Chapter 9 Alpha Kricketune
As they continue to move forward, they reach a bridge and a guard is blocking the path. "There are many strong Pokemon that make their home on the other side of this bridge! I can't let you pass unless you're a First -"
"If you are going to say we First Star Rank, then we are." Ash says.
"Oh, at your rank, you should be fine! Go on, then!" The guard steps away and says, "Don't let your guard down, now. Retreat to safety if you find yourself in trouble!"
After passing the bridge, they find Akari and a black-haired girl waiting for them. Akari says, "Over here!"
As Ash and Serena walk towards them, Akari turns to the girl, "Mai. This is Ash and Serena."
"My, my...A new face in the village?" Mai asks. "Not that it matters to me if you're new. If you're here, I assume you're prepared to be of help."
Ash and Serena look at the girl, and she is wearing a blue outfit with some symbol on it, and she has a Munchlax by her side. "I am one of the wardens of the Diamond Clan. You may call me Mai."
"Warden? What is that?" Serena asks.
"I suppose you might not even know what a warden is if you're new to Hisui...But such talk can wait. Right now, I'd rather we get straight to the point." Mai says. "I have a problem that I need help solving. So the more important question is this...Do you feel confident that you can lead your Pokemon in battle?"
"Of course we do." Serena says.
"That's good to hear. The Security Corps of yours certainly wasn't up to the task." She turns to her Pokemon. "This here is my partner. Munchlax. We were raised together like siblings. He battles at my side by choice, without needing any silly little balls as you use. Watch and learn."
"Ash, I want to battle her, is that fine for you?" Serena asks.
"Not at all." Ash smiles back and Serena takes out the Poke Ball and sends out Sylveon.
"Wait, you evolve your Eevee into a Sylveon?" Akari asks. "That means you must have bonded a lot with the Eevee..."
"That's Serena for you. Sylveon is one of her strong Pokemon, and she won't lose the battle." Ash says.
"Sylveon, let's go with the Agile Style Fairy Wind!" Serena yells, and Sylveon manages to go swiftly and Munchlax takes a lot of damage. "Now use your chance to use Swift!"
Once Munchlax is taking a lot of damage, Mai says, "You're not bad, Munchlax, use Rollout!"
As Munchlax starts to roll around, Sylveon's moves are dodged and it takes a lot of damage. "Sylveon! Don't give up! Let's try Fairy Wind again!"
And the final time, it hits Munchlax, causing it to be knocked out in the end. Mai holds Munchlax in her arms and says, "You really aren't one of the usual Galaxy buffoons if you could defeat my partner..."
"Well, my boyfriend is stronger than I, so I guess so." Serena says while smiling at Ash.
"Well fought, Munchlax." Mai says to her Pokemon, who groans back at Mai. "I'll take care of the Pokemon that battled for us."
After healing the Pokemon, Mai says, "I'll let you have these. You people make all kinds of things with your crafting, don't you? These should prove to be useful materials."
They get 5 Vivichokes, which are used for Revives. "You and your Pokemon fought well together! You practically acted as one with them. Rather like the legendary hero of old...The one we tell stories of to our children. I think both of you're indeed the ones for the job."
"So what is the problem?" Ash asks.
"You see. I need someone to deal with an alpha Pokemon causing trouble upon Deertrack Heights. It is a large, fearsome foe - like any alpha - but you'll come, won't you?"
Before Ash and Serena can say anything, their Arc phones are beeping as they take out from their pockets. Akari notices it and says, "Those things you have...They're showing you where you've got to go, isn't it?"
"Yeah." Ash shows them the map of Obsidian Fieldlands, and Mai says, "My, my, that is some curious sort of map. Is that one of those Galaxy Team inventions I keep hearing about? It certainly does seem to show the way to Deertrack Heights, up ahead of us."
"I'll leave this in your hands. You'll do great out there - I know it!" Akari says.
"It seems you're quite the asset to the Survey Corps, new ones." Mai adds. "Though...Before we continue, I must ask. Do you already know about almighty Sinnoh?"
"Almighty Sinnoh...I think I am confused about what you're talking about." Ash says as he thinks, "Stange, the term Sinnoh was already in this timeline?"
"Almighty Sinnoh steers all time. It's said to have created the very universe using its power over time's flow, and this land of Hisui was born in the process. It's by the grace of almighty Sinnoh that Pokemon can live and thrive here. We of the Diamond Clan are descendants of a people who crossed the sea and settled here in the Hisui region to venerate almighty Sinnoh."
"So the Diamond Clan worships Dialga...then there might be another clan that worships Palkia?" Serena whispers to Ash, who whispers back, "That might be possible."
"However, it stole away from the world long ago, hiding from our sight...Almighty Sinnoh has only rarely been seen by any human if the old tales are to be trusted. But there are still Pokemon here today in Hisui with a connection to almighty Sinnoh. And it is the duty of wardens like myself to attend to their needs. The Pokemon that graces Deertrack Heights is one of those honored few. It is directly descended from a Pokemon that was blessed with almighty Sinnoh's protection. Follow me, and you may understand."
As they follow Mai, they also notice some Pokemon nearby as they want to capture them, but they know they have to help Mai first as they continue to move forward. Ash asks, "Akari, what is an Alpha Pokemon?"
Akari says, "Alpha Pokemon are scarier compared to other Pokemon, they are big, and their eyes are glowing red, not to mention they are very hard to catch. To be honest, no one in the Survey Team has captured an Alpha Pokemon before."
"That sure sounds terrifying." Serena gasps.
Once they arrive at the heights, Mai says, "Oh? So even your Professor decided to join us?"
Ash, Serena, and Akari turn around to see that Laventon manages to catch up to them. "Professor? What are you doing here?"
"Whew...Thank goodness...I got here in time..." Laventon sighs. "As a Pokemon researcher, I could hardly miss out on a chance to observe an alpha, now, could I?"
"I suppose that is your business...Fine - as long as you stay out of the way." Mai sighs as she turns around, "This is Deertrack Heights...This is where I've long come to pay tribute to a special Pokemon - a Pokemon descended from one of those ancients blessed by almighty Sinnoh."
Just then, a Kricketune appears in front of them, and much to their surprise, it is very big and their eyes are glowing red. "That's not it. That's only a troublemaker here to disturb the peace with its racket."
"So that is an Alpha Kricketune..." Serena says.
"And that's what you're here for, Ash, Serena: to drive that interloper from this place." Mai says.
"Upon my word...what a large specimen!" Laventon says. "Little wonder alpha Pokemon are feared across the land if they're all as oversized as this one!"
"Exactly. They're not only big, though. They are strong and may know moves that others of their kind do not. They're naught to be trifled with, let me tell you. Nevertheless...I believe you are stronger still than this alpha. So go show it that, beyond any mistaking!"
"Be careful, Ash, Serena. Size is a potent weapon in and of itself. No doubt this alpha is a powerful and hardy foe. If you must face it, make sure your Pokemon has some strong moves at their disposal."
"So they are just like Totem Pokemon...I guess we should work together for this one, Serena." Ash says.
"I agree." Serena says as they send out Rowlet and Oshawott. Both of them are using their moves like Aerial Ace and Water Pulse, Aerial Ace is super effective against the Pokemon, but the Agile Style move doesn't give him a chance to do a second attack regarding the speed. And Water Pulse manages to make Kricketune confused.
"Serena, do you think we can catch an Alpha Pokemon?" Ash asks. "Akari says that nobody has managed to catch it...but the Pokedex also asks us to catch one as well."
"Then we should do it." Serena throws a Pokeball at the Alpha Pokemon, and then it is successfully captured.
"You did it...you captured the Alpha Pokemon!" Akari gasps at her two partners.
"You two really are impressive ones, aren't you? Seeing someone best an alpha like that...It truly reminds me of the legendary hero of old!" Mai says as she steps forward. "We'd best make sure your Pokemon are taken care of after facing off against such a foe."
She offers to heal their Pokemon, and they do. But then, they hear a loud cry as they look on the cliff, Laventon asks, "Wh-what in the world?!"
Ash and Serena can't believe their eyes, they see a white deer-like Pokemon that is very similar to Stantler, but different, staring at them.
"It's the great Wyrdeer!" Mai says.
"Wyrdeer?" Ash asks, and the Pokemon just jumps down and lands in front of them. "I can't believe it...there is even a Pokemon that I've not seen before..."
Wyrdeer looks at Ash and Serena, not with malice, but with kindness. Ash and Serena don't make a sound, and then Wyrdeer just leaves.
"I'd say the great Wyrdeer has taken a liking to you. That is fortunate." Mai says. "He is an esteemed Pokemon that can dash across the expanses of Hisui while bearing a human on his back - a human he deems worthy, at least. He is a blessing to us all."
"Remarkable! Truly outstanding stuff! A Pokemon letting someone ride on it...Why, it's just like the Ride Pokemon of Alola!"
"Now that you think about it...it really does sound like that..." Ash says, but then he realizes that Riding Pokemon in Alola also dates back a lot of time as well.
Just then, an Abra comes and gives Akari a letter, after Akari reads it, she says, "It's from Captain Cyllene. She said that once Ash and Serena carried out this request, we'd be able to set up a base camp here."
"Ah, about that, I know this was a joint decision by Adaman and the commander, but still - is truly fine for us to set up more base camps like this?" Laventon asks.
"The Hisui region is a land created by almighty Sinnoh for the sake of its Pokemon. As long as your goal is to coexist and thrive together with the Pokemon, then I imagine you should also be allowed to use this land." Mai says. "The great Wyrdeer has taken a liking to Ash and Serena as well. This is a good sign."
She turns to Ash and Serena, "You have my thanks for what you did today. Our clan leader will hear of how you aided us. I'll come to show my appreciation with a proper reward as soon as I can."
"Thanks." Ash says as Mai leaves.
"If we want to "coexist and thrive" with Pokemon, we'll need to stop fearing them and start getting to know them better. That starts with completing the Pokedex!" Akari says. "Anyway, we should be able to have that base camp set up once the Construction Corps arrives."
Ash and Serena nod as they decide to do some Pokedex work while waiting for the Construction Corps to set up a camp.
And I'll end this chapter right here, Ash and Serena manage to defeat the Alpha Kricketune and meet a new Pokemon: Wyrdeer. I hope you like this chapter and the next chapter will be evolutions and new dex entries, along with new tasks.