Pokemon: Gates to Infinity The Novel Series: Another timeline

episode 6: Ash's true identity

[Oh my alphas, I didn't mean to do that! Should I give the mask back?!]

The Deadly Nadder crooned as she tried to remove the leather from her fang, eyes flickering between it and the viking she pulled it from. The other dragons stared at Ketchum with various expressions, with the Terror fidgeting in his spot near Hiccup's Left leg and Ketchum's Left Arm.

[Well, that explains why their scents were different.]

[Interesting, you think they are related?]
[Duh! The taller viking has to be the older one in the clutch!]
[I didn't think humans laid eggs...]
[Really?!]

[Is no other dragon seriously freaking out by the fact there are Different two of them?! I'm not going crazy am I?!]

-Hiccup-

He stood silently as the man before him tried his best to not make eye contact as he grabbed the offered mask from a concerned Nadder. Hiccup's mind whirled as he processed what he just saw. The same eyes, the scar under the chin, there was no mistaking that he had seen himself in that face. But that is impossible, he couldn't be him....right? Clearing his throat, he repeated his earlier question.

"Who are you?"

Ketchum thumbed the mask in his hands before turning to face him, one of green eyes and Red Eyes meeting for the first time since the mask was pulled off.

"I'm Ash Ketchum."

"What?!"

"five years from my timeline."

Hiccup stared slack-jawed for a moment before he composed himself, a strange sense of anger starting to rise in him.

"Do you think this is some kind of joke?"

"I'm being serious."

"Serious?! You really think that I will accept that you are me but different, from another timeline, and that somehow you got sent back to my own timeline?!"

"Yes, but..."

"But what?! Befriending dragons, fine! You are from another place and I doubt that every person on the planet hates them as much as we do. Sharing my looks, whatever. There are a lot of people in the world and a look alike is possible. But how can you be me? Even if I did believe that, why now? Of all the times you could have chosen, why during my fight with the Gronkle?"

He felt himself bubbling with pent up aggression. He couldn't see how the man in front of him could be himself. The man in front of him was cool and popular with others. He on the other hand was a loner and a freak. He couldn't even bring himself to confess his feelings to his father or crush let alone fight a dragon one on one. There was absolutely no way that Ketchum was himself from the another timeline. No way....

"I didn't choose to be here! Last thing I remember was getting caught in a portal while riding Shadow during the mission and next thing I know I was in your timeline!"

Hiccup gave a hollow laugh.

"So you expect me to believe that coming here was an accident?! Even if you were somehow you, which I still doubt by the way, i would definitely be really confused to find myself in a completely new place and time period. You seem to have accepted being in the timeline more quickly than someone who did it by accident!"

Hiccup was breathing heavily now, his anger slowly fading as he saw the confused and crumbled mess of a man that sat in front of him. Now he felt somewhat ashamed at himself for causing it. He rarely made an outburst like that and watching Ketchum break down was not something he had expected or wanted. Reaching down for his shoulder, he wasn't surprised when Ketchum flinched a bit before looking up.