Ash took a deep breath, staring at Athena as he sat cross-legged on the bed. He could feel a strange anticipation bubbling inside him. Ever since she had awakened his psychic potential, something in the back of his mind had felt... different. Like a door was half-open, just waiting for him to step through.
"Alright, let's do this," Ash thought to himself.
Athena gave him a knowing smile and raised her hand, a soft glow forming around it. "Close your eyes, Ash. Focus on my voice."
Ash's breath hitched. He heard her. Not in the usual way, but inside his head. Her voice was calm, soothing—almost musical.
"Whoa… This is actually working!"
Athena chuckled, her lips not moving as she responded. "Yes. Your mind is already adapting. But you need to strengthen the connection."
Ash nodded, excitement growing in his chest. "Alright, how do I do that?"
"First, clear your thoughts. Let go of distractions." Athena's voice was gentle, guiding him like a teacher would a student. "You must open your mind to the energy around you. Breathe in… slowly…"
Ash did as she instructed, inhaling deeply. His world began to shrink, the noise of the Pokémon Center fading away. He wasn't just hearing Athena anymore—he could feel her presence. Like a warm pulse of energy wrapping around his own.
"Good. Now, push your thoughts toward me, like speaking but without words."
Ash hesitated before trying. He focused on a simple thought. "Test?"
Athena smiled, her red eyes glowing softly. "Loud and clear."
Ash grinned. This was amazing! He was actually communicating with his Pokémon—not just in words but in thoughts.Could he do this with the rest of his old team? With his new team?
"This is incredible, Athena. But… how far can we take this?"
"That depends on your training. With time, you may even be able to hear other Pokémon… or use abilities similar to ours."
Ash's eyes widened. "Wait—you mean, like, actual Pokémon moves?!" He whisper shouts too exited to keep it ot the meltal conversatinl.
Athena nodded. "That is a further step. But first, we must strengthen your mind. If you overextend yourself too soon, it could be dangerous."
Ash couldn't help but smile helplessly at Athena's mothering nature. Despite her calm and nurturing demeanor, there was a firm resolve in her words—she truly cared about his well-being.
"Alright, alright, I get it. No pushing myself too hard," Ash thought back to her with a smirk.
Athena gave him a pointed look. "Good. I'd rather not have to carry you to the Pokémon Center after you collapse from overexertion."
Ash chuckled, but his expression quickly grew serious. He glanced down at his hands, flexing his fingers as he considered the possibilities. If what Athena said was true, then he wasn't just unlocking his ability to communicate with Pokémon—he could potentially become something more.
"For the purpose of a peaceful future," Ash thought, determination hardening in his eyes, "I shall learn Transform."
Athena blinked, tilting her head. "Transform?"
Ash grinned. "Yeah. Like Ditto. If I can understand Pokémon and even use their moves… why stop there? What if I could fully become one, even temporarily?"
Athena's eyes gleamed with intrigue, though there was a hint of concern. "That would be… extremely advanced. No human has ever attempted such a thing. It would take time, patience, and mastery over your psychic potential Ace might have to start your aura training first too."
Ash realizes it's way to early to try and actually learn a Pokémon move but had an idea and checked the character customization in Pokémon go and it works… must be magical bullshit.
"Yeah i guess that would be a bit tough, but it would go a long way in hiding my identity and allowing me to use you all." Ash states
"That makes sense will Lady Cyel, be making her return?" Athena answers.
Ash paused, deep in thought, as he stared at his old Trainer ID from Pokémon X. The image of Lady Cyel—his blonde, eerily Sabrina-like alter ego—stared back at him. Changing genders and hair color entirely would definitely throw off anyone trying to connect his two identities.
But Misty… yeah, she'd notice if he kept vanishing randomly. That would be a problem.
Then another thought hit him. Wait… didn't Pokémon Go have a character customization screen?
A grin spread across his face as he quickly pulled out his PokéGear and opened the app, navigating to the customization menu. A few taps later, he watched in stunned silence as the 3d character model looked exactly like him.
Saving the current customization he started playing with the character customization like any good gamer would…
=========
Ash… no Cyel in this form looked at herself in the mirror before looking down at the Kalos trainer ID card…
"Athena, could you teleport us to the front of this Pokemon center. We can register for the indigo Leauge and try and get some paperwork rushed through before morning?" Cyel asks barely not flinching at the higher pitched voice.
"Of course master… I mean Dutchess Cyel"
Oh shit, yeah I did battle that much at the battle mansion… these Kantoians are gonna thing I'm actually an aristocrat…
"That might help actually." Cyel mutters as she is suddenly in front of the pokemon center.
Cyel swallowed her nerves as she walked in to be greeted by a Nurse joy jolting awake from lying at her desk.
"Leave it to you indigo people to over work yourselves." Cyel mutters loud enough for Nurse Joy to hear.
"Hello… welcome to the Pokemon center how can I assist you?" Nurse joy states with a yawn.
"Hello, I am dutchess Cyel from Kalos and I wish to take part in the indigo Leauge as a guest."
Nurse Joy seems to stall completely… "is it okay if I take a minute to call one of my cousins shes stationed at vermillion and deals with foreigners more?"
Cyel kept her expression calm, though internally, she was amused at how quickly Nurse Joy had frozen up at her introduction. She had expected some surprise—after all, she had just thrown out a noble title—but the sheer hesitation was telling.
"Of course," Cyel replied smoothly, clasping her hands behind her back in a practiced, dignified stance. "I understand the need for verification. Please, take your time."
Nurse Joy nodded quickly before turning to the videophone, dialing a number with practiced efficiency. Within moments, another Joy—this one wearing the insignia of Vermillion City's Pokémon Center—appeared on the screen.
"Ah, cousin!" The Pewter City Joy greeted with a tired smile. "I have a bit of an unusual case here. A trainer claiming to be Duchess Cyel from Kalos wishes to register for the Indigo League as a guest competitor. I thought you might have a better idea of how to handle this."
"Duchess Cyel, you said?" the Vermillion Joy repeated, tilting her head slightly. "I don't have any immediate records of that name in our system. Can you provide a Kalos League Trainer ID for verification?"
Cyel was prepared for this. Without missing a beat, she handed over her Kalos Trainer ID, keeping her expression composed. "Of course."
Nurse Joy scanned the ID, the screen flickering as the system attempted to pull up records from the Kalos League database. It took longer than expected—likely due to distance and interregional bureaucracy—but after a moment, a black profile appeared.
Nurse Joy's eyes widened slightly as the screen finished loading. The profile wasn't empty—it was a solid battle record, far beyond what she had expected.
Several Kalos Gym Badges.
A League tournament placement in the top ten.
Multiple battles against Elite Four members.
Two recorded matches against the Kalos Champion.
And over 3,000 battles logged in total.
For a moment, there was only silence. Even the Vermillion Nurse Joy seemed taken aback.
"…This is more than just a respectable record," the Indigo Joy muttered, adjusting her glasses as she studied the screen. "You've battled at the highest level in Kalos."
Cyel gave a small, almost lazy shrug. "I like to battle."
Vermillion Joy let out a low whistle. "No wonder I didn't recognize the name—most trainers who reach this level of competition are well-known, but if you never actually took the Champion's title, it makes sense you'd fly under the radar outside Kalos." She paused, then added, "Though two battles against the Champion? That's not something just anyone does."
Pewter Joy nodded, quickly regaining her professional demeanor. "Given your record, I don't think a verification battle is necessary. The system can confirm your identity through battle logs alone."
Cyel smiled politely. "I appreciate that."
Pewter Joy typed a few things into the terminal before handing Cyel a new Indigo League Trainer ID. "Everything's set. You're officially registered as a guest competitor in the Indigo League. You'll still need to visit Viridian's League Office for full paperwork, but you can challenge Gyms starting immediately. What brings you to this side of the world?"
"Well, i figured a change of scenery would look good… And there is a spiky haired brat somewhere around that I need to watch over." Cyel responds.
Vermillion Joy chuckled. "Ah, a family thing. I see. Kanto's got plenty of strong trainers took keep you entertained, but it sounds like you already know that. Fair warning there is alot of posion types in this region."
Cyel smirked. "I do. And if I'm going to be here for a while, I might as well challenge the best."
Pewter Joy gave a knowing nod. "You won't be the first foreign trainer to take a shot at the Indigo League, but with a record like yours, I imagine you'll turn some heads."
Cyel accepted the new ID, tucking it into her pocket. "I look forward to it."
As she turned to leave, she turne back to Nurse Joy, adding, "One last thing—Kalos nobility doesn't often get involved in much outside our own region. If word spreads, you might get some… unexpected attention from my homeland."
Cyel hesitated for only a moment before flashing an easygoing smile. "Let them watch. I'll give them a battle worth remembering."
With that, she stepped out of the Pokémon Center, Athena teleporting beside her. The cold night air was crisp, but she barely noticed it.
"Did you deliver my note of challenge to Brock?" Cyel asks Athena.
"Divor Gar." She responds with a nod.
"Good then I'll need to fight him in this form after I do as Ash… I hope Pikachu is up to it and that I can dodge Misty. Take us back to our room, we got to wake up in 5 hours."
" Sleep has never really bothered you before mistress"
"Well I think Snack and Ace are gonna make short work out of Brock… and yeah sleep wasnt too much of an issue before." Cyel admits