Chapter 8: Infinity Energy! Hoenn Champion!
"Ash? Is that you?"
The trio turned around to face a man standing near them. The man had blue hair and was wearing a black suit with purple outlines. The most distinctive feature was a large red tie hanging from his shirt.
"Steven!" Ash excitedly shouted as he looked at the Champion of Hoenn. "What are you doing here?"
"My father is the president of Devon Corporation, and I came here to visit him," Steven responded as he gestured toward the building. "What brings you to Hoenn, Ash?"
Ash nervously chuckled at the question. He knew that there were here to research about Mega Evolution, but he couldn't remember all the specific details. Thankfully, Goh saved him. "We're here to study the energy that the company utilizes for its projects," Goh answered as he stepped toward Steven. "We heard that the energy is somehow related to Mega Evolution."
Steven smiled at Goh and nodded. "You are correct that the energy my father uses is connected to Mega Evolution. I presume that you are a friend of Ash. May I ask what you and your other friend's names are?" he spoke as he pointed toward Goh and Chloe.
"I'm Goh!" Goh happily responded while he pointed to himself.
"My name is Chloe," Chloe spoke as he approached the champion.
"Nice to meet you," Steve acknowledges as he gracefully bowed at the trio. "I am Steven Stone, Champion of the Hoenn region, and I can tell you all about my father's work if you wish."
"Champion of Hoenn!" Goh exclaimed as he looked at Steven. "That's so cool! How strong are you compared to other champions?"
"Well, my Pokémon World Championships ranking is 4. That makes Lance and Leon the only Champions that are stronger than me, but there are still some other Champions in the Ultra Class I need to look out for," Steven responded. "I do need to be careful against Raihan as well. He's challenging me again, and he almost beat me last time."
"That's so awesome!" Ash spoke with sparkles in his eyes. "My goal is to battle Leon! His Charizard is really strong!"
Before Steven and Ash could continue their conversation about battling, Chloe interrupted them with a cough. "We're here to learn about Mega Evolution for my father," Chloe groaned as she opened the door to Devon. "Can't you guys talk about this some other time?"
"My apologies!" Steven said as he rushed to hold the door for the others. "Let me show you around and tell you about my father's work."
"That's the Champion of Hoenn! Steven Stone!" James quietly exclaimed as the trio and the Champion went into the building. "Looks like following the twerps paid off!"
"That's right!" Meowth said with a grin as he peered into one of the building's windows. "Think of all the powerful Pokémon he has! We should take them all in one swipe and give them to the boss!"
On the other hand, Jessie was staring at Steven with eyes shaped like hearts. "So handsome! So dreamy!" she muttered as she looked at Steven. "A man like him deserves a beautiful woman like me!" She then pointed to herself to emphasize on who the beautiful woman was.
"Now's not the time for your love fantasies!" Meowth groaned as he continued looking into the building. "We need to take them all by surprise!"
The Rocket trio slowly scrambled away as they prepared their plans to trap the Champion. They were going to use one of their most reliable plans that always worked, until the plans stopped working.
As Ash, Goh, and Chloe walked with the Hoenn Champion in the building, Steven began to explain, "Many of my father's inventions are powered by a source of energy called Infinity Energy. We believe that Infinity Energy is related to Mega Evolution. We don't know the source of Infinity Energy, but there is a legend that explains its origins."
"Infinity Energy," Goh spoke with awe as he typed the words into a document inside of his Rotom Phone. "Is the energy infinite? What is the legend?"
"The energy isn't really infinite, but there's a lot of it." Steven said as he pushed an elevator button. "The legend states that Infinity Energy comes from the life force of Pokémon and that Mega Stones are the life force infused into the ground over time."
"Life force of Pokémon?" Chloe asked as she watched the elevator doors slowly opened.
"Yes," Steven confirmed as he entered the elevator with the trio. "It is believed that Xerneas is responsible for Infinity Energy and that the energy Xerneas radiates is the life force of all Pokémon."
"All Pokémon," Goh repeated while he was thinking about Mew. He knew that Mew had the genes of all Pokémon, and now he was learning that Xerneas might have the life force of all Pokémon.
Chloe was deep in thought. Something wasn't right about this legend. "What about Rayquaza?" she asked as she looked at the Hoenn Champion. "It was the first Pokémon to Mega Evolve, and it didn't require a Mega Stone. How is this related to Xerneas?"
"Good question, miss," Steven exclaimed. "We don't know much, but I have a theory. Rayquaza can only Mega Evolve if it is near the presence of the Giant Rock. I believe that the Giant Rock is special and that it contains a lot of Primal Energy. Even more than the energy in Mega Stones!"
"Giant Rock? Primal Energy?" Goh questioned as the elevator began to decelerate. "What are those?"
"I can answer the first one!" Ash enthusiastically stated while he raised his hand. "The Giant Rock is this stone that Team Flare captured and used to make a fake version of Zygarde. It's really powerful."
Steven nodded at Ash's words. "You are correct, but Team Flare modified the stone for its own use. Before that, it was a giant rock with tons of Primal Energy. Primal Energy is a type of energy that allows a Pokémon to revert to its Primal form. This process is known as Primal Reversion."
Goh was furiously typing all this information down. "Primal Reversion? Is that like Mega Evolution?" he said as he continued typing on his phone.
"Yes. Only two Pokémon are known to experience Primal Reversion. They are Kyogre and Groudon." Steven replied as the elevator stopped and the doors opened. "We're here!"
"Kyogre and Groudon?" Chloe exclaimed as she and the others stepped out of the elevator. "I remember them from school! Aren't they the Legendary Pokémon of the Hoenn region?"
Steven nodded. He was about to say something, but the lights were suddenly turned off. The four looked around as the hallway they were in plunged into darkness.
"What's happening?" Goh anxiously spoke as he used his phone as a flashlight. "Why are the lights off?"
"This isn't good," Steven announced with a stern expression on his face. "We need to get to my father. He should be in the door at the end of the hallway." They prepared to rush toward the door, but they were stopped by two figures standing outside the doorway.
They had blue and white strips on their shirts, and they wore a black cap with an ominous bone symbol in the shape of an A. Ash stuttered backwards as he looked at them. "It can't be," he thought as he recalled his adventures in Hoenn. "This must be some kind of mistake." However, Steven's words confirmed the worst of his fears.
"Team Aqua!" Steven angrily shouted as he pulled out a Pokéball. "What have you done to my father?"
One of the figures laughed and smirked as she too pulled out a Pokéball. "None of your business, Hoenn Champion!" A Crawdaunt appeared, and the other person also summoned another Crawdaunt.
"Metagross!" Steven yelled as he threw his ball into the air. Metagross emerged and screamed, "Meta!" at the two Crawdaunt.
"Woah! It's a Shiny Pokémon!" Goh pointed out as he scanned the Champion's Ace Pokémon:
"Metagross, the Iron Leg Pokémon. A Steel and Psychic type and the evolved form of Metang. Metagross has four legs and uses many powerful moves."
"Give them a taste of your Flash Cannon, Metagross!" Steven commanded as he pointed toward the two Crawdaunts.
"Metagross!" Metagross shouted as it quickly shot out a beam of white light toward the Crawdaunts. The swiftness of the attack took the Aqua grunts by surprise, and both Crawdaunts were knocked out in one move.
"Return!" one of the grunts spoke before he ran off. The other grunt did the same. Ash was about to chase them, but Steven stopped him.
"Leave them. They won't get far out of the building. Officer Jenny should be coming soon." Steven gently spoke as he faced the door. "Let's go in and check how my father is doing."
He turned the door knob and swung the door open, preparing for an attack, but all he saw was his father tied up in a chair with a cloth over his mouth.
"Dad!" Steven exclaimed as he removed the cloth and begun untying the rope, but his father hastily shouted, "There's no time, son! They're in the server rooms. They're after our confidential data!"
"How?" Goh asked as he went over to help Steven. "How did they plan this?"
"One of the admins who worked for Team Aqua is a former employee for Devon Corporation." Mr. Stone jabbered as he stood up. "She paid me a visit, and she taunted me her plan. We have to get to the server room before it's too—"
An explosion can be heard from below, and there were screams throughout the building. "Let's go!" Ash shouted as he ran out of the room and descended the emergency stairs. Goh and Chloe quickly followed, while Steven and his father trudged behind them. Ash and Pikachu were the first to reach the lobby in the main floor, and they saw another Aqua grunt, but she looked different than the others. Her clothes were more detailed, and there was an air of authority around her. She also had a large Swampert standing near her.
"Stop it right there, Team Aqua!" Ash shouted at the woman. She turned around and glanced at Ash with a menacing glare. Her face was distorted in anger as she recognized the voice.
"I remember you," she coldly said as she looked at Ash and Pikachu. "You were one of the people who ruined our plans. Things will be different this time."
She was holding a USB stick in her right hand, and she pointed at Ash with her left hand. "If you know what's best for you, you'll leave now," she warned as she tilted her head toward her Swampert.
"No way! I'm not going to let you go with that USB! Pikachu! I choose you!" Ash ordered as he prepared for a battle.
"Don't you know who I am?" the woman irately snarled. "I am Shelly, one of the admins of Team Aqua. You might not remember me, but that doesn't matter now. Swampert, use Hydro Pump!"
"Pikachu! Thunderbolt!" Ash shouted in response.
Pikachu sent out a bolt of electricity at the Mud Fish Pokémon, and it collided with the powerful stream of water. The impact caused an explosion, and mist filled the lobby. Ash and Pikachu looked around as the mist slowly spread around them.
"What a waste of my time! Use Dig to finish this!" Shelly commanded as she gestured toward the ground.
"Pikachu! Iron Tail on the ground!" Ash commanded as he thrust his right hand forward.
Goh and Chloe finally made it to the lobby, and they saw Pikachu slamming his Iron Tail on the ground, causing the ground to crack and Swampert to emerge.
"Swamp!" Swampert moaned as it received the damage from Iron Tail. It didn't expect the Electric type to beat a Ground type move.
"Alright! Ash and Pikachu!" Goh cheered as he watched the battle.
Shelly was about to issue a command, until she saw Steven and Mr. Stone rushing toward her. She knew that she stood no chance against the Hoenn Champion, so she grabbed a smoke bomb.
"Remember this, Ash," she spoke as she recalled Swampert. "This battle isn't over. Team Aqua is stronger than ever, and thanks to the information that Devon has, we will succeed this time! Give Steven my regards."
"Quick! Pikachu! Electroweb!" Ash ordered as he pointed to Shelly, but a cloud of smoke already appeared and the Electroweb missed.
Once Steven and Mr. Stone reached them, there was no trace of Shelly. "Are you alright?" Mr. Stone asked as he looked at the young boy and his Pikachu. "Shelly is a dangerous person. You're lucky that we came. It looks like she fled, but she got what she wanted."
"I should have stopped her," Ash spoke as he clenched his fist. "I was too slow."
"Don't feel bad, Ash," Goh spoke as he approached his friend. "None of us expected her and Team Aqua when we came here. Besides, what exactly is Team Aqua?"
"A criminal organization that aims to use Kyogre to flood the world. They believe that the world needs more water," Steven flatly responded as he looked around. "They were disbanded by the G-men, and the leaders were arrested. However, they managed to escape, and they have taken an interest in Mega Evolution and Primal Energy."
"That isn't good," Chloe remarked as she saw the destruction Team Aqua caused. "We already have Team Rocket to worry about. Now, there's Team Aqua."
Ash sadly nodded at Chloe's works, but Mr. Stone just smiled. "Don't worry! The International Police are on the case. I think they're sending an agent over to assess the damage," Mr. Stone spoke as he turned toward the trio. "Tell me, what are you three doing here, especially you Ash? It has been a while since I last saw you and your friends. You must also introduce me to your new ones!"
After the trio explained their reasons for visiting the company, Mr. Stone seriously addressed, "My son has already explained everything that I know, so I do not have anything else important to say about your quest to learn more about Mega Evolution."
"Oh," Goh responded with sadness. He was quite happy about the new information they obtained about Mega Evolution and Primal Energy, but he was hoping for more.
"However," Mr. Stone said with a smirk on his face. "I highly recommend you check out the Sky Pillar. It is said to be the first location where Rayquaza Mega Evolved. It was also the place where the Giant Rock was originally found."
"How could I have forgotten about the Sky Pillar!?" Goh exclaimed as he gently hit his forehead with his own hand. He pulled out a map of Hoenn on his phone and looked over it. "It's far away," he began to say. "But I think we'll be able to go and take a look at it!"
"There are two possible routes." Chloe noted as she looked at the map. "Which one should we take?"
"Why don't we take the route through Petalburg City?" Ash suggested as he also looked at the map. "There's a gym leader there, and he might be in the Pokémon World Championships too!" Ash remembered his gym battle against Norman. He was excited for a chance to fight him again. Not only that, he secretly hoped that he could visit Max.
Hearing this, Goh replied, "Sounds good to me! I hope I get a chance to find a Key Stone!"
"Key Stone?" Steven asked with a confused expression. "You are trying to find one?"
Goh eagerly nodded. "I have an Aerodactylite, but I need a Key Stone in order to Mega Evolve with my Aerodactyl!"
"I see," Steven replied while adjusting his tie. "I hear that there's a tournament in Slateport City and that the prize is a Mega Stone and a Key Stone."
"Slateport City?" Chloe thought as she scratched her chin. She remembered going there to help Jinny and her Feebas, which was now a Milotic. The city was large, and it was the ninth largest city in the entire world.
"Alright!" Goh shouted when he heard Steven's proposal. "What kind of tournament is it?" Goh hoped it was a catching tournament. It would be perfect to catch more Pokémon and obtain a Key Stone.
"A battling tournament," Steven responded. "You need 3 Pokémon to participate. I'm sure there'll be lots of strong trainers there!"
"Cool!" Ash exclaimed with a grin. "I might participate too!"
Goh looked worried. He wasn't that good with battling, and if Ash was participating, he wouldn't stand a chance against a powerful trainer like him. He had a frown on his face and was thinking. His probability of winning wasn't good, but he really wanted a Key Stone.
"You don't need to beat everyone to get them," Steven spoke as he saw the worry on Goh's face. "The top three winners will all receive the prize, but it's still not going to be easy."
Goh nodded. He felt a little better, but he knew he had to train. This was a good opportunity for him to improve his battling skills, and battling was important if he wanted to catch every Pokémon. "Ash?" he nervously inquired as he faced the more experience trainer. "Can you help me train for the tournament?"
He was afraid that Ash would reject his offer since they were opponents. But he was surprised when Ash softly slapped his back and said, "Yes!" with a huge grin on his face.
"Ash," Goh thought with a smile. He truly was a great friend that he could always count on.
Soon, the trio said their goodbyes and left the building while waving back to Steven and Mr. Stone. "Today, we'll stay in the Rustboro Pokémon Center and tell Cerise all about what we learned. We'll start heading toward Petalburg City through Route 104 tomorrow!" Goh exclaimed as he was looking at his phone again.
Suddenly, the ground beneath them cracked, and they fell into a pit. "Not again!" Ash groaned as he got up. He had fallen into too many pits to know what he was expecting next. As he and the others looked up, they saw Team Rocket smirking at them.
"Prepare for trouble!"
"And make it double!"
"To protect the world from devastation!"
"Flash Cannon!"
"To—huh?"
A Flash Cannon came from behind the Rocket trio and blasted them. The trio were sent flying into the sky. "No fair!" Meowth exclaimed with an angry expression. "I thought Steven would be with them! How should we have known that he would stay behind?"
"Yeah!" James shouted back. "What did we do today to deserve this!? We weren't responsible for that explosion!"
"The handsome Steven must have saw us as the twerps fell into our pit! Too bad he didn't get a chance to appreciate my looks!" Jessie sighed as they were still flying in the air.
"We're blasting off again!" all three of them cried out before they were too far away from the trio to be seen. Ash, Goh, and Chloe crawled out of the pit and thanked Steven and Metagross for saving them.
After saying goodbye once more, they proceeded on their way to the Pokémon Center. Their first day in Hoenn was eventful. Ash fought against a former Gym Leader, they met the Champion of Hoenn, and they finally learned about Team Aqua's return.
Long after the trio was gone, Steven was standing outside waiting for someone. It was dark outside, but the moon was bright and round. He was about to go back in, until a figure emerged from the shadows.
"Champion? I am from the International Police," the figure spoke as he showed his badge. "I apologize for being late. There was an incident in Oldale Town where Team Rocket was stealing Pokémon."
"I understand. Team Rocket has also been annoying," Steven remarked as he remembered how quickly Team Rocket seized control of Hoenn after the dissolutions of Teams Magma and Aqua. "Let me show you the damage. What is your name?"
"Call me Looker," the detective responded as he walked into Devon Corporation.
This chapter wasn't too interesting, and it focused mostly on the information about Mega Evolution. But it did set out the plot for future chapters. Goh will need to struggle if he wants to obtain a Key Stone, and Ash might finally get the opportunity to Mega Evolve one of his Pokémon! Also, Team Aqua is back. Team Rocket will play an important role as well, but they sadly didn't in this chapter. Steven's ranking in the PWC is confirmed, and Looker is busy investigating Team Aqua.
Will any of Jessie or James Old Pokémon return? And will they go back to Alola region to research Z-moves?
Yes, to both questions.