Chapter 3: Together, we Stand.

-Route 21, Near Pallet-

*Knock* *Knock* "Wake up lazybones! We are arriving to pallet in 10 minutes!" a sharp female voice called from the door of Emiliano's room.

Emiliano mumbled something unintelligible before snoring again.

Robin punched the door open out of annoyance "Okay E! If you don't wake up yourself, I WILL do it!" She threatened with a dark tone.

Emiliano just shifted his position slightly. "Mum, trainer's school is…" he mumbled.

Robin grabbed a cane and hit him between the legs.

Umbreon—who woke up after Robin punched the door- Winced "That's going to leave a mark"

Emiliano whined in pain "Ow! Did you have to use that thing Ro?" He asked in a low voice

She simply glared at him venomously "I HAD TO E! It's unbelievable how you can oversleep knowing that we are ABOUT to dock in Pallet!" She declared.

Sylveon materialized from his Poke Ball "Again?" he asked rolling his eyes at Umbreon's affirmative nod.

Robin avoided her Sylveon's feelers as she forced Emiliano out of the bed. "Put some decent clothes, pack up your things and head to the deck RIGHT NOW!" she hissed "I give you 5 Minutes or not even Sylveon will save your sorry ass!" she threatened slamming the door shut.

Emiliano sighed as he grabbed a short-sleeved dark-brown shirt, Black Jeans, Red sneakers and a baseball cap "Was she always this short-tempered?" he asked Robin's Sylveon who shook his head "She gained that temper over her time in the mercenaries' base—especially after acting as a training supervisor for the lower ranks" he replied as Emiliano packed his things.

"We'd better head out to the deck if we want to avoid another rage fit" Emiliano decided—Shivering at the thought of Robin's infamous temper. Everyone nodded in response—sans Charizard as he was still snoring like a Snorlax before he returned him to his Poke Ball.

-S.S. Manaphy, Front deck-

"There you are. Mister!" Emiliano Flinched at the tone of Robin's voice "15 seconds late! And you know what that means with me!" she continued.

Without wasting a second Sylveon wrapped her feelers on Robin´s arm calming her almost instantly "Sometimes I hate you Sylveon" she muttered as the calming waves relaxed her mind.

"ATTENTION PASSENGERS OF THE S.S. MANAPHY" A voice roared through the speakers. "WE ARE ABOUT TO DOCK AT PALLET TOWN, PLEASE BE PATIENT" The voice announced.

Emiliano glanced from the to the horizon at the medium-sized town that was the home of one of his fellow mercenaries and best friends: Ash Ketchum.

As the Cruise stopped Emiliano and Robin made their way towards the descending platform.

"Now we have to find Professor Oak´s lab" Emiliano told Robin who was looking at the peaceful town in awe ´Why my hometown wasn´t this Quiet and Peaceful´ she wondered.

"Emm! I´m here!" Called Ash from the gates of the laboratory "I- is that Ro alongside you?" he asked blinking at the sight of the brunette who glared at him.

"Hi yourself Ashley" she spoke in a mocking tone—Robin only allowed Emiliano to call her "Ro".

Ash paled—How on earth she knew about that? "Who told you about that!?" He asked lost and confused.

Robin smirked "Brock and Misty of course—they have TONS of funny stories about your amateur days" she answered, trying to hold back her laughter.

Ash barely held the need to snap at Robin's obvious inner laughter—he like most of the mercenaries feared her temper, but ultimately lost when she started telling those stories.

"Like when you fried Misty's bike, or traded your Butterfree for a Raticate" She started barely blocking 4 Aura Spheres in a row.

"Getting kicked unceremoniously out of the Celadon gym" She giggled at the thought of Ash getting neglected from a gym battle.

Ash was getting more and more embarrassed as Robin continued her stories, Emiliano was laughing like there was no tomorrow at the thought of his Right-hand man being in all those situations.

"What about the time you tried to catch a caught Pokémon, or when you called Professor Goodshow 'Santa Claus'" Robin was barely controlling her laughter now, but still managed to avoid a Force Palm from Ash.

The exchange continued for twenty minutes until Ash collapsed and Robin gave out in her Laughter.

"Mate… I seriously Can't believe you were in those situations" Emiliano managed after ending his Laughing fit.

"I was only a naïve 10 year-old trainer back then Emm" Ash retorted in a Raspy voice.

Emiliano nodded, conceding the point. Only to frown when he spotted a Salamence.

"Ash, Ro—isn't that Senith's Salamence?" Emiliano asked pointing. Ash frowned as Robin blinked.

It was.

The dragon landed gracefully as the rider unmounted it "Nice job, friend" he praised the dragon.

Salamence beamed "it was a pleasure master" he replied as his trainer returned him.

He then glanced at his comrades with a serious expression.

"Good day, my fellows" he greeted "Shall we start planning the defense of Celadon City?".

Ash shook his head "August hasn't arrived" then looked puzzled "Where did you get Salamence back?"

Senith sighed "It was back in Vermilion City…"

FLASHBACK

Senith was going steady in Vermilion, Trying his best to put an amazed act at his surroundings; he now was only considered an amateur trainer despite having years of experience in battle within him.

Just then he spotted a very suspicious man standing behind the local gym.

He clenched his fists—he KNEW who this man was—the poacher was a man in his forties wanted in four regions for poaching Pokémon of the rare kind—he was specially wanted in the Kalos region for poaching Champion Diantha's Goodra while she was asleep.

But Senith had other motives to hate this man—his Salamence was with him, he could feel him—as a Bagon trapped in a highly compressed cage with hints of dehydration and malnourishment.

"I must save him…" he whispered determined to catch this man and bring him to Justice—again.

"Greninja, DOUBLE TEAM!" Senith screamed as he released his trusted Ninja Pokémon.

The poacher blinked as no less than 30 Greninja circled him but then he grinned evilly "This Greninja will definitely be worth a mansion!"

Fists clenched, teeth bared in anger and eyes full of hatred Senith screamed "TOXIC SHURIKEN!" in a way that caught the attention of a crowd that could only stare in awe as a 10 year-old gave commands like a war veteran.

Just then purple shurikens materialized in all the Greninja's hands and released them.

The poacher activated a highly complex shield mechanism in an effort to block it—only for said mechanism to explode at the sheer force of the combination.

Senith approached the bewildered man, rage flaring through his green eyes that not even his soft features could disguise.

"Seamus Storm" he said coldly, the crowd gasped—that man was SEAMUS STORM!? The infamous Unovan poacher!?. "Your poaching days are over"

"You might think you caught me youngling, but I have tricks up in my sleeve-" he started and then blinked as he noticed all his devices were gone. Senith smirked.

"You mean these!?" he said waving a bag with no less than 25 different devices all of them destroyed.

"H-how-" Seamus managed trembling in fear at the look on Senith's eyes. "Trade secret" Senith replied as he snapped the Man's neck knocking him out.

"The poached Pokémon are in this way" he commanded the crowd to a nearby Rock. He kicked said rock revealing a dark passage.

"Get the officers and Lieutenant Surge" he commanded, the crowd nodded and ran to get them

Meanwhile Senith got down the dark hallway and blinked at the sight—it was almost like a science-fiction movie set—the colors, the structure, even the cages had among the most advanced technology he's ever seen.

Just then he saw a very thin Bagon in one of the most comprised cells, "Please…" the Bagon begged weakly "Help me"

Senith cursed under his breath, Salamence never mentioned he had been through hell and back. But using a hijacking device he freed the tiny Bagon who clumsily got out of his prison. Senith teared up at the sight

Senith then offered the notoriously malnourished and underweight Bagon some apples and a couple of water bottles that the tiny Pokémon ate with tears in his eyes.

"Thank you…" the Bagon managed sobbing at Senith's kind actions towards him.

Senith tapped the Bagon's head and in no less than 30 seconds there was a healthy Salamence with teary eyes and a bewildered expression "We'll speak about this once we free the others."

FLASHBACK END

"Just after that the officers and surge arrived and we started freeing the enclosed Pokémon, some of them were in death's doorstep…" Senith finished in a very bitter tone.

Robin was crying her eyes out, though the tears also barely his the anger he felt towards Seamus. "What happened to Seamus?" she asked almost venomously.

"He was sent to a high security prison, waiting for the day of his execution with "Rose death"" Senith answered nonchalantly.

"He deserves it" Ash said bitterly, they nodded in agreement —Rose death is a combination of some of the most poisonous substances in the world such as Roserade's, Spinarak among others and was usually reserved to the worst criminals in existence.

Emiliano had a face that would make grown men scream and run like little girls. "Did all of the Pokémon survive?".

Senith shook his head sadly "One was already dead when we tried to free her it was a very majestic shiny Florges "

Further conversation was interrupted by August's arrival, which quickly cheered them up.

"Sorry for the late arrival" he apologized "There was a Spearow flock in the way here"

They nodded in understanding and leaded him inside the lab.

Once inside they gathered to discuss how to defend Celadon city.

"The first time four out of twelve Lieutenants were attacking, and if it goes like last time we can fend them one by one while Robin gets Erika out of the fire-"

"Ash, we not only need to fend the Lieutenants of DarkFall, we also NEED to make sure the grunts don't hurt that many people"

"Exactly August, but how we will do that? Hikaru and Alain are unavailable at the moment and professor Oak is 67 years-old!"

"Maybe Tracey can…"

"Tracey is an artist, Emiliano, not a battler"

Meanwhile in a very secluded land, a tall silver-haired man was pacing incessantly in his office, thinking on ways to not only kill Erika, but also on ways he would destroy Celadon city.

"Hmmm… Hector, Daniel, Fatima and Florence are among my highest ranked members, but… it wouldn't be enough" he mused scratching his head.

"Maybe I should go and teach her a lesson" he thought suddenly grinning wickedly—oh yes, she will never know what hit her.

In a corner of the office a shadow with bright yellow eyes watched the man; developing a very intricate plan that involved him… the shadow then vanished leaving Victor with his own plans.