A/N: Hello again, everyone! Here's where the first chapter of the real adventure begins! I hope you all enjoy it!

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon.


Chapter 4: Discovery at Oldale Ruins

It had been a few days since they group left Littleroot Town. With that, they were now approaching Oldale Town. It was their first bout of civilization since starting their journey, and it was also where Ash and May would need to register for the Hoenn League. They were traveling at quite a brisk pace to get there faster, but what surprised Ash and Serena was that May had no trouble keeping up with them.

"Wow, May. I'm actually quite impressed that you haven't gotten tired. Most people who start traveling with us can't keep up," Ash commented.

"This? It's no problem. I did a lot of triathlons before my journey so I have a lot of endurance," May responded.

"That works out great for us! That means we can get to places really fast now without having to wait for anyone!" Ash said eagerly. "I bet you can't wait to get to Oldale Town so you can register for the Hoenn League!"

"Yeah. It'll be a scream," May replied before she thought in her head, "Literally."

"I remember the first few days of my travels and registering for my first league," Ash said as he looked up in thought. "Serena and I ran into some trouble."

"What kind of trouble?" May asked.

"I had angered a Spearow by throwing a rock at it, and they ended up chasing us for quite a while. What was worse was that a thunderstorm started, and Pikachu got hurt pretty badly when the Spearow caught up to us," Ash explained.

"That sounds awful," May replied.

"Yeah, but when the Spearow had Serena and I cornered, Pikachu leaped up and really let them have it!" Ash said and scratched Pikachu's ears.

"You know, Ash, I'm actually starting to get a little scared. First, you tell me that you destroyed another girl's bike just like mine, and then you tell me that you were attacked by a horde of Spearow after being on your journey for only a few days. Is it actually going to be safe to travel with you?" May asked and placed her hands on her hips.

"You can't look at it like that, May," Serena said and placed her hand on May's shoulder for comfort. "A Pokemon journey does have some danger in it, but it's also filled with a lot of memorable adventures. You'll see so many things, and those memories will last a lifetime."

May smiled at Serena. She had only known Ash and Serena for a few days, but she could already tell Serena was the more reasonable of the two. May knew that if she were to ask advice about life, Serena would be the way to go. If it were about Pokemon, she would ask Ash. She could ask both them when it came to interesting places, but May also knew that it would probably involve Pokemon with Ash. With that in mind, May could imagine her talks with Serena to be more interesting than Ash. She was glad another girl was with her on the journey.

"Hey! Speaking of memories, why don't you make your first one with that Pokemon?" Ash asked as they came upon a tiny blue, mouse-like Pokemon with a huge ball for a tail.

"I think that's an Azurill! It's so cute!" Serena said and turned to May. "You should try to capture it!"

"Umm…okay," May replied in an unsure tone and took out her pokeball.

The Azurill turned to the group and stared at them curiously. It then bounced a little on its huge tail and seemed to smile at them. May smiled, as well. This Azurill was a baby Pokemon and would be a great test for her as a beginning trainer. It was also quite cute. If she were to keep up this attitude about being excited for a Pokemon journey, she had to capture Pokemon.

"Alright then! Go, pokeball!" May shouted and tossed the empty pokeball at the Azurill.

The pokeball connected and sucked the Azurill inside it. The pokeball wiggled a for a few moments before it opened back up, and Azurill popped back out. It looked around in confusion before it turned back to the group. It then did something unexpected. It started to cry.

"Wait. What?" May questioned in confusion as she stared at the crying Azurill. "Why didn't that capture it?"

"You did it wrong, May," Ash replied bluntly.

"What do you mean? I threw an empty pokeball at it, didn't I?" May asked as she turned to Ash.

Ash then cleared his throat and began to speak in a sage-like tone that made him appear wise. "First, you must battle a Pokemon with one of your own. You must continue to battle with them, and then you can be the fairest Pokemon trainer in all the land."

Serena giggled at Ash trying to be a mentor. He actually sounded more like a leprechaun when he talked like that. May didn't appear to notice, however, and took in everything Ash said.

"Right. Of course," May said and turned back to the crying Azurill. "Go, Torchic!"

Torchic came out of the pokeball and appeared ready for its first real battle. However, it lost its determined look when it saw its opponent was a crybaby. It turned to May in confusion. Upon seeing Torchic's look, May turned back to the Azurill and suddenly felt pity for it.

"I don't know. I kind of feel sorry for the Azurill," May said. "I mean, it was just there minding its own business, and I came along and tried to capture it. I think I really upset it."

"You can't let that get you down, May," Ash told her. "Almost all Pokemon start off in the wild."

"Still," May rebutted and went over the crying Azurill and knelt in front of it. "There. There. It's okay. Everything will be okay. I won't try to capture you, now."

The Azurill stopped crying at that and turned to look at May with watery eyes. May smiled back at how cute the Azurill was. In fact, it was almost too cute for capture. That was, however, until Azurill used a Water Gun right in May's face.

May was having a sense of déjà vu with this Water Gun in her face as this was just like the time when Mudkip sprayed her. She was just trying to be nice and then this happens. Maybe water Pokemon just didn't like her. However, it did strengthen May's resolve to not give in to this Azurill's cuteness. Azurill started to hop off, but May was going to show it who was boss.

"So, that's how it's going to be, huh?" May asked and pointed her finger forward. "Torchic, use Ember!"

Torchic nodded its head and shot forward the Ember. However, May was directly in front it, as well. May shrieked and had to duck to avoid the fiery attack as it passed over. It also missed the retreating Azurill by a mile. May got up and glared at Torchic.

"Attack Azurill, not me!" May yelled.

She immediately felt regret for what she said when saw Torchic starting to tear up. May sighed and knelt down to give Torchic a hug. May knew she had to be careful and couldn't be annoyed with her Pokemon. This was going to be a lot harder than she thought.

"It's okay, May. Just keep in mind that this is probably Torchic's first battle, too. It's learning just like you," Serena said.

"Okay," May said and turned to Torchic. "Let's get that Azurill!"

"Tor!" Torchic agreed, and the two sprinted after it with Ash and Serena not far behind.

They ended up chasing the Azurill to a nearby lake. May saw Azurill trying to make a break for it in the water so she quickly called out an attack. Of course, she made sure she was behind Torchic this time.

"Torchic, hurry up and use a Peck attack!" she commanded.

Torchic lunged forward as its beak glowed. Azurill turned around just as Torchic reached it, and it was struck by the beak. Azurill cried out in pain and fell of its ball tail before it quickly hopped up and used a Bubblebeam attack. Torchic yelled in pain as well, as it was struck by the stream of bubbles and went tumbling along the ground.

"May, it's a good idea to tell your Torchic to dodge an attack when another Pokemon uses one," Ash said.

"Of course," May replied as Torchic got back up. "Torchic, use Ember,now!"

Torchic shot out the tiny embers from its mouth, and Azurill hopped out of the way. Torchic then shot them out again, but Azurill kept hopping out of the way. May sighed as this wasn't getting her anywhere.

"What am I suppose to do?" May asked Ash.

"This is when you have to try a strategy," Ash told her. "Try having Torchic use Ember while spinning so that way Azurill can't dodge it."

"Okay," May replied with a nod and turned back to Torchic. "Try your Ember while spinning around."

Torchic then used Ember and spun in circles while doing so. The Azurill gasped and tried to dodge, but there was nowhere for it to hop. It wasn't quick enough to outrun the Ember. It was soon struck by the attack and pushed off its ball where it fell to the ground. Meanwhile, Torchic got dizzy and started to stumble around from all the spinning.

"Torchic, are you okay?" May asked it.

"Torchic will be fine in a second!" Ash said. "Hurry up and use your pokeball!"

"Oh! Right!" May replied and got a determined look on her face. She then leaned back and threw her pokeball forward.

Serena raised her eyebrows in interest when she saw May threw her pokeballs just like Ash. When had she ever seen him do that? Serena didn't recall Ash ever telling May how he threw the pokeballs.

Regardless, the pokeball struck Azurill again and sucked it into the pokeball. May clenched her fists as she waited in anticipation. She really hoped she got it right this time. Torchic also recovered from its dizziness and waited, also. Finally, after much shaking, the pokeball dinged to show the capture was made. May squealed with delight and ran over to it.

"Alright! We just caught our first Pokemon, Torchic!" May said happily.

"Torchic! Tor!" Torchic said just as excitedly.

"Congratulations, May!" Ash said as he and Serena applauded her. "That was well done. Keep that up, and you'll have a full team before you know it!"

"Thank you, Ash!" May replied and looked at the pokeball.

Even though May had almost no interest in Pokemon, there was something rewarding about her first capture. It was a Pokemon she and Torchic had captured all on their own. This Pokemon really signified the start of her journey where she could start training Azurill and Torchic to be the best they can be. Maybe she really could do this, after all.

"Let's meet our new friend, Torchic," May said as she released Azurill.

Azurill soon appeared and sleepily opened its eyes before it looked at May in wonder. May smiled and knelt down next to it again, but she was prepared for another Water Gun attack.

"Hi there, Azurill! I'm May, your new trainer! It's nice to meet you!" she said.

Rather than greet May back, Azurill teared up and began to cry. May gasped as she frantically looked back at Ash and Serena for help.

"What's going on? What did I say?" she asked them.

"You didn't do anything wrong, May," Serena said with a chuckle. "It just seems like you captured a bit of an emotional Pokemon."

"Oh," May said and turned back to Azurill. "It's okay. The battles over. We don't have to hurt you, anymore."

That didn't seem to work as Azurill kept crying. May couldn't help but sigh. She really hoped all of her future captures didn't end this badly. Pokemon training was going to be a lot harder than she thought.


The group was now only about a mile away from Oldale Town and could see it off in the distance. While approaching it, they could also see a set of Stalagmites rising from the ground. They were surrounding what appeared to be a small stone building. Having their curiosity get the better of them, they went over to have a look. As they got closer, they could see a small team of workers with pickaxes swinging at the rocks.

"What do you guys suppose they're looking for?" Ash wondered.

"Fossils?" Serena guessed.

They entered through the stalagmites, but they didn't go too far in so they wouldn't get in the workers way. They could also there a few workers taking pictures of the ruins while some were jotting down notes on a notepad.

"Hmm…children. This is…odd," a robotic voice said behind them.

The group jumped and spun around, expecting to actually see a robot. Instead, they saw a young woman with short lavender hair that appeared to bob out a little bit. She had quite an emotionless expression on her as she dully stared at them. Ash almost wanted to reach out and poke her to make sure she was actually human but held the urge.

"Ummm…hi?" Ash tried.

"Hello," the woman replied.

Ash, Serena, and May exchanged glances with each other. They were a little unnerved by this woman's strange behavior. It was as if she didn't know what emotions were. They realized they weren't going to get anywhere if they didn't say anything so Ash tried talking again.

"Uh, so…" Ash started, but the woman interrupted him.

"You are…in our way," she muttered dully.

"Oh! Sorry! We were just wanting to see what you guys were doing," Ash replied.

"That is…not your concern," the woman said.

"Courtney? What's going on?" a somewhat familiar voice echoed from within the stone building.

The group turned to see a tall man with red hair and glasses emerge from the building. Ash and Serena's eyes lit up in recognition while May just stared. Upon seeing Ash and Serena, the man adjusted his glasses let out a small smile.

"Well, this is a surprise. You are Ash and Serena, if I recall," the man said.

"Maxie!" Serena exclaimed.

"Indeed," Maxie responded with a nod of his head.

It was none other than Maxie whom the group had met in the Whirl Islands in Johto along with Archie and Shelly. They had been very friendly to them and had dreams of changing the world for the better with their research. It was even Maxie who had told Misty where to find Corsola and had given Misty a Water Stone to evolve Poliwhirl, but Serena's Poliwhirl ended up getting it instead.

"How are things?" Maxie asked.

"We're great! Oh, this is our new friend, May," Ash introduced and stepped aside. "This is Maxie, May."

"Oh, hello," May greeted as the two shook hands.

"A pleasure," Maxie returned.

"Maxie…you know…these kids?" the woman who was known as Courtney questioned.

"I suppose you could say they are acquaintances of mine. We met just before I came back to the Hoenn region in the Whirl Islands," Maxie replied before he gestured to her. "Ah, this is Courtney, one of my top researchers. No one can beat her when it comes to information analysis."

"Greetings," Courtney said before she turned and gave a stiff bow to the group. "My apologies…if I appeared rude."

"No! No! It's okay! You weren't rude!" Ash said quickly. She actually hadn't expressed any kind of emotion, but he wasn't going to tell her that. He wouldn't be surprised if Courtney could shoot laser beams out of her eyes if she was capable of getting angry.

"So, what brings you kids to Hoenn?" Maxie questioned.

"I'm actually here to compete in the Hoenn League. I won the Silver Conference, and Serena's here to find a student and spread the love of contests since she's a Johto Queen!" Ash answered.

"Hey, now! That's really something!" Maxie said with a small smile. "Let me offer my congratulations to both of you for your achievements."

"Thanks!" Ash said as he looked around. "By any chance, is Archie here, too? I'd like to see him."

At that, Maxie's expression darkened considerably. Ash and Serena immediately felt a little chill around them. Did they say something wrong? Even Courtney appeared a little uncomfortable. Finally, Maxie broke the uncomfortable silence.

"Archie and I…are no longer friends," Maxie said. "We drifted apart."

Ash and Serena widened their eyes in surprise. They were no longer friends? That was really strange. They appeared to be absolutely inseparable in the Whirl Islands and both had dreams to improve the world. What on Earth could've happened for them to have a break like that?

"I'm…so sorry to hear that," Serena said, not knowing what else to say.

"It's fine," Maxie muttered with a sigh and looked to the sky. "He and I just had too many different viewpoints and too many different ways to go about doing them."

"I analyzed it as a…very heated fight," Courtney said. "They left on very unfriendly terms."

"Courtney, you do not need to tell them that," Maxie said with a frown.

Ash and Serena appeared saddened at that bit of news, as well. It was always a shame when people who were once great friends to not be on speaking terms with each other. They still hoped Archie was doing well, wherever he was.

"Let's change the topic," Maxie said quickly, and the group agreed so they could ease the tension.

"So, what are you doing here, anyway, Maxie?" Ash questioned. "More research?"

"As a matter of fact, yes," Maxie said and smiled lightly again. "These ruins are very important for our research. There is a stone chamber in them said to connect the present and the ancient Pokemon world."

"Wow," Serena said in awe.

"Indeed, but because of the ruin's strange structure, many attempts to enter the chamber have failed. However, my team and I are more determined than ever to discover what they hold," Maxie explained.

"It helps with your plan of expanding the land?" Ash questioned.

"More than you would realize," Maxie replied with a nod before he turned back Courtney. "Courtney, please tell the men to take a break. They've been at it since this morning. We could all use a rest at Oldale Town's Pokemon Center."

"Of course. I have determined that is a good measure to take," Courtney said and walked off to where the workers were.

"Uhhh…" Ash stuttered as he was still uneasy about Courtney's unusual way of speaking. She sounded like a robot.

"So, you're heading to the Pokemon Center?" Serena asked. "That's actually where we're heading."

"Ah, how nice," Maxie said as he turned and gestured for the group to follow him. "Come with us, then. Let us walk and talk on the way there."

The group then began their trek from the Oldale Ruins to the Pokemon Center. As they left, Ash turned back to the Oldale Ruins. It sounded like whatever was in there was pretty interesting if it had Maxie's attention. He could only imagine what kind of secrets it could hold.

"Maxie, if you don't mind me asking, what do you think are in those ruins?" Ash wondered.

"Hmm…right now, my research team and I are studying the Pokemon, Groudon," Maxie responded.

"Groudon," Ash muttered as he tried to remember where he heard the name. That was right. Archie had shown him and the others a picture of both Kyogre and Groudon when they first met. They were described as the king of the land and the king of the sea.

"Aren't they just legends, though?" Serena asked.

"Oh, no. Before we parted ways, Archie and I had discovered that the two Pokemon are very real and very much still alive," Maxie said.

May got a little nervous once she heard that. She had heard about those Pokemon before from her dad. There had been a fierce battle between the two Pokemon a very long time ago that nearly destroyed the entire world. The fact that May knew now it actually happened was quite frightening.

"The Pokemon that could control the land and the sea really existed?" May asked after a gulp.

"Yes, child. They did, and there is a rumor going around that they were a lot more powerful than they are now back when they fought," Maxie said.

"What do you mean by more powerful?" Ash asked.

"Being the masters of land and sea, Groudon and Kyogre have ability to absorb the energy of nature and unleash their true powers which even transforms their appearance," Maxie replied.

"So, they evolve?" Ash figured.

"Hmm…I wouldn't exactly call it an evolution. If anything, it's almost like a backwards evolution because they Pokemon restore to their ancient forms," Maxie said.

The group exchanged glances with each other. Some sort of backwards evolution that made Pokemon more powerful? That was new and also quite strange. It proved there was still a lot more to the Pokemon world that they had no idea about? Just how well known was this information, anyway?

"We've already gotten research on Mega Evolution, as well, from Professor Sycamore of the Kalos Region. He's been a great assistance to us in trying to help us understand exactly what this...backwards evolution is all about," Maxie continued.

"Mega Evolution?" Serena asked this time.

"Oh? You don't know about mega evolution, either?" Maxie asked. "Then again, I suppose I can understand. Only the Kalos region and some of Hoenn know of it. Professor Sycamore hasn't been quite ready to disclose it to the whole world, yet. However, he was generous enough to share it with us once we told him about our research."

"I see," Ash said. As interesting as this sounded, this research was way over his, Serena, and May's heads. They just learned of two new types of evolution in one conversation. It was enough to make their heads spin.

"Hmm…information overload?" Maxie questioned with a chuckle once he saw the group's dazed expression. "Forgive me for rambling on about my research."

"No. It's okay. We asked," Ash replied. "It's just more than I expected."

"I can understand. We've been studying this ever since we got back from Johto. It's a lot to take in. Maybe in the future, I will be able to share more with you," Maxie said and looked ahead. "Ah, it seems we are now at the Pokemon Center. I shall wait here for Courtney and the others. Do not feel the need to wait for me."

"Okay. We'll go on in and have our Pokemon looked at. It was good to see again, Maxie!" Ash said as he and the others waved goodbye and entered.

"You, as well. Perhaps we will see each other later," Maxie said.

With that, the sliding glass doors closed, and the group made their way into the Pokemon Center lobby. There were a few trainers who were hanging out in the lobby, but it wasn't too crowded. Oldale Town wasn't very big, after all. However, one still had to register for the Hoenn League here.

"Maxie seems nice," May commented.

"Yeah. He and his friend, Archie, that we mentioned showed us around some of the Whirl Islands while they researched it," Ash replied.

"He sure seems to do that a lot," May stated.

"Heheheh. I guess he does. That's one guy who takes his work very seriously," Ash said and turned back to the doors. "I hope it pays off one day."

The group then reached the desk where a Nurse Joy was seated. Ash and Serena smiled once they saw that. It seemed that no matter how far they traveled, some things never changed in the expansive family of Nurse Joys. With that in mind, Ash and Serena figured that there were a slew of Officer Jennys in Hoenn, as well.

"Good afternoon," Nurse Joy greeted. "Will you three be staying the night?"

"We will," Ash replied with a nod. "Two rooms, please, and I'll also need to register for the Hoenn League."

"And have our Pokemon looked at!" Serena added.

"Meal tickets, too!" Ash said.

"Nurse Joy can do all of this?" May questioned.

"Of course. Pokemon Centers are good for a lot of things other than just healing your Pokemon at," Ash replied. "Would you like us to show you around?"

"Sure!" May replied as she handed Nurse Joy her two pokeballs.

"Thank you. I'll need to see your pokedex to register you, Ash," Nurse Joy said.

"No problem," Ash responded and pulled out his pokedex to hand it to Nurse Joy. "Go on and get out yours, too, May."

May's eyes lit up in understanding. That's right. She was supposed to be registering for the Hoenn League, too. Even so, May hesitated. Was this what she really wanted? She had to admit Pokemon battling was a lot better than she originally thought, but did she really have to go around and beat gym leaders? Would she even be good enough to compete in the Hoenn League?

"What's wrong, May?" Serena asked once she saw May's reluctant expression.

"Oh. Nothing. I'm good," May responded and gave her pokedex to Nurse Joy.

Serena frowned again. May's strange behavior when it came to something Pokemon related continued. She hadn't seen it since Professor Birch's lab, but it seemed to have returned. Serena wasn't quite ready to ask May about it, yet, though. She wondered if she should ask if Ash noticed anything off, first.

"Thank you," Nurse Joy said with a nod. "Please come back in thirty minutes, and I'll have you all registered. I'm slightly behind registering other trainers so you'll have to wait."

"That's okay. No rush!" Ash said as he handed his pokeballs to Nurse Joy, and Pikachu and Togetic hopped on to her desk, as well. "Catch you guys, later!"

Both Pikachu and Togetic nodded as Chansey wheeled them into the next room on a cart. Once they were gone, May turned and saw just how expansive the Pokemon Center was. This was all for Pokemon trainers only?

"Ready, May?" Ash questioned with a smile.

"Yeah! Let's go!" May replied.


Ash and Serena spent the next hour showing May around the Pokemon Center. They showed May all the facilities there such as the lobby and what their rooms looked like. As May took in the information that she was given, she was actually quite impressed. She had no idea that something like a Pokemon Center would exceed her expectations on what they had to offer. Now that it was over, the three trainers were in the cafeteria having an early supper.

"You know, the centers are pretty great. I had no idea they contained all this stuff," May commented through a mouthful of food.

"Your father's a gym leader. You've never been to one?" Serena questioned.

"No. There was never any need for our dad to take us when he went to heal his Pokemon. I mean…I may have been to one a couple of times with my dad, but I was never there long enough to look around," May replied.

"Well, you can always count on a Pokemon Center somewhere in the region, not just towns or cities. They're a great place for all Pokemon trainers to rest between their training, and it also means we don't always have to camp," Ash said.

"That's great! Let's stop at every single one!" May said enthusiastically.

Serena smiled at May's reaction. This had been the most excitement she had seen from May since they started their journey together. Still, Serena had a sneaking suspicion that May was only excited for what the centers had to offer rather than the Pokemon side of it, especially the food. May seemed to be quite a foodie like Ash. They were both well into their second plate while Serena hadn't even finished her first.

Ash and May looked at each other and seemed to realize the same thing. They then looked down at their half full plates and smiled.

"I'll race you," May challenged.

"You're so on!" Ash replied, never one to turn down something like this.

"One…two…three!" they both shouted and began devouring the rest of their food as fast as they could.

"Careful! Don't choke!" Serena warned, but Ash or May didn't seem to hear her.

Both Ash and May paced themselves quite well despite eating so fast. They were both used to doing this. They would steal glances at the other's plate every few seconds to see how they were holding up. It was actually quite even and didn't appear to have a clear winner. Both Ash and May cleaned their plates at the same time and panted a little bit.

"Why…stop at two plates?" Ash asked between breaths.

"Right. Let's see…who can eat the most," May agreed.

"You're getting more?" Serena gasped.

"Yes!" they both shouted and hurried back to the buffet.

Serena sighed. In all her years, she never thought she would meet someone who had the same appetite Ash did, or who had the same mannerisms. Serena was now certain May loved food just as much as Ash did. It's a good thing those two got a lot of exercise in or else they would probably be overweight. Serena looked down at the modest portion on her plate and blushed a little bit. She couldn't imagine even trying to eat as much as those two did. It seemed as though Ash found a kindred spirit in May and her love for food and competitive nature.

Ash and May were soon back with their third plate and began inhaling it as soon as they sat down. Serena wondered if they were even able to have a chance to taste it due to how fast they were eating. Rather than comment on it, Serena merely went back to eating her own food at a leisurely pace. It was pointless to try to speak up since they had ignored her so far.

After a couple of minutes, there were two simultaneous crashes on the booth table. Ash and May's heads slammed down next their finished food, and they let out a groan. Both of them had reached their limit after overfilling their plates three times and had a stomachache.

"Man," Ash mumbled.

"My stomach hurts," May moaned.

"You just want to call it a tie?" Ash asked.

"Please. I can't eat anymore," May muttered.

"Strange. I feel just fine," Serena said with a smirk, which caused Ash and May to glare at her.

With that, Ash and May decided to glance up at the big screen TV in the cafeteria and rest their stomachs a little bit. However, Ash didn't rest for long as someone on the news caught his eyes. Ash shot up from the booth with eyes glued on the screen. Serena glanced up at the TV upon seeing Ash's expression, and her eyes widened in interest, as well.

"What's going on?" May asked.

"My Uncle Riley's on the news," Ash replied as he hurried out of his seat and went to a closer table so he could listen in.

"Your uncle?" May questioned as she followed them over.

Riley Ketchum was in his trademark blue suit and big blue hat as he stood in front of a reporter. Judging from the large amount of lights and buildings behind him, he was clearly in a large city. If Ash remembered correctly, Riley mentioned he and Yellow were going to Rustboro City to watch over the Devon Corporation there. The report appeared to have already started so Ash had to go off of where they were to understand

"So, there are still Team Aqua and Team Magma members around?" the reporter asked.

"Unfortunately, yes," Riley answered with a sigh. "You'd think they would've learned their lesson to stay away from the Devon Corporation by now. We've caught about six of them. Every time Yellow and I capture one, a new one takes their place."

"What they want in there must be very valuable, then," the reporter commented. "Do you have any idea what it is?"

"Of course I do," Riley replied before he gave a small laugh. "I just can't say what it is. We can't have the whole world know what they're after."

"I still think it's amazing how many members you've found, though," the reporter said and changed the subject. "How do you do it all?"

"I have a good instinct," Riley said with a smirk, and Ash smirked, too. Riley wasn't about to tell the world of his aura ability.

"Hahaha! Do you think you know what it is they are trying to do?" the reporter continued.

Ash was unable to catch anymore of the interview because a tall figure walked up beside him. Ash looked up to discover it was Maxie, and the man had a deep frown on his face. Courtney was with him and looked as stoic as ever.

"How unsightly with how many Team Magma members are getting caught," he commented as he adjusted his glasses. "You would think they would be more careful."

Ash looked up at Maxie in confusion. That was kind of a strange comment to make about a group of criminals that were trying to invade a large corporation. The situation sort of reminded Ash of the Rocket invasion with the Silph Company but on a much smaller scale. These Team Magma or Team Aqua members didn't appear to have any interest of taking over the company.

"Well, I'm glad he's catching them all," Ash replied as he turned back to the TV screen, but he frowned as he saw the interview was over, and the news had gone on to a new topic.

"I believe the group of Team Magma is misunderstood," Maxie continued.

"What do you mean?" Ash asked.

"There are many kinds of people in this world when it comes to ambitions, Ash. There are people whose goals are clear cut, and everyone knows exactly what it is they are doing. Then there are those which nobody can exactly figure out their desires, but everyone thinks they are bad people because of that and due to ignorance. I think Team Magma falls into the latter category," Maxie explained.

"What about Team Aqua?" Ash inquired.

"Hmph. Well, I believe them nothing more than petty thieves with misguided ambitions," Maxie uttered, and Ash thought it strange that Maxie was talking as if he had tasted something really foul.

"Well, the law enforcement seems to think they're all bad, and so do I," Serena said.

"Do not be so quick to judge, Serena. For all you know, they may be trying to do good, but the methods in which they are doing may only make them seem bad. You may find that they will help the world rather than hurt it. Just base your judgement on what you believe and not other's judgement, including my own," Maxie replied.

Ash mulled over Maxie's words for a moment. He supposed what Maxie said made sense, but he also trusted Riley's judgement. Both Riley and Yellow were hard bent on capturing as many Team Magma and Team Aqua members as they could. They seemed to know that these groups were up to no good, but what was that based on? Ash wasn't able to catch what it was they were after or what they were trying to accomplish from the interview with Riley because he missed most of it. Still, did these guys only seem bad because they were going about things that painted them in a bad light? Furthermore, Ash found it strange that Maxie seemed to give Team Magma almost a positive insight and was so quick to brush off Team Aqua.

"Man, this hurts my head," Ash muttered.

"Hahahaha! All I'm saying is to withhold your judgment on things you don't know anything about until you know all the facts. It does not require too much deep thinking, Ash," Maxie chuckled.

"Oh. Yeah. Hahaha. That does make it easier," Ash agreed.

"Indeed. Anyway, forgive me for interrupting you. Carry about your evening," Maxie said with a bow and walked away with Courtney.

"Hmmm…," Ash mused.

"Ash, don't tell me that you think that the police, Mr. Riley, and Ms. Yellow are wrong in this," Serena whispered.

"No! I don't think that. It's just…we know nothing about the groups yet so we should hear what everyone has to say about them before we write them off as evil," Ash replied.

"My mom and dad say those groups are bad news, too," May jumped in. "I read about them in some magazines, too, and there's never anything good written about them."

"Still, it wouldn't hurt to at least find out what they're doing, right?" Ash questioned as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"No! We'll stay out of it, Ash. They don't concern us. If these groups really aren't all that bad, the truth will come out soon enough," Serena stated and placed her hands on her hips.

"Right. I wasn't suggesting we snoop around and go after them," Ash said with nervous chuckle.

"One can never tell when it comes to you, Ash," Serena said with a sigh.

"Yeah. I'll just let Uncle Riley handle it," Ash replied.

"So, Ash, that was your uncle who was on TV and the one capturing all those members?" May asked.

"Yeah. That's my Uncle Riley, alright. He's a really awesome guy and someone I really look up to," Ash said fondly. "He's been really good at busting up some bad guys in the past. I want to be like him and Dad when I grow up."

"That's nice," May replied with a smile. "It's always good to have someone you admire,"

"Yeah. I look up to Ms. Yellow because she helps me with a lot of things, as well, and sort of like a mentor to me on certain topics," Serena added. "Who do you admire, May?"

"Me?" May repeated. "Well…"

Before she could answer, the group was interrupted by several adults rushing by behind them, along with Maxie and Courtney. The group exchanged glances for just a moment before their curiosity got the better of them, and they followed the group into the lobby. They found Maxie at Nurse Joy's desk looking quite urgent.

"Nurse Joy, I'll need to request my Pokemon back, now. There is a matter that's come up at the ruins, and I think we are very close to figuring it out," Maxie said.

"Of course, Maxie. Let me get them for you," Nurse Joy replied kindly. "I hope you find what it is you're looking for."

"Thank you, Nurse Joy. We all appreciate you allowing us to use this facility during our research," Maxie said.

With that, Nurse Joy disappeared into the back with Chansey, and Ash, Serena, and May approached Maxie. He turned to look at them in surprise. Ash looked somewhat nervous with what he was about to ask. He had to admit, though, he was curious about the ruins.

"Hey, Maxie. You wouldn't mind if we came with you, would you? I'd really like to see information on these ancient Pokemon. Please?" Ash asked.

"Maxie, I must advise against us on…bringing children along," Courtney muttered.

Ash hung his head in defeat. He should've known he wouldn't be able to.

"Come now, Courtney. There is no harm in enlightening the youthful generation on knowledge of the ancient world of Pokemon," Maxie said which caused Ash to look up hopefully. Maxie then turned to Ash. "You, Serena, and May will be allowed to accompany us. However, I must ask that you stay behind us at all times so we can work."

"Oh! Of course! Thank you so much, Maxie!" Ash said gratefully as Serena and May smiled, as well.

Nurse Joy soon returned with Maxie's three pokeballs and handed them to him. He then quickly nodded to Nurse Joy before he hurried out the door with Courtney and a few of the workers. Ash figured Maxie didn't have to time to wait for him so he could catch up. Ash, Serena, and May quickly asked for their Pokemon, as well, and once Nurse Joy returned, they followed Maxie and his group to the ruins, as well.


By the time Ash, Serena, and May arrived at the ruins Maxie and his group were already in front of a stone door inside the chamber. On the door were four tiny holes where two were on each side. One of the workers, a tanned young woman with long dark hair, reached into her backpack and presented a case before she opened it. Inside were four tiny jewels that seemed to fit the holes in the door.

"You are certain you know the correct placement of the jewels?" Maxie asked Courtney.

"Yes. I have…analyzed the outcomes of each placement of jewels, accordingly, via these writings. I was able to determine the correct placement after many calculations," Courtney responded and gestured to the stone tablet in her arms.

"I see. Now, that we have managed to find the jewels, nothing shall stop us from obtaining the research we need!" Maxie said in a rare moment of excitement. He then turned to Ash, Serena, and May. "Children, I feel you are about to witness something truly extraordinary!"

With that, the researcher with the jewels began placing one in each of the holes, one by one, per Courtney's direction. After she placed them in, everyone stepped back to see what the outcome would be.

The effect was almost instantaneous. The stone door began to glow an alternating color of blue and red which generated a few nervous grunts from some of the researchers. Maxie, however, was unyielding and remained solely fixed on what was in front of him. The stone door cracked down the middle, and the two halves swung open to reveal a stone staircase that led downwards. Maxie then turned to Courtney and smiled.

"Well done, Courtney! You have outdone yourself!" he praised.

"You are…too kind," Courtney replied, and the group could've sworn they saw Courtney's cheeks turn red briefly.

"Come! Let us venture downward!" Maxie instructed and was the first one to enter the new room and head down the staircase. Everyone else followed him shortly afterward.

As the group continued further downward, they could see various pictures and painting on the wall. They gasped in wonder as they saw ancient Pokemon like Aerodactyl, Kabutops, Omastar and other Pokemon living together among humans.

"Wow. These are actually pretty interesting," May noted.

"Heh. If you think that, then you haven't seen anything yet. That is as long as these ruins hold what we think they do," Maxie said.

The group reached the bottom of the staircase, and they gasped at what they saw. Right in front of them was an enormous stone painting of two enormous Pokemon in a fierce battle. One seemed to have the power of a volcano behind it while the other seemed to be controlling the seas. Upon closer inspection, Ash and Serena recognized them as vaguely resembling the pictures of Groudon and Kyogre that Archie showed them once. Still, there was something different about them.

"Ah, truly fascinating," Maxie said with a smile as the group began taking notes. "Groudon and Kyogre."

That confirmed the group's suspicion. Still, that didn't explain why they looked different. It was clear they were Groudon and Kyogre, but they had these strange markings and patterns on them.

"So, in the primal world, they held this much power? Truly wonderful. The super ancient Pokemon. Something is off, though. It appears…different than mega evolution," Maxie stated.

Ash and Serena exchanged glances with each other. There went those words "Mega Evolution" again. They had just learned about it today, and now they were already hearing that this is something a little different?

"Maxie, do you believe…those orbs have something to do with it?" Courtney inquired.

The group looked and could indeed see what looked like two orbs in the paintings. One was above Groudon, and the other was above Kyorgre. What did this all mean?

"Maxie, I hate to interrupt, but what's all this about?" Ash wondered.

"You see, Ash...Kyogre and Groudon are both incredibly powerful Pokemon in their own right, but in ancient times they were much more powerful and took on a different form as you can see here. We're trying to discover exactly what it was that caused this change as we believe it different from the mega evolution I mentioned earlier. These orbs may be the key to help us understand it," Maxie explained.

"Whoa," Ash muttered as he continued to look around.

"They look kind of scary," May commented.

"Do not fear, May. This battle was over a thousand years ago," Maxie reassured her.

"So, Maxie, why are you learning about all this, anyway? How does it help with expanding the land?" Ash questioned.

Maxie looked a bit uncomfortable about answering him, and Ash realized he was being too nosy. He already wasn't supposed to be here as it was and only came because Maxie let them. He shouldn't be prying too much into Maxie's business and just enjoy the fact he was here.

"Um…never mind," Ash muttered.

"It is fine, Ash. It's just that question is for another time when we are further along," Maxie said. "Remember that there isn't much about this that we understand, either. Still, these ruins hold a nice clue to our answer."

"Maxie, I believe we have…everything we need here," Courtney stated.

"Excellent, let's pull out then," Maxie commanded and turned to leave.

As he, Courtney, and the researchers left, Ash, Serena, and May hung around for just a second to stare at the paintings. They were really interested in this talk of mega evolution. They wondered if Professor Oak or Professor Birch had heard anything about it. Maybe they should ask him.

"Are you coming?" Maxie called out.

"Yeah. Sorry!" they called back and hurried out of the room.

Everyone was soon out of the ruins, and the tanned researcher carefully took the jewels out of the door and placed them back in her case. Once she did, the stone doors swung back into place and were shut tightly and unyielding.

"Well, I think that wraps up our time here. Let us take our leave," Maxie stated.

"Back to the Pokemon Center?" Ash asked.

"No. To our helicopter. We parked it a short distance away from these ruins. Unfortunately, we cannot spend another night here. We have to return to Lilycove City and study these notes as soon as possible," Maxie replied.

"Oh, okay. So, I guess we're parting ways here?" Ash questioned.

"It appears so," Maxie confirmed, and held his hand out to Ash. "It was nice to see you again, young man. I do wish you luck in the Hoenn League."

"Thanks, Maxie! It was nice to see you, too! Keep on making the world a better place!" Ash said enthusiastically and returned the handshake.

"Well, that is my ultimate goal," Maxie replied with a chuckle.

Unbeknownst to them or anyone else, the tanned researched quietly slipped away when no one was looking.

"Goodbye, Courtney. It was nice to meet you, too!" Serena said.

Courtney said nothing and just stared back at her. Serena let out a nervous laugh and wondered maybe if she should've have said anything at all. Courtney was definitely a strange one. After about a ten second delay, Courtney finally replied.

"Goodbye," was all she said

"We're leaving!" Maxie called out to the other researchers, and with that, they all took off along with Courtney. Maxie gave one final nod and smile before he, too, turned and walked away from the ruins.

As they left, the group realized they had a lot to think about. Super ancient Pokemon. Mega Evolution. Strange orbs. This was all so cool! The Pokemon world they thought they knew so much about just got a lot bigger. Ash grinned as he turned to Pikachu and Togetic.

"Hey, guys. Wouldn't it be cool if you guys could mega evolve into a Super Pikachu or Super Togetic?" he asked them.

Pikachu tried to make itself look stronger by flexing its arms, and Togetic tried to puff up its chest, but they ended up just looking silly. Ash and Serena laughed while May smiled. There really was more to all this than she thought. May looked down at her two pokeballs now containing Torchic and Azurill. She was going to try to make friends with them the very next chance she got.

The group soon heard a loud motor and wind. They looked up and could see a helicopter rising up into the late evening sky off in the distance which were undoubtedly Maxie and the others. The helicopter hovered for just a moment before it flew off back to Lilycove City. Ash smiled as he watched them go.

"There they go. They're one step closer to finishing their goal," Ash said.

"I really hope they reach their dreams. They deserve it," Serena agreed before she turned to Ash. "Speaking of dreams, we have our own to do, don't we?"

"Yeah!" Ash said enthusiastically and took off. "Let's go, guys!"

Serena and May were quick to follow him. May had an unusual spring in her step as she ran with them. She had only been with Ash and Serena a few days, but she was already glad she was traveling with them. She had already learned a lot about how to be a Pokemon trainer, and she knew there was much more to learn. The Pokemon part of this journey wasn't going to be so bad, after all.

Still, they were going to be approaching Petalburg City, soon. May hoped her dad will still approve of Ash after meeting him in person. He definitely had a bit of a…dangerous streak to him that she was sure her dad wasn't aware of.


Maxie left the ruins quite pleased with himself. He was able to obtain valuable research on the two Pokemon, Groundon and Kyogre. He also got a little bonus by learning more about their ancient forms, as well. With knowledge and power like that, Maxie's dream of expanding the land for Pokemon and people alike would soon become a reality. The best part was that he now had a head start on Archie.

Maxie was already eagerly studying his notes as he sat in the front passenger seat of the helicopter. It had been quite an ordeal getting in and obtaining those jewels, but it truly paid off in the end.

"Does this mean we no longer have to worry about the Devon Corporation?" one of the researchers asked.

"No. It is still essential to our plan. That Riley won't be able to capture our team members forever," Maxie replied as he turned to look at this group, but he noticed something was off.

There seemed to be less of them now than when they started. Weren't there seven of them, total? It was himself, Courtney, and five researchers. Now, he only counted four researchers, and the one whom Maxie thought was missing was the most capable of all of them. Maxie recounted them all just to make sure, but they were definitely one short.

"Courtney, we did have seven of us researching those ruins, correct?" he asked.

"Yes. That is…the amount I calculated," Courtney responded.

"Then tell me why I'm only counting six?" Maxie questioned with a frown.

Courtney looked around for a brief moment before she turned back to Maxie. "I analyze that we are one short. The probability of accidentally leaving one behind is…one percent. I calculate a high probability of the missing person as…not of our group."

"Uh…what's that mean?" one of the researchers asked.

Maxie turned towards the front again and growled quietly to himself. "Archie…"


After running for quite a while, the tanned researched stopped behind a few trees. She then looked around to make sure she wasn't followed or watched before she revealed herself. She took off the bowl hat she was wearing which let her beautiful dark hair flow again. She then removed her glasses which showed her to be none other than Shelly.

Shelly then quickly checked her backpack to make sure she still had the notes before she took out her Pokegear and dialed a number. She had to let Archie know about this as soon as possible. After a few rings, a deep voice picked up, and Shelly couldn't help but smile. She and Archie were still engaged, but these new discoveries in their research caused them to hold off a little bit.

"Shelly?" Archie's voice came from the other end.

"Yes, Archie. It's me," Shelly replied. "I've returned from Oldale Ruins."

"That's great. So…how's he doing?" Archie inquired.

Shelly frowned. She knew exactly who Archie was talking about. She figured Archie would ask about Maxie first. Though Archie still maintained his cheerful personality, it was still obvious there was sudden drop in his mood ever since the argument. Shelly knew that deep down, Archie really did miss Maxie as a friend and wished things had turned out differently.

"He's…doing fine, it seems," Shelly replied.

"Good…" Archie said before he sighed.

Shelly sighed as well and knew Archie could use a little boost. With that, she moved away from the topic of Maxie and cut straight to the chase of why she was at Oldale Ruins in the first place.

"I got the notes," she said.

Even though she couldn't see him, Shelly could still picture's Archie's smile on the other end. "Oh? Excellent. Did they suspect anything?"

"Hmmhmm! No. They didn't. I thought for sure that Maxie or Courtney would recognize me, but I think they were so caught up wanting to know what was in those ruins that they didn't pay attention," Shelly responded.

"Wonderful! I knew you'd be able to pull it off, Shelly! You've never let me down! I sure am lucky to have you! Hahahahaha!" Archie praised.

"Of course. I'll always support you, Archie," Shelly said with a smile before she remembered something. "Oh. I ran into two familiar faces while I was there at Oldale Ruins. Do you remember Ash Ketchum and Serena Gabena whom we met in the Whirl Islands?"

"Hmm? Ah, yes! Those kids! Hahahaha! Yeah! I remember them! They were here in the Hoenn region?" Archie asked with a laugh.

"Yes. It appears they're here as part of their Pokemon journey, and they had another girl with them," Shelly said.

"Hahahaha! You should've told them hi for me, Shelly!" Archie joked.

"Archie, you know I couldn't do that," Shelly replied with a roll of her eyes.

"I know. I know, but it's good to hear those rascals are doing well! I hope they stick around for a little bit. They'll get front row seats to watching the whole world change for the better!" Archie declared.

"I'm sure they will," Shelly replied. "I'll see you shortly."

"You, too, Shelly! I can't wait to see those notes you took!" Archie said gleefully.

"I'm sure you'll find them very interesting," Shelly said with a smirk. "The ancient powers of Kyogre and Groudon may be more potent than we thought."

"Excellent. Soon, our research will pay off, and we'll set our plans into motion. The world will know the great Team Aqua and how we improved the world!" Archie declared.

"And Team Magma will crash and burn!" Shelly added with a laugh.

With that, the call was ended.


Well, May caught a crybaby Azurill. It think that and Ash's Torkoal will find a lot in common with each other, hahaha.

This chapter shows that Archie and Maxie are still nice, but they won't remain that way forever. Like so many villains, their strong desires to see their goals through causes them to fall pretty hard. They've already started, after all, by committing crimes that they cause for the greater good. It's just no one knows Archie and Maxie are the heads of Team Aqua and Team Magma yet. Heh.

The next chapter finds Ash and Serena in Petalburg City and meeting May's family. See you all then! Thanks for all the reviews and support, and until next time, have a good one!

Chapter 5: The False Persona