What If Ash was in Pokemon Horizons?

Flying Pikachu, Rising Higher and Higher!

Ash, Liko and Roy head into Dot's room again

Ash: Hey Dot, do you have any idea how Cap was able to fly during his battle with Roy?

Roy: Cap's gotta be a special flying Pikachu!

Liko: Maybe, Ash's Pikachu can't fly

Ash: At least, I don't think he can.

Dot: I've always seen Cap the way he is now, but I can help you three find out.

Dot sends her Rotom Phone accompany Liko, Ash and Roy as they go to question Friede and Cap at the Brave Asagi's helm in the hopes of making a good video about the mystery. Unfortunately for them, though, while Friede doesn't deny that Cap did indeed fly on the previous day, he's reluctant to answer any questions regarding their past. As such, Ash, Liko and Roy start asking questions from the other crew members. Mollie and Murdock can only tell that Cap is a picture of health, Ludlow tells the children that Cap is the reason why Friede formed the Rising Volt Tacklers to begin with. From Orla, they learn that she and Friede used to live in Kanto together before she moved to Hoenn, and that he's shy when it comes to talking about his past, especially in front of cameras. Seeing the children's curiosity, though, Orla agrees to help them and makes an impromptu announcement to the crew that Friede will be sharing his and Cap's story in the meeting room. While initially unhappy by the sudden announcement done without his consent, Friede ultimately caves in from the pressure of everyone's curiosity and starts telling his story.

Having quit his job as a company researcher, Friede has lost the passion for his work and started to spend his days by simply monotonously with Ludlow. This routine changes, though, when he is contacted by his former teacher, , whom he goes to meet at 's Treasure Eatery restaurant to learn that she had moved from Kanto to after getting married and having a daughter. To reinvigorate Friede's passion, Lucca invited him to meet a special Pikachu that had become famous among locals. At first, Friede is uninterested, feeling he already knows everything there is to know about . His attitude changes, though, when he seems the Pikachu creating a massive vortex and floating through the sky with it. His researcher spirit reinvigorated, he sets out to research this peculiar Pikachu, but all of his attempts at approaching it are met with either it tackling him or running away from him. Noticing Pikachu getting hungry while doing squats with his tail, he and gather him some and remind him that it's also important to ensure the intake of proper nutrients.

Observing Pikachu from afar, Friede learns that Pikachu has a light body, which he's using in combination with the and his springy tail to launch himself upwards, using the vortex of energy created by the move to climb into the sky, where flapping his tail allows him to float momentarily. Contacting Friede, Lucca is happy to learn of his discoveries and tells him that this reinvigoration of curiosity is exactly what she hoped from a netting between him and Pikachu, while taking care of her daughter Liko.

Despite continuing to observe Pikachu for days, Friede is still unable to figure out what drives him to flying every day at dawn, regardless of the damage he takes from each usage of Volt Tackle. Finally deciding that simply observing isn't enough, he takes flight with Charizard one morning just as Pikachu does too and rises up to the sky with him. Looking at the sunrise, he finally realizes that what drove Pikachu was the desire to see this horizon. Forgetting to flap his tail at the sight of Friede, Pikachu starts to fall, but Charizard saves him. Friede asks Pikachu to become his partner, so that they both can soar through the sky together. Accepting this request, Pikachu lets himself be , officially making the partners. Returning to Ludlow and his boat, the Asagi, Friede and he sail to , where Friede meets Orla and makes the surprising request of making the Asagi able to fly. Orla happily obliges and converts the boat into an airship, which Friede renames the Brave Asagi. Instead of any payment for her work, all that Orla requests in return is to get to travel with Friede so she can continue to take care of the airship's maintenance. Friede accepts her request and also appoints Pikachu as the captain of the airship, making him Captain Pikachu. Taking inspiration of Pikachu's Volt Tackle, he names the newly formed team the Rising Volt Tacklers, before setting sail with his new teammates.

Ending his story, Friede is met with applause from the crew

Liko: I still can't believe my mom was your teacher!

Ash: Classic Friede! Always leaving stuff out!

Ash laughs as Friede is embrassased.

Later, Ash, Liko, Roy and Dot meet at the deck

Dot: I finished editing the video...

Ash: Maybe we should keep this to ourselves...

Liko: Yeah.

Roy: Sounds good.

Dot: Yep.

Ash: Y'know Liko, your mom is to thank for all of this.

Liko: i know, when I come back to Paldea, I'll thank her.

Ash: And hopefully I'll meet her, of maybe you can meet my mom if we ever go back to Kanto, or maybe our moms can meet each other!

Liko: Oh Ash...

Roy: You better keep your word when we get to Galar, no drawing attention to yourself right?

Ash: Yeah of course! No one will know I'm there!