Ash the Iron Trainer: Alternate Hoenn

by Mar 'Darry' Darren

Ash and his wife Serena are now on their way to Kanto but need to sort out their dreams to have a good night's rest. But these aren't random dreams, this a tale. Of the two trainers in a world that was doomed to die but not before Ash completes his Pokédex and Serena becomes the Pokémon Queen. This is their story.

3. The Bugs and Bullys of Petalburg Forest

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon.

"Pokémon" – Normal Speech

'Pokémon' – Thoughts

Pokémon – Flashback

Pokémon – Move Names and Pokémon Abilities

{Pokémon} – Pokédex

Ash, the Iron Trainer: The Alternate Hoenn

The Bugs and Bullys of Petalburg Forest

Previously on Ash, the Iron Trainer: The Alternate Hoenn;

It was a rather ruder introduction since the Ralts were close friends, not wild Ralts waiting to be captured. Yet they were excited to see Pikachu, who screamed of power and skill to their ears. So much that they stared at the yellow rodent with the eyes of children watching their idol in action. Ash decided that this motivated the Ralts to try for the same trainer that was mostly responsible for Pikachu's level of power.

When Ash caught his Ralts, he decided to send his Corphish to Hoenn PC since he already had a full set before making this latest catch. Serena was also able to keep his Ralts on her team. And so, it was Wally's turn next.

"H-Hello…" Wally was a real nervous wreck since this Ralts was actually staring at him. "I…I don't have any Pokémon to send out so…" Wally was interrupted when this sole Ralts moved in a blur, knocking the young boy to the ground and pressed its horn on his head. Wally looked like he was suddenly in a coma, and stared at the Ralts as if it started to talk human. In a way, it did and Wally understood exactly.

"Okay…Ralts. I understand." Wally said as he got up and the Ralts moved to his shoulder. Then they turned to the crowd watching in with interested eyes, "Okay Ash. Ralts told me that he will traveling with us but I can't catch him just yet."

Ash just nodded. "I see that this Ralts trusts you to be responsible for him. It is rare for wild Pokémon to show such trust for a trainer when they just met. You have this thing that makes Ralts want to be your friend Wally. You will become a Pokémon trainer, if it the last thing we do." Ash ended with a smile and Wally brighten up, almost like the sun.

With a day of exploring and catching completed, it was time to move on and continue the grand adventure. Ash, Serena and Pikachu had seen more Pokémon and made two new friends. Not a bad start, but Hoenn still has much to show them all.

"Hello again Wally. And who are your friends?" A man walked out of the building decorated like a dojo and came across Ash and company. "Hold on, aren't you May? Birch's daughter?"

"You knew my father?!" May asked with genuine surprise. Almost like a star of hers knew her more than she thought. "Dad never mentioned of you sir, Mr. Norman." Ash and Serena noticed that May acted all nervous around this man named Norman.

"Oh yeah, your father and I go way back. We practically left on our journeys on the same day. But we both went our separate ways when we decided that our goals were just too different." Norman said and had a look of nostalgia, like that of a grandfather reflecting on his long life of events. "And you still hadn't told me who your new friends are."

"O-oh!" May squeaked and felt the urge to wish she was as small as a mouse to escape the attention and stares from the present company. "T-this is Ash Ketchum and h-his girlfriend, Serena."

"Oh? You two are dating, at such a young age?" Norman queried. "I only met my wife when I was first an adult. And we had our wedding after a single year." Ash and Serena both blushed but took this with a chuckle and a giggle.

"Oh, you will be surprised, Norman. And the only reason that we hadn't married is the stupid minor laws. They said that we can only get married once we both become fifteen." Ash explained. "That means we have only a year left to wait, we are still excited." Norman smiled at the bond between the pair.

"Besides this, I can sense that you have skill and experience in spades, young Ash. I bet you will be interested to know who the Gym Leader of Petalburg City." Norman started but before he can go on,

"That will be you, Norman?" Ash asked with a smirk and Norman chuckled. "You say that I have skill, you practically scream of it. Reminds me of the same presence that most gym leaders give off."

"I'm afraid so." Norman responded. "And while I won't mind a gym battle, I started a new policy." Ash titled his head and Norman knew that he was getting interested. "Among the Gym Leaders here in Hoenn, I've been recognized as a potential candidate for the Elite Four."

"No kidding!?" Ash all but screamed and Norman laughed. "Are you really that good?"

"I won't go that far. I am not interested in the lifestyle of the Elite Four, I prefer to be a Gym Leader. That is just what the general populace used to say to get more trainers to go out of their way to this little town. But it grew out of proportion and pretty soon, the entire region was saying that." Ash nodded,

"And that got a long line of trainers wanting to battle a trainer who is supposed to be as good as the Elite Four." Ash responded and Norman.

"I couldn't just let myself lose and let them down but it seems that my Pokémon are getting run ragged and a lot of hearts were broken instead." Norman had a regretted look on his face. "That is why I made this new policy for my Gym, I will only battle trainers that received four badges prior to challenging me. And so far, it worked very well."

"One last thing Norman." Ash said after the gang took a moment to take all this in. "Did you let the IPO about these rumors?" Norman had a confused look on his face. "The International Pokémon Organization."

Norman just laughed. "T-that's what you are calling it? The ones that organize the regions and the regional Pokémon Leagues?" Ash nodded, "Sorry about the holler but that was the best name for them that I ever heard. But for future reference, the group that organizes Pokémon competitions for registered Pokémon Trainers is simply called the Pokémon League."

Ash nodded, feeling a little embarrassed. "But back to the chase, yes I have. And they decided to continue to support the Petalburg Gym, even with my new policy. They liked the results of trainers coming to Petalburg with real skill and experience under their belts. All I have to do is keep battling like I always do."

Ash nodded and Norman then had a thought surge through his head. "Say. I am extra interested in this 'presence' of skill of yours. How about a Double Battle, with two Pokémon each?" Ash thought hard on it and accepted the proposal with a handshake.

Norman couldn't have it in his dojo, the Petalburg Gym itself, so he directed the gang out back to a battlefield used for occasions such as this one. Norman then took out two Pokéballs;

"Go, Slaking!"

{Slaking, the Lazy Pokémon. Slaking lies down most of the time. It gets up and moves only when there is no more grass close by to eat.}

Slaking is a large, bulky, ape-like bipedal Pokémon. Most of its shaggy fur is brown, along with the semi-circle patterning under its eyes. Its face, chest, hands, and feet are lighter in color. Its brows are thick and jutting, and it has a large, pink, pig-like nose. Around its neck is a white collar of fur that extends over the top of its head before ending in a small tuft. It has large, five-fingered hands and two-toed feet.

During most of the day, Slaking lolls around and sleeps. It is considered the laziest Pokémon, but even when it is lounging it's saving energy. It can exert a lot of power by releasing built up energy all at once, and can regain lost energy through the use of its former signature move, Slack Off. Slaking lives in forests, where it feeds on grass and ripened fruit that falls from trees. It only moves around when there is no more food within reach for it to eat.

"And you too, Spinda!"

{Spinda, the Spot Panda Pokémon. Spinda uses its seemingly clumsy movements to confuse its opponents. It is said that no two Spinda have the same pattern of spots.}

Spinda is a bipedal, panda Pokémon with rabbit-like features. Its eyes are made of two black spirals, which point in the opposite direction to each other. There is a similar swirling pattern on its ears. It has a small body with short stumpy arms and legs, and its coat is primarily cream-colored. Its arms are red and it has a red stripe bordering along the bottom of its belly, as well as two small spots on the soles of its feet. It has four spots, which can appear anywhere on its face and ears, with a fifth on the back of its head. These spot patterns are different for each Spinda.

It has dizzying, confusing, and scattering dance-like movements, which can be used for its former signature move, Teeter Dance. These movements confuse its opponents and make it difficult for them to aim at it. It lives in the mountains.

While this was a moment of awe for May and Wally, Ash and Serena both had the look of absolute focus. After all, they didn't become Grand Duke and Duchess at the Kalos Battle Chateau for simply having strong Pokémon.

"I think that I see where this is going." Ash said and then reached in for a Pokéball. He eyed to Pikachu, a signal for the mouse-like Pokémon that it was his turn to battle. Pikachu understood and got onto the left corner on Ash's side of the battlefield. And that was when Ash showed his other fighter. "Come, Aegislash!"

The poor 'kids' were about to faint from all the excitement; not only for seeing a gym leader such as Norman finally battle along with Ash's very own Pikachu, but also a Pokémon that apparently can't be encountered in the wild within Hoenn. Both May and Wally loved how cool Aegislash was.

"Unless you wish to, we will make the first move." Norman said and Ash shrugged. "Spinda, use Skill Swap! Slaking, Hammer Arm on Pikachu!" The dizzy-looking Pokémon suddenly did a handstand and Slaking did the same, no longer looking terribly lax. And the 'Lazy' Pokémon jumped up with one of its arms covered in red energy.

And Pikachu just stared at Slaking, confident that Ash will think of something. "Aegislash, protect Pikachu with King's Shield!" The Royal Sword Pokémon appeared between Slaking and Pikachu, conjuring up a barrier composed of hexagons that stopped the Hammer Arm and did its effects on the Slaking. "Pikachu, Thunder on Spinda!"

It was a good idea to pair Slaking with a Pokémon that knows Skill Swap because of Slaking's signature ability, addressed to Ash by the Pokédex, Truant. It is pretty much the one thing that made Slaking known as the Lazy Pokémon. Once the user of Truant uses a move, it lazes around unable to use a consecutive move. And because of Skill Swap, that could now be said for Norman's Spinda; it couldn't fight its new laziness to dodge that direct Thunder attack.

Of course, any ordinary wild Spinda would have fainted from such a powerful attack from a skilled and experienced Pikachu. But this was Norman's Pokémon, well trained and thus this Spinda was able to pull through the Thunder attack. "Nice comeback Ash. Now it is our turn. Spinda, use Teeter Dance!"

The Dizzy Pokémon got up and danced in a fashion that forced Norman's Slaking to copy it but also Pikachu and Aegislash. The latter two had gotten confused while Slaking was unaffected. 'That Spinda must've Own Tempo and switched that with Slaking's Truant.' Ash thought to himself and tried to think of a way around this; when Pokémon are confused, this is always bad news because there is a good chance of attacking themselves as well as the opposing Pokémon.

"Now use try another Hammer Arm on the Pikachu!" Norman called out and Slaking rushed over, confident that Ash's Aegislash wouldn't intercept with King's Shield again. And the Lazy Pokémon was right, Aegislash saw it rush for Pikachu but couldn't even keep its balance through its confusion. But Pikachu wasn't helpless,

"Protect!" Ash called out and his electric mouse Pokémon actually found enough focus through his confusion to block the Hammer Arm. "Grab onto Slaking and use Thunder!" This was a tactic to make sure Pikachu will attack Slaking, even if the confusion causes self-damage. And Pikachu was able to grab onto Slaking's arm and unleashed every ounce of energy into this Thunder attack.

And, while Slaking was roaring from the pain, Norman had one last trick up his sleeve. "Flail!" He called out and his Slaking started to move erratically and cause greater damage to Pikachu the more it receives from the close-range Thunder. Then the onslaught stopped in a silent halt, followed by the thud of a heavy object collapsing to the ground along with a much lighter one.

Norman's Slaking and Ash's Pikachu had taken each other out! Now there is just the Gym Leader's Spinda and Trainer's Aegislash left out on the field. And both Pokémon stared each other down, waiting for their next commands. But it was not to be,

"It is a tie!" Norman said out of the blue. Both trainers and Pokémon were surprised and a slight disappointed; things were just getting interesting. "It is clear that your Pokémon are of high level and that your skill is genuine." Norman returned his Pokémon and then gave out his hand to shake. "Thank you for the good battle. I had fun."

Ash smiled and shook Norman's hand. "I did too. I can see the skill that made you a candidate for the Elite Four and I have fought trainers of the level, back in Kalos. I was able to make my way to battling them."

Norman smirked at such a tale. "In that case, I hope our Elite Four will satisfy your expectations. Regions still get in heated debate on how good their Elite Four is compared to theirs.

XXXXX

"That was so cool!" Ash smirked to see Wally actually act like a boy of his age, jumping around and on sugar rush. "The way your Pikachu ran circles around that Spinda and your Aegislash showing that Slaking whose boss! I couldn't get enough of it!" And after a few more circles, Ash grabbed Wally by the back collar.

"Better slow down before you all of us dizzy." Ash muttered just loud enough for Wally to see how annoying it was getting.

"Sorry." Wally said and Ash decided to trust him and place the little kid back on the ground. "W-wait!" Wally got a little embarrassed by how loud he did that, "Sorry…again, but c-can you…can y-you c-carry me on y-your shoulders, Ash? I liked the view." Wally finally spoke up looked down.

"Wally, you're not a baby. Besides, Pikachu gets my shoulders. You can walk on your two feet." Ash said in a stern look, while gently raising Wally's chin to make eye's meet. "Do you really like to be carried? Missed how your father did it? I understand that you are an only child but so am I. Nothing could've taught me on how to be a big brother, is that what you are trying to do?"

"W-well…" Wally didn't have anything left to say. The idea must have missed his thoughts. But before the boy could try to apologize, Ash actually did something sweet;

"Up you go." Ash lifted Wally up till the young boy had his legs in Ash's arms while his arms were around Ash's collar. "Comfy?" Ash asked and Wally nodded, the latter wasn't even sagging down. It was comfortable and snug in Ash's grip. "Good. Then we can catch up with the girls and see about some new Pokémon to find." Wally nodded and enjoyed the piggyback ride out of Petalburg and onto Route 104.

There were Zigzagoon, Wingull and Wurmple like before but also another Flying Pokémon. One that got everyone's attention, Ash's especially;

{Taillow, the Tiny Swallow Pokémon. Taillow courageously stands its ground against foes, however strong they may be. This gutsy Pokémon will remain defiant even after a loss. On the other hand, it cries loudly if it becomes hungry.}

Taillow is a small bird Pokémon with dark blue feathers. A red marking with pointed tips stretches from its chest to its forehead, and it has a white underside. It has narrow brown eyes and a short yellow beak. It has elongated wingtips and black feet with yellow talons. Each foot has three toes facing forward and one backward. Two sharply pointed feathers form its tail.

Taillow is very gutsy, and will stand up to powerful opponents without backing down. During the cold season, this Pokémon will fly over 180 miles (300 kilometers) per day to search for areas that have warm climates. It typically hunts Wurmple, but flocks have also been shown eating crops. When it is hungry, it will weaken and cry loudly.

After that capture, Ash got to work training his new Taillow and the rest of his team. It will still be a while before this young bird Pokémon to evolve but there were two new evolutions that day anyways. It happened when Ash's and Serena's Wurmple both finally evolve themselves.

Serena's Wurmple became this new Pokémon,

{Silcoon, the Cocoon Pokémon and one of the evolved forms of Wurmple. Using its thread to attach itself to a tree branch, it waits to evolve to its next stage. When it grows thirsty, it drinks the dew that collects on its string.}

Silcoon is a cocoon-like Pokémon that uses silk to attach itself to tree branches. It is almost completely covered in white silk with only two small holes. A pair of red eyes can be seen through the holes, but they are partially hidden by a rough fringe of silk. The silk forms a hard cocoon that it can use to repel enemy attacks. Dew and rainwater collect on the silk, which provides Silcoon with nourishment. Silcoon lives in forests, where it conserves energy by moving as little as possible.

And Ash's became,

{Cascoon, the Cocoon Pokémon and one of the evolved forms of Wurmple. Cascoon makes its protective cocoon by wrapping its body entirely with a fine silk from its mouth. Once the silk goes around its body, it hardens. This Pokémon prepares for its evolution inside the cocoon.}

Cascoon is a round, cocoon-like Pokémon. It is covered in purple silk, except for two holes where its red eyes are visible. The soft silk hardens into a tough cocoon that is able to endure attacks, and this Pokémon will not move even when it is attacked. However, it never forgets the pain it endures and seek revenge upon evolution. It lives in forests, where it hides underneath large leaves and inside the gaps of tree branches. Additionally, it camouflages itself by attaching dead leaves to its body. As its cells create energy for evolution, the inside of the cocoon becomes hot. Cracks start to form in its casing when evolution is near.

"Who would have thought that each of your Wurmple will actually evolve into the entries that you both choose from the Pokédex?" May asked when the gang decided to take a little lunch break on the grass bank, surrounding the beach, looking over the waters that make up Route 105 that goes South of Hoenn; not that it matters this early on the journey. "I mean, how are the both of you so lucky? You're even a couple at age fourteen!"

"May." Ash spoke up with a tone that silenced the young girl. "You call it luck, we call it a match made for each other." Serena didn't response, only grasp her man's hand and got comfy on his shoulder. "We didn't meet one day, looking for a date. We met to meet again after we were forced to break a promise that we made when we were much younger."

"Really?" Wally asked, "That must've been awful. What happened?" Ash smiled at the young boy.

"When we were too young to own Pokémon, least to go on our own journey, we met during summer camp back in Kanto. We made a promise once we left the woods where I met the angel of my life…" Serena giggled and moved to Ash's lap, which was somehow more comfortable. "That the next day, we will become friends and she will tell me her name."

"So, what happened?" May asked. She noticed that there was this slightly sad look on their faces, for only a split moment.

"Serena's mother thought that it was best of both of them to move out of Kanto and settle into Kalos." Ash answered, causing his two new friends to gasp. "Of course, at that time I was told in a way that sounded like Serena never wanted to be my friend." Ash paused again to settle down Serena who looked like she was about to cry at the injustice and unfairness of it all. "But we have long settled that so it is just another story to tell."

"Wow." That was all Wally and May could say. Who would have thought that this kind of drama one might expect to happen to adults, will also happen to children in love?

XXXXX

Finally, the gang set foot into Petalburg Woods. It reminded Ash both of the Viridian Forest in Kanto and the Santalune Forest in Kalos. So the raven-haired trainer could guess that most of the Pokémon found here will be Bug types along with a couple of Pokémon with other typings.

Too bad that, while Ash was right, there were no new Bug type Pokémon. Only these two; Pokémon that Ash decided to let his companions catch for themselves. Serena personally thought this one was adorable,

{Shroomish, the Mushroom Pokémon. Shroomish is mild tempered and inhabits piles of rotting leaves inside of forests.}

Shroomish is a small Pokémon similar to a mushroom. It has beady black eyes and a half-triangle-shaped mouth. Its upper body is beige with frilled segments along the bottom and a small opening at the top. There are green spots marking its upper body, while its lower body is completely green. It has small, round feet and no visible arms or hands. When it senses danger, it shakes its body and scatters toxic spores from the top of its head. These spores can make trees and weeds wilt and cause whole body pain if inhaled. Shroomish lives in forests that are damp. During the day, it hides under fallen leaves in the shade. It eats composted soil in forests, which is made up of fallen, rotten leaves.

And since this one reminded the gang of Norman's Pokémon, May caught one for herself;

{Slakoth, the Slacker Pokémon and the pre-evolved form of Slaking. Slakoth lolls around for over 20 hours every day. Because it moves so little, it does not need much food. This Pokémon's sole daily meal consists of just three leaves.}

Slakoth is a brown, quadruped Pokémon with sloth-like qualities. It has coarse, shaggy fur with two dark brown stripes on its back. There is a scruff of fur on top of its head, and it has a large, pig-like pink nose, pink eyelids, and dark rings around its eyes. It has long, lanky arms, but shorter legs. Each paw has two sharp claws, and there are pink paw pads on the back feet. Its underbelly and rear are also pink.

Slakoth lolls around and sleeps for more than twenty hours a day, which can make those around it drowsy. Since it does not move very much, it does not need much food and only eats three leaves each day. Its heart only beats once a minute. It is capable of regaining lost energy through use of its former signature move, Slack Off. It makes its nest in forests, and keeps the same one during its entire life. However, it can travel far by swimming in rivers.

As soon as she read about her newly caught Slakoth, May had her doubts at first with having a slow Pokémon, especially one with the infamous signature ability Truant. But Ash said, "All Pokémon are complex. That's what makes them precious and a joy to learn, to understand, to be friends with." So then May told them that she will do her best to train her new Pokémon.

Too bad that his nice trek through the forest and watching the wild Pokémon enjoy their natural home had to end when, "Let me go! You can't have it!" This cut through the forest worse than a winter wind and it was clear that there was foul play in this forest. And when the gang followed it, they came across a rather ugly sight.

"Come on old man, I have my orders. The Boss wants what you have so give it. Quit wasting my time." This figure was roughly handling a man in a lab coat who seemed to have something hidden in his arms. Ash's guts reminded him of a certain trio from Kanto and another certain criminal group from Kalos. The sight made his blood boil.

XXXXX

"I said give it here!" The brute stranger was still trying to get at what the scientist was holding. It was hard to tell if it was a man or a woman through the thick jacket and uniform that shadowed even the stranger's face. And the stranger was about to get rough, he felt someone grab his arm. "What-ARRGH!"

It was Ash and he almost crushed the arm he was holding, "I don't know what your beef is with the man in a lab coat but you won't steal anything on my watch." While Ash had gotten the brute's attention, he directed the scientist to get out of sight.

"And why don't you mind your own business, little brat! And scram!" The brute's answer was more pain in that arm. "Fine! If you want to fight, then bring it and don't waste my time!" The stranger was able to free his arm from Ash's grasp and reached in for a Pokéball underneath the jacket.

"Gnaw at their throats, Mightyena!"

{Mightyena, the Bite Pokémon and the evolved form of Poochyena. They move primarily in packs, working together to capture their prey.}

Mightyena is a quadruped Pokémon that is based on a hyena. Its fur is mostly short and gray, but there is shaggy black fur on its lower legs, tail, and in two thick strips starting behind its eyes and running the length of its body. It has dark, triangular streak patterns below its eyes, which are red with yellow sclerae. Its ears are rhombus-shaped with dark insides, its nose is red, and it has gray paw pads.

Mightyena lives in a pack in the wild. As a member of this pack follows the orders of its leader and chases down prey. It gives obvious signals when it is about to attack, as it starts to growl deeply and flattens its body. Mightyena defeats foes with perfectly coordinated teamwork. If its Trainer is very experienced, it will always obey their orders. Mightyena are prone to licking the faces of the people of which it is fond. This species lives in grassland areas.

"Fight good and hard, Bisharp!" Ash sent out the Sword Edge Pokémon that intimidated everyone other than Ash himself, Serena and Pikachu. "Now to make things fair, you will get the first move and I will not call out for another Pokémon if you defeat my Bisharp."

"Getting cocky!? For a pathetic coward of a lab doctor! You must be joking!" The brute laughed it off for a moment. Seeing that Ash was stoic and serious as his Bisharp, "Fine. If you want to show off only to lose then I will do this with my eyes closed! Fire Fang!"

Mightyena charged at the Bisharp, leaping up with its teeth covered in fire. But just seconds before making contact, "Iron Defense." Bisharp willed his body to be extra hard along with an additional shine. Once Mightyena tried to bite down with Fire Fang, it instead felt its teeth shatter upon impact. "Shake off with Night Slash." Ash commanded and Bisharp gleefully struck Mightyena hard with his arm covered in dark energy, sending the Bite Pokémon back into the air. "Now Iron Head."

Bisharp patiently waited for the right moment and charged forward, with speeds that defied his massive size, and landed a devastating headbutt to Mightyena's side. The Bite Pokémon landed back on the ground with a thud, right at the feet of the brute who was in shock. Bisharp's appearance didn't fool anyone, he was as strong as he looks.

Getting out of his shock at last and looking angry instead, the brute took out another Pokéball once he returned his Mightyena. "Come out for the kill, Nuzleaf!"

{Nuzleaf, the Wily Pokémon and the evolved form of Seedot. Nuzleaf lives in dense, overgrown forests and occasionally comes out to frighten people.}

Nuzleaf is a bipedal Pokémon with a single green leaf atop its head. The leaf is smaller on the female. This Pokémon is mostly brown with a beige mask marking on its face. Its bulky thighs are also beige and have thin striations, and there are what appear to be two nipples on its chest. It has thin arms with mitten-like hands. If its long, pointed nose is grabbed, Nuzleaf will lose its power.

Using the leaf on its head as a flute, it makes music with leaves that creates a sense of unease in people. However, it can also play comforting melodies. Nuzleaf lives in forests and is skilled at climbing, but it will come out of the forest to frighten people. It has an odd power that manifests as the move Extrasensory.

"Fake Out!" The brute called out and Nuzleaf moved at blurred speeds to strike Bisharp with both hands. Too bad that this didn't even cause Bisharp to budge,

"Metal Claw!" Ash called out and Bisharp made a real counter to that Fake Out move with a swift swipe with the latter's iron hard arm. Nuzleaf cried out when it was sent hard into the ground, causing some of the grass to be paved away for a patch of soil to be shown.

"Low Kick!" The brute suddenly cried out and Nuzleaf moved, slower due to the pain, to strike at Bisharp's leg with its own. Not hard enough to cause some actual damage but to successfully get Bisharp to lose his footing. "Now Swagger and Nature Power!"

Nuzleaf enraged Bisharp somehow, causing the Sword Blade Pokémon to have his eyes glow red with rage and power. Next, Nuzleaf focused some of its own power into several orbs that became brown as the sand. Then these were sent towards Bisharp, stirring up a cloud of dust. "Your Bisharp is toast! Which means you've lost!" The brute laughed at his supposed victory while everyone else were silent and focused, unlike the former.

And that was because their instincts told them that the match is far from over. They were right when Bisharp rose from the cloud, without even a scratch in sight! His eyes were still red with power but Bisharp barely even wobbled, unlike when Norman called for Swagger from his own Pokémon several hours ago.

"What!? B-but how!?" The brute was speechless and at a lost to how Bisharp was able to walk out of a Nature Power attack that supposed to have caused super-effective damage.

"X-Scissor." Ash simply said and Bisharp charged with his arms at a cross-shape before slashing at Nuzleaf without mercy. The Wily Pokémon had nothing left up its sleeves, if it had any, to get away and fainted upon that super-effective move. Meanwhile, the brute was getting angry at this humiliation.

"Prove you are the fastest, Ninjask!"

{Ninjask, the Ninja Pokémon, and the evolved form of Nincada. Because of its swift flying velocity, it can become impossible to see.}

Ninjask is a small, cicada-like Pokémon with two pairs of wings. Its body is mostly black with accents of yellow and gray. Most of its head is yellow, but there is a solid band of black between its gleaming red eyes. The band expands into a circular pattern on its forehead, between two pointed crests on the sides of its head. The underside of its head is gray and segmented, making it somewhat resemble a veil. On its back is a patch of black with a stretch of yellow, shaped like an upside-down letter Y. Most of its carapace and abdomen is black, but there is a ring of yellow near the tip. Its gray insectoid arms extend from its chest, and usually have their small, yellow claws turned inward. There is a similar pair of back legs. It has large, veined wings with triangular, red tipping.

Ninjask is a very fast Pokémon that is said to be able to evade any attack, and was long believed to be invisible due to its high speed. If it is not trained properly, it will refuse to obey its Trainer and cry loudly. Due to this, it is said to put the Trainer's abilities to the test. Hearing its loud cries for too long induces a headache. It lives in forests, where it congregates around tree sap to feed.

"Use Screech!" True to the Pokédex, the infernal sound that will be Screech was terrible when Ninjask used it. Yet Bisharp was able to dodge it before being affected, "Again!"

"Taunt." Such a tactic was easy for a Dark-type like Bisharp, and after making a mocking grin, Ninjask was too enraged to use Screech. "Metal Sound." Bisharp rubbed the edges on his arms to make a sound worse than Ninjask's Screech, to rattle the Ninja Pokémon.

Yet Ninjask also glowed red and moved around faster than before. This was Ninjask's special ability, named Speed Boost. The longer the user stays in battle, the faster it gradually becomes. Combine that with Ninjask's natural strength in Speed, as being both a Bug and a Flying type, the Ninja Pokémon is considered to be the fastest Pokémon documented.

"Double Team and Swords Dance!" The brute called out and Ninjask moved so fast that it appeared to have cloned into half a hundred within seconds. And every single one of them acted out a dance with swords surrounding, increasing their Attack power. "Now X-Scissor!"

"Dodge with Rock Polish." Ash calmly commanded and Bisharp's metal body shined again but this time, to reduce drag and excess weight to become much faster. Fast enough to dodge Ninjask and its fifty afterimages. "Now strike every single one with Metal Claw!"

Bisharp disappeared in a blur and soon, so did every one of the copies of Ninjask. It was done so fast, that even the 'fastest Pokémon in the world' couldn't keep up. Bisharp actually got lucky and landed a hit on the real Ninjask, canceling out the remaining twenty or more afterimages left. "Finish with Night Slash!"

Ash called out and Bisharp struck Ninjask to the ground before the Ninja Pokémon could try to escape. And Ninjask didn't have any strength left, especially to get off the ground where it landed in within a crater. "Darn it!" The figure stopped hard into the ground with rage at this defeat while returning Ninjask. 'If only I could've used my real Pokémon without them knowing, then...' "EEK!" The figure stopped muttering and let out a girlish scream when a rather strong wind cruised past the trees, knocking the figure into the ground.

Ash and Serena moved towards the figure with caution while their friends hide behind both of them. But they were surprised to see that the figure's hood had fallen off, revealing the face of a teenaged girl. "She really fooled us with this thick outfit and fake voice." Ash remarked, not really that surprised to see a girl; he has seen plenty of both men and women in Team Plasma. But it was unclear which group this girl is working for.

"Get away!" The girl suddenly shouted and moved to strike at Ash since he was the closest to her. Too bad for her, Ash was not just a trainer and a Champion of Kalos, he was a fighter. But, for the sake of fighting a girl, instead of blocking that strike, Ash helped his friends evade it.

That was the chance for the girl to make away from them and she did. The girl didn't even look in the direction of her target, only at the trees where she disappeared among the branches. "Oh! Thank you all so much!" The scientist saw that the danger had fled and it was time to give some gratitude to the trainers that helped him out of that jam.

XXXXX

And, as Ash and the gang help the scientist out of the Petalburg Woods, they nearly forgot about the girl thief that ran off with her Pokémon. But she didn't, the girl was hiding in some trees while making sure that her presence wasn't alerted by any of the wild Pokémon.

"It has to be…" She muttered to herself, "Like the legends said. That a boy and a girl forever entwined will come from a world like a mirror. But why do they also say of this?" The girl asked herself, taking a moment. "Why do the legends say that the boy and the girl will save the world? Only for it to be destroyed by an unbeatable force? Greater than any of the Legendary Pokémon!?" Then the girl disappeared from the forest, maybe never to be seen again.

End of Chapter 3

*Thanks for the support!

My Spring Break is almost over and things are slow like in February but I hope this chapter will help things get up to speed. But today is when i go back to school, my morning is already ruined. I got a bad grade on a midterm that i tried to study along with two other exams a week before, so i have to think of a way to prevent me from failing that class. Wish me luck!

Another thing is, I have been debating on how to include the character Zinnia from ORAS into this story. As this is a story focusing on both games, I ultimately decided to have Zinnia to work as both a double agent for both Team Magma and Team Aqua as well as her own trainer. Hope you don't mind and tell me what you think! *

Pokémon on Hand;

Ash – Pikachu (Male), Aegislash (Male), Bisharp (Male), Mawile (Female), Durant (Female), Yveltal (Genderless), Treecko (Female), Mudkip (Male), Dustox (Male) and Ralts (Male).

Serena – Delphox (Female), Marowak (?) (Male), Kangaskhan (Female), Xerneas (Genderless), Torchic (Male), Beautify (Female) and Ralts (Female).

May – Torchic (Female), Marill (Male) and Slakoth (Female).

Wally – Ralts (Male) (Not caught as of yet).

Off Hand;

Ash – Corphish (Male) and Taillow (Female).

Serena – Shroomish (Female).