A/N: The characters in this story are much older than their anime counterparts. Ash and Serena are sixteen, Clemont is fifteen, Bonnie is thirteen (and she owns her own Pokemon, instead of having Clemont babysit them for her), and Brock is eighteen. Another thing to note is that I am introducing quite a few new Mega Evolutions, including the Kalos Starters. I've been rambling too long, enjoy!
Sanpei had been sprinting for quite a while.
That, of course, didn't matter to him, seeing as he was a "Ninja Master" or whatever. Eventually he skidded a halt, deciding that he wasn't fit for running that long. He bent over, placing his hands on his knees and continued to breathe heavily. He took his water bottle off of his belt and noted that it was finally empty. He glanced over at Greninja, who still hadn't broken a sweat. Sanpei gestured to his water bottle, which Greninja refilled using a Water Gun attacked fired from his hands. Sanpei nodded in thanks, quaffed the liquid, then took off running once more.
Sanpei let out an involuntary sigh of relief as he heard the roar of a gargantuan crowd over a nearby hill. He quickly scrambled up the mound, and frowned as a large stadium came into view. He glanced at Greninja, who was looking at Sanpei quizzically. His job wasn't going to be easy…
The thought of Ash winning fills me with determination.
So thought Serena as her blue eyes scanned the battlefield, resting on Ash longer than Sawyer, Ash's Greninja, or Sawyer's Sceptile. She knew he had lost countless other conferences before, but she really hoped he'd win this one. So far, he'd manage to outshine all of his other opponents, making it into the finals.
But would he be the best? After traveling with him enough, he knew he had it in him. But she felt like something was holding him back. And she was afraid it was her.
Attending all of Serena's Pokemon Showcases had really cut into Ash's training time. She had told him he didn't have to come, but he insisted on attending all of her performances anyways. Bonnie had also told her that she had noticed Ash looking at the honey-blonde in a different way recently. Not a bad different, either.
No matter how bad she liked him, she couldn't let love hold him back.
"GO ASH!" Serena shouted, causing Clemont, Bonnie, and Miette to jump, seeing as she'd been relatively silent the entire match. Miette snickered, Bonnie smiled knowingly, and Clemont just looked oblivious. Shrugging, he turned back to the battle, just in time to hear the announcer say…
"Greninja is unable to battle, victory goes to Sceptile!"
Even though both Pokemon were Mega Evolved, grass was still stronger than water, so Sceptile obviously had the upper hand in this round. That meant they were both down to one Pokemon. The match could go either way from this point on.
"Alright, Pikachu," Ash muttered. "It's time."
Pikachu leaped from his resting position on Ash's shoulder and landed perfectly on the ground, electricity already sparking between his cheeks.
Sceptile rolled his eyes, knowing that Pikachu's typing compared to the lizard's would make the match short. Sawyer smiled. "Piece of cake."
Ash shouted, "Pikachu, Quick Attack!"
Pikachu nodded, then broke into a four-legged sprint. When he reached the optimum position, he leaped into the air, using both his angle and his speed to his advantage. Sceptile raised his arms and batted him away easily. Pikachu landed upright, not too far away. The electric mouse was still confident.
"Sceptile! Razor Leaf!"
"Dodge it!"
Swiftly, Pikachu hopped left and right, avoiding major injury but still exiting the storm with a few minor cuts.
"Pikachu, let's show Sawyer what we've been working on!" Pikachu nodded, electricity flaring inside his cheeks once more.
Serena raised her eyebrows. Since Ash insisted on attending all of Serena's Pokemon Showcases, he had to find other times to train, usually late at night when the rest of the world was asleep. Serena had asked to follow him on a few occasions, but Ash always declined, saying he had a "surprise" for the Kalos Conference.
Serena was worried for Sceptile's health.
Sawyer crossed his arms, prepared for whatever Ash had in store. Sceptile rolled its eyes and maintained its battle stance.
At first, it seemed like Pikachu was charging up a normal Electro Ball attack. Sceptile shook his head and raised its arms to block. However, when Pikachu's tail started to glow, Sawyer began to worry.
What is he playing at?
Diantha observed the two opponents from the screen. She glanced around at the other trainers around her. While Malva was typing on her phone irritatedly, Siebold, Wikstrom, and Drasna were following their Champion's lead: trying to guess who was going to win while simultaneously learning the battle styles of the trainers on screen.
Siebold jumped as Malva's phone rang. He glared at her, and she sighed. "I have to take this, tell me if anything interesting happens."
Diantha raised her eyebrows as the fire-type trainer left the room. She was definitely behaving unusually. She glanced at the three remaining Elite Four members. Wikstrom seemed not to notice, Siebold seemed not to care, but Drasna was frowning.
The dragon-type trainer glanced around at the others in the room. "Did any of you, perhaps, see who she was talking to?"
"Sceptile, Leaf Blade!" Sawyer shouted impatiently.
"Now!"
Pikachu sent his Electro Ball into the air, then jumped and slammed it downwards using Iron Tail. The combined electric/steel attack slammed into Sceptile, knocking him across the battlefield. Before Sceptile had time to recover, Pikachu slammed into him with a Quick Attack.
The crowd gasped at the three-move combo, then broke out into cheering.
"Come on, Sceptile, get up!" Sawyer looked worried, but smiled when the lizard shakily rose to its feet. "Dragon Tail!"
Surprise dawned on Ash's face. A dragon-type move? How? Isn't Sceptile a pure grass-type?
Sceptile used both Ash and Pikachu's surprise to its advantage, striking the mouse in the face while Ash sat stunned on the sidelines.
"Come on, Ash, snap out of it…" Serena murmured on the sidelines.
Ash shook his head and twisted his cap backwards. "Pikachu, Thunderbolt!"
"Sceptile, Energy Ball!"
The two attacks clashed, creating an explosion which knocked both Pokemon back. Sceptile recovered first, and a coughing Sawyer shouted, "Leaf Blade!" Sceptile rushed towards Pikachu and slashed the mouse, sending him soaring into the air.
"Pika pi!"
"Pikachu!" Ash sprinted towards the mouse and caught it in his hands before it could hit the ground. Pikachu's lack of energy was evident, and Ash refused to let his friend keep battling. He smiled. "You did great, buddy. You deserve a good rest."
"Sceptile, return!"
Ash turned as Sawyer walked across the field towards Ash. He smiled and outstretched his hand. "That was some battle, man. You almost had me there. We'll have to have a rematch soon."
Ash nodded. "For sure." He grasped his rival's hand, and the crowd cheered.
"Ladies and gentlemen!" Mr. Goodshow shouted into his microphone as he held up the trophy. "The winner of this year's Kalos Conference, Sawyer!" Sawyer lifted up the trophy and the crowd cheered. The sky lit up with fireworks.
Ash would be lying if he said he wasn't disappointed. He had worked harder than ever to win this particular conference, and yet he still came up short. He sighed, but smiled anyways. He couldn't wait to see his friends again.
Particularly Serena.
Serena glanced nervously at the door of the Pokemon Center.
She had been doing that for the past half hour she had been waiting for Ash's return. Unwanted thoughts kept running through Serena's mind as she waited. What if he gave up on his goals? What if he ditched us? What if-
"Hey guys!"
Serena jumped out of her seat and sprinted over to Ash, throwing her arms around him. "Ash, you did amazing!"
Ash's cheeks burned red, and, upon noticing what she was doing, so did Serena's. She stepped back awkwardly and smiled. Ash scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, I guess Top 2 isn't too bad."
Serena frowned. "'Too bad?'"
"That's better than the other five conferences you've participated in, and I was there for four of them."
The group jumped as a new voice spoke up. Ash turned to see a familiar tan-skinned Pokemon Doctor, who was grinning widely. "I'm assuming you'd like your Pokemon patched up?"
"Brock!" Ash exclaimed.
"Who else?"
"What're you doing here?"
Brock smirked. "Someone has to patch up the participants' Pokemon."
"Ash, who's this?" Clemont asked, adjusting his glasses.
"Guys, this is Brock. He was a former Gym Leader and traveling companion of mine, until he decided to become a Pokemon Doctor at the end of my Sinnoh venture." Ash turned back to Brock, grinning. "I assume the gig's going well?"
"Of course. Come with me, and I'll heal up your Pokemon. Then we should go get something to eat. I'm starving."
Ash hadn't noticed, but he was too. His stomach growled. "Yeah, sure thing."
"WAIT!"
The group jumped a second time as Sanpei the ninja bursted through the front doors of the Pokemon Center, looking worn out. Greninja calmly entered the center behind him.
"Wow, Ash, you have a lot of friends," Miette murmured.
"Ash, you can't go back to Pallet!"
Ash raised his eyebrows. "What, no hello or anything? Also, excuse me?"
"Look, there's some weird stuff going on. You may have beaten Kagetomo once, but he's back, and he wants revenge. Revenge on you, revenge on your friends, revenge on your Pokemon, everything!"
Brock raised his eyebrows. "Sir...or ninja...I'll need to ask you to calm down. Loud outbursts make our patients nervous."
Sanpei took a deep breath. "Alright...there's a plot. Kagetomo is uniting a group of the biggest, baddest members of society in an attempt to rule the world, according to the elders. They told me that you're the only one who can stop it."
"Look, man, I have no clue what you're talking about. But there's no way I'm not going back to Kanto. If what you say is true, I have to warn Professor Oak. If there's anyone who knows what's going on, it's him."
Serena frowned. "You're just going to believe him?"
Ash sighed. "Serena, I've seen some pretty crazy stuff in my travels. I watched a town get ripped into another dimension, I fought a bunch of Legendary Pokemon that Hoopa decided to phase into existence, and I've even died a few times. Sanpei's story doesn't seem too far fetched."
"Wait, you've died?"
"Yep," Brock answered grimly. "I was there for two of those times."
"Wow, Ash, you've been through a lot," Bonnie said. But then her face lit up. "But that just makes you even cooler! Let's go stop Kagetomo!"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Clemont said. "We're not going anywhere. We still have to watch the gym, remember? Plus, I don't want you in danger."
Bonnie huffed and turned away.
"Look, Sanpei, thanks for the warning, but I'm going back to Pallet Town," Ash said. "If Kagetomo is plotting against me, that means he's most likely plotting against my family too. My mom needs to be warned. Plus, I'll need all the help I can get, and only my Pokemon can offer that."
Sanpei crossed his arms. "Fair enough. Sadly, I won't be able to help you. There are others who need to be warned."
"I'm coming with you," Serena spoke up. "Even if it's not okay with my mom, I won't sit idly by while my friends are in danger."
"Neither will I," Brock said. "I need to head back to Kanto anyways, get my Pokemon from the gym back at my side."
Everyone looked at Miette. The blue-haired girl blinked. "I'll be busy, sorry. Kanto's pretty far away for my taste anyways."
"Alright," Sanpei sighed. "I have to warn the others. Good luck Ash, Brock, Serena. I'll try my best to help however I can, although I can't guarantee anything."
"It's fine," Ash responded, and the ninja left with his Pokemon in tow.
Ash turned to the others, who each wore different facial expressions. Brock looked excited, Serena looked worried, Miette was content with indifference, Clemont was nervous, and Bonnie glared angrily at her brother. But Ash only had one thing on his mind.
"So, uh, food?"
A/N: There you have it, the first full-length chapter of Pokemon: Legends! As always, please review! Because I am still working on Minecraft Origins: Enderborn, I will be switching between updates. So, the next chapter of Enderborn should be up on the Minecraft Forum tomorrow, and then I'll get to work on the next chapter of this story! Don't expect the next update to be as quick as this one, because I'm still busy with school and stuff XD thanks for reading!