Into the Tree Part 2

With Blue staying behind to face the Rocket Admin Ariana, the group of Ash, Alexa, Pikachu, Lucario, Incineroar, Lycanroc, Aegislash and Hitmonlee continued down the dark cavern, which began to grow even more narrow. As the Ketchum Siblings continued, however, they began to see a bright green glow, which grew brighter and brighter as they approached it. Finding themselves in another large, open chamber, this one had green crystals lining the wall. While this room only had one exit out of it, it was much different from the last. Slumped over on the grounds of this chamber were three large Pokemon: the Regi Guardians of Rock, Steel and Ice. As the group of trainers saw this, they slowed their pace, acting on the side of caution. To them, it looked as if something powerful had taken them on… and won.

"Am I seeing this right?" Alexa said, as she walked along. "The Regi Trio are the protectors of the Tree. And it looks like they've been taken out."

Ash, however, knew exactly who it was that had done this to the triad of Legendary Pokemon. "It was Mewtwo… We must be getting closer."

As the trainers made their way to the opening, Ash felt one of the Regi Pokemon begin to stir behind him. Making a move towards his left, he tackled his sister to the side just as the light blue Regice shot an Ice Beam in their direction. This attack struck the ground at the base of their exit, quickly building a large wall of ice before them. After the Legendary Ice golem had sealed off their exit, Pikachu, Lycanroc, Lucario, Incineroar, Aegislash and Hitmonlee lined up in front of the trainers, staring down the Pokemon.

The Regice stood still for a moment, as the dots across its face began to light up. Rather than glowing a normal, the dots along its face were a deep purple; the same color as the Shadow Mewtwo's eyes.

"Rrregiii-ice." The Pokemon said in a synth-like tone. Before long, Regirock and Registeel slowly pushed themselves up off the ground, joining its Regi-counterpart on either side, with the same purple glow present.

"They're brainwashed!" Ash shouted.

On its left, Registeel came to life, making a noise similar to a record scratching, as an orange beam of light began to charge before its purple eyes. This promoted Alexa to rush forwards. "King's Shield!" She exclaimed, jutting out one hand to her Aegislash. The Royal Sword Pokemon took the lead, providing a large hexagonal shield which protected the people and Pokemon from a Hyper Beam. Alexa then pulled two Pokeballs off her belt, bringing out Torracat and her Lucario. "I want you two to get through this ice!" With a nod, the red and black feline, along with her partner Pokemon began to exchange Fire and Fighting type attacks on the solid ice that blocked their doorway.

"Incineroar! Use Flare Blitz! Lucario! Use Close Bone Rush!" Ash exclaimed, sending two of his Pokemon into battle. The trainer then pulled a ball off his belt, pointing it to his orange canine. "Return, Lycanroc! Sorry, but I need you healthy." In a red beam, the Dusk Lycanroc was drawn back into its ball. The pairing of Incineroar and Lucario both charged out from behind Aegislash's shield together, moving at lightning speeds. Both performing a run along the walls of the cavern, Incineroar lunged to attack Registeel, while Lucario formed a bone staff to fight Regirock.

"Rr-rr-rr-Regi-rock! Dün dün dün dün!" The Rock Type Guardian said, throwing a clubbing fist in the direction of Lucario, forcing a Stone Edge to project out from the wall it was running across. Ash's Lucario pushed off the wall before it could get hit. While it was almost met with an Ice Beam from Regice, Ash's Lucario drove its staff onto the ground, using it to vault over the attack as it made its fast paced maneuvering across the field. While its staff was frozen to the ground, Lucario's momentum continued on placing it between Regice and Regirock. Still in the air, Lucario jutted out its hands to either side, blasting the pair of Pokemon with a Force Palm for each of them.

While Lucario took on Regice and Registeel, Incineroar met its Steel Type opponent with a flaming fist to its wide head, causing the Pokemon to stumble backwards. With a grin, Incineroar cocked its arm as it came through with another flaming fist to the Regi's face. Forming a Metal Claw in its hand, Incineroar dropped low and dodged the attack. Swinging its leg forwards to perform a leg sweep on the enormous foe. Its foot hit with a clang as Registeel remained in place. Incineroar let out a yelp and it rolled onto his back, clutching his ankle.

'GAH!' Incineroar shouted, pounding a fist on the ground. 'SON OF A BITCH, THAT HURT!'

"Hitmonlee!" Alexa shouted, watching Ash's Pokemon go down.

'I got him!' The Kanto fighting type said, extending its springy legs as it leapt over Aegislash. While Registeel's attention was drawn to the grounded Incineroar, Hitmonlee jumped forwards with a foot engulfed in flame. Connecting atop Registeel's large head, the Iron Pokemon went down as an eruption of fire went from Hitmonlee's foot to it. As Registeel slowly began to rise again, Hitmonlee looked down to Ash's Heel Pokemon. 'Are you in need of a hand?' The Pokemon said with crossed arms, gazing down at Incineroar.

'Ohhh you're lucky we're on the same side, bub,' Incineroar growled, climbing back to its feet. 'Let's just put in the work on this guy!'

'Agreed,' Hitmonlee said, hunkering down with Registeel in its sights. Together with Incineroar, it sprung forwards at the Legendary Steel Type, who had not yet fully risen.

Hitmonlee launched its right foot forwards, hitting Registeel in the face once more, before recoiling its leg back to its body. Incineroar rushed in with a body cloaked in fire, driving its shoulder into the Pokemon. Incineroar pushed the massive frame of the Pokemon along, until it was pinned up against the cavern wall. Hitmonlee then jumped in, landing atop one foot. Swinging its other leg around, Hitmonlee drove its heel into the Registeel's face with a roundhouse kick.

'Ready?' Incineroar said to its partner, which responded with a nod. Each Pokemon took one of Registeel's arms in their hands, Irish-whipping the Pokemon away from the cavern wall, throwing it to the opposing side. Crashing into the opposite wall, Registeel slammed against the green, jagged crystals which broke under the mass of the Pokemon. Rushing across the room, Hitmonlee and Incineroar performed a simultaneous flaming drop kick to the exposed back of the Pokemon, pressing it further into the wall.

Ash's Lucario stood further down the chamber, twirling its bone staff in place to help deflect Regice's oncoming Ice Beam, moving closer and closer to its opponent, with it's back was exposed to Regirock, who spun across the chamber in a tight rotation. Aegislash, however, charged in to help its ally, unsheathing its body from its shield and taking the item in its hand. Before Regirock could strike the Aura Pokemon, Aegislash intercepted its attack by bashing its shield across the golem's face with a backhand, knocking it off its course. Lucario looked behind it, and gave a nod to its ally for the assist. After Regice ceased its attack, Lucario held a frozen bone in its hands, standing back to back with Aegislash. Together, the two Pokemon owned by the Ketchums shot forwards to dish out some damage to the two Regis.

Swinging its club like a baseball bat, Ash's Lucario smacked Regice's large, crystalized torso, sending the Legendary flying backwards. Aegislash went on towards Regirock, who threw its bulky fists at the incoming sword Pokemon. Holding up its shield, Aegislash blocked the punches, before swinging its silver body forwards, dishing out a Sacred Sword. The Regirock stumbled backwards, before a blue Aura Sphere rocketed over to the Rock type Legendary, blowing it backwards in a blue explosion. Turning around, Aegislash saw Ash's Lucario with its left paw sticking out, with its palm smoking from the attack. Behind the Aura Pokemon, Aegislash witnessed the hypnotized Regice rising back to its feet.

'Lucario!' The Royal Sword Pokemon exclaimed, throwing its shield across the chamber.

Lucario flipped over the oncoming shield as it continued on towards the Ice type. Aegislash's rotating shield bashed off the Regi's body, ricocheting off of the Pokemon. Catching the metal object in its hand, Lucario held up Aegislash's item, preventing itself from being hit with an Ice Ball that Regice had shot forwards. Throwing Aegislash's shield into the Pokemon's face (making it falter backwards,) Lucario rushed in and performed two kicks to the Regi, as it flipped backwards and touched down on the ground. Aegislash then soared over the Aura Pokemon, swinging its body so it may hit its opponent with a Sacred Sword. Regice slammed into the cavern wall, crumpling in a heap at the bottom.

Standing at either side of each other, Lucario glanced down at Aegislash's shield on the ground. Kicking it up, the Aura Pokemon caught the item in its paw before handing it back to the Steel/Ghost type. 'I gotta get one of those,' Lucario said, returning the item.

'I think you will come to find that it comes in handy,' Aegislash said to its fellow battler. Spinning around, the pair of Pokemon rushed back in to aid Hitmonlee and Incineroar with the other two Regi Pokemon.

Back at the frozen doorway, Torracat blew an intense Flamethrower on the solid ice, finally melting a small hole about three inches in diameter through the other side. Standing at either side of each other in a line, Ash, Alexa and her Lucario each charged an Aura Sphere in their hands. Launching the orbs forwards, the triad's attack struck the ice, blowing a hole that they could pass through.

"Guys, we're through!" Alexa shouted to the Pokemon battling the Regis.

Catching the attention of the grounded Regice, the Pokemon raised its head, charging a light blue ice beam in its hands to refreeze the door. Aegislash, however, saw this and threw its body back into its shield. Soaring across the field, it put itself in between Ash, Alexa, Pikachu, Torracat and Lucario, forming another hexagonal shield in front of it, deflecting the attack.

'M'lady, you must get out of here!' Aegislash said, looking at its trainer with its lone eye.

"No! We need you!" The trainer said.

"Aegislash is right Alexa," Ash said looking out, witnessing Incineroar putting Regirock into a full nelson, so Hitmonlee could drive a foot into its abdomen. "They're place is here keeping these guys off our tails."

'Trust in you brother, Lady Alexa,' Aegislash said, placing a clothlike hand on the girl's shoulder. 'We will meet again at the end of all this.'

Giving her companion a nod, Alexa turned and took off down the tunnel with Ash and the three Pokemon that remained with them. Spinning around, Aegislash held its shield outwards as it rushed back in towards Regice, holding its shield out to deflect another bright blue beam that was shot across the chamber. With that, Aegislash, Hitmonlee, Incineroar and Ash's Lucario were left behind to take care of the brainwashed Regi Trio.