[ Ash looked at the cliff in front of him. Just as he gritted his teeth and prepared to break through from the side, a Nidoqueen in the distance spat a scorching pillar of fire at him.
Having already exhausted most of his stamina, Ash had no time to dodge. He could only instinctively turn his back, clutching Pikachu tightly in his arms!
BOOM—
A massive explosion rang out instantly. When the smoke and dust cleared, Ash was already lying on the ground, struggling to crawl toward Pikachu…
"Pika…" Although Pikachu was also severely injured, it slowly and shakily stood up, stumbling toward Ash. ]
[ .....]
『 Viewers of Countless World 』
This body… It's really tough, isn't it? To still be alive after this? It's simply a miracle.
No, this isn't the time to be surprised… Where is Ho-Oh?
Hurry up and come out to save him! Can you at least keep your subordinate in check? The trainer you've chosen is about to die!
Even if it's a trial, this isn't how you do it. The culprit behind all this isn't Ash; has Marshadow, the supervisor, got the wrong person??
Watching this scene, everyone outside the video felt heartbroken. How much does this boy love Pokémon! At the most critical moment, he was still thinking of his partner.
.....
〜KonoSuba: God's Blessing on This Wonderful World〜
"This is too much, no matter how you look at it, it's just too much!"
Even Aqua, who was known for being a bit of an idiot, was moved to tears.
Are you selecting special forces soldiers? Or are you selecting superheroes? Who conducts a trial like this? He's still just a ten-year-old child.
Darkness also looked somewhat worried:
"Just looking at the explosion's smoke and dust, you can tell the power wasn't small… it could cost him his life."
It was already a stroke of luck that he didn't die from taking a direct hit. She also knew that those so-called trainers were actually just ordinary people.
They relied entirely on their Pokémon; they themselves had no special abilities.
"This is forcing him onto a path to death. Even I would be helpless,"
Kazuma spread his hands helplessly.
If it were him, that last attack would have been enough to send him to meet the Goddess Eris… Ash surviving a direct hit from that fireball already makes him a Superman.
〜Pokémon World, Main Worldline〜
X/Y Timeline—
"Ash… if you are here now, it means you must be alright!"
Serena's eyes were filled with worry. She couldn't bear to look at his miserable state.
"…Honestly, I don't know either."
Ash shook his head, then his eyes filled with determination:
"But I believe that I will definitely protect Pikachu!"
At this moment, he didn't feel good either. Since he started his journey, he had never seen Pikachu injured so badly.
But… he had absolutely no memory of this. Or rather, the development from the beginning was quite different.
.....
[ "I know you don't like staying inside!" Ash pulled out a Poké Ball he had never used before and rolled it in front of Pikachu: "But… if you go inside now, you might still be saved!"
And behind Ash, the controlled Pokémon had already begun to gather energy balls, seemingly not intending to let them go.
Ash barely propped up his body, slowly turned around, and faced the group of Pokémon ready to attack!
Just like when he faced the Spearows back then, he once again firmly protected Pikachu behind him!
This fearless boy turned his cap backward, spread his arms to block in front of Pikachu, and still said his declaration with firm eyes: "Who do you think I am!"
"I am Ash from Pallet Town, the man who aspires to become the world's greatest Pokémon Master. How could I possibly lose to you all!"
Energy Balls, Hyper Beams… one powerful move after another came rushing toward Ash!
Just then, Pikachu leaped onto Ash's shoulder, trying to block in front of him just like it did against the Spearows.
But this time, Pikachu's injuries were too severe. The moment it leaped onto Ash's shoulder, it fell powerlessly…
Ash reacted even faster, pulling Pikachu into his arms just as the various attacks arrived in an instant!
BOOM—
The violent energy exploded instantly. With a roar, Ash and Pikachu were blasted away. ]
[ .....]
『 Viewers of Countless World 』
That boy is using his body to take the heavy hits of Pokémon moves, and the key is that it's not just one… This… this is simply a miracle!
Watching this scene, everyone was dumbfounded. At this very moment… it was just like that moment back then, only this time, Pikachu wasn't able to jump out!
.....
〜Pokémon World, Main Worldline〜
Steven was stunned:
"Other things aside, but Aggron, that Energy Ball of yours is going too far! Is that even a move you can learn?"
If you used other moves, that would be one thing, but that Energy Ball is completely inexplicable. Why are you joining in the fun?
"Regardless, the bond between Ash and Pikachu alone is enough to be moving."
Cynthia sighed, but even if she wanted to help at this moment, she was powerless.
As the Champion of the League, to now only be able to watch a boy who had just started his journey struggling alone—that was the most heartbreaking part.
And at this moment, in Professor Oak's backyard.
The Pokémon that Ash had caught were all becoming restless watching this scene, expressing their dissatisfaction one after another through their actions.
Being simple-minded, they only saw Ash in danger and wanted to protect their trainer, wanted to protect Ash!
Charizard was even more filled with discontent. What was that Charizard doing?Why was it still dawdling there? Hurry up and fly the two of them away!
.....
[ This time, having taken several big moves head-on, Ash no longer had the strength to stand up…
"Pikachu, why didn't you want to go into the ball…"
Ash felt like he was about to lose consciousness, his vision becoming increasingly blurry. In the faint haze, he seemed to hear Pikachu speak.
"Because… I want to be… with you forever…"
"Pikachu, you…" Ash wasn't sure if he was hallucinating, but there was no time to think. He took the Poké Ball and pulled Pikachu inside.
Because those controlled Pokémon had gathered their moves once again and released them in their direction!
The next second… facing the incoming attacks, Ash could only hold the Poké Ball in his arms. He had no strength left to run.
BOOM—
A terrifying explosion rang out instantly. The blinding light of the explosion could be seen from the very top of Mount Tensei! ]
[ .....]
〜Pokémon World, Main Worldline〜
Pikachu… spoke?
If Ash were severely injured, he might have misheard, but they were certain they had truly heard it—Pikachu had really spoken!
Sun & Moon Timeline—
"Pikachu, so you could talk!"
Ash was currently holding Pikachu, examining it closely, which immediately annoyed Pikachu.
"Pika… CHU!"
A brilliant electric light instantly erupted from Pikachu, followed by a wail from Ash.
"Ahhh…"
Ash spat out black smoke, dazed and confused:
"What did you shock me for out of the blue?"
Professor Kukui felt quite helpless regarding Ash's fluctuating emotional intelligence:
"Ash, you deserved to be shocked this time."
Lillie asked the professor anxiously:
"Professor, will Ash be okay?!"
"…"
Professor Kukui shook his head and didn't answer Lillie's question, but sometimes silence is the best answer.
"Waaah…"
Lillie burst into tears.
She wasn't stupid. Taking that many Pokémon finishing moves head-on—let alone a human, even a Pokémon might not come out unscathed!
.....
[ As the smoke dissipated, a Poké Ball rolled out, and Ash's iconic cap landed on the ball.
The next moment, with a flash of white light, Pikachu ran out of the Poké Ball, and Ash's cap landed on its head.
And in front of Pikachu, Ash's figure became ethereal. He lay on the ground, motionless, and began to dissipate along with specks of purple light.
Pikachu held the cap blankly, trying in a panic to put the hat on Ash's head, but it passed right through.
"Pika… Pi… CHU!!" Pikachu cried while holding Ash's cap, electric sparks beginning to flicker on its body.
The next moment, dazzling electricity shot into the sky, enveloping the entire Mount Tensei. The ground shattered because of it, and all the Pokémon were instantly engulfed by the electricity.
Even the dark clouds in the sky were dispersed by the massive current. Marshadow stared blankly at the Pikachu in front of it; the Rainbow Wing in its hand had long since dissipated.
All the Pokémon regained their sanity, leaving only Pikachu there, crying while holding Ash's cap. ]
[ .....]
〜Projection of All Worlds〜
Tearjerker…
Watching this scene, many people fell silent. Seeing Pikachu's sorrowful crying, they also felt an inexplicable sadness and grief.
Still didn't come… Even when Ash died, the so-called Ho-Oh still didn't come…
.....
〜Pokémon World, Main Worldline〜
In the room where the Champions gathered, Steven looked at the scene in front of him, finding it hard to believe. He subconsciously clenched his fists:
"Ash… is dead?"
Diantha really couldn't understand:
"Isn't he a trainer recognized by Ho-Oh?… Did Marshadow really have to go that far!"
At the Team Rocket headquarters on the other side, Giovanni also frowned slightly and instructed the person beside him:
"Help me contact Meowth and the others."
This Pikachu seems truly extraordinary. This power… It's hard to imagine it being released in such a severely injured state.
The Team Rocket trio were already crying their eyes out, not even hearing the communication device ringing beside them… How could the kid, who was doing just fine, be gone just like that?
However, the impact of this video wasn't limited to humans. Even the creator god Arceus rarely stirred into action… It wanted to have a chat with Ho-Oh. Is this how you do things??
.....
(Author-san: After finishing the next chapter, I'll write the Grand Temple of Time. It's been a long time since I wrote the familiar Fate series.)
( Translator-kun: Here we go AVENGER! ASSEM— opss Wrong line... )