Adventures in Hoenn.
Episode 63: Troubles Arrival.
This is the beginning of the next part of Ash's, Salvia's and Madeline's journey. Also take the chance to see how this story evolved and look at the previous 3 sagas, after this one there is one left, then I will follow up with a separate story and an alternate chapter series filled with random chapters with alternate versions
Summary: With the events of Unova behind them, it is now back to the adventure for Ash and Salvia, now with their foster-daughter Madeline it is up to the trio to face their next challenge, the powerful royal family of Hoenn, will Ash and Salvia be able to unify the regions or will an entirely new conflict open up? This time with even more on the line, and will Ash be able to take on the four pin master? to edge closer to the Master's League in the Sinnoh Region.
Disclaimer: pokemon isn't mine; I don't make money from these stories.
(3 days after arrival)
"Ah Prince Brandon, it is so nice to see you my lord," the professor with a short brown beard, wearing a brown pair of shorts, red shirt and a white lab coat, "what brings you here?" the professor asked the prince.
"I am here to see an old friend, it has been a while since I have seen Princess Salvia," Brendan replied with a generous smirk, he walked into the lab to see the bluenette standing next a strange man with spiky black hair wearing a royal suit, 'who is he?' Brendon thought while watching Ash and Salvia talking to one another, he looked over to a small girl wearing a pink dress with her black hair tied up, 'seems like these two are close to my cousin,' Brendan thought while getting ready to approach the trio.
(Flashback)
"I need you to make them trust you, at least pretend to become friends, then once they lower their guard, destroy both of them," Chris instructed the boy with a dark smirk, he looked over to Delia who continued to watch with a blank expression, "also, I want you to bring the princess to me alive, but be careful the trainer she is with is an extremely powerful trainer, he commands two powerful legendary pokemon," Chris stated.
"So, our plan is simple, lure them into a false sense of security, then bring them down," Brendan replied with a cynical grin.
"Remember son, we need Salvia alive to lure the last of her family out, but be wary of the brother Alex and Colin, they will do everything to prevent you from succeeding," the Queen of Hoenn explained with a smile.
As Brendan walked out of the palace Chris looked over to the queen and started to think, "so, do you think Brandon will succeed? Or do you plan on using your own son to defeat your sister?" Chris asked the woman who turned her attention to him with a nod.
"Of cause, Brendan, isn't even worthy of the title king, we have only just begun the plans to change the world, the war in Unova was just the beginning, very soon the weight of the entire Hoenn kingdom's army will come crashing down on the Sinnoh Kingdom," the queen explained with a dark grin as she sliced the map of Sinnoh in half with her dagger, "what of that woman?" the hoenn royal asked with a sneer at the brunette.
"Her usefulness is almost over, but that trainer will suffer some more," Chris decreed while walking towards the door with Delia behind him, he gazed over his shoulder and grudgingly looked towards the queen, 'you are a fool if you think I would hand everything to you, keep scheming you pathetic woman, for I will strike very soon,' Chris thought while walking out towards the palace gate, "these people are morons, only my ambitions count, I will destroy all royal families, the war in Unova was just the beginning," Chris whispered while Delia quietly walked with Chris.
(Return from Flashback)
Brendan approached the trio quietly with a fake smile, "Salvia, it has been awhile my friend," Brendan stated with a smile.
"Prince Brendan," Salvia replied with excitement.
Ash and Madeline glared at the young prince feeling like that something was amiss, "nice to you Prince Brendan," the prince of Sinnoh approached the Hoenn royal, he extended his hand out still feeling a little uneasy with his appearance.
"Just call me Brendan Prince Ash," Brandon replied causing the trainer to notice that something was amiss; the Hoenn royal shook his hand while Ash continued to glare at him.
"Call me Ash," the raven haired man replied calmly, he closed his eyes and started to sense the aura around the teen, 'something isn't right, how he knew I married Salvia? And how did he know we were here?' Ash wondered while not taking his eye off of the young man.
"I see that you are uneasy about me, can't blame you, I was the one in line to marry your wife," Brendan stated with a nervous grin.
'I don't trust him, it's far to convenient that he know we're here,' Madeline thought while her Tepig growled at the Hoenn native, "I know Tepig it's convenient that he knows where we were," Madeline whispered to her starter pokemon, the fire type forced flames out of its nose while glaring at the prince, Madline tugged at Ash's sleeve causing him to kneel next to her, "dad, something isn't right," Madeline whispered in his ear.
"I know Madeline, I want to know how he found out we were here," Ash replied quietly.
"Brendan, remember when we hid from our parents and they found us in the playground?" Salvia asked her friend with a clueless smile, she looked back to see Ash and Madeline who weren't amused by the appearance of the young royal.
Brendan started to chuckle as the older teen walked back to her husband and grasped her arm, "it seems my cousin is really happy," Brendan mistakenly stated before starting to laugh.
Salvia stopped laughing and tilted her head, "Brendan, you're acting weird, what's going on?" Salvia asked her friend.
"Opps sorry I was thinking of someone else," Brendan defended himself while waving his hands in front of his face.
"Right that's enough, what's going on Brendan?!" Ash demanded in anger while getting between his wife and the prince of Hoenn.
"Ash, Brendan and I are friends," Salvia replied while taking his left arm.
Ash looked back to see Salvia look at him with concern, "I know, but I have a bad feeling about this one," Ash retorted quietly, he turned his attention to the prince, "you want to know something, I am an aura guardian, so I can sense the type of aura you have," Ash remarked with a determined expression.
'An Aura Guardian, I thought they all died out two hundred years ago,' the Hoenn Prince thought while stepping back from the aura guardian, he looked over to the prince and started to wonder if it was true, not noticing Salvia and Madeline next to him who were still standing in Professor Birch's lab, "well I have a task to deal with, so maybe we can be friends," Brendan stated before turning around to leave the lab.
Ash watched him leave while Madeline prepared her Tepig to attack him, "Madeline, not now, I feel as uneasy as you do," Ash told his foster-daughter while trying to keep his cool, 'just what is he after, I know he was meant to marry Salvia, but he knows he lost out, and what did he mean by cousin?' Ash thought while looking over to Salvia who was waving at the younger teen.
"Ash, that wasn't very nice of you," Salvia remarked with a serious expression.
"I know, but I don't trust him, something isn't right, it was far too convenient, that he knew we were here," Ash replied with a frown.
"Yeah, Ash is right, I don't trust him and neither does Tepig and Raichu," Madeline remarked while clenching her fists. The two pokemon also watching the prince leaving ready to attack him, "how did he know we were here in the first place?" Madeline asked in anger.
"Because he got his starter pokemon from Professor Birch, I was also meant to get my starter here as well, but with the danger my uncle presented he stopped it immediately," Salvia replied as she noticed the stern expressions of the two people in front of her, 'or right, I forgot Ash is an aura guardian,' Salvia remembered while thinking back at the war in the Unova region, remembering the time Ash saved her with his aura abilities.
Ash calmly walked towards the entrance of the pokemon lab, leaving Salvia and Madeline behind, he looked back keeping his eyes on the bluenette, "I am serious Salvia, something isn't right about Brendan, I know you've known him for a long time, but something just doesn't fit," Ash told the princess while seeing the Hoenn royal talking to the professor .
Salvia watched as her husband walked out of the lab wondering what he was going to do next, "he has been my friend for so long, he would never do something that would make me think otherwise," Salvia whispered while her foster-daughter walked up to Ash who was nearing the exit of the lab, "Madeline, you agree with Ash?" Salvia asked with uncertainty.
"Yes mom, I know there is something not right about him, Ash can be a complete idiot at times, but I know when he is right about things," the black haired girl replied, she walked towards her adoptive father with the two pokemon leaving Salvia to think more about why the two closest to her weren't too fond of Brandon, "if it was just Ash, I would think that he was jealous, but Madeline too?" Salvia whispered as she spotted a brown and cream egg on the desk. The princess walked over to the wooden table and looked at the egg, 'so this is mine, thank you Professor Oak,' Salvia thought as she picked up the casing which was holding the item.
"Alright Brendan, what is you intentions, there is no way you would have known Salvia was here unless someone told you," Ash said while Madeline nodded in agreement.
"Yeah, he is right, there is no way you would have found us unless someone told you," Madeline reiterated while the two pokemon glared at the teen royal.
Salvia stepped in between the two people ganging up on the Hoenn royal and scowled at the two berating him, "alright you two that's enough, Brendan is my friend," Salvia commented while stretching her arms out to defend the prince, "I don't know what issue you both have, but it needs to be settled right now."
'So my older cousin comes to my defence this mission will be much easier than expected, even if she has the protection of the only Aura Guardian, he wouldn't be able to change my cousins ignorance,' Brendan thought while watching Salvia yelling at Ash and Madeline, 'but if the aura guardian keeps this up, things might get more difficult, I must eliminate him as soon as possible,' Brendan told himself while he turned around to think about what his next plan was going to be, 'maybe it would be best if I tried to separate these two, but then again that nosy little girl would get in my way.'
"Salvia, his aura doesn't feel right, sure he has been your friend for some time, but it doesn't mean he can be trusted," Ash argued while his wife shook her head. Ash walked a head knowing that if he didn't think of something there could be more trouble.
'Master Ash, I agree with you, I can sense he has a goal in mind, he might try to break you two apart,' Reshiram's voice echoed in the prince's mind.
Ash closed his eyes to see the legendary in his mind, 'I know Reshiram, but how do I get Salvia to understand that, sure we know one another better than we could imagine, but I still cannot see how we can trust him,' Ash replied, sitting down in front of the legendary pokemon, 'yet Salvia trusts him, Is there something we don't know?' Ash wondered while Reshiram growled at the image of Bredon.
'No, there is a truth that even the princess doesn't know, but I will figure it out, but I think we might have received a clue a little while ago,' Reshiram told the prince calmly as it disappeared from the trainer's mind.
Ash closed his eyes and started to think, 'oh right he blurted out something about Salvia being his cousin, if that's true then Salvia also has extended family she doesn't know about,' Ash replied while remembering the meeting with Brendan.
Ash opened his eyes to see Salvia standing next to him, "Ash, you were talking to Reshiram," Salvia told the trainer while trying to keep her composure.
"Yes I am, it also has a bad feeling," Ash retorted while walking away with Madeline.
'I don't know why, but Ash and Madeline don't like Brendan,' Salvia thought while watching Ash and Madeline talking to Professor Birch , she grasped the egg while thinking about the other challenges that she will face, "in nine months Ash and I will have our first baby, so I don't know what to think right now," Salvia reminded herself while someone from the distance was listening in on her words.
"What no way, she is pregnant at this stage, our plans might be more difficult than expected, I will need to make sure this doesn't succeed," the Hoenn teen royal stated while two of his guards watched from the distance, he growled at the fact that his families plans might be ruined, "you report the situation to my mother, I will try to gain their trust," Brendan ordered the royal guards while keeping his eye on the trio who were getting ready to leave.
Brendan walked out from the bushes and down the road to meet up with Ash, Salvia and Madeline, the two pokemon growled at the teen again, ready to attack him, 'even the pokemon don't like him,' Ash thought to himself, he closed his eyes to sense the aura around the royal, 'he is definitely hiding something,' Ash thought while reopening his eyes.
"Ash, can you not, use your abilities on my friend?" Salvia requested with displeasure.
Ash shook his head and shrugged his shoulders, "I am sorry Salvia, but I want to know what he is up to, I don't want to be caught off guard, you're my wife and the bearer of my child, I refuse to have you or my unborn child in any danger," Ash replied while leaving Salvia in disbelief.
Salvia looked away knowing that Ash was very serious, she looked away as Madeline glared at the prince of Hoenn, "come Tepig let's beat the crap out of him," Madeline decreed while her starter pokemon prepared to attack the teen with flames coming from his nose.
"Madeline no, why would you tell you pokemon such things?" Salvia asked the little girl with shock.
Madeline turned her attention to Salvia, "because I don't like mom, if he sticks around, he will only present danger, even my Tepig knows it too and dad as well," Madeline replied while glaring at the royal.
"Come on guys, I am here to be a friend, I am not sure how I can make you trust me, but I am not going to cause any problem," Brendan retorted with an uneasy smile, he quickly dodged a powerful fire attack coming from the fire pig pokemon, 'oh man, she really doesn't like me,' Brendan thought while breathing a sigh of relief, he smiled at the girl who continued to stare at him with great displeasure. "So Ash, you are competing in the Master Challenge right, maybe there is someone in Petalburg City," Brendan suggested with a nervous grin.
"How do you know about the Master's Challenge?" Ash asked the younger teen with a nasty glare.
Brendan waved his hands in front of his face and started to chuckle, "um, I found out because of a letter that I turned down," Brendan lied.
"You're lying, someone told you about the Master's Challenge," Ash snapped back.
'He is very perceptive,' Brendan silently told himself while turning around, "come on I haven't travelled the Hoenn region for some time now," Brendan stated as he walked ahead of the trio.
'Ash caught Brendan lying, not even I caught him out until he told me,' Salvia thought while staring at her husband for a moment.
"As I said Salvia, I will not let anyone place you in danger, even Brendan," Ash stated as calmly as possible, he walked a head with his fist clenched unsure of what to think anymore, "I don't want you to worry for now, but if he puts you in danger, I will hurt him…..badly," Ash remarked coldly as he followed the Hoenn royal.
The Sinnoh Princess slowly followed her husband with the pokemon egg in hand, "come on Madeline, we need to get a move, Ash wouldn't want us to fall behind," Salvia commented while trying to keep her composure.
Madeline walked ahead with her fire pokemon, "yeah, right," Madeline retorted while Tepig and Raichu walked next to the girl, she followed behind the three older people not taking her eye of the Hoenn prince, 'one wrong move and I will have Tepig turn you into a pile of ashes,' Madeline threatened the teen while not focusing on the surroundings.
"You know a few days ago, I met Alex, he is looking for you, making sure that you aren't in too much trouble," Brendan stated while Ash turned his attention to his Hoenn counterpart.
Ash turned his attention to Brendan and pulled out his pokeball, "alright that's it, I have heard enough, first you seem to know that we are in the Hoenn region and the town we're in, you know about the Master's Challenge and now you know about Alex," Ash commented while preparing to battle.
"Ash, stop he isn't here to cause trouble," Salvia grabbed Ash's arm.
"How do you know what Alex is up to?" Ash asked the prince while calming down from Salvia's influence, "one wrong move and I will have Reshiram turn you into ashes," Ash hissed while walking ahead.
Brendan started to shake in fear knowing that Ash wasn't lying, he looked back to his friend and then to Madeline who looked away from him, "did I say something wrong?" Brendan asked trying to be clueless about Ash's discomfort to him.
Salvia shook her head trying to figure out what was going on, 'why doesn't Ash trust him, usually I can understand what he is thinking, but this time, I am not sure,' Salvia wondered as she started to get worried about the situation that was unfolding, the princess turned her attention to Madeline who continued to glare at the teen prince, 'but then there is Madeline, she doesn't like Brendan one bit, is there something they can sense that I cannot?' Salvia wondered while looking around to see the trainer walking towards the tree line road, small black and grey pokemon wondering through the grass while Ash ignored it.
'This could get bad, he claims to have a legendary pokemon, and a very powerful one,' Brendan thought to himself while looking back towards the princess, 'luckily she can keep him in check, then there is that little girl,' Brendan turned his attention to Ash and Salvia foster-daughter. He knew that the plan wasn't going to be as easy as it could the trees swayed in the gentle breeze.
Meanwhile near Lilycove City Chris was walking around with Delia still in his trance, "time to have a little fun, Brendan is a fool if he thinks he has any part of this plan, his demise would benefit me, I can kill two Pidgys with one stone," he decreed while looking around to see the people walking around freely oblivious to what was going on around them, as Chris was walking around he was approached by two royal guards, "report everything that you have found out," Chris requested as the guards knelt in front of him.
"Sir, as expect Ash and Salvia have met up with Brendan, they are walking towards Oldale Town, but there seems to be a problem," one of the guards stated with a serious expression.
"Prince Ash and the little girl don't seem to trust Brendan," the other guard reported with a less than confident expression.
Chris looked over to Delia who remained on the spot, "it doesn't matter, Brendan is a pawn in this game, once the last few members of Team Plasma and Team Rocket come to the region," Chris stated with a smirk as the guards looked at him with shock.
The men dressed in red and blue uniform stood up unable to believe what was told to them, "but sir, weren't Team Rocket and Team Plasma destroyed in Unova?" the guard asked with disbelief.
"So everybody thought, when I take this region, I will then start my war that would make the war in Unova a small skirmish," Chris stated while walking towards the exit of the major city, 'I will raze everything to the ground and build an empire that will last me a thousand years,' Chris thought to himself while the guards watched the sinister man leaving them to ponder what his next actions were, they watched as the brunette followed him still in a trance, 'but first her usefulness is nearing an end,' Chris thought as he looked over to the mother of Ash.
At the port of Lilycove City a man wearing a suit walked off the ship, "so this is Lilycove City, it seems like the Shadow Triad were useful after all, but that doesn't mean that our ambitions are at an end, Jessie, James and Meowth, search this region," Giovanni stated with a smirk.
"Sir what are we searching for?" the Rocket Elite asked their boss in unison.
"Princess Salvia, she needs to be capture her, she is the key to our new plan, to create an empire that will make Team Rocket masters of the world," Giovanni retorted calmly, the rocket trio saluted and leapt off to start their mission, "thanks Chris, you are a fool to allow the remaining members of Team Rocket to survive, now you will pay for your mistake," Giovanni stated while looking over his shoulder to see another ship arrive, 'so he allowed for Ghetsis to live,' Giovanni thought as the ship docked next to his.
Meanwhile on a grassy hill overlooking the city Alex was watching the scene unfold in front of him, "not good, the remaining members of Team Rocket and Team Plasma survived, I guess this fight is far from over," Alex addressed the problem while turning around to find Chris and Delia walking away from the city, "then there is Chris, it seems as though he has been planning everything carefully, his next move will be an interesting one, and I am willing to bet that he is planning on using Lady Delia for this plan," Alex acknowledged while riding off on his fiery horse, "Colin, my brother hurry up, the princess and the prince need our help," Alex hoped as he rode off into the distance on his Rapidash.
Nearing Oldale Town, Ash, Salvia, Madeline and Brendan were entering the small town, the few houses that were surrounded by the many trees with the Tailow and Swellow flying across the small town, "it's been a while since I was here last, I remember when I first came here, with my new friend May," Ash explained while thinking about his actions from moments prior to him entering the tiny town, 'I still don't trust him, but so far he hasn't done anything,' Ash thought while Salvia stood next to him, "I will find out why I don't trust, until then I will keep an eye on him," Ash whispered to his young wife.
"So far you behaved yourself, but one slip up and I will make sure Tepig and Raichu don't hold back," Madeline whispered to the older male with a smirk.
"The best way to capture Salvia is to separate them, but I don't think Ash will allow for it and neither will Madeline," Brendan told himself while, 'but I get the feeling that there is something amiss,' Brendan thought while looking back towards the road the headed back towards Twinleaf Town, 'I left my past behind, but now I feel as though I am making a mistake,' Brendan thought while watching his cousin walking a head holding Ash's hand.
"Brendan hurry up, Ash wants to face the next Pin Master," the princess called over to Brendan.
"For too long our families have kept this secret from her, yet if I betray my family it could mean that I lose my right to the throne and getting exiled, no I must fulfil my mother's mission," Brendan reminded himself. He clenched his fists and walked up to the trio, "well I have a few things I need to sort, so I will leave you three to your journey," Brendan said before walking north towards the other end of the town.
"Ash, can I ask you something?" Salvia requested with a frown. "You don't trust Brendan right?" Salvia questioned her husband.
"I have already said this, there is something not right about him, he is hiding something, I can sense his aura," Ash retorted while watching the younger teen walking away, his eyes started to glow blue allowing him to see the aura surrounding the teen, 'I can sense he is conflicted, but why?' Ash wondered before looking back to see Salvia angrily placing her hands on her hips, "yes I used my aura guardian ability to further sense his aura," Ash confessed with a smile.
"Way to go, so can we hurt him?" Madeline asked while pumping her fist into the air.
Ash shook his head much to the shock of Madeline and Salvia, "I can sense he is conflicted, but for now, we need to keep our guard up, I have a feeling that there is some serious trouble heading our way," Ash commented while looking towards the western road, "we rest at the Pokemon Center tonight," Ash dictated while Salvia walked up to Ash, "no, you need your rest, I cannot have you being exhausted," Ash remarked with great care.
"I will be fine Ash," Salvia pleaded but Ash didn't budge from his stance, "alright, we will rest, but can you stay close to me, if what you say proves true, then I want you with me tonight," Salvia stated while walking into the red roofed building with Ash and Madeline following close behind.
I hope you all enjoyed the first chapter of the Hoenn saga, I am starting to build some things up, but I want to put more on the line in this saga.
Next time: Episode 64: Clash in Petalburg.