The wind howled.
High above the earth, where clouds kissed the jagged peaks of Mt. Coronet, the air was cold—biting and thin. Snow drifted lightly through the air, not yet thick enough to blanket the ground, but enough to sting the skin and settle in the hair.
A soft groan broke the silence.
Ash stirred, lying on the cool, rocky earth. His hand twitched first. Then his eyes fluttered open, hazy with confusion. The sky above him was pale gray, a far cry from the sunny forest path in Kanto he'd been walking just moments ago.
His heart raced.
"Pikachu…?" he rasped.
A soft chirp answered him.
"Pi…pii…"
Ash turned his head and saw Pikachu lying a few feet away, eyes just starting to open. The little yellow Pokémon was bruised but conscious. Sparks danced weakly from its cheeks as it struggled to rise.
Ash pushed himself up with a wince, his muscles sore from the chaotic ride through time and space. The memory was a blur—a blinding vortex, screams, the sensation of being ripped from reality itself.
"W-What happened?" he mumbled, looking around.
The ground was uneven, dotted with patches of snow and gravel. Sparse, wind-beaten trees clung to the cliffside, and jagged stone formations rose around him like ancient guardians. The chilling wind whispered through the air, carrying an eerie silence—unnaturally still, as if the mountain itself were watching.
He glanced over.
"Eevee!" Ash called out, eyes widening as he spotted a glowing Poké Ball lying partially buried in the snow.
Scrambling to his knees, he scooped it up, pressed the button—and in a flash of light, Eevee appeared, tumbling into Ash's arms.
"Vee…?" it whimpered softly.
Ash hugged it close, brushing snow off its fur. "Hey… it's okay. I've got you."
Pikachu finally staggered over, weakly hopping into Ash's lap. The trainer held both Pokémon close, trying to calm their racing hearts. The warmth of their bodies gave him a sense of grounding amidst the unfamiliar cold.
He slowly rose to his feet, eyes scanning the surroundings.
In the distance, just a little ways down the slope, smoke curled lazily into the sky. A campfire.
Someone was nearby.
Ash narrowed his eyes. He didn't know where—or when—he was, but one thing was certain: they weren't alone.
He brushed himself off, adjusting his cap as he steadied himself.
"All right, guys," he said, voice low but resolute. "We need to find out where we are. Let's go check that camp."
Pikachu nodded, determination flickering back into its eyes. Eevee let out a soft cry of agreement, tail flicking with cautious energy.
Together, they moved through the brush, the stones crunching softly underfoot.
As they approached the campfire, Ash crouched behind a boulder and peeked around it.
There, sitting near the fire, was a teenage girl with silver-blonde hair tied back in a loose braid. She wore a long black coat lined with fur, her pale eyes fixed on a notebook in her lap. A strong yet serene presence radiated from her, and beside her rested a Lucario—sitting perfectly still, eyes closed, meditating.
Ash blinked.
"Cynthia…?" he whispered to himself—but something was different.
She looked younger. Maybe just a few years older than him. Her aura was the same—noble, intense—but this wasn't the Champion of Sinnoh he had met before.
This was a Cynthia who hadn't yet reached the peak.
As if sensing his presence, the Lucario opened its eyes.
Its gaze snapped toward the boulder—and in an instant, it stood up, alert.
Ash stepped out slowly, hands raised. "Hey! I'm not here to cause trouble!"
The girl stood as well, surprised but not afraid. Her eyes locked onto Ash's with wary intelligence.
"Who are you?" she asked, her voice calm but guarded.
Ash looked between her and Lucario, then nodded slightly.
"My name's Ash. Ash Ketchum. I'm… I think I'm a little far from home."
Cynthia's eyes narrowed.
As Ash stood there, face to face with the younger Cynthia, the icy wind shifted again. A faint hum buzzed through the air—low, mechanical, unnatural.
His breath caught in his throat.
A sharp ding rang inside his mind.
[System Notification Detected…]
Ash froze.
He hadn't seen the interface since the confrontation with Giovanni. Now it returned—this time with new, cryptic urgency.
A transparent, glowing screen flickered to life before his eyes, unreadable to anyone else but him.
🔷 System Notification 🔷
Special Mission Activated!Mission Title:Echoes of Eternity: Fractured TimeMission Description:You have been transported to the past due to a spatial rift created by the clash between Dialga and Palkia, manipulated by Giratina's chaos. This unstable point in time is disrupting both the present and the future.
Your task is to uncover the source of the temporal collapse within Mt. Coronet and discover the means to return to your timeline. The fate of Kanto—and all known timelines—hangs in the balance.
You are not alone… But not all forces in this era are your allies.
Mission Objective:🔹 Investigate the cause of the temporal disturbance on Mt. Coronet🔹 Form an alliance with individuals capable of sensing Legendary energy🔹 Discover the source of Dialga and Palkia's rampage🔹 Find a stable temporal anchor to return to the present timeline
Primary Reward Upon Completion:🕓 Access to Time Rift Stabilization Function – Enables one-time return to the present🌀 Master Chrono Capsule (x1) – Can be used to capture Dialga💠 Void Prism (x1) – Can be used to capture Palkia📈 Favorability Increase: Legendary Pokémon (Dialga/Palkia)📜 Unlock Hidden Lore Entry: "The Arceus Codex – Fragment I"
⚠️ Note: Failing to complete this mission in the past will result in permanent divergence of timelines. Some companions, items, or Pokémon may be lost forever.
Ash blinked as the screen faded away.
Pikachu looked up at him, sensing the shift in his energy. "Pika?"
Ash nodded. "We've got another mission, buddy."
Eevee nuzzled against his leg, its big eyes filled with concern.
Just then, Cynthia stepped forward slightly, her Lucario now fully alert, eyes trained on Ash with curious intensity.
"You went quiet all of a sudden," she said softly. "Something wrong?"
Ash glanced at her—then looked up at the swirling clouds above Mt. Coronet, the dark energy barely visible in the distance.
He took a deep breath.
"No," he said. "Something's finally starting to make sense."
Cynthia raised an eyebrow.
Ash gave a faint smile.
"But it's a long story."
She crossed her arms, the wind lifting her hair slightly.
"Well, you're in the right place for stories," she said. "Especially the ones written in time."
In the distance, high above the mountain peak, a thunderous roar cracked across the sky.
Ash's eyes narrowed.
It had begun.
The fire crackled quietly beneath the fading twilight. Mt. Coronet loomed high above, its shadow swallowing the lower slopes in deep blue. A soft chill crept through the clearing, but Ash didn't seem to notice. He sat beside the flames, Pikachu nestled quietly against his side, Eevee curled up beside his leg.
Across from him, Cynthia watched him with sharp but curious eyes. Her Lucario stood still as a statue behind her, its own aura sense quietly analyzing the boy in front of them.
After a moment, Cynthia finally broke the silence.
"You still haven't told me why you're really here."
Ash glanced up, the firelight reflecting in his eyes. "I'm just passing through."
Cynthia's expression didn't change. "You don't look like someone who got lost."
Ash hesitated. He could feel it — that weight in the air again. Like the world around him was waiting for his answer. Not just Cynthia… but the mountain, the storm above it, and something far greater.
"…Aura led me here," he said quietly.
Cynthia tilted her head, slightly surprised. "Aura?"
Ash nodded. "It guided me. I felt a pull… something was wrong. I don't know what it is yet, but I couldn't ignore it."
Cynthia's eyes narrowed, not with suspicion — but curiosity. "Aura doesn't just guide people. Not unless… you're attuned to it."
Ash met her gaze without flinching. "I'm an Aura Guardian."
The wind blew softly between them, stirring embers in the fire.
Lucario's ears twitched.
Cynthia studied him for a long moment, then slowly nodded. "That… explains a few things."
Ash raised a brow. "Yeah?"
"You're calm under pressure. Your Pokémon listen to you without hesitation. And…" she paused, almost thoughtfully, "Lucario sensed something different about you the moment you arrived. Something... resonant."
Ash didn't respond right away. He wasn't used to explaining it—his aura, his connection to the world around him. Most people didn't understand. But Cynthia wasn't most people.
"It's not a power," he said finally. "It's a responsibility. When aura calls… you follow it. Even if you don't know where it leads."
Cynthia's lips curled into the faintest smile. "Sounds like something a real Guardian would say."
Ash chuckled softly, scratching behind Pikachu's ear. "I'm still figuring it out. I've had help along the way. Masters… friends. And sometimes, it just feels like my heart already knows the path, even when my mind doesn't."
Cynthia stood slowly, her gaze turning toward the towering silhouette of Mt. Coronet behind them.
"Then maybe that path brought you here for a reason. Something is building on this mountain. I don't know what yet, but it's more than just a storm."
She looked over her shoulder at him, her voice quiet but firm.
"If aura brought you here… then you're not just passing through. You're part of what's coming."
Ash stood as well, brushing off his gloves. He looked toward the mountain too, its peak lost in swirling clouds.
"Then I'll be ready," he said. "Whatever it is… I'll face it."
Cynthia nodded once, satisfied. "We leave at sunrise. I'll guide you up the mountain."
Ash smiled, a fire lighting in his chest that matched the one at their feet. "Thanks. I think we're going to need each other."
The sun filtered through the dense canopy of Mt. Coronet's towering pines, casting flickering shadows across the winding trail. Ash and Cynthia had been traveling together for several days now — a silent partnership forged from necessity, but slowly warming into something more.
Cynthia walked slightly ahead, her blonde hair swaying gently in the breeze, but every so often, she glanced back at Ash. He wasn't speaking much — focused, thoughtful, his eyes always scanning their surroundings. His Pikachu sat on his shoulder, and Eevee trotted at his heels, a small brown guardian.
That aura of calm... That quiet intensity… It tugged at her in ways she couldn't quite explain.
"So…" Cynthia finally broke the silence, her voice soft but teasing, "Aura guided you here. But does it always tell you where to go, or just when there's danger?"
Ash chuckled lightly. "It's more like… a feeling. A pull. Sometimes I follow it without fully understanding why."
"And you always trust it?" she asked, brushing a few strands of hair from her eyes as they climbed a rocky ridge.
Ash nodded. "It's saved me more times than I can count. Aura doesn't lie — even if I don't always like what it shows me."
Cynthia paused, then looked over her shoulder. "You're not like any other trainer I've met, Ash."
Ash caught up to her, his eyes gentle, unwavering. "You're different too. Strong, but... kind. I noticed that right away."
A soft blush crept into Cynthia's cheeks, but she quickly turned away to hide it. "You say things too honestly."
Ash smiled, brushing a leaf from her shoulder. "That's how I've always been."
They continued walking as the wind picked up, and by late evening, they had found a clearing by a tranquil stream. Ash set up the campfire while Cynthia released her Garchomp to patrol the area. Pikachu curled up by the fire while Eevee nuzzled into Ash's lap.
Sitting across from him, Cynthia pulled her coat tighter and leaned back on her palms, watching the firelight dance in Ash's eyes.
"You don't talk much about your past," she said softly. "Or your future."
Ash looked into the flames for a long moment. "Some things are better left in the moment."
"But you're running toward something. Or away from something."
He didn't deny it. Just met her eyes and said, "Maybe both."
For a while, neither spoke. The fire crackled between them, and the night air wrapped around them like a secret. Cynthia's heart beat faster, though she didn't fully know why. It wasn't just admiration. It wasn't just attraction.
It was something more dangerous — the feeling that someone understood her, in a world that rarely did.
"Ash…"
"Yeah?"
"If we weren't… caught in all this chaos," she said, her voice low, "do you think we'd still be here, like this?"
Ash smiled faintly. "I think… we would've met anyway. Somehow. Because aura or not… I feel like I was meant to."
Their eyes locked again — something unspoken lingering there — before Cynthia turned away, biting her lip, heart thudding in her chest. The moment was fragile, delicate, but undeniable.
And Ash… just smiled quietly, knowing this was only the beginning.