Wow, 10 chapters already. This is happening, and much of it is because of your wonderful support, so seriously, thank you!
I'm again sorry for the wait, I had my summer holidays and was travelling abroad, and then, as is tradition, got sick and had to sleep off an aggressive cold.
Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter! It's a bit different, but I like it.
(Again, not too well proof read, apologies for any mistakes)
10 - QUESTIONS
.
They had a plan. It took a while, but eventually they did get Ash to agree to it.
They were just outside of Santalune City, the city only a small, gently sloping field down from the thickly forested area where they had set camp. The plan was this: Serena and Clemont would sneak into the city – not sneak! insisted Serena – they would walk there like couple of ordinary kids, Serena would shop for clothes and other accessories that could be used as disguises, Clemont would look for any useful machine parts, and then they would walk back and continue the journey.
In theory, it sounded simple. Still, while the Alolan kids, Ash and Bonnie were setting up a place to cook lunch, Serena and Clemont argued over their plan for what seemed like the fourth time within as many hours.
"Just put on some jeans and a t-shirt, you must have some with you!" Serena huffed as Clemont crossed his arms and backed away.
"I'm telling you it's not necessary", he said, his nerves making him uncharacteristically confrontational. "It's only a quick trip to the market and it's not like I'm that famous anyway."
Serena eyed him, sternly but not unkindly. "You are, though, Clemont. You are recognizable. Especially after what happened last year. People have been coming from all over Kalos to see the Prism Tower and challenge you, or Clembot, specifically!"
Clemont opened his mouth to disagree, but stopped, his defenses faltering. Serena was right – his gym had been significantly busier after he had announced last year that he was taking challengers again. But it wasn't him that was famous, it was the building, and everything that had happened around it, right? Had he even been shown on the newsfeeds covering the Crisis aftermath? Had there been interviews? He couldn't remember.
Clemont glanced down at his trusty blue jumpsuit and then back up at Serena, who was looking at him expectantly.
"They are not looking for us", he insisted then. "They don't know we are helping Ash! And if they wanted to question me, they would have done it already. I haven't been hiding."
Serena crossed her arms. "They might be looking for you now, though. And even if not, you might draw attention in the city. And if Lysandre's men are in there, the last thing we want to do is to get noticed."
Clemont felt cornered, but he took a breath and squared his shoulders. "I have so much useful stuff in these pockets. We can't know what we might need during the trip! If I don't have all the things with me…"
"Huh, I thought you just said it's only a quick trip to the market", Serena countered defiantly. "Why would we need anything special with us?"
"Yeah, what even could go wrong, right?" came Bonnie's helpful input. She grinned up at them, having sneaked close while they were too busy arguing to notice. She laughed at the identical glares they gave her, but got more serious then, looking at Clemont. "What's the problem, big bro?"
Clemont felt his body go tight with tension. He couldn't have really explained it, even if he would have wanted to. And he really didn't. The truth was, the jumpsuit was like an armor to him. He had had it since he had become a teenager, and since then he had only worn different clothes at home. At home, where he felt… safe, he guessed. When it came down to it, Clemont knew he was a decent pokemon trainer, but using pokemon to fight wasn't always an option. And that was it. He wasn't the most physical guy, nothing even close to how Ash and Kiawe were, but he could construct a weapon in under a minute from the pieces of machinery he had stored in the pockets of his suit.
Without it, he felt defenseless. Weak.
And there was no way he was explaining that, out loud, to anyone.
Clemont ground his teeth together for a moment, before looking away from the girls. "There's no problem", he said to the berry bushes. At least they wouldn't judge. "It's fine. I will change into other clothes. But I'm taking my backpack with me."
He glanced at Serena, who was giving him a curious look. "Yeah, of course", she answered, and shared a look with Bonnie.
Clemont was too wound up to stay and talk about it any longer, so he picked up his pack and walked away. He passed Ash on his way, who was absently brushing his lycanroc's fur, looking almost as frustrated as Clemont felt. For a brief moment, Clemont's own anxiety was overwhelmed by the memory of Ash casually saying, 'maybe I should just go alone', like it was the obvious choice over a quick detour to nearest thrift shop.
Yeah, he had seen Ash acting reckless, way more often than he could count, but this time it had been different. Usually he jumped into things in the heat of a battle or other situations where there was no time to really think. But this time, it had been calculated. Ash had had plenty of time to think about it, had heard their opinions and ideas, and still suggested that he would do it alone. It made Clemont's skin crawl with worry.
Shaking these thoughts from his head for now, Clemont ducked behind one of the massive trees and started unzipping his jumpsuit. After almost a year on the road with them, he didn't mind dressing in front of Ash or even Serena, but he was acutely aware that there were more of them now. And even though Lana and Kiawe had seemed busy with the lunch preparations, Clemont would have felt weird undressing just there.
So, hiding away and feeling strangely small and awkward, Clemont changed into a pair of barely-worn jeans and a long-sleeved t-shirt he would sometimes wear during colder nights. He folded the jumpsuit carefully, though there was no way it would fit into the backpack. Taking a final deep breath, Clemont walked back to the campsite, trying his best to look casual.
"You look different", commented Lana almost immediately. She set down the plates she had been holding, rounded the camp fire and advanced on him. On her way, she grabbed Ash's cap from his head and took it with her. Ash barely reacted, his eyes far away, and before Clemont could either, Lana had placed it firmly on his head.
Clemont took a half step back, exclaiming in surprise. "Wha-?"
Lana crossed her arms, examining him carefully. "Yup, now you are unrecognizable."
Kiawe was chuckling at him from where he was chopping vegetables, and Bonnie and Serena walked closer too, smiling widely. "Wow, big bro, you actually look kinda cool", Bonnie teased.
"It suits you", Serena agreed with good-natured amusement in her voice. "But seriously, Clemont, Lana is right. You look nothing like how people are used to seeing you. Even if we walked past a fan or an old challenger of yours, there's no way they would realize it's you."
Clemont shrugged, still feeling slightly uncomfortable. "I guess that's good", he allowed. "Anyway, I'm ready to go. Let's get this done so we can get on our way."
He glanced at Ash, who still hadn't reacted to the situation. Ash was staring at the ground, his hands buried in Litten's fur, completely motionless. Clemont frowned, an odd uneasiness creeping at the edges of his mind.
"Yeah, let's go", Serena was saying, returning him to the present. She grabbed his arm, pulling him along. "We will be back in an hour", she called over her shoulder. "Leave some food for us!"
"Wouldn't count on it!" Lana called back, and then they were off, wading through the thick forest, on their way to Santalune City.
It was barely midday, but Lysandre couldn't wait any longer.
He pushed away the blueprints he had been studying, called in his subordinates and marched over to the prison wing. He peeked through the opening and saw the greninja sitting down, staring at the floor like it wasn't aware they were standing right there behind the door. It was mildly suspicious, so Lysandre wrapped a hand around the remote control in his pocket before unlocking the door.
The pokemon raised its head then, looking up at Lysandre with tired eyes. It probably hadn't slept that well, not after so many days in captivity and after what it had witnessed the previous day. Lysandre couldn't make himself feel any sympathy though, staring down at the distressed pokemon. It most likely had been pampered and spoiled in the kids care. It was about time it got a real taste of humans' power.
"Well then", he began, crossing his arms and smiling down at the greninja. "Are you ready to cooperate?"
The pokemon nodded, letting out a vaguely affirmative sound. It was a shame his best pokemon interpreter had been arrested during the Crisis, Lysandre thought. Well, he would just have to make do with limited ways of communication.
"I'm glad", he said. He turned to face his subordinate. "Celosia, wrap it up again. It won't try anything today, but I don't want it to see anything it doesn't need to see."
"Yes, boss."
While Celosia went to blindfold the greninja, Lysandre wandered out of the room and down the hallway. He hadn't felt this excited, this close to a massive discovery, since the moment he had witnessed Ash and his greninja breaking their binds with pure energy surging through them. It had been magnificent. And finally, finally, Lysandre was about to find out what was behind that power.
They moved the greninja to a plain meeting room, containing only a table and two chairs on the opposite sides of it. Lysandre sat down, and Celosia guided the pokemon to the other chair and unwrapped the blindfold. It blinked for a moment before focusing on Lysandre. For the briefest moment Lysandre could see sharp intelligence in its eyes before its gaze clouded over and it lowered its head.
Lysandre wasn't a fool – he knew the pokemon was playing up its exhaustion and submission, but nevertheless, he was sure he always had the upper hand to any pokemon, intelligent or not. And greninja were, according to the excessive research he had done on the topic, generally quite clever and cunning pokemon.
"So", he began. "I know you understand me, but sadly, I don't understand you, so there is no point trying to talk this out." He slapped a green sticker on the table, on the left side of the greninja. "This means yes, true and agree." He placed a red sticker on its right side. "This means no, false and disagree."
He looked up at the pokemon. "Do you understand?"
It eyed him for a moment before moving its hand to touch the green sticker.
"Great", smiled Lysandre. "If you are not sure, or the answer is more complicated than yes or no, use the space in the middle. If you refuse to answer, I will kill one of the greninja I have in my lab. Understand?"
The pokemon blinked and leaned back on its chair. One of its frog-like hands balled up into a fist and its shoulders tensed. Lysandre's smile widened. After few seconds of clearly murderous thoughts, the greninja edged its hand to the green sticker.
"Excellent. Let's begin, then." He narrowed his eyes, staring down at his prisoner. "Does your trainer have an evolution stone?"
The pokemon was tense, like a wire stretched to its limits and about to snap, but it reached to touch the red sticker.
Interesting. "What about any other energy stone or artifact?"
Red sticker again.
"Where did he learn to do it?" The greninja looked at him, something akin to a frown on its face. Lysandre corrected himself: "Did someone teach it to him?"
No.
Lysandre huffed, intrigued. "Do you know other greninja who can do the same?"
Red and then, uncertainly, to the middle.
Lysandre was reminded of the research material he had stolen from Sycamore's lab. "Oh, fine, I also read the ancient manuscript about this phenomenon, but frankly, I think it's bullshit. Nothing that powerful happens purely because of trust or friendship." He considered the pokemon, who silently stared back. Lysandre rubbed at his chin. "It must then be an extremely rare ability some of you have. But you would think, in that case, we still would have seen it happening more. Does Ash have any special training?"
The hand stayed in the middle.
"Do you think he has?"
The greninja hesitated for a moment before brushing the red sticker.
Lysandre leaned back on his chair, thoughtful. This interview was turning out surprising and frankly, quite fascinating. He flashed a smile at the frowning pokemon. "You are doing well. You shall be rewarded for you cooperation. But I still have a few more questions."
The greninja nodded, so Lysandre continued: "Professor Sycamore wrote in his notes that when using this special form in battle, the trainer feels the same pain as the greninja does. Is it true?"
The greninja went tense again, its fisted hand drawing closer to its body. It blinked slowly, threateningly.
Lysandre smiled, leaning on his elbows. "Please, do answer. You don't want anyone to get hurt, do you?"
Tardily, it touched the green sticker.
Lysandre pursed his lips, quite confused about the confirmation. "That is unusual. Moves or abilities shouldn't affect the trainer. But this does seem to be something really special, after all." Lysandre paused, thinking. "So, you get stronger, your appearance changes and I assume at least some of the power comes straight from the trainer. Does Ash gain anything special from the bond?"
The greninja placed its hand in the middle.
"You don't know? He hasn't told you?"
No.
"He hasn't said anything about it? No extra strength, quicker reflexes, visual changes?"
No.
"How about the pain? Does it affect him as much as it does you? He didn't faint during the finals when you did, but can it happen?"
No.
"Hm, interesting", Lysandre mused, considering it sharply. The greninja shivered then, eyes drooping. It must be exhausted. Lysandre crossed his arms. He, too, was about ready to move on to the physical tests. "Alright, this is enough for now. I shall take you to the lab now. If this indeed is an ability you have, or something similar, there should be a way to trigger it with an external power source."
He stood up, his chair scraping the floor noisily. He smiled down at the shuddering pokemon.
"Let's test that theory."
Serena almost lost Clemont a few times in the crowd of the marketplace.
Every time she turned around and Clemont wasn't there, she started looking for the blue jumpsuit, and every time, Clemont managed to surprise her by appearing out of nowhere.
"Come on, Serena, I hope you are done by now", came a voice right next to her ear and she jumped, letting out an embarrassing squeak.
"Clemont! Don't sneak up on me like that!" she scolded red-faced, turning to face him.
Clemont's eyes widened under Ash's cap. "Huh? I have been standing here for few minutes already."
"Whatever", huffed Serena. She raised her shopping bags. "Yeah, I'm about done. Did you get everything you wanted?"
"Pretty much, yeah", he nodded, a rattling sound coming from his backpack as he bounced it slightly. "We should probably head back."
They elbowed their way out of the market and started walking back towards the camp.
It was silent for a while, until Serena couldn't help but ask: "What do you think about Kiawe and Lana?"
Clemont glanced at her but didn't seem surprised. He had thought about it, too.
"They seem really nice", he began. "Not very experienced with pokemon, though."
"I was thinking the same", admitted Serena. "I mean, they are super cool, like you should hear about how much Lana has explored the sea, how many water pokemon she has seen. She's amazing. But, still, she only has one starter pokemon. It's…"
"Yeah", Clemont said, waving a hand. "And Kiawe has these big, strong looking pokemon, and he does seem like a good and motivated trainer, but I don't think he has that much experience. Like, real battle experience."
"Like we have", Serena said quietly.
Clemont nodded, frowning at the ground. "They won't be any match to Lysandre and his men."
There was shouting in the distance, and Serena and Clemont raised their heads, staring into the woods. It came from the camp.
They ran the rest of the way and arrived at the campsite out of breath and their hearts in their throats.
First, they noticed the crowd of anxious pokemon roaming around, and then, what was in the center of the commotion.
Ash was on the ground, his head and shoulders on Lana's lap, his face pale and constricted with pain.
"What's going on?" yelped Clemont, rushing to kneel next to Kiawe and Bonnie. "What happened?"
Bonnie took hold of his arm, her grip almost crushing. "We don't know, big bro", she answered, voice wavering. "We were just about to eat, but he wasn't reacting to our voice. Lana went to check up on him, but he just faceplanted on the ground. Well, Lana did catch him just before."
Lana snapped her fingers in front of Ash's face. There was no reaction. "It's like he's not present", she mused. She poked him on the forehead.
"It's kind of like before", said Kiawe. "Like what happened in Alola."
Serena frowned. "What, exactly, did happen in Alola?"
They all startled then. Ash was blinking up at the sky, his mouth opening into a confused O.
Before they had time to react, he was pushing himself up and away from the group. He stood up, stumbled, and stayed on his knees, his back to them. His whole body was so tense that it was trembling.
"Ash?" Serena asked with a weak voice. "Are you… okay?"
After a minute, Ash stood up, steadily this time, and turned to face them. He grinned wide, eyes sharp and brilliant.
"Yeah, I'm great. Greninja just evolved."