"There it is. Off in the distance." Ash said to Pikachu. They were leaning over the railing of the ship, seeing an island just coming into view. "Masuda Island, I wonder what kinds of people and Pokémon we'll meet there." Ash wondered.
"There you are." Serena said walking up. "No skirt today?"
Ash was wearing a pair of Khaki Kapris, and a blue and white ruffled tank top, along with some hiking boots.
"Can't wear them all the time. Even for you." Ash quipped.
"Everyone's waiting for you in the galley. Why haven't you answered your phone." Serena said.
"I may have lost track of time, and left it in my room a while ago." Ash said.
At the galley
"Alright team, Ash and Serena will be leading Chrysa and Ren through the ruins, while Goh and Chloe will be leading myself and Eva through the temples." Professor Cerise said. "The cruise does leave the island at 7pm local time so be on time."
"Can I ask why we're going too." Ren asked.
"Would you rather be here on the boat all day?" Chrysa asked.
"Yes, don't you know me?!" Rem replied.
"There's no internet service out here." Chrysa said plainly.
"Ruins it is." Ren said.
Later, Outside the Ruins
"Stay close, who knows what's in here." Ash said, grabbing a Pokeball.
"Delphox, can we get some light?" Serena asked, sending out her starter.
As the group walked in, they made sure to look at their surroundings.
"All of these walls are blank." Ren said. "They look like they should have something, but this is just perfectly cut stone."
"No moss, no cracks, they're perfectly clean. How?" Chrysa said.
"Not clean, something was on it, it's all been removed, harshly." Serena said, feeling some indentations. "Any ideas Ash?"
"Pikachu!" Ash shouted, running in the way of the Entei's blast. Both of them sent flying towards the spiky pit below.
"Ash? Earth to Ash!" Serena said.
"I know what was here." Ash said, shaking him out of the trance. "We need to go. Now."
"Go, but we just got here." Ren said.
"I said we're leaving!" Ash said, panicking.
"Ash, you may lead the field team, but that doesn't mean you lead us." Chrysa scolded. "Now we promised we'd get photos, and we're going to do that." Chrysa said, as she and Ren went further into the ruins.
"Serena, if you trust me, leave." Ash pleaded.
"Ash, I can't just leave you here." Serena said.
"Go and get help. I just pray that for once I'm wrong." Ash said, chasing after Chrysa and Ren.
"Chrysa! Ren! Are you in here!" Ash shouted into the inky void.
'Unown.' A group of voices cried out.
"Leave my friends alone." Ash said, taking an offensive position.
"Oh, I wouldn't be worried about them." An eerily familliar voice said.
"Pika!" Pikachu exclaimed, stopping Darkrai in its tracks, and pushing it back.
"Let's go Pikachu!" Ash said, running in another direction. "We don't have time to deal with him right now."
"Well how about me!" A deep voice called out, as a purple and red orb fired at Ash and Pikachu.
"You too! How are you back!" Ash exclaimed as Entei appeared in front of him.
"I will be here as long as Molly wants me here!" Entei exclaimed, firing another blast, only for it to be blocked by Pikachu's Thunderbolt.
"Don't forget about me!" Darkrai shouted lunging forward.
"Ahh!" Ash exclaimed pulling up an aura barrier. "Get ready to run on three, Pikachu. One. Two. Three!" Ash shouted quickly pushing out their aura shield.
"Ash!" Chrysa shouted out. Her and Ren were floating in place by an unseen force.
"Hold tight. Dracovish! Heracross! Watch our backs. Pikachu use Discharge in the area directly around Chrysa and Ren!" Ash called out.
Electricity surged around them, as Unown began falling or flying off.
"What are those?" Chrysa asked.
"Unown, on their own they can't do much, but in larger groups they can even warp reality." Ash said, running ahead.
"Forget something!" Darkrai said spinning in front of them. Entei materializing beside him. "And this time we brought a friend."
Energy formed and grew until a familiar fright appeared behind the Entei and Darkrai.
"Guzzlord!" Ash cried out. "Run! I'll hold them off! Dracovish use Hydro Pump! Heracross use Mega Horn! Pikachu use Thunderbolt!" The attacks struck the legendary Pokémon as they charged forward.
"I can't do this, there's too many! I can't beat them!" Ash began freaking out. Watching his Pokémon take devastating hits. Heracross pushed through Entei's flames sending it flying, while Pikachu easily brushed off the Dark Void from Darkrai, and even Dracovish pushed through Guzzlord's attacks.
"Ash! What are you doing!" Ren shouted, grabbing Ash's arm.
"Facing my fear. Unown almost killed me more times than I can count in a single afternoon, but they're still Unown. They need a single mind to create structures." Ash said. "I don't know if I can get rid of these fakes, but I know I can bring in more."
Ash began thinking of everything. Every gym, Pokémon league, trial, legendary, tournament, and rival battle.
"You no longer live in my nightmares." Ash said, taking a stand.
Energy began forming in the center of the battlefield, more than even when Guzzlord formed.
"Chrysa we need to run!" Ren said fearing for his life.
"It's… it's… it's…". Chrysa said awestruck.
"Pika?"
"It's Pikachu?" Rem said confused.
"Only thing more dangerous to these three than one of my Pikachu, is two." Ash said. "Now Double Thunderbolt!"
The power surged through the fake Pokémon, causing them to disappear. As did the other Pikachu.
"Ash!" Goh shouted, running in.
"I got reinforcements!" Serena said quickly following. "Why did we need them?"
"Say hello to the Unown." Ash said.
"It looks like alphabet soup, but without any soup." Goh commented.
"What do we do to stop them?" Serena asked.
"Separate them, their power is in numbers. Keep an empty head though." Ash warned.
"Alright! Cinderace use Pyro Ball!"
"Delphox use Mystic Fire!"
"Pikachu use Thunderbolt!"
The trio of attacks managed to separate the Unown enough for it to be safe again.
"Alright, I vote we head back to the town, and try and forget what happened here." Ren said.
Back at the Town
"These are great photos you guys, I'm sure Fred will be very happy. Ash, we need to talk." Professor Cerise said.
"I get it, I didn't take any photos, I'll try harder not to be killed next time." Ash said.
"You don't always have to be fearless, it's okay to show you aren't ready for something." Professor Cerise explained.
"I'm supposed to be the field leader, what I made wasn't a decision based on fear. It was a decision based on what I know." Ash argued.
"From what I understand it was both, and it's nothing to be ashamed of. Are you going to be okay?" Professor Cerise asked.
"I'll be fine, I faced my deepest fears in there, and that's what's important." Ash said.
"Sorry to interrupt, but Ash you have to try this." Chloe said, dragging Ash away.
"Ash! We're not done here." Professor Cerise exclaimed.
"I don't think that's up to us anymore." Ash replied. "Okay Chloe, no need to keep pulling." Ash said, his wrist finally being freed.
"Well hello there little lady, can I interest you in a genuine Z Crystal from Alola." A shopkeeper said.
"What do you think Ash?" Chloe asked.
"They're fake." Ash said plainly, digging through his bag.
"Excuse me, these are crystals right from Alola." The man said.
"That one right there." Ash said pointing to the bottom right Crystal. "What's that one called?"
"Why that's a Steelium Z." The man said proudly.
"What about Z Rings? Do you have those?" Ash asked.
"What nows?" The man asked.
"A Z ring, like this." Ash said, putting his on. "It's used in sync with a Z Crystal like this." Ash said, holding out his Steelium Z. "Now, I'll take back everything, and buy all 18 if you can prove they're real."
"You're making a big mistake little lady." The man said, grabbing a Pokeball. "Bewear come on out!"
"You ready to rock Pikachu?" Ash asked.
"Now, I think this trinket here is the Z Ring. And I'll need one of these." The man said, grabbing a Z Crystal.
"Pikachu use Quick Attack!"
"Bewear use Strength!"
The Pokémon collided, Pikachu surprisingly pushing back the larger Bewear.
"Pikachu use Thunderbolt!"
"Bewear use Brick Break!"
Pikachu easily outmaneuvered the larger Pokémon, before zapping it, leaving the Bewear sizzling.
"Let's do this Bewear! Time for our Z Move!" The man said striking a pose.
"We're waiting." Ash said, as several moments had gone by without anything happening.
"Well, you know how it is, these things don't always work on the first try, they need to warm up." The man said, beginning to panic.
"Let me show you how it's really done." Ash said. "Alright Pikachu, use Corkscrew Crash!" Ash called out, him and Pikachu striking the series of poses.
Pikachu spun into the Bewear, sending it into the man's stall. Scattering the fake Z Crystals everywhere.
"Now let's be reasonable, clearly you have the newer model of Z Rings." The man said.
Ash picked up one of the crytals, looking at it.
"Why is your firium Z blue?" Ash asked.
"Well, when they get made, sometimes they…". The man stuttered.
"Z crystals aren't made, and they aren't bought. They're earned, and grown. As for Z Rings, there isn't a new model like phones, they are crafted from stones by Island Kahunas." Ash said angrily.
"And who are you to say that I'm wrong?" The man said.
"I'm Ash Ketchum, and I'm Alola's Champion." Ash said, standing in front of the man. "Now stop disrespecting their traditions, or I'll send the island guardians after you."
The man gathered what little he could scavenge before running away, his tail between his legs.
"Ash, that was amazing!" Chloe exclaimed.
"Can you really do that thing with the Island Guardians?" Goh asked in shock.
"No, but he doesn't know that." Ash said with a laugh.
Later that night
"Want to talk about what you saw them form?" Serena asked.
"They formed what makes me stay awake at night. Pokémon that even I can't beat." Ash said. "I'm supposed to be the strong trainer in the group, yet there are Pokémon I know I can't beat, not properly at least."
"Ash, what you said is that those were recreations of the actual Pokémon, and you stood your ground. You're getting stronger every day, and when you face any of them again, you'll be fine. I'm sure of it." Serena said, comforting him.
Back in the ruins
"Well this was enlightening." Darkrai said floating forward. "While you didn't succeed in what I had hoped, you have potential for something more devastating." Darkrai said creating a large portal. "I have a job for all of you." Darkrai said, sucking in all of the Unown.
Authors Note:
Masuda Island, named after Junichi Masuda the composer for Pokémon Red and Green.