The cool breeze of the Kanto mountain range was a welcome relief. My training with Professor Oak was winding down, but my training with Ash was just beginning. It was funny—I was technically a rookie trainer myself, but with my knowledge of the "future" and my slowly stabilizing Aura, I felt like a grizzled veteran compared to the wide-eyed kid standing next to me.
Relying on the focused research I'd done on my Aura over the past few nights, I had discovered something fascinating. While I still couldn't "talk" to wild Pokémon with the same fluency I had with Floette and Sylveon, I could project my intentions. It was like sending a mental "vibe"—a pulse of goodwill and a clear picture of what I needed.
Combined with Ash's legendary reputation among the local wildlife, we had managed to recruit a few "teaching assistants" from the woods.
Currently, the meadow had turned into a makeshift arena. On one side stood Sylveon, her ribbons poised and ready. Opposite her was a wild Gloom, its bud-like head swaying rhythmically.
"Kusa~!" Gloom tilted its head back and sprayed a glob of thick, purple liquid into the air, arcing directly toward Sylveon.
"Fairy Wind!" I commanded.
Sylveon didn't move her feet. Instead, her ribbons shimmered with a pink light, creating a localized gust of wind. The pink gale slammed into the purple poison mid-air, nudging it just enough to send it crashing into the grass a few feet to her left.
Sizzle... The grass where the Acid landed turned black and melted instantly.
"Alright, hold it there!" I called out, signaling the end of the exchange. I turned to Ash, who was leaning forward so far he was almost falling over. "Did you see that, Ash? That was a Poison-type move, Acid. For a Fairy-type like Sylveon, that's super effective. One direct hit would have been a disaster."
"So you used the wind to push it away!" Ash shouted, his eyes wide.
"Exactly. But keep in mind, this only works for 'light' projectile moves like Acid or Razor Leaf. If that Gloom had used a concentrated beam like Solar Beam or a bolt of electricity, the wind wouldn't have done a thing. In those cases, you have to choose: do you clash with your own move to cancel it out, or do you dodge?"
I paced back and forth, getting into the flow of the lesson. "Dashing and dodging is usually the best bet—it saves energy. But if you're trapped, a 'Skill Clash' is your only hope. However, because Sylveon is weak to Poison, clashing move-for-move with a Poison attack puts her at a natural disadvantage. That's why I chose to deflect it instead of hitting it head-on."
"So amazing!" Ash gripped his vest, his face flushed with excitement. "It's like a giant game of Rock-Paper-Scissors, but with explosions!"
"Precisely. Do you remember what I said about long-range attacks?"
"Yeah! If you're fast, you move! If you're not fast enough, you hit it with something else to block it!"
I ruffled his hair. "Spot on. Let's go again. Gloom, Sylveon, show him a Skill Clash!"
The battle resumed. Gloom launched a flurry of Razor Leaf, the sharp green foliage whistling through the air.
"Swift!"
Sylveon spun in a graceful circle, releasing a spray of golden, shimmering stars. In mid-air, the stars and leaves collided with a series of tiny pops, neutralizing each other perfectly. A few stray stars landed at Gloom's feet, not to hurt it, but to show that the move had more "reach."
We spent hours like that. I explained the importance of stamina, the way a Pokémon's Ability can change the tide, and how to read the "tell" before an opponent strikes. Ash didn't fall asleep once. In fact, I had to practically drag him away when the sun started to dip below the horizon.
"Before we head back," I said, stopping near a large oak tree. "I want to show you one more thing. You don't have a Pokémon yet, but when you do, I want you to remember this. It's a technique for the 'un-dodgeable' moments."
I looked at my partner. "Floette, you're up! Use Fairy Wind while spinning!"
Floette flew into the center of the clearing and began to pirouette at high speed. A pink, shimmering vortex of wind began to swirl around her, creating a literal shield of kinetic energy that completely obscured her tiny body.
"Sylveon, use Swift! Don't hold back!"
Sylveon launched a barrage of stars. They slammed into the pink vortex, but instead of hitting Floette, they were caught in the centripetal force and flung harmlessly into the trees.
"I call this the Counter Shield," I told a stunned Ash. "It turns an offensive move into a 360-degree defense. It's hard to master, but for a Trainer who thinks outside the box... it's a game-changer."
I didn't tell him that he was the one who would eventually "invent" this move in the Sinnoh region years from now. I just wanted to give him a head start.
"I'm gonna learn that," Ash whispered, his voice full of awe. "My Pokémon are definitely gonna do that!"
"I have no doubt," I smiled. "Now, get home. If you're late for Delia's dinner again, I'm not the one who's going to bail you out."
That night, the laboratory was quiet. Professor Oak was likely dreaming of new research papers, and my partners were curled up in a corner, exhausted from the day's training.
I sat at my desk, the glow of a small lamp illuminating a stack of photographs. Beside me, the Roselia egg sat in its incubator, its shell occasionally pulsing with a faint, warm light.
I picked up the photo from my first day—the one of Ash and Serena. I looked at their young, innocent faces. At this moment, Serena's biggest worry was a scraped knee, and Ash's biggest worry was catching a Poliwag. They had no idea about the journeys, the heartbreaks, or the world-saving battles ahead of them.
I flipped the photo over and picked up my pen.
Julian, Ash, and Serena.
Our first meeting. I never expected to be here at the very beginning of the legend. Fate is a funny thing. They're just kids now, but I can already see the sparks of the heroes they'll become. Ash, I wonder... when you're standing on that podium in Galar twenty years from now, will you remember the 'Brother Julian' who taught you about Type Matchups in the woods?
P.S. Serena, I'm rooting for you. Ash is as dense as a Geodude, so you've got your work cut out for you! (Haha)
April 28, Year 243 — Pallet Town Back Mountain.
I set it aside and picked up the second photo. It was a still I had captured from today's video. It showed Ash standing in the meadow, his fists clenched, his eyes burning with a fire that could melt a Glacier. It captured the exact moment he shouted his dream to the world.
I turned it over, my hand trembling slightly.
Ash Ketchum.
I'll be waiting. I'll be waiting for the day we finally stand on opposite sides of a battlefield as equals. I want to be there to see you become a Pokémon Master. Not through a screen, but with my own eyes.
I hope that day comes sooner than I think. I hope the outcome changes your life forever. And I hope, in my heart, that some things never change.
May 14, Year 243 — Professor Oak's Laboratory.
As I finished the last sentence, a single, warm droplet fell from my cheek, splashing onto the white border of the photo. I quickly wiped my eyes with my sleeve, a bittersweet smile tugging at my lips.
I had come to this world as a fan, but I was realizing that I wasn't just a spectator anymore. I was a part of the story. And as I looked at the egg beside me, which gave a sudden, sharp crack in the silence of the room, I knew my own story was about to get a lot more crowded.