He did it, he finally did it.
For the first time in his entire journey, he managed to win against a regional champion. Somehow it seemed slightly overwhelming, but it was a refreshing feeling as well and Ash was willing to embrace that. Alola was supposed to be his holiday- a time to think through all of the things he had done, yet he couldn't even remember the time he thought that. His only desire was to complete grand trials to gain z-crystals, until Kukui announced his wish to create an Alolan league. He also chose to attend a pokemon school for the first time, to double check if there was anything he had missed. Almost all of it ended up being a waste of his time, but he did learn a lot about Alolan Pokemon: especially with the help of Rotom. Before he knew it, Ash was in a rush to train all of his pokemon from Alola in order to secure himself with a win. After all, he never really got to spend that much time with them as he was mostly with his friends from school. There were a few moments which were messed up like when Lusamine willingly let an ultra beast capture her, but apart from that he had enjoyed every single moment he lived there. Well, he does still live there of course: Ash did just become the champion.
Though, he did have a moment of doubt. Ash knew that he had been travelling and training for a few years, whereas most of his classmates had only just started recently. Even Gladion hadn't been a trainer for as long as him, but Guzma, Ilima, Jessie, James and maybe a few others were a few acceptions. Ash was also upset by the fact that there weren't any qualifications needed to join the league: he loved the island's culture and personally felt that they could be incorporated in the Alolan league. It made him feel like he was undeserving of the win too, as he was a lot more experienced than everyone there apart from Guzma.
On the other hand, the elite four proved to be an immense challenge for Ash. Hala's fighting types were tough, but Rowlett managed to pull through and he did well. Melmetal beat most of Olivia's rock types without much problem, Incineroar was able to fight well against almost all of Acerola's ghost types and Pikachu won against pretty much all of Kahili's flying types with ease. Battling Kukui was slightly harder, though. Although it was tough, Ash and his team still survived even if it was a very close match. Even though he had won, it still didn't feel all that satisfying to him because he knew that he's had much more difficult matches in the past and he wished that he could've done better somehow.
Anyway, all Ash had to do now was focus: he had arrived on yet another new path which was different to the rest he had taken. After completing the Battle Frontier Ash accepted the offer of becoming a frontier brain himself, on the condition that Ash would still be allowed to travel and come back when he was needed. Now, he would most likely need to give up that role or at least organise more time somehow. In a way, he wasn't quite sure about how he felt to receive such a title because he knew that his life would now be even more different than it was before. Ash earned his place in the Hall of Fame with pride and gave a brief message to the Alolan people.
"I shall do everything I can to keep every island in this region and every Alolan citizen safe," Ash gave the audience and the cameras a sincere smile. "I understand that I'm still only young, but I hope that you can all bear with me and give a chance to prove myself as the new champion that there will be little to worry about in my care."
Just from that message, he gained a huge amount of support and little to no hate. The Alolan people had high hopes for him and even though it was intimidating, Ash would make sure to do everything in his power to meet all of their expectations.
...
Ash had always been a very caring boy: he visited everyone he knew to check up on them, especially the Aether Paradise. Since Lusamine was still recovering Gladion had taken over the organisation, thus making the champion want to confirm their wellbeing. However, there was one time he couldn't visit because he needed to see his mother. She had visited Ash, since she hadn't seen him for a while in person. He never really thought that missing one visit would be a big deal and decided not to think much of it, so that he could enjoy his time with his mother. Soon enough, she headed back home and Ash was still living with professor Kukui and Burnet.
Right now, he was reminiscing about the past few years he spent on his journey. He gazed at the key rings on his bag, which were the names of friends and rivals he'd made. He then flicked through several photo albums of selfies he took with them and laughed at the videos Rotom had taken in Alola. Staring at the stars, he sung all of the songs he had written and missed the feeling of being inspired by a specific moment in time. He hadn't felt like that since he'd won and it had already been about a couple of months. An emotion of nostalgia appeared on his face, when he realised that he would soon turn fourteen. It would be very, very soon. Ash hadn't had a party before in his life and had never even considered it before, yet somehow he seemed so desperate to throw one.
Yes, he'll definitely do that: there's no reason why he shouldn't.
Kukui noticed the somewhat lost look in his eyes, "Any reason why you're up here?"
"Just reminiscing," Ash answered simply, then perked up. "Should I throw a party for my birthday?"
He shrugged, "Sure, when is it?"
The boy thought for a moment, "In a couple of weeks."
"Who are you inviting?"
"All of my friends," Ash smiled cheekily.
"Sounds like a great party to me," Kukui grinned. "You better invite them now: it'll be too late before you know it!"
"Right, right," Ash stood up. "I'm getting to that now."
An email was sent to everyone via Rotom in a flash.
...
"Hey guys, it's been a while!" Ash greeted as they all knocked on his door.
He couldn't quite describe the overflowing happiness he felt when he saw every face he was familiar with, standing right in front of him. Apprehensively, he stepped outside, "Let's go."
"So, where's the party?" May wondered.
"It's in Iki town, only a few minutes away," Ash answered. "So Bonnie and Max, have you gotten your starter Pokemon yet?"
"Yup," Bonnie cheered. "I chose Chespin and now I'm matching with big brother!"
Max replied, "I chose Treecko because it reminded me of your Sceptile."
Ash patted their heads, "That's awesome, how far have you guys gotten?"
"I'm on the seventh gym," Max smirked.
Bonnie took a second to think, "Well I've just beaten big brother, so I'm on my way to the sixth."
"You've made great progress," Ash smiled fondly. "It took me a long time to get to where you are."
Max chuckled, "That's because we got to travel with you before our journeys."
"I guess that's true," Ash ruffled Max's hair. "Iris, have you become the Opelucid gym leader yet?"
"No, Drayden's still training me," Iris shook her head. "But watch out little kid, because I'm getting there soon!"
"Yeah, yeah," Ash rolled his eyes. "How's being a Pokemon doctor, Brocko?"
With a fond twinkle in his eyes, he replied, "It's been one of the best experiences I've ever had in my life, that I could never regret. I'm also relieved that I've finally finished studying too."
"That's great to hear, I'm happy for you!" Ash rejoiced. "How's coordinating Dawn, May, Serena?"
Serena gave him a sad smile at the mention of her name from him, "It's alright, but it just doesn't feel quite the same as performing."
"Ah, I understand what you mean," Ash nodded in sympathy. "I hope that one day guys will be able to participate in them too."
She agreed with his statement, "Yeah, it would be nice to watch."
"Coordinating's great!" Dawn chimed in. "I'm travelling Kanto now with Kenny and I've been to Johto and Hoenn with him too, it's quite pretty there."
May answered his question, "And I've just finished travelling Sinnoh, but now I don't know anywhere else that does contests..."
"You could try Pokemon performing in Kalos," Serena gave them an idea. "There isn't the battling aspect of contests, but they're brilliant for showing off your pokemon and their moves. It's great for team work too: dancing with your pokemon on stage is a lot of fun."
Dawn put her finger on her chin, "I guess that sounds like something I'd like."
"I'm not so sure," May hesitated for a bit. "But I'm willing to try them out."
"Hey, maybe we could travel together in Kalos," Dawn suggested. "I think it could be fun."
Mallow joined in excitedly, "Can I come with you guys?"
"I'd like to come too," Lillie murmured shyly.
"Of course!" Dawn clapped her hands. "We'll all be newbies in this."
"Sure," May shrugged. "Just let me know when you've finished travelling Kanto: I'll probably stay at home and train for a bit with Drew, or have a vacation somewhere with him."
"Guys, we're here!" Ash caught their attention. "This is Iki town."
...
"I'm surprised that you were able to come, Gladion."
Ash had been worried about whether Gladion would be able to attend or not, because of the Aether paradise. So when he had accepted the invitation, Ash was practically jumping with joy as he had been in Alola for such a long time. Since he met him, the two of them had become quite close so it was no surprise that Ash was happy.
He pressed his lips together, "I just hope that mother will be alright: Lillie is here too, after all."
"It'll be fine," Ash chose to lighten up the mood. "Just think of this as a break and relax for tonight."
"Right," he exhaled. "I think I can do that."
...
"It's been a long time, Ashy boy," Gary teased him.
"It sure has," Ash acknowledged the years. "How has work been?"
He answered, "Fun, but I'd like to have a good battle again: it's been a long time."
"How long can you stay here?"
"I have an assignment to complete here anyway, so probably a while," Gary estimated. "I'm researching the Alolan forms of different Pokemon."
Ash laughed, "Yes, that's an interesting topic to know about."
"Maybe we can battle tomorrow?" Gary proposed. "Or the day after."
He paused, then answered, "Yeah, maybe."
...
"You've made so many friends that I never really get the chance to talk to you any more, Ketchum."
He turned his head to her, "Mhm, we could use some extra catch up time."
She joked, "I kind of miss the days when I had you all to myself on the phone."
"I get what you mean," he stepped closer to her, subtly changing the subject. "How's the gym been, have your sisters been treating you well?
"It's doing great how," Misty beamed. "I guess my sisters are fine too."
"How long can you stay here?" His stare slowly became deeper.
She returned the gaze, "A while, probably: my sisters agreed to take good care of the gym."
"That's good: you haven't had a break since I helped you escape before I challenged the battle frontier," Ash felt relieved at the news. "I was beginning to worry about you."
She brushed his thoughts off, "It's fine: the song you sung to me when I was a wreck always cheered me up."
So won't you fly with me?
I want to make you feel alright~
"Yup, that's the one," she felt herself melt into the mesmerising melody. "Why did you invite Serena? You told me that you felt creeped out by her."
"I did," he confirmed. "But she was my friend and it felt kind of wrong not to... I just wish that she could take a hint."
She grimaced, "She still wouldn't back off?"
"I even sung her a song to show her how I felt and she still didn't understand."
"How did it go?"
Don't say you love me, you don't even know me...
Misty rolled her eyes, almost in disbelief, "And she still didn't get it?"
"I don't know what keeps crossing her mind," Ash shook his head. "But she goes too far, it make me feel slightly guilty in a way."
This time, Misty was the one to shake her head, "You shouldn't feel guilty, it's not you problem that she can't take a rejection: you don't love her and that shouldn't be your problem."
"I guess-"
She interrupted him unintentionally, "I would talk to her, but she'll never listen to me because she knows how I feel about you."
"Misty, I-"
The took a single step closer and whispered into his ear, "Don't worry I know how you feel about me, you don't need to say it if your not ready."
With that she walked off to join Lana, leaving Ash alone not knowing what to do.
...
Lusamine was cowering in fear, terrified at the man looking down at her without even a sliver of empathy. He cackled at the sight of her shivering in fear, as he had already stolen all of her pokemon and her research. Tears flowed out of her eyes after they filled her sight, without anywhere else to escape. She was vulnerable and her eyes were closed tight, curled up in a defensive ball like a tense hedgehog. Her efforts could only go so farm though: he only forced his pokemon to hit her harder than before, as well as landing a few hits on her himself. The man thought her to be weak and he was not afraid to project his thoughts aloud.
"How could such a weak being run such a beautiful organisation," he sneered. "It could use a little alteration, don't you think so?"
She gritted her teeth, "No-"
An invisible force somehow managed to strangle her, "Incorrect answer."
The mother was hurt until she eventually gave in, "Yes of course, Giovanni."
"So easy to manipulate," he spoke slowly. "Were the ultra beasts too much for you to handle?"
Only silence could respond to his question, so he carried on stripping the last traces of her once regained sanity until Faba opened the door, "What can I do for you, Giovanni?"
There was a gasp from the torn woman, which was ignored, "Call the leaders of all the somewhat successful 'evil' organisations: they still have potential living in them and perhaps they can lend me... a hand."
"Yes, Giovanni," he walked off, betraying Lusamine once again.
"We shall call this organisation team 'Rainbow Rocket' and together," he smirked. "We shall dominate the world and fix its revolting qualities: I shall be the leader of this world and I shall make it a better place, starting by getting rid of you."
Little did she know however, Faba went through something much much worse than the disgusting things she had just experienced.
...
"I have a bad feeling about mother," Lillie trembled. "I don't know what it is, but-"
Gladion confessed, "I feel the same, but let's just relax for now."
"If only I could find father," she looked down.
He reassured her sister, "We'll find him soon, alright?"
"I know..."
"So go and talk to your friends," Gladion pushed her lightly. "You have one night."
...
"Having girl troubles?" Brock nudged Ash in the rib with his elbow, making him let out a noise in surprise.
Being ticklish, Ash almost squealed, "Ah, that surprised me!"
"Well?"
He looked up at the stars thoughtfully, "Misty said she knows how I feel."
"So what are you going to do?"
Ash let out a laugh, "Make a move, I guess."
Brock nodded, "Sounds like a plan."
"I never asked, but," Ash didn't want to offend him. "Do you have a girlfriend yet?"
"There's this girl at work," he closed his eyes. "She's cute..."
"You may as well ask her out if you have time."
"I probably will, yes," Brock said shortly before wandering off towards Cilan, Sophocles and Clemont. "Anyway, let's just enjoy the party."
...
Before they knew it, the night was almost over. The Alolan gang went home and the others found somewhere to stay, whereas Misty slept at Kukui and Burnet's house with Ash. Lillie and Gladion returned to the Aether paradise: the first thing they felt was complete and utter panic. It was early in the morning and everyone was already asleep by them, until Rotom began to vibrate violently.
Groaning at the noise, Misty breathed, "Mm, what is that?"
Rubbing his eyes open, he read the notification before his eyes widened in alarm, "It's an emergency call from Gladion."
"Holy-"
"Hello, this is Gladion and Lillie," the brother spoke on the phone. "Mother has been beaten up and she's currently unconscious; we also think that Faba has been hypnotised by a pokemon. Wicke managed to escape to let us know what had happened, but as far as we know the Aether paradise has been invaded by all of the large evil organisations in the world. Giovanni is the leader of it and the newly formed organisation is called 'Team Rainbow Rocket.' All of the Aether workers are now grunts again, as well as the grunts from the other teams. Guzma was also called by them, but he rejected the offer and said that he was willing to help us. Call everybody: we'll need all of the help that we can get."
Ash was taken aback by the seriousness of this new mission: it was certainly a lot more intense than a
week of catching ultra beasts for Looker and Anabel had been. He informed everyone else he knew about the urgent news and even got help from foreign regions: after all, this could be another trigger to the end of the world. He was already scarred by Ghetsis and Lysander: he didn't really need another world ending situation, yet here he was.
Stating the obvious, Misty pulled him up, "We need to get there as fast as possible and take all of out strongest pokemon!"
"I never thought of that," he said sarcastically, even if this wasn't the time. "I'm so glad that Greninja is here now... let's get there via Charizard."
"I guess he is our fastest option."
...
"Oh go-"
"What is it, May?"
Sweat was running down her forehead, "It's an emergency, guys: the Aether paradise got infiltrated by a huge evil organisation..."
Mallow panicked, "We've got to hurry there!"
Serena nodded nervously, "Yeah, this sounds like some seriously bad news."
"Stop panicking," Iris groaned. "We've got to get there before the other little kids!"
"Iris is right," Bonnie stood next to her. "So, let's go."
...
Clemont was frozen in his seat as he heard the news and Max could tell that there was something wrong, "What is it, Clemont?"
"Gladion's mother is in a lot of trouble," he murmured. "We need to help them out now."
Gary's eyes widened, "I'm really not liking the sound of this-"
Cilan overheard the conversation, "So, we're going to the Aether Paradise?"
"It looks like that to me," Brock bit his lip, not looking forward for what's to come.
...
"I'm glad that you all managed to arrive so quickly."
Ash brushed the comment off, "It's fine, you're in so much trouble right now anyway."
"I guess that's true..."
"Anyway, we'll need a plan," Gary stared at everyone. "The strongest battlers should run the furthest in and the others can distract the grunts."
Iris folded her arms at the ambiguous direction, "So, who?"
"I can battle the grunts," Lillie offered kindly.
Sophocles raised his hand, "So can I."
Mallow did the same, "And me."
"I can too," Serena stepped forward.
Gary was relieved that the plan was alright so far, "That'll be enough: now we need our strongest fighters to fight all of the bosses."
"And who will-"
"I would say Gladion, Gary, Kiawe, Iris, Lana, Hau, Misty and I can go further forward," Ash made a mental list of names. "Everyone can split up in the middle if necessary, help the four fight the grunts or come with us if possible."
...
"Where are they?"
Panic flashed across Kukui's face as he realised that neither Ash nor Misty were in the house and just after Burnet heard the worry in her husband's voice, she rushed to see where he was. Having a similar reaction to Kukui, she turned her head to him hesitantly.
"What should we do?" She asked, attempting to calm herself down. "They've even left Rotom here, which is unusual and they haven't told us where they were going either."
He pressed his lips together, "I guess we've got to-"
A phone began to ring, making both of their eyes widen and Kukui soon picked it up, "Hello, who is this?"
"Is this Kukui?"
Burnet hid her gasp, "Wicke, is that you?"
"I'm guessing I've got the right people, then," Wicke sighed in relief. "The Aether Paradise has been infiltrated by a huge evil organisation, consisting several successful evil organisations combined into one. In case you were wondering, that's where Ash and everyone else is. This might not be necessary, but come and call the kahunas just in case: we need as much help nearby as we can get."
Taking in the news, he gulped, "I understand, we'll be right there."
His wife was already calling the requested people (along with Guzma, Plumeria, Jessie and James, just to be safe) as soon as Wicke announced what was going on in the man made island.
...
Ash caught sight of Lusamine's body and his expression melted from one that was wary into one filled with horror for the woman. The others followed him and a few were trying to hold a gasp back, trying to disregard the tense atmosphere hugging them. A plethora of doors surrounded them and eventually the group decided to split up in pairs to explore the area, in hopes of finding a member. Hau and Iris chose to stay where they were so that they could tell everyone else where the others were, while Gladion and Ash went through one door; Kiawe and Lana through the next, as well as Gary and Misty going through the third. All of them prayed that the rest of them would come quickly, as they all knew that the people they were up against were extremely strong. Considering the situation they were all in, that was a rather terrifying thought.
"Get as many people as you can with us, understand?" Ash turned to Iris and Hau.
For the first time, Hau's face appeared to be serious, "We'll get everyone and ourselves to you as soon as possible."
Iris nodded at his response, "Don't worry about us, just go already."
...
"We've got to hurry up!"
Lillie was struggling, to say the least. Naturally it was horribly reckless of her to get into battle with only two pokemon, even if one was mythical. Magearna is tough and there was never a single doubt about that, but that didn't necessarily mean that she was invincible. Not only that, but Vulpix was still young even if she could use a Z-move. Both the pokemon herself and her owner knew that it wouldn't really be enough to save them, if they were in a pinch. The girl felt weak and she wanted to go back to Hau'oli city, but she also wanted to save her mother so badly. She was conflicted, but she knew that she had to stay strong and try her hardest not to cry: doing so wouldn't exactly save the Aether Paradise either.
Hearing her, Mallow shouted, "Calm down, it'll be fine!"
Serena reassured the blonde, "We've nearly taken them out, anyway."
"Almost there... come on," Sophocles bit his lip with nerves, trying to fight the last couple of grunts.
...
"Thank goodness," May let out a harsh sigh. "Nobody's around here: we should hurry up to where Ash is, so we can relax sooner and eat some food."
Dawn facepalmed, "Of course that's what you're thinking of right now."
"It's too bad we don't have Lillie or Gladion with us right now: none of us know our way around," Brock observed the situation, having a concerned gaze.
May reasoned with him, "Well it can't be that hard to find-"
"Guys!"
The sweet sound of Serena's voice put everyone at ease, relieving the anxiety anyone felt. She and the others who were with her were running towards those who were checking the building, for any extra grunts. Thankfully Lillie was this there to guide the others to the right direction, saving time and energy for all.
Shortly after the reunion, Lillie grabbed everyone's attention and pointed each direction out, "I'm guessing that mother should be at the back of here, which is this way... You guys should go on and help the others, but I'm going to stay and keep an eye on mother."
"I'll stay with you," Mallow offered. "I'm not the best battler, but I'll be strong enough to protect you if it comes to that."
Appreciating her offer, Lillie smiled, "Thanks, Mallow: I was beginning to worry about that..."
"No problem, Lillie: I'll always be there for you."
...
Gladion was taken aback by the daunting corridor that greeted him, behind the door. He wondered if it was a maze or not, because it seemed like it was never ending. Ash on the other hand actually looked interested by the layout of the building, not being afraid to admire the blood red walls even if it was intimidating. The sensation was weird and claustrophobic, as the floor was pitch black and it felt like they were walking on the air inside of an abyss. It was as if they were unconscious and taking steps in a dream. Maybe that was the point, to bring fear and confusion onto those who dared to set foot inside.
"Well, this is certainly a new approach to villainous lairs," Ash joked in an ominous voice.
He frowned, "I'm not liking this place at all, no matter how funny you sound right now."
Ash shrugged, "Oh well, I tried to lighten your mood up."
"Yes you did, and it didn't work."
The place was so silent, that both of their footprints sounded as loud as music blasting out of speakers in a concert. In order to speed up the process of walking, Charizard gladly volunteered to fly them down in hopes that they'd find someone sooner. Emmie also floated ahead, sensing for anyone nearby.
...
Kiawe and Lana were puzzled, to put it lightly. Making a similar decision to Ash but sooner, he let his charizard out of his pokeball to glide on. The two of them pondered about how long it would take to get to one of the leaders via charizard, to take their minds off from how afraid they were deep down.
"Do you think that we'll be fine?" Lana asked, feeling unsure for the first time in a while.
Kiawe hesitated, before answering, "Hopefully... hopefully."
...
It was lucky that Gary was smart, being a professor. It was also lucky that he was a strong battler too, coming so far in the Johto league even if it was a few years ago. This meant that he was the perfect kind of person to bring along to a mission like this, as he could figure things out with rapid speed as well as adapting to them. Without much thinking he let out an absol he had caught a while ago, to search for any potential trouble lying ahead. Like the others, he and Misty had also sat on the back of a flying type pokemon for the same reasons.
Noticing that she was oddly quiet, he sympathised, "Worried about Ash?"
Not wanting to admit it, she looked down, "Yeah."
"So am I," Gary was in deep thought, before snapping out of it. "Kid means a lot to me, and he's been through some crazy stuff."
"Mm."
Hoping to encourage her, he promised, "Let's fight for Ash, okay water master?"
Smiling at his attempt, she cheered optimistically, "Right, let's get this over and done with."
...
"Little kids, hurry up!"
Iris was beginning to get impatient and Hau was failing to keep her calm, but speak of the devils: they were arriving. They were finally arriving, and the two of them couldn't be more relieved.
Recognising that a couple of people were missing, Hau questioned, "Where did Lillie and Mallow go?"
"They're staying with Lusamine," Cilan answered. "I think that we may be enough in numbers already."
The dragon master in training frowned, "I get that, but-"
"It's evaluation time-"
"Not now," Iris massaged her forehead in stress.
Clemont intervened, "Anyway, I've invented a 'find nearby people from long distance' machine!"
"I'm guessing it does what the name says," Bonnie deadpanned.
"Precisely!" Clemont beamed.
Bonnie grinned, "Well, I'll go with big brother to make sure he doesn't go off in any strange tangents."
Max chuckled at her, "I'll make sure May doesn't daydream about food for the whole time."
"Very funny, Max."
The young girl squealed excitedly, "Maybe I could find a keeper for you-"
"Okay Bonnie, let's just go already."
Serena and Brock just shook their heads at the familiar scenes, then laughed once more at their antics before separating from the others. Dawn and Cilan made their way there, and the others did too in their pairs.
...
Author's notes:
This was originally going to be a one shot but I think that it'll end up being 2 to 3 parts.
Hopefully I can update soon, but we'll see.
