Ascension

Disclaimer- I sadly do not own Pokemon. If I did, Ash would have never left Greninja.

Welcome back to another chapter! Hope you guys are enjoying this story. Also, I know Kalos is over and Lysandre tried to corrupt Zygarde or whatever, but I made up my own little plot for that so don't start shouting about what really went down in Kalos. I know what happens in the anime, I'm just putting a little different twist in the story.

Remember to R&R please!

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~|Chapter 1: The New Threat|~

Full summary: Join Ash as he embarks on a new journey, one that will test the limits between friends and foes alike. Aiming to claim all sixteen badges of the neighboring regions of Kanto and Johto, Ash will take part in the league and rise to be the very best that he's always dreamed of. But the road of a champion is not easy. Darkness looms over the horizon and the world will face a threat that has never been seen before. Tangled up in a deadly plot that may hold the fate of existence itself, Ash must push himself to his limits and confront his inner spirits. With newly discovered feelings, rivalries taken to the next level, and a mysterious link to his past, questions will rise. What is the power of aura? Why is Team Rocket so bent on unlocking the mysteries of the very legends themselves? What secrets do the Pokémon League hold that are connected to Ash and his friends? How does the fate of the Chosen One impact the world? And just who is Ash's father?

Last time: The Indigo Conference finals took place with Ash and Tobias as the last two trainers facing off for victory. Using a team composed of his strongest Pokémon (Pikachu, Charizard, Infernape, Sceptile, Greninja and Heracross), Ash did his best to fight his way out of the toughest battle in his life, ultimately losing by a huge number gap. With his dream crushed, Ash made his way back home with his friends who attempted to comfort him and leading to Dawn giving him more hope and determination later that night. Their peaceful time was interrupted by fellow Aura Guardian Riley, who appeared to have some bad news. Meanwhile, a mysterious brown-scarfed Riolu was seen running from a horde of powerful Pokémon who were hell bent on killing it. After getting briefly injured and escaping, the Riolu was able to close its eyes and take a nice, long rest. What news does Riley bear and just who is this Riolu?

Ages (Main Characters):

Ash: 17

Dawn: 17

Serena: 16

Ages (Other Characters):

Riley: 23

Archer: 29

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Normal talk

Thoughts

Pokémon speech through aura

Let the aura guide you...

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-Pallet Town [9:31 P.M]-
-Kanto Region-

"Riley?!"

Ash and Dawn looked at the man in shock. His ever faithful Lucario was standing next to him with a stoic expression on his face.

"Hello Ash, Dawn," Riley spoke.

"What are you doing here Riley?" Ash asked curiously. Of all people, he wasn't expecting the aura guardian to be here.

Riley sighed. "I'll tell you. Thank Arceus I made it though." Ash noticed a few cuts and scrapes on his body. The man's lip also had a cut with dried blood.

He then looked at Riley's Lucario and saw that the Aura Pokemon had a deep gash on the side of his face along with numerous cuts and bruises. It looked like the two had been in a tough fight.

Dawn noticed too because she covered her mouth with both hands and gasped. "What happened to you guys?"

Riley looked at Lucario, both nodding to each other, and the man looked back at them. "What I'm about to tell you two is very troubling, so please bear with me."

Ash didn't know why, but he suddenly had a bad feeling about what he was about to hear. He nodded so Riley could go on.

Riley sighed. "We were attacked by a very powerful foe. I think you might know them as Team Rocket."

Ash's eyes widened at the mention of the enemy organization's name. Team Rocket was supposedly disbanded back in Kalos after their leader, Giovanni, tried to use the power of Zygarde to control Xerneas and Yveltal. They had supposedly allied themselves with Team Flare but the latter's leader, Lysandre, had been defeated and Giovanni had tried to capture the corrupt Zygarde they made and use it for his own power.

Luckily, Xerneas and Yveltal were not involved and thanks to Squishy, the real Zygarde, Giovanni's plan was stopped and he fled. If that wasn't enough, he hadn't heard from the trio that always followed him around since then.

Hearing this made Ash angry and he clenched his fist. "So what? We'll just stop them again if we have to!"

"I agree," Dawn said.

Riley shook his head. "I'd agree too, but this isn't the same Team Rocket you know of."

Seeing Ash and Dawn's confused face, Riley continued. "I fought one of their executives and I almost lost. They're not messing around anymore."

"So, what exactly happened?" Ash asked. If what Riley said was true, he needed an explanation.

Riley took a deep breath and answered. "It went down like this..."

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-Iron Island [2 Days Ago]-
-Sinnoh Region-

Riley opened his eyes, stopping his meditation. He suddenly had an uneasy feeling inside him.

Lucario sensed his master's distress and opened his eyes also. "What ails you, master?"

"Something's not right, Lucario", Riley replied looking around anxiously. "I sense a negative aura around. Someone's here!"

Lucario looked at him in confusion before his eyes widened. "I sense it too..."

Riley nodded and looked around. "It's getting stronger. They must be close by. Come on, let's go see what is the cause of this."

Lucario nodded, but suddenly a voice called out: "That won't be necessary." Lucario and Riley looked at each other, then looked around.

"Show yourself!" Riley shouted.

There was a chuckle and a figure suddenly appeared on top of a boulder that was lying in front of Riley. He was a tall, teal haired man in a white suit, wearing a cold smirk on his face.

"Who are you?" Riley asked, getting into a fighting stance along with Lucario. The man chuckled.

"I will be the one asking questions here, Riley."

The latter's eyes widened. "How do you know my name?"

"Oh, we've heard many things about you," the man chuckled. Riley looked closer and something caught his eye. A bright red 'R' was embedded on the man's chest, meaning only one thing.

"That's!-" Riley gasped. The man smirked. "I am Archer, head executive of the great Neo Team Rocket!"

Riley heard Lucario growl at the mention of the evil organization. After all, the two had encountered an all too familiar trio one time.

Archer looked at the two and saw the hostile expressions on their faces and he laughed.

"Up for a fight, eh? Well lucky for you, I'm giving you a chance to live if you just cooperate with me here," the man spoke with malice.

"Cooperation? For what?" Riley asked.

Archer put both hands behind his back. "Tell me, Riley. What do you know about the Sinjoh Ruins?"

"The Sinjoh Ruins?...Why do you want to know?"

"I believe I said that I was the one asking the questions here. Now answer me".

Riley scowled. "I'm not going to answer you until you give me a good reason".

Archer chuckled. "Ah, you good hearted people. Never know when to stop trying. But anyway, I'll tell you. You know the legends of Sinnoh, right? The legendary creation trio?"

"Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina. Why?" Riley continued to glare at the man.

"Correct. Our plan is to get ahold of the three and take over the world with that power. Now that I've told you our plan, you tell me some information about the ruins".

Riley frowned. He could only imagine the amount of trouble Team Rocket could cause if they got ahold of the creation trio.

"I don't know," he answered. He wasn't going to disclose such information to Team Rocket of all people!

Unfortunately, Archer wasn't buying it. "Don't lie to me. We know you have some information. You are good friends with the champion as well".

Riley cursed under his breath. Cynthia was from Celestic Town and was very knowledgeable on Sinnoh's history, and he had learned some of it from her. It made sense though as to why they hadn't gone after her instead. After all, Cynthia was not to be taken lightly.

However, Riley knew there was no point in lying. Archer knew the jig was up, so he might as well go along.

"Maybe I do know something. But I'm certainly not telling you anything!" Riley shouted.

Archer sighed. "Fine. You leave me no choice then. I will kill you right here, right now".

"We'll see about that! Lucario, Aura Sphere!" Riley shouted. He was going to defeat this man, then hand him over to the authorities.

Lucario growled and gathered up energy in a blue sphere, before blasting it towards Archer full force. The man stood there, completely unfazed by the attack.

Suddenly, a black blur jumped between them, and the Aura Sphere attack was cancelled. A shape landed next to Archer and growled.

"So it's a fight you want then. Fine by me", Archer smirked.

Riley growled. "Lucario, Bone Rush!"

"Zoroark, Double Team," Archer coolly responded. Lucario lunged toward Archer at incredible speed, twirling the blue bone in his hand. The black fox next to Archer however, jumped toward Lucario, splitting into multiple copies in front of him.

Lucario was surprised at first, but quickly began swinging the club around. However, every copy he hit, dissipated in thin air.

Riley grit his teeth. "Lucario, use your aura to find the real one!"

"Sucker Punch," Archer responded. Before anyone could react, the real Zoroark dashed toward Lucario at breakneck speed, striking the aura Pokemon twice with purple glowing fists.

Lucario stumbled back, caught off guard by the sudden attack. Before Riley could give an order, Archer had already barked another attack.

"Zoroark, Shadow Claw!"

Zoroark smirked, and reappeared right in front of Lucario, slashing him in the face with his dark claws. Zoroark's cut was a little too deep, as Lucario was now bleeding on the left side of his face. The Aura Pokemon wiped it with his hand and stared at his blood in shock, before his expression turned to a menacing glare.

"RRAAAGH!" Lucario roared launching himself at Zoroark. The Close Combat was to quick for the Illusion Pokemon to react in time, and the Dark type was repeatedly hammered by Lucario's fists.

"Lucario, pull yourself together!" Riley shouted. "Use Sky Uppercut!" Lucario heard his master's order and obeyed. Zoroark stumbled back from the onslaught and Lucario took the opportunity to rush forward and deliver a powerful uppercut that sent the Dark type in the air.

"Impressive," Archer remarked as he observed his Dark type flip in the air and open his maw. "But now enough. Dark Pulse!"

"Dragon Pulse!" Riley countered. Lucario thrust his arms forward, releasing a blue and purple beam of energy that matched Zoroark's dark puprle rings. The two attacks collided and created a small explosion. Lucario's eyes glowed blue, allowing him to see in the smoke.

"Shadow Claw," Archer spoke.

"Dodge".

Lucario easily evaded the Shadow Claw, and kicked Zoroark in the leg, making the Dark type stumble. He then prepared a Bone Rush and swung, hitting Zoroark on the side.

"Finish it with Aura Sphere!" Riley shouted. Lucario created the blue ball of energy in his hands and launched it forward at the midair Zoroark. Before it hit, the Dark type flipped over and blasted the Aura Sphere with a Shadow Ball, cancelling the two attacks out and landing on his feet.

The two Pokemon glared at each other. Zoroark smirked at his opponent. "Heh, you're good. I haven't fought someone as strong as you for a while".

"You're surprisingly strong for a Pokemon that has a strong disadvantage over me," Lucario said, not keeping his eyes off him. "But in the end, it's futile. I will crush you for allying yourself with evil people like him".

Zoroark grinned, showing off his fangs. "We'll see about that".

Both trainers then shouted at the same time:

"AURA SPHERE!"

"SHADOW BALL!"

Lucario and Zoroark both shouted and prepared the balls of energy in their hands, radiating powerful aura around them. They thrust their hands forward, the blue and purple spheres launching at each other and creating a mixed explosion.

When the smoke cleared, everybody was standing still, glaring at each other. Lucario and Zoroark weren't the slightest fazed or hurt, save for the blood on Lucario's left cheek.

"You're strong. I commend you for that," Archer spoke. "No one has ever lasted this long against my Zoroark. Too bad it's not even my strongest".

Riley's eyes widened slightly. This Zoroark was putting up one hell of a fight against its weakness and it wasn't even Archer's strongest Pokemon? Just how dangerous was this guy? Regardless, Riley's glare didn't waver.

Archer laughed. "Too bad you're time's up. Zoroark, end this with Night Daze". Zoroark didn't waste time as he gathered up dark energy in his hands and launched a black shockwave at Lucario. It looked like a large, sharp knife was being thrown so fast and seemed to be radiating alot of energy from it.

Riley sensed it too because he gasped. "That attack looks deadly, Lucario! Dodge it!"

Lucario didn't need to be told twice. He leaped out of the way as the Night Daze crashed down on where he was standing, creating a large, dark purple explosion with dark energy shooting out like lightning.

Lucario landed on his feet and turned to look at his opponent, but something was off. Where Zoroark once stood, the ground started to crack and lava burst out from underneath. Lucario was shocked and looked around to find Archer, only to see him gone.

Suddenly, he heard rumbling from underneath and saw the ground cracking underneath him. Thinking quickly, Lucario jumped back as the ground blew apart and a large shape emerged with a loud roar. Lava suddenly shot up from everywherea and soon, the whole island was filled with smoke and fire.

Lucario looked around for Riley, but there was no sign of his master. Suddenly, a bellowing roar made him look up and freeze in fear. There, standing in front of him, was the legendary Pokemon Groudon. It looked different though, as the black markings were glowing yellow and lava was swirling around.

Lucario realized this to be Groudon's Primal Form, something he read about with Riley. The monster of the continents looked at him with glowing eyes and roared, a large Flamethrower shooting toward him.

Thinking quickly, Lucario leaped toward the right, barely evading the large fire. He turned around only for Groudon to stomp its massive foot on the ground and let out a powerful Earth Power. Lucario could only gasp as he was thrown into the ground that opened up, nearly falling into a large crack.

He looked up as Groudon prepared another Flamethrower when suddenly he heard Riley call out: "Lucario, it's only an illusion! Snap out of it!"

It all came back to him, as he shut his eyes and used his aura to get rid of the illusion. All the noise went away and was replaced with the cool breeze in the morning air.

Lucario opened his eyes and found himself back on regular land, Riley standing behind him and glaring at Archer. He looked forward and saw that it indeed was Zoroark, whose eyes were glowing yellow and had a dark aura surrounding him.

Zoroark's eyes returned to normal and he growled. "Impressive. You managed to snap out of my illusion. But you've only delayed the inevitable now. My master is going to crush you".

Lucario was going to ask what he meant when Archer suddenly started laughing. "Haha! Well done! I'm not surprised you managed to stay clear of my Zoroark's illusion. I've heard about your unique abilities, Riley".

"Hmph, so you know. You might as well retreat for now. You can't beat me, especially with a Dark type Pokemon," Riley said.

Zoroark growled at the comment, but Lucario stepped in front of him growling as well.

Archer scoffed. "This has gone on far too long. I'm just going to get rid of you quickly now". He suddenly pulled out a purple Poke Ball from his belt and enlarged it. A large 'M' was on the middle with two pink halves on each side.

Archer held the ball up and smirked. "Inside this Master Ball is the Pokemon that will be the cause of your doom. Come forth, Raikou!"

As soon as the ball opened up, a massive bolt of lightning struck the ground in front of Archer, creating a large explosion. Immediatly after, the sky darkened grey and lightning flashed in the sky.

Many more bolts of electricity crashed down in front of Archer, illuminating the field. Thunder rumbled in the sky as the malevolence continued until it grew dark all of a sudden.

Then, lightning flashed twice, blinding everyone before everything was illuminated. Riley opened his eyes, only for them to widen and gasp. Lucario, noticing the entity in front of them, stood with his mouth open and backed away slightly. They had every right to be afraid, for this Pokemon was only heard of in the legends and held great power that almost no mortal Pokemon can match.

In front of them, standing on all four legs and a fierce expression on its face, was a large yellow colored dog with lightning shaped tusks, black visor that stopped above its mouth, a large purple coat on its back with black markings on its yellow body, and a blue lightning shaped tail.

It was Raikou, the warrior of thunder and one of the legendary dogs that hailed from the Johto region.

Riley couldn't even find the words to speak. "H-how...why...". Raikou was giving off a very powerful aura, too powerful that Riley had to back away more. He couldn't believe he was standing face to face with Raikou of all Pokemon.

Archer noticed his foes' feared expressions and smirked. "What happened to all the confidence you had just a minute ago, hm? Even you know that you cannot match the might of a legendary! You're outmatched here!"

"How did you manage to get your hands on Raikou?!" Riley shouted. He had found the words to speak, but was still in shock.

Archer's smirk didn't waver. "That's not your concern, nor will it ever be. Just know Raikou is in my full control and there's nothing you can do about it".

"No!" Riley shouted. "I refuse to let you do this! I will not stand by and watch you abuse the power of a legendary!"

Lucario growled, getting into a fighting stance. Riley continued. "I will not let Raikou be controlled by you! Come on, Lucario! Let's free Raikou from this evil man!"

Archer sighed. These fools were persistent. Well, if they wanted to die so badly, then so be it. Zoroark stood next to him and smirked at his foes.

"Lucario, use Aura Sphere on Archer!" Riley commanded. The blue sphere was hurled at the man immediatly, but Archer just grinned.

Before Aura Sphere could hit its mark, Raikou shot a Thunderbolt directly at it, immediatly dispersing the attack.

"Now then," Archer crossed his arms and smirked. "Let's end this. Zap Cannon!"

Raikou shrouded itself in electricity before opening its maw, and unleashing a massive, bolt of electricity that shot towards the two with a loud bang!

"DODGE IT!" Riley shouted, jumping out of the way along with his faithful partner. The Zap Cannon shot past them and blew apart a large section of the ground, leaving a deep crater with scorch marks and smoke behind.

Riley stared at the destruction in awe before his attention turned to his faithful partner. Lucario nodded at him, despite his beaten state. They weren't going to give up yet.

"Lucario, get in there with ExtremeSpeed, and use Bone Rush!" Riley gave out the order. In the blink of an eye, Lucario was in front of Raikou holding the large bone in his hand.

He swung, but Raikou jumped out of the way before Lucario hit his target. The Thunder Pokemon roared and leaped in the air, electricity surging throughout its body.

"Wild Charge!" Archer roared. Raikou dashed toward Lucario at breakneck speed, leaving behind an electric trail that seemed to rip through the ground. Lucario managed to jump out of the way as Raikou crashed into the ground where he once stood. Unfortunately, the force of the attack was so powerful that it caused an explosion that knocked Lucario back while midair.

Lucario landed on the ground with a huff, then looked at his trainer expectantly. Riley nodded again.

"Go for an Aura Sphere!" Riley called out. The blue ball of energy was shot toward Raikou, but the Thunder Pokemon barely even flinched as the attack struck. Archer laughed as Riley and Lucario's faces showed shock.

"You fools actually think you can win against a legendary! How persistent can you get?" Archer spat. "No matter. Raikou, end this now! THUNDER, MAXIMUM POWER!"

The air seemed to get stiff as Raikou let out the loudest roar that shook the earth as it began charging up its most powerful attack.

"Brace yourself," Riley said to Lucario. There was no going back now. Raikou roared once more as the electricity in its body crackled brightly, then flashed. With a final roar, Raikou unleashed the devastating attack into the sky, where it came down toward Riley and Lucario.

At the last second, Riley shouted: "Protect!"

Immediatly, Lucario put up a blueish green shield that covered both him and Riley. Thunder came crashing down on them with such force that Lucario felt the Protect shield start to crack. Then, there was a large explosion after that, creating a storm of smoke.

Archer watched as the smoke cleared and smirked, seeing a battered up Riley next to a beaten and gasping Lucario. Both were a terrible mess, having numerous cuts and bruises. Riley was bleeding from his right arm, clutching it in grimace. Lucario was also bleeding on his right arm and left cheek again.

Both groaned and sunk to the ground, defeated. Riley grit his teeth. There was nothing they could do. Raikou was too powerful and they were already tired from fighting Archer's Zoroark. Lucario was on the brink of losing consciousness, as he was also feeling exhausted. He looked up to see Raikou charging up another attack and Archer's smiling face.

"That attack didn't finish you off, but this one certainly will. Raikou, prepare for another Zap Cannon and this time make sure to finish the two off."

Riley looked at Raikou, who had begun charging up another Zap Cannon. He could literally feel the power of the electricity and knew that if he didn't do something, he and Lucario were surely finished.

His uninjured arm slowly moved towards his belt, circling and grasping a Poke Ball. He unclasped it and kept it at his side, enlarging it. Hopefully it would work. He looked up to see Raikou fully charged up and Archer give out the finishing order.

"Attack!"

"Alakazam, Teleport!" Riley immediatly shouted, opening up the Poke Ball to reveal the Psychic type emitting a blue glow. Raikou launched the Zap Cannon at them, but it was too late. Alakazam had already shrouded Riley and Lucario with the same glow and the three were immediatly whisked away in a bright blue light.

The last thing Riley heard was Archer's angry shout...

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-Back in the present-

"So that's what happened," Riley finished. He looked at the two teens in front of him and saw their shocked expressions. Ash had turned pale and looked as if he had seen a ghost and Dawn looked like she was about to pass out any second.

"T-Team Rocket has R-Raikou...a legendary on their side," Ash stammered. He had fought Team Rocket for six years straight and they had gone from being serious trouble to a mere nuisance. If what Riley said was true, then the villain organization might have finally stepped up their game.

"What do we do? We can't just sit around and continue on with our lives when we know Team Rocket has a legendary Pokemon under control," Dawn said.

"I know. That's why I came here for your help, Ash" Riley said. When he noticed the boy's confused expression, he continued. "You've been fighting Team Rocket for a long time now and I can't do this without someone powerful like you. Plus, you've also had some connection with legendaries before, right?"

"Yeah, I have," Ash said. "Well, I'll gladly help. If it means finally putting Team Rocket down for good, then I'm down."

"I'll help too," Dawn volunteered. "I'm not gonna sit around while you do all the work."

Riley nodded. "Okay. I'm heading to Johto tommorow morning. If they have Raikou, then there's no doubt Team Rocket might go after the other legendary dogs. We need to stop Team Rocket before they get their hands on more legendaries. I assume you'll be coming tommorow as well?"

"Yeah!" Ash exclaimed. Then, an idea struck him. "And it can also benefit me in training when I go for the Indigo Conference again!"

"You're taking part in the Indigo League again?" Dawn asked. He'd just lost this one and instead of going to another region like he always did, he was going back? That was so unlike the regular Ash she knew.

"Yep. But this time, I'm going to go for all the badges again. Maybe this is what I needed to do all this time to get stronger. It will be a new experience also," Ash said. This could be the turning point in his life.

"That sounds good and all, but why not just train your Pokemon right here, then re-enter the league again? You have all your Kanto and Johto badges."

"Because, I want to do something new," Ash said. "Now that I think about it, I still have alot to learn. Going back and collecting the badges again could probably teach me something new and it will help me bond with my Pokemon even more."

Dawn smiled. He had matured so much over the past few years. When she reunited with him in Unova, she saw some change but after the Kalos League, Ash had dedicated himself to training his Pokemon nonstop and it almost worked. Nevertheless, she was happy for her friend.

"Whatever you choose, just remember to never give up," Dawn said. "Who knows? This could be your time to finally win. Just know that I'll support you the whole way along with everyone else."

Ash smiled at his friend. Her words had comforted him alot. He felt so much better now. "Thanks Dawn."

"Well, you got your work cut out for you. Good," Riley said. "I'm off now. See you in Johto, Ash. And remember to stay safe."

Ash nodded. "Okay Riley. I'll meet you there. Hopefully we can stop Team Rocket before things get out of hand."

Riley nodded. "Hopefully," he muttered. With a wave of his hand, Riley and Lucario were off, disappearing into the woods.

Ash turned to Dawn, who was looking at him with a smile. "Hey, you know I'm going with you, right? There's no way I'm letting you stop Team Rocket without my help. Besides, if you're going for all the badges again, then you'll get lonely. It's a long trip after all, having to travel both Johto and Kanto."

"I know," Ash said with a smile. He was happy that Dawn was coming with him. He liked spending time with her more than anyone. Except his mom and Pokemon.

"Let's go inside now. It's late," Dawn said getting up. Ash nodded and followed her inside.

Serena was already asleep when they got inside. The girl was lying on the couch with her head resting on her hand. She looked so peaceful that the two teens didn't have the heart to wake her.

"Goodnight Ash," Dawn said walking to the guest bedroom.

"Goodnight Dawn," Ash replied heading to his own room. As he opened the door, he thought about Dawn's words. Never give up...

Smiling to himself, Ash climbed into his bed and drifted off into a deep slumber. Little did he know, the next day would be the start of their troubles.

~|To Be Continued|~

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