Pokémon: The Chosen Chronicles
Authors Note: unfortunately, I do not own the rights or title to Pokémon
Chapter 1: Family and Friends
The young man stood on the other side of the battlefield, his mind trying to think of a strategy that would help him overcome the being in front of him and his Butterfree, before calling out to his friend. "Butterfree try confusing that thing with Supersonic."
The Butterfly Pokémon nodded its head before opening its mouth and releasing several high pitch squeals at its opponent, but unfortunately it's opponent and his Trainer were ready.
"Geodude use Dig." Forrest Harrison, the leader of the Pewter City Gym, ordered. The Rock Pokémon cried out before tunneling into the field and disappeared. As the tiny Butterfly Pokémon looked around in search of its opponent, the gray boulder suddenly burst from underneath it and slammed his right fist into the Bug-type's side.
"Butterfree!" the challenger cried out, watching as his friend hit the floor, its stamina completely spent.
"Butterfree is no longer able to battle. The winner of this match is Gym Leader Forrest and Geodude." Brock Harrison, Forrest's eldest brother and former Gym Leader of the Pewter Gym, announced, gesturing his brother's victory with a wave of his hand.
"Great job, Geodude." complimented Forrest, the Rock Pokémon turning his entire body towards his Trainer's brother and beamed, accepting the compliment with pride. Smiling at his older brother's Pokémon for a moment, Forrest looked at his challenger, who held his Butterfree and looked crestfallen.
After a few seconds of silence, Forrest spoke. "Hey, don't look so down. You both did a great job."
"But we lost." The young challenger said, his attention more focused on his Bug-type, who had begun to wake up.
Brock, who had exited the referee's box, came up and knelt down towards both Trainer and Pokémon. Reaching into his pocket he pulled out an Oran Berry and held it up to the purple butterfly. "Here, eat this." he said.
Still weak from the battle, the Butterfree opened its mouth and accepted the Berry, chewing softly. Instantly, the Berry's healing properties began to affect the Bug-type and the Butterfly Pokémon's demeanor instantly brightened. Giving the Berry's healing effects a few seconds, Butterfree slowly began to flap its wings. The young man, keeping a close eye on his friend, slowly released his grip around the purple Pokémon's body and smiled as it began to fly around the Gym.
So focused on his Pokémon, the Trainer almost missed the Gym Leader's next words. "You may have lost the battle today but I'm confident that with a bit more time and training both of you will be able to succeed." Forrest said.
Looking up at the pre-teen in front of him, the Trainer, whose eyes sparkled with hope, asked, "Really? You think so?"
"I don't think. I know. Train a little bit more and then come back for a rematch. But remember, I won't hold back when we battle again."
"And neither will we!" the Trainer said, with a fire in his eyes. His Butterfree flew next to him and, both Harrisons noticed, had the same look in its eyes as its Trainer's.
After both the Trainer and the Butterfree left, Forrest turned towards his eldest sibling. "Not bad, huh?"
Brock chuckled. "Not bad at all. You've really come a long way from the eight-year-old boy who began training to become the Pewter City Gym Leader."
"Thanks, Brocko." The pre-teen said. Both Harrisons then left the Gym and began making their way towards their home which was located about fifty feet from the Gym. As they walked down the path connecting the two buildings, the younger Harrison looked up at his brother. "So how are you doing with your studies?" he asked.
After returning from his adventures in Sinnoh, Brock decided to become a Pokémon Doctor and began studying at Pewter City's Community College the past two years with plans to transfer to the University of Kanto in Vermillion City for another four years after this semester was over.
His brother frowned at his younger sibling. "I'm not saying."
Surprised, Forrest turned his attention away from his brother, nervous. "Oh-ah…I'm a—that is—" Suddenly, his older brother grabbed his head and gave him a playful noogie. Startled, he quickly pulled himself away from his brother and noticed the large smirk on his face.
"Gotcha," his brother said, barely holding back the chuckles that threatened to escape from his throat.
"Very funny," huffed the younger Harrison, pouting that his brother pulled one over him.
Brock put his right arm around Forrest, the large grin still on his face. "Ah, just teasing ya." he said. "But to answer you question, I've been doing pretty well with my studies. Believe it or not, a lot of this stuff I already knew thanks to my experience as a Breeder and traveling with Ash."
Forrest smiled. "I'm not surprised. I'll bet you that you'll become a famous Pokémon Doctor in no time, at the rate you're going."
"Thanks for the support, Forrest." Both brothers were just a few feet from the front door of their home when they spotted their father coming out of the building. "Hey Dad!"
Flint Harrison looked to see his two oldest children approaching and a smile formed on his face. "Ah, hello boys. How'd the battle go?"
"It was great, Dad." Forrest said, excitement in his voice. "It was so close, it looked as if the battle could go either way but eventually Geodude managed to come out on top."
Flint's smile turned into a grin and, like Brock did earlier, put his arm around the pre-teen. "That's my boy. You do your family proud. Heck, with how much training you've been doing lately, you'd probably give your old man a run for his money."
"Really?!" Forrest exclaimed, his eyes rising at the thought.
"Absolutely." His father said, pride in his voice. After a few seconds he looked at his two oldest and asked them if they were going to do anything now that the battle is over.
Thinking about it for a moment, both Harrisons shook their heads. "No, I don't think so. Why?" Brock asked.
His father explained that their mother had gotten a call from the Pewter Museum of Science and History. One of the curators had made a recent discovery and had asked their mother to come see it. Thirty minutes after she left, she called her husband and ask him to come over. "You two want to join me?"
Both brothers looked at each other for a moment before shrugging. "Sure, why not." Brock said.
Fifteen minutes later, the three Harrisons reached the museum. Two-stories tall and more than the length of a football field, the building's white granite surface gleamed in the sunlight. The first floor displayed various examples of fossils and geologic finds that date back millions of years, with complete skeletons of Kabuto, Omanyte, and an Aerodactyl located at the floor's center. Then, on the second floor the displays showcased more recent scientific endeavors as well as events that revolved around Pewter City's history and famous figures, including an exhibit on a famous Pewter City resident who had been one of the first humans to have landed on the moon. On the east side of the building an extension was made for the various personnel and scientists that worked at the museum.
Entering through the extension's door, the men were greeted by one of the personnel and were lead to the back of the building. Waiting patiently for them was Lola Harrison.
The boy's mother smiled brightly when she saw all three of them. "Well, this is a surprise."
"Hi Mom." greeted the two boys.
Lola quickly approached her two oldest children and gave each of them a kiss on the cheek before giving their father a quick kiss on the lips. Forrest cringed at his parent's actions while Brock chuckled at his younger sibling and gently hit his elbow against his brother's ribcage in a joking manner. It was no secret to Brock that Forrest had been interested in girls and how to talk to them since he was ten yet he still wasn't used to the idea of kissing a girl on the lips.
As she pulled away from her husband, a small giggle escaped from Lola's lips. "Oh, Forrest, there's nothing wrong with me kissing your father." she said, having witnessed her child's facial expression.
"Mom!" the boy cried out, red from embarrassment.
Brock, taking pity on his younger brother, decided to change the subject. "So, Mom, can you tell us why we're here?"
"Oh, right. Well, I'm sure your father already told you but I had received a call from the museum. Apparently they made some sort of discovery that had to do with our family."
"Our family?" the Harrison kids asked, confusion clear on their faces. When they looked at their father he also had a surprised look on his face. Apparently, he didn't know about this part.
"Indeed," said a voice. Everyone's heads turned towards a tall scientist in a lab coat. He had orange-brownish hair that spiked up in several areas, several patches of peach-fuzz on his chin, and a pair of large glasses.
Brock was stunned for a moment as he recognized the man in front of them. "Seymour? Is that you?"
The man in the lab coat smiled at the eldest Harrison child. "Hello, Brock. It's great to see you again."
"Wait a minute, Brock you know this guy?" Forrest asked, looking up at his brother.
"Yeah. The day after I left on my journey to become the world's best Pokémon Breeder me, Ash, Misty, and Pikachu ran into him at the base of Mount Moon."
"Ah, yes. A day I remember quite well. Your brother and his friend's saved me from a group of crazed Zubat and then helped me and a group of Clefairy save their Moon Stone from a group of thieves." the scientist recalled, his eyes closed and his left hand holding his chin as he remembered the event from long ago.
Forrest was shocked before he turned his gaze up towards his older sibling in excitement. "Wow! Brock you were a hero!?"
"Ah, it was nothing." Brock said, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment.
"Oh I disagree, Brock." Seymour said, his eyes now open and serious. "If it weren't for you and your friends, I would've been severely injured or worse. Make no mistake, while Zubat generally don't harm humans in the wild they were so agitated by those thieves efforts to gain possession of the Moon Stone that they were not thinking clearly and could've done something much worse than attack me with Supersonic or Wing Attack. I was very lucky that you three ran into me when you did."
Brock looked at the scientist before nodding his head in acceptance. He knew that Seymour was right and that the whole situation could've been much worse for the man. Still, while he appreciated the man's words, it was still a bit embarrassing for both his brother and Seymour to look at him like he was a superhero or something.
Flint and Lola, for their parts, were surprised by this account but decided that they'll ask Brock about his adventure later. "Sorry to interrupt but could we please get back to the matter at hand?" the boys' father asked.
"Of course. Follow me, please." the scientist said and began to lead the group through the building.
As they walked, Seymour explained that back when he meet Brock and his friends he was commissioned by the Pewter Museum to study Mount Moon, the Pokémon who inhabited the mountain, and search for any clues to regarding the Clefairy, the giant Moon Stone, and if there was any truth to the theory that Pokémon had come from outer space.
"Over the past five years I've made some progress with my research and have even made a few small discoveries, like locating the breeding grounds for the Clefairy and Clefable. However, just last week, while I was hiking on the north side of the mountain, I discovered an abandoned house and workshop covered in what was probably a few hundred years worth of shrubs and branches. After clearing a path and entering the buildings, I discovered that it was once the home to Augustus Stone."
This instantly caught the male Harrisons' attention. "Did you say Augustus Stone?! As in the son of Sir Francis Stone?!" Brock asked, excitement in his voice.
Sir Francis Stone, originally a knight from Cameron Palace, came to Pewter City after he was honorably discharged from his service due to losing his left leg in battle. Years later he had married and had several children, one of them being Augustus. After he had heard about the Battle of Cameron, which had cost the lives of the Hero of Rota and his trusted student, Sir Francis felt that the people of Pewter City should be prepared in case anything like that ever happened again and had founded the Pewter City Pokémon Gym to train soldiers and their Pokémon.
For generations the Stones had ran the Pewter Gym, demonstrating the durability and strength of Rock Pokémon to Trainers and helping them overcome the odds. In wasn't until Lola Stone, Brock and Forrest's mother, married Flint that the reins were officially given to the Harrisons.
Seymour nodded. "Yes. Augustus Stone, son of Pewter City's Sir Francis Stone, famed blacksmith throughout the Northern Kanto Region...and your great-uncle by almost thirty generations, Brock."
"Wow! I can't believe it!" Forrest exclaimed.
"Oh you took the words right out of my mouth, Forrest." Lola said, looking down at her soon with just as much excitement. "There's always been so much mystery surrounding Augustus since he mysteriously disappeared after his wife's passing. For almost a thousand years my family has been trying to find hints or clues as to what had happened to him but so far no trace has ever been found."
"The people of Pewter City have also been searching for him, since they felt obligated by Sir Francis for protecting them and establishing the Pewter Gym. I knew it was important for your family so that's why I called your mother, Brock. She's the only person in Pewter who could positively identify whether the items found in the house actually belonged to Augustus or not."
"And I'm happy to say that they were." the female Harrison stated with pride.
The group eventually came to a door at the back of the building. "This is where all of the items we discovered are kept." Seymour said, pulling the key out from his coat pocket and soon opening the door, leading everyone inside. In front of them were two metal tables, one with several wooden tools, books, and pieces of clothing while the other had a variety of small arms and weapons. "As you can see, some of our staff have already begun to study, restore, and archive them before Mrs. Harrison had arrived."
"Woah!" Forrest exclaimed, approaching the table with weapons. His gaze instantly caught sight of a thin sword, the metal, although rusted with age, had several floral designs etched into it. "Look at this Brock: one of Augustus' swords!"
"Actually, dear, I don't think that sword belonged to him." When her son looked at her with a confused expression Lola explained, "According to my father and grandfather, Augustus wasn't much of a fighter and didn't like violence one bit. Though he was a blacksmith, crafting everything from horseshoes and nails to swords and shields, so that sword could have been meant for someone else."
"Well, you both are right...in a way." Seymour said, gaining everyone's attention. Walking over to the other table, and putting on a pair of gloves, Seymour gently picked up an old book and began to look through it before stopping on a certain page. "This is an old journal or diary that belong to the Stones. It's currently written in an ancient dialect but we've managed to translate some of it, including some information on that sword your interested in Forrest. According to the text, although Augustus didn't like violence he did construct that sword for his wife, Helena. I can't say if it was ever actually used but there's always the possibility."
"Ah…" Forrest nodded his head in understanding before looking back at the sword. While the sword may not have been used by Augustus, the fact that he made it for his wife and the possibility that she could have used it still made it pretty cool in his mind.
Brock smiled at his younger brother before looking at all the artifacts in front of him. To think that they once belonged to their missing ancestor was staggering. Despite it being almost a thousand years ago, the stories of Augustus and his mysterious disappearance are still mentioned within the family. In fact, he fondly remembered when his parents once told the story to his siblings and the youngest began speculating that maybe pirates had captured him and tried to put on a small performance to recreate the events, much to the amusement of everyone.
Suddenly, as he continued to look over the artifacts in front of him, a glint of light caught the corner of Brock's eyes. Looking to his right, Brock's gaze shifted from the artifacts towards another table not too far from them. On this table were several pieces of metal that were just as rusted and old as some of the items in front of them. "Say, Seymour, what's that over there?" he asked the scientist.
The scientist, looked in the direction Brock was looking at. "Oh, that's also something that we discovered in Augustus' workshop. They're pieces to a suit of armor that was probably designed by him."
"Really." Brock said, taking a closer look at the armor's chest piece. Although the rust made it difficult, he could make out the once-bright colorful outlines and the sun symbol in the center.
Observing the eldest Harrison child, Seymour placed his right hand under his chin in thought. "You know, since you're all here, perhaps you can help me with something."
This captured the Harrison's attention. "Help you? With what?"
"A bit of a mystery. Out of all of the items we discovered at Augustus' property that armor was the most secured—we found it locked in an old chest, an armada chest."
Flint's eyebrows rose at this. "An armada chest? Are you sure?"
"Believe me, it was an armada chest." Seymour stated.
"What's an 'armada chest', Dad?" asked Forrest.
"Sort of an old fashioned strong box, son." the boys' father explained. "It was typically made from either iron or steel and had very detailed designs all over it. But the biggest thing about these chests were the locking mechanism inside—it had multiple bolts that slipped under a metal lip, sort of like what you would find on a vault or safe door. In order to open the chest, a person had to have a key and know where the keyhole was."
"What do you mean, 'know where the keyhole was'?" Brock questioned.
It was Seymour who answered Brock's question. "Well, the boxes had a fake keyhole placed on the front of the chest to misdirect any thieves from getting into them. The actual keyholes to these boxes were usually hidden within the patterns or designs, so thieves wouldn't be able to open them."
"Armada boxes were sorta infamous among criminals. Should a thief ever happen to come across one they would usually have to either pry the whole chest apart or smash the lid off. Which was difficult, even if they had Fighting or Rock-type Pokémon and ordered them to get into it." Flint added, crossing his arms across his chest.
Both Harrison boys were surprised by both the information and their father's apparent knowledge. When asked how he knew about the chest, Flint explained that, when he left Pewter to become a Pokémon Trainer, he once visited an antique convention and meet someone who also had an armada chest and explained the history behind it.
Forrest, after hearing this, looked at the pieces of armor. "So, where's the chest that this armor was in?"
Seymour suddenly became very sheepish. "Well...funny story story: when we found the chest, we didn't exactly have the key to open it. One of our younger, more hot-headed employees decided to just manually open the thing with his Rhydon."
"Oh, brother," grunted Forrest, slapping his right palm against his forehead. Looking at the pieces of armor, a thought came to mind. "So, was the armor already in pieces when you found it or was this the aftermath of that idiot's Rhydon?"
Seymour didn't say anything and blushed with embarrassment, causing the entire group of Harrison's to sigh in exasperation.
Brock, deciding to ignore the issue for the moment, steered the conversation back to the armor. "So what was so special about this armor that it was locked inside of an armada chest?" he asked.
"That's the thing—we're not sure. Some of the scientists and historians think that the answer could be written inside one of these old books, but we've only just begun translating them. So far, we've managed to translate a few entries and even a poem from the thing but that's it." Seymour explained, once again holding his chin on top of his right palm.
The scientist's words caught the female Harrison's attention. "Poem?" Lola asked.
"Yeah. We managed to translate one of the pages in the notebook and it turned out to be a poem, of some sort."
Noticing his mother's face scrunching in confusion, Forrest asked his mother what was wrong, to which she replied saying that, as far as she knew, neither Augustus or Helena had any interest in poetry. "Mind you, he probably could write a poem if he wanted to, but still…"
His interest piqued, Brock asked the scientist if they could see the poem. Seymour agreed and picked up the book he had previously, skimming the pages until he came upon the page he was looking for. Gently laying the book open on the table, Seymour then grabbed a bright colored notebook and began to go through the pages until he found what he was looking for. "When we translate the text we write down those translations in this notebook for later studies. I already memorized some of it but in this case I'll read from the notebook. Now, this is a rough translation and the poem is a bit long and…"
"And what?" Brock asked.
"It's...a bit strange. I don't know if it's because of the translation or if your ancestors were experimenting with free-verse poetry." the scientist said before reading the translated text.
To calm the anguish of a Pokémon of unusual origins.
To bring harmony to Ice, Fire, and Lightning and return balance to the Beast of the Sea.
To battle the Unknown and help guide a lost soul back to reality.
To befriend and protect the Voice of the Forest.
To assist the Guardians of the Soul Dew from those who would misuse it.
To guard the Wish Maker and its home.
To reunite two lost souls and enlighten the Sky High Pokémon.
To cease the eternal conflict between Land and Sea.
To heal the Tree of Beginning and its master, and help a confused hero learn the true meaning of friendship.
To safeguard the Prince of the Sea, its home, and its treasure.
To reveal the Nightmare's wishes and prevent the conflict of two Titans.
To assist the garden's Protector and defend the Lord of the Reverse World.
To uncover the truth behind the veil of deception and restore the Great Creator's faith in humanity.
To free one whose soul has been trapped and proclaim Victory over two beings embodying Truth and Ideal.
To teach a young soul the meaning of Justice and friendship.
To ensure the safety of the sacred Melody and prevent the evil one from misusing the Forces of Nature.
To protect the Jewel of the Diamond Domain from both humans and the forces of Destruction.
To sooth the Unbound spirit of the Djinn and unleash its true power.
To prevent the destruction of a kingdom, restore the Steam's faith in humanity, and reunite the heart of a Mechanical Beauty.
To guard the Order Pokémon and lend it assistance to combat evil.
Everyone just looked at Seymour as he finished speaking. Brock, after hearing those words, crossed his arms and assumed a stoic demeanor, while both Flint and Lola looked at each other with confusion and worry.
It was Forrest who eventually pierced the silence. "What the heck kind of poem is that?" he asked.
(Alolan Region, Melemele Island)
On a sunny Saturday afternoon there are several different ways that the people on Melemele Island would spend their time. Some would go to the sandy beaches and cool off in the crystal clear waters, others would wander the city streets of Hau'oli City and experience all the city had to offer, and some would go explore the various jungles and mountainous trails that weaved throughout the entire island.
For Ash it was the perfect time to train with his Pokémon...with a little fun added to the mix.
"Alright guys: it's time for some serious training." Ash stated, his face stoic for a moment before he grinned and threw a water balloon high in the air. "Try and hit the target each time I throw it."
His Pokémon posed to strike, watching as the water-filled projectile flew in the air, and prepared to fire their attacks. Litten was the first to strike, her fur bristling, the Fire Cat Pokémon unleashed an Ember attack at the water balloon. The spread of the flammable projectiles made it made it easy to hit the flying object, striking the weak membrane until it popped in mid-air and the water splashed down to the ground.
"Awesome work Litten!" complimented Ash, reaching his right hand into a small bucket which he had filled with water balloons and picked up two more balloons. "Now let's see if the rest of you guys can hit these."
All of his Pokémon cried out, already poised to strike at a moments notice: Pikachu's cheeks sparked as he prepared to unleash a Thundershock, Litten's fur once again bristled with anticipation, Lycanroc had a white glow surrounding his body and prepared to launch his signature move, Accelerock; and Rowlet, who normally slept most of the time, was awake and ready to strike.
Hurling his balloons into the air Ash observed as his Pokémon unleashed their attacks, this time both Pikachu and Lycanroc managing to hit them. Looking at his Grass and Flying-type, he reassured his friend. "Don't worry Rowlet. I'm sure you'll hit the next ones."
As he and his Pokemon continued to train, Professor Kukui stood on his porch and watched the fifteen-year-old and his Pokémon, crossing his arms over his chest and smiled. While he has watched many Trainers in the past train their Pokémon, Ash always had a unique flare and style that was his, and his alone. No matter what the odds, no matter what disadvantage he might be at, Ash would always find a way to turn the tide to his favor, even using unconventional tactics to help him win.
As he watched the group train, the Alolan professor suddenly felt a presence next to him and looked to see who was next to him. Floating at the professor's eye-level, was the red form of the Rotom Pokédex, or "Rotom Dex" as it's commonly referred to as by everyone. "What do you think?" he asked the floating being.
The dual Electric and Ghost-type turned its screen towards the human. "Excuse me?"
"I've noticed how you've been watching them train. What do you think of them?" Professor Kukui asked.
"Well, it seems as though Ash is trying to get everyone to practice their reaction time by having them attack those water balloons as fast as possible." Rotom Dex stated.
"I know that," Professor Kukui said, raising an eyebrow. Rotom Dex always had a habit of speaking the obvious. "I was just wondering if you were thinking of perhaps joining them for a bit."
This caused Rotom Dex's eyes widen on its screen. "What?! Me participate in training! Professor Kukui, no offense but I am not capable of battling like any of Ash's other Pokémon."
"Why not? You're a Rotom. You can fight just as well as Ash's Pokémon if you had the chance."
"Be that as it may, Professor Kukui, I feel more comfortable inside this Pokédex and scanning new Pokémon in my data banks than participate in a battle." Rotom Dex said.
Professor Kukui raised his hands up in a placating gesture. "Alright. I was just wondering."
Rotom Dex nodded its screen before turning back to observe his friends, while the Pokémon Professor sighed. The Plasma Pokémon was certainly a unique example of its species; instead of causing chaos and hopping between various electronic gadgets, Rotom Dex preferred to remain within the confines of the Pokédex cartridge and gather data. Looking at the floating Pokédex, Professor Kukui wondered if it was because Rotom felt more comfortable inside that form or if it had to do something with its history. Still, I have a feeling that if anyone could get Rotom to participate in some training, at least, it would be Ash. he thought, as he watched the young man and his Pokémon at work. Afterall, if Ash could help Lillie with her fear of Pokémon than I'm sure he could help you as well.
Eventually Ash had ran out of water balloons and had everyone prepare for the next part of their training: running—or, in Rowlet's case, flying—a hundred yards across the beach and back as fast as they can. The Alolan native smiled as he watched Ash stand next to his friends, getting ready to race with them.
"Alright, you guys: when I say 'go' we race. Do the best you can—oh, and Pikachu, no Quick Attack." he add as an afterthought, causing Pikachu to nervously chuckle while the rest of their friends shared a smile. The Mouse Pokémon had accidently used the attack when he and his human partner had decided to race into Hau'oli City, over taking Ash by several yards before he had realized what he'd done. Since then, Ash has playfully teased his best friend everytime they do a race.
"On your mark, get set...go!" called out Ash.
Instantly everyone began racing across the sand. Within the first few seconds of the race Pikachu, Lycanroc, and Rowlet were already in the lead though both Ash and Litten were not too far behind them.
Smiling as he watched the young man and his family move across the sandy terrain, Professor Kukui noticed out of the corner of his right eye several figures approaching his cozy little home. Turning his head, his smile grew bigger when he realized that it was the rest of his class and their Pokémon approaching. "Well, afternoon everyone." he greeted cheerfully.
"Afternoon, Professor." his class said, smiling upon seeing their teacher.
"What brings you all to my humble home?" the Alolan professor asked, though he did have a few suspicions. Ash and the rest of his classmates always seemed to hang out whenever they could, searching or finding adventure wherever they go. He could still remember the hilarious tales both Ash and Rotom Dex would tell him at the end of each day: of helping Mallow search for a rare flower that only blooms on a specific part of the island, of the events that lead a Palossand to hug his home, and of the supposed "Master Fisherman" that both Ash and Lana meet while they were fishing for a Totem Pokémon on Akala Island.
It was Lana who answered the professor's question. "Oh, we were just coming over to see if Ash wanted to hang out with us at Mallow's restaurant for a mid-afternoon snack."
The green-haired girl amongst their group seemed excited. "Yeah. Both me and my Dad have been working on some new recipes in the kitchen and I wanted everyone to come over and try them first before we begin serving it to the public."
The Pokémon Professor chuckled. He already knew what Ash's response would be. The young Kanto native was never one to turn down food.
Just then everyone noticed Ash and his Pokémon racing towards them. The Pokémon Trainer had managed to keep up with his friends and was coming up behind them. Unfortunately for him, though, he was unable to keep up with the natural speed of his Pokémon and only managed to cross their makeshift finish line after both Pikachu and Lycanroc, respectively, with Litten and Rowlet following behind him.
However, in spite of his loss, he had a large smile on his face. "Good job, gang. That was some good running." he praised, evoking a smile on each of his Pokémons' faces. As he began to catch his breath, Ash noticed the large crowd off to the side. "Oh, hey guys! What's up?"
"We were just on our way to Mallow's restaurant to try some new food she and her father recently made." Lillie said. "Care to join us?"
"You bet!" cheered Ash, always excited when food is mentioned. Looking at his Pokémon he asked them if they wanted to come as well to which they all agreed. Nothing is better than eating after a hard day of training.
After recalling almost everyone to their Pokéballs and letting Pikachu climb up and rest upon his left shoulder, the group began making their way towards Aina's Kitchen. As they walked Mallow eagerly began telling everyone about all of the new foods that she and her father had made and which ones she really wanted to add to the menu.
"Dad seems to think that this new recipe for soup would be a great addition for our menu but I feel that our new recipe for tomato sauce could replace the one we currently use, especially once we add the right spices into it." Mallow stated.
Everyone else rolled their eyes and gave a small smile. Nothing seems to excite their friend more than talking about what was cooking at her family's restaurant.
It was while they were walking, smiling at their friend's enthusiasm, that Ash suddenly felt a weird sensation course through his entire body. He instantly stopped where he was and began looking around, much to the bewilderment of Pikachu.
His actions didn't go unnoticed as everyone else halted and looked at him with curious expressions. "Something wrong, Ash?" Sophocles asked, bewildered by his friend's actions. For as long as he's known Ash, he knew that his friend was never one to just stop suddenly unless it was for a good reason.
"You guys didn't feel that?" asked the Kanto native, still on high alert. Trusting his human partner, Pikachu instantly began scanning the area around them, searching for anything out of the ordinary.
"Feel what?" Kiawe questioned, wondering what caused the young man to suddenly react this way.
As he continued to look around, Ash felt the same sensation again. "Seriously, where's that coming from?!"
"Ash what's going on?" Lillie asked, concerned for her friend.
Just as Ash was about to speak, he happened to look up and notice something fall towards them. As it got closer his eyes widen with fear.
A small bomb was heading straight towards them!
Reacting quickly he surged forward and tackled everyone to the ground. "Get down!" he shouted, just as the projectile landed where he was standing. A few seconds later smoke filled the entire area.
"What's going on!?" Lillie fearfully asked, holding Snowy close to her chest.
"I can't see!" coughed Mallow.
While everyone was recovering from the shock, a robotic hand suddenly pierced the smoke and grabbed Pikachu, before lifting him up. Pikachu, realizing quickly what was going on shouted, "Pikapi!"
Getting over his shock, Ash immediately looked in the direction of his best friend's voice. "Pikachu!"
"Listen is that twerp's cry I hear?" a female voice called out.
"That seems to be loud and clear." followed a male voice.
"To protect the world from devastation."
"To unite all people within our nation."
"To denounce the evils of truth and love."
"To extend our reach to the stars above."
Looking up the group could see the people talking hovering over them in a hot air balloon that was in the shape of a Meowth's head. Standing within the basket were three individuals: a tall woman with magenta hair that was curled into a comet-tail, a blue-haired man who was the exact same height as the woman, and a Meowth. In the Scratch Cat Pokémon's paws was a device that was attach to the robotic hand that held Pikachu.
"Jessie!" the woman cried out.
"James!" the man called.
"And Meowth are the names!" said the Pokémon.
"Wherever there is peace in the universe…" continued Jessie.
"Team Rocket…" James sang.
"Will be there…" sneered Meowth.
"To make everything worse!" they finished.
Suddenly, popping up behind them, a blue Pokémon with its eyes closed appeared and saluted to its comrades. "Wobbuffet!"
"Team Rocket!" cried Ash and his friends..
"Ah! Now that was pure gold, James." the woman sighed.
"I heartily agree, Jess. One of our top ten best." James cheered.
Meowth nodded his head. "Amen to that! And it's better now that we finally have a certain Pikachu in our possession!"
"You no good crooks! Give me back Pikachu, right now!" Ash growled.
The trio pretended to think about it for a moment before snickering. "Sorry Twerp. Pikachu is now the sole property of Team Rocket and he's going to remain that way!" Jessie said with glee.
"Oh yeah, we'll just see about that. Pikachu, Thunderbolt!"
Responding quick to his Trainer's orders, the Mouse Pokémon unleashed a large bolt of electricity, intending to fry the device holding him, but the attack seemed to have no effect.
Meowth snickered at his opponent's attempt. "You Twerps think we haven't thought of that? We made certain that this little gizmo was completely impervious to Pikachu's Electric attacks."
"Really?" Lillie said, glaring at the three Pokémon thieves. "Well, in that case: Snowy, use Powder Snow!"
The white Fox Pokémon nodded before blowing a amount of icy wind and snow at the crooks. However, just as the attacked seemed to reach them, the bottom of the basket opened up and arm with a metal dish came out. As the attack struck the dish the powerful, icy gale was all of a sudden redirected back towards Snowy. The Ice-type yelped in surprise and fright before she was hit by her own attack, the force of the blow knocking her back towards her Trainer's feet.
"Snowy!" Lillie cried out, quickly kneeling down to check on her friend.
James chortled with triumph. "As you can see we managed to prepare ahead this time. This little device is capable of deflecting any attack your twerpish Pokémon can throw at us and sending it back with nearly double the power." he said.
"Yep. So hit us with your best shot!" Meowth teased, grinning with satisfaction. After so long, they were so close to accomplishing their original goal of nabbing Pikachu.
Everyone glared at their opponents; Ash growled as he tried to quickly think of a way to beat Team Rocket and get his buddy back.
However, his thoughts were interrupted by the same feeling that has already struck him twice. However, this time, the feeling was even stronger than the last two and seemed to reflect his emotions strongly. "What the—"
As the trio of Pokémon thieves laughed with glee at the twerps' inability to strike them, a blue ball of energy suddenly shot from the trees and headed straight for the balloon. Jessie was the first to notice it. "Huh? Uh-oh, lookout!"
Her partners looked to see the speeding ball of energy head straight towards them. "Quick, Meowth!" order James.
"Roger!" the Scratch Cat said, hitting a single button on the device that held Pikachu.
The dish underneath Team Rocket's balloon quickly intercepted the attack before shooting it right back towards the direction it had came from, it's velocity nearly twice as fast than before. As everyone watched the speeding blue ball, a figure burst from the shrubs and was heading straight towards the sphere.
Everyone gasped as they watched the figure pulled back its right appendage mid-flight before a yellow aura surrounded it and then striking the speeding blue ball, resulting in a small explosion. As everyone shielded their eyes from the bright flash of light, they witnessed the blue sphere rocketing back at Team Rocket, so fast that it struck the center of their balloon.
As the Pokémon thieves balloon began to fall Meowth inadvertently released their prisoner from his binds. The instant he was free, Pikachu quickly jumped away from the balloon in the direction of his friend.
Ash, witnessing the entire event, ran as fast as his legs could towards Pikachu. "Hang on, Pikachu!" he called, jumping the final few feet and managing to safely catch his partner. After a slightly rough landing, the young man quickly looked down at his friend. "Are you okay, Pikachu?"
"Pika!" was the Electric-type's reply, happy to be reunited with his friend again.
Ash gave a relieved smile and was about to say more when Jessie's voice pierced the air. "The nerve! Striking our balloon like that!" Looking in the direction of her voice, Ash notice that the trio had crash landed only a few yards from them.
Standing on their basket, Meowth teeth meshed together in frustration. "Yeah! You guys are going to pay!"
"Dearly!" James called out, pulling a Pokéball out of his pocket he summoned his Mareanie. The female Poison and Water-type quickly turned around and made for her Trainer, intending to affectionately wrap his head in her tentacles, when the blue-haired man grabbed her. "Sorry but there's a time and place for everything and now is certainly not one of those times!" he said.
As Jessie had called out her Mimikyu, Ash released Pikachu from his grip and both of them glared at the three and their Pokémon. "Ready Pikachu?"
"Pi-ka!" the Mouse Pokémon stated, his cheeks sparking with aggression.
"Mimikyu nail that Twerp and his Pikachu with your Shadow Claw!" ordered Jessie.
"Mareanie, Sludge Bomb!" commanded James.
Both Pokémon began racing towards Pikachu, their attacks forming as they ran. Both Ash and Pikachu waited as they got closer with their attacks when the same figure that leaped out of the trees jumped in front of them. Glaring at Team Rocket's Pokémon, the Pokémon's right eye twinkled before its entire body was coated in a dark-purple aura of light. Suddenly, its right paw turned black with a dark-purple outline and then transformed into a large claw, similar to Mimikyu's Shadow Claw.
Pulling back its right paw, the Pokémon intercepted both of its opponents and struck them with its attack. The blow was so powerful that it sent both Mareanie and Mimikyu hurtling straight back to their now-terrified Trainers.
Reacting fast, Ash called out to Pikachu, "Alright, buddy, send these guys flying with a Thunderbolt!"
Pikachu nodded his head before charging straight towards Team Rocket and unleashing a devastating bolt of electricity at the group of Pokémon thieves. Shrieking in horror, the two humans and their Pokémon felt the lightning course through their bodies before the electricity struck their balloon's propane tank and exploded around Team Rocket, sending them hurtling in the air.
"Unbelievable! I don't remember that being in the script?!" screeched Jessie.
"Seriously, who invited that Pokémon to the Alolan party!" James cried.
"Perhaps it's time our people meet with those chumpy writers and teach them a lesson for making these changes to the program without tellin' us!" Meowth exclaimed.
"Wobbuffet!" their companion stated.
"We're blasting off again!" they chorused. Suddenly, a Bewear had rose up and caught the flying members of Team Rocket. However, as it started to descend downward, the figure helping Ash and Pikachu saw this and raised its right hand towards them. A small ball of blue energy formed instantly in its hands before the Pokémon released it at the Strong Arm Pokémon, sending both her and Team Rocket back into the air.
After watching the thieves disappear in a twinkle of light, everyone look to see the mysterious Pokémon that helped safe Pikachu. However, none were more surprised by the Pokémon's appearance than both Ash and Pikachu.
Because they knew this Pokémon.
Ash was the first to speak. "Riolu?"
The Emanation Pokémon looked up at the Kanto native and gave him the biggest smile he could give. "Ri! Ri! Lu!"
Meanwhile...
Unknown to the group, their skirmish with Team Rocket was not a private affair. Hiding behind the shadows in the forest, a strange group of people watched the entire event. Dressed in punk attire with bandanas on top of their heads that possessed a skull motif and masks over their mouths, the group consisted of a skinny light blue-haired male, a rotund brown-haired male, and a pink-haired female a few inches shorter than the blue-haired individual.
"Did you guys see what I just saw?" the blue-haired male asked.
"Sure did, Tupp." Their rotund companion then looked towards the lone female of the group. "What about you Rapp?"
Rapp nodded her head. "Saw it with my own two eyes, Zipp. That little blue mongrel took down those chumps like they were nothing."
"Yeah, and that little bugger's Pikachu wasn't half bad either." Zipp said.
"Say, yo," Rapp stated, looking at both the Trainer and his Pikachu. "Isn't that the square that sent us packing after we tried to clip them Tauros that one time?"
"It is." Tupp said, assuming the role of group leader. "And that little bugger has quite the score of unique Pokémon. We clip them from him and give 'em to the boss then the boss would be thrilled with us."
"Maybe he would even buy us some new uniforms?" Zipp exclaimed with excitement.
Tupp just nodded his head and crossed his arms. "Alright, here's the deal: we follow that bugger and his friends and then strike 'em when they least expect it. And in the midst of the confusion we clip every one of the bugger's Pokémon. Then we give 'em to Guzma and we can say 'Hello!' to instant respect!"
"I'm game," Rapp stated.
"Count me in on some action." Zipp said.
Tupp nodded and, like phantoms, the three disappeared amongst the shadows with malicious intent towards the young Kanto native and his friends.
Hello, fellow fanfic writers and readers. Here's another amazing chapter delivered by yours truly. I hope that you like it and please give me your response on it.
Sincerely Yours,
Trainman-Captain Writer