Return to Kalos

"You're awake!" May threw her arms around Zach shortly upon waking up, a large smile upon her face while she struggled and failed to hold back tears. "I-I was so worried, there was so much b-blood... and you hadn't moved for days!"

Zach slowly placed an arm around May and held her in a comforting manner, remaining silent for a moment before finally speaking upon making the realization. "Y-You were here the whole time?"

May sniffed, quickly wiping her eyes before pulling away and giving a light nod.

"T-Thank you, May. You didn't have to... not many people would do that." May blushed heavily from his appreciation, placing her hand atop of his once more as she formed a smile.

"I'd do anything for you, Zach. Anything!" Her gaze met his before giving him a warm smile, her hand resting on his thigh.

Zach raised an eyebrow, wondering if she was suggesting what he thought she was suggesting. He still felt a bit out of it so he didn't say anything as to not risk offending her or possibly ruining his one friendship he had in the region if he'd gotten that wrong, choosing to merely smile back at May. "Right back at ya!"

May's face grew bright red before placing a hand on his cheek in an affectionate manner. "I'll be by your side until you can walk again," She promised.

"Speaking of by your side, where's Lucario?" Him taking as long as he did to notice the jackal was missing caused May to inwardly squeal as his mind had to have been on her the entire time.

"H-He's outside keeping guard,"

"Yeah, that sounds like him." Zach then noticed Raboot sulking in the corner resulting in him frowning as no doubt the rabbit was blaming herself for what happened again. His stomach soon rumbled loudly causing May to giggle before standing up.

"I'm gonna go get you some food, don't go anywhere!" May playfully teased him.

"Ha, very funny!"

"Ya gotta be around here somewhere," A man whose fire resembled that of a fire's flame walked through one of Kalos' many forest wearing a special set of goggles that allowed one to see stuff that normally one wouldn't be able to see. "Xerosic I thought you said these things worked, I just see a bunch of ugly green things that looked like germs, you better not be messing with me!"

"I assure you those things do work, you've just got to have patience. Those are Zygarde cells you're seeing right now, it's very important that you do not burn them as the Zygarde core will sense you're coming and avoid you."

"Don't burn things? Where's the fun in that?!"

"Patience my friend, there will be plenty of things burning by the time we finish." A third voice spoke on the device causing the man to let out a reluctant sigh as he continued his search.

"Can you believe we're back in Kalos already?! This is so exciting!" Giselle squealed out.

"I know, I didn't get to catch a Water type last time but I won't fail this time!" Misty pumped her fists with determination only to quickly go pale when Giselle questioned that.

"Yeah, why is that exactly?" Giselle asked with a knowing smirk as Misty's face went red.

"Uh... there was a distraction!"

"A male one," Giselle laughed causing Misty to glare at her.

"Feels so strange without Zach being around, I hope he's doing okay without us." Chloe spoke up with a nervous expression, she hadn't heard from him in days.

"I'm sure he's doing fine, he's a strong trainer and can take care of himself!" Gary placed his hand on Chloe's shoulder, causing her to look at him with a faint blush forming across her face. "Why don't you relax and see the sights? Enjoy yourself!"

"Well you're not here to sightsee this time," Venom addressed as he placed his hands into his pockets. "Apparently Oak neglected to tell me that you all are supposed to have caught Pokemon while under my supervision and only one of you ever managed to do that." He glanced at Ash, referring to Charmander and Sandile. "So I'm placing you all onto teams of two and you ain't getting a free pass to run off until at least one of you on the team gets a Pokemon!"

"I'm not keen on catching another Pokemon so soon, I only got Ralts a few days ago." Wally brought up.

"You can team up with me, Wally." Brock placed his hand on the newer trainer's shoulder. "I'll find something for the both of us!"

"Espeon and I wouldn't mind you being on our team, Leaf." Ash offered with a friendly smile causing Leaf's cheeks to grow an even darker color as she merely nodded her head in response as Serena shot a glare at her.

"So everyone's got a partner? Good, now if you excuse me I've got stuff to take care of." Professor Venom turned and began walking off, leaving the various groups to their devices.

"I say we go deep into the forest, the good stuff is always the furthest away from the starting point!" Flash suggested.

"That doesn't even make-Alright, fine!" Giselle shook her head before following him as he headed off.

"I think we shouldn't go too far in," Ash started as he turned to Leaf. "No offense to you but I get lost a lot so... probably a bad idea to go deep." He nervously chuckled.

Leaf nodded her head in agreement. "Y-Yeah, you're right... besides the deeper you go the more dangerous it is."

A pair of red eyes poked out from a nearby bush, watching Ash and Leaf walking off.

"It feels like we've been searching forever but we haven't seen a single Pokemon!"

"It's actually been ten minutes," Leaf sweated lightly.

"It's still strange, you'd think we'd have at least seen a Scatterbug, a Fletchling or something!"

"You're quite impatient," Leaf giggled lightly before shaking her head while forming a light smile. "Maybe they're all out getting food or something?" She suggested.

"No I don't think that's it, something doesn't feel right..."

"Sol!"

Ash jumped up, quickly turning around to discover a Absol staring right at him and Leaf.

"Sol, Absol!" The Dark type cried out looking a bit upset, Leaf's eyes widened as she knew Absol was trying to simply warn them. Ash on the other hand got an excited look upon his face, quickly pulling back on his cap before grabbing hold of a ball.

"Treecko, I choose you!"

"Espe?! Espeon, espe peon!" Espeon waved her arms frantically as she tried explaining things to Ash but he was too focused on and excited by the prospect of catching Absol!

"You want a battle, I'll give you a battle! Treecko use Pound!"

"Treecko!" Treecko sprang forward, his tail glowing brightly before it slammed against Absol's head! The attack met and Absol looked shocked for a moment before uttering out a frustrated growl.

"Sol!" Absol's horn glowed light purple as he retaliated, slashing Treecko with his horn and sending the gecko flying as it cried out in pain.

"Treecko!" Ash leaped forward and caught Treecko before he could hit the ground, Absol's eyes widened from the sight as an impressed look grew upon the Dark type's face. Absol soon forgot what he'd came there to do and got fully absorbed into the battle as he wanted to test this trainer's skills. Was he as talented as he was compassionate for his Pokemon?

"Sorry Treecko, I underestimated him." Ash returned Treecko to his Pokeball before placing it on his belt. Soon reaching out for Charmander's as he tossed it forward. "Go Charmander!"

"Charmander!" Bulbasaur appeared, letting out an uneasy growl upon the sight of Absol.

"Smokescreen then sneak up on him with a Fire Fang!"

Charmander unleashed a thick cloud of smoke from his mouth, cloaking the battlefield and masking his movement as the fire lizard rushed towards Absol before sinking his fiery fangs into him!

Shortly after the attack had made it's mark, Absol's face turned a little red as burn marks could be visible. "Sol..." The Pokemon muttered out with a weak tone.

Ash pumped his fists with excitement upon realizing the technique had worked!

"Let's not have Absol suffer longer than he has to," Ash reached for an empty Pokeball and enlarged it before throwing it forward and striking Absol with it, the Dark type Pokemon's body disappeared in a beam of red light as the Pokeball hit the floor and began shaking. Ash clenched his fists and watched the ball, hoping Absol would give in and not drag out the pain from the burn. Thankfully his hope came true and the ball chimed to announce the capture complete!

"Alright we just caught an Absol!"

"Espe!" Espeon and Charmander posed alongside their trainer while Leaf sweated at the sight and lightly shook her head with a fond smile across her face.

"Now let's see what the Pokedex has to say about this," Ash took out his Pokedex and brought up Absol's entry in order to check out Absol's moves along with his Pokedex entry.

"Absol, the disaster Pokemon. When it detects disasters it has a tendency to warn nearby travelers of the danger."

"Say what now?"

"Hahaha! I've gotcha, I've gotcha!" The sound of maniacal laughter could be heard close by, Ash had an uneasy feeling and couldn't help but sneak a peek to see what was going on over there, Leaf followed close behind and remained rather close to him with a frightened look upon her face. "You're one of those core thingies, ain't cha?! This wasn't so hard!"

"Foolish human, let me out of this contraption!" Ash nearly fell over upon noticing and hearing a small green gelatinous Pokemon speak out, he thought that only Team Rocket's Meowth could do that! "It is our duty to keep this world in balance, you have no idea what is going to occur thanks to you trapping me!"

"Oh I have a very good idea!" The crazed trainer grinned. "Ya see those Aura Guardian wimps, the only humans your kind trusted? I helped wipe them out!"

The Pokemon's eye widened in horror. "Y-You?! You monster!"

"Why thank you!" Pyro seemed to take being called a psychopath as if he was complimented.

"Hey!" Ash shouted out as he stepped out from the bushes, unable to stand by and watch any longer. "I have no idea what that thing is but I'm not about to stand by and watch you do harm to it!"

"Ash don't! That guy's clearly dangerous!" Leaf hissed out.

"Ya shoulda listened to ya girl, mate!" The crazed man grinned. "Nobody's dared face me and live!" He placed down the containment device the 'core' Pokemon was trapped in before quickly reaching for a Pokeball. "Magmortar, I'm counting on ya!"

The ball burst open as Magby's final form phased into existence before Ash and Leaf, Leaf letting out a terrified scream as the Pokemon looked quite strong and intimidating. Far outranking anything they'd ever seen before as it almost looked Elite Four level in strength!

"Burn baby, burn them with Fire Blast!" Magmortar aimed his cannon shaped hands at Ash and Leaf as they began glowing brightly and casting off a great heat, Ash quickly returned Charmander to spare him of the upcoming attack but wasn't giving up entirely. He had to protect Leaf after all!

"Espeon use Confusion!" Espeon's eyes lit up as a more powerful psychic energy emerged and cloaked around the massive fire, however despite Espeon's Confusion upgrading into the Psychic attack it wasn't anywhere near powerful enough to halt the fire in it's place and there was still a lot of heat radiating off of the attack.

Leaf let out a scream and quickly threw her arms around Ash, shaking with fear as she closed her eyes. Ash started looking genuinely terrified for a change, was this really how it was going to end? Murdered in the middle of the woods by a crazed pyromaniac?! No wonder the legal age to become a Pokemon trainer had gotten bumped up and they were required to graduate now. Did this happen often?! He wrapped an arm around Leaf and closed his eyes, hoping that his end would come quick... but it never did. Ash opened his eyes and noticed an barrier surrounding him and Leaf that appeared to be made from aura. A cloaked figure stood at their side with a heavily scarred golden Lucario by his side, both of them glared intensely at the pyromaniac.

"Back off the chosen one, Pyro!"

"Ooooh the golden one survived!" Pyro turned to him with a gleeful expression. "I bet it was so depressing hearing about your family am I right? Waking up possibly hours later, climbing out of burning rubble only to see your beloved sister's corpse? Couldn't even bury your nephew!"

"My nephew is fine, thank you."

"What?! Shade actually failed at something... interesting, but then again we're just human! Still doesn't change the fact that your sister is dead though, did ya hear me?1 I said she's dead, D-E-A-D!" Pyro laughed with a crazed look in his eyes.

"I heard you but much as I wish to kill you, I'm taking you in alive. You see while I was tailing you I discovered that you're not the man I want to kill, I'll use you for information to find that bastard and end him myself!"

"Freeze dirt bag, international police!" A bunch of Arcanine and Manectric appeared from the bushes, growling out as a group of policemen came out with a figure in a trench coat leading the way, a Croagunk walking by his side.

"Agent Looker, long time no see."

"Victor, thank you for tracking down this terrorist for us. He's head honcho of Team Flare according to our sources, Kalos will rest a lot easier with this scumbag behind bars."

Pyro let out a laugh. "Cute, you really think I'm gonna just surrender and go to prison?!" Pyro picked up the device holding the Zygarde core and began tossing it up and down. "You fully well know what this is, right? Nothing's stopping me from simply crushing it and bringing the world into darkness and chaos!"

"Don't you dare you pyromaniac-ing buffoon! He'll kill us!" Xerosic shouted over the headset, referring to their boss.

"He's bluffing," Victor calmly stated.

Pyro cursed but not before tossing the containment device right at Victor. "Think fast, gold boy! Magmortar make a wall of fire!" Magmortar cast up a wall of fire between Pyro and the others, blocking each other off as Pyro flashed Victor a grin as he slowly recovered. "Farewell, aura guardian! You're never stop us cause our order is eternal!" The fire began quickly expanding, giving no hope of catching Pyro as he raced off.

"Blast," Victor threw a ball forward, summoning an Inteleon that began dousing out the flames. "You can free them now." He turned to Lucario before looking at Looker. "He got away..."

"Quite unfortunate, his capture could have been quite beneficial in helping us make out the leader of Team Rocket!" Looker looked to his men. "Patrol the perimeter, it's possible he could be hiding out somewhere. Do not engage unless necessary."

Looker then turned his gaze to Ash and Leaf who still had their arms around each other. "That was rather foolish, what on earth were you two doing out here?"

"Oh give them a break, Looker. You fully well know who that boy is," Victor kept his hood on as he looked Ash over. "He's the chosen one," He knew full well that was Red's son but a few living Aura Guardians secretly knew of where Ho-oh settled and Victor was one, he knew Ho-oh's aura and the boy reeked of it!

"That doesn't mean he deserves special treatment!" Looker glared before letting out a sigh. "Just escort them out of here, I have to keep an eye out for my men."

Victor smiled lightly before waving his hand at Leaf and Ash to follow. Both were silent for a moment before Ash suddenly asked a question.

"Hold up, you feel familiar... do I know you from somewhere?" Ash didn't understand what aura was, mostly cause he wasn't even aware he had it but something inside of him, his aura indicated that his aura had a sense of familiarity to it. So Ash's thought process caused him to assume that Victor was somebody he knew.

"Nope," Victor turned to Ash before stopping once more. "Well we're here and I did what I was asked." Victor turned away and began walking off with his Lucario. "Word of warning though, the Pokemon League back home? It's not as good as you think it is! Be careful who you trust!"

"Yes Victor, your idiot nephew is fine." The Magma grunt from earlier that week was now disguised as a nurse, gazing at the door to the room which was currently guarded by Zach's Lucario.

"Good then everything is going to plan, you know what is coming. The satellites won't detect it for another few months but we can rest assured it's coming and only one thing can stop it, he's the key to that happening!"

"You can count on me, V. I won't let anything happen to him and I promise that nobody is getting through that door without my say so!"

"Good, stay safe Zinnia."

"Finally I can get up!" Zach looked down at his leg as he lightly moved it about the hospital bed with a delighted look upon his face. "You have no idea how boring it is just sitting around all day, I bet Combusken's been restless to start training with me and the others. I know I am! I couldn't have managed it without you though," He turned to May causing her to quickly look away with a blush.

"Well I couldn't just leave, you'd be so lonely..."

"You never did leave, did you?"

"Nope, I wanted to be real supportive of my future champion!" May's cheeks suddenly light up bright red as she realized what she'd said. "Er- I mean a champion!"

"You're a good friend, you know that?" Zach stated before forming a light smile. "You know what maybe I will become Hoenn's champion, I've always found Hoenn's Pokemon more interesting than Kanto's."

May smiled and gazed into his eyes for a moment, her blush remaining across her face as she leaned forward. Their faces mere inches apart as she spoke. "You're more than just a friend to me!"

"No duh, we're best friends right?" Zach smirked, playfully nudging her arm.

May bit her lip as she realized Zach was just dense but there was one way to fix that! She leaned closer and closed her eyes as her lips moved closer to his but just before their lips could meet the door burst open causing May to jump up and swear shortly before a blue blur shot across the room.

"Zachie, you're okay!" Dawn squealed out, throwing her arms around him.

"D-Dawn?!" Zach stuttered, looking shocked to see her there.

"I got here as soon as I could, I wanted to see it for myself!" May noticed Dawn sounded worried in the same manner that she had been, causing her to puff her cheeks before glaring at Dawn.

"B-But you... how?" Zach looked concerned, he was excused and Birch had given May the okay to watch over him so long as she did all of her schoolwork, knowing she wouldn't get much work done stressing herself over on worrying if he was okay or not.

"It's okay I-I switched schools!" Dawn's face went red as she twirled her hair. "I kinda wanted to escape from my mom's shadow and I could never do that by starting off my coordinator career in the exact place she grew up in." May nodded her head in understanding, knowing that all too well as people wanted her to be just like Norman growing up. "So I chose to get a place here!"

"T-That's great!" Zach sat up, looking quite excited.

May however clenched her fists with an annoyed look, it didn't take a genius to tell that Dawn liked him and he definitely liked Dawn from what she could tell. But that was fine, despite Dawn's pet name the two weren't dating. There was still a chance she could hook up with him, she had a feeling in her gut that he felt the same way about her!

"I'm Dawn by the way!" Dawn turned to May with a friendly smile but that soon turned to a light glare as she picked up similar thoughts to what May was thinking about her.

"I'm May," May took her hand, the two lightly glaring at each other as they shook hands.

"I wonder what he could have meant, 'don't trust the League'?" Ash asked Espeon as they laid in bed together that night, staring up at the roof of their hotel room. The thought had been burning on his mind all day, Victor clearly knew something that they didn't but what?!

Victor watched him from a nearby rooftop, his gaze focused on the boy. His cloak fluttered in the wind revealing that his left arm was gone and replaced with a robotic arm, his real one having been crushed when the building fell on him during the attack all those years ago.

"Should we have told him?"

Victor shook his head. "Nah besides he'd never believe us. We're strangers and far as I can tell he doesn't know he has aura."

"You just told Pyro he's the chosen one though, isn't that going to bite us?" Lucario asked.

"Pyro may be crazy but he doesn't believe in prophecies, he won't open his mouth about it as to him I was spitting crazy." Victor then let out a sigh before staring off into the distance. "Besides we don't know just how far the corruption goes, if the world champion himself is corrupt then there's a good chance that most of the Pokemon League is! Or at least Kanto's. Once the Ketchum boy is ready, I'll reveal myself and train him. We'll fix the world and make things right again, removing Ghetsis is a top priority for what he did but there's no way I can face him on my own. The new generation has to handle that without me."

Lucario nodded as the two elder Aura Guardians watched Ash for a moment longer, Ash eventually turned his head as he felt as if he was being watched but by the time he had, they were gone.

Ash got himself an Absol! After Nidoran his captures turned into a streak of canonical ones, this breaks the streak and from here on out most will be things he doesn't have, well unless the anime happens to give him something I have planned for him.

Victor will be Ash's Ben Kenobi figure, training him and helping guide him towards his destiny of being the Rainbow Hero. However Ash has to grow stronger before he'll take him on as an apprentice as he wants Ash to grow on his own at first and view him in action, he won't go using aura every day however but it'll still come up on the odd occasion. Next time Ash takes on the Pewter Gym!