Arrival
Far from the coasts of Kanto and South of the Orange Islands lies the home of the Ultimate Battle Championship– The island of Metru Nui. Many trainers prepare for the upcoming tournament, while tourists come to watch. Massive buildings and stadiums tower over the island as well as a large number of malls. Accompanying the large number of industrial attractions are the multitude of forests and lakes around the island. And in one of those forests is where our story continues…
In one of the forests on Metru Nui, a flash of light appears and revealed a group of beings. The beings were none other than, Ash, Zane, and Tracey along with their Pokémon. "Phew!" Tracey exclaimed.
Zane laughed at Tracey's reaction before stating, "No matter how many times we do that, it never gets old!"
Ash chuckled and turned to a smirking Mewtwo. "Thank you Mewtwo," Ash stated as he raised Mewtwo's Poke ball.
"Of course, my friend." Mewtwo stated in return as he retreated to his poke ball.
"Pika pika?" Pikachu asked as it sat upon Ash's shoulder. Meowth was itching his back.
"Yes Pikachu, we're going to the nearest hotel to get a room. Tracey is going to wait for the others, right Trace?" Ash asked his artistic friend.
"Yep," Tracey accepted. "And don't worry, I won't tell the others about you or Zane."
"Thanks Tracey," Ash replied happily. Tracey walked out of the nearest clearing towards the docks nearby. Ash turned to his brother and his starter. "You ready bro?"
"Ready. You ready Espeon?" Zane asked his purple starter Pokémon.
"Espeon!" The purple cat replied.
Zane chuckled as he kneeled down and petted his best friend. He turned up to his smiling brother and said, "Let's go." Ash nodded and the two left the forest with their Pokémon.
They walked around the buildings until they found a suitable building. Zane turned to his brother and said, "Ash, you wait here. I'll get us a room." Ash nodded as his brother left inside.
"Quite the nice place," Ash said to himself as he looked around. He noticed many trainers going around. He held his hood up to ensure nobody would recognize him. "Pikachu," Ash said to his faithful starter, "Go back in my briefcase. That goes for you too Meowth."
"Pika/OK" the two replied. Pikachu and Meowth jumped into Ash's briefcase to avoid being seen.
Ash walked around the front entrance of the hotel while Zane worked on the papers and finances. Professor Oak had given them some money to spend as they stayed on the island. They had also been given a chance to purchase new clothes. Ash took a look at himself in his newer clothing.
He now wore a black and white mesh hoodie with short sleeves, complete with a yellow chevron to match his old Sinnoh outfit. He also had new slick jeans, black sneakers with a green stripe and a crimson red backpack. "I hope these clothes don't give me away," Ash whispered to himself.
"I doubt it," said a familiar voice. Ash turned to see his brother and Espeon. He noticed that Zane had also gone through a change of wardrobe. He now wore a sleeveless black hoodie with red lines and a silver cross across the chest, long jeans, silver and black sneakers and a dark blue sash across his forehead. He also had a gray single strap bag on his back. He smiled as he walked to his younger brother. "You said that you used to have a hat that gave you away, right?"
Ash nodded. "Well," Zane continued, "I don't see a hat on your head, do I?" It was true; Ash had long lost his hat and had not worn one in years. One could see the spikes in his hair, if he was not wearing his hood.
"You're right, again." Ash commented as he felt his hair. He said the term 'again' with slight sarcasm, but his brother ignored it.
"Either way, we got a room," Zane stated happily. "They said all our needed equipment will be in our room."
"Equipment?" Ash asked with an invisible question mark appearing over his head. Pikachu and Meowth were just as puzzled.
"They said that there have been some changes to the rules of the tournament. A letter will be in our room telling us about the new rules." Zane answered. "Come on, let's go." He began to walk back into the hotel with Ash, Pikachu, Espeon, and Meowth closely behind him.
They took the elevator up to the 8th floor of the hotel. They walked until they reached room "841". Zane quickly used the keys he was give and the two looked inside. It had a medium sized kitchen, small living room, medium sized closet, a small bedroom with two queen sized beds with a TV in front and a bathroom with a shower.
"Not bad," Ash commented as he laid his bad on the couch in the living room. He flopped himself onto the bed and instantly went to sleep. Pikachu and Meowth followed Ash and took a nap..
Zane smirked as he shook his head. "Some things never change," Zane said to himself. Espeon had been rubbing itself against his legs while purring. "Esp."
Zane smiled and rubbed the purple cat's head. "I know buddy, I know." He lifted his hand from his starter's head and watched it pounce onto the other bed and curl up in a ball. Zane shook his head and looked around. He saw the kitchen; it had a stove, oven, and microwave for cooking, a fridge, a counter, and cooking utensils. An item that caught Zane's interest was on the counter.
Zane walked over to the counter and looked at the strange devices. They both looked like the same except one was red and the other was silver. They were both mechanical devices that could attach to one's arm. They were pointed with a crystal at the end and had a few buttons on the side. Zane then noticed a letter sitting next to the two devices. He took the letter and read it.
Dear Ash and Zane Ketchum,
This year, the rules of the Ultimate Battle Championship have been altered to fit better with the current times. First off, the number of contestants has increased from 100 to 128. This is so we can lower the rounds of contestants starting from 128 to 64, then 32, then 16 and so on and so forth. Unlike previous years, we will not have an opening ceremony. This is to simplify the tournament even further.
Next, instead of only double battles in the preliminaries, trainers have been separated into groups that will go through single battles and tag team first and all battles will be displayed on your Poke-gloves. In other words, some trainers will participate in double battles, while others will participate in full 6-on-6 battles in the preliminaries.
This brings us to the final term: the Poke-gloves themselves. They are special devices you found next to this message. The Poke-gloves have been recently made to further aid trainers on their journeys. First off, they can hold up to 12 Pokémon at a time. Battles will still have a limit of six Pokémon, but you will be able to use any of your 12 selected Pokémon. You can also interchange Pokémon within your team and your storage at any time you wish.
Other than that, the Poke gloves have other uses. They have a built in GPS, computer, watch and Pokedex on all 649 Pokémon, from Bulbasaur to Genesect. The Poke gloves also have a built in DNA scanner that will instantly scan its owner so that only the original user can control it.
The Poke gloves also have a capture feature, but that is all we can explain for now. All instructions on how to use the Poke glove are installed within the Poke glove.
Thank You,
Head of the Pokémon Elite Council – Cynthia Holmquist
PS. Welcome back Ash. Don't worry; Professor Oak told me to keep it a secret.
Zane smirked at the letter then returned his attention to the two Poke gloves. Looking between the red and silver one, he picked up the silver Poke glove. "So," Zane said, "This mofo has a DNA scanner to select its trainer. But how does it work?" Looking it over, Zane decided to put it on.
He placed the silver Poke glove on his left arm and watched it snap on. He then felt a short shock go through him then looked back at the Poke glove. The Poke glove self activated and now had a picture of Zane on the computer screen. "I guess this means this Poke glove is mine." He then turned to the second Poke glove and said, "I better leave that one for Ash when he wakes up." 'If he wakes up,' Zane said in his mind with a smirk.
He turned back to the Poke glove now resting on his arm and said, "I guess I better take this thing out for a test drive. And I guess I should catch a few new ones since this thing can hold up to 12 Pokémon. I just hope I'm not too rusty." He went over to his sleeping Espeon and lightly patted it on its head.
Espeon began to stir and looked up to its master with sleepy eyes. "Esp?"
"Hey Espeon," Zane whispered. "I'm going out for a while. Stay here and keep an eye on Ash and Pikachu, alright?" Espeon gave a light nod before falling back to sleep. Zane smirked and walked to the door. "Hold up," Zane said to himself. "I better leave a note before I leave."
Quickly, Zane reached into his bag and took out a sheet of paper and pen. He quickly wrote down a message on the paper and placed it on the counter. The note read:
Hey Ash,
I've gone out for a while. Make sure you pick up your Poke glove and read the instructions before you do anything with it. I left Espeon with you so take care of him. I'll be back later.
Zane
PS. Don't worry, I'll bring food. The Poke-glove goes on the left hand.
With that, Zane left the room to fetch some grub.
Elsewhere on Metru Nui
Tracey had just met with the group as they walked to their hotel. "I still don't get how you got here before us," Misty exclaimed as they walked to the nearest hotel. She walked between Gary and Tracey while Max, May, Dawn and Brock walked in front.
"I told you," Tracey answered, "I had a friend with a Pokémon that could use Teleport that transported me here."
"But who is this friend?" Misty asked for the tenth time.
"Sorry," Tracey said simply. "That's a secret." He knew he couldn't keep the existence of Ash and Zane a secret for long, but he had to. He couldn't break the promise he made to one of his best friends.
Misty gave a pout before continuing on with the group and leaving Gary and Tracey behind.
"What are you hiding Tracey?" Gary asked, gaining the attention of the Pokémon watcher.
"I'm not hiding anything, Gary." Tracey commented. "I merely made a promise not to tell you guys who it was that helped me get here." He hurried himself to meet with the others. Gary kept a vigil stare on Tracey.
'I'll find out sooner or later Tracey.' Gary said in his mind. 'And you better forget trying to win Misty's heart, because that's my role.' Gary hurried to the others.
Meanwhile, Brock had been speaking with May about Dawn. "How is Dawn doing?" Brock whispered.
"Better, I guess," May returned quietly. "I think she's still a little shaken up by that meeting with Paul, but maybe watching Max battle will get her mind off it." Brock nodded as they continued to walk.
2 hours later at room 841,
Ash eyes began to flutter as he began to awake. "Oh…" Ash muttered as he rose from his bed. He looked around and saw Pikachu and Meowth sleeping next to him, Espeon sleeping on the next bed, but no Zane. "Where's Zane?"
Ash got up slowly so not to wake up Pikachu or Espeon and slowly walked to the Kitchen. He looked around and noticed a note on the counter. Ash quickly read the note and understood that Zane had left. He was curious on what a Poke glove was. He looked around and saw the red Poke glove next to the stove with the letter next to it.
Ash quickly took the letter and read it. He smirked after he read the PS. "Interesting," Ash said to himself, "Can't really say I'm surprised that Cynthia is the new head of the Pokémon Elite Council. I didn't know that her last name was Holmquist, but it makes sense. The preliminaries are very confusing. I guess some things do change."
Ash then turned his attention to the red Poke glove. He picked it up and snapped it on his left arm. Like Zane before, he felt a short shock do through his arm before his picture appeared on the computer. "I guess that's how the DNA scanner works." Ash said to himself.
Suddenly, Ash heard a noise. He turned to see the door to the room open and saw Zane coming through. Zane took notice of his little brother and said, "Hey bro."
"Hey Zane," Ash said in return. He took notice of the bag Zane was holding in his left hand and a silver Poke glove on his arm. "What's in the bag?"
"I got some food for us to eat," Zane answered. "I got you your favorite, cheeseburgers with everything but pickles."
"Yahoo! Let's chow down!" Ash screamed as he jumped up and down like a 5 year old child. Strangely enough, that's just what Zane saw. Pikachu shouted "Pika!" and jumped with him.
Zane smiled as he envisioned a five year old Ash jumping around before him. He had a small new Pokémon toy for Christmas and was playing with it for hours. Zane shook his head and saw his younger, but now older and taller brother act like a child. "Take it easy guys. You might break the floor." Zane said, hoping to calm the excited trainer.
Ash and Pikachu stopped jumping and realized what they had been doing. Both of them rubbed the back of their heads in embarrassment.
"Sorry, I guess I got a little carried away," said Ash. Zane only smiled as he placed the bag of food on the counter.
"By the way," Zane started, "I got a new Pokémon." Ash was caught completely off guard.
"You caught a new Pokémon?" Ash asked. He always heard how Zane only relied on his "Super 6".
"Yep, I'll show you." Zane grinned. He raised the arm with the Poke glove and called out, "Come on out Sandshrew!" Immediately a red light shot out from the crystal at the tip of Poke glove to the floor. A small figure formed from the light revealing a small yellow ground type Pokémon.
"Sandshrew!" The new Pokémon exclaimed in a cute voice.
"Ash, meet Sandshrew," Zane introduced. He then turned to his newly capture ground type and said, "Sandshrew, this is my brother Ash."
"Shrew!"
"Good to meet you," Ash said as he shook the little Sandshrew's claws. He then turned to his brother and asked, "What made you decide to catch another Pokémon?"
"Well," Zane stated, "You read the note about the Poke gloves, right?" Ash nodded his head. "Then you remember it said that the Poke gloves can hold up to 12 Pokémon. I decided that I should be prepared, I've been able to rely on only my original six for this long, but I should be prepared for this tournament."
"That makes sense," Ash admitted. He turned to see the little Sandshrew already making friends with the now wide-awake Pikachu, Meowth, and Espeon. "I guess Sandshrew is a social Butterfree." Ash grinned.
"I'm glad." Zane nodded. "It's been a while since I caught a Pokémon, but it's kind of good to see a new face." Zane then remembered something he saw before. "Hey Ash," Zane started, gaining the attention of the younger Ketchum.
"Yes?" Ash asked.
"I saw your buddies," Zane stated. Ash was a little shocked but knew he would sooner or later.
"Where did you see them?" Ash asked. He was a little nervous if they had spotted Zane and forced him to tell about him.
"After I caught Sandshrew," Zane began, "He and I were walking to get some food. I heard someone cry out Tracey's name and took a look. I spotted seven people. The first one was a short kid with blue/green hair and glasses."
"That's Max." Ash replied
"Next was a brunette girl with a green bandanna."
"That's May, Max's older sister."
"Next was a guy with spiky brown hair being dragged by a Croagunk."
"That's Brock."
"Next I saw a redheaded girl being followed by Gary and Tracey."
"That's Misty."
"And lastly I found a young blue haired girl. She was sitting next to the brunette and she seemed to be sad," Zane stated. He had only one theory. "I'm guessing that's Dawn?"
Ash nodded while covering his face with his hair. "I've always had feelings for her." Ash confessed. "I haven't been able to get her out of my head ever since I left."
"I know," Zane answered. "All you need to know is that when you meet her again, you better be prepared for what could happen."
"You're right," Ash agreed. Deciding to change the subject, Ash asked, "When is your first battle?"
"Not tomorrow but the day after tomorrow. It's a single trainer battle," Zane answered. "Have you found out your first battle?"
"Negative," Ash confessed. "I'm still trying to figure out how this Poke glove works." He pointed on the red Poke glove on his left arm.
"Come here, I'll show you." Zane commanded.
3 hours later…
"Okay, you got it now?" Zane asked. He was exhausted from explaining the Poke glove to his younger brother.
"I think so," Ash answered. Checking his Poke glove, he analyzed what his first battle would be. "My first battle is a tag team battle with a Trainer called 'MM'. I wonder who 'MM' is."
"You'll find out tomorrow," Zane replied. "Now go get some sleep. You'll need it for tomorrow."
"Do I look like a child to you?" Ash asked with a pout. Zane couldn't help but laugh of his little brother's reaction again. It reminded him too much of his life before he became a trainer.
"When you look like that, yes." Zane answered. Ash only gave a fit and went to bed. Zane only shook his head and went to his bed. 'Like I said before, some things never change.' Zane said in his mind before welcoming sweet slumber. Beside him were his Sandshrew and Espeon each curled up in a ball next to him. Pikachu and Meowth were curled up next to Ash.
Back with the others
Max was in the boy's room with checking out his new Poke glove with Gary and Tracey. "This thing is so cool!" Max exclaimed as he examined his green Poke glove.
"Yeah," Gary admitted. He had heard of the Poke gloves but had never seen one up close.
"Have you found out who you're battling with?" Tracey asked.
"Yeah," Max answered. "I'm in a tag team battle. My partner is some guy called 'AK.'" Max was curious on who 'AK' was. Tracey had one theory, but hoped he was wrong.
"Well, we'll find out tomorrow." Brock said as he went to bed. The other's followed his example and each went to their own bed.
With the girls
May and Misty were each asleep in their beds, but Dawn was wide awake. Like the nights before, she had been curled up in her bed, holding the hat of her lost love close to her. She had often cried herself to sleep, but stopped after the first year. But after hearing the name of the Pallet town trainer again had brought up those forgotten feelings. She cried herself to sleep while whispering, "Ash."
The next morning
Zane awoke to the sounds of multiple bird Pokémon calling out. As he rose from his bed, he noticed Espeon and Sandshrew were missing from his bed. He then turned to Ash's bed to see Pikachu and Meowth there, but no Ash. "Where did Ash go?" Zane asked as he had risen off his bed.
Walking out of his bed, he examined the room. The only noise heard was Pikachu's tiny yawn out of the bedroom; he took notice of the living room. Espeon and Sandshrew seemed to be talking in their Pokémon language. He then turned to see Ash eating some breakfast. "Hey bro," Ash greeted.
"Hey Ash," Zane replied. He turned to see Espeon and Sandshrew both grinning towards him.
"Hey guys, good to see you're awake." Zane then turned his attention to his brother once more. "So Ash, your first battle is today."
"Yep," Ash answered. He had been thinking about something but finally decided to ask. "Hey Zane, could you watch over Pikachu while I battle?"
Zane nodded his head and smiled. "Before I even say 'do ya need to ask,' why?"
"I'm going to use the others for this first battle. Besides, I want to introduce my new friends." Ash smirked. He knew that since he was in a tag team battle, he would only be able to use three Pokémon. He figured this was a perfect way to introduce his new Pokémon.
"Sounds good to me," Zane agreed. He turned to his Pokémon and then the clock. "You better get going'. Your battle is in an hour."
"Right!" Ash quickly finished his breakfast and ran out the door. "See ya later bro!" Zane only shook his head as he watched his younger brother act once again like a child.
Zane began to walk to the fridge and grabbed some food to eat his own breakfast. He began to wonder about whom Ash's partner would be in the battle. He then began to think about Ash's friends. "If my guess is correct," he said to himself, "his friends won't really care about watching unless it is that Max kid's battle. I wonder what his battle is." He shook off his train of thought and continued to eat.
Meanwhile,
"Max, are you ready for your battle?" May asked her younger brother. The group had already eaten breakfast and was now in the lobby of the hotel.
"You bet May!" Max exclaimed. "I just hope my mystery partner is ready. I wonder who 'AK' is." Everyone agreed that it was a mystery. Tracey and Dawn had a theory, but it was too unlikely.
"You better get going then," Misty stated. "The battle starts in an hour and you better prepare."
"Misty's right!" Tracey exclaimed. Nearly everyone in the group knew about Tracey and Gary's competition for Misty's heart except Misty herself.
"Right, I'll get to the Radial Stadium and prepare for the battle. I'll see you guys later," Max exclaimed as he ran out. Each of Max's companions stood dumbfounded, sweat drops running down their foreheads.
Tracey then remembered something he needed to do and began to move towards the doors. "Hey guys," Tracey said, gaining the attention of the group. "I got to go meet someone; I'll see you later at the Radial Stadium."
"Okay Tracey," Brock answered. "Just don't be late."
"I won't," Tracey yelled as he ran through the doors.
"I wonder who Tracey is going to meet," Dawn asked. The others shrugged and she followed. (Oh, if she only knew.)
Half an hour before the battle,
Zane had been waiting under a tree in a park near both his and Tracey's hotel and near Radial. Next to him were Espeon, Sandshrew, Pikachu, and Meowth. He had been waiting for Tracey. "Where is he?" Zane asked himself. He turned to the four Pokémon and saw Espeon, Meowth, and Pikachu shrug, but Sandshrew had a questioning look. "We're waiting for a friend of ours Sandshrew."
Sandshrew then gave Zane an 'Oh' look. Zane shook his head and smiled.
He sat for a few more minutes until he heard rustling in the bushes. He turned to see a head of green hair accompanied with a red head band. Zane smirked as he said, "Hey Tracey."
Tracey turned to Zane's direction and smiled. "Hey Zane," he greeted. He then took notice of the four Pokémon along Zane. "Hey Pikachu, Espeon, Meowth, and Sandshrew. Wait, Sandshrew?"
"Yeah, I caught him yesterday," Zane explained. He turned down to Sandshrew and said, "Sandshrew, this is Tracey, he's an old friend of Ash."
"Shrew!" the ground type cried out, understanding the concept.
Zane chuckled then turned to Tracey. "So Zane," Tracey started, "What's Ash's first battle?"
"It's a tag team battle," Zane answered. "He's partnered with a trainer known as 'MM.'"
"That's cool," Tracey replied. "Max also has a Tag team match. His partner is a trainer known as 'AK.'" Zane tensed up when he heard the initials. "Don't worry, I highly doubt it is Ash that he's battling with. Max's battle is at the Radial Stadium." Zane then began to tense even more, followed by the three Pokémon next to him. "What?" Tracey asked.
"Ash's battle is at the Radial Stadium," Zane answered nervously. Tracey then began to tense up as well. "His battle is about half an hour from now."
"So it is Max's," Tracey confessed. The two looked at each other with disbelief. "Oh shit."
"You said it," Zane agreed. He thought for a moment and then came up with an idea, "Well, they don't show the partners until the beginning of the battle, so Ash and Max shouldn't meet till they start the battle. I'll go and give Ash a heads up."
"Okay," Tracey said while nodding his head.
"I'll tell him that his partner is Max, but you make sure the others don't find out it is Ash until he says it is okay." Zane instructed. He knew that there was no way to hide Ash from his friends discovering him after he is revealed in the battle; he just hoped Ash was ready for what could happen. Zane let out a sigh before he continued, "I better get going. I'll see you later Tracey." Zane waved as he left the park with Espeon, Meowth, Sandshrew and Pikachu.
"See ya," Tracey said in return. He began to walk back to his hotel. 'I hope Ash is ready. He can't hide any longer.' He thought as he continued.
15 minutes till battle,
Ash was in the Trainer's room preparing for the battle and refilling his water jug. He still had no idea who his partner trainer was, but didn't mind, as long as it was nobody that he knew. He was looking to his Poke-glove and said, "Well, it's now or never." He began to walk towards the entrance to the battle field until he heard a door opening. He turned to see Zane and the four Pokémon behind him.
"Oh, hey Zane."
"Hey bro," Zane replied.
"Pika!" Pikachu cried out as it jumped into its master's arms.
"Hey Pikachu." Ash chuckled. "Good to see you too." Ash then returned his attention to Zane. He seemed to have a face full of worry. "What's wrong bro?"
Zane gave a sigh before answering. "I found out who your tag team partner is." Ash gave him a curious look while sipping water. "Your partner is Max Maple of Hoenn." Zane stated simply and calmly.
"He sounds familiar. I look forward to meeting-"
Ash spluttered and choked as soon as he realized Max's last name. "W-Wait a minute. Did you say Max Maple?" he asked, disbelievingly. Zane nodded.
Ash was completely thunderstruck. He had a gut feeling that he would team up with Max but it bothered him that he had to reveal himself to his friends this soon. "Whatever great force that controls the universe really has one sick sense of humor," Ash said jokingly.
"What are you going to do?" Zane finally asked. Ash could easily see that his brother was worried about him. He was glad that Zane cared for him; it reminded him how much they depended on each other.
Ash's answer was a sigh and saying, "Well, I guess I have no choice. But how did you find out it's Max?"
"When I met with Tracey," Zane answered, "he told me Max had a tag team battle at the Radial stadium at the same time as yours with a trainer with the initials 'AK'." Ash was slightly surprised by the explanation Zane gave him. Truth be told, he was still a little confused. "I told Tracey not to tell the others. That should be your job."
Ash sighed once again, this time it sounded to be one of relief and worry. "I guess I can't do jack squat about it now." Zane had kept a straight vigil on his brother.
"Are you ready?" Zane asked. It was the question he, Tracey and Ash have all been wondering.
"I don't know," Ash answered truthfully. "But, I guess it's now or never. Scratch that; I can't pick never." Ash chuckled. He lowered Pikachu and Meowth from his shoulders and began to exit the room. Before he was out of sight, he turned to his brother and the four worried Pokémon and said, "Wish me luck."
With that, Ash left, leaving Zane and the three Pokémon alone. "Good luck, little brother." Zane whispered. He turned to the four Pokémon next to him.
"Boss."
"Pikapi!"
"Esp esp!"
"Shrew!"
"I know guys," Zane stated. He began to walk out of the room and said, "Come on guys." The four Pokémon nodded and followed Zane out of the room.
To be continued...
The original Chapter 3 was kind of short, so I took some of Chapter 4 and implemented it into this chapter. I apologize for the cliff-hanger by the way. I dislike them as much as you do, so I will immediately upload the next chapter.
For those who are curious, Zane caught Sandshrew on Metru Nui. Ergo, Sandshrew is not part of the original six (sorry, but that's MegaloRex's decision). Espeon is one of them; feel free to guess the others. No jumping to Chapter 6 to cheat!
Any suggestions are accepted, so please review.
You have a sick sense of humor Mach!
Well excuse me Ash! I adopted this story from Megalo Rex!
