Climbing between past and future (Part I)

The path toward the new campsite wasn't as long as the previous one when Ash was reaching the Cobalt Coastland, but surely it was more interesting.

First, he had someone with him. He and Akari were riding on Wyrdeer who was also carrying a small carriage with supplies and Greninja on it. The frog Pokémon was sleeping with a stick in his mouth.

Second, the road was surely more engaging. There were a lot of jumps, and the ground was uneven and continuously sloping. Everything while the big figure of the biggest mount in the region was becoming clearer and clearer with the hours of traveling.

After a week like that, the group finally arrived at the new campsite, still spartan and very little but well built. The construction Corp was improving his techniques and that was clear.

Laventon was excited to see the duo finally coming: "Ash, Akari! It's so nice to see you!" he said, jumping and waving his arms in the middle of the small camp.

Ash looked at Akari directly in her eyes and smiled before jumping off Wyrdeer with Pikachu and sprinting to greet the professor who had taken such a liking in that guy.

Akari smiled as well but, as soon as Ash diverted his gaze from her, she immediately blushed profusely. Pikachu and Piplup recognized that sight immediately.

She was excited, finally out in the wild, with Ash, so far from the constraints of Jubilife.

She approached Ash who was chatting with the small group who was living in that place.

"So tomorrow I will meet Ingo near that river. Very well. That Electrode will be calmed down! What do you say, Buddy?!" Ash said, holding his bicep and grinning at his number one partner.

"Pika Pika!!" the tiny mouse chirped in, pumping his little fist.

"WE" clarified Akari clearing her throat. Ash assumed a defensive stance: "Err! Of course, of course" he corrected himself.

Greninja finally woke up and hopped off the caravan.

Ash petted Wyrdeer and freed him from the carriage.

The sun was already setting and so the evening went through easily between chats and some training fights.

Laventon was impressed at Akari's improvement with Pokémon: "She sure has grown much more confident. I see… Pokémon have incredible power to also improve humans" he thought, excited at the implications.

Without noticing, Ash's Pikachu was close to him, and, out of reflex, he started to pet him. He suddenly realized what he was doing. His first thought was to jump in alarm but, somehow, it felt good and relaxed, allowing himself to enjoy that warmness.

"Okay Growlithe! Jump and go in Flame Charge! Greninja, Cut!"

"Pikachu! Thunder on Greninja! Piplup! Whirpool on Growlithe! Clefairy! Dazzling Gleam!"

Greninja broke through the Dazzling Gleam and avoided the Thunder, clashing against the Whirpool when Growlithe came at full speed, hitting the vortex with his full fire speed.

Laventon was fascinated… he was used to warn people about Pokémon being dangerous creatures, but now, he was fascinated, engulfed from the battle, amazed by the power they could display, admired by the two guys commanding with passion and drive their friends.

Friends… Could Pokémon and people be friends?

The battle finally came to an end. Akari thanked all her friends before heading toward Ash who was commenting the session with Pikachu helping him to give more precise indications to Greninja but most of all, Growlithe.

The boy noticed the girl approaching him and turned to face her, giving her a big smile: "Nice battle Akari! You are really improving!"

The girl went straight forward standing on tiptoe to give Ash a kiss on the cheek, before turning back and heading to her tent.

Laventon had a mini heart attack seeing the scene, while Ash was now used to it and dismissed the thing.

"What's up Clefy?" asked Akari, watching Clefairy twirling her paws in the air, watching the moon.

"Clefairy loves the full moon. When they are in a group, they dance all together under the full moon. It is incredible!" exclaimed Ash, excited reminding one of his first experiences as a trainer.

"Woah! Really?!" Laventon broke into the conversation: "There's a group of Clefairy in the south-eastern part of the mountainous sector. Akari! You absolutely must go and check for it since in the next days there will be the full moon!" he shouted with stars in the eyes.

Akari backed off, clearly surprised: "But I want to go with Ash!" she thought, before meeting Ash's warm gaze, full of energy and drive. For her, it looked like Ash was good with it and was pushing her to take this adventure.

She breathed in: "I'll go!" she said with a wide grin.

"Hooray!! We will see an incredible event!" Laventon exclaimed, excited like a kid.

Ash smiled at his friends hoping that this was a turning point for that world and that, from now on, even more people could grow interested in Pokémon and develop with them friendship when suddenly someone hugged him from behind. It was Akari again who whispered in his ears: "Thank you" before turning back again in a strange turn of events.

Ash sighed while Pikachu started to make fun of him, earning chuckles from Greninja and Growlithe.

….

The next day the trio was ready to go on separate path. Laventon would go with Akari and Ash in search of Ingo.

"I think that you will be safer if you take one of my Pokémon with you Laventon" Ash said when they came near the bridge that crossed the river Ash was looking for.

"I think you are right Ash" agreed on Akari, surprising Ash. The boy thought she would get mad like the other time.

"I thought of it but I'm not strong enough to protect two people if something bad happens…"

Ash smiled: "Right Buddy! Take good care of them for me, would Ya?" asked the boy to his partner who was sad to know he won't fight Electrode but was happy to help.

"I think that's okay!" interrupted Akari again; "But only if you take my Pikachu with you Ash" she said out of the blue, confusing Ash. She then added: "That's a good thing so you can train her a bit more and you won't miss your Pikachu too much." she concluded, putting shyly her arms under the back and lowering the gaze to hide the feint red shadow on her cheeks.

Ash smiled warmly before greeting Akari's Pikachu on his other shoulder while his best friend was hopping on Akari's.

"What about for communicating?" asked Laventon. Ash smiled: "No need to worry. I'm sending Pikachu with you exactly to have a communication from you. Don't ask me now more but trust me. If something is happening, I will know," he said, his gaze focused on the other side of the river.

Laventon was taken aback by Ash's affirmation.

Akari only smiled, she knew about the power of Ash's and Pikachu's bond.

"Right! Now, let's go, guys! We have a Pokémon to calm down!" Ash exclaimed and then shot through the bridge moving away from Akari and Laventon who were left mouth agape. That boy was always in a hurry and the blue-haired girl was feeling to be pissed off until Pikachu patted her head. She knew Ash was like that and having Pikachu with her now was in some way what she needed to feel like Ash was there.

It was true. Their bond was so tight that she could feel Ash through Pikachu.

She smiled. Her new adventure was about to begin.

...…

Ash had finally crossed the bridge and was face to face with the entrance of a cave. Waiting for him there, there was Ingo.

"So you are finally here. Are you ready to challenge the Electrode?"

"Yes! I'm more than ready!" shouted Ash clenching his fist with determination.

"Oh well well well. If it isn't Ingo from the Pearl Clan with the boy who is in everything's mouth" said a man appearing from the cave.

"Melli, so you are honoring us with your presence…" commented sarcastically Ingo.

The man was tall with long blue hair, a hat, and a blue suit which Ash reconnected immediately to those he saw on the Diamond Clan members.

"Who are you?" asked Ash, intrigued by this man.

"I'm Melli, Warden of the great Electrode, Lord of the Hollow. I came here to warn you to stay away from it. The Mighty Sinnoh sent us a blessing and I never saw the Lord so powerful. I'm here to stop you from intervening."

"What are you talking about? Are you dumb? Can't you see that he is suffering?"

"It's for the Mighty Sinnoh sake. Its glory and blessing are on it. Some pain… It should be grateful for the great power it is achieving. I'm here only to warn you. Stay away or else you'll have a powerful enemy… And you don't want the great Melli to be your enemy. Eh eh eh…" he chuckled putting his hand in front of his mouth, before turning and disappearing inside the cave.

Ash was about to run behind him before Ingo placed his arm between him and the entrance of the cave.

"It's useless. He is a moron. Don't let your emotions have the best on you. Now, let's go. This is Wayward Cave. It can be dim inside. So, stay close to me…" Ingo said, holding his cap and his gaze towards the height of Mount Coronet.

Ash only nodded, clearly interested in this man, so familiar to be unknown.

Upon entering the cave, Ash was surrounded by complete darkness.

"That Melli… He turned off all the lamps. But no darkness will delay us. Onward we roll!" Ingo exclaimed with confidence, extending his arm.

Ash was caught by that movement but for some reason, it seemed to him that something was missing.

The man had started his march, leading the boy and Greninja with massive confidence and incredible orientation. It looked like he was a master.

Ash stayed quiet during the walk, sometimes trying to observe the dark surroundings, sometimes noticing the wild Pokémon, most of all Zubat, Golbat, and some other species, but, the most important thing, he was listening to Ingo who was in some sort of train of thoughts commenting his life, talking about some details of a past life that seemed distant to him.

"I recall that I had a partner once… A very precious one…"

"He used to burn hard, wielding fire with skill."

"If only he could be with us, lighting our path…

"I remember also a man, a guy like me. We were close. So close. Like a best friend. Something I cannot experiment with here. We used to talk about Pokémon, battles, a different world, a different life."

"I like winning more than anything else…"

"It's a phrase that reminds me of something… What could this be?"

"I don't have memories in my mind. I feel like everything I once knew is fading away. But in my heart… something still lives. I can see myself burning with passion but not being able to let them out…"

Suddenly he stopped. The light was coming into the cave. The exit was close.

For now, Ash decided to let all that he had listened to aside. The easiest part of the mission was complete.

"You know? I came here like you, from that gash in the sky. Lucky for me the Pearl Clan found me, and I became a warden but I'm not like you. I can see in your eyes that your past is clear to you, you have drive. I don't see bewilderment, anguish, or fear. I can tell you are a strong one, young man."

Ash didn't answer. He wanted. He really wanted to inquire more but for now, it was far more important to go on. And so they did.

...…

The environment was changing with the large forests that gave way to pine forests and various conifers. The most frequent Pokémon were beetles but, as the duo continued their ascent, more and more rock-type Pokémon could be sighted.

Ingo drove with confidence until the entrance to another cave, this volt aben different, appeared in front of the travelers. It seemed to have been built. The human hand was evident in the smooth, massive granite lintels. What was unclear was how an even more primitive population of Hisui's inhabitants that Ash had come to know had succeeded in such a feat.

The boy was certainly fascinated but his thoughts were again interrupted by a roar.

In front of the entrance to the cave was Melli, pissed off to see him and Ingo again.

"So not even taking off the light did you help? I, the magnificent Melli, did my best to respect the Pokémon in the cave and leave them in the dark ... But I see that you don't give up ... Is it possible you don't understand the Mighty Sinnoh ?! only infidels could not understand"

"The only thing I know is that Electrode is in pain. I don't give a damn about the blessings you speak of. Will you stop us? All you have to do is ask! Face me! Here and now!" an increasingly furious Ash answered. The boy was tired of the warden's empty words and was ready to take the risk of antagonizing the Diamond Clan in order to restore peace.

Melli chuckled: "Get ready then. Skuntank, poison the infidel!"

A large Skuntank emerged from the cave, surrounded by a toxic cloud.

Ash, in his heart, wanted to use this chance to give Growlithe some battle experience but he knew it was better to end the match quickly to get the Guardian to understand how things were.

With hard and determined eyes, he then turned to Greninja: "Greninja! Cut, then Double Team, and then Water Shuriken!"

The Frog Pokémon compelled, slicing the illusion the Polecat Pokémon had generated with the smoke and creating multiple copies of himself, before firing the Water Shuriken. It was too fast for Melli, for Skuntank and even for Growlithe to follow.

Ash didn't want complications with the poison, for this he had ordered a flurry of attacks so fast as to make any contact time with Greninja negligible.

Melli stood there, completely stunned before blurting out: "I'm not declaring defeat. I'm only taking a tactical retreat. You will hear from me again!" and with that, he ran away into the grotto.

"What a lively character" commented Ingo. To ash, it seemed like he wanted to ask more about the batlle but didn't dare.

Instead, he said: "This is the Ancient Quarry, the ancient Sinnohians took materials from here to build their temples. You will see what I'm talking about as soon as we reach the top"

Again, ash was amazed. So, there was an even more ancient Sinnohian population, so advanced to extract granite and use it for buildings. But why did they disappear? Or maybe, some of them are still somewhere in Sinnoh…

Lost in his thoughts, he exited the cave.

The sun was now setting. Ingo turned around: "I think we should stop for today. What do you say?" he asked with a small smile. Ash nodded and his eyes widened.

"I know who you are!" he exclaimed.