Hello readers, I'm back again with another chapter for you!
X and Y are amazing games and the Anime version seems to hold a lot more promise than BW had. I certainly hope that turns out to be the case since BW was the least enjoyable series to watch so far.
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So with that said, on with the fic!
Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon.
Ash and Dawn: The Unova Chapter
Chapter 25
Reacquaintances
Unova Region - Twist Mountain
The sun was at its zenith as the now-weary group emerged from the cave system, finding themselves in a wide open valley in the middle of the mountain range, almost as if a meteor had at some point hollowed out the area in a cataclysmic impact.
Although it was a clear sky in the midst of summer, no one noticed, being too busy trying not to realize the aches and pains of their bodies. The fresh air was a welcomed respite though, evident with the relieved sighs as they fully emerged. Taking a deep breath and closing his eyes, Cilan basked his face in the warm sun, "Fresh air at last! I've never been quite so grateful to simply be outside."
"You mean you didn't enjoy the suffocating dust filled air we just came from?" Dawn grinned through her pain.
"I can't say its taste suited my palette."
The bluenette tried to laugh but only ended up coughing. Under her right arm keeping her propped up, Ash steadied her as she convulsed in pain. "Try not to crack jokes, it seems laughter could actually kill you."
"Where are we?" Riley asked looking around, "It doesn't seem we have left the mountains yet."
Lucario grunted in agreement.
"If I'm not mistaken, this is the mysterious crater within the depths of Twist Mountains, no one quite knows why this is here but some theorize that the mountains themselves were formed by a meteor impact, and this is where it hit," the green haired connoisseur explained.
"Well whatever the case, it doesn't look like we're alone..."
Everyone glanced up at Iris, who had climbed up top a rather large boulder and was pointing in front of herself. Following her gaze they saw a camp of sorts on the far side of the clearing. Signs of activity could be seen as a small trail of smoke and several moving figures were spotted. "Wonder who could be way out here?" Cilan puzzled.
"As long as they can offer medical help, I don't particularly care," Ash stated, already helping the limping Dawn move in that direction.
"Come on, let's go introduce ourselves, and find out what exactly is going on here." The older Guardian took the injured coordinators other side to help move things along. The rest of them quickly followed suit.
The camp itself was indeed rather small, but it was bustling with activity. Several complex looking machines were humming with power and cables connecting them spread out over the ground like roots from some unseen tree. The question of who it was that was out here was quickly answered as they got within sight range to make out details. "Professor?" Ash asked, squinting to try to focus his blurry vision.
Startled the older brunette spun from her work on the laptop before her, "Ash? What a surprise to see-" hey eyes widened as she took in his appearance, along with that of the rest of the group. "Arceus, what happened to you?!"
"...Long story..." he groaned out tiredly. "Mind if we borrow your medical supplies?"
"Of course! Come to the tent, I'll treat you all in there." She stood and glanced around, "Bianca! Bring the med kit to the main tent! We have serious injuries to tend to!"
"B-Bianca...?" Dawn asked, looking up with half-lidded eyes.
"Got it professor! I'll be there in a tick!" Came the response from somewhere nearby.
"Come everyone, let's get you all inside so we can assess the damage." The older woman led them all inside a rather plain but large tent set up in the middle of the encampment, and sat them all down on the various beds lining the inside of it.
"Thank you for your hospitality, Professor Juniper, you're most kind." Cilan thanked as he knelt down and started fishing through his backpack and handing bottles of clear water to anyone who wanted one.
"Oh shh, its nothing. It's not like I'd leave you high and dry when you're so severely hurt, but you have to tell me what happened to put you all in such a state."
"As I said, it's a long story..." Ash repeated.
"Here we are!" Bianca called out as she burst through the tent flaps, holding the medical box in one hand like a waiter would a platter. She froze instantly as her eyes took in exactly who it was who needed treatment. Everyone looked on uncertainly as she failed to move. "Uhm Bianca...? The med kit...?" Juniper asked uncertainly.
The voice of her superior snapped her out of her trance, "R-right, h-here." Handing over the box she went over them all again. "What happened to you guys! And what happened to your shoes Dawn?"
Glancing at her bare legs, the bluenette scratched the back of her head. "Uhm... I kind of had them crushed beyond recognition by an enormous boulder... along with my socks... and legs..."
"What?!"
Professor Juniper who was wrapping bandages around Ash's arm, whipped her head around to do a double-take at the bluenette's legs. "They were crushed beyond recognition...?" She raised a brow.
"Uhh... yeah..." As if to contradict what she'd said, Dawn flexed her legs.
"You'd better start at the beginning... and tell us exactly what happened."
"Alright, but you'd better sit tight, this could take a while to explain..." Ash sighed as he began to recap on the events that had taken place earlier that day, and the subsequent events that led up to it.
Pokemon League HQ - Kanto Region
Cynthia Shirona, Sinnoh Grand Champion and world-renowned Pokemon trainer strode down a long corridor in the middle of central command, her long blonde hair swaying behind her. She moved with an urgency she rarely used, usually the lofty Champion was lax and, at times, aloof. To anyone who knew her well, it was a sign that something important had happened. Important or dire. She had been summoned to an emergency meeting along with all the other Champions, a rare occasion only occurring when drastic measures were called for.
Reaching a set of ornate doors, she pushed them open and stepped into the Champions room, they banged shut behind her as she fully entered. Everyone else was already present; Old and tough Alder with his ridiculous mane of orange hair, stylish and immaculate Wallace and the one who called the meeting, Master Lance. The latter looking up from the table they were all sat at immediately upon her entrance, "Ah Cynthia... it's good to see you, although I wish the circumstances were better."
"Lance," She nodded curtly, offering a nod to the others as well before taking her seat. "So what was so important you had to call the Champions Conference to order?"
"I'd like to know that myself," Alder grunted, his barrel arms crossed over his chest.
There was a tension in the room that the Sinnoh Champion noticed immediately. Everyone was on edge. Over what she almost dreaded to find out. A small smile appeared on her face as a certain thought popped into her head, 'It must be dire if Alder hasn't hit on me yet... hell he hasn't even ogled my chest...'
Lance stood and eyed them all once, "Now that we're all here, we can begin." He handed them all a piece of paper covered in writing. "These are the reports we've received recently from the Unova Region. It's becoming troubling to say the least." He watched as everyone's eyes darted back and forth over the paper.
"Team Plasma has been under my radar for quite some time already. They're crackpots to be sure, but its nothing I can't handle. If you called us all here for this you're wasting your time." Alder growled.
"It's not Team Plasma that worries me, it's the reports that something has been aiding them, something with vast amounts of power. What they are doing with that power is a cause for concern."
Cynthia finished reading her paper first, her mind sorting through everything it had just absorbed. "What of the League's agents in that area? If I've read this correctly the last report is two weeks old. Have you had no new news since?"
"Unfortunately not. We can't be sure whats happened to them but they haven't reported back since then. It's safe to assume that they've been compromised." Lance shook his head sadly.
"This weapon they have created, what exactly is its purpose? The reports around it are vague, do we even know what it does?" The Hoenn Champion queried.
"Our agents could never get into the lower facilities to found that out, however its safe to assume that whatever its role, it won't be good."
"So what would you have us do?" Alder finally asked, "Do you want me to round-up all the League officials and storm their base? If we strike now we could end whatever it is they are plotting before they can go through with their plans."
Lance shook his head, "No, we cannot do that yet. There are too many unknowns revolving them at the moment, and also... I think they might be involved..."
"You really think so?" Wallace asked, a troubled look crossing his face, "Why would they get involved with a lowlife organization like Team Plasma?"
"Indeed! What could they possibly gain from pulling Team Plasma's strings? It's not like they need their power for anything, they could probably even take us on and win." The Unova Champion mused.
"I don't think they particularly care about Team Plasma, to them Plasma is nothing more than a tool to be used. You're all not blind to whats been happening in your own Regions. I believe they are using them to lure something out, whatever it may be." He sighed, "This makes finding out exactly whats happening the utmost importance, if they are behind all this, then letting them have their way could spell disaster... I know how dangerous their leader can be, and exactly what he's capable of."
Lance's grim words left everyone in silence. Cynthia knew exactly what the group in question was capable of, and doubted even she could go toe to toe with some of their members in a battle. If they were truly calling the shots from the shadows, the situation was worse than she originally thought...
Unova Region - Twist Mountain
"...and then we found our way out here, and you." Ash finished.
During the telling of his tale the Professor, along with the assistance of Bianca and a few other personnel that had accompanied them, had patched up their wounds to the best of their abilities. Finally hearing the full scope of the situation, she looked at them with concern, "I see... who would have thought you'd get tangled up in all this mess." Thinking on it, she chuckled, "Although you did start your time in our Region in quite an unusual way, Mr. Ketchum."
The young Guardian merely smiled through cracked lips. "You could say that... but this sort of thing happens to me wherever I go, so to me it's just another ordinary day."
Shaking her head Juniper smiled back, "You know, most people would have gone insane by now if they were in your shoes. I am intrigued with this Aura of yours though, and it would certainly explain why Riley came all the way to Unova to help guide you. I had wondered what someone like him was doing here when I first saw you."
The elder Guardian nodded in recognition, "It was my duty to assist Ash. Protecting the Guardian lineage is a very important duty, seeing how scarce we are these days." He didn't mention the prophecy, as that was strictly kept within their own faction.
"Indeed its quite rare to even meet an actual Aura Guardian, let alone be one yourself, you really are a unique person Ash."
"I'm nothing special, I never could have come as far as I have done without all my friends." Ash commented honestly, receiving grateful looks from his group and a nuzzle from a now back to normal Pikachu on his shoulder, "Chaaaaaaaaa."
"So what are you doing out here anyways Professor? I saw some intriguing pieces of equipment as we made our way to your tent. If you don't mind me asking, of course." Cilan queried.
"Of course not, its good to see that your interested. We are actually looking into the strange emanations that originate in this area. We are not sure why exactly, but large amounts of energy leak out from the base of this crater, and it can have drastic effects on certain Pokemon and their evolutions." She tapped her chin in thought, "Actually according the several ancient texts my father has been able to recover, there was once an ancient temple of sorts here and recordings of a space-time flux where one could travel back and forth through time itself."
"...!?" Everyone drew curious, wide-eyed expressions at that as the information sank in. Only Riley narrowed his eyes for the briefest of moments before replacing it with his usual neutrality.
"It's true! I swear it! The Professor has shown us the ruins!" Bianca did a dramatic finger point to the sky.
The connoisseur tapped his temples. "You said their was an ancient structure of some kind here? Could it be possible that this crater was man-made then?"
"Well that's one theory," Juniper nodded, "However no one knows for certain how it formed. No evidence has been found to support any one theory over the other, so its been left to speculation. Whether or not it's linked to the space-time irregularity and the ruins is what we are trying to discover, among other things."
"Didn't you say it could affect Pokemon evolutions too?" Dawn puzzled.
"Yes, another one of our research tasks is to get to the bottom of that, too. Pokemon that normally require trade energies to evolve can evolve here naturally. It's the only place in Unova where this happens, and we've not received any data from other Regions that would suggest they have a similar spot."
"Isn't it just amazing! I was so excited to be able to come here and work on it!" Bianca added in her eternal cheeriness.
"Is that really possible?" Cilan asked in amazement.
"We've tested it ourselves with positive results." The Professor nodded.
"Amazing..." Ash trailed off, placing his hands over the bare stone of the tents open floor, running his fingers over the rivulets and ridges of the rocks that held this strange power.
"So Ash, are you heading to Mistralton City's Gym?" Juniper asked turning to face him.
"Yeah of course! It'll be the 5th badge in this Region and one step closer to my dream of being a Pokemon Master!" He fist bumped, causing Dawn to giggle slightly. "I have to win this time! I just have to!"
"Well I see all this commotion hasn't dampened your spirits any," the Professor laughed. "Well don't let us keep you any further, it sounds like you have big plans ahead of you."
"Right. Thank you for your help Professor, we were pretty banged up..." Cilan bowed famously.
She waved him off, "Oh please, it was nothing. I'm just glad you're all ok and feeling better."
"Come on I'll show you the way to the path that will lead you to Mistralton! Follow me!" Taking the lead, Bianca marched out of the tent. After exchanging glances at one another and a good laugh, everyone shook their heads and followed her.
"What are you doing here..." Came the all familiar ever-sarcastic tone.
"Paul? I thought you would've gotten ahead of us by now..." Ash mused, as everyone's attention was drawn to the new comers.
"Well we would have been if it hadn't been the for the cave collapsing in on us half way through! We barely escaped with our lives! It was totally crazy!" Barry eyed the group and marched over to Cilan, his face just inches from the connoisseur. "You! You Unovan's need to take better care of your landmarks! We could have been killed!"
Sweatdropping, Cilan tried to back off, his arms up in front of himself in protest. "It's a natural formation, we can't be held responsible every time a cavern caves in. It does say to enter at your own risk in the travel brochure..."
"Hmph!" He snorted, crossing his arms and eying the group. "How come you guys didn't get crushed?!" Blinking he looked at their ragtag clothing and bandaged skin. "Wait... What did happen to you guys? And where the hell are your shoes Dawn?"
Everyone else looked around uneasily, not willing to admit that their little fight was probably the reason for the near death of their friends.
Frustrated at the lack of an answer along with the curious looks on everyone's faces, he began stomping about. "AAAAAH! Tell me what happened!"
The vein of Dawn's forehead was threatening to blow, she already had a near headache from her ordeal and really wasn't in the mood for Barry. Before the blonde even knew what had hit him, Dawn's fist had connected with his face and sent him flying into a nearby boulder. "SHUT THE HELL UP BARRY! GAH!"
The group watched the eccentric trainer's twitching body for a second before turning back to Paul. "So you two are travelling together now, huh?" Iris remarked.
"Not by choice. He tagged along and I couldn't get rid of him." The purple haired trainer scoffed.
"Hey Paul, how about a battle? I've been itching to challenge someone since Driftveil!" Ash eyed his old rival with eagerness.
A small smile actually forming on his lips, the Sinnoh native nodded. "Why not? It couldn't hurt to crush you before I destroy the Mistralton Gym." He nodded towards a clearing a small ways from the camp and made his way over, taking a spot on one side.
Taking up a position opposite, Ash grinned. "As I recall it was I who beat YOU last time we faced off. Your pride still wounded?"
"Don't push it smart ass. I've not been idle since the Sinnoh League." Grabbing a Pokeball he enlarged it and, wasting no time, threw it. "Show them how much stronger we've gotten Drapion!"
In a burst of white light, his primary poison-type stood and bared his large pincers menacingly. Indeed, he'd gotten considerably larger and stronger since Ash had last seen him. But then, so had he.
"Alright buddy, that control training we did on our way to the caves is about to bear fruit. You can handle this one no problem!" His faithful partner nodded and leapt off his shoulder to face off against something at least fifty times bigger than he was.
Everyone else had stood off to the side, eager to see the outcome. Dawn especially knew just how fun it was to watch when Ash and Paul faced off against one another.
"Ooh a battle! How exciting!" Bianca squealed, sitting down and waiting eagerly.
Forgetting his injuries Barry also rushed over and took his place next to the happy-go-lucky blonde. "All right! Now this is what I like to see! Go Ash! Go Paul!"
"Want me to be the referee?" Cilan asked.
"No need, you can just relax and watch. Afterall, it won't take me long to flatten him." Ash replied confidently.
"Hn," Paul snorted. "You'll have to back that up with actions loser. Alright Drapion let's wipe the floor with him! Cross-Poison!"
"Counter with Iron Tail into a Volt Tackle!" Came the quick command.
Drapion raised his mammoth arms and threw them down and across one another, sending an X-shaped blast of poison towards the oncoming rodent. "Draaaaapion!"
Tail glowing brightly and taking a metallic sheen, Pikachu span forward slamming his tail through the attack and landing deftly, continuing to pick up speed and emanating a fierce yellow. "Pikachupi pika!" He roared as he leapt and slammed his head into the stomach of the gargantuan scorpion. The force of the blow sent him flying back, his clawed feet trying to slow his speed by digging into the stone, leaving rivulets where each one had passed.
"Countering my poison with steel huh?" Paul smirked, "At last you're using your brain instead of attacking me at random. But let's see if you can counter this! Hammer Arm!"
"Stop it in its tracks, Thunderbolt!" Ash ordered.
Both Pokemon responded immediately and without hesitation. Pikachu charged up its power within its cheeks and let loose a powerful bolt of electrical power. Drapion, arm raised and glowing white, was struck hard and flinched in pain. Through sheer will power, however, he continued on and slammed down his massive arm, barely missing his target as Pikachu dived out-of-the-way and sending chunks of rock flying.
As the combatants were exchanging blows, Riley was stood at the back of the crowd, his trained eyes watching closely. 'The places where the ground was torn up seem to emitting traces of power... I don't think anyone else has noticed yet...' Indeed as he narrowed his eyes, he could clearly see a white light that made the air shimmer coming from the damaged areas. 'This is bad. No one knows that this used to be a sacred site to the Aura Guardians, if too much is disturbed I'm not sure how Ash will cope with the influx of energy... I'll have to stay on guard.' Reaching in his jacket he placed a hand reassuringly on his staff.
Another missed Hammer Arm tore up more ground, and thus unleashed more of the strange power buried in the rock itself. No one but Riley seemed able to notice though.
Ash grinned, "I thought you'd gotten stronger Paul. But you don't seem any tougher than when we fought last!"
Growling Paul narrowed his eyes, "Alright Drapion, lets hit them hard, use Dig!"
"Dra-pion!" Using its massive claws it easily tunneled down into the hard rock and disappeared from sight.
'Oh no... even this far away from the main site the ground is saturated in power... and Paul has unwittingly just exposed a large amount of it...' His grip on his staff tightened.
"Pikachu! Watch the ground for any trembles, when he pops up you know what to do!" Ash called out to his partner, who nodded and focused his senses, waiting for his foe to make his move.
It wasn't long before the ground started to shake lightly. A second later Drapion burst out all claws and fury. Pikachu was ready and leapt up above him, spinning head over tail rapidly whilst bringing his Iron Tail to full power. "Pikapi pikachu!" He roared as he came down, smacking Drapion hard across his face, slamming him to the floor, his back taking the full force of the strike. The large poison/dark-type crumpled under the force of the blow and collapsed, sprawling out over the floor with swirls in its eyes.
"...Looks like you win round one." The purple haired trainer grabbed his Pokeball, "Return Drapion." The unconscious behemoth disappeared in a stream of red energy as Paul readied his next choice.
"Great job Pikachu! We can handle anything they throw at us!" Ash gave his partner a thumbs up, as he waited for his rival to make his next move. "Show me your power Paul! Don't hold back!"
On top of the mountainous walls of rock surrounding the crater on each side, another spectator was watching the battle unfold. His bare sandaled feet hanging freely off the edge of the cliff face, his cloak rustling in the breeze. "Now this is interesting... I wonder, how will you control your strength when the power gathering around you enters your body." He mused to himself, his eyes watching the movements below through the holes in his mask.
The hole in the ground where Drapion had emerged from was leaking out vast amounts of energy, and as the most potent source of Aura close by, it was drawn to Ash like a moth to a flame, seeping into his skin upon contact. His eyes were already taking on an azure tint.
"Magmortar! Stand by for battle!" Paul heralded his second choice, releasing his giant of fire. The towering Pokemon glared down at Pikachu with disdain, remembering his previous encounters with the small yellow rodent. "Flamethrower!"
"Mortaaaaar!" Swinging his hand cannons up they blazed with an intense fire, which then erupted in multiple jets of heated destruction.
The energy entering his body was now starting to have a noticeable effect, as Ash's warm auburn eyes became a cold blue. His playful smirk changed to a vicious grin as his emotions became increasingly unstable. "Alright you want to heat things up?!" He laughed out with increasingly less sanity.
Pikachu nimbly dodged the streams of fire and stood ready, although he could hear the now all familiar Aura in his master's mind.
By this point everyone was starting to notice, and shared a few uncertain and worried glances between them. Barry's eyes widened as he listened to the strange tone in which his old friend was now speaking. "Ash...?"
Dawn watched on in horror as events from earlier that morning began to repeat themselves mere hours later. 'Oh no... not now... not again!'
'This is bad... his body hasn't recovered from the damage it suffered upon his last outburst... although now knowing that this site is here it makes sense how easy it was for him to lose control... I have to stop this before it gets out of hand.' He pulled out his staff and enlarged it, priming it up and bracing himself.
"Well then, lets show him what we're capable of! Pikachu use Thunderbolt at maximum power!" Ash's eyes were now glowing blue, and his partner glanced back over his shoulder to make sure he'd heard right.
"Pikapi?"
"Whats wrong Pikachu? I gave you an order! Blast Magmortar into oblivion!" He narrowed his eyes dangerously.
Actually feeling fear from the implied threat, the small yellow mouse Pokemon reluctantly obeyed. Mouthing a silent apology to his opponent, he tapped into the mass amounts of power bestowed upon him by the Unova Legendary and unleashed an extreme bolt of thunder.
A resounding boom followed its release, and everyone had to shield their eyes from the intensity of the glow. Magmortar had the briefest chance to register its situation, and just before it was struck its face revealed surprise. The attack connected. Rocks broke and dust flew everywhere as the towering fire type was sent flying through the solid rock walls surrounding the crater, leaving a large hole in its wake. The ground shook ominously for a few seconds and then was quiet.
'Now's my chance!' Riley enlarged his staff and leapt toward the young prodigy.
As the dust cloud cleared everyone peered anxiously to see the results. As visibility returned, Riley appeared stood over Ash's unconscious form, his Guardian staff stuck between his shoulder blades.
Unfazed, the masked man chuckled slightly from his seat. "Well now, that was impressive. Once you learn to control that power, you'll be quite the force to be reckoned with. It's a shame that Guardian stopped you when he did, but I've seen enough." He stood, reached inside his cloak and opened a Pokeball. An enormous Alakazam that stood taller than himself appeared in a white flash, looking around curiously. "Teleport." Nodding the psychic type began to glow, then they were both gone.
Paul stood there blinking profusely. He glanced down at Pikachu, then over his shoulder to where Magmortar had become imprinted into the stone. "What...?"
Barry and Bianca had clung to each other in pure fear, each of their faces whiter than a ghost. For once neither of them had anything to say.
"Ash!" The young coordinator rushed over in worry, sitting on her knees next to her love. She glanced up at Riley who had just stepped back and returned his staff to his jacket, "Is he gonna be ok?"
The elder guardian gave a curt nod, "He should be fine now, although it was close to being a repeat of earlier..." Lucario padded over and nodded in consent.
"What just happened? Can somebody please explain?" Professor Juniper still looked startled, yet their was genuine concern in her voice. "Was this his Aura release?"
Riley sighed, he didn't have much choice but to unveil the secrets of this sacred place now... He hoped his ancestors would forgive him. "Yes, in its weakest and earliest of stages. I'm assuming you don't know the true history of this place, Professor?"
She shook her head, "We were hoping to find that out, do you know?"
"I do," He gestured to the ruins around them. "This place... used to be a temple of Aura. A hallowed place where my, and Ash's, ancestors used to come on special occasions. As such the entire area is saturated with Aura residue from those gatherings." Nodding to the battle-scarred landscape, he continued. "When the ground's surface was disturbed, that buried Aura was released, and as the biggest conduit for it around here, it was all drawn and absorbed by Ash. Unfortunately he still doesn't have the will to control that amount of power yet, and so his emotions ran wild."
"That's incredible! Who would have thought this used to be a Guardian's Temple?"
"Yes... I should have known what would have happened, yet since its been thousands of years since its last use, I never expected such vast quantities of Aura residue to still be present this close to the surface." He shook his head sadly.
"It doesn't matter how many times I see it... the power of Pikachu always astounds me." Cilan muttered as he made his way over to Ash's form.
"You got that right..." Iris remarked behind him.
"So wait..." Juniper asked, a little surprised. "Pikachu has the ability to absorb Aura also?"
"Not quite..." Cilan answered, "That's the unrestrained power from Zekrom..."
Glancing over to where Paul was checking on his unconscious Pokemon in the newly created cave, she nodded. "I see..."
"Ash! You're awake!"
Everyone turned when they heard Dawn's relieved outburst, it also served to snap Bianca and Barry out of their stunned state, and the group made their way over to check on the younger Guardian's state.
Groggily opening his eyes, he smiled at the assembled faces gathered around him, "I gotta stop passing out, huh?"
"Yes you dummy!" The bluenette giggled, "Twice in one day does make a record for you though!"
"Well that's something..." he smiled faintly.
Pikachu was at his side instantly upon hearing his voice, "Pikapi!"
He chuckled, "Hey buddy! I swear, you worry over me more than Dawn does... ow!" Earning himself a slap from the woman in question, he looked up to see the playful smirk on her face.
"Ash are you ok?!" The two blondes asked simultaneously as they rushed over to his side.
"Bianca... Barry... Yeah I'm good," he tried to sit but coughed up blood. "Well I will be... in an hour or so."
Walking back over to the group without his emotionless mask for once, Paul knelt beside Ash and raised a brow at him. "Well that was unexpected. That little mouse of yours packs one hell of a punch... Just what the hell did you do to him?"
"I doubt you'd believe me if I told you..."
"Hn," he stood, glancing at the Pokeball within his hand.
"Is Magmortar... gonna be alright?" Ash asked with concern.
Paul nodded, "He should be. It was a strong blow, but he's a tough guy. Once I get to Mistralton I'll let him rest in the Pokemon Center for a while and he'll be as good as new."
"Speaking of which," Juniper said, looking at Ash. "We should get you to Mistralton too, you can get recovered properly there."
The young Guardian nodded, "Yeah that's probably for the best... Just show us the quickest way out and we'll be out of your hair... I've caused enough damage to your camp as it is..."
She waved him off. "Don't be silly, what happened wasn't your fault, and it's not like I'd not see you there, we'll be joining you." The stern look in her eyes brooked no dispute, so Ash just consented to accept her assistance. "Besides, after everything that's happened here, and the revelation from Riley, we've gotten the data we came here to discover." She stood and waved over Bianca, "Go start packing up, we'll be leaving soon."
Taking one more awed glance at Ash, the blonde nodded furiously and snapped a cheesy salute. "Yes ma'am!"
"We'll help!" Cilan offered, following Bianca to where all the camps equipment was, a short ways away.
Barry's face dropped as he looked at Cilan's retreating form, "We will...?"
"Yes! Now move you're lazy ass!" Iris clipped him on the back of the head and sent him on his way.
"Riley, could you give me a hand with Ash?" Dawn asked as she struggled to lift her weakened boyfriend.
He hurried over taking the other arm over his shoulder, "Of course, it'd be my pleasure."
Hoisting him between them they started after the group when Riley stopped, surprising Dawn and nearly causing her to fall. She glanced over and saw he was looking up at the top of the mountain sides all around them, "Riley? Is something wrong?"
He stayed staring up at the ridge for a while longer, before shaking his head. "Its nothing... I just thought I sensed a strong presence..."
Looking up where he had just been and seeing nothing, she shrugged. "Well c'mon, we're falling behind!"
"Hmm," he agreed and they hurried after their peers. Riley was still troubled though and had to resist the urge to look again. 'It's that same presence as before! I thought I sensed something in the cave when Ash took on the Knight of Shadow... now I know...' He kept his expression neutral, but Lucario raised a brow at him as they walked, noticing his sudden mood change. 'It appears someone is keeping an eye on us... someone with an unimaginable amount of Aura... it scares me to think just who it could be... and why they are interested in us...'
Kanto Region - Pokemon League
'I want you to go personally to investigate this, Cynthia... get as much information as you can, once you've gathered anything significant coordinate with Alder and put an end to this...'
Lance's words echoed back to her as she made her way down the hallway. To be honest with herself she was excited about the prospect of tackling such a problem, it had been quite boring lately stuck at the League taking on challengers whilst everyone else was having all the fun. Her brisk strides didn't go unnoticed to any of the officials she passed, much the same way as she'd entered hours earlier. "Man that meeting took forever... typical of Lance to do that though, he does like to make sure everyone knows everything before we can go..." she ranted to herself. At least it had ended normally, with Alder being put through the wall for trying to stick his face in her cleavage.
"Having to solve this with him is the only downside..." Despite her words she smirked. Things were never boring when working with Alder.
She was doing it again though, talking to herself. She knew she only did that when she was having apprehensions about something, and warranted given who she was to sniff out.
Indeed given the facts Team Plasma and Alder were the least of her worries...
What was causing her to worry was that they were involved... The elite criminal group, Shinonome...
If it was true that they were in the shadows pulling the strings... then the troubles over in Unova were a lot more serious than any of them could of thought possible. According to the reports, their members had been spotted in the various Regions lately, always in pairs and always targeting Legendary or Mythical Pokemon. So far anyone who tried to stop them, even top level trainers sent by the League, had been defeated... easily...
'It makes sense... seeing as they are all technically Champions themselves... after a fashion...' According to Intel, the group consisted of eight members, and each one of them had beaten the Elite Four and the Champion in their respective Regions at some point, but were rejected from taking the title for one reason or another. They had banded together and were collecting the most powerful Pokemon for Arceus knows what... And that's about all anyone knew of them or their motives.
And now they were being suspected of causing issues in Unova by manipulating Team Plasma... Well... she did like a good challenge...
Deep down she hoped they weren't behind it, but something in her gut was telling her otherwise. It would be such a bother if they were...
Exiting the enormous HQ building on top of the Indigo Plateau, the blonde beauty took a deep breath of fresh air. It was always cool this high up, and a steady breeze tousled playfully with her long hair.
"Miss Cynthia, the plane is ready to take you to Unova, per our orders. We will leave as soon as you're ready ma'am." An attendant spoke behind her, breaking her from her tranquility.
"I'll be along shortly, please go tell the pilot to be ready as soon as I'm aboard." He nodded and left without another word. Closing her granite grey eyes, she let the wind caress her face, easing her worries and steeling her demeanor. Slowing raising her eyelids she took one last look at the Kanto skyline, the sun was setting and bathing the Region in an orange glow. Smiling she turned and boarded her personal jet, taking a seat next to a window to watch the ground fall away upon take-off.
Informed about the length of flight, she sighed, settling back in her chair and brushing a stray lock of hair from her eyes. As the plane began to move down the run way, gradually picking up speed to become airborn, Cynthia watched the outside speed by from her window. She would miss Kanto, after Sinnoh it was her favorite place to be.
Thinking about her mission, her brain began going over everything she'd learned about the situation she was about to be diving into, "Time to find out exactly whats going off... and I have a feeling that what we know so far is just the tip of the iceberg..."
She dozed off a few hours later, after the sun had set and they were well on their way to the distant Unova Region. She'd gone over her mission and was greatly satisfied with her plans to deal with it upon arrival. However even in her dreams something was giving her trouble, turning her pleasant slumber into a nightmare. It had been the last thing she'd been thinking of before dozing off...
Shinonome...
Unova Region - Mistralton City
It was early the next day when Ash and the group had recovered fully, since they had only suffered minor injuries despite their ordeal. Now they were all sat in Mistralton City Gym, preparing to watch Ash claim his fifth Gym Badge. In fact the raven haired teen had recovered faster than any of them, thanks to his immense powers of Aura, and he was more than ready for this fight. After all that's where he was in his element.
The Gym Leader - Skyla, had been doing a mental version of her battles to get through them quicker upon their arrival, however there was no way Ash was about to consent to that. They'd argued and eventually his persistence had won out. So now they stood opposite the battlefield squaring off, with everyone else sat in the stands above looking down.
The Gym Leader in question huffed, throwing her red bangs about with her movements. She was wearing a revealing two piece outfit, consisting of light and dark blue coloring. "Like I told you, this battle is totally pointless... you claim you can just win with your Pikachu? And you even left out your other Pokemon!" She wagged her finger at him, "That's three against one, Mr..."
"I have complete faith in my partner, and it'll also serve to prove how absurd your previous battling method was..." Ash replied as Pikachu hopped down from his shoulder and took his place on the battlefield, more than excited about the prospect of winning this badge all on his own, just like the old days.
"You know for someone so cute, you're awfully stubborn!" She pouted, albeit in a flirty manner. Ash didn't bat an eyelid. Frustrated she grabbed a Pokeball from her waist, "Fine! Don't say I didn't warn you! Let's go Swoobat!"
She elaborately launched a Pokeball up and it popped open to reveal the flying-bat Pokemon with a heart-shaped nose, "Swoooooooo-bat!"
The referee at the side raised his flags, "The Gym Battle between the Gym Leader Skyla and the challenger Ash Ketchum will now begin!" As per custom he lowered his flags and signaled the start of the match.
"This is quite exciting, I haven't seen Ash participate in an official battle like this before." Juniper quipped from the stands.
"Heh! If I know Ash he'll make short work of her! He is MY rival after all!" Barry beamed, rather proud of the fact. He received several raised brows for his words and a clip on the back of the head from the bluenette sat next to him.
Paul scoffed beside him, "He better. Its my turn next, and I don't have all day."
"Well he certainly seems back to top form, he recovers remarkably fast!" The connoisseur remarked.
Dawn shot him a concerned glance, then focused all her attention back on the young man down below. 'I hope you're right...'
Riley also remained silent, watching intently from behind the group.
"This will be over before you know it! Attract!" Skyla commanded confidently.
Her bat Pokemon swung around in the air, wafting its wings before it in a seductive manner and sent several heart-shaped projectiles towards Pikachu on the ground below.
"You'll need to do better than that! Dodge then Thunderbolt. 30%"
"Huh? 30%?" Skyla asked, confused.
As the hearts neared the small mouse Pokemon, he nimbly weaved between the attacks and let loose his signature attack, only slightly tinted with blue thanks to his increased control over his vast power. It hit its mark and Swoobat cried out in agony, before falling the ground mere moments later, eyes swirling and unconscious.
The red-haired Gym Leader stared at her fallen Pokemon for several seconds, trying to register what exactly had just happened. "No Swoobat! Urgh! That's not fair! You beat her in just one attack! Referee!"
"It was a legal attack, no penalty. Swoobat is unable to battle, the first round goes to Pikachu and the challenger." Came the curt reply, albeit he looked rather startled at the fast result to the battle himself.
"Hmph! I guess that's that then... Return Swoobat." Holding up her Pokeball she returned it to its home in a beam of red light. "Lets see if you'll be so lucky a second time! Lets show them their place Unfezant!" Quickly unlatching a second Pokeball she launched it up once again and it snapped open.
A large grey feathered bird appeared in a flash of white light, with two pronounced pink feathers coming from the crest on its head. "Unfeeeezant!" It cawed as it circled around overhead, awaiting orders.
"Are both sides ready to continue the match?" The referee asked when Skyla had latched her Pokeball back to her belt. Both combatants nodded. "The second round between Pikachu and Unfezant shall now begin!"
"Alright Unfezant, let's whip up a Whirlwind! His attacks are strong so stay well back and be ready to dodge!" Her Pokemon cawed a reply to show its acknowledgement and began flapping its wings rapidly to create a steady gust, gaining intensity with each successive flap.
Ash stood looking rather unfazed and simply let the flying type gust away. He moved his hand up to hold his cap in place as he nodded to Pikachu. "Alright I think that's enough, lets give her an Electro Ball attack and see how she handles it. 20%"
"Pika pi!" His partner agreed, and began to charge up the needed energy at the tip of his lightning shaped tail. Once it had reached completion he darted forward, straight through the Whirlwind as if it were nothing, earning a surprised gasp from Skyla and a startled squawk from its caster.
"Pikachupi! Pika!" Jumping up and spinning, he launched the attack and sent the glowing ball of electrical power spinning towards his opponent.
Immediately Unfezant stopped its attack and tried to dodge, but the Electro Ball was moving much too quickly to avoid. The attack connected and spun against the flying-type briefly, searing away into the feathers before detonating, adding extra damage to the already formidable move. The pained cry that sounded out before it fell unconscious to the floor, was a testament to that fact.
As Skyla's second Pokemon laid out with swirls in its eyes, again after just one attack, everyone was in a hushed silence. The league referee shakily declaring the match to the challenger. The Gym Leader stood there in disbelief and shock. "That's not right! This shouldn't be happening! In my head you lost! How can you defeat just two of my Pokemon with one hit!" She whined as she returned Unfezant to its Pokeball. Glancing over at the referee to see if anything was amiss, she pouted as he simply shook his head to indicate that he'd seen no sign of cheating. She wasn't so convinced.
Standing there cool and calm, Ash seemed to be surveying the situation with a cool, calm demeanor. Only the faintest hint of a smile could be seen at the edge of his lips.
Dawn was troubled by this, 'It's not like him to act this way during a battle! He's always so over enthusiastic about these things that it's almost laughable... Whats going on with you Ash...' Sparing Riley a glance, the older Guardian caught her gaze, yet his eyes and face were unreadable. He raised a brow but she merely shrugged, turning her attention to her friends. Everyone was focused on the battlefield below... laughing and cheering... 'No one else seems to notice anything amiss... am I being paranoid...?'
As he stood there waiting, Ash noticed that Skyla was hesitant to unleash her last Pokemon, as if unsure of herself. He furrowed his brows, then smirked. "Send out your final choice and I'll show you how pointless your famed 'Sky Battles' actually were, by taking all your Pokemon down with just one hit."
On the other side of the field the Gym Leader was fuming, her temper, being temperamental at best, was now stretched beyond its breaking point. The smug bastard was smirking at her! "Fine and this time I won't hold back! Don't expect me to feel sorry for you just because your handsome! Lets go, Swanna!"
Her third and final Pokeball was thrown up into the air and it released a beautiful white and blue swan in its white light. It gracefully spread its wings as it hovered in the air above its trainer, "Swaaaaaana."
Looking across at her opponent Skyla returned the smirk, and gracefully raised her arm to point directly at her hovering Pokemon. "Now... Remove your limiter!"
The referee gasped and started to protest, "Miss Skyla! Its prohibited to remove the limiter in a regular Gym Battle! Regardless of the strength of one's opponent!"
"Its ok... it won't make any difference to the outcome." Ash stated calmly.
Barry made a face up in the stands, "Limiter? Whats she talking about?"
"It's a device all Gym Leaders are required to place on their Pokemon to suppress their strength, so that the challengers have a chance to win. Depending on what number the Gym is in the order of difficulty for that Region, a Pokemon's potential could be reduced by upto 80%." Riley explained.
"Are you serious!? So all this time when I thought I was better than the Gym Leaders I beat, and that I've been growing stronger... it was all a lie?!" He started grabbing his face wildly in a blind panic.
"Pretty much." The elder Guardian said bluntly.
The eccentric blonde visibly deflated and slumped off his chair, mumbling something about Ash and Paul.
"But Ash doesn't seem concerned at all! He's so brave!" Bianca said, in her usual happy way.
Cilan looked a little more worried, "If she's removed the limiter, from what I'm guessing is her strongest Pokemon, I'd be a little wary about hitting it head on. He must be very comfortable with his abilities."
"It's extremely rare and not at all legal to remove a limiter in an official Gym Battle. I hope Ash takes this seriously or Pikachu could get badly injured." Professor Juniper spoke up, expressing her concern.
Despite the chatter, Dawn couldn't hear any of it. Her gaze was focused solely on Ash. 'Whats going through your mind! Whats wrong with you?!' She narrowed her eyes and focused on his, "...?!" 'For a fraction of a second... his eyes... his warm auburn eyes... they were cold... and black!'
As the limiter was broken, Swanna roared and expelled a wave of power. A gust of wind blew through the Gym causing everyone to hold up their hands and shield their faces. Pikachu did his best to cover himself by using his ears as he turned back uncertainly to face Ash. The young Guardian was stood there unaffected, a confident smirk on his lips. "Pika..."
When the gust was over he lowered his cap to shadow his eyes and whispered just one word, barely audible, yet Pikachu heard it all the same. "Thunder..."
With no choice in the matter and unable to hesitate with such a powerful opponent, he obeyed.
An overwhelming beam of electrical energy instantly shot towards the heavens and the sky turned black. Clouds gathered around the attack until faint sparks of yellow began to dance over them. There was a blinding flash and the sound of a hammer striking an anvil. Then the Gym exploded.
The gathered attack struck Swanna before the Pokemon could even think to react. It screamed in pain from the sheer power behind the blow, the ground beneath it faring little better. It was over as soon as it had begun, and everyone watched as Swanna fell like a lead weight into the crater beneath it.
The referee was speechless. He hadn't even given the order to start the third round and it was over... More unbelievable than that, Skyla's fully released Swanna was utterly destroyed in one hit...
Skyla herself was in a state of shock, looking at her unconscious Swanna with disbelief... and fear...
Pikachu blinked. His attack shouldn't have been that strong... He didn't add any additional power to it... it should have just been a regular Thunder... Glancing back at his partner of seven years his eyes widened. He noticed one of Ash's fists glowing faintly, the azure tint of Aura gradually dissipating. 'He strengthened my attack with Aura!' The revelation struck him hard, he'd never known Ash go to such lengths just to prove a point... he didn't even seem to care about the damage done to his opponents Pokemon...
Everyone in the stands was equally shocked, none of them speaking, merely staring at the unbelievable scene before them. Their eyes proving was shouldn't be possible.
"Swanna!" Finally coming to her senses, Skyla rushed forward and embraced her wounded Pokemon. "Please be alright! I'll get you help right away!" Not caring about anything else, she simply picking up her water/flying-type and rushed out the door, bee-lining straight for the Pokemon Center.
"Good job buddy, that was a great battle!" Ash exclaimed, giving his signature thumbs up.
As Pikachu looked at him askance, it was like seeing an entirely different person to the one from just a few moments ago. His smile was warm and genuine, and he had those caring auburn eyes back. 'It's like he never changed at all... and yet...'
After a few shaky congratulations, Ash had received his fifth badge from the referee. Even though he'd attacked out of turn, the fact that Skyla had released the limiter on Swanna without permission, made it excusable.
He performed his usual victory pose, and that seemed to ease everyone's tensions. Although he didn't receive his usual hug and kiss from Dawn... She seemed brooding over something and he frowned slightly. 'Wonder whats eating at her... I'll ask her about it later...'
"To celebrate your fifth Badge, I'll cook us all and amazing celebratory lunch!" Cilan announced as they started to make their way out of the Gym.
On que Ash's belly growled, earning a chuckle from the group. "Yes! I'm starving after that, you're the best Cilan!"
"Even I'm hungry after watching THAT! What an incredible battle! Your really something else Ash! Now I'm gonna have to work three times as hard to catch up! I AM your rival afterall!" Barry stuck his thumb up at the raven haired teen, giving him his winning smile in the process.
Ash sweatdropped and grinned back, scratching the back of his head. "Sure Barry... whatever you say..."
The group had left the Gym and were on their way back towards Mistralton's bustling cityscape when Ash abruptly stopped. A sudden presence had appeared out of nowhere and it was close... he could sense it...
Riley also stopped, his eyes going wide as he realized he recognized the sudden presence that had sprung up nearby.
Barry bumped into Ash's back, but before he could ask why he'd stopped an unfamiliar voice spoke up.
"That was an impressive win, certainly someone like you should have no problem besting the League... Ash Ketchum..."
Startled, everyone looked up at the source of the voice. Above them perched on a large rock at the side of the path was a man. He was wearing a black full body cloak with a crimson interior, strange Masterballs with the letter 'S' adorned across it. Long spiky black hair stuck out from behind a mask that was covering his entire face, and showing only his eyes, in the pattern of a snarling dragon...
Next: Chapter 26 - The Curse of Aura
Thanks for reading everyone, I hope you like the twists and turns that you've experienced so far, because a lot more are heading your way in my story. I find them much more interesting to write, and when I watch Anime it's always the mystery elements that engage me the most. I'll try to get the next chapter done within the next three weeks.
Until next time Pearlshippers! Peace out!