The story up to now:
After securing second place in the Sinnoh Championships, Ash decided to venture into the new Isshu region. He was accompanied by Iris and Brock, where he managed to win the Isshu league. Due to this, Ash qualified for the championship league of his choice. Ash chose to pursue the title of Hoenn Champion. But, before starting his journey into the Hoenn region to earn the eightChampion League badges, Ash decided to take a month long break in the port city of Slateport. He was accompanied by Dawn (who wanted to participate in the Hoenn contests), and Brock. They met up with May in Slateport, who had just managed to secure second place in the Sinnoh Grand Festival (after securing third place in the Johto festival). The story begins featuring the day after their arrival at Slateport.
Recent Global News:
Two years ago: Extremist group, Team Galatic, experienced a resurge under a new leader and captured the Sinnoh Region capital. The coup organized by Galatic managed to overthrow the Sinnoh's democratic government. Negotiations are under way between the Galatic-ruled Sinnoh and the other regions.
Eighteen months ago: Isshu declared war on Sinnoh and sent in forces to overthrow the Galatic controlled government.
Ten months ago: The Isshu invasion turned out to be a complete failure. Isshu lost some of its most northern regions to Sinnoh.
Eight months ago: Sinnoh completely fell under Galatic rule as internal resistance eventually faded. Orre joined Sinnoh as an ally after being assured the fact that Sinnoh's resistance was well controlled.
Six months ago: Sinnoh invaded and captured the Sevii Islands and Naval Rock. Outrage at Sinnoh's venture prove futile as Sinnoh's empire began expanding.
Two months ago: Hoenn, Johto and Kanto formed the Tri-Alliance to resist expansion of the Galatic ruled Sinnoh region. The Tri-Alliance cut all diplomatic ties with Sinnoh. The Tri-Alliance declared war on Orre, too.
(Narrator intro) The day was simply perfect for relaxation. The blazing sun was perched high in the sky, which warmed up the atmosphere, and made it congenial for beach-goers. Luckily, for our heroes, that is exactly what they were planning to do. (End intro)
"That's wonderful, Iris! So, I see that you have gotten your first Kanto ribbon?" said Ash, as he peered into the video phone.
"hahaha, yea, the match was simply great, Ash! My opponent could not stand a chance!" grinned a girl back at him, her hair taking up most of the screen.
"I see that you have made a complete recovery after your loss at the Isshu grand festival!" remarked Ash as he posed a victory sign.
"Well, of course! After your encouragement, how couldn't I? Well, enough of me, what are your plans for the Hoenn championship?" Iris asked back.
"Well…I've got plenty of time. A full year to be exact. I just need to re-challenge the gym leaders of Hoenn and get the Champion League badges. But the thing is that, I can only bring two old pokemon into the challenge. I need to catch and raise four more. So, I've decided to go with Pikachu and Dragonair." replied Ash.
"Ahh, I see. Well, in any case, I'll talk to you later. I need to go through Viridian forest before night fall."
"Well, alright, be careful. I'll see you next time!"
"See you!"
With that, the video phone went blank as Ash placed the receiver back into the slot. Ash sighted as he looked down, his fingers still entwined around the receiver.
"Well, I guess she is doing pretty good for herself. I kinda miss her though. She was always so effervescent."
With that, Ash got up and stretched. And right on cue, his stomach began grumbling.
A yellow rodent, dormant up to now, gave an exclaimed "Pika!" as it hopped on to his shoulder.
"Well, Pikachu, I guess it is time to hit the salad bar. I suppose you are going straight for the ketchup?"
The yellow rodent gave Ash a look that screamed, "No, really?"
Ash sweatdropped and began scratching the back of his head, "Just for the record, Pikachu, no one adds Ketchup to water. It's just…wrong."
Pikachu merely shrugged and hopped off Ash's shoulder. It took off towards the salad bar, salivating uncontrollably.
Slateport Harbor: S.H.P.D. Defense Agency - City interior
Sixteen blimps began appearing in the radars of the S.H.P.D. (Slateport Harbor Police Dept.) headquarters.
The man in-charge of monitoring the radar bolted up from his seat and stared at the LCD screen before him. He grabbed the microphone next to him, which bore the Hoenn insignia, and began talking hurriedly into it,
"Sir! Sixteen unidentified aircrafts have infiltrated the air space of Slateport Harbor. There is a chance they might be hostiles. Immediate response requested. Over."
After a brief pause, a voice began replying,
"Understood. Slateport Harbor's outposts have confirmed that the approaching planes are armed and are hostile. The hostiles have took out two of our six outposts north of Slateport. I want half of our fleet on the case now. We need them shot down before the populace is endangered."
The man hesitated before replying back,
"Understood. Over and out."
Hoenn Air Force: Slateport base
A siren began blaring at the Air Force base as people hurriedly rushed back and forth. Plane after plane took off as mechanics frantically prepared the defending force.
The general of the Slateport division was having a heated discussion with the East Hoenn Divison commander.
"General! I want answers! What is happening?" a gruff voice demanded from the video phone.
"Sir! We are being attacked by an unknown faction. We are not taking fire, yet, but the hostiles appear armed. However, sir, we have lost four of our defense outposts to the hostiles."
"Damn idiots. General! I want to know the identity of the hostiles. Slateport is the jewel of the Hoenn nation. We cannot lose it. This is even more critical if the hostiles belong to Sinnoh. If Galatic takes Slateport, then it is merely a matter of time before Hoenn falls. Prepare to defend it with your life. Over and out."
The image on the video phone turned to black as the general heaved a sigh of relief. A suited man approached him and saluted.
"Sir! We have scrambled the Alpha Defenders. We have sent twenty wings, exactly half of our fleet. The rest are warmed up and are parked at the North Slateport base. Interception expected in three and half minutes."
"Good. Sound the air raid siren. The hostiles have gotten too close to the harbor for the populace to remain oblivious. Might as well keep them on the lookout."
The man nodded and rushed off.
Suddenly, the door behind the general flew open and another man rushed up to him,
"Sir! The East Slateport outposts have confirmed that tank and infantry units are approaching city limits. We are facing a full scale invasion. We are yet to determine the faction responsible. We also suspect a possible artillery strike. And sir…we are also facing the possibility of a naval attack since two of Kanto's merchant ships, near our harbor, were sunk by armed warships."
The general's face grew pale, "What the hell! I want the entire Slateport army to intercept the incoming tanks. Send out the naval fleet to intercept the warships. We need to end this invasion before we bear civilian casualties."
The man nodded and saluted before marching off. The general buried his face into his hands and collapsed onto a chair.
"This is the end of Hoenn…"
After getting some food from the snack bar, Ash went out into the beach and located his friends.
"Hey Ash, how's Iris doing?" said Brock as he turned to face him.
"She's doing great! She has gotten her first Kanto ribbon. Apparently, the Pallet contest was too easy for her."
"Huh? So, Pallet has a contest now?" said Dawn as she arched an eyebrow at Ash.
"Yeah, Pallet City has really developed. It nearly rivals Vermillion." Said Ash as he took a massive bite out of his chocolate, his cheeks bulging. This earned a giggle from Dawn as she stared at him.
"Wuf ar yeu loking at?" said Ash, his mouth full.
"Nothing. I'm just a little amused at your manners, Ash. But, whatever." Said Dawn as she leaned back into the sand, her hair flowing behind her.
Suddenly, a yellow steak jumped onto Ash's shoulders. Everyone sweatdropped when they saw that Pikachu was holding a water bottle with a red liquid inside.
"Wow, Pikachu, you are still a ketchup addict, huh?" asked May as she began rubbing its cheeks, due to which it began cooing.
"Hey Ash, so, what gym are you going to challenge first?"
"Well…I think that I'll just follow what I did before. I'll just fly from here to Rustboro, and begin my journey there. I have already booked a ferry from here to Rustboro for next month. Any of you guys care to join?"
"Well, me and Dawn are surely coming, how about you May?" asked Brock as he turned to May.
"Well, I do miss travelling with Ash…sure, why not? I heard that there are something called Master contests which are open only for the top coordinators. I guess I should qualify."
"Awesome! This trip is going to be great!" remarked Ash as he leaned back into the sand, shielding his eyes from the intense sunlight. Suddenly, a siren began blaring, severing the serenity of the morning. The siren immediately made everyone cover their ears.
"ASH! That's an air raid siren! We are under attack!" exclaimed Brock as he got up to his feet, the rest of the gang followed suit, each with just as apprehension as the next.
"Air raid? What is that?"
Brock sweatdropped, "Really? You really don't know what that is?"
Dawn quickly stepped in, "Brock, this is no time to comment on Ash's obliviousness"
"HEY!" Ash quickly retorted and crossed his arms.
"Anyway, like I was saying, we need to take cover. The bombs could be dropped anytime!" Brock exclaimed and began packing. Thousands were doing the same thing.
Suddenly, the approaching "V" shaped fleet became visible as waves of gasps rushed through the crowd.
"Hey! There's an air show?" remarked Ash as he looked at the approaching fleet, his eyes sparkling with anticipation.
This made everyone within the vicinity sweatdrop, "Really, Ash? Are you trying to be funny or are you just plain stupid?" retorted Dawn as she looked on incredulously.
"ASH! THIS IS AN AIR RAID! NOT AN AIR SHOW! Air raid, as in, bombs will be dropped on your empty head!"
Ash's face was ambivalent. It contained a mixture of shock and anger. He raised his finger and began blathering, "You know…there is a difference between being knowledgeable and being a total jerk."
Dawn merely shook her head and grabbed Ash's arm. She proceeded to drag him away from the beach, followed by the rest, when something caught everyone's attention. Ash's hand fell limp to his sides as he stood there, along with the rest of the beach, gawking at the aerial fight between the Hoenn fleet and the invaders.
Out of the blue, a Hoenn defender was shot down and began plummeting. The pilot safely ejected but the cascading scraps posed a great threat to the populace below it.
Brock broke the group's shock by shouting, "GUYS! WE NEED TO TAKE COVER!"
Everyone nodded and began running towards the city, where they hoped to secure a place in one of the bunkers. But before they could advance, the all too familiar gleam of the metallic bombs was visible above head. The bomb detonated about a mile from where Ash and the gang were. The resulting explosion tore through flesh and steel as buildings and people alike were blown apart. The group careened and halted immediately. Rushing into the city was no longer a good idea. Dawn, however, found something that everyone else, in their hurry, seemed to miss.
"Guys! Check out that row boat, we can paddle out of here! We need to get out of the harbor! We will be safe a few miles into the ocean!" yelled Dawn as she began running towards a rusted old boat, which was located about four hundred feet from where they were. Ash and the rest followed suit. They took off, without even giving a glace back, each praying that the group could make it out alive.
Hoenn Air Force: Slateport base
"Sir…we need to surrender. Our forces are wiped out" suggested a man as he stood beside the forlorn general.
"Really? How about the remainder of our air force?" asked the General in a rather brusque tone.
"Sir…we lost the entire fleet when a bomb was dropped on our airfield. Apparently, the Sinnoh fleet had a bearing of the location of our base. We are utterly helpless. Hoenn's capital, Lilycove, has sent us a backup fleet, but it will take at least half an hour before they can get here. How ever…we did identify the perpetrator."
The general's eyes lit up, "Who is it?"
"We have determined that Team Galatic-ruled Sinnoh is the faction that is attacking us."
"How's that good news? Isshu faced utter humiliation after their defeat at the hands of Sinnoh. They even lost some land. We need to counteract with everything we have. If Sinnoh manages to take Slateport, then it is simply a matter of time before the Hoenn region falls."
"Sir, our infantry has been wiped out, and so has our aerial fleet. We are currently attacking the naval vessels of Sinnoh with our fleet, but we have lost nearly four ships while Sinnoh has suffered none. We are utterly helpless. We need to surrender and escape now—"
Before the man could finish talking, a woman with flowing brown hair approached the general. Her face carried such a seriousness that the man and the general immediately fell silent.
"Sir, Galatic admin Anthony wishes to speak to you. He demands an unconditional surrender of Slateport."
The general sighed as he walked up to a massive screen placed at the center of the room. The woman punched some buttons which made the screen black out and turn on. It displayed the face of a man.
"Well, well, well, General Blake, how are you doing?" mocked the voice as the man leaned back into his black leather chair.
"What do you want, Anthony? Why are you attacking us?" replied the general as he clenched his fists, beads of sweat trickled down the sides of his face.
"You perfectly know what I want, Blake. Let's not carry this on. You have suffered enormous civilian casualties…let's not risk anymore lives. Simply withdraw your naval fleet and surrender your city. We will enter the city and occupy it. No more lives need to be lost."
The general gritted his teeth and looked at a monitor to his right. It showed the harbor city of Slateport in an aerial perspective. The carnage made general sick. He finally sighed and looked up at the admin.
"Fine, Anthony. You win…for now. But mark my words, Hoenn will take back her city. Sinnoh will not triumph."
The admin merely smiled, ignoring the last part of the general's speech, "You've made a good decision general. My men will escort the city's officials to the city limits. You are included. Sinnoh's men have arrived at the outskirts. We will occupy the city immediately."
And with that, the screen went black. The general, on the verge of fainting, collapsed on to his seat. His workers stood apprehensively around him, trying to improve his spirit.
The general weakly looked up at the brown haired woman, "Victoria, what have I done?"
Ash and his friends apprehensively paddled for nearly half an hour and got well beyond the danger zone. Fortunately, the Sinnoh blockade was too preoccupied with taking the city that they failed to notice the small boat breaching the blockade.
"Ash, what do you think just happened?" asked May as she began leaned back, her chest rising and falling frantically, due to exhaustion.
"How should I know?" asked Ash as he began rubbing Pikachu's head. Apparently, due to the excitement, Pikachu had fallen asleep.
"Guys, I think we should contact Professor Oak. He'll know what to do." Said Brock as he turned his Pokegear on. A small menu appeared, and Brock scrolled down and located Oak's name. He immediately handed Ash the pokegear.
"I think it's better if you talk to him."
Ash nodded and waited for a while. Suddenly, Gary's face appeared on the screen. Immediately upon seeing Ash, his face lit up,
"Well, well, Ashy boy is still alive, huh?"
Suddenly, behind him, there was a flurry of motion and Gary was shoved aside. Delia Ketchum's face appeared on screen.
"ASH! I'm so glad you're alright. I was so worried!"
"Mom! No need to worry, we're safe. We're about two miles off of Slateport's harbor. We found an abandoned row boat and used it to slip through the blockade. But, mom, do you know what is going on?"
Delia nodded solemnly, "It's all over the news. Here, Samuel will explain it to you."
Oak appeared, "Ash, you do know about Galatic's coup about a few years ago, right? And how Galatic now controls the Sinnoh government?"
Ash nodded in response. Oak cleared his throat and continued,
"Apparently, Sinnoh has decided to begin the invasion of Hoenn. The surrender of Slateport has been televised world-wide. Sinnoh has set foot into the Hoenn continent."
The groups eyes widened as Dawn began lowering her head. She was a Sinnoh citizen after all.
Brock smiled knowingly as he patted Dawn on the back, "It's alright, Dawn."
Oak continued, "Apparently, the Sinnoh forces conquered Four Island and launched the invasion of the mainland from there. You need to get out of Slateport and come back to Pallet. Hoenn is no longer safe. Apparently, another invasion force has left Gateon Port, in the Orre region, and is now heading for Lilycove City. Don't do anything stupid, like trying the save the world by yourself. Listen to me, get back to Pallet NOW! Somehow get to Ever Grande, and from there, take a ferry to Cianwood City. From Cianwood, take an Air Kanto flight to Viridian City. Pallet town should be a short walk from there." Oak advised, and after seeing Ash's curt nod, cut the phone call.
Ask looked up to meet six wide eyes.
"Wait…Oak did not say anything about Petulburg City, did he? My dad will be the first target since he is gym leader." asked May apprehensively as her hands began shaking, unshed tears making her eyes glossy.
"No…don't worry, May. Petulburg City might be near water, but the invasion forces have to cross Rustboro to get there. Now, we need to focus. Let's call out our water pokemon so that they can propel us to Ever Grande." Ash said as he threw out Dragonair's pokeball.
The majestic dragon-type roared as it materialized before them.
"You know, Ash, I still can't believe that you caught a Dragonair. That's just plain crazy." Brock chuckled as he threw out Swampert's pokeball. (A/N: Remember? He had a Mudkip back in the Hoenn adventures). Ash simply ignored the comment, mostly because he knew it was true.
"Although…it would have been better if we had dressed more appropriately" remarked Dawn. Since they were lazing at the beach, they wore nothing but the swim suits and trunks that they had adorned when they entered the beach that morning.
"Ehh…that could be a problem when we try to board the ferry. Although I'm sure we can buy some clothes in some store"
"There is another problem, Ash" Brock interrupted as he waved his hand, "Did you forget? All that we have is our swim gear. ALL that we have."
"What's your point?"
Brock sweatdropped, "My point is that, we have no money for the transaction."
The group groaned simultaneously. Suddenly, May's face brightened.
"Brock, hurry! Give me your Pokegear!"
Brock acquiesced, and handed her the device. She located the device's current position using GPS locating, and placed the destination to Littleroot town.
"Guys! Littleroot is closer than Ever Grande! We should head there immediately. I know someone who can help us." May beamed as she bequeathed the Pokegear to Brock.
"I guess it couldn't hurt. After all, the ferry in which Ash came to Hoenn, back in the day, still runs." Brock reasoned as he continued to stare into the small device.
Ash nodded and with Brock, instructed the pokemon to change their course. Brock looked up, "So, at the current pace, it should take us about three hours to reach Littleroot. It's pretty close by."
Ash nodded and looked up, I guess this is the end of our vacation.
The general and his staff were handcuffed and escorted to a helicopter. A gleaming golden "G" was emblazoned on its side, standing in stark contrast to the pitch black background.
The armed guards at their sides beckoned them to board the vessel. The general was forced to meet the demands. The vessel took off as the general gingerly looked out at his fallen city. Utter pandemonium would be an understatement to describe the condition of the city. Smoke billowed out of nearly every building as people ran screaming in every direction. The invasion infantry, or at lease what was left of it, had reached the city. The once glorious Slateport, the jewel of the Hoenn, had transformed into a heap of rubble. Suddenly, a hand was placed on his shoulder. He looked up to meet the warm brown eyes of his secretary, Victoria. Although she was handcuffed, she was still able to console him.
"Please, general, it's not your fault. Don't blame yourself."
The general smiled, "Thank you, Victoria. I simply don't know what to do now."
"I talked with the pilot. He was a nice guy. He said that he was commanded to drop us at the Lilycove North outpost. It's about 50 miles from the city."
The general sighted, "It's going to be a long flight then."
After three hours of constant sailing,
Land was once again visible to Ash and the group as they reawakened, one by one.
"Guys, wake up, I think I see Littleroot. Thank god for the pokegear's GPS navigation." Said Brock as he rubbed the remaining trace of grogginess from his eyes.
May was the next to awaken, "It was kind of odd sleeping dressed like this. But I was so tired that I managed anyway."
Within a few minutes, the group had hit land.
"Alright, May. You said that you could find someone that could help us?" asked Ash as he un-garrisoned the row boat.
"Yeah, it's an old childhood pal of mine. I lost touch with him after I began my journey, but I know he will recognize me." May's smile faltered a little, Or at least I hope he will.
Dawn's eyes widened, "So you haven't talked to him in over three years? How are you so sure that he will remember you?"
May simply shrugged and continued walking. Unfortunately, they had hit land at the harbor, and thus, the place was very crowded. Because of this, the group earned a few glances from curious bystanders. After all, who would not stare at a group consisting of four teenagers clad in only their swim gear walking through the city.
"You know…I'm feeling pretty self-conscious right now." mumbled Dawn as she crossed her arms in front of her.
"Don't worry, Dawn, his house should be just on that hill." May pointed to a small hill, on top of which stood a massive mansion-like house. Even from this distance, Ash could tell that who ever lived in the house was someone affluent.
After trudging all the way to the top (and after some self-conscious comments from Dawn that made Ash groan), they finally reached the house.
"I guess this is it. May, since he is your friend, you should ring the bell." requested Brock. May nodded and pressed the pulsating button that was located to the side of the door. The chime from inside could be heard.
"Brendan! Could you get the door?" a voice requested from the inside as May tensed. Footsteps began trudging to the door. A second later, the front door flew open, and standing before them was a boy, about their age, who had a white cap on that added a few feet to his height.
"May?" he asked incredulously as he stared at the girl in front of him.
"Hello, Brendan" May croaked as she felt her throat grow dry.
Brendan's reaction was immediate. He threw his hands around May as he laughed into the hug. Brendan's gesture was returned by May.
After breaking apart, Brendan stared at the rest of the group, "Erm…h-hi, my name is Brendan." He extended his hand to the remaining three. His hand was briefly grasped by each as he/she introduced himself/herself.
"Hi, I'm Ash"
"I'm Brock"
"And, I'm Dawn."
Brendan nodded and turned to May, "Why are you in your swimsuit?"
May blushed as she looked down, "It's a loooooong story. We just need some clothes."
Brendan grinned, "Sure, please come in."
The general and his crew watched as the pilot strapped a parachute bag on to each one of them.
"So, you're just going to throw us overboard?" the general dryly.
"We have no other choice. We're in Hoenn's territory. We need to get out of here as soon as possible."
The general snorted, "It did not stop you last time."
"A siege is different. I cannot afford getting shot down. Hello, and good bye." The pilot curly replied as he kicked the general out of the vessel. As they were plummeting, the general turned to Victoria,
"I thought you said he was a good guy." he snorted.
So, how was it? Please review!