Hi everyone, here is another chapter of Shattered Past. It is quite large, possibly the longest I have written so I hope that you enjoy reading this.
"Recent Alola news. Professor Kukui, a teacher from the local school, and Professor Burnet, his wife, and employee of Aether Foundation, along with their boarder, Ash Ketchum and other individuals have been reported missing lately. It is unsure what caused their disappearances but they were last reported se-" Guzma, the leader of Team Skull, turned the broken and slanted TV off, getting multiple groans of protest from his grunts that happened to be watching.
"Yo boss why did ya turn it off?" asked one of the younger grunts that had joined him just recently, "Don't ya wanna know what happens to the league now without that Kukui guy?" Guzma snorted, turning his head away. It's not like he actually cared about the league, "No use of wasting our time on that. It's no interest to us whether the league happens or not."
"Then I hope I won't be wasting my time talking to you," a new voice suddenly spoke.
Whipping around everyone saw a well-built man leaning against the entrance door of their beaten-down mansion. He had brown hair, dark eyes and was wearing a bright orange suit and was smirking viciously as he made eye contact with Guzma.
"Who are you?" asked Guzma stepping forward, eyes narrowed and glaring slightly. He didn't appreciate uninvited guests and whoever this was isn't any exception. The man's smirk grew, "Oh how rude of me, I forgot my manners. My name is Giovanni, your future business partner and ruler of this pathetic world."
Guzma couldn't stop himself from scowling, "What do you mean?" Giovanni tilted his head to the side, "I think you heard me. I want you and your grunts to become part of an organization known as Team Rainbow Rocket. If you do that I can provide money, better accommodations and I will even let you control all of the Alola Region with no one to stop you."
"And if I refuse?" asked Guzma, crossing his arms.
Giovanni chuckled, "I hoped that you would ask that question." He lifted up his hand in the air and clicked his fingers together, letting the sound resonate through the building. Immediately grunts started pouring into the old mansion, guns raised at Guzma and all his grunts ready to fire of given the command.
"Do I need to elaborate anymore?" inquired Giovanni in a deathly calm voice, "I am pretty sure you don't want any of your people to get hurt now, do you?"
Guzma stared at Giovanni with his hands clenched into tight fists as heavy tension filled the stilled aid almost like a crushing weight. It was a few seconds before he scoffed turning his head away, "We will join."
"It's was a pleasure doing business with you Guzma and I hope that we shall equal success with you in the future. I suggest you follow me. We still have more business to discuss." With that Giovanni turned on his heels while Guzma still looked uncertain. Pausing at the exit, Giovanni smirk grew larger, "Now Guzma. If you don't want anyone to get hurt."
Guzma scowl deepened as his eyes narrowed murderously before he hesitantly started followed Giovanni out of the mansion, having a very unsettled feeling of dread starting to form in his gut, oh Tapu Bulu what mess is he about to be dragged into?
Serena shivered from the frosty wind that whirled around her as she clutched the egg tightly, trying to keep it and herself warm enough. She hoped that the professors and Meowth would arrive soon with the temperature dropping dramatically, "Where are you guys?" she muttered her teeth chattering rapidly, inwardly wishing she had a jacket or at least something to shield herself from the cold.
Exhaling heavily, the honey-blonde looked down at the egg in her arms. She wondered if it was still able to keep warm in this frigid environment, "How are you still holding up?" As if answering, the egg in her arms was suddenly engulfed in a bright flashing light.
Serena's eyes widened in realization as she recognized what was occurring before her eyes, having seen it happen before with Ash's Noivern when it still was an egg, "Y-your hatching!" It flashed more intensely becoming brighter by the second.
Soon a the brightness engulfed the whole area, briefly blinding the honey-blonde. Once it died down, Serena stared down in surprise as a pink bipedal-feline Pokemon with a yellow shaped feather on its head and similar three yellow tail-like feathers running down its back along with a light blue gem on its forehead and chest with sharp white claws on its hands and feet was sleeping peacefully in her arms. It stretched slightly letting out a small yawn before curiously looking up at her with bright yellow eyes.
"Sne?" It asked tilting its head to the side while Serena took out her Pokedex pointing it at the newborn Pokemon in her arms.
"Sneasel, the Sharp Claw Pokémon. It blends into the dark of night to ambush its prey and its paws conceal sharp claws. If attacked, it suddenly extends the claws and startles its enemy. They known to have cunning and savage sides as well."
But Serena noticed something different about this Sneasel compared to one in the Pokedex, "Wait, why is your color different?" The Pokemon in her arms just blinked in bewilderment, "Sneas?"
"Serena!" The honey-blonde looked up in brief confusion but it all faded away as a large smile spread across her face seeing Professor Kukui, Burnet and Meowth all running towards her, "Guys you came!"
With Sneasel safely secured in her arms, Serena carefully stood up as everyone to a stop in front of her, "Sorry we took so long twerpette but we had a little trouble getting here," apologized Meowth. Professor Burnet rose an eyebrow, glaring down at the normal type while deadpanning, "By trouble you mean that you got hungry and we had to stop at the Pokemon Centre."
"Wait, there is a Pokemon Centre near here?" asked Serena surprised getting a nod from all three, "Yes a few kilometers behind us. By the way, Serena where is the egg?" asked Professor Kukui, not yet noticing the Pokemon in girl's arms.
Chuckling Serena shifted the strange colored Sneasel in her arms, "Right here." Professor Kukui leaned forward with his eyes wide in amazement. The Pokemon in Serena's arms retracted slightly looking almost fearful of the man, not noticing this he continued leaning forward trying to get a better view of it, "Ah, I see it hatched into a Sneasel, a shiny one no less."
"A shiny?" curiously asked Serena while Professor Burnet nodded, "Yes shiny Pokemon are extremely rare because they have an alternate coloration or rare coloration to their normal species."
"That explains why it looked different to the Pokedex entry," muttered Serena, smiling down at her Sneasel. Said Pokemon feeling very uncomfortable being the center of attention trying to hide even more into the honey blonde's embrace, "Sne, sneas, sneasel."
Meowth, understanding what the ice and dark type said, tugged at Professor Kukui's leg, "Ya better move back a little from Sneasel. You are scaring her." Professor Kukui sighed moving back, "Right, sorry. This is just the first time I have seen a shiny Sneasel other than from a book."
"Remember it was just recently born which is why it could still be nervous around us except Serena. It probably sees her as its caretaker," explained Professor Burnet with a slight hint of amusement in her time, knowing that her husband always got excited around new Pokemon he hasn't seen in real life.
Taking out one of her spare pokeballs, Serena held it in front of the sharp claw Pokémon, said Sneasel looking at it with bright eyes of curiosity, "Well, Sneasel how would you like to join me on my journey?"
"Sneas?" it asked tilting its head yet again confused by the girl's words. Meowth stepped forward coughing onto his paw, "Why not let an expert deal with this twerpette?"
The scratch Pokemon smirked smugly as he began to talk pointing to the Pokeball in Serena's hand and back to the Sneasel, "Meow. Meowth. Meo. Meowth." The newborn's eyes widened while nodding happily, the Sneasel let out a cry of joy wrapping its arms around the honey-blonde nuzzling her cheek.
"Well that worked, thanks to whatever you said Meowth," laughed Serena as she gently pressed the red and white Pokeball against the Pokemon's head and it opened up engulfing Sneasel in red light and sucked it into the Pokeball. The device shook in Serena's hand for a few seconds before it stopped and it dinged in successful capture.
Serena smiled down at the pokeball resting in her palm, it seems like their family just got a little bigger.
Ash's eyes were wide in surprise as the green shield around him and his friends, generated by the Solrock in front of them, was about to withstand the powerful Hyperbeam fired from Regirock. The Solrock that saved their lives remained strong against the attack, easily able to keep the it at bay.
"Regirock listen to me! They mean no harm!" That voice. It couldn't be. Ash's jaw dropped recognizing the familiar tall brown-haired man dressed in cider green standing slightly away from the barrier, "Brandon!?"
The man ignored Ash, just keeping his gaze focused on the rock peak Pokémon, "I can assure you that these children aren't intruders to the Tree of Beginning. Believe me, my friend, please." The Regirock stopped in its attack lowering its arms as it started at Brandon.
"Om. Beep. Beep. Om. Om. Om," the lights on its 'H' shape flashed multiple times before it slowly turned around, leaving the area disappearing into the trees once again. Brandon turned his attention to the children behind him, smiling at them, will taking out Solrock's Pokeball and returning the meteorite Pokémon, silently thanking it, "Hello Ash, I didn't expect to meet you here of all places."
Smiling back, the raven-haired replied, "Yeah me neither! The last time I met you was in Sinnoh!" Tasha blinked in surprise while pointing to the man, "Wait, Ash do you know this guy?"
Ash nodded, "Yup, I battled him when I challenged the Battle Frontier!" Once again the coordinator stared at the raven-haired boy in surprise, "Wait. Hold up. You challenged the Battle Frontier?!" Gary chuckled crossing his arms, "Ashy-boy didn't just challenge it, he won the whole thing."
Tasha sighed while rubbing her forehead trying to wrap that idea around her head, "Of course he did. What hasn't he done?" Ash chuckled in embarrassment, rubbing the back of his head, oh if she only knew.
"Not getting into trouble is one of them," a new voice entered the conversation. Ash couldn't help but flinch already knowing who it was as a familiar silhouette started to walk out of the tree line.
Oh no.
He is in deep trouble.
"Shit. This isn't going to end well," muttered Tasha as the shadow fell away, revealing Lysandre, said orange-haired man's eyes narrowed down at the stubborn raven-haired boy. Tension immediately formed, creating a heavy atmosphere.
The man stopped a few feet in front of Ash, the one wanting to take several steps backward. Lysandre stared at the boy for a few seconds before sighing heavily while turning his head away already knowing that if an argument broke out now he wasn't going to win it. He tried that with Delia and he never won. It must be a Ketchum thing to drive themselves forward, even if it comes to their own health concern when it comes to Pokemon or basically anyone else's safety. It's like any concern for their own safety gets thrown straight out of the window.
So instead he asked, "Are you alright?" Ash blinked up in surprise. He didn't expect that at all. He thought Lysandre would scold him or something like that. Shaking his head, the boy replied, "Yeah I am fine thanks to Brandon."
Lysandre looked to Brandon giving a slight nod, smiling, "Thanks for helping us find him." The other man nodding in return, "I understand. I have seen how reckless Ash can get and was glad to assist in any way I could."
"You helped Lysandre find us?" asked Ash getting a nod from both men, "Yes, you see I happened to be training here with my three Regis since the wild ones here seem to be much stronger than any regular one found for some reason. I thought I would do some investigating and have been here for a long time. I have even come to know the ones guarding the Tree of Beginning quite well and become on good terms with them."
"So that explains why Regirock listened to you," muttered the raven-haired trainer under his breath. He wondered how Brandon was able to do that. Said man continued talking, "While I was getting a few soil samples to see if that had anything to do with the Pokemon's increased strength here I came upon Lysandre, Jessie and James, all three of them looking for you and I, of course, offered my aid to help them look."
"Where are Jessie and James actually?" asked Gary, finally noticing the duo's absences. Brandon smiled; "They are currently at the Battle Pyramid, relaxing if I am correct." Ash chuckled, "I wouldn't expect any less."
"Speaking of resting, Ash the sun will be down soon and you have been walking all day I assume. Maybe it's best if everyone comes to stay at the Pyramid tonight," offered Brandon, taking note of how exhausted the kid looked. Ash looked uncertain, he couldn't waste time. Lucario needed him, "I don't know. You see I have a very important friend waiting for me and I can't let him down."
Lysandre smiled taking the boy gently by the shoulders, "I know its frustrating to wait, Ash but think about everyone else. It wouldn't be wise to travel at night when it's much more dangerous and you still need time to recover after what happened. You don't want to meet your friend looking worn out, now do you?" Gary nodded in agreement while smirking, he knew how he was going to win this one, "I agree with him, Ashy-boy. We can continue tomorrow. Besides, ain't you hungry?"
Ash scowled looking ready to protest against that last comment but a low rumble coming from a certain stomach soon filled the area.
"I think that is a yes," chuckled Tasha in amusement. The boy's shoulders dropped downwards knowing when he was outvoted, even by his own stomach. "Fiiiinnneee," he whined in exasperation, "But as long as we leave first thing tomorrow morning, alright?"
"Right," everyone replied simultaneously. Ash sighed heavily feeling guilty that he was leaving Lucario to wait. But, he at least inwardly admitted, was feeling a little tired. Lysandre seeing the kid's sigh, he squeezed his shoulder in a comforting manner, "Don't worry Ash. Everything will be fine. I promise you that."
"Thanks, Lysandre," replied Ash smiling upwards at him. Yet, the trainer still stared at the Tree of Beginning in the distance, 'Don't worry Lucario. I promise you that I am coming.'
Phew that is a wrap.
What do you think about me giving Serena a shiny Sneasel and Brandon joining in on the action? Let me know when you review in the comments.
Petrolhead1 out like a light.