As Ash was falling, the world a dizzying blur of green and brown rushing upwards, plummeting through the surprisingly resistant air along with Chloe and the little Pichu clinging to him for dear life, he had a remarkably, perhaps inappropriately, laid-back thought.
'Umu.
Interesting.'
'It doesn't feel too bad to feel the wind resist you as you fall.'
The roar of air past his ears was intense, almost deafening, yet strangely distant.
'Feels kind of like skydiving without the parachute... or maybe like being tossed by Regigigas during one of its more playful moods.'
He risked a glance downwards.
Yep, the ground was definitely getting closer at an alarming rate.
Individual leaves on trees were becoming visible now.
Not ideal.
'Okay, maybe a little faster than ideal would be nice for the landing part.'
'But honestly, how long is it taking those two Idiots to get here?' he grumbled internally, a flicker of impatience cutting through the adrenaline buzz.
'I whistled loud and clear.
The signal wasn't that far from the ranch boundaries.'
'Feels like I could have used Aura to slow our descent faster than they're arriving.'
He made a mental note, even while plummeting.
'Guess I'll definitely need to increase their reaction time training.
Maybe add some emergency signal response drills.
Use falling objects as targets.
Like me, for instance.
Perfect motivation.'
Chloe, meanwhile, was experiencing the fall quite differently.
Pure, unadulterated terror gripped her.
She squeezed her eyes shut, clinging desperately to Ash's jacket with one hand and shielding Pichu with the other, convinced each second was her last.
A scream was trapped in her throat, unable to escape past the paralyzing fear.
'We're falling! We're falling! This is it! Oh, Mom, Dad, Goh, I'm sorry!'
Her mind raced, flashing through fragmented images.
Then, amidst the panic, a strange observation pierced through – Ash, the boy she was clinging to, wasn't screaming.
He wasn't flailing.
He felt... steady.
Impossibly calm for someone hurtling towards the ground.
How could he be so calm?!
Was he insane?
Or just... incredibly brave?
The thought was bewildering, strangely grounding even as gravity did its relentless work.
Pichu, pressed against Ash's chest, let out tiny, terrified squeaks, but also seemed to draw some comfort from the steady presence holding it, recognizing a familiar strength even in this younger form.
As Ash finished mentally outlining the new training regimen, he finally saw them – two rapidly growing orange dots flickering against the blue canvas of the sky, approaching with the velocity of fired comets.
'Finally!
About time, you slackers!'
He sighed internally with profound relief, immediately forgiving their perceived tardiness.
He tightened his grip, pulling Chloe securely against him and ensuring Pichu was safely tucked in his arm.
"Hold on!" he yelled over the wind, though it was likely unnecessary advice.
Chloe instinctively burrowed closer, bracing for impact or... whatever came next.
The wind roared louder, and then, with astonishing speed and a surprisingly quiet whoosh of displaced air, the first orange shape was there.
Charizard Y, his movements fueled by his Timid nature's inherent caution translated into sheer escape velocity when summoned urgently, arrived like a silent orange arrow.
There was no showboating, just pure, focused speed.
He angled his body perfectly beneath them, his large, warm back meeting them with a solid thud that knocked the wind out of Chloe but securely arrested their fall.
The landing was precise, efficient, perhaps lacking the dramatic flair X might have employed, but undeniably effective.
They were safe, hovering high above the forest floor on the back of a magnificent Charizard.
A fraction of a second later, Charizard X arrived, pulling up sharply beside them with a slightly frustrated roar, clearly annoyed at being beaten despite his powerful Adamant-fueled charge.
Y, despite his Timid nature, couldn't resist a subtle, almost imperceptible puff of smoke from his nostrils, the Charizard equivalent of a smug sniff, directed at his slightly slower brother.
The silent message was clear:
'(Fast when it counts, brother. Maybe focus less on roaring and more on flying next time?)'
X shot back a glare, rumbling deep in his chest.
'(Shut up! You got lucky! There was... uh... unexpected wind resistance! And I was pacing myself!)'
He crossed his arms, looking away haughtily, fooling absolutely no one, least of all Ash or Y.
Ignoring the brewing fraternal rivalry playing out in glares and subsonic rumbles, Ash immediately focused on Chloe, his primary concern shifting now that they weren't about to become acquainted with the forest floor at terminal velocity.
"Chloe? Hey, look at me. Are you okay?"
His voice was laced with genuine worry, his eyes scanning her face intently.
"Anywhere hurt? Dizzy? Need to throw up? Totally okay if you do, just aim away from Y, he's sensitive about his scales."
Chloe was still trembling, gasping for breath, her knuckles white where she gripped Ash's jacket.
She slowly, hesitantly, opened her eyes, taking in the impossible reality – the wind whipping her hair, the dizzying height, the solid warmth of the Charizard beneath them, and Ash's concerned face just inches from hers.
"N-No... I... I don't think I'm hurt," she stammered, her voice shaky.
Her mind felt like scrambled Oran Berries.
"Just... scared. Really, really scared."
She looked around, her eyes wide with a mixture of lingering terror and dawning awe.
"But... Is this... Are we actually flying? On your Charizard?"
"Yeah, this is Y," Ash replied calmly, giving her shoulder a reassuring squeeze.
"He's the faster one, lucky for us. You're safe now. See? Solid as a rock... well, a flying, fire-breathing rock that gets nervous in large crowds."
His tone then shifted, becoming sterner, though his eyes remained kind.
He needed her to understand the danger she'd courted.
"But Chloe, seriously, why did you go so close to the cliff edge like that? Especially when you saw it crumbling?"
He admonished her gently, his voice firm.
"You could have fallen even without the ground giving way completely. You need to be more careful."
Chloe flushed, looking down at her hands, shame replacing the adrenaline.
She knew he was right. It was reckless.
"I... I know," she whispered, feeling incredibly foolish.
"It's just... when I saw Pichu... He looked so tiny and scared, hanging there all alone."
She looked up at Ash, her eyes pleading for understanding.
"I felt like I had to help him immediately. I didn't stop to think about the danger to myself."
Ash sighed, the sternness dissolving instantly in the face of her earnest explanation.
He understood that impulse all too well – the overwhelming urge to help a Pokémon in distress, consequences be damned.
He reached out and gently patted her head again, the gesture surprisingly comforting.
"I get it, Chloe. Really, I do. Wanting to help is a good thing. You were incredibly brave to even try."
He acknowledged her courage, validating her intentions.
"Just... promise me you won't do it again without thinking, okay? Or without me," he added softly.
"Your safety matters too. Let me handle the dangerous dives."
His words, the blend of gentle scolding and genuine praise, the quiet strength in his reassurance... Chloe felt that confusing warmth spread through her again, a fluttery feeling in her stomach that was definitely not just from the near-death experience.
She nodded mutely, unable to speak, suddenly very aware of his hand lingering near her hair.
Ash then turned his attention fully to the precious little guy he still held securely.
Pichu had apparently passed out again briefly during the rescue, its tiny form limp.
"Can I hold him for a sec?" Ash asked Chloe, his voice softening considerably as he looked at the small Electric-type.
"Oh! Yes, of course," Chloe agreed immediately, carefully helping Ash adjust his hold so he cradled Pichu properly.
Ash held the little mouse Pokémon gently, examining him closely for any injuries.
"Hey little buddy," he murmured, his voice thick with worry and something else... a deep, resonant affection.
"Are you okay? Squeeze my finger if you're okay."
He lightly brushed Pichu's cheek with his thumb.
Pichu stirred, letting out a soft, sleepy "Pi..." before its eyes blinked open again.
It looked up at Ash, blinked again as if focusing, and then nuzzled weakly against Ash's finger, letting out a slightly stronger, more reassuring "Pi pi chu!".
A tiny, almost invisible spark crackled from its cheek pouch – a sign of life, of energy returning.
"Oh, thank Arceus! That's a massive relief," Ash breathed out, the tension visibly draining from his shoulders.
He felt like he could finally breathe properly again.
Seeing this Pichu, his Pichu, okay... it meant more than he could articulate.
He leaned his head down, shielding the intimate moment from Chloe's curious gaze, and whispered very softly, almost inaudibly, directly into Pichu's tiny ear.
"Pichu... it's really me. Ash. From... you know. Before."
He held his breath, hope and trepidation warring within him.
"Do you... do you remember anything? Our journey? Me?"
Pichu looked surprised again, its little head tilting as it seemed to process the whispered words, the familiar voice, the underlying connection it undoubtedly felt.
Its dark eyes studied Ash's face intently, searching.
Then, recognition dawned, bright and unmistakable.
A wide, mischievous grin, so incredibly familiar it made Ash's heart ache with joy, spread across Pichu's face.
And then, Pichu winked.
A clear, deliberate, spark-filled wink, conveying volumes of shared history and understanding in a single gesture.
Ash's breath hitched. He couldn't suppress the wide, beaming grin that broke out across his own face.
Relief, joy, disbelief, and a thousand questions crashed over him simultaneously.
He remembers!
Great! Oh, thank you, thank you, he remembers!
Pikachu was here, somehow, younger, but here, with his memories intact!
'Pikachu! Buddy! You're okay! You remember me!' Ash celebrated internally, feeling an overwhelming sense of homecoming, of a vital piece of his soul being restored, even amidst this confusing timeline.
How was this possible? Why was he here? Did he travel back too? The questions could wait. For now, just knowing wasn't alone, that his partner remembered... it was everything.
Suddenly, Y, who had been patiently hovering, let out another sharp, urgent roar, angling his head pointedly back towards the cliff face.
(Ash! Reminder! Other problem still dangling!)
Y's message pulled Ash abruptly back from his joyous reunion.
Right. Goh.
He leaned over Y's side carefully, following his Charizard's gaze.
Yep, there he was.
The figure Ash had glimpsed before was indeed Goh, clinging desperately to a thick, gnarled tree root protruding from the sheer rock face about halfway down.
His legs were dangling uselessly, scrabbling for purchase against the stone, kicking up small showers of dirt.
He looked seconds away from losing his grip.
"Goh!!"
Chloe shouted again, her voice sharp with genuine fear for her friend's safety, her own recent peril momentarily forgotten.
'It's that dumbass alright,' Ash confirmed silently, sighing with a weariness that felt bone-deep.
Somehow, in the span of maybe five minutes, Goh had managed to get himself separated, lost, and was now about to plummet off a cliff while chasing a delusion. Impressive, in a terrifyingly idiotic way.
Ash turned to X, who was hovering nearby, looking slightly less grumpy now that there was a clear task requiring his strength.
"X, your turn, buddy. Can you go retrieve our wayward adventurer there? Try not to drop him, please."
X snorted, flexing his claws, clearly relishing the chance to perform a rescue Y couldn't (since Y was currently occupied being Ash's taxi).
He gave Ash a sharp nod – acknowledging the order, if not Goh's worthiness of being rescued – and swooped down towards the struggling figure with impressive speed and power.
"Y, let's find a safe place to land properly," Ash instructed, patting Y's neck again.
He felt drained, the emotional rollercoaster of the last ten minutes catching up to him.
"Take us down to that grassy clearing we saw earlier. Gently, okay?"
Y rumbled a soft agreement and began a smooth, controlled descent, banking gracefully towards the designated landing zone.
Soon, they were touching down gently in the sunlit, peaceful clearing, a world away from the chaos of the cliff edge.
Ash carefully helped Chloe dismount, her legs still a bit wobbly. He kept Pichu nestled securely in the crook of his arm.
A moment later, X landed nearby with a heavier thud, appropriate for his build and perhaps his slight annoyance at the payload.
He deposited a very haggard, dust-covered, and wide-eyed Goh onto the grass with perhaps a little less gentleness than strictly necessary.
Goh stumbled, collapsing onto his hands and knees, gasping for breath for a second before his eyes lit up with manic energy again.
He scrambled to his feet, ignoring Ash and Chloe completely, and started pacing frantically, pointing wildly towards the cliffs and the sky.
"Mew! Mew! It was really Mew! I swear! I saw it! Right there!" he babbled, his voice high-pitched with excitement and residual fear.
"It flew right past me! Pink! Floating! Big blue eyes! It had that tail! It was Mew, I tell you! The Mythical Pokémon! Here! I almost had it!"
He gestured wildly, nearly tripping over his own feet, completely caught up in his hysteria.
Ash stared at him, then slowly lowered his face into his free hand.
A massive sweatdrop formed on the back of his head.
He exchanged a long-suffering look with Chloe.
"Uh... Chloe?" Ash whispered conspiratorially, nodding towards the still-raving Goh.
"Is he... uh... is he always like this when he thinks he's seen something rare? Or is this a new level?"
Chloe looked equally tired and bewildered, running a hand through her own slightly tangled hair.
She sighed, a sound heavy with years of dealing with Goh's single-minded obsessions.
"I thought maybe his Mew fixation had calmed down a little in the past few years... but now? Seeing him like this..."
She shook her head, looking genuinely worried.
"Honestly, Ash, I don't know anymore. Maybe the fall knocked a screw loose? Or maybe he really did see... something?"
She looked uncertainly towards the cliffs, though her expression suggested deep skepticism.
Ash sighed again. That made three sighs in rapid succession. Might be a new record.
"Okay... new plan. Deep breaths, everyone," he said, trying to project calm he definitely didn't feel.
"Let's just... let's try and get back to the camp for now. Maybe Professor Oak has some calming tea. Or a very small tranquilizer dart." He muttered the last part under his breath.
He turned towards his Charizards, who were watching Goh's performance with expressions ranging from X's bewildered amusement to Y's profound indifference.
"Thanks again, you two. Seriously. You were amazing. Life savers, literally."
He gave them both another genuine, grateful look.
"You can head back to the ranch now. Get some rest, you've earned it. And X?" he added sternly, "Try not to boast too much about the rescue to the others, okay? Keep it classy."
X puffed out his chest, clearly intending to ignore that last instruction, but gave a reluctant nod anyway. Y just blinked slowly.
They roared simultaneously, a powerful sound acknowledging the dismissal, before launching themselves powerfully back into the sky, circling the clearing once in a final salute before winging their way back towards the familiar sight of Professor Oak's laboratory.
Ash watched them go for a moment, feeling a pang of envy for their simple departure.
He then took a steadying breath and turned back to the task at hand: escorting one potentially traumatized and blushing fiancée, and one completely hysterical Mew-chaser, back to civilization.
He started walking slowly towards the path leading out of the clearing, gesturing for Chloe to follow.
Chloe moved closer, walking beside him, occasionally glancing at his profile, then quickly looking away when he almost caught her eye.
Her thoughts were a chaotic jumble: the fall, the rescue, being carried by Ash, his teasing, his competence, the scary engagement news, his kindness to Pichu, Goh's craziness... It was all too much to process.
Goh stumbled along slightly ahead of them, still muttering excitedly, "Mew... gotta tell Professor Cerise... evidence... next time..."
Ash held Pichu protectively against his chest, feeling the small, warm body breathing steadily now.
He gently stroked the tiny Pokémon's head, his mind racing.
So much had happened in such a short span of time.
The unexpected engagement, seeing Goh again, Dawn's reaction, Chloe's blush... and most importantly, Pichu. Pikachu. Here. Remembering.
But amidst the whirlwind, one thought remained stubbornly lodged in his mind, a cold knot of suspicion beneath the relief and confusion.
Why did the ground near that cliff suddenly collapse like that, right when Chloe leaned over?
It wasn't just bad luck or erosion... it felt deliberate. Manipulated.
But by what? Or who?
.....
Miles away, completely unseen, unheard by any human ear, happily performing intricate, invisible aerial ballets around the highest spire of Professor Oak's windmill, the architect of the day's chaos was thoroughly enjoying the lingering ripples of its mischief.
It was Mew.
The Mythical Pokémon giggled again, the sound like wind chimes made of pure starlight, as it replayed the delightful moment the earth crumbled beneath the brown-haired girl.
Such perfect timing!
And how it had subtly guided that loud, annoying brat Goh – the one always yelling about catching it, the nerve! – towards the other unstable section of the cliff edge after he'd foolishly blundered past, chasing nothing but a fleeting illusion Mew had painted on the air.
Whoopsie-doodle! Such clumsy children, honestly.
Although, Mew mentally patted itself on the back, causing fatal harm was absolutely not the intention.
Goodness, no! That would be far too gauche, terribly messy, and strictly against Rule One dictated by The Lord (Arceus really needed to lighten up on the rules sometimes, especially the boring ones).
Besides, messing with 'That One's' designated companions was only fun if 'That One' – its preferred internal name for Ash Ketchum, a being of unusual resilience and comforting head-pats – was there to perform the inevitable, highly entertaining rescue.
Watching him react today – that burst of impossible speed, the fierce protectiveness towards the girl and the little electric spark, the effortless command he projected even while falling... it was always top-tier entertainment. Reliable, too. He never disappointed.
Mew felt particularly pleased with its subtle orchestration of reuniting 'That One' with his Partner – the little electric spark it remembered with surprising fondness from... well, from elsewhere and elsewhen. Their bond was bright, interesting. Seeing it rekindled under such dramatic circumstances? Chef's kiss! Perfect reunion catalyst achieved!
Though, Mew sighed internally, doing a lazy loop-the-loop, it also had to fulfill its other Directives. Playing cupid, as per the slightly annoying Orders from The Lord Himself. Honestly, getting involved in messy mortal romance plots was usually beneath Mew, but Orders were Orders.
Making the Chloe girl fall head-over-heels for 'That One' (Ash) and thoroughly discard any silly childhood notions regarding that obnoxious brat Goh was, apparently, the primary objective for this little Pallet Town excursion. Stage one: dramatic rescue demonstrating Ash's heroism and inherent coolness – check plus! Stage two: trigger engagement announcement for maximum awkward romantic tension – check! Stage three: ensure continued proximity and opportunities for bonding... currently in progress! Excellent.
Mew humphed again, pleased with its work. And it was satisfying to see Goh get a proper scare anyway. Teach him to chase after beings far beyond his comprehension with such greedy intent! Honestly! If Mew ever decided it wanted a friend (highly unlikely, self-sufficiency was key!), it would choose Ash in a heartbeat. He was interesting, his Aura felt nice and warm, he gave good shoulder rides (based on past-future-alternate observations, of course), and he wasn't always shouting "I'm gonna catch you!". Much more dignified.
Humphed. Decisively.
Mew thought with finality, cloaking itself in invisibility again as it zipped away from the lab. Time to scope out the summer camp layout. What fresh mischief could it devise next? Perhaps rearranging all the tents? Or teaching the camp Tauros to juggle? Or maybe... maybe subtly guiding Ash and Chloe into another 'accidental' bonding situation?
Oh, the delightful possibilities for fun and minor cosmic manipulation were truly endless! Mew giggled again, a sound lost on the wind.