friends must be very worried about you. You'd better hurry back."
Bonnie nodded firmly. "Big brother's right."
Serena, however, turned on the timid Ash, her voice sharp:
"See this? You should learn from him! Look at you—always crying, never solving anything! Honestly, what a disgrace!"
Ash shook his head. What a bizarre encounter.
With the mirror group accompanying him, Ash made his way back to the Reflection Cave.
He knew exactly what to do.
To him, they were the mirror people.
But to them, he was the mirror reflection.
If he lingered too long, who knew what might happen?
So—it was time to return.
The mirror surface rippled once more.
On the other side, he saw the anxious faces of Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie.
Taking a deep breath, Ash stepped forward.
And just like that, he was back in his own world.
Author's Note: This chapter got a little tangled in perspective. Did you guys manage to follow it clearly?
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