So what was that supposed to be?
Damian watched Ash with a sharp, amused interest. Ash was that kid—the poster boy of the whole story. Early on, his actual strength? Nothing crazy. But his main-character luck? Maxed out. Especially when it came to Legendary Pokémon.
It was almost predictable. Every time Ash stepped into a new region—series, movies, whatever—he somehow ended up crossing paths with nearly every Legendary and Mythical in the area. Sometimes it was friendly. Sometimes it was a mess. Either way, he always found them.
But the Ash who'd just started traveling… could he really be carrying something so intense that even Armored Mewtwo noticed?
Yeah. Honestly? Yeah.
Damian's mind snapped to one name right away: Ho-Oh, Kanto's big legend. Ash had run into it on day one, pure coincidence. If Ho-Oh was involved, that "aura" thing suddenly made a lot more sense.
Except… there was a catch. Ash had only seen Ho-Oh. He hadn't touched it, hadn't bonded with it, hadn't done anything that should leave a mark. So why would he be carrying anything at all?
Then it hit Damian like a lightbulb to the face.
Wait. There was a way.
In I Choose You!, Ash still started out with a Pikachu that wanted nothing to do with him. He still got chased by a swarm of Spearow. Pikachu still popped off with that sudden burst of power. And after the rain, Ho-Oh still showed up in that rainbow.
But in that version… Ash didn't walk away empty-handed.
Ho-Oh left behind a Rainbow Wing—a feather, basically. A calling card.
Only the ones Ho-Oh "picked" ever got one, and it wasn't just pretty decoration. It meant you were on the shortlist—a potential Rainbow Hero. Pass the trials set by Ho-Oh's guardians—Entei, Suicune, and Raikou—and you'd earn the right to meet Ho-Oh at the end of the rainbow.
Damian's gaze slid over Ash.
So… is this that Ash?
Parallel worlds weren't just a theory in this universe—they were real. And the Ash from I Choose You! wasn't the same as the TV one. Different vibe, different path. Even the travel crew didn't match—Misty and Brock weren't supposed to be his partners in that timeline.
And the biggest difference?
Movie Ash trained like a monster. Like the game version people whispered about—Red. Before he even finished his first region, his Pikachu could already scrap with Ho-Oh. Sure, he didn't win, but he didn't get erased instantly either. He actually traded shots for a bit.
Plus, that movie didn't do the whole "Charizard refuses to fight" nonsense. Instead it went for a different angle—Ash got cocky, started looking down on Pikachu and Charmeleon for being "weak," then got pulled back into reality and found his rhythm again.
Yeah. It had to be the Rainbow Wing.
The only question was… where was it?
Damian was still turning it over in his head when Ash suddenly snapped him out of it.
"Damian!"
Ash stepped forward, eyes bright, voice lit up like he'd swallowed a match.
"Let's battle! I'm strong too—seriously!"
Damian blinked, thrown off for half a second. "Huh?"
Misty and Brock stiffened.
"A battle with Damian?" Brock muttered.
Misty's eyes widened. "Ash, are you sure—?"
Because let's be real: Ash had talent for a rookie, but Damian was last year's Indigo Plateau Champion. That's not a warm-up match. That's getting thrown into traffic.
Still… they both relaxed a little.
Because it was Ash. The kid challenged everything with a pulse.
Damian let out a quiet laugh, more entertained than insulted. "A battle, huh? I'm not against it. I kind of want to see what you've really got."
Ash's face split into a grin so wide it almost hurt. Those words hit him like praise. Damian was taking him seriously. That mattered.
"But not today." Damian lifted a hand casually. "I've got things to handle. We'll do it next time."
He meant it, too. He had work, and he wasn't desperate to fight a kid on day one.
If this was the TV version, Ash was still green—beating him would be dull. If it was the movie-talent version, it would be more interesting… just not yet.
Let him cook.
Damian didn't enjoy stomping weak opponents. Beating up rookies wasn't a flex—it was a waste of time.
Ash's shoulders drooped. "Aw… come on."
"Don't make that face, kid." Damian's mouth tugged into a smirk. "If we're meant to cross paths again, we will."
Then his tone sharpened—friendly, but with teeth.
"Until then, get strong fast. Because when we fight, I'm not going to treat you like some random roadside trainer I can wipe out with one lazy move."
Misty and Brock both broke into an awkward sweat.
Yeah… that sounded a little arrogant.
Ash clenched his fist, fired up all over again. "I won't lose! Damian, I'm going to be a Pokémon Master!"
Then he leaned in like he was making a promise to the universe.
"I'm going to beat you. I'm going to beat last year's Champion!"
He whipped around. "Right, Pikachu?"
Pikachu swallowed hard, then angled one wary eye toward Armored Mewtwo like it was staring at a walking nightmare.
It didn't exactly match Ash's energy.
"Pika…?" it squeaked—small, uncertain, basically please don't make me do this.
Ash frowned. "Hey—say it louder! Show some spirit!"
Damian chuckled under his breath. "That's the attitude. I'll be waiting."
Then he nodded toward the city lights beyond them. "Oh—and if you've got time, there's a Game Corner over there. Win enough coins, and you can trade for some rare Pokémon."
Ash paused, calculating, suddenly practical. "A Game Corner…? Uh… can my wallet survive that?"
Damian turned away, already done with the conversation.
"Let's go, Mewtwo."
He walked off, Armored Mewtwo gliding after him like a shadow with armor plating.
On the other side of town, Damian slipped into a residential building, found a hidden panel, and dropped into an underground route that opened into a sealed facility.
But the second he stepped inside, something felt off.
A low, ugly alarm shrieked through the corridors—steady, piercing, impossible to ignore.
Damian's expression cooled. He moved fast.
He reached the control room and found Gladion alone, eyes locked on a wall of surveillance feeds.
"What's the problem?" Damian asked. "Why is the place screaming at me?"
Gladion didn't look away from the screens. "We've got an intruder. Athena took a squad to flush them out."
Damian lifted an eyebrow. "Bold. Stupid, but bold."
This base in Celadon City wasn't some cheap hideout. It was big, important, and buried under layers of security. Getting inside took brains, luck, or both.
Damian's smile returned—thin, dangerous.
"Alright, then." He rolled his shoulders like he was about to stretch before a match. "Mewtwo—let's go catch this little mouse."
His eyes gleamed with curiosity.
"Now the real question is…" he muttered, almost to himself. "Is this mouse a guy… or a girl?"