What If Ash was in Pokemon Horizons?

Flying Pikachu, Rising Higher and Higher!

The door to Dot's bedroom opens as Ash, Liko and Roy enter. "Hey Dot, you got any idea how Cap was bale to fly when we were training?" Roy asked. 

Dot shook her head, "Nah, I've always seen Cap the way he is, but I can help you guys find out."

The three trainers exit Dot's room with her Rotom Phone floating alongside them, they head onto the captain's deck where Friede and Cap are steering the Brave Olivine. "Hey Friede, how did you meet Cap? And was he flying when we were battling?" Roy asked, "Dot thinks the story of you two could make a good video."

"Well, Cap was flying yesterday." Friede answered, "But I can't share sensitive information like that."

"Well, Friede's not the only one on the ship." Ash theorized, "Let's split up and ask the others!"

Liko approaches Murdock and Mollie and is only met with the same answer that Dot had said earlier. Roy approaches Ludlow and he only answers, "Cap is how Friede had formed the Rising Volt Tacklers."

Ash approached Orla as a last resort, "Hey Orla," he greeted, "Liko, Roy and I are asking around about how Friede and Cap met, but no one has any answers."

Orla thought for a moment, "Well I know that Friede and I used to live in Kanto together before I moved to Hoenn. Oh, and Friede's pretty shy about his past, but I think I know how to get him to talk."

The Rising Volt Tacklers gather in the meeting room of their annual afternoon meeting. Orla suddenly says, "In other news, Friede's gonna tell us all about how he met Cap!"

Friede stepped back in surprise, "Whoa! I didn't agree to that!"

Friede looks at the other members as they all stare at him wishtfully with interest at the topic Friede is hiding. Friede sighs, "Alright, alright. If it means that much to you, I'll spill."

Orla winks at Ash, who seems surprised at how easily she convinced Friede.

Friede sat down as he began, "A long time ago, I was a company researcher at a company called Exceed. But, I didn't feel fulfilled as a Pokemon professor. I quit my job after I felt like I lost my passion and spend my days at Porto Marinada on Ludlow's boat, The Olivine."

"Friede lived with you?" Roy turned towards Ludlow.

"Indeed," Ludlow nodded.

"One day, my old teacher Lucca contacted me." Friede contined, "And we met up at  Medali's Treasure Eatery for lunch. I told her about mt struggles and she mentioned getting married and having a daughter."

Liko perked up, "My mom's name is Lucca."

Friede smirked, "That's right. Your mom hired us for a reason."

"Friede, the story?" Dot asked.

"Right," Friede continued, "Lucca told me about a special Pikachu that locals were talking about. I wasn't interested at first, I thought I knew everything about Pikachus. But, Lucca insisted, so I investigated and I saw Cap for the first time creating a massive vortex and floating through the sky alongside it. And just like that, my passion was reignited. I wanted to study Cap to the full extent, but every attempt I made to befriend it ended in Cap either attacking me or running away."

"I've been there before." Ash remarked as he and Pikachu chuckled.

"I spent a couple days observing Cap from afar," Friede continued. "I found out Cap has a light body, which he uses with Volt Tackle and his tail to launch himself into the air and using the vortex created by Volt Tackle to climb into the sky. Cap could also flap his tail during this time to momentarily float."

"Pika..." Pikahcu looked at Cap in awe, the Pikachu in question just smirked.

"I still couldn't figure out what made Cap wanna fly every day at dawn exactly," Friede continued, "Getting hit with Volt Tackle was hard, but I couldn't just stand and watch anymore. I flew on Charizard on one morning just as Cap took to the sky and I saw a beautiful sunrise and I realized Cap just wanted to see the horizon. But, Cap forgot to flap his tail when he saw me and he began to fall. Charizard caught him in time and I asked Cap to be my partner so we could soar through the sky together, and he accepted."

"Woah, can't believe it took that long for Cap to like you!" Roy commented.

"That's how Pikachus can be." Ash said nostalgically, "It just takes one moment for us to connect, and then WHAM! They'll never stop liking you."

Friede chuckled, "You've got a point Ash."

"Did you have a moment like that too?" Dot asked.

"Oh yeah!" Ash declared, "Pikachu didn't like me until I made some Spearow mad and I was gonna let myself get attacked so Pikachu wouldn't get hurt."

"Still can't believe you thought that was a good idea..." Liko muttered.

"Anyway, I returned to Ludlow and the Olivine and we sailed to Slateport City and asked Orla to turn The Olivine into an airship."

"Still can't believe the first thing you said to me in years was a request to turn a little sailboat into an airship." Orla remarked.

"Hey, you did it, didn't you?" Murdock asked and Orla nodded.

Friede chuckled, "Orla was able to do so and I renamed the ship to the Brave Olivine. I was gonna pay her, but Orla refused payment in return of letting her travel with Ludlow and I around the world so she can keep the ship in shape. Since my passion was reignited by Cap, I named him captain of the ship and gave him his nickname. I then named our little group the Rising Volt Tacklers because of Cap's Volt Tackle."

The rest of the RVT clap their hands as Friede concluded his story. "I still can't believe my mom was your teacher!" Liko exclaimed.

"Oops, didn't I ever mention that before today?" Friede asked sheepishly.

"Nope!" Ash laughed, "Classic Friede!"

As the sun sets on the horizon, the four children meet up on the deck. "Well, I finished editing the video." Dot informed her friends.

"Y'know, maybe we should keep this to ourselves." Ash suggested, "I mean, this is Friede's story."

Liko nodded, "I think it's better that way. Plus, I should thank my mom for helping form the Rising Volt Tacklers the next time I see her."

Roy and Dot nod as Roy notices the land of Galar getting closer to them. "Hey! We're almost at Galar!" Roy turned to Ash, "You're gonna keep your promise, right?"

"Oh yeah, for sure!" Ash declared, "I promise no one will even know I'm there!"