Chapter 1: Welcome to Sinnoh!

  The ship rocked gently beneath him, the distant crash of waves against the hull filling the cramped cabin with a steady rhythm. Ash lay on his bed, one arm propping up his head as he studied the glowing screen of his Pokédex. The digital map of Sinnoh spread out before him, towering mountains, sprawling forests, winding routes just waiting to be explored.

  He could already picture it. Hiking through the wilds, training under the shadow of Mount Coronet, meeting new Pokémon, new rivals. Sinnoh was a fresh start, a new challenge. He was ready for it.

  Or at least, he was trying to focus on it. But in the tiny space of his cabin, things were anything but peaceful.

  “Pika pi!” Pikachu darted across the floor, sparks crackling from his cheeks as he dodged Aipom’s quick swipes. The mischievous monkey was at it again, bouncing off the walls with her powerful tail, flipping midair like some kind of acrobat.

  Ash sighed, shaking his head with a small smile. “You’re gonna break something,” he muttered, but neither of them seemed to care.

  Flipping to his trainer profile, he scrolled through his details, making sure everything was in order before registering for the Sinnoh League. His eyes lingered on two lines.

  Age: 13

  Height: 5’1”

  He was a teenager now. Three years of travel, from Kanto to the Orange Islands, Johto, Hoenn, the Kanto Battle Frontier… Every battle, every friend he’d made, every challenge he’d pushed through, it had all led him here. He was stronger than he’d ever been, and this time, he was determined to put everything he’d learned to the test.

  Setting the Pokédex aside, Ash pulled out a pamphlet about Sinnoh, its glossy pages displaying profile photos of the region’s top Gym Leaders, the Elite Four, and the Champion, the only one with a larger, full-body image. Beside each photo was a brief description of their specialty, city, and some trivia. His eyes skimmed past the Gym Leaders quickly, only to pause when he reached the Champion.

  Cynthia.

  Her photo showed her standing tall and composed, long blonde hair cascading over her shoulders, a quiet intensity in her sharp gray eyes. There was something captivating about her presence, a quiet strength that seemed to leap off the page. ‘She looks… different,’ Ash thought, his thumb hovering over her name. Not just powerful, determined. Focused.

  His gaze lingered a moment longer before he finally flipped the page, taking in the Elite Four. But even as he read through their profiles, Cynthia’s image remained etched in his mind.

  Then, suddenly, the room lit up.

  Ash sat up immediately. Pikachu leaped in front of him, fur bristling, cheeks sparking in warning. Aipom skidded to a halt, tail raised like a coiled spring.

  A circle of light had opened in the ceiling, no, not a light. A hole. A swirling, rippling hole, as if someone had torn through space itself.

  And then, something drifted down.

  Small. Green. A round head with leaf-like antennae that trembled as it hovered in place. Big, blue eyes sparkling with mischief and something else, something that sent a chill down Ash’s spine.

  His breath caught. “Celebi?”

  The rift behind it snapped shut.

  Celebi beamed. “Hi, Ash!” Its voice was bright, too bright. Happy. Relieved.

  Ash tensed. That never meant anything good.

  “This can’t be good,” he muttered, glancing at Pikachu. The electric-type gave a sharp nod.

  And then Celebi’s entire body flared with light.

  Blinding. Overwhelming.

  A burst of white swallowed the room whole.

  Then... nothing.

  (?? .? ???)

  Ash clutched Pikachu tightly to his chest, shielding his best friend from the blinding light. The searing brilliance overwhelmed his senses, filling the world with a deafening silence, until, just as suddenly, it was gone.

  An eerie stillness settled over him.

  Slowly, Ash opened his eyes.

  The cabin was gone.

  Above him, towering trees stretched toward the sky, their branches tinged with hues of gold and amber as the sun dipped toward the horizon. The soft, dappled light cast shifting patterns across the forest floor, and long shadows stretched between the trunks. The rocking of the ship, the distant call of Wingull, the salty air, gone. In their place, cold, solid ground pressed against his hands, damp with the scent of pine and earth. The whisper of leaves replaced the crashing waves, carrying with it the crisp, lingering warmth of the fading day.

  Ash’s breath hitched as he loosened his grip on Pikachu. Carefully, he set his partner down and rose to his feet, his heart still hammering in his chest. His worn-out Hoenn clothes clung uncomfortably to his skin as a cool evening breeze swept through the clearing.

  “What… happened?” he muttered. His voice barely carried past the rustling branches. “Where are we?”

  Before he could gather his thoughts, Pikachu’s ears perked up.

  “Pikapi!”

  Ash turned just in time to see Celebi floating above, its small body illuminated by the deep orange glow of the sunset. The little Pokémon swayed slightly, as if caught in an invisible current, its leaf-like antennae trembling.

  Relief flickered through Ash, though it didn’t last long. “Celebi!” His voice came sharp with urgency, but he forced himself to breathe. He and Pikachu were alone now—he had to keep his head clear.

  Celebi descended, its delicate wings leaving a faint, shimmering trail of light that flickered like fireflies in the dusk. Then, with an all-too-cheerful lilt, it said, “Ash, welcome to Sinnoh!”

  Ash blinked.

  His mind scrambled for an explanation. They’d been on a ship heading toward Sinnoh, he was sure of it. But now, everything was wrong. The ship was gone. His bag was missing. Aipom...

  His stomach dropped.

  “Aipom,” he said suddenly, scanning the area. “Where’s Aipom?”

  Celebi’s bright demeanor dimmed.

  “They’re gone.”

  The words hit harder than Ash expected. He and Pikachu exchanged tense glances.

  Gone?

  A tightness coiled in Ash’s chest. “What do you mean, gone?”

  Celebi hesitated. Then, with measured calm, it said, “This is 15 years in the past, Ash. The future you came from… no longer exists.”

  Ash felt his breath leave him.

  It felt like just yesterday he had last seen his mother, felt the warmth of her embrace. He could still hear his friends’ voices, the cheers they had shared after their successful journey in Kanto. The promise of seeing his Pokémon again at Professor Oak’s lab still echoed in his mind

  Then suddenly.. this?

  Fifteen years in the past? Before he was even born?

  His pulse pounded in his ears. “But why? What happened? Why bring us here?”

  Celebi drifted to a smooth rock jutting from the earth, bathed in the last light of day, and gestured for him to sit. Ash hesitated before sinking onto the stone, Pikachu pressing close at his side.

  “Arceus wants you to change the future,” Celebi began. “You’ve heard of Arceus, haven’t you? The Alpha Pokémon, the one said to have created the universe?”

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  Ash nodded stiffly.

  Celebi continued, its voice unusually solemn. “Arceus foresaw a disaster. The only way to stop it… was to send you back 15 years.”

  Ash’s fingers curled into fists. “What kind of disaster?” His voice was hoarse. “And how am I supposed to fix it?”

  Celebi’s expression remained unreadable. “I can’t tell you everything. Just know that the future you knew is gone. And all you need to do… is be yourself, Ash.”

  Ash stared.

  A hollow feeling settled in his gut, heavier than the words themselves.

  Be himself?

  His mind raced, his mom, his friends, everyone he knew... were they safe?

  His throat tightened.

  “You’re telling me…” His voice wavered. “That my whole life is just… gone?”

  Celebi lowered its gaze.

  The tightness in Ash’s chest turned suffocating. His hands trembled as he clenched his jeans. “Tell me they’re safe,” he demanded. “Tell me I’ll see them again.” His voice cracked. “Only then will I listen to whatever you want me to do.”

  Pikachu bristled beside him, sparks flickering at his cheeks as he growled, “Pika…”

  Celebi didn’t flinch. Landing softly on the ground, it met Ash’s gaze with quiet resolve.

  “Ash, let me explain exactly how time travel works…”

  And so, beneath the golden light of the fading sun, as the wind whispered through the trees, Celebi began to unravel the truth of their new reality.

  (?? .? ???)

  Ash trudged along the narrow forest path, his hands resting on the back of his head as he let out a long sigh. Moonlight filtered through the gaps in the canopy, casting shifting patterns on the dirt trail. The chirping of nocturnal Pokémon filled the air. Normally, he’d be eager to explore a new region, but given the circumstances, he wasn’t exactly in the mood.

  Dropping one hand to his temple, he kneaded at the tension building there. “Man, we’re in so much trouble, Pikachu,” he muttered, glancing down at his partner, who padded along beside him. “Dropped into the past with no supplies, no clue what we’re supposed to do, and no way to even prove who we are. I just hope this path leads somewhere.”

  “Pika.” Pikachu nodded, his ears twitching.

  They walked in silence for a while, the forest gradually thinning as the path widened. The crisp night air carried the scent of damp earth, mixing with the faint aroma of flowers. Then, as they crested a small hill, Ash finally saw it, the end of the trail.

  A town stretched before him, nestled between rolling hills and rocky outcrops. Its streets were lit by warm, glowing lanterns, and despite the late hour, a few people still moved about, finishing their nightly routines. At the roadside, a weathered wooden sign stood slightly tilted, the name painted in bold letters:

  Celestic Town.

  Ash let out a breath. “Finally, civilization.” He rolled his shoulders, the tension easing just a little. Pikachu echoed his relief with an enthusiastic “Pika!”

  As they neared the town, Ash took in his surroundings. To his surprise, nothing looked too outdated. The buildings were sturdy, their wooden structures illuminated by flickering lights from inside. The clothes people wore weren’t all that different from what he was used to, maybe a bit more traditional, especially among the older folk, but nothing that would make him stand out too much. That was a relief.

  Still, as he glanced down at his slightly worn Hoenn-era clothes, he realized he was starting to outgrow them. His sleeves were shorter than they used to be, and his pants didn’t fit quite as loosely. “I should probably get some new clothes at some point,” he mused aloud.

  Then, like a sudden Thunderbolt, it hit him.

  His bag was gone.

  Which meant his wallet was gone.

  Which meant every bit of money stored on his Pokédex, if Pokédexes even had that feature yet, was gone.

  He groaned, dragging a hand down his face. “Great. I don’t even know how money works in this time.”

  Pikachu tilted his head. “Pika?”

  Ash shook his head. “No point worrying about it now. First things first—we need to find a Pokémon Center. Those exist by now, right?”

  Pikachu gave an encouraging nod. “Pikapi!”

  With that, Ash squared his shoulders and strode into town, Pikachu right at his side.

  The streets were quieter than they would have been during the day, but a few townspeople still lingered outside their homes, chatting in hushed voices or finishing up their nightly errands. The warm glow of street lanterns guided Ash forward, and after a few twists and turns, he spotted a familiar sight, a large building with a Poké Ball symbol above the entrance.

  Relief washed over him. If Pokémon Centers existed, then so did Poké Balls, which meant this time period wasn’t completely foreign. It was only 15 years in the past. Things couldn’t be that different.

  Steeling himself, Ash took a deep breath and pushed open the doors.

  Inside, soft lighting cast a cozy glow over wooden floors and rustic walls. The design was simpler than what he was used to, but unmistakably a Pokémon Center. And at the counter stood a woman with bright pink hair and a white nurse’s uniform. The style of her outfit was slightly different, but there was no mistaking her.

  A Nurse Joy.

  She greeted him with a polite but practiced smile. “Welcome, Trainer. How may I help you?”

  Before Ash could answer, his stomach twisted, not from nerves, but hunger. A low growl rumbled from his abdomen. Beside him, Pikachu clutched his belly, his ears twitching as he let out a small, suffering whimper.

  Ash laughed awkwardly. “Uh… a place to stay and, um… how to earn money… please?”

  Nurse Joy’s expression remained neutral, but there was a flicker of amusement in her eyes. “Another broke trainer, huh?” She sighed, then waved him forward. “Follow me.”

  Ash flushed but nodded gratefully. “Thanks.”

  He and Pikachu trailed after her into a small dining area within the Center. Simple wooden tables and chairs filled the space, a few occupied by trainers eating quietly or chatting in low voices. Once they were seated, Nurse Joy folded her arms and addressed them.

  “I’ll have a meal prepared for you,” she said, her tone businesslike but not unkind. “After you’ve eaten, come back to the lobby. I’ll assign you a task to cover the cost of your food and a place to stay for the night, if you’re interested. But keep in mind, this is a one-time courtesy. We help new trainers get on their feet, not support bad habits.” She gave him a pointed look. “So don’t go betting all your money on a battle you can’t win.”

  Ash sweatdropped. “I... I wasn’t...”

  But Nurse Joy had already turned away, heading back toward the counter.

  Ash slumped in his seat, rubbing the back of his neck. “Man… she just assumed all that on her own.”

  “Pika…” Pikachu gave him a knowing look, his ears flicking in amusement.

  Ash sighed. If trainers in this time were anything like this, he was really going to have to watch his reputation.

  A few minutes later, a Chansey waddled over, carefully balancing a tray with two plates of food, one for Ash, and a smaller portion for Pikachu. It set them down with a cheerful “Chansey!” before giving a polite nod and returning to the kitchen.

  Ash managed a small smile. “Thanks.”

  Pikachu wasted no time. The moment the plate hit the table, he dug in, stuffing pieces of fruit and bread into his mouth with a single-minded intensity, his cheeks puffing out like a Jigglypuff mid-song.

  Ash, however, was far less enthusiastic.

  He picked up his fork, twirled it absently between his fingers, then took a slow bite of rice. He chewed without tasting, his mind far from the present.

  It was still back in that clearing.

  Still sitting on that rock.

  Still hearing Celebi’s voice tell him that the future he came from no longer existed.

  His future was gone.

  His friends were gone.

  His mom…

  The memories rushed in all at once.

  His grip on the fork tightened as Celebi’s words echoed in his mind...

  (?? .? ???)

  “Time travel does not create multiple versions of you, nor does it split reality into different timelines based on your decisions. These ideas are false. The timeline is singular and unchanging, except when directly altered by time travel itself.”

  “If you travel into the future while you are still alive, you will simply fast-forward your perception of time, arriving in your future body with all the memories of the time you skipped intact. However, if you travel to a point where you are no longer alive, you will have effectively removed yourself from the flow of time and will reappear in the future with the same body you traveled with. There will be no version of you in the time between your departure and arrival. This maintains the rule that there can only ever be one you.”

  “Traveling to the past is more complicated. If you return to a time when you were younger, you will merge with your past self, inheriting all the memories of the future. This maintains the one-you rule, but it also erases the future you came from, effectively resetting time. This is why traveling to the past is often prohibited, it alters the entire flow of history.”

  “If you travel back to a time before you were born, as you have now, you will arrive in the body you had at the moment of time travel, carrying all your memories. However, the future you once knew will no longer exist. To comply with the one-you rule, if you do not change the conditions of your birth, such as ensuring your parents still meet, then when the ‘new’ you is born, your time-traveled body will disappear, and your consciousness will transfer to the newborn. However, if you were already dead before your new birth, you will be reborn with full memories of your past life.”

  Celebi paused, as if giving Ash time to process everything.

  Ash exhaled, his mind racing. “So if I want to meet my friends again and live the same life, I have to make sure nothing changes with my parents. That way, when the new me is born, this body will disappear, and I’ll transfer into that baby version of myself…”

  But something felt off about that. His stomach twisted, and he frowned.

  “Would that baby actually be me?” he asked, his voice quiet but firm. “Or just… someone else with my memories?”

  Celebi blinked, surprised by how quickly he grasped the implications. “Yes, you will be a baby again, with your current mind intact. And don’t worry, Ash. That baby will be you, not just a clone with the same memories. That’s the rule. There is only one you.”

  It made sense. Sort of. But it still didn’t sit right.

  Celebi continued, “Since you are thirteen now, and we are fifteen years in the past, that means the baby you will be born two years from now. You need to accomplish your mission here in Sinnoh before that happens, unless you want to keep this body and avoid being reborn. In that case, you would need to change history enough to prevent your parents from meeting.”

  Ash’s breath caught. He had two years, at most. Then he would have to make a choice: live through his childhood again, or find a way to stay as he was.

  For now, though, there was only one thing that truly mattered.

  “Celebi…” His fingers curled into a fist. “What exactly am I supposed to do here in Sinnoh?”

  (?? .? ???)

  “Pika?”

  Ash blinked, snapped out of his thoughts by Pikachu’s concerned gaze. The little Pokémon had paused his feeding frenzy, his ears slightly drooped, even with food still stuffed in his cheeks.

  Ash forced a small smile. “I’m fine, buddy.”

  Pikachu didn’t look convinced, but after a few more seconds, he resumed his meal, albeit at a more reasonable pace.

  Ash let out a quiet breath and focused on his food, but every bite felt heavier than it should. He had to keep moving forward, but for the first time in a long time, he had no idea what that really meant.

  (?? .? ???)

  Ash stretched his arms as they stepped into the Pokémon Center’s lobby, trying to shake the lingering weight from his thoughts.

  Pikachu, now re-energized, hopped onto his shoulder.

  As they entered, Ash immediately noticed Nurse Joy standing behind the counter, handing a Poké Ball to a girl. She had long blonde hair, neatly pinned back with dark blue ribbons on either side of her head. Her dress matched the color of the ribbons, dark blue with subtle yellow accents. She was about his height, maybe a little shorter.

  Something about her felt… familiar.

  Before he could figure out why, Nurse Joy glanced up and spotted him. “Ah, you’re just in time.” Then she tilted her head. “Wait… I forgot to ask earlier, what’s your name again?”

  Ash blinked.

  His name.

  The realization hit him like a Hydro Pump. He hadn’t even thought about what identity to use in this time period. He couldn’t just say Ash Ketchum—he technically wasn’t even born yet. But he also wasn’t great at lying.

  Pikachu tilted his head, sensing his hesitation.

  Nurse Joy raised an eyebrow. “You… do know your own name, don’t you?” she asked, half-joking.

  The blonde girl raised an eyebrow, watching him with curiosity.

  Ash scrambled for something, anything. His mind raced, and his eyes darted toward Pikachu before he blurted out the first name that came to mind.

  “…Ash.”

  He mentally face-palmed. ‘Seriously? All that hesitation just to use the same name?’ He had to at least change his surname.

  “…Graybolt,” he added quickly.

  He regretted it immediately. It sounded cool, sure, but it was completely made up on the spot.

  Pikachu snickered under his breath.

  Ash quickly moved on before Nurse Joy could question it. “Actually, I want to register as a Pokémon Trainer. I’m thirteen... I, uh, started late…”

  Nurse Joy typed his name into a bulky computer. “Alright. I’ll issue you a temporary ID for now. I’m in a bit of a rush, so come back tomorrow to complete the full registration.” She printed out a basic trainer ID with his name and age, then handed it to him along with some starting money, which only increased his debt to the Pokémon Center.

  “Thanks,” Ash muttered, shoving the ID into his pocket.

  “This is Cynthia,” Nurse Joy introduced the blonde girl, who gave him a small nod.

  Ash froze.

  ‘Cynthia?!”

  ‘As in the Sinnoh Champion?’

  His mind scrambled as he connected the dots. He had been researching Sinnoh’s Gym Leaders, Elite Four, and Champion back on the ship before Celebi, before all of this happened.

  Just like that, the weight of reality crashed down on him again. His chest tightened.

  Cynthia noticed.

  She didn’t comment on it, but there was a flicker of curiosity in her stormy gray eyes as she studied him.

  Unaware of the shift in mood, Nurse Joy continued, “Cynthia’s grandmother requested an escort mission, and Cynthia came here to place the request.”

  Ash snapped out of his thoughts and nodded. “Okay. I’ll take it.”

  Nurse Joy smiled approvingly. “Good. Cynthia will give you the details, why don’t you both take a seat over there?”

  Once seated, Cynthia explained the mission. “Tomorrow morning at seven, my grandmother, Carolina, will be here at the Pokémon Center. She’s a researcher, and she’ll need an escort for a trip. You’ll follow her instructions, and the journey should take about six or seven hours.”

  Ash listened carefully, nodding every now and then. “Got it.”

  As Cynthia spoke, Ash couldn’t help but study her again. She was around his age now but carried herself with the same composed air as the Champion he remembered. Her posture was poised, her voice calm and measured, but there was a sharpness beneath the surface, a quiet intensity that reminded him of the woman who stood tall in the pamphlet. Her gray eyes held the same calculating focus, her expression giving little away.

  ‘She’s… almost the same,’ Ash mused, his mind drifting back to the image of the future Champion. But there was something different too—less polished, perhaps. More… distant. The Cynthia in front of him was still growing into that role, and Ash felt an odd sense of wonder at seeing her like this.

  ‘She can’t be the Champion yet,’ he reminded himself, shaking the thought away. Cynthia had only been Sinnoh’s Champion for eight years in his time. That was… still years away.

  But looking at her now, Ash couldn’t help but feel like he was already sitting across from someone destined for greatness. The intensity in her eyes, the calm authority in her voice, it was all there. Just waiting.

  “I’ll inform her of your name so she’ll recognize you,” Cynthia added, her tone cool but polite.

  Ash forced a small smile. “Thanks.”

  With that, they parted ways.

  Outside, Ash exhaled, rolling his shoulders as the tension drained from him.

  “Pika?” Pikachu looked up at him, ears twitching with curiosity.

  “I know, buddy,” Ash murmured, a small, thoughtful smile tugging at his lips. “She’s… something else, huh?”

  Pikachu tilted his head but gave a quiet ‘Pika’ of agreement.

  Ash glanced toward the marketplace down the street. “Come on. Let’s see what we can afford before tomorrow.”

  With whatever little money he had, Ash and Pikachu set off to gear up for the mission ahead.

  (?? .? ???)