We stayed a couple of days more in town, Johana sleeping in Dawn's room and us staying with Riley. I'm starting to warm up to them. They've been instrumental in keeping Ash calm and helping him balance his raging emotions.
The contest was re-done in those days. It was kind of sad that there was almost no crowd and half of the contestants decided not to participate. Then again, no one could blame them. Jessie won it easily. Her second ribbon was safely placed in her ribbon case.
It was a slow process but Dawn was finally ready to restart our journey. Slowking had joined us, at least until we reached Hearthome City. Dawn... we needed a respite from the media. We took the Cyling Road on rented bikes, which seemed to brighten Dawn up. She seems to like cycling, pity her bike was destroyed. At least, it wasn't my fault this time.
Though Misty seemed to be quite stunned when she received a blue bike at her gym's doors. Ash now aware of all the money he had, had decided to surprise Misty and pay her back. All of us, Kanto originals, were there to witness the moment. We burst out laughing when we saw her shocked face. She can no longer hold it over our heads.
After Cyling Road, we went sightseeing on a steamboat, before reaching Hearthome City. But before Ash could send Slowking back, we received a message from our Elite Sinnoh Squad. It seems that it was time for them to experience their first cell takeover.
Before all, they've done was training, surveillance, and undercover missions. However, once Rose found out the location of the biggest pokemon trading ring of Team Galactic in Sinnoh, we decided to hit it and finish them. It did help that everyone was so focused on Ash, that no one noticed what was happening under his shadow. It was so like Ash to take a disadvantage and turn it into an advantage.
Unlike, previous times, with the Elite Kanto Squad, Ash did not call his most experienced pokemon or sat for a long and arduous strategy meeting. It seems that he was still quite angry about what had happened to Dawn. So, he decided to simply use Slowking to keep our squad's presence lowkey and attacked.
Who did the attack you ask? Ash and I. Yes, only the two of us. My trainer was furious and needed to blow up some steam. With my speed and Slowking's mind deflection, they never saw me coming. With Riley's aura training and Champion Lance's G-men training, those bastards ended up groaning on the floor and cursing the moment they underestimated Ash.
With Noctowl's illusions and Rose's intel, the squad easily slipped through and secured the jailed pokemon. They were fast enough to return and catch the last of our battle. Ash skillfully dodging five Galactic Goons attacks, before firing his weapon with scary accuracy. In a minute all five of them were on the floor paralyzed. I soon followed him and defeated the five Houndoom with an Agility-Iron Tail combo to the neck. If I did take out a bit of my anger towards Zoroark on them... well, they shouldn't have sent Houndoom against me, in the first place.
"Wow," Josh's Luxray sighed in awe. "So fast! I could barely follow him with my eyes."
"You could?!" I heard Josh's Empoleon exclaim. "I lost him the moment he moved!"
"Half of you stay with the wild pokemon and protect them until the reinforcements come. The other half secure the criminals and their pokemon!" Ash barked his orders. Much calmer now that he had released some stress during the fight. "Josh you are in charge of securing the Team Galactic members and Sarah you protect the pokemon- they've been injured enough."
"Yes, sir!" They all replied saluting him, alongside their pokemon, and moved into action.
Morning came while we waited for the reinforcements and the criminals were secured and ready to be transported to jail. With all the paperwork and making sure the wild pokemon were sent to a facility safely, we were not done until mid-afternoon. Especially, since the wild pokemon were frightened and not eager to trust humans. Not to mention Ash had to keep his presence a secret from everyone but the squad, and we had to erase the memory of the goons and their pokemon. We even had to take one wild pokemon to the Hearthome City Pokemon Center for emergency surgery.
By the end of it all, we were turned, hungry, and done with it all. Especially with Fantina!
As we returned to the Pokemon Center we were surprised to find Champion Chyntia and Paul with Dawn and Riley. I was not surprised to find Riley looking towards us, Slowking's psychic powers could not deceive his aura abilities. But Chyntia doing the same was a surprise. If it hadn't been by Paul and Dawn's confused looks, I would have doubted if Slowking's guards were up.
"It seems that the theory that Champions' intuition is above average is confirmed," Ash murmured. "It isn't only Lance."
"It seems that the boy challenged Champion Chyntia," Slowking informed us.
"He is eager and confident, I'll give him that." Ash chuckled. "So much like me, yet still so different." As we passed them, Ash murmured: "We need to talk. Fantina messed up."
Champion Chyntia tensed, but she never lost her smile, and she wordlessly nodded her head. After taking a shower, Ash practically collapsed on the bed. Luckily, the food we ordered was sent to our room. The perks of being The Saint. A one-hour nap later, we met Champion Chyntia in the Pokemon Center's business room.
"Josh and Sarah gave me their reports." That was the first thing Chyntia said. Her usual smile and happy demure gone, she had her lips pressed in a thin line and her Garchomp was growling behind her. "Fantina should have detected this years ago. It's located only a few miles south of the city!"
"Yet, how could she if she is always away?" Ash replied, face void of emotion. Though I knew he was furious. "I'm not saying she can't travel and do contest, something she loves. But she is also this city's Gym Leader- the main line of defense. She should at least place a surveillance system to guard the city or create a team that will keep things running smoothly while she is away. So, criminals do not work around her schedule as Team Galactic did. This is not a town in the middle of nowhere, but a gym-protected city! This only happened a few miles away, it's an embarrassment!"
"It will be discussed and dealt with." Champion Chyntia promised. "But in the meantime, your battle with Fantina will be postponed."
"I don't care as long as the city will be safe," Ash replied and then proceeded with his report.
"You were both extremely lucky," Garchomp grumbled. "Taking a whole criminal cell on your own was reckless."
"We know, we were just angry," I replied, defensively. I did not want to hear this from a pokemon whose trainer missed this mess.
"Going berserker is not acceptable no matter what excuse you say," she continued, but before she could say anymore our trainers finished and they left.
Leaving me with a heavy feeling, one that I could not properly explain. It was not guilt or sadness. What I knew is that I did not want to feel it again.
We also left and joined Dawn, Riley, and surprisingly Paul. Dawn brightened, grabbed one of Ash's arms, and dragged us to sit next to her, with the boys across us.
"Did you get hurt?" She asked us, arms still wrapped around his, but careful not to be overheard.
"No, just a few bruises. Don't worry." Ash reassured her with a smile.
Dawn beamed back and her hod eased up a bit. The issue after rescuing her is that she became very attached to him and would panic if he wasn't close. Her letting him go on a mission without having a panic attack was a success on its own.
"Big mission?" Paul asked.
I was about to snarl at him for his impoliteness, but I stopped when I saw his eyes. Those were the eyes of someone who understood. Maybe Chimchar was wrong. Paul did understand what it takes to be an Ace Ranger, he just goes to it the wrong way. Those are the same eyes of someone who is used to their precious person to go out there and be in danger.
"You know I can't answer that." Ash smiled.
The animosity between them, which mostly came from Paul's one-sided rivalry and lack of understanding of all things that make Ash himself.
Before the conversation could continue, the breaking news of Sinnoh Now caught all four attentions.
The Lustrous Orb was found...
Shit! I cursed in my head. They are freaking coming! This time is not just any Legendary. But the big ones...
We'll need to have someone go to Celestic Town and change the original one with a copy. We can't let Galactic Team get their hands on them.
What a mess. I sighed internally, knowing Ash shared the same feeling.
We'll have so much work from now on. We better get it done soon.