As the battle between Giovanni and Gary raged on, Ash, Sabrina, and even Misty could feel the overwhelming psychic energy sweeping through Viridian City.
Ash instantly recognized it—this was Mewtwo's psychic aura. It already far exceeded that of his strongest Pokémon. But instead of dread, a spark of excitement flashed in Ash's eyes.
He wanted to battle powerful Pokémon. Not some easy walk-through of the Pokémon world. After all, who wants to live life like a boring cheat code player?
Sure, he had cheats—he wasn't going to lie—but he trained his Pokémon properly. He didn't just spam rare candies to max out their levels like some game mechanic abuser.
As Ash was lost in thought, a notification blinked in front of him. A pending quest.
[Mission: Challenge Giovanni, the Viridian City Gym Leader, and obtain the Earth Badge.]
Mission Reward: Mewtwo Favorability Increase, Charizard Mega Evolution Stone (X).
Ash nodded. He knew Giovanni wouldn't use his real team in a gym battle. Giovanni was only scouting potential recruits for his organization through these battles.
But before Ash could think further, another notification popped up. And this one surprised him.
(
[Mission: Becoming Hero or Villain]
Description: Giovanni, the leader of Team Rocket, has his eyes on you. He believes you have the potential to be his right-hand man.
Choose Your Path: Hero Route or Villain Route.
Mission Reward (After Defeating Giovanni and Choosing a Route):
Hero Route: One-time chance to battle the Guardian of the Sky, Shiny Rayquaza (summoned by the system), Two Mystery Pokémon Eggs.
Villain Route: One-time chance to battle the Dragon of Antimatter, Giratina, Two Mystery Pokémon Eggs.
Note: The Pokémon you will battle come from parallel worlds where all Pokémon have died due to the rampage of Dark Arceus.
You can challenge these Pokémon any time after completing the quest—there is no time limit.
However, once the eggs are taken from inventory, they cannot be returned.)
Ash stared at the mission, stunned—not by Giovanni noticing him, but by the idea of fighting ancient Pokémon. These weren't just legendary or mythical—they were on another level. Ancient Pokémon. The first creations of Arceus himself, meant to maintain balance in the universe.
And they were from a parallel world... a world where Arceus had given up on humanity. If Ash was right, the protagonist of that world—whoever they were—had either become a villain or died. It could've been anyone: a Dex holder, a Champion… maybe even one of his own counterparts.
Ash shook his head. Now wasn't the time to get lost in speculation.
Let's see what the quest actually entails:
Defeat Giovanni.
Choose a route—like those dating sim games, weirdly enough.
Battle ancient Pokémon (this can be delayed until he's powerful enough).
Ash was conflicted. On one hand, an Op Shiny Rayquaza. On the other, a Giratina born from antimatter.
He was confused to choose between two because he want to fight them both.
He didn't care much about being called a "Hero" or "Villain." He wasn't a slave to the system.
Even if he hypothetically chose the Villain Route, it didn't mean he'd start killing people or hurting Pokémon. That was never going to happen.
He was the master of his own life.
The system? Just a tool. An accessory for his growth.
He wasn't like Jin-Woo, blindly following the system's every command just to get stronger. If the system ever threatened to self-destruct him for refusing a quest, he'd give it the middle finger and go out with a banger not as it's personal bitch.
"Huh… damn system. What a way to ruin my day. You seriously gave me two gacha pulls with guaranteed EX-rank Pokémon. Now what the hell am I supposed to do?"
Ash was deep in thought, monologuing like he was in an anime, completely forgetting about Pikachu—who was standing nearby with a Kakashi-level "WTF, bro" expression. After a moment of silent judgment, Pikachu lost his patience and zapped Ash with a Thunderbolt to snap him out of it.
Ash, now slightly electrocuted, just shrugged like it was nothing and stared right back at Pikachu. Neither of them moved. The tension between the two sparked like a western standoff—eyes locked, both waiting for the perfect moment to strike. It was like two cowboys ready to draw their weapons in the middle of Viridian City.
But the intense atmosphere was suddenly shattered.
"Guys! I just got some shocking news from my dad!" Brock's voice cut through the tension, immediately drawing Ash and Pikachu's attention.
"What happened?" Ash asked, blinking away the electricity-induced daze.
"Yeah, what's up?" Misty chimed in, now standing beside Sabrina. Both of them had been enjoying the hilarious cowboy stare-down until now.
Brock took a breath, then dropped the bomb.
"My dad just called me… and told me I'm engaged. To a girl I've never even met."
Everyone froze.
Ash and Pikachu's eyes widened in sync.
Misty's jaw dropped. Sabrina raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued.
"Wait, what?!" Misty finally blurted out. "You're engaged?! Just like that?"
"Yeah," Brock sighed. "He said he's arranging a meeting soon so I can meet her and finalize the engagement."
"Oh… well, I mean, maybe that's a good thing?" Misty offered, trying to be supportive. "Maybe your love journey is finally starting… through marriage?"
"No, Misty! I don't wanna marry someone I've never even met!" Brock cried dramatically. "Ash, bro, help me out here! You've got two girlfriends—you're basically an expert in this stuff! Teach me your ways, Master Ash!"
Ash took a deep breath, trying to process everything. First Mewtwo, then a hero-villain path, and now Brock being dragged into a mystery engagement? He blinked and smirked slightly. This world truly was an alternate universe.
But honestly, he thought, he'd always wanted Brock to find someone good and settle down. Even back when he used to watch the Pokémon series, he had a few ships for Brock himself. His favorites? Lucy from the Battle Pike… and Olivia from Alola's Kahuna crew.
"Well," Ash said finally, "Let's see who this girl is first. If she turns out to be someone like Lucy or Olivia… maybe fate's finally giving you your big W, Brock." ash thought to himself.
"Okay, Brocko, just relax," Ash said, placing a hand on Brock's shoulder. "It's not like your dad wants to marry you off tomorrow or something. Just ask him when and where the meeting is supposed to happen. Once we know that, we can figure out what to do, alright?"
Brock nodded slowly, though his face still carried a nervous expression. "Yeah… you're right. I just… wasn't expecting this out of nowhere."
Ash gave him a reassuring pat. "You'll be fine. Who knows? It might turn out better than you think."
After the whole fiancé fiasco, things began to calm down. Ash and Brock—along with Pikachu and Ash's new Eevee—were now standing on the sidelines of a training field, ready to watch an intense one-on-one battle unfold between Misty and Sabrina.
The battlefield was silent, the tension thick in the air. Ash, Brock, Pikachu, and Eevee watched from the sidelines as Misty and Sabrina stood at opposite ends, ready for their sparring match.
Though it was a friendly battle, the atmosphere was electric.
Misty adjusted her gloves, eyes narrowed with focus.
"Alright, Starmie! Let's give them a show!"
She tossed her Poké Ball, and in a shimmer of water and light, Starmie spun onto the field with a graceful whirl.
Sabrina, ever calm, gave a small nod. "Hypno, it's time."
In a flash of psychic energy, Hypno emerged, swinging its pendulum with a steady rhythm, its eyes already glowing faintly with power.
Ash leaned forward with a grin. "This is gonna be good."
Brock, still a little dazed from his fiancé news, managed a smile. "Yeah… I think Misty's fired up."
"Begin!" Ash called out, taking up the role of temporary referee.
Misty wasted no time. "Starmie, use Rapid Spin!"
Starmie launched forward, spinning rapidly across the ground, a blur of motion aimed directly at Hypno.
Sabrina's voice was calm but firm. "Psychic."
Hypno's eyes glowed brightly, halting Starmie mid-spin with invisible pressure. The Water-type trembled, suspended in the air.
But Misty was ready. "Now, Surf!"
Water surged from beneath Starmie in a crashing wave, forcing Hypno to break its focus and leap back as the wave engulfed the field. Starmie dropped to the ground, landing gracefully.
Sabrina's eyes sharpened. "Hypnosis."
Hypno's pendulum swung faster, the rhythm hypnotic. The psychic waves shimmered toward Starmie.
"Recover, then Dodge with Swift!" Misty called.
Starmie glowed with a soft light, healing its damage before launching into a rapid spin, releasing glowing stars that arced through the air and struck Hypno. The Psychic-type flinched, but stood its ground.
Ash whistled. "Damn. They're going all out."
Pikachu nodded, eyes locked on the fight. "Pika…"
Sabrina adjusted her stance slightly. "Let's end this with Psybeam."
Hypno aimed and released a dazzling beam of psychic energy.
"Mirror Coat!" Misty countered.
The Psybeam struck—but the moment it did, a prismatic shield flared around Starmie, reflecting the attack with double force. The beam shot back toward Hypno and exploded on impact, sending it skidding backward.
Dust settled as both Pokémon stood their ground, breathing heavily but still conscious.
Sabrina raised a hand with a small smile. "That's enough for now."
Misty nodded, smirking. "Yeah. Wouldn't want to destroy the field before Ash's big battle."
The two walked toward each other, bumping fists with a sense of mutual respect and sisterly pride.
Brock chuckled. "Y'know, I never thought I'd see the day Misty and Sabrina would be like sisters."
Ash grinned. "That's what happens when you travel with chaos… and fall for the same idiot."
The group laughed, the tension easing as the spar ended on a high note. Misty and Sabrina returned their Pokémon and stood side-by-side, both smiling softly—warriors, rivals, and now, sisters bound by friendship and love for the same reckless Trainer.
To Be Continued.....
Choose Route's
Hero -------------😊
Villian ------------😈