Ash vs Wallace!
Marnie returned to the Pokemon Center a bit later than she should have as she'd managed to lose track of time, the first two hours that she was out and about she didn't have any luck locating an Eevee but right as she was about to give up and try again somewhere else an Eevee poked it's head out of a nearby bush and caught her attention as it cried out to her.
"Eevoi?"
"Eevee!" Marnie let out a startled gasp while an excitable smiled formed across her face. Eevee took one look at her before bolting it and Marnie quickly gave chase, chasing Eevee all over the forest in an attempt to capture it but it constantly eluded both her and her team. The excitement and thrill overwhelmed her and it wasn't until Eevee disappeared on her that she realized what time it was!
"Oh shoot, we've best get back! We've kept the others waiting long enough!" When she finally arrived at the Pokemon Center she noticed that only Ash remained which made sense as Dawn needed to go there early on account of being one of the judges. "Hey Ash sorry I'm late, I lost track of time!"
"Huh? I-It's alright Marnie!" Ash shook himself as he was still in a bit of a daze over what had happened between them the previous evening. "Zach went on ahead with the girls to keep them company." Though that was the reason he gave Ash, the true reason was that he saw an opportunity to get Ash and Marnie alone and took it! "Did you manage to catch an Eevee?"
"I'm afraid not," Marnie frowned as she shook her head though she was quick to shake it off. "Always next time though, Eevee can be found in pretty much every region so I'm sure I'll find one eventually!"
"That's the spirit, I hope you fine one!"
"Pi Pikachu!"
Marnie smiled at him before motioning towards the exit. "Shall we get going then? I reckon that the Wallace Cup will be starting up soon."
"Of course!" The two left the Pokemon Center and silently walked alongside each other as anxious looks formed along both their faces as if both of them wanted to say something to the other.
"Will you go to the Wind Festival with me?" Ash and Marnie simultaneously asked while turning to face each other, their cheeks swiftly turned red as they realized what the other had said. "Yes, of course!"
Pikachu covered his mouth and snickered out while Morpeko giggled out from within Marnie's jacket.
"Heh, it's starting ta make sense now. Ya really didn't know that Wallace was here, I knew it! I knew there was something that ya were hiding from me!" Marnie smirked while Ash rubbed the back of his neck.
"Hey I'm new to this, it's not like I've had a girlfriend before!"
Marnie let out a laugh before playfully elbowing his side. "Just don't make a big deal about our next date, I would have been just as happy going out to a regular old restaurant like Zach and Dawn did. No need to overthink it!"
"Well that's a relief," Ash chuckled out. The two continued to smile at each other as they walked through the Fula City streets.
"Hey isn't that one of the Galar heroes?"
"It is!" A group of excited fans tried rushing over but were pushed aside by a large crowd of people that raced towards the Wallace Cup!
"We're late, we're gonna be late!"
Ash and Marnie sweated lightly and waited for the crowd to pass before following them into the stadium where the action appeared to have already started!
"Altaria!" A Mega Altaria swooped graciously through the air above the stage. A girl that had a striking resemblance to Wallace stood on the stage commanding the Altaria as the crowd cheered loudly, the two hadn't even made any attack moves yet and they already seemed to have a large following from within the crowd!
"Who is that?" Ash asked, wondering if it was supposed to be a celebrity of some sort.
Marnie pulled out her Rotom Phone and began messing around with it. "Her name's Lisia, Wallace's niece. She is a newcomer to the field but very popular despite only having two ribbons to her name as of right now."
"Huh, guess being a Coordinator runs in the family." Ash spoke. He shot a quick look around in the hopes of spotting Cinderace as that was the best way of picking Zach out of the Johtonian crowd but strangely neither her nor her trainer appeared to be in sight. Ash shrugged before quickly locating a pair of empty seats, he silently motioned towards Marnie before making his way towards them.
"Alright Altaria, Moonblast then follow up with an Ice Beam!" Lisia ordered.
An orb of pink energy formed at Mega Altaria's mouth before getting launched off followed quickly by a beam of ice which caused the orb to explode upon impact causing a bright glitter of pink and blue lights to shimmer down onto the stage below as Mega Altaria landed on the ground and took a quick bow alongside her trainer while the crowd cheer loudly for the duo.
"A marvelous performance by my dear niece!" Wallace clapped alongside the crowd as the scores were put on display, showcasing that Lisia had received a perfect set of 10 across the board! Serena, May and Dawn could be stationed alongside Wallace. Serena was wearing the same dress that she wore during her Master Class Showcase while May wore an outfit that greatly resembled Lisia's but was white and pink rather than Lisia's white and blue, Dawn had crescent moon shaped accessories in her hair and wore a dress that was sky blue on the upper half, light blue in the middle and dark blue across the bottom while her legs were covered with black leggings. "And now for our next performer, put your hands together for Zach!"
"Wait what?!" Dawn blinked before blushing heavily as she realized her boyfriend had most likely entered to show off to her.
"Oh wow, he really went all out didn't he?" May's eyes widened while a bit of a blush formed across her own cheeks as Zach stepped out onto the field. He wore a black vest atop of a grey dress suits along with a pair of black dress pants. His hands were covered by a pair of black gloves that had sharp white plastic that resembled a pair of claws fitted atop each finger while his feet were covered by a pair of black dress shoes which had the front fitted to resemble a group of claws! A long furry black scarf draped around his neck and went across his back side while a black hat with Mightyena shaped ears sat atop his head. Zach glanced towards the ground and took a deep breath as he threw a ball into the air.
"Umbreon let's do this!" The shiny Umbreon burst from the ball and did a quick pose just like they'd practiced! "Use Shadow Ball then follow up with Psychic!"
"Umbre!" The ball of black-purple static energy formed within Umbreon's mouth and fired off into the air above the stage, Umbreon's eyes swiftly glowed a bright blue color while a similar glow surrounded the shadow ball and locked it in place before Umbreon ripped it apart with telekinetic force causing tiny black-purple particles to rain down across the stage while the crowd cheered out.
"Huh, I wonder where he got that outfit." Marnie commented as she knew that Zach wasn't great with sewing and if both May and Dawn looked shocked then neither of them made it for him! It sure didn't look like it was store made.
Zach and Umbreon took a quick bow before leaving the stage. After the rest of the Coordinators had their shot they all headed backstage and anticipated the reveal of the sixteen trainers that would be progressing into the final act of the competition. It took a few minutes for the computer to read the results and process them all and soon the contest board updated to showcase sixteen pictures flipped over so nobody could see them nor the opponent that the computer had randomly selected. Right away Lisia's image was showcased which wasn't much of a surprise given her popularity what followed was a surprise as the next card to be placed along with the reveal of her opponent, Zach!
Lisia turned to Zach and offered him a friendly smile while extending her hand to show good sportsman ship. "I've never seen you before, I'm guessing that you're new? You look quite anxious."
"Er-I won't deny that I'm anxious but I'm not looking to be a Coordinator, I just came to show off for my girlfriend and impress her!" Zach laughed while flicking his gaze towards Dawn as he returned the gesture and shook Lisia's hand. Lisia narrowed her eyes for a moment before widening them as a smile crossed her face.
"Oh now I understand, you're the Zach! The one that saved Galar alongside Ash Ketchum, I heard that you and Dawn Berlitz were dating I just didn't expect to see you here!" She exclaimed.
"Heh, well I wanted to surprise her!" Zach laughed out.
"Sounds like she's really lucky to have you," Lisia smiled before motioning with her hand. "Let's go, can't keep the crowd waiting can we?"
"Ladies first," Zach bowed while politely stepping back.
Lisia let out a laugh before taking the stage and he followed a moment after.
"Dragonair take the stage!"
"Dragoooo!" Dragonair let out a melodic coo as she burst out.
"Altaria let's put on a show!" Lisia cheered while tossing a Pokeball into the air, the ball burst open as Altaria swooped down onto the stage. The two Dragon types immediately proceeded to stare each other down before Lisia threw up her arm and activated her Mega Ring causing Altaria to become engulfed in the bright pink glow as she began changing back into Mega Altaria!
The simple action on it's own ate away at Zach's points. "Moonblast!"
"Altarii!" Altaria sang out as the pink energy sphere formed within her mouth before launching off in the direction of Dragonair, striking the draconic serpent and knocking her back as a pained groan escaped her lips!
"Dragon Dance!" Dragonair's body became surrounded by a light blue aura as she began rapidly flying in circles, enhancing her attack and speed stats!
"Now use Dragon Pulse!"
May and Dawn opened their mouths to protest his command before quickly covering their mouths with their hands as they remembered they were judges.
"Dragoooo!" Dragonair sang out as she fired off a pulse of blue-green draconic shaped energy at Altaria! And although Lisia did lose a fair few points from the attack, Altaria remained unscathed!
"Wait what?!" Zach exclaimed with a shocked expression. The crowd began laughing out while May and Dawn gave him a sympathetic expression.
"Mega Altaria is part Fairy, silly!" Lisia giggled out before turning back towards Altaria. "Alright Altaria let's finish this with Dazzling Gleam!"
"Altariii!" A rainbow sphere of energy surrounded Altaria's body as she swooped across the field before throwing herself at Dragonair causing the draconic serpent to cry out in pain before falling towards the stage as swirls formed within her eyes.
A loud buzzing sound then echoed across the stage as the judges indicated that Dragonair was unfit to continue!
"And Lisia advances to the next round!" Wallace sang out. "Now let's see which of these fine coordinators will be advancing along with her!"
"Dragonair return," Zach returned Dragonair with a smile. He wasn't upset as he got further than he thought he would and learned a bit more about Mega Evolution, not all Pokemon had the same typing as they previously had upon activation! It was a nice experience but the encounter only made him crave a Mega Evolution of his own more than ever, he hoped that someday he'd be able to utilize the gimmick himself!
"Lisia is our winner folks, she's won the annual Wallace Cup!" Wallace himself stepped out of the judge panel and approached his niece in order to shake her hand and congratulate her on the win as the crowd had cheered loudly. Though she was his niece he remained impartial and judged her as fairly as he would anyone else. After awhile the crowd began to disperse and as Ash was about to stand up to go greet the former Champion, the man called him out!
"Ash!" Wallace had entered the main hall of the stadium, a bunch of eager fans rushed forward before getting pushed aside by his Milotic's tail, the Water type giving them a warning look as the Grand Coordinator spoke with Ash. "Your three friends informed me about your request and I'm more than willing to accept, they're the best Coordinators that I've ever laid eyes on and if you're their friend then I'm sure that you're quite as equally impressive a battler as they are at contests! I'd love to get right into the swing of things but it's already quite late and I'm exhausted. How about we battle a few hours from now, six on six sound good to you?""
"Sounds perfect to me!" Ash gave the former champion a thumbs up while flashing him a smirk. "I can't wait to battle against you!"
"The feeling is mutual I assure you, I've still got some things to get sorted around here but we can meet up two hours from now. Just wait at the Pokemon Center and I'll come gather you once I'm ready!" Wallace waved before quickly rushing off to prepare.
"Well that certainly gives you time to prepare," Serena spoke up as she and the others girls returned in their regular outfits. "Already got a team together for it?"
"Of course!" Ash excitedly shook as he wanted to experience everything the former Champion had to offer him!
"Well then we best get back to the Pokemon Center and wait for Wallace then!" Marnie laughed. "Can't have you missing your appointment!"
Dawn gave Zach a look as she stepped closer to him. "So what's up with the outfit?"
"That? Oh it's just something that I asked Nessa to whip together for me, I told her to surprise me as I wasn't sure what would make a good Contest outfit. I don't know why she chose Mightyena but I'm sure not going to complain. I thought it looked great when I tried it on!"
"I'd sure say so." May lightly smirked.
"It definitely does," Dawn exclaimed with a bright smile before wrapping her arm around him. "Now about about we make good use of the time we have and train our newest Pokemon together? They sure could use it!"
"Umbre!" Umbreon swiftly dodged a Hydro Pump before retaliating with a ball of black-purple static energy, firing the orb towards Dawn's Milotic. Milotic let out a pained cry but otherwise remained able to battle! Zach and Dawn were practicing on the training field behind the local Pokemon Center while May stood to the side and trained with her Swablu, May and Serena having decided to stay a bit longer to watch Ash's battle against Wallace. Serena was currently inside chatting with Ash and Marnie, being properly introduced to the girl.
'So she's the one that won.' Serena thought to herself with a light smirk. She was pleased that Ash finally found that special somebody, it made her feel less guilty for pursuing Clemont. 'I approve.' She thought while Ash and Marnie informed her of everything that had happened during the course of their adventure so far!
The bushes behind the training field began to rustle, catching Lucario's attention as the jackal swiftly turned to look. His eyes glowed blue as he read the aura of the approaching figure before calming down rather quickly, indicating whatever it was meant no harm. Zach turned away from the training session to follow Lucario's gaze before letting out a startled yelp as Zeraora leaped from the bushes and landed directly in front of him.
"Zeraora?! W-What are you doing here? You could be seen!" Zach hissed out while shooting a quick look around. Thankfully the only ones around were ones he trusted to keep Zeraora's presence safe!
Zeraora's eyes darted towards Lucario before looking back towards Zach. "Zera..." He uttered out a light growl.
"Carrr!"
"He wants to battle you?! No deal, at least not here! I don't want to draw attention to you, I won't always be around to protect you from people like Hunter A!"
"ZERA!" Zeraora's fists crackled with blue electricity as he slammed them against the ground, Zach quickly dived and rolled out of the way as he knew what was coming next. A stream of blue electricity raced across the battlefield and struck Lucario, giving him quite the electrical shock!
"C-Carrr!" Lucario gritted his teeth as the electricity surged through his veins.
Dawn was quick to turn away. "Is that the Zeraora Pokemon you were talking about?"
"Pip Piplup?" Piplup tilted his head in a questioning manner. While May returned Swablu before making her way over to watch with the others as Lucario was locked in conflict with the fierce feline!
"Ace ace!" Cinderace leaped up and punched at the air as she cheered her partner on!
"What's wrong with you, Zeraora?! You seemed so friendly yesterday!" Zach clenched his fists while uttering out a light frustrated growl. He really didn't want to make a whole lot of noise and attract attention but Zeraora wasn't giving him much options, he wasn't just going to let him beat Lucario up! "Let's do this quietly, use Bone Rush!"
Lucario let out a growl as an aura infused bone club formed within his hand, the jackal swiftly raced forward and took a hard swing as he brought the bone club down upon Zeraora's forehead! The feline briefly went cross eyed as a pained growl escaped his lips, the feline swiftly shook it off before springing forward as yellow electricity surrounded his body!
"Zera!" The feline cried out as he tackled Lucario, shocking the jackal as he pinned him against the ground!
"Aura Sphere!"
"Carrr!" Lucario gritted his teeth as he quickly summoned up a sphere of aura energy and fired it off against Zeraora's chest! The feline's eyes widened as the attack exploded against him, sending him flying across the battlefield!
Marnie leaped from her seat as she heard an explosion go off. "What was that?!"
"It sounded like an explosion!" Ash exclaimed.
Serena gazed towards the source of the noise. "Aren't the others training back there?"
"They are but they wouldn't be going all out like that, they're using their newer Pokemon!" Marnie explained before quickly waving her hand. "Let's go, they might be in trouble!"
Zeraora quickly sprang back to his feet and let out an enraged shout as he blasted towards Lucario before repeatedly punching his chest from up close! Lucario gasped out as his breath was knocked out of him but the jackal stayed strong and didn't give up!
"Bone Rush!"
"Lucarrr!" Lucario whipped out another aura infused bone club and struck Zeraora upside the face! Tiny Torchic raced around Zeraora's head as he dizzily swayed back and forth before correcting himself as he locked eyes with Lucario once more. Both Pokemon appeared to be near their last breath as their breathing had gotten away and their legs shook as if they'd give at any second!
"Zera..." Zeraora's fists crackled with blue electricity once more as he leaped forward and prepared to strike out!
"Steel Beam!"
"Carrr!" Lucario clamped his paws together and unleashed a large beam of bluish-silver energy, the beam flew towards the electrical stream as it burst from the ground resulting in a large explosion as the two attacks collided! Lucario and Zeraora found themselves engulfed within the explosion which shot them across the battlefield, Lucario flew and came to a collapse in front of Cinderace as swirls filled his eyes while Zeraora landed not far from where Zach had been standing, swirls present within the feline's eyes as it groaned out.
"They're both done..." Zach blinked at the sight before hastily retrieving two Sitrus berries from his back, he was quick to toss one to Cinderace. "Give that to Lucario please, I want to make sure Zeraora is alright."
Cinderace gave him a swift nod in response before kneeling to tend to her partner while Zach dropped to his knees and held out the remaining berry to Zeraora. The feline's nose twitched before his eyes opened up, Zeraora quickly gobbled up the berry and offered Zach an appreciative look.
"Why did you want to fight with us so badly?" Zach couldn't help but ask.
"Zera..." Zeraora looked towards Lucario before lightly punching at the air. "Zera orrr!"
"...I'm sorry but I can't understand you without Lucario around to translate for me, does this have something to do with the fact that he's my strongest Pokemon?"
"Zera!" Zeraora smirked.
"Well ya could have waited, I didn't want to-draw a crowd..." Zach happened to glance out of the corner of his eye and noticed that a fairly large crowd had gathered as a result of the ruckus they made. "Oh crud." He muttered as people were snapping pictures of the feline with their phones!
"I didn't know Zeraora existed in this world!" Ash exclaimed. He thought that perhaps the Pokemon was native to the other earth he'd visited as he hadn't seen another one until now.
Zeraora gaze flickered towards the crowd before flickering back towards Zach once more. "Zera..."
"Well it sure is going to be hard covering up your existence now..." Zach frowned for a moment before his eyes lit up as a smile spread across his face. "Hey I know, you could come with us! If you're looking to become stronger then we can team up and do so by taking on the Gym Challenge as a team, what do you say? You'd have all the privacy you could want back at the lab!"
"Carrr!"
"Ace!"
"Umbre!"
Zeraora formed a smirk and delivered a swift nod to Zach. Zach smirked back and reached for an empty Ultra Ball before holding it out towards the feline. "Welcome to the family, Zeraora!"
"Zera!" Zeraora slapped the ball's button with his paw, allowing for himself to be absorbed right in. The ball shook once before quickly chiming out to announce the capture as Zeraora didn't put up a fight! The ball stayed where it was as Zach had chosen to keep a slot open in case he happened to capture a Johto Pokemon. He picked up the Ultra Ball before tossing it up, followed by two other set of Pokeballs as Dragonair and Raichu burst out.
Dragonair let out a melodic coo upon spotting the newest member of their team while Raichu locked eyes with Zeraora and silently stared at him. Sweat began racing down Zach's forehead as he thought that Raichu was going to get jealous much like Pikachu had done when Ash had captured Toxel but much to his relief that wasn't the case, Raichu smirked while stepping forward to share a fist bump with Zeraora as he welcomed him to the team!
"Zera!" Zeraora smiled and let out a pleased sounding purr as the rest of the team welcomed him to the family!
"Mister Ketchum?" An well dressed elderly gentlemen figure stepped through the crowd before stopping in front of Ash. "The name's Jarvis, I am Wallace's loyal butler and chauffeur. My master has sent me to collect you as he's ready for your battle now!"
"Chauffeur? Like a taxi?" Ash blinked while tilting his head. "We're uh... gonna need a bigger car cause it's more than just me and my two buddies!"
"Won't be a problem, good sir. A limo awaits!"
"A limo?!"
"Pi Pikachu?!"
After a twenty minute drive the limo had come to a halt alongside a dirt trail, the butler exited not long after and opened the back door for them. "That trail will lead you to a clearing, Wallace will be waiting for you there. I will remain here for when you're ready to return,"
"Alright, thanks for the ride!" Ash gave the man a wave along with a friendly smile before turning to walk down the trail with his friends. It didn't take them that much of a walk but it was just enough that the battlefield was safely concealed by the trees and far enough that it wouldn't be overheard by passerby's along the road. Wallace could be seen reading a fashion magazine, the man seeming entranced by an article before the sound of one of them stepping on a twig caught his attention. He folded up the magazine before stuffing it into his pocket as he clasped his hands together.
"You've made it, marvelous! You want to get right into the action or got any last minute prep work needing to be done?" Wallace asked, seeming to be rather polite and accepting of the various battling styles that trainers had especially as he didn't seem to have a negative response when Ash answered.
"I'd like to get right into the swing of things! I promised Marnie that I'd take her to the Wind Festival so I'd rather not have us miss that."
"Understandable, I'll try and not keep you from your date then!" Wallace reached for his belt and grabbed one of his Pokeballs before tossing it up and down as he kept his gaze locked on Ash. "So just as a refresher this will be a six on six, once one of us either runs out or forfeits the match will be over."
Ash nodded his head in understanding, he already had a feeling that Wallace wasn't competing in the World Championship and the lack of a Rotom Drone proved that. It didn't matter to Ash though as he was doing this both for the experience and to prove how far he and his Pokemon had come! "I'm ready whenever you are!"
Wallace formed a light smirk before tossing the ball forward. "Starmie darling, you're up!"
"Hiya!" Starmie cried out as it burst onto the field.
"Servine I choose you!"
"Servine!" Servine raised her nose towards the air as she burst from her Pokeball.
"Confuse Ray, darling!"
"Hiya!"
"Close your eyes!"
"Ser!" Servine swiftly closed her eyes allowing her to escape unscathed!
"Now use Leaf Storm!"
"Servi!"
Servine leaped into the air as multiple green leaves spiraled around her body before flying towards her opponent, pelting the star shaped Pokemon with razor sharp leaves!
"Blizzard!"
"Hiya!" A fierce cold wind carried a blanket of ice and snow across the battlefield, pelting Servine before successfully freezing her in a block of ice!
Ash gritted his teeth as he reached for Servine's ball. "Servine return for now,"
"Well that's unlucky," Serena muttered with a frown.
"I wonder who Ash will choose next," Zach commented with a curious expression.
"Rowlet I choose you!"
"Hooot!" Rowlet cried out as he burst from his Pokeball.
"Rowlet?!" Everyone gasped out.
Wallace raised his eyebrow at the sight of the small grass owl before silently shrugging.
"Seed Bomb!"
Rowlet opened his beak and fired a barrage of bright orange seeds towards Starmie, the seeds exploded upon impact and sent Starmie falling onto it's back but it's crystal didn't start blinking which indicated that it was still capable of fighting!
"Psychic!"
"Hiya!" Starmie's gem began glowing a bright blue color as a similar colored outline surrounded Rowlet, squeezing the owl and unintentionally choking him!
"Ack!" Rowlet gasped out while staring towards the sky above shortly before a bland looking stone went flying right out of his beak, blasting off to parts unknown as it soared through the air before disappearing over the horizon! "R-Rowlet!" Rowlet cried out as a blue light surrounded his body almost immediately after the stone's ejection!
"W-Was that the Everstone?!" Ash asked as he saw something fly out of Rowlet but didn't get a good look at it.
Rowlet's body began quickly changing into that of Dartrix, it's old feathers molting away as he grew taller.
"Hoot!"
"Dartrix the Blade Quill Pokemon, it throws sharp feathers called blade quills at enemies or prey. It seldom misses."
"Alright Dartrix!"
"Pi Pikachu!" Ash and Pikachu cheered on their friend. Dartrix looked a bit anxious though as he was quick to realize that this shouldn't be possible due to the Everstone that sat within his stomach!
"Hooot?!" Dartrix's eyes widened as he realized that he wouldn't be able to use Seed Bomb anymore! "Hoot hooot!"
"Dartrix, Dartrix!" Ash leaped forward and knelt down to place his hands upon Dartrix's shoulders. "It's okay, you don't need it anymore! It was just a crutch, training wheels to help you master the move! You've been using it for years and it was about time we tried using Seed Bomb without it, I just kept forgetting until now! Now keep calm and relax, we can get through this together!"
"Hoot..." Dartrix looked unsure but he gave his trainer a quick nod of agreement nonetheless.
"Alright," Ash stood up and quickly returned to his former position. "Use Seed Bomb!"
"Hooot!" Dartrix cried out as he opened his beak, he closed his eyes for a brief moment before opening them back up as he felt something coming out. His eyes brightened as the green seeds started firing from his mouth once more, the seeds flew through the air before pelting Starmie in a barrage of explosions!
"H-Hiya..." Starmie fell to it's back as the light on it's center began rapidly blinking, indicating that Dartrix had taken him out!
"Alright Dartrix, way to go!"
"Hoooot!" Dartrix's body became surrounded in a bright blue light for the second time that day as his body began changing once more!
"No way!" Zach gasped out.
"It's evolving again?!" Marnie gasped.
"Dartrix?!" Ash's eyes widened as even he was surprised by that. Though looking back it shouldn't be that much of a surprise as Incineroar, Lycanroc and Melmetal were pretty powerful in their own right. Rowlet had to be fairly high leveled to fight alongside them and hold his own!
The white feathers along Dartrix's wings molted away and were replaced by a large cluster of light brown feathers that made it appear as if he were wearing a cloak. Leaves formed around his head and acted like a hood while his beak turned a dark green color. "Hooot!"
"Decidueye the Arrow Quill Pokemon, as if wielding a bow it launches the arrow quills hidden among the feathers of its wings. Decidueye's shots never miss!"
"Way to go Decidueye!"
"Pi Pikachu!" Ash and Pikachu cheered Decidueye on while a ball along Ash's belt shook as if a Pokemon within had joined in on it.
"Starmie you did great but now it's time to return," Wallace smiled as he recalled Starmie to it's Pokeball. "Walrein, it's your turn darling!"
"Walrein!" The walrus Pokemon cried out as it burst from it's Pokeball.
"Use Blizzard!"
"Walrein!"
"Dodge with Phantom Force!"
"Hoot!" A thin purple portal formed beneath Decidueye, the owl swooped down into it before the portal closed up allowing him to escape the blizzard as it blew across the field! Another portal opened up behind Walrein as a bright purple arrow shot through before striking the walrus' back!
"W-Walrein..." Walrein groaned out.
"Hail!"
"Walrein!" Walrein cried out as hail began falling onto the battlefield causing Decidueye to grunt out as the sharp and heavy ice dropped onto his head!
"Decidueye use Leaf Blade!"
"Hoot!" The tip of Decidueye's wing glowed bright green as he swiftly swooped across the field before slashing Walrein across the face! Walrein grunted out while Wallace flashed a light smirk.
"Aurora Beam!" Walrein opened his mouth and fired off a multicolored beam of energy, striking Decidueye before he could escape! Decidueye shivered lightly before swiftly returning to his side of the field.
"Hooot!"
"Spirit Shackle!"
"Hooot!" Decidueye retrieved an arrow quill from his wing, a shadowy aura formed around the arrow while Decidueye took aim before firing off the arrow! The arrow flew through the arrow before striking Walrein's shadow, to everyone other than Ash and Wallace the attack appeared to have missed before Walrein suddenly cried out in pain as blue fire surrounded his body!
Wallace clenched his fists before shouting out. "Blizzard!"
"Dodge with Phantom Force just like before!"
"Hooot!" Decidueye swiftly disappeared within a portal before remerging behind Walrein as he took aim and fired another arrow, striking the walrus in the back!
"Now let's finish this with Leaf Blade!"
"Hooot!" Wallace gritted his teeth as Decidueye's blade tip turned green once more, he watched as Decidueye flew towards Walrein before suddenly calling out.
"Sheer Cold!"
Ash's eyes widened but it was too late to do anything now! In his final moments Walrein unleashed a cold blast of wind, freezing the area around it while Decidueye's body began freezing up as his feathers turned a bright blue!
"H-Hoot..." He shivered.
Walrein collapsed first, swirls formed within his eyes. Decidueye had won but he didn't get out of the battle clean as he collapsed ten seconds after Walrein.
"Walrein return,"
"Decidueye return, you were great out there and deserve a long rest!" Ash smiled down at the Pokeball. Decidueye had definitely proven himself to be quite a powerful Pokemon!
"Tentacruel darling, you're up!"
"Tentacruel!" The Kantonian jellyfish Pokemon burst out.
"Melmetal, I choose you!" Wallace, May and Serena let out a collective gasp as Melmetal emerged from the ball!
"What the heck is that thing?!" Serena asked before quickly retrieving her light pink colored Rotom Phone.
"Melmetal the Hex Nut Pokemon, revered long ago for its capacity to create iron from nothing, for some reason it's species disappeared 3,000 years and only reappeared recently with only one known in existence. Not much data is gathered on this species."
"That is quite the fascinating Pokemon, Ash! But I'm afraid that this battle won't last long, Rain Dance!" Tentacruel raised up his tentacles and began spinning about before rain began heavily downpouring upon the battlefield. Wallace was clearly setting up for something but little did he know that he'd fallen into Ash's trap, with the former champion being unable to utilize Poison attacks that left him with only Water and possibly Ice attacks, and most Water specialists utilized the move in their strategizes!
"Hydro Pump!" Tentacruel aimed his tentacles in front of his body as he began blasting a powerful jet of water from his mouth and aiming it directly at Melmetal!
"Thunderbolt!" Wallace and the others let out a collective gasp as the move was a surprise to them. Melmetal's body sparked as electricity surrounded his body, the Steel type pounded his fists together and let out a cry as he fired off the electricity, sending it striking through the air before coming into contact with Tentacruel, the jellyfish Pokemon let out a loud cry as electricity surged through his veins before quickly coming to a collapse as Melmetal stood victorious..
"Melmetal!" The Steel type copied it's trainers actions while Wallace returned Tentacruel to his Pokeball.
"No doubt that is one of your Alola team members, I heard some of them were remarkable and strange Pokemon." Wallace stated as he retrieved another Pokemon. "You had the element of surprise before but let's see if your luck will continue, Gyarados my darling I need you!"
"GYAAAA!" A Gyarados burst out, leering at Melmetal with an intimidating expression. The Steel type responded by smashing his fists together and uttering out a shout.
"Metal!"
Wallace then lifted up the sleeve of his outfit to reveal a Mega Ring, reaching right for it as his fingers activated the key stone, resulting in the familiar pink glow to surround Gyarados' body as he began to transform into Mega Gyarados!
Ash gritted his teeth before throwing out his arm. A Mega Evolution was no joke on it's own but if the Pokemon was already extremely powerful before the activation then it'd just become an even bigger challenge! He wasn't going to give up right away though, Melmetal hadn't taken any hits himself yet so he was still in this one hundred percent!
Melmetal began rapidly spinning his body before twirling across the field at a rapid speed, his body continuing to rapidly spin as he stretched out his arms and started repeatedly bashing Gyarados' face, enraging the Water/Dragon as it's face turned red with anger before letting out a blood hungry roar, his eyes turned into a violent looking state as he leered at Melmetal as the Pokemon had resumed his former position across the field.
"You're not the only one with surprises though," Wallace snapped his fingers before shouting out his next command. "Flamethrower!"
"GYAAAA!" Gyarados opened his mouth wide as a stream of fire came soaring out, blasting Melmetal with it as the Steel type let out a grunt. He dug his feet into the ground and took a firm stance but the Fire was quickly getting to him as he couldn't fight his weakness for long. Melmetal's legs began growing wobbly before giving out on him as the Pokemon toppled over and landed face first in the dirt with a loud thud! It's one eye turned to a swirl as it uttered out a light groan.
"You fought well Melmetal, take a good long rest." Ash smiled as he returned Melmetal to his ball, he looked back up at Mega Gyarados before reaching for a different one. "Greninja, I choose you!"
"Greninja!" Greninja burst out and did a light pose before feeling a familiar emotion of Ash's, the two of them closed their eyes and started moving their bodies in synch as an orange light enveloped Greninja's body before revealing the form of Ash-Greninja!
"What the hell?!" Marnie gasped, startled at the sight.
"It looks just like Ash!" Dawn shouted.
"H-How's that even possible?!" May asked.
"...Is that a Mega or not?" Zach added on while looking confused.
"It's not, this is called a bond phenomenon. Something that only occurs once every thousand years and only happens when a Pokemon and a trainer have a remarkable bond!" Ash explained.
"Night Slash!" Greninja raced across the field, his hands glowed a shade of light purple before taking a slash at Gyarados with the water serpent letting out an enraged cry as the attack struck a critical blow!
"Hyper Beam!" Gyarados charged up the beam rather quickly before firing it off, his anger fueling his attack as it was set off much quicker than normal giving Greninja and Ash little time to react as the attack struck and knocked Greninja back. The frog wasn't anywhere close to being taken out though, his eyes met with his trainers as they both shared a light nod.
"Water Shuriken!" Greninja began summoning up the massive orange colored water shuriken that his bond form was capable of before taking a hard swing and launching it directly at Gyarados as he was stuck recharging, the attack met and exploded upon impact causing Gyarados to be sent flying backwards before landing in a heap.
"Alright, we did it!" Ash and Greninja high fived before their attention turned back to Gyarados as he slowly began rising back up, still in his Mega form as he let out an enraged roar!
"Thrash!" Gyarados lashed out, fully utilizing his anger as he repeatedly struck out with his tail and rammed it against Greninja's body. His movements quick and full of aggression as he didn't hold back the slightest! Greninja rose up after Gyarados finished, standing in place while swaying back and forth with a dizzy daze about him before shaking it off and turning his focus back to the Mega evolved serpent.
"Gre!"
"Let's finish it for real this time, Water Shuriken!" Greninja pulled back his arms as the massive orange water shuriken formed between them before hurling it across the field at Gyarados, the impact met in an explosion and Gyarados was sent flying once more before collapsing as the pink glow surrounded his body, revealing his defeated form as swirls appeared within his eyes.
Ash and Greninja shared another high five while Wallace returned Gyarados. "Remarkable, as strong as my bond with Gyarados is yours turned out to be far stronger. I'm impressed of the bond you two share and that form is quite fascinating but I'm afraid I must cut it's time in the battle short, Wailord use Heavy Slam!"
The massive whale Pokemon burst out and took a giant leap into the air, Greninja and Ash both stared up at it with widened eyes as they knew it would be difficult to avoid having Wailord not crush Greninja when it already took up most of the battle field! The whale soon came crashing down, squashing Greninja beneath it as a grunt could be heard beneath the Pokemon's body. Wailord backed up to reveal Greninja's unconscious form as the frog had returned to his normal state!
Ash returned Greninja and locked at Wailord before looking down at the final Pokeball. "You're gonna have to be fast here, Sceptile I choose you!"
"Scep!" Sceptile burst out and smirked upon looking up at his opponent.
"Sunny Day!"
"Rain Dance!" Wallace was rather quick to cancel Ash out, as quickly as the sun had turned bright it had turned into a heavy downpour! Ash gritted his teeth before throwing out his arm.
"Agility then follow up with Leaf Storm!" Sceptile leaped up as multiple green leaves began flowing and flying around his body, the Grass type blasting them forward as Wailord was soon met with a barrage of leaves!
"Clever but I wonder if you are quick enough to dodge this or if I'll remove another chess piece from the board," Wallace smirked before snapping his finger. "Wailord darling, another Heavy Slam if you will!"
"Wail!" Wailord leaped up into the air, exposing his underbelly which caused Ash to smirk before nodding at Sceptile. "Sceptile, leap up and slash a few times with Leaf Blade before hurling yourself out there however you can!"
"Tile!" Sceptile sprang up into the air, the blades along his arms began glowing bright green as he repeatedly slashed at Wailord's underbelly before quickly hurling himself out by digging his his hands into the whale and taking a hard swing with his legs before letting go, flying safely out of there as Wailord came crashing down into the ground with a hard thud as dust rose up and covered it from view for a brief moment before eventually exposing the defeated form of Wailord as it laid on it's side with swirls in it's eyes.
"Wail..."
Wallace returned Wailord before giving Ash another smirk. "Well done Ash, you've done well to get this far but I must warn you that this next Pokemon is my strongest!" He grabbed a hold of another Pokeball before hurling it forward. "Milotic let's finish this!"
"Milo!" Milotic let out a melodic tune as she burst out, putting on a bit of a show by posing before retaining a serious expression as she locked eyes with Sceptile.
"Blizzard!" Milotic opened her mouth and began pelting Sceptile with a powerful blizzard, the Grass type shivered but remained strong and persistent, not giving up as the attack faded away.
"Sunny Day!" Ash ordered out once more, Sceptile's move went unchallenged this time as the sun began shining brightly upon the field and made it rather difficult to see as the ones spectating the battle were forced to squint as they could hardly see what was going on!
"Solar Beam!" The bulbs along Sceptile's back began glowing brightly as he opened up his mouth before firing off a bright yellow beam of solar energy at his opponent! The attack struck hard as Milotic was flung back before slowly raising up, it looked to have done a great deal of damage and no doubt another one would finish the job!
"Alright Sceptile, let's end this! Solar Bea-"
"Recover!" Milotic's body began glowing brightly as the bruises disappeared from her body along with the serpent looking refreshed as she eyed Sceptile once more. Ash and Sceptile both let off a lightly frustrated look before Ash threw out his arm.
"Solar Beam!"
"Scep!" Sceptile fired off another beam of solar energy from his mouth.
"Blizzard!" Milotic opened her mouth and began firing off another fierce blizzard. The attack met the solar beam and most of it sacrificed itself to shrink the attack while the remainder of the snow flew through and struck Sceptile! The Grass type started to shiver again as his body turned a shade of dark blue before becoming encased in a block of ice!
"Sceptile return," Ash returned Sceptile to his Pokeball, knowing that he couldn't afford to wait it out. It was better to see if Pikachu could finish this rather than hope that the ice would melt before Milotic finished Sceptile! "Alright buddy, you're up!"
"Pika!" Pikachu leaped onto the field, his tail twitching with anticipation as both trainer and Pokemon set their eyes upon the Milotic.
"Recover!" Milotic began glowing once more as she shed off any damage that Sceptile had done. Ash gritted his teeth before recalling the new move that Pikachu knew, it would be difficult to pull off the maneuver he just thought of but if they could get it to work then there was no way Milotic could use Recover!
"Pikachu, use Surf!" Pikachu smirked and with a flick of his tail a massive wave of water formed beneath his paws and began rising upwards before towering over Milotic. "Now use Thunderbolt on the water!" Pikachu's cheeks sparked as electricity surged through the Electric type, the electrical mouse letting off his signature cry as he unleashed the electricity into the water causing it to spark with electricity and it started coming down on top of Milotic, the serpent letting out a gasp before following up with a loud shriek of pain as water covered her body followed swiftly by the electricity zapping her! The serpent landed in a defeated heap as her graceful appearance turned into more of a pathetic stance as her eyes turned to swirls.
"Milo..."
Ash and Pikachu paused for a brief moment as they examined the scene in front of them before excitedly turning to one another. "We did it, we beat Wallace!"
"Pika pika!" Pikachu cheered excitedly alongside his trainer, Toxel did a little dance beside his trainer while looking on with an eager expression as he greatly anticipated his turn at proving himself to Ash!
"Way to go Ash!" Serena cheered.
"That was awesome!" Zach shouted.
"Ya did it!" Marnie cheered.
Wallace returned Milotic before clapping his hands together, Ash turned to face him and thank him for the battle only to feel a circular stone being dropped into his hands. "Congratulations on the victory Ash, being a former Gym Leader it doesn't feel right not giving out a prize to the winner. I don't have much use for it myself given my specialty but I'm sure that you and your Sceptile will greatly enjoy it!"
Ash looked down at the palm of his hands and saw that the Mega Evolution stone known as Sceptilite sat there, Ash looked up and gave the former champion an appreciative smile before pocketing it and reaching out to shake his hand. "Thanks so much, Sceptile and I will be sure to get some good use of it!"
"Don't mention it, and good luck with your World Championship goal... and your date." Wallace smirked before giving him a light wave as he started walking off. "Give Steven my regards when you meet him!"
The celebratory moment didn't last too long as Ash noticed the time and realized that they should get going back or else risk missing the start of the Wind Festival! There would be plenty of time to celebrate later. Upon their return to the city however May and Serena separated from the rest of them before bowing their heads.
"I've got to get back to Hoenn, my parents need me to look after the Gym again." May informed with a light laugh.
"And I've got to get to my next Showcase!" Serena exclaimed. "The Master Class showcase is in two months and I still need my third key! Good luck on your date you two,"
"Thanks and good luck with your Showcase!" Ash smiled at his former crush. Serena smiled back and gave him a light wave before her and May began walking towards the distant airport.
"Good afternoon Fula City!" The mayor stood on a podium that was built in front of the walkway to the park, blocking the entrance as it was clear that they weren't opening the actual festival itself just yet. "As we do every year in Fula City we're doing the annual Pokemon Catch Race! A competition that showcases a trainer's ability to catch Pokemon, there are Pokemon roaming the city with stickers on them that mark them as part of the competition and you're to use our special Catch Race Pokeballs on them. Don't try a normal Pokeball now, it won't work! The balls are specifically designed to capture the participating Pokemon without fail, all it takes is your skill in order to catch one! You'll be forced to hand over the Pokemon and the remaining Pokeballs at the end of the competition and the winner will be crowned to mark the opening of the festivities! The winner will of course receive this large trophy and be allowed to keep one of the Pokemon they capture if they so desire. You've got a one hour time limit which starts now, if any listening trainers want to compete now's a good time to quickly register and head on out!"
Ash glanced towards Marnie. "You don't mind if-?"
"Of course not, I'll compete as well! Better than just standing around waiting for an hour!" Marnie laughed before giving him a light nudge with her arm. "And may the best woman win!"
"Righ-HEY!" Ash realized that she meant herself as she raced off while letting off a friendly laugh as the two got registered for the event. The mayor gave the two tourists a welcoming smile before tensing up as his eyes landed upon Ash. "Something the matter sir?"
"Uh-" The mayor's tone changed for a very brief moment before retaining the usual tone after a cough. "Nono, everything's fine! Just thought I recognized you from somewhere!" He handed the pair several blue Pokeballs that had a white line across the middle instead of the usual black stripe donning most Pokeballs. "You're free to go," Ash merely shrugged before taking the balls, proceeding to rush off with Marnie to go search the city for Pokemon to catch.
The mayor finished up registering the remaining tourists, including Zach and Dawn before quickly sneaking off into an outhouse not far from his location as he hissed into it. "Boss man this is Brodie the Phantom Thief speaking, you've got a bit of a problem. I've got the location free of cops for the day but you're not gonna like this, that meddling brat Ash Ketchum is here!" The man then quickly scrambled to keep a firm grip on the phone as a loud shouting could be heard from the other side.
Ash was currently racing through the city as he kept an eye out for Pokemon, soon spotting a Ekans slithering through some nearby bushes with the sticker visible at the back of his head before quickly hurling a ball at it.
As soon as Ash picked up the ball Pikachu spoke up while pointing at the roof of a nearby building. "Pika Pika!" A Murkrow was perched on the roof's edge which at first didn't look anywhere out of the ordinary due to it being the Johto region but Ash spotted the sticker attached to Murkrow's head feathers as the bird turned his head. He reached out and threw another ball, successfully catching Murkrow!
"Great job, Pikachu!" He looked around to see if any other Pokemon were around and discovered that other competitors had shown up, making the space a bit crowded. "Let's go a bit further away, we'll fall behind if we stay here." The two raced by Zach and Lucario who were chasing after a Furret as it played hard to get.
"Get back here!"
"Carrr!"
"Furret!" The Furret looked back with a playful expression and did the opposite by picking up speed instead!
"Good luck!" Ash called after him as the two disappeared around a nearby corner. A Sentret raised itself up with it's tail and did a quick look around of the area before being hit with a Pokeball. Ash picked the ball up before turning to Pikachu. "There's still time to squeeze in a fourth or fifth, shall we keep going?"
"Pika!" Pikachu flicked his tail as the two raced off once more!
"And so the competition has come to an end," The mayor clasped his hands together. "Those of you who managed to catch something please step forward and submit your catches so that they can be tallied!"
Zach placed a singular Pokeball upon the table, having spent the entire hour chasing the same Pokemon all over the city! Dawn came up after him and placed down two Pokeballs while flashing Zach a teasing smirk.
"Darn Furret had me running all over..." He muttered.
"Hey at least you're persistent, you never gave up on catching it!" Dawn laughed before taking his hand as they walked offstage together. Marnie came up after and placed down four Pokeballs, turning out to have the most of the competition as everyone else in the competition capped out at two!
"And we have our winner-!" The mayor called out after noticing that Marnie was the last in line.
"Wait!" Ash raced through the crowd before taking a leap right onto the stage, his breathing had grown heavy as he held out his hands to reveal five Pokeballs!
"Unbelievable, this kid's actually used up every Pokeball given to him for the competition!" The mayor cried out before handing Ash the trophy, resulting in Ash toppling over due to the sheer size of it along with his out of breath state!
"That trophy's half his size! How are ya gonna lug that thing around?" Marnie asked.
"S-Simple, I'll have it sent off to my mom. She likes looking after my trophies while I'm away!" Ash pulled himself off the ground with a smile across his face.
"Well there's also the matter of your second prize, do you want to keep any of the Pokemon that you captured during the competition? You can only choose one though." The mayor reminded him.
Ash looked thoughtful for a moment before glancing towards Marnie. "I'd like to keep Murkrow please," As soon as he was handed the ball containing Murkrow, Ash handed it over to Marnie. "Here you go, I know you're trying to capture Dark types from around the world so hopefully he'll be happy with you!"
Marnie stared at the Pokeball for a moment as she was momentarily shocked from what had just transpired before accepting the ball with a delighted expression before wrapping her arms around Ash's body and giving him a kiss on the lips in appreciation, Ash's eyes had gone wide as that was the first he'd ever been kissed like that!
"Thank you," Marnie breathed out before the two separated, they were still in front of a crowd so being that close was a bit awkward with everyone watching.
"Well then, let the festivities begin!" The mayor cried out as he cut the tape that blocked off the passageway to the pier, marking the opening of the actual Wind Festival itself!
Screaming could be heard as some people had already made a mad dash for the rollercoaster, the cart racing across the track and flying down the hill giving them a collection of fright and joy! Multiple other rides were also present like a merry go round, a haunted house that seemed to actually be filled with Ghost types as the familiar cries of "Ghast!" and "Haunt!" could be heard while fun games were also set up along with food stands, a certain violet and magenta haired individuals could be seen in disguise along with a shorter individual serving food in one of them, along with a fortune teller booth that adorned most carnivals!
"Fortune tellers, I always thought they were just a scam... but wanna go anyways? Y'know for the fun of it?" Marnie asked Ash as the two were walking along.
"Yeah sure, sounds like it could be fun." Ash shrugged as Marnie began leading the way.
"Hello there chosen one," Ash jumped from surprise as he saw the old man that was present during his Mega Evolution trial within the tent. A Xatu stood by the man's side as the pair looked towards Ash.
"You?!" Ash exclaimed. The disguised Mew merely smirked in response before turning his gaze towards Marnie.
"Found love you did, now fortune you seek? Come come you must!" He grabbed Ash and Marnie's hands and pulled them towards the table with surprising strength for an old man as he set their hands upon the crystal ball. "Now close your eyes and Xatu will show the two of you the future!"
Ash wanted to ask the man what he was doing there, part of him wondered if the old man was following him around but he decided to humor him for now as he and Marnie closed their eyes. Visions briefly flew through Ash's mind as he saw Zekrom facing off against a strange Pokemon that resembled Reshiram but clearly wasn't, followed by a vision of Lillie fighting off against individuals in space suits, a vision of Groudon and Kyogre running amok again but looking unusually different than before while an even stranger Rayquaza flew through the skies above them before the dream capped off with a view of a black demonic looking Lugia that let out a unholy screech! Ash quickly opened his eyes to escape the nightmare and discovered that the old man much like he had done before during the Mega Evolution trial had disappeared! Ash cast a glance towards Marnie and noticed her smiling, suggesting that the two of them saw different things.
Marnie soon opened her own eyes before casting a glance around. "Huh, guess the old man needed to use the bathroom." She shrugged before turning back to Ash. "Shall we get going? I'm sure you're eager to try out some of the food here!" She knew Ash well as his thoughts immediately drifted towards food as his stomach let out a loud rumble, Ash sweated while Marnie let out a giggle in response.
"Yeah, let's go eat!"
The two left the tent and ventured to a nearby food stand where four individuals stood behind a counter, one of them had short violet hair, the other had long magenta hair, the third was short and the fourth was an unusual shade of blue! Ash instantly recognized them as the Team Rocket trio but decided that he wouldn't say anything, they hadn't caused him problems in awhile and they didn't appear to be here to do so either.
"Two malasadas please!"
"Coming right up!"
"Wobbu!" The four sang out as they prepared the meal.
"And we have a winner!" A carnival attendant called out as somebody had successfully knocked over the bottles with a ball. Quite a few balls were scattered about the floor of the tent, suggesting that whoever had just done that had been at it for some time.
"That one please!" Zach pointed towards an Eevee plush, immediately handing it to Dawn after he'd received it.
"You didn't have to waste all that money..." Dawn formed a light sweat drop but had an appreciative smile nonetheless.
"I promised ya that I would win you something here, I wasn't going to give up until I did!" Dawn planted a kiss on his cheek before glancing towards their partner Pokemon, they appeared to be distracted by sweets that their trainer had bought for them allowing the perfect chance for a bit of alone time with him.
"Let's go ride the ferris wheel, the Pokemon are distracted and I'd love for it to be just us for a bit." Dawn grabbed a hold of his hand with her free one as the two locked eyes. Zach flashed a nervous glance towards his Pokemon before giving her a light nod while a smile formed across his lips as the two hurried towards the ride!
Ash and Marnie leaned over the edge of the pier as they ate their sweets, they had decided to briefly escape from the crowd and just appreciate the view of the ocean as the moonlight cast down upon and cast off quite the beautiful view. Ash sensed something familiar swimming in the water not far off but didn't think too much of it at the time, wondering if he was imagining the sensation.
"I had a wonderful time today," Marnie breathed out while leaning her head up against Ash's as quite the content smile formed across her face. "I love the others but it's nice that it was just the two of us for a change... well us and them anyways." She thumbed behind her where Pikachu, Morpeko and Toxel were eating their own sweets together. Ash having switched his team shortly upon returning to the city after his battle against Wallace!
"Yeah, I... I've never had this feeling before but it's great! It's like winning a battle only... different." Marnie rolled her eyes lightly at his words before grabbing a hold of his hand. Ash had an obsession with battling but she wouldn't change a single thing about him, he was just perfect the way he was in her eyes. She cast a glance around to make sure that they were alone again before leaning forward to give him another kiss.
"LUUUUU!" A large wave of water splashed onto the pier, soaking the two as a Lugia burst from the water followed by loud cheers from the people at the carnival. Lugia let out a happy cry in response and began flapping his wings as he started producing wind for the town, his gaze flickered downwards towards the pier as he moved his wings about and was rather quick on noticing Ash! Lugia formed an excited look before swooping downwards while lowering his head with a happy coo as Ash and Marnie were busy trying to shake the water out of their hair.
"Luuu!" Lugia had his head inches away from Ash's before giving him a light head tap, causing a telepathic image of a younger Silver to flow through Ash's mind, the boy quickly realizing that the Lugia was Silver after all!
"I thought I sensed something familiar, how's life been?!"
"Pika pika!" Pikachu raced over and hopped onto Ash's shoulder, giving Silver a friendly wave as the three friends were briefly united. Marnie glanced between them as she had no idea what was going on due to the events happening years and years ago back when Ash was merely eleven years old and traveling through the Johto region!
"Luuu!" Lugia sang out happily, appearing to be trying to tell them his story before a stream of fire shot from the air above, followed by a beam of ice, and finished with a streak of electricity! All three attacks met Silver's back and knocked him right back into the water, Ash let off a light growl as he looked up at where the sudden attack had come from and a horrified gasp emitted from both him and Marnie as the Moltres, Articuno and Zapdos hybrid hovered in the air above them, letting out an unholy shriek of agony and pain along with aggression! Panicked screams could be heard as the citizens began running away in a stampede, Lugia burst back out and let out a cry before blasting the hybrid away from the pier with Ancient Power, aiming to protect the civilians and Ash while the abomination let out an unholy cry of pain as the attack struck! Lugia then took to the skies and the hybrid gave chase after him!
"Come on, we've got to help Lugia!" Ash shouted as he reached for Charizard's Pokeball.
"I don't think so, Ketchum!" The voice caused Ash to growl out as he turned his head and saw Arlo standing there with some woman he'd never met along with the ninja and blonde girl from Snowpoint!
"Team Rocket, I should have known you had something to do with that!" Ash growled out. Arlo, Sierra and Sasuke all shared a sinister looking smirk as they glanced up with pride at their creation while Domino watched on with a brief look of guilt, quickly shaking it away as the ninja trainer cast a glance at her.
"Seeing as how you won't be around to tell the tale much longer I see no harm in telling the truth!" Arlo let out a cackle. "Yes, it was us! After I captured Zapdos, Sierra caught Moltres and Sasuke finished up by bringing us Articuno DNA allowing us to clone her! Then thanks to the genius of Dr. Zager, Thu-Fi-Zer was born!"
"How could ya do that?! It's an abomination to nature and clearly in pain!" Marnie shouted.
"Why else? The world will belong to Team Rocket before the year is done, it's a shame that you won't be around to see it!" Arlo spoke up while adjusting his glasses before throwing forth a Pokeball followed quickly by his companions as Mega Aggron, Mega Alakazam, and Mega Scizor all burst out followed by Domino's Roserade. What was strange though was that the Mega forms were already active upon release! Ash took a nervous gulp before clenching his fists as he knew they'd be in for the fight of their lives if they wished to save Silver from Team Rocket!
And another chapter is done! At first I debated evolving Decidueye into his Hisuian counterpart but I decided against it as I spent the entire Sun Moon saga wishing and hoping that he'd evolve into the normal form, and that Ash has plenty of Fighting types already!
And I'm not sure if Lisia will appear again, I just saw an opportunity to get her an appearance and took it! May's Contest outfit is her ORAS Contest outfit and Dawn's is the outfit she showed off to Chloe during the Darkrai/Cresselia special while Zach's is Hilbert's Mightyena outfit from Pokemon Masters.
I'm in the process of penning out a Hisui arc now, honestly tempted to have one of the characters get amnesia and get stuck there with nothing but the clothes on their back while the others are trying to find a way to both find and rescue their friend. Eventually ending up there themselves with intact memories so Kleavor and the other additions I teased happened.
Anyways I hope you all enjoyed, next time Ash comes face to face with XD001! :)