What If Ash was in Pokemon Horizons?

Special Training with Pikachu and Cap!

As the Brave Asagi continues its journey towards Paldea and the Rising Volt Tacklers go about their daily business, Roy suddenly makes a loud entrance to the observation deck, startling Liko.

Roy: Hey Liko, let's have a Pokemon battle!

Liko: Sure!

Suddenly, they hear the sound of loud and fast footsteps as Ash arrives.

Ash: Did someone say a Pokemon battle?!

Roy: Yeah! Me and Liko were going to have one.

Ash: Nice! I'll direct!

Pikachu: Pika!

However, the battle between Sprigatito and Fuecoco ends up consisting of them just using Leafage and Ember to counter each other's attacks over and over, until they both become too tired to continue.

Ash: Well, that wasn't so bad....

Pikachu: Pikachu....

Pikachu shakes his head, it was bad.

They are then summoned to the meeting room by Friede

Friede: I have installed the Rising Volt Tacklers app to each of your Rotom Phones and also installed a Pokédex to Roy's phone.

Roy is so excited to hear about this he ignores the rest of Friede's words.

Ash: There's an app?

Friede: Yes, the app verifies your team membership and works as a message group between members.

Roy: I hope I can register Rayquaza in my Pokedex!

Ash: If you dream it, you can acheive it!

Roy: But I have no idea where to look...

Friede: Why not ask Dot?

Liko: Who?

Murdock: She's my niece.

Friede: She's around your age, she's even the one who made the app, though we don't see her often, since she's always gathering information, but since that's whay she's doing she'll be able to help you three.

Making their way towards Dot's room, Liko and Roy hear the Nidothing theme music coming from inside the room, figuring she must be watching one of their videos. Roy knocks on the door and asks for advice in finding Rayquaza, but instead of a response, jumps out of a hatch on the door. Roy takes the chance to try out his Pokédex by scanning Quaxly, before noticing a note attached to its chest. Opening it, he finds a drawing of himself and Fuecoco after losing in a battle.

Roy: Well that's rude.

Ash: It might be true, but you two just need a little training, no problem!

Liko: I think I have an idea.

Ash smiles confidently, she's going to ask him.

Ash's face of confidence drops into shock as he watches Liko ask Friede for help.

Roy: I know I need to get stronger to catch Rayquaza

Liko: And I need to get stronger to protect the ones I love from The Explorers.

Ash: Don't forget Team Rocket.

Liko: Them to.

Friede agrees to this, and the team gathers on the wing deck. At first, it seems like Friede will be using his Charizard for the training match, but with the bright flash of a bolt from the blue, Captain Pikachu enters the field, having chosen to act as Liko and Roy's opponent.

Ash: Hey Friede, think we can make this a double battle? A bit of Pikachu and Pikachu action?

Friede: Sure, but Cap already has a plan.

As Piakchu joins the battlefield, Captain Pikachu whispers something to him, as Friede does the same to Ash.

Ash: Ah, I gotcha.

Friede: Liko, Roy, if either of you hit one of the Pikachu, you win.

Roy: That's easy!

Sprigatito and Fuecoco start launching as many attacks as they can, but Cap only needs to slightly lean from side to side to avoid every last one of them, Pikachu using Quick Attack to move from one side of the field to the other, then standing still, however, Sprigatito looks closely at Pikachu every time he does, as if she's trying to learn how to use the attack as well.

Liko: Maybe we should use a combo attack, I mean we can't hit Ash's Pikachu, but Sprigatito can use Leafage to blind Captain Pikachu, and then Fuecoco can charge in with Tackle.

Roy: Right!

However, Captain Pikachu avoids this attack just as easily as the previous ones, using Double Team to create multiple fake copies of itself, while Ash's Pikachu sneakily hides behind each clone as he crawls around trying not to be seen.

Soon, though, Liko figures out the pattern behind Cap's Double Team, seeing that he's moving backwards in a zigzag pattern. With this knowledge, Sprigatito and Fuecoco take out the copies one by one, until only the real one is left. Sprigatito tries to use Scratch, but Cap dodges again by jumping into the air, Ash's Pikachu using Quick Attack to add momentum to his jump as he joins Cap. Liko and Roy prepare to strike again when both Pikachus come down, but to their surprise, as soon as Cap and Ash's Pikachu come back down, their Pokémon fall asleep from exhaustion, meaning that the battle has ended.

With the battle over, Murdock offers everyone lunch. Liko observes how everyone has a favorite flavor; for example, Sprigatito likes bitter food, while both Roy and Fuecoco like spicy food, Ash and Pikachu like everything.

Soon, everyone is done eating.

Friede: Liko, Roy, you two should battle against each other and remember what you learned during the battle with Cap and Ash's Pikachu.

And so, the battle begins.

Liko patiently waits for Fuecoco to make a move, but when none comes, she decides to make the first move instead, ordering a Scratch. Fuecoco dodges it and counters with Tackle, which Sprigatito, in turn, also dodges. Liko and Roy realize that this battling style is different from before: instead of blindly ordering moves without even looking at their opponent, they're now making moves in reaction to the moves their opponent is making, a lesson that they subconsciously picked up from their battle with Cap and Ash's Piakchu. Both Pokémon exchange several more moves, before Roy aims for a finishing hit with Ember. Liko tells Sprigatito to run past it, but to her surprise, Sprigatito starts running blindingly fast, avoiding the Fire-type move and slamming into Fuecoco, knocking it out and making Liko the winner.

Liko: What move was that?

Ash: That was Quick Attack!

Liko: But how?

Ash remembers the previous battle and remembers how.

Ash: Sprigatito, she was looking at Piakchu everytime he used Quick Attack to dodge it and Fuecoco, she must have been trying to learn it!

Liko: Really?

Roy: Looks like it!

Liko and Roy thank Ash, Friede and their Piakchus for helping them.

Roy also shares a fist bump with Liko, promising to win the next time they battle.

Just then, Roy receives a message, which turns out to be from Dot, so he, Ash and Liko go to her door once more. When they knock, Quaxly once again comes out carrying a note. This time, the note features a drawing of Rayquaza and some land.

Liko: That's Paldea, Rayquaza's in Paldea.

Roy excitedly thanks Dot and runs off, with Liko thanking her as well and hoping she'll learn to know her better.

Ash: Thanks Dot! New Region here we come!

Ash runs off to catch up with Liko and Roy.