"Alright everyone!" Ultima said to the gathered trainers. "Today you will be pushed beyond any limits you've ever imagined. Some of you may not even survive."

"It's just the three of us, why is she acting like there's a crowd?" Wally whispered.

"You in the back! What's your name!" Ultima shouted, pointing at Wally.

"Wally, we met yesterday? And again its just the three of us." Wally pointed out.

"Come up here Wally, you will be our training dummy." Ultima said.

"I'd take offense to that, if I knew the context." Wally said. "What do I need to do?"

"Survive." Ultima said, calmly. "If you can make it to midnight without being caught, you win."

"This explains nothing! Who is chasing me?!" Wally exclaimed.

"The rest of the class." Ultima said. "Minus a few Pokemon. Brendan you can only take Marshtomp, and Ash you must pick between Grovyle, Quilava, or Pikachu."

"Wait, when did Pikachu become an option?!" Wally said in a panic.

"SInce I found an old book on their lineage." Ultima said.

"I choose Grovyle." Ash said. "Pikachu can stay here with the others and have fun, and I haven't worked enough with Quilava in his new form, I want to give him time."

"So do I get a head start, or an advantage?" Wally asked.

"You have until they reach you to run." Ultima said.

"Uh oh." Wally said, seeing Brendan and Marshtomp, and Ash and Grovyle race towards him. "Kirlia use Teleport!"

Wally vanished in an instant, disappearing from the peak.

"Wait, Teleport sends him back to the Pokemon center!" Brendan realized grabbing Marshtomp and running for the Pokemon Center.

"Come on Grovyle." Ash said, launching himself with aura tendrils as Grovyle followed suit.

"Interesting." Ultima said, watching Ash's aura tendrils.

"What's so interesting, and why are we lying to them?" Wally asked, stepping outside of Ultima's cabin.

"Ash's powers, are they aura by chance?" Ultima asked.

"Umm…". Wally paused.

"You know you can't lie to me." Ultima said.

"Yes, but they've been evolving lately, he used to not be able to do that." Wally admitted.

"Powers do tend to grow the more they are used." Ultima said. "Perhaps he has other potential, as do you."

"No, I'm the normal guy, just good old Wally." Wally said.

"For now." Ultima said. "But you have great potential."

At the Pokemon Center

"He's not here." Brendan said. "Where did he go, the only road from here is up the hill."

"Not the only road." Ash said. "The grass racetrack! Grovyle let's go!"

"No, the water to the south, if Kirlia got him this far, he might be using it's psychic abilities for this!" Brendan called out.

At the grass racetrack

"Man, I really thought Wally would go this way." Ash bemoaned.

"What aren't you happy to see me?" Diane asked, dropping down.

"Diane!" Ash called out. "Wait, I thought you left with your new bosses."

"They are nothing to me but a means to an end!" Diane said, raising an arm as a laser came from it, pointing at Ash's head. "But I don't trust their judgment, they're idiots."

"Something you have in common." Ash said, as Grovyle landed behind Diane, a Leaf Blade ready to fire. "Why are you even here?"

"To ensure you're telling the truth." Diane said. "If Groudon really is gone from you, then you will die."

"And if the Primal Force isn't gone?" Ash questioned.

"So you don't believe it's destroyed." Diane said, walking forward, placing a hand on Ash's shoulder. "The stone I used was a fake, I don't take out the red orb when those three are around."

"Why are you telling me this?" Ash asked calmly, as aura tendrils snaked their way out from his back.

"To get a rise out of him." Diane said. "Now, die!"

Diane had acted quicker than Grovyle or Ash could react, as he was stabbed in the chest.

"Guess I was wrong, oh well." Diane said, kicking Ash over.

"Gro, Vyle!" Grovyle exclaimed, attacking Diane with a Leaf Blade.

"Do you really think that will do anything, you can't beat me." Diane said, extending the blade into a sword as she pushed back Grovyle.

"Come on Grovyle." Ash said weakly. "Get out of here, get the others."

"Gro.". Grovyle said with a worried expression, before launching back at Diane again, his X-Scissor colliding with her arm blade.

"You should have listened to your trainer." Diane said, slashing at Grovyle as the grass type ducked out of the way.

"Grovyle!" Ash shouted, as he saw a leaf fly into the air.

A red energy surrounded Ash and Grovyle as the leaf formerly attached to Grovyle's head fell to the ground in front of the grass type.

"I knew it!" Diane exclaimed. "Lord Groudon I offer my body up to you as a vessel for your use!"

Ash's head rose up, both of his eyes blood red with omega symbols in his pupils.

"You think I need your body!" Ash's voice laughed. "You don't get it, I'm finally in a perfect host! Your body is dying!"

"My spirit may be dying, but my body has been augmented for you my lord." Diane said, kneeling.

"No, your body is withering away. While this one found a way to contain my powers without destroying itself." Ash's body said. "You are a waste of a disciple. I should end you here."

"My lord!" Diane said in shock. "Please I'm begging you! I'll do anything!"

"I don't need anything." Ash's body said. "My host does not wish to see you perish, but I believe someone else wants revenge on you."

Diane turned around to see Grovyle scream right at her before being bathed in light. When the light dimmed down, a new Pokemon was in it's place.

"Sceptile!" The new Pokemon exclaimed, slicing off Diane's robotic arm in one clean cut.

"Please, spare me!" Diane cried out, seeing tendrils come out from Ash's body.

"No!" Ash shouted, as his eyes returned to normal. "I told you, we don't do that!" Ash said, as he was lowered to the ground. "You will get what's coming to you, but I won't hurt you."

"You're weak!" Diane spat.

"No, I'm strong enough to forgive." Ash said, walking away.

South of the island

"This was a bad idea." Brendan said, clutching onto Marshtomp as waves were crashing all about.

"Mar." Marshtomp said, struggling to keep up above the waves.

"I think we should turn around." Brendan said. "Wally wouldn't have come out this way."

A bit of a ways off

"James, are you sure this is a good idea?" Meowth asked, as they pedaled the Magikarp submarine.

"I think Jessie is going too far here." James admitted. "And I can't sit idly by even if it is a twerp about to die."

"Jessie might us for this though." Meowth admitted.

"Not if she doesn't know." James said. "She went after Diane when she left the airship."

"Wonder what they's up to." Meowth said. "Wait Jamesie, look. I don't think we have to intervene."

Back in the rough waters

"Marshtomp, just go. Get Ash to get Lapras to get me." Brendan said, holding onto a rock.

"Marsh!" Marshtomp cried out, trying to pull his trainer back to shore.

"No, you have to go, if you don't, neither of us will make it." Brendan said, as his eyes began to shut.

"Marsh!" Marshtomp shouted, pulling with all his might, as he was enveloped in a bright glow. "Pert!" The newly evolved Pokemon said, easily grabbing Brendan with one arm as it swam back to shore, needing to go find their friends.

Brendan's Current Team and their moves

Swampert: Ice Beam - Rollout - Muddy Water - Mud Shot

Shiftry: Razor Wind - Faint Attack - Leaf Storm - Extrasensory

Aggron: Double Edge - Earthquake - Rock Tomb - Metal Claw

Rhyperior: Mega Horn - Crush Claw - Aqua Tail - Rock Blast

Hitmonlee: Blaze Kick - Rolling Kick - High Jump Kick - Mega Kick

Ash's Current Team and their moves

Pikachu: Thunderbolt - Quick Attack - Shock Wave - Iron Tail

Sceptile: Double Team - Leaf Blade - Dig - X Scissor

Swablu: Peck - Mirror Move - Dragon Pulse - Heat Wave

Quilava: Flamethrower - Lava Plume - Hidden Power - Brick Break

Sneasel: Ice Shard - Agility - Thief - Metal Claw

Lapras: Water Gun - Ice Beam