Chapter 5: A Trainer Who Can't Fight a Pokémon Isn't a Real Trainer
"Aura... Power?" Ash muttered the words, then it clicked. Wasn't this the same power the Champion had mentioned? The one that could let a human physically withstand a Legendary Pokémon?
He had been skeptical then, and to be honest, he still was. A mere human holding their own against the most powerful Pokémon in the world? How could something like that be real?
Ash was already a standout among his peers. Physically, no one in Pallet Town could match him; it was like a natural talent he was born with.
But even so, when faced with his adorable little Pikachu, he had been completely helpless against its electric shock. Even with rubber gloves, if Pikachu really wanted to, it could just aim for his body, and the gloves would be useless.
If he were to actually fight Pikachu, his chances of winning were basically zero.
And that was just against a starter Pokémon. If he were up against one of the legends at the top of the world, wouldn't a single breath from them be enough to seriously injure a person?
And now, the very power he had doubted was his.
[Champion Ash]: So, what's the verdict? What rank did you get? B? C? Even a D-Rank ability would be super useful for you right now.
The new Ash was a blank canvas. Any ability, no matter how small, would be a significant upgrade. Even a lower-tier D-Rank ability would grant him a portion of another Ash's experience or power, which was a massive help.
[Ash]: Uh... I think I got an S-Rank.
[Jinxed Ash]: Hold on a minute. What do you mean you think you got an S-Rank? Did you even look at the wheel? The odds are one in ten thousand! You only had one spin, you can't tell if you won or not?!
A new Ash appeared in the chat. Ash didn't know what "Jinxed" meant, but it sounded like something you didn't want to be called.
[Ash]: It's definitely S-Rank. The notification said I got an ability related to Aura Power, and that it raised my own Aura to S-Rank. It also transferred all the knowledge on how to use it, but I have to check the details myself later.
Ash could now 'see' a glowing orb of light in his mind. That must have been the data packet containing all the experience with Aura Power the chat group had mentioned. Since he was still in the chat, he didn't try to open it yet.
[Jinxed Ash]: No! Impossible! I don't believe it! How can someone get an S-Rank on their very first try! It's not fair! I DON'T BELIEVE IT!
[Ash]: Um... what's wrong with this guy? He seems to be taking this really hard.
[Champion Ash]: Ahem. Don't mind him. His original name was Fisherman Ash. He's an absolute master at fishing—once even hooked a Kyogre, though he couldn't catch it—but he gets skunked a lot.
[Champion Ash]: When he joined the chat, all he wanted was to draw a battle-related ability so he could take on the next Legendary he reeled in. But... well, let's just say his luck is terrible. Every ability he's ever drawn has been B-Rank or lower. His personal record is pulling five D-Ranks and five E-Ranks in ten draws, and they were all for useless daily life skills.
[Ash]: ...
That sounded unbelievably tragic. If he remembered correctly, A and B-Ranks were rare, but together they made up about ten percent of the wheel. If you included C-Rank, it was probably closer to thirty percent. To do ten draws and not even get a single C-Rank? That was insane.
[Aura Guardian Ash]: So, he eventually got fed up and changed his name to Jinxed Ash. He's officially the unluckiest one in the whole group.
And just like that, Ash learned a new word. "Jinxed" meant having terrible luck.
[Ash]: Okay, new question. How do you change your name? And what do you call someone with really good luck?
[Aura Guardian Ash]: Someone with good luck is called an 'RNG God.' But don't you dare change your name to that, or the Fisherman will lose his mind. If you want to change your name, there's a settings icon in the top-left corner of the chat. You can change your name and status message there, but only once a month.
Ash immediately decided against showing off. Even though the other Ash couldn't cross dimensions to punch him, it was still... him. Taunting others was one thing, but taunting yourself was just weird.
[Aura Guardian Ash]: Anyway, it's pretty cool that you got my ability. For a beginner, it's actually one of the best you could have asked for. Traveling in the wild is dangerous, and normally you'd rely on your Pokémon to protect you. But as a new trainer, you don't have many Pokémon, and the ones you do have aren't very strong.
[Aura Guardian Ash]: That's when a trainer needs to step up themselves! As the saying goes, a trainer who can't go toe-to-toe with a Pokémon isn't a real trainer. An S-Rank ability is basically a full inheritance of my power. As you are now, you could probably hold your own against a Champion-level Pokémon.
[Aura Guardian Ash]: Once you've completely mastered my power, even a Legendary Pokémon will have to think twice before messing with you! So yeah, you don't have to worry about your safety on the road anymore.
Ash was floored by the Aura Guardian's words. Was this Aura Power really that incredible?
[Champion Ash]: There's nothing else urgent for now, so you should probably go offline. Aura Power is an excellent ability, not just for fighting, but also for connecting with Pokémon. You'll understand once you go back to the real world and try it out.
It took Ash a second to figure out what "go offline" meant.
'Offline?' My other selves really talk like they live on the internet,' he thought to himself as his consciousness withdrew from the chat group.
Back in the real world, Ash's body had been frozen in place the entire time he was in the chat.
"Pika? Pikachu?? Pika pika??"
At first, Pikachu hadn't paid him any mind. But after a while, it noticed Ash was just sitting there on the ground, his eyes closed, completely motionless. Worried that something had happened, Pikachu cautiously approached to check on him.
After a few tentative nudges, Pikachu realized Ash wasn't just faking it to get his attention. It was as if he had actually lost consciousness.
A wave of panic washed over the little Pokémon. As much as he disliked human trainers, he wasn't cruel. On the contrary, he was a kind-hearted Pokémon. Otherwise, rubber gloves or not, there was no way Ash could have dragged him out of the lab. He could have easily fried the boy to a crisp.
Seeing Ash like this, Pikachu didn't know what to do. Should he run back to town and get help? Or should he try to perform CPR?
Maybe a little electric shock would work? Like a defibrillator?
Just as Pikachu was seriously considering it, Ash's eyes slowly opened.
Man and mouse locked gazes.