Ash opened his eyes to find himself floating in a bizarre, ethereal dimension.
"Where... where am I?"
Before his confusion could settle, the space in front of him began to violently churn. A magnificent, otherworldly beast radiating a sacred, blinding light materialized right before his eyes.
"Is this... a Pokémon?"
Ash stared at the divine creature. It possessed a majestic, almost alpaca-like silhouette, encircled by a shining golden ring. He had never seen a being so undeniably sacred. He wasn't even sure if he was looking at a Pokémon or some sort of legendary deity.
The immaculate creature seemed to hear Ash's voice. It lowered its massive head, peering down at the boy. An ethereal voice echoed directly into Ash's mind.
"My tiny friend. You have fallen into the wrong world. I am sorry, but I cannot send you back. However, I can offer you a small piece of guidance."
"The wrong world? Friend? What are you talking about? What wrong world?"
But the golden-ringed beast did not answer his questions.
It raised its head, gazing out into the endless, dark void.
"Return now. You still have unfinished business to attend to."
"Wait..."
Crack!
Before Ash could finish his sentence, the invisible floor beneath his feet shattered like glass. He plummeted into a bottomless abyss.
...
"Gah!"
Ash bolted upright, gasping for air.
"Fro...?"
Sleeping soundly beside him, Froakie felt the sudden movement. It blinked its sleepy eyes open and looked at Ash in confusion.
"Was it just a dream..."
Ash muttered to himself. Noticing Froakie watching him, he quickly apologized.
"Sorry, I had a nightmare. Didn't mean to wake you."
"Fro, fro."
Seeing that Ash was fine, Froakie turned its head away, closed its eyes, and went right back to sleep.
You're this old and you're still waking up crying from nightmares? I seriously doubt your competence as a Trainer.
That was Froakie's final thought before drifting off. Fortunately, Ash didn't speak Pokémon, so he was blissfully unaware of the insult.
Right now, all his attention was focused entirely on the dream he just had.
"What exactly... was I dreaming about?"
Ash furrowed his brow, thinking as hard as he could. But dreams were called dreams for a reason. Ninety percent of them vanished the moment you woke up, and the remaining ten percent faded away within seconds.
Ash couldn't remember a single thing.
"Ugh... never mind."
Unable to recall any details, Ash finally relaxed his furrowed brow.
If he couldn't remember, there was no point stressing over it. The most important thing right now was to get enough rest so he could find a way out of the forest tomorrow.
With that thought, Ash slipped back into his sleeping bag and closed his eyes.
Deep down, he had a strange, lingering feeling that eventually, he would remember everything.
...
Early the next morning.
Ash woke up, did a quick wash at a nearby stream, and continued his journey alongside Froakie.
"So, Froakie, do you hate staying inside a Poké Ball too?"
"Fro...?"
Froakie shot Ash an incredibly weird look. Its expression practically screamed, Are you dense?
Have you ever actually seen another Pokémon outside its Poké Ball besides me? You really are a baby Trainer, aren't you?
"Uh..." Miraculously, Ash seemed to perfectly understand Froakie's silent judgment. He rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. "Now that I think about it, yeah..."
Ever since he left home, Ash had been totally lost in the woods. He hadn't encountered a single other Trainer. And since Mimikyu preferred to stay put, theoretically, Froakie was the only Pokémon Ash had ever seen refuse its Poké Ball.
But for some unexplainable reason, Ash felt certain he had traveled alongside another Pokémon who did the exact same thing.
Rustle.
Suddenly, a loud noise echoed from the bushes next to them. A boy wielding a bug-catching net leapt out of the tall grass. He was wearing a tank top and a samurai-styled helmet. It was a classic Viridian Forest Bug Catcher.
Ash and the Bug Catcher locked eyes. In an instant, both of them understood the unspoken rule of the wild.
"A wild Trainer appears! Excellent. Since our eyes met, a battle is mandatory!" The Bug Catcher swung his net with dramatic flair. "Show me your Pokémon, kid!"
"You're on! Let's do this!" Ash's blood started to boil. It was finally here. His very first Trainer battle since starting his journey!
"I choose you, Froakie!"
"Fro."
Froakie completely ignored him and immediately used the move Rest.
Ash slowly and awkwardly lowered his hand.
He felt like he was starting to get used to this kind of rejection.
"That's perfectly fine! Because I have a second Pokémon ready to go!"
Ash grabbed a Poké Ball from his belt. This was exactly why he had caught Mimikyu yesterday.
"I choose you, Mimikyu!"
"Mimi!"
Mimikyu materialized on the grass, looking completely energized. It glanced at the Bug Catcher, then immediately turned around to look at Ash.
"Mimi?"
Is it time to eat?
"Uh... not yet. Can we eat in a little bit?" Watching Mimikyu's eyes instantly shift from pure excitement to crushing disappointment, Ash hurriedly tried to bargain. "Mimikyu, please help me win this battle! If we win, I promise I'll pick an even bigger variety of berries for you to eat. Deal?"
"Mimi, mimi?" Mimikyu's eyes lit up.
Really?
"Really!" Ash nodded firmly. He would never lie to his partner.
"Mimi!"
Mimikyu's fighting spirit ignited instantly. Its beady black eyes locked onto the Bug Catcher with absolute focus.
"Is that a Pikachu?" The Bug Catcher looked at Mimikyu with genuine curiosity. "Why does it look so... weird?"
"It's not a Pikachu. Its name is Mimikyu," Ash explained. "It's a Pokémon from the Alola region."
"The Alola region? Have you been there before?"
"Nope. I caught Mimikyu right here in this forest."
"Wait, seriously? There are foreign Pokémon in these woods?" The Bug Catcher looked stunned. "I've been practically living in this forest for ten years and I've never seen one."
"Uh... maybe you just have bad luck?" Ash scratched his head, offering his most honest guess.
After all, Ash clearly remembered seeing Pokémon from other regions in Viridian Forest when he was just a little kid.
Hearing those words, the Bug Catcher froze. His expression rapidly twisted into pure, indignant rage.
"You're one of those insanely lucky punks?! Damn it! Now I absolutely have to crush you!"
"Whoa, what happened to you all of a sudden?" Ash flinched, startled by the sudden hostility. "I didn't even do anything to you!"
"Shut up! Lucky punks don't get the right to speak!" The Bug Catcher whipped out a Poké Ball.
"Go, Pinsir! Teach this lucky punk a lesson!"
Ash didn't know it, but there was an old urban legend circulating among the Bug Catchers. It said that those favored by the forest would eventually see its "true face." Seeing rare and foreign Pokémon was undeniably a sign of that very blessing.
"Pin-sir!"
With a loud roar, a massive, imposing stag beetle Pokémon materialized across from Mimikyu.
"Pinsir, use Swords Dance!"
"We're starting already?!" Ash quickly snapped into focus. "Alright then! Mimikyu, use Copycat!"
"Mimi!"
Mimikyu stared intently at its opponent. A second later, the exact same swirling updraft of energy that surrounded Pinsir enveloped Mimikyu as well. The buffing sequence ended simultaneously for both of them. Now, both Pinsir and Mimikyu radiated an aura of terrifying, sharpened power.
"Take the initiative! Pinsir, charge in with X-Scissor!"
"Pin!"
Pinsir's massive pincers glowed with blinding white light. It lowered its head, aiming its terrifying horns directly at Mimikyu, and charged forward like a freight train.
"Mimi!"
The sheer intimidation of the rushing beetle made Mimikyu take a step back.
"Don't be scared, Mimikyu! Use Double Team to dodge it!"
"Mimi!" Hearing Ash's command, Mimikyu forced itself to focus. It let out a sharp cry and instantly split into a ring of identical illusions surrounding Pinsir.
Pinsir slashed viciously at one of the targets, but its pincers cleaved through empty air. It had missed the real body.
"Now's our chance!" Seeing Pinsir briefly lose its balance from the missed attack, Ash's eyes lit up. "Mimikyu, use Wood Hammer!"
"Mimi!"
Following the command, Mimikyu's wooden, lightning-bolt-shaped tail instantly expanded and transformed into the shape of a massive mallet. Mimikyu launched itself into the air, spun to build immense centrifugal force, and brought the hammer crashing down viciously onto Pinsir's back.
"Pin!"
Pinsir let out a roar of absolute agony. The sheer impact forced the massive bug to its knees.
As a Bug-type, Pinsir normally possessed a strong resistance to Grass-type moves like Wood Hammer. But thanks to Copycat, Mimikyu had used Swords Dance to drastically boost its attack power. While the blow didn't knock Pinsir out, it definitely left the beetle critically injured.
"Pinsir!" The Bug Catcher grit his teeth as the situation turned dire. "Don't give up! Show them your guts! Pinsir, use Bug Bite right now!"
"Pin!"
Hearing its Trainer's voice, Pinsir fought through the agonizing pain. It forced itself to turn around, opening its massive horns slightly. Aiming at Mimikyu, who was still suspended in mid-air from the previous strike, Pinsir violently snapped its pincers shut!
Crunch!
Pinsir's attack landed directly. But before the Bug Catcher could celebrate, he noticed something horrifying. Mimikyu's body, firmly clamped within Pinsir's jaws, began to slide backward without any resistance whatsoever.
It looked exactly like a bug shedding its outer skin. A second later, Mimikyu slipped entirely free from the crushing grip, completely unharmed.
"What the heck is that thing?!" The Bug Catcher was utterly flabbergasted. He had never seen such a bizarre, terrifying Pokémon in his life.
"Uh..." Truthfully, Ash was completely lost as well. He quickly pulled out his Pokédex.
"Beep. Mimikyu's Ability: Disguise. Once per battle, the disguise serves as a decoy that completely protects it from a single damaging attack."
"That's an incredible ability!"
Ash couldn't help but marvel at the mechanical voice. Over the past few days, out of pure boredom, Ash had skimmed through the Pokédex's encyclopedia on abilities. He hadn't memorized much, but he understood that abilities were a crucial core of Pokémon battling.
Even as a total novice, Ash could tell that Mimikyu's ability was absolutely broken. In a matter of seconds, his inexperienced mind formulated several different tactical strategies revolving entirely around Disguise.
But Ash quickly noticed that something was terribly wrong with Mimikyu.
"Mimikyu?"
Because the Disguise had been triggered, the Pikachu rag covering Mimikyu was now torn and drooping heavily. Through the ragged holes, a faint, shadowy darkness belonging to Mimikyu's true body was visible.
What worried Ash the most was that Mimikyu was trembling violently.
The fake Pikachu head drooped off to the side at a sickening angle, making it look as though its neck had been brutally snapped. It was absolutely terrifying.
Even worse, a thick, ominous black mist was slowly seeping out from underneath the rag.
"Mimi..." Mimikyu let out a weak, raspy groan. The cheerful energy from earlier was completely gone. It sounded incredibly frail, almost as if it had become an entirely different Pokémon.
"Fro?"
Resting on a nearby rock, Froakie suddenly snapped its eyes open and looked over.
"What's wrong? Mimikyu?"
Seeing his partner in distress, Ash anxiously stepped forward.
"Are you hurt? Don't worry, I'll take you to a Pokémon Center right away..."
"Mimi!"
As Ash drew closer, Mimikyu suddenly exploded with hostility.
In a terrifying instant, two massive, nightmarish ghostly claws erupted from beneath the ragged cloth. Without a second of hesitation, the monstrous claws slashed violently straight toward Ash!
"Hey!" The Bug Catcher screamed in pure horror.
But a fraction of a second later, a blur of azure blue flashed across his vision. He watched Ash get forcefully knocked backward. Blinking in disbelief, he looked back at Mimikyu.
Ash's other Pokémon, Froakie, was now standing directly in front of the raging Mimikyu.
A glowing white blade of energy extended from Froakie's hand, perfectly blocking the deadly Shadow Claw from hitting Ash.
"Fro, fro..."
Froakie tilted its head up slightly, staring at the violently thrashing Mimikyu. The frog's usually apathetic expression shifted. A faint, almost fanatical smile tugged at the corners of its mouth.
How interesting. I severely underestimated you.
You are worthy of my blade.
In the next instant, Froakie violently twisted its body backward.
By suddenly removing its resistance, the massive Shadow Claw surged forward at terrifying speed, aiming straight for Froakie's head. But Froakie had already sheathed its glowing blade at its waist.
Just as the shadowy claws were about to crush its skull, Froakie snapped its head up. A sharp, lethal glint flashed in its eyes.
Slash!
Nobody actually saw Froakie move. It was as if the universe had skipped a frame.
In the blink of an eye, Froakie was standing silently behind Mimikyu. The glowing white blade in its hand slowly dissolved into thin air.
Once again, Froakie's speed was simply... terrifying.
First Stance: Aerial Ace!
Boom!
A second later, the massive spectral claws shattered into dust. Mimikyu collapsed to the ground, thick spirals replacing its eyes.
Mimikyu was unable to battle. The victor was Froakie!
"Fro."
Froakie glanced back over its shoulder at the unconscious Mimikyu and nodded with total satisfaction.
That makes one more thing in this world worthy of being cut down.
With a calm, slow stride, Froakie walked back to Ash's side.
The Bug Catcher watched the entire sequence in stunned silence. Good grief, were all of this kid's Pokémon this ridiculously edgy?
"Mimikyu!"
Ash scrambled over to his fallen partner. He stared at the unconscious Pokémon with deep anxiety. "What in the world happened to you..."
"Maybe your Mimikyu really hates having its true form seen?" The Bug Catcher walked over, offering his theory. "Think about it. It only went completely berserk after its costume got busted open. Maybe it just panics when people can see underneath?"
"It doesn't want people to see its true form..." Ash recalled the chilling Pokédex entry he had read earlier. "Maybe you're right."
"You can't use a Pokémon like this, kid," the Bug Catcher said seriously. "My Pinsir definitely landed that hit earlier, but it felt like it just grabbed a layer of clothing. I don't know what that was. Maybe it was your Mimikyu's ability? But if getting hit makes it go into an uncontrollable, murderous frenzy, then it's absolutely useless as a Trainer's partner."
"You should just release it here and be done with it."
Ash bit his lip. Deep down, he knew the Bug Catcher was making perfect logical sense. A Pokémon that attacked its own Trainer wasn't suited for professional battles. But...
"I am never abandoning Mimikyu," Ash said with absolute certainty. "If it loses control when it gets hit, then we just need to make sure it never gets hit."
"I'm going to train Mimikyu to be amazing! I promise you that!"
"I will never leave Mimikyu behind!"
"...You're a really stubborn idiot, you know that?" Seeing the unshakable resolve burning in Ash's eyes, the Bug Catcher felt a strange twinge of respect. He looked away and aggressively scratched his hair. He pulled out a Poké Ball and recalled his Pinsir. "Ugh! Well, there's no way we can finish this battle now. Whatever, I'll just chalk it up to bad luck."
The Bug Catcher turned around and started walking away. After a few steps, he stopped and glanced back at Ash.
"What are you standing around for? Hurry up and follow me!"
"Huh?"
"What do you mean 'huh'? Doesn't your Pokémon need medical treatment? Do you have any idea how far the nearest Pokémon Center is? Aren't you worried Mimikyu might have lasting injuries?" The Bug Catcher glared at Ash. "You really are thicker than a brick."
"Oh! Right!" Finally understanding, Ash scooped Mimikyu into his arms and sprinted after the boy. "Sorry! And thank you for the help!"
"Yeah, you're a massive pain, you know that?" The Bug Catcher rolled his eyes. He glanced down at the unconscious Mimikyu and muttered under his breath. "This is gonna cost me a fortune in supplies."
The Bug Catcher led Ash to a small wooden cabin. It was his temporary base camp within Viridian Forest. Inside, he kept a stash of medical supplies and various weird trinkets he had scavenged during his explorations.
"Alright, that should do it."
The Bug Catcher carefully applied medicine to Mimikyu and meticulously stitched the torn Pikachu rag back together. Once he was finished, he gently handed Mimikyu back to Ash.
"Thank you so much. Seriously." Ash was overflowing with gratitude. Looking at the now peacefully sleeping Mimikyu, he let out a massive sigh of relief and smiled warmly. "I'm so glad you're okay, Mimikyu..."
The Bug Catcher watched Ash's pure, unfiltered joy. He looked away and let out a heavy sigh.
"You said you're from Pallet Town, right? Seriously, what is in the water over there? Why is everyone from your town so completely absurd?"
"You've met other people from Pallet Town?" Ash asked, his curiosity piqued. "What were they like?"
"Huh? You're from the same town and you've never met them?" The Bug Catcher gave Ash a strange look, but decided not to press the issue. He thought for a moment before answering. "There's a monster who dresses a lot like you, but his tactical awareness is leagues above yours. There's a foul-mouthed blond guy who is just as monstrous in battle. There's a thief girl who practically robbed me blind of my supplies."
"Oh, and there's a dark-skinned kid who travels with a ridiculously strong Pikachu."
"That's all four of them."
"A Pikachu..." Hearing the mention of the electric mouse, Ash's eyes glazed over for a brief second.
"Yeah, that Pikachu was an absolute powerhouse." The Bug Catcher didn't notice Ash's sudden shift in mood and kept talking. "But honestly? I felt bad for the Pikachu. It felt completely wasted on that kid. With his garbage battling skills, he couldn't bring out even half of that Pikachu's true potential."
"...A Trainer's skills can always improve." Ash shook his head slightly, pushing away his stray thoughts. "Thank you again for treating Mimikyu. It's getting late. We need to hit the road soon."
"Do you even know where the Pokémon Center is? Honestly, we've been lost in here for almost two weeks..."
"Lost for two weeks? No wonder you look like a total savage." The Bug Catcher suddenly understood everything. He pointed out the window. "Just keep walking straight in that direction and you'll hit the nearest Pokémon Center. But hold on a second before you leave. I have something for you."
"?"
Ignoring Ash's confused look, the Bug Catcher walked over to a massive pile of junk in the corner. He crouched down and started rummaging noisily through the mess.
"Found it. Here."
The Bug Catcher walked back over and shoved a small item into Ash's hands.
Ash looked down. It was a small flute made of yellow glass.
"I found this Yellow Flute lying around in the forest a while back. It has the power to snap Pokémon out of confusion," the Bug Catcher explained. "I have no idea what exactly triggered your Mimikyu to snap like that, but that berserk state looked an awful lot like severe confusion. Even if this flute doesn't completely snap it out of its rampage, it should at least calm it down a little."
"Take it. It's yours."
"This is way too valuable." Ash immediately tried to hand it back. "I can't take this. I'm sorry."
"Stop being polite, you idiot!" The Bug Catcher instantly lost his temper. "You really think you can train a Mimikyu looking like that?! If someone gives you an item that will help keep your partner from killing you, you take it! Are you stupid? Are you stupid? Are you stupid?!"
Seeing Ash completely stunned by the outburst, the Bug Catcher softened his tone. He shook his head. "Look, it's useless to me. It's not exactly a legendary artifact. If you don't take it, I'm just going to throw it back into that junk pile."
"...Then I'll gladly accept it." Ash stayed quiet for a moment before carefully sliding the flute into his pocket. "Thank you."
"Don't thank me. I'm only giving it to you because I think you'll make a decent rival someday." The Bug Catcher shook his head. "Let's finish our battle at the Indigo Plateau Conference."
"Wait, you're entering the Indigo League too?"
"What's that supposed to mean? Are you looking down on Bug Catchers?!" The Bug Catcher's eyes flared dangerously, and he raised a fist. "I'll beat you to a pulp on behalf of all Bug Catchers everywhere!"
"No, that's not what I meant at all!" Ash quickly dodged the Bug Catcher's playful swing. "I get it. Let's promise to meet again at the Indigo League."
"That's more like it." The Bug Catcher's expression instantly shifted into a friendly grin. "Well, talk is cheap. My training in Viridian Forest isn't over yet. It'll probably be a few more days before I even challenge my first Gym."
"You'll do great," Ash smiled brightly. "But the one who is going to win the Indigo League Championship is me."
"With those two monsters from your hometown running around, I'm not delusional enough to aim for the Championship." The Bug Catcher shook his head. "But I can definitely crush you."
"Ha! You talk big for a guy who was just about to lose to me."
"That was a total fluke and you know it! I didn't know anything about Mimikyu's ability!"
"No excuses! Winning through better information is still winning!"
"...Tch." The Bug Catcher clicked his tongue. He couldn't exactly argue with that logic.
"Whatever, just get out of here. If you waste any more time, it'll be pitch black before you reach the Pokémon Center."
"Ah! Is it already that late?!" Ash checked the time and immediately jumped to his feet, bolting for the door. "I'll see you at the Indigo League! Come on, Froakie, let's go!"
"Fro, fro."
Froakie slowly hopped after Ash. Before leaving, it threw one final glance back at the Bug Catcher.
You also seem to possess the value to be cut. Keep getting stronger. I look forward to the day I get to slice you down.
"...I think your frog is looking down on us, Pinsir."
"Pin..."
The Bug Catcher had no idea what Froakie was actually thinking, but he easily recognized the sheer arrogance radiating from the water frog's eyes.
But truthfully, that Froakie absolutely possessed the power to look down on them.
The Bug Catcher replayed the move Froakie used to subdue Mimikyu in his mind. He still had absolutely no idea how it had moved so fast. If you couldn't even track the attack, how could you ever hope to defend against it? If Ash had sent Froakie out to fight from the start, Pinsir would have likely been instantly wiped out before throwing a single punch.
Ash might not be able to command Froakie right now, but judging by the fiery determination in the boy's eyes, the Bug Catcher knew it was only a matter of time before they became a terrifying team.
"Well, that just makes crushing him even more satisfying."
A confident smirk spread across the Bug Catcher's face. He waved a hand at his partner.
"Come on, Pinsir. We have more training to do."
"Pin."
"If nothing else, we have to grind that arrogant frog into the dirt."
"Pin-sir!"
As the sun slowly dipped below the horizon, the two young rivals parted ways.
Together, they stepped forward into an unknown, boundless future.