"Oww, my head." Ash groaned, sitting up. "Where am I?"
Ash looked around seeing he was in a small house with a wide variety of plushies.
"Wait, Team Rocket!" Ash exclaimed.
"Calm down." A woman said. "You won't do anyone any good by rushing off. You were pretty beat up when you were brought to me."
"Where am I?" Ash asked.
"My house on Four Island." The woman said, gently pushing Ash back down and placing an ice pack on his head. "Do you know how you got here?"
"No, the last thing I remember I was being attacked, and it felt like air was leaving my lungs." Ash admitted. "My Pokemon! They're still on Three Island!"
"Pikachu, Sceptile, Quillava, and Sneasel?" The woman asked.
"Yeah, and then Lapras and Swablu." Ash said, grabbing the two Pokeballs he knew still contained Pokemon.
"They started arriving not long after you." The woman said. "Now do you remember me?"
Ash turned his head to look at the woman.
"Prima?" Ash groaned.
"Good, long term memory is in tact, tells me it's likely not a concussion." Prima said.
"But what brought me and my Pokemon here?" Ash asked.
"I did." Lucario said, walking in from a side hall. "I sensed the primal force had returned and rushed after you as fast as I could."
"You knew it was back?" Ash asked. "And you're not freaked out about a talking Pokemon."
"It has been a long couple of hours, I've gotten over most of the panic." Prima said, drinking some coffee.
"Why didn't you tell me the primal force wasn't gone." Lucario questioned.
"Its hard to explain." Ash said. "And it's not exactly like we knew where you were."
"Look that thing is going to kill you, we need to take more extreme measures." Lucario said.
"YOU WILL DO NO SUCH THING!" Ash's body shouted, as aura tendrils snaked from his back at the ready.
"Groudon calm down, I'm not going anywhere." Ash said, as the tendrils eased slightly.
"There is not enough coffee in the world for this." Prima sighed.
"I HAVE DONE NOTHING WRONG! IT IS NOT MY FAULT YOU FAILED AT PROPERLY DESTROYING ME! IF IT WASN'T FOR ME THIS CHILD WOULD BE DEAD TWO TIMES OVER! WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN!" Ash's body shouted.
"You are correct. I haven't been around to help Ash with these new problems, I only just recently became aware of them myself, but you know that staying there will kill him." Lucario said.
"NO IT WON'T." Ash's body countered.
"Alright either take it outside or stop screaming." Prima said, angrily.
"Sorry Prima." Ash apologized. "And what do you mean this will not kill me, that's literally what was happening before we tried cleansing me of you."
"Exactly." Ash's body said. "You didn't cleanse yourself of me. You cleansed us together."
"I'm confused." Ash said.
"Imagine how I feel." Prima said, pulling a glass bottle from a high shelf, and pouring it into her coffee mug.
"When you fell into the pool, I went into hibernation, but having slept for a few hundred years, I woke up fairly quickly, but then I noticed something. Your body wasn't trying to fight me, and you were using my techniques with no problems." Ash's body said. "You created a perfect symbiotic relationship!"
"Symbiotic what now?" Ash asked.
"It means you can coexist with benefits from each other." Prima said, pouring more from the glass bottle.
"Are you saying that Ash is the new host?" Lucario asked.
"If he will accept me, yes." Ash's body said.
"Wait what does that mean for me?" Ash asked.
"I would stay here, and give you some legendary levels of power when you're in a jam, but otherwise you'll be in full control." Ash's body explained.
"All the fun of Groudon, with none of the drawbacks." Ash said with a smile.
"Actually its all the power of the primal force with none of the drawbacks. Groudon is still Groudon." Ash's body explained.
"And you aren't out to kill me?" Ash asked.
"Couldn't be further from the truth. Now that we aren't at war, keeping you alive is a goal of mine, until you decide you're done with me, or you're ready to die. I'll be like a co pilot. Here to help, but will mostly stay to myself." Ash's body said.
'Beep Beep Beep'
"What's that?" Lucario asked.
"A detection system. Someone's in ice flow cavern." Prima said.
"Is that not allowed?" Ash asked, regaining full control of his body.
"Normally yes, but with the Lapras migrating through here, the top of it is closed for their safety, and that's where the alarm is coming from." Prima said.
"Let us help, my Lapras was a part of that herd." Ash said.
"Very well, come on, your Pokemon should still be outside." Prima said.
At Ice Flow Cavern's top
"Hold it right there!" Prima said, pointing at a group of people.
"Team Rocket!" Ash exclaimed, recognizing the black uniforms.
"Get rid of them. This many Lapras will make Giovanni pleased." A woman with red hair said.
"Go take care of the Lapras, I can handle a few grunts." Ash said.
"Okay." Prima said.
"Drowzee come out!"
"Let's go Primeape!"
"Zangoose I choose you!"
"Take them out Crobat!"
"Lapras, Pikachu, I choose you!" Ash called out.
"Drowzee use Headbutt!"
"Primeape use Cross Chop!"
"Zangoose use Crush Claw!"
"Crobat use Cross Poison!"
"Pikachu use Thunderbolt, Lapras use Ice Beam!"
Pikachu and Lapras's attacks managed to stop all but the Zangoose as the normal type lunged right at Ash.
"No!" Lucario said, slamming down on the Zangoose. "Are you alright Ash?"
"Yeah, I'm fine, thanks." Ash said, catching his breath. "Come on let's help Prima."
"And if you ever try and hurt these Lapras again, I will make sure you won't make it out of here." Prima said angrily, as her Slowbro took down another of the woman's Pokemon.
"It appears she doesn't need our help." Lucario said, as the team Rocket members ran off.
"Maybe, but I need your help." Ash said. "I don't think this is the end of their attack, and we could really use your help."
"I will be there when you need me." Lucario said.
"No." Ash said sternly. "I can't risk that this time. What if you don't make it in time? Come with me."
"As one of your Pokémon?" Lucario questioned.
"No as an equal." Ash said. "Lapras can carry both of us, no problem."
"I wish I could come along, but this island is my home, and there are still risks here as long as Team Rocket's onslaught continues." Primal said.
"It's fine, this island is in good hands with you here." Ash said.
