Hello again, everyone, and welcome back! This is SuperHeroTimeFan once again, coming to you with a brand-new chapter of my first Pokémon crossover story, This Is The Pokémon Way! I am so glad that you all enjoyed the last chapter. I had been wanting to get to that one for a while, and I was very surprised at how many good reviews it had gotten. I can see I won a lot of you over with my decision to bring Zoey in, as well as for Din to show a more brutal side of him. Glad that it was so popular. That, or the return of Contests helped. Either way, thank you all so much. This next chapter is one that will start a new arc for this Story. And yes to those wondering, I will keep the brutal side of Din. It seems to be more true to who he really is. Anyways, with that out of the way, please be sure to review, rate, and as always, please be sure to enjoy!
Chapter 7: The Job
Following the Zyutu Town Contest, Din continued to fly Ash and his friends to Ember City. Din had not yet decided on the path he would be taking, but Dawn took it as a bit of indication it would be a good side interest, especially since he had not yet offered the ribbon he won to her.
Din had also taken a slight interest in Zoey for being the one to keep him in check and helping to look after Grogu. Though he rarely showed happiness, he agreed to let her come along, seeming to talk to her more.
Speaking of Zoey, she was down below on the Razor Crest as it was in flight, looking at everything in awe.
"You know, if I had a nickel for every time I saw the inside of a spaceship, then I'd, well… just have a nickel," Zoey said as Dawn and May helped to show her around. "It would be a bit weird of me to say it's happened before."
"Well, we'll be flying around a lot," Dawn said. "Mando apparently said that he can't be flying this all the time."
"Which is why Clemont finally installed those parts to help it fly on low fuel usage," May chimed in. "Seventeenth times the charm, I guess."
Watching the three Coordinators was Ash, Serena, Cynthia and Brock, while Clemont, Iris and Bonnie were checking on inventory. Piplup was also watching the three before looking to the Carbon-Freezing Chamber. Curious, he waddled over, while Cynthia remained with a concerned look on her face.
"Let me guess," Brock said as Serena and Ash looked to them. "This is about the Ursula fiasco?"
"Don't get me wrong, I like that Mando is a caring parent," Cynthia said. "But considering we talked him down from killing Team Rocket, yet thrashed Ursula around… it makes me uneasy."
"You have to consider what Mando said," Serena said. "I mean, I don't like seeing others get on the receiving end of his wrath, but that's what a parent is like. My own mom once made sure a girl who was bullying me when I was younger never got within ten inches of me."
"I'm not gonna take either side, but at least I know he wasn't set to kill Ursula, even though I hate her like Dawn," Ash chimed in. "He may have promised not to kill, but Bounty Hunters do have other ways. You'd be surprised what you could live through." He said, recalling a lot of his near-death experiences.
"Even still…" Brock said as Cynthia let out a sigh.
Piplup peaked inside of the Carbon-Freezing Chamber, holding his flippers on the door and wall. As he tried to get a closer look, he suddenly slipped and pressed a button, causing the door to close.
"Pip-Lu~!" Piplup hollered before steam started to emerge.
"Huh?" Dawn asked as everyone looked to see the chamber activating. "Piplup!" she cried.
Din landed the Razor Crest upon seeing the next town in sight. He picked up Grogu and carried him down, only to hear a pounding.
"Come on! Open up!" Dawn yelled as the door opened, revealing a tiny slate that had a frozen Piplup on it.
"What happened?" Din asked.
"Piplup was looking around, and I think…" Dawn started before Din pressed a button on the slab.
Soon, steam came out, and Piplup was released.
"I'm putting a warning there when we get back." Din muttered before making his way to the door, lowering the ramp.
"Piplup, can you see anything?" Dawn asked as Piplup seemed to look at her. She held up her hand. "How many fingers am I holding up?" she asked.
"Piplup…" Piplup said, seeming to narrow his eyes. He soon became dizzy and staggered around, where Dawn soon caught him.
"Mando, how long will that last?" Zoey asked.
Din turned back to Dawn, holding Piplup in her arms. "Put him in his ball. That should help." He said.
Dawn nodded and took out a Pokéball. "Piplup, Return!" she called out, recalling Piplup to heal.
"So, this town has more info on what your job is?" Iris asked as everyone walked out.
"As far as I know." Din replied.
"Let's see how this all goes." Clemont said before Dedenne and Squishy popped their heads out of Bonnie's bag to see what was happening.
The group soon made their way to the police station. There, an officer was waiting for them. Seeing Din, she opened the door, where two Officer Jennies were talking. As soon as the group entered, they stopped and looked to Din.
"Hello, Mandalorian," one of the Officer Jennies said. "We've been wondering when you'd arrive."
Immediately, Brock got on one knee to the two officers, hearts in his eyes.
"I hope you don't mind his company," Brock said. "Officer Jenny and Officer Jenny, it would be an honor for me to work with you on whatever case is causing such trouble—"
"Croagunk!"
"Then again, I'll send you… my résumé." Brock groaned before falling over from the Poison Jab, where Croagunk dragged him away.
Everyone chuckled awkwardly, especially Ash, Pikachu and Dawn.
"But I thought he likes Nurse Joy…" Serena whispered, remembering he did the same thing before Zyutu Town.
"It goes for every girl he comes across," Ash said. "I think some of them actually didn't mind, but I can't remember who."
Din watched Brock getting dragged away before focusing back on the Officer Jennies.
"What do you know?" Din asked.
"You're with the Guild, right?" the second Officer Jenny asked, getting a nod from Din. She pressed a button on the underside of the table, bringing up a holographic recording of the Order of the Night Wind. "It may come as no surprise to you that assassins of the Hutt Clan have been active."
"And we know who hired them," the first officer said, showing a hologram of a man with spiky hair and a vest. "His name is Damian."
"Damian?!" Ash exclaimed as Brock, who had recovered, had the same expression.
"He's still around?!" Brock exclaimed.
"Wait, I remember you mentioning a Damian before…" Iris said. "Isn't that the same guy who abandoned his Charmander?"
"Yeah, that's him," Ash said. "We never knew what happened to him after Charmander decided to travel with me, Brock and Misty."
"Here's what it is then," the first Officer Jenny said. "Following the Johto League, Cerulean Gym Leader Misty reported him to all stations. We found him collaborating with a poacher from the Hoenn Region, and arrested him. Misty provided evidence of his abuse of his Pokémon, and we subsequently revoked his trainer's license. Two other trainers who had abused their own Starters were also found, but one of them made it up with community service. The other is still at large."
"So what's he doing here?" Cynthia asked.
"Damian escaped our eye and made his way to Kalos, where he started to take up hunting," the second Officer Jenny continued. "Somehow, he acquired Pokéballs and got himself a new team, but victims of his say that he's looking for a certain Pokémon from Kalos."
"To ensure no interruptions, Damian got a hold of a communicator and made contact with the Order of the Night Wind, ordering at least nine assassins to guard the forest for him," the first Officer Jenny picked up. "How the payroll he acquired is beyond our knowledge, but we have tracked him here, and so far, he doesn't know we're onto him."
"Where does Mando come in?" Zoey asked.
"Damian has proven to be too elusive for us, and for even Pokémon Rangers we have called in," the first Officer Jenny went on. "Once we received word that a Mandalorian was here from the Bounty Hunters' Guild, we knew we had a chance."
"We've placed a bounty on Damian's head for his threat, ten-thousand credits," the second Officer Jenny said. "You're literally the only Bounty Hunter we could come into contact with, as others have a sketchy record behind them."
Din nodded. "I'll take it," he said. "Anything else I should know?"
"Damian is a monster," the second Officer Jenny said. "Ten-thousand is our maximum reward for alive… but we will provide a discount for dead."
"Whoa," Dawn said. She turned to Ash and Brock. "You sure mess with dangerous people."
"I'm more concerned about Mando," Cynthia said. "Because he's accepting the job."
Din walked up to the two officers, who handed him a tracking fob. "The last place he got himself sober, we had the bartender slip a tracking device into his drink," the first Officer Jenny said. "You'll find him easily."
Din nodded before heading to the group. He looked to Bonnie and handed the bag holding Grogu to her.
"You'll be safe, Grogu," Bonnie said as Dedenne and Squishy hopped over to keep Grogu company. "We don't have to see this."
"Best you wait at the Pokémon Center, then," Clemont said before looking to the group. "We need to see this for ourselves."
Everyone nodded before they headed out after Din, all making their way to the forest.
As everyone was walking to the forest area, Zoey noticed the unease while Din was looking at the tracking fob.
"Okay, I give," Zoey said. "Look, I may be new here to your little adventures, but I can tell something's going on, so what's up?"
"It's the way Mando is acting about all this," Dawn explained while looking to the Pokéball holding Piplup in it. "We know he comes from a line of warriors, but this isn't the first time he's almost crossed the line before."
"You can't really deny that what he did to Ursula was brought upon herself." Zoey pointed out.
"You weren't there when Mando acted out the first time," May said. "He nearly murdered Team Rocket when they tried to take Grogu."
"For real?" Zoey asked.
"There was no attempt to send them blasting off… at first," Ash said. "His rifle was set to disintegrate them, and it took all of us to try and talk him down."
"You've been trying to make him soft, then," Zoey guessed. "How would it be if I tried to get you to stop your dream of becoming a Pokémon Master, or Brock from becoming a full-fledged Pokémon Doctor?"
"Zoey, we've come to respect his heritage," Cynthia said. "Doesn't mean we approve of how he handles things."
"With all due respect, Cynthia," Zoey said, turning to all of the group as Din stopped just up ahead. "You can't change who Mando is. Yes, he might have agreed to not kill as much, but as you saw with what he did to Garchomp, he will have other ways. You have to respect that's who he is, or not respect him at all as a person," she advised before looking to Ash and Dawn. "After all, I would be a different person if you hadn't taught me the same thing." She said.
Ash and Dawn looked to each other while Serena sighed. Looking up ahead, she saw that Din had already led everyone to the clearing that was shown to them.
"Is this it?" Serena asked.
Din nodded before looking to Clemont. "Is the Razor Crest nearby with your invention?" he asked.
"Yeah, it is," Clemont said, looking to his monitor. "Took off and hovered as we walked. Landed a few feet away from here, out of sight from the naked eye."
"Keep it ready for anything," Din ordered. "You put your training to the test today."
"You said the assassins were called the Order of the Night Wind," Ash said as Pikachu walked up alongside him. "What are they like?"
"Dangerous, strategic," Din said as he scanned around. After a while, he took out his blaster. "Deadly." He finished, shooting a burst shot at the trees.
Everyone watched with awe as the blasts caused several hooded figures to jump down. Each of them were armed with charged batons and energy shields, and all wore masks over their mouths.
"When Officer Jenny said Damian hired guys to keep trainers away from the forest, she wasn't sugarcoating anything!" Brock exclaimed in surprise, taking out his carbine and letting it unfold.
Zoey watched as everyone else took out their own weapons, with Ash keeping his new lightsaber in blaster mode. May noticed her without anything to defend herself and took out a second pistol.
"Use this," May said while Zoey looked to the blaster before placing her shades over her eyes. "You ever use one before?"
"First time for everything." Zoey replied, spinning the pistol around before aiming it outwards, turning the safety off.
"The signal on the fob is getting stronger," Din said, noticing a rapid beeping coming from the tracking fob. "Damian is there."
"Go!" Cynthia called as the Night Wind assassins slowly advanced. "We'll take them!" She said before opening fire, with Clemont following suit.
The Night Wind assassins held up their shields and continued to advance. Everyone else fired as well before Din flew over them, making his way to find Damian.
"Here we go!" Clemont called out, firing again before he and Brock got back, trying to take out as many assassins as they could.
"Pikachu! Iron Tail!" Ash called out while continuing to shoot.
"Pika!" Pikachu called out as he leapt into the air. His tail glowed before he spun around and made impact with one of the assassins, knocking him back.
"Piplup!" Dawn called out, preparing to release Piplup from his Pokéball before remembering his condition. "…is not fit for battle yet. Sorry," she apologized before taking out another Pokéball. "Let's go, Buneary!"
From the Pokéball, Dawn's Buneary appeared. She looked to Pikachu and blushed a bit, causing him to rub the back of his head before the other assassins charged.
"Dizzy Punch, go!" Dawn ordered.
"Bun–Erie!" Buneary called out, using her ears to punch an assassin while Cynthia and Serena shot at another.
"Heads up!" Ash called out as one of the assassins swung down at Serena.
Serena gasped and kicked him back, only hitting the shield. He spun and swung his staff, but Ash activated his lightsaber and knocked it back, causing him to falter before Ash spun his weapon around.
"Whoa!" Zoey exclaimed, seeing the blade of the lightsaber shine.
"Exactly what we thought when we saw the lightsaber for the first time." Iris said before twirling away from another assassin.
"Lightsaber, huh?" Zoey asked. She noticed another one of the assassins preparing to strike before jumping off of his shield, using her midair advantage to shoot at him.
In the forest, Din used the tracking fob to continue trying to locate Damian. As he went in deeper, he found a group of Pokémon running away. Remembering what the Nurse Joy from Lothal told him, he went in their direction, and got in front of the fleeing pack.
The frightened Pokémon looked to Din before he looked around, trying to find what they were running from. Soon, he shot at a moving object in the bushes, causing a man with blue hair, a pink shirt and black vest to stagger back, matching the profile picture of Damian shown earlier.
"What the bloody…?" Damian started out before seeing Din aiming his blaster. "Got a license for that, mate?"
"I know yours was revoked. And that you're poaching," Din said, walking forward and showing the hologram of Damian on the Bounty Puck. "Damian."
"The fuzz sent someone to take me in, eh?" Damian asked as he got up. "Must be one of the blokes the hoods told me about. A Bounty Hunter," he assumed. "I must have a really high price on my head if you've come after me."
Din said nothing and held out his blaster further. As he did, the Pokémon behind him ran away.
"Well, you've cost me my hunt," Damian said as he reached for a Pokéball. "Good thing I swiped a few 'Mon in case I was in a tight place. Gyarados, go!"
Din watched as the Pokémon was released and stepped back, simply releasing Gallade, who got into a fighting position before Gyarados appeared, roaring loudly.
Keeping his weapon ready, Din took out his Pokédex and scanned Gyarados.
"Gyarados, the Atrocious Pokémon. A Water and Flying type. Gyarados has fangs that can crush stones and its scales are harder than steel."
"He's lucky the kid's not here. He'd be eaten in seconds," Din mused as he put the Pokédex away. He turned to Gallade. "You ready?" He asked.
"Lade." Gallade replied, nodding.
"Attack with Water Pulse!" Damian ordered, to which Gyarados roared on response.
Quickly, Din performed sign language to Gallade, getting him to jump all around to avoid the several blasts. He soon leapt at Gyarados, attacking with Cut.
"Impressive moves, Bounty Hunter," Damian remarked. "But as much as I'd love to stick around and watch your silence, I've got an ace to catch! Draco Meteor all around!" He yelled before running off.
"Stop!" Din yelled, only to almost get hit by a Draco Meteor.
Gallade looked with surprise before dodging out of the way of more blasts. Making his way around, Gyarados roared and continued his assault before being recalled just as Draco Meteors rained from the sky.
Din signaled for Gallade to continue evading until he noticed a Pokémon nearby about to get hit, resembling a bigger version of Chespin. Quickly, he held his arm out and let out his Whistling Birds, intercepting the Draco Meteor, canceling it out as the assault ended.
Gallade ran to Din, who nodded to signify his condition. Din nodded in return before walking to the armored Pokémon, scanning it with the Pokédex.
"Quilladin, the Spiny Armor Pokémon and the evolved form of Chespin. The hard shell covering Quilladin's body is so tough, a direct hit from a large truck wouldn't even dent it. Quilladin uses this shell to deflect foes' attacks, and it strikes back with its sharp quills."
"'Evolved form'?" Din asked. Shrugging it off, he knelt down to Quilladin. "You okay there?" He asked.
"Din, Din. Quilladin." Quilladin replied, looking to Din with amazement.
"Try not to say the first part too many times. I might get confused," Din joked. "Now get to safety. I'll take care of that guy." He said before running off, Gallade running after him.
"Quilladin…" Quilladin said, looking to Din once again before the spikes on his back glowed, thinking back to how the Whistling Birds were used.
Meanwhile, Buneary was continuing to help Dawn fight off the Night Wind assassins with the rest of the group. As Dawn backed away, she fired at her assassin before kicking him back. With the distance, she spun around her spear blaster, using the blade of it before slashing away his shield, leaving him with his staff. The assassin focused on his staff before the two charged again, now locking weapons with each other.
The assassin that Ash was facing backed into the next assassin that Zoey was up against. The two nodded as Zoey's assassin handed his staff to Ash's assassin, before taking out a bladed rifle that seemed to also resemble a sword, giving off a similar luster to Din's armor and his Honedge.
"A Beskar weapon?" May asked, shooting down her assassin at the same time.
Ash gaped at the weapon as well before redirecting his focus at the dual-wielding assassin. He swung his lightsaber at him, clashing with the staffs before breaking off.
"What do I do here?" Ash asked before his eyes glowed.
Time seemed to slow down as the assassin charged. Ash blinked a few times before finding himself in a room that seemed to be like a large cave. Looking around, he noticed someone who looked similar to the first Jedi he ever saw in his vision, only without the scar. He was wielding a green lightsaber, blocking the attack of a man wielding a red lightsaber, older than him too. He saw the Jedi was defending another on the ground, reaching for a fallen lightsaber.
The Jedi soon threw off the one with the red blade. He proceeded to duel with him, using some sort of form that relied mostly on strength. He continued to push back the man with the red blade before the downed Jedi tossed his lightsaber to him. Switching around the hilts, he held a blue blade in his right hand and the green in his left.
Ash watched as the dual-wielding Jedi struck with a flurry, pushing the red-bladed wielder back. He continued to push until scarring his shoulder. This caused the one with the red lightsaber to strike back, focusing on breaking through the defenses until he destroyed the green blade, leaving the Jedi with a blue blade alone.
Ash snapped back to reality and blocked the next incoming attack from the assassin.
"Find the pattern… break through the defense." Ash said to himself.
With this in mind, Ash broke off and struck at both of the staffs, pushing the Night Wind assassin back. They locked again, but this time, Ash deactivated the lightsaber, causing the assassin to falter before striking at his elbow, causing his staff to fly into the air. Ash put his lightsaber away and caught the staff, using it to electrocute the assassin before knocking him out.
"Okay, gotta admit, that's impressive." Iris said next to Zoey.
Zoey nodded before Iris shot at the assassin with the bladed rifle. He deflected the shots and fired back, causing Iris to jump away while Zoey fired at the assassin, trying to break through his defenses.
The assassin advanced on Zoey, who continued to fire away at him. He simply evaded her shots or deflected them before getting close enough to slash down at her. Gasping, Zoey backed away before being forced to block a second strike with the pistol in her hand. The two broke off before clashing again, forcing Zoey to defend herself again while reaching for a Pokéball.
"Gallade, use Psycho Cut!" Zoey ordered, backing away while releasing her Gallade.
As Serena and Braixen were clashing with one of the last remaining Night Wind assassins, with the former using both Braixen's stick and her own pistol, Zoey's Gallade was let out. Braixen looked to him before he noticed her. The two nodded before she jumped at him. He lit up one of his arms and launched her at the assassin that Serena was facing before using Psycho Cut to help Zoey.
"Get back!" Serena yelled, swinging her assassin away and allowing Cynthia to kick him into the air. There, Braixen used Scratch to knock him to the ground, where Brock shot down another assassin before stunning the downed assassin.
Zoey ducked from the assassin with the bladed rifle before Gallade struck at him. The sound of Beskar in both blades resonated before Gallade forced the assassin back. There, Zoey fired at him again before feeling something underneath her foot, causing her to grin.
Gallade leapt and struck at the bladed rifle assassin from both sides, causing him to dodge and take aim, to which Zoey's Gallade prepared to use Vacuum Wave. He was just about ready to pull the trigger until hearing a rustling behind him.
"Hey!" Zoey called, causing the assassin to turn around. Before he could react, Zoey used a large thick branch to hit him in the head hard. Dazed, the assassin stumbled into Cynthia, who used a damaged shock staff to electrocute him into unconsciousness, his weapon rolling out of his hand.
"Nice swing." May complimented, walking towards Zoey who dropped the branch while catching her breath.
"Thanks," Zoey said before seeing her pistol had several deep cuts in it. "Sorry about that." She apologized, showing the weapon to May.
"Don't worry about it, it happens." May replied.
Zoey chuckled before noticing the weapon used by the final assassin she knocked out. Curiously, she picked it up, admiring the design. She weighed it in both hands before loosening her belt a little. There, she put the bladed rifle at her side before tightening the belt again.
"Hey, guys," Clemont said, picking up one of the shields used by the Night Wind assassins. "I think we have that shield for Bonnie now."
"Maybe make a few adjustments before she gets it," Serena said as Pikachu leapt onto Ash's shoulder while she recalled a tired Braixen. "We still need to figure out how these work.
Clemont nodded before everyone heard footsteps approaching. They all aimed their weapons while their Pokémon got ready again.
Soon, Damian ran out, but stopped upon seeing the group, and seethed in anger when he saw Ash and Brock.
"You!" Damian yelled, pointing at Ash angrily.
"You!" Ash exclaimed, aiming his blaster lightsaber at Damian.
"You!" Damian yelled, noticing Brock.
"You!" Brock roared, readying his carbine at Damian.
Before Damian could say more, a blast was sent near his feet, causing him to turn as Din approached, aiming his blaster at him.
"You came as no surprise to me, Bounty Hunter," Damian remarked before eyeing Ash and Brock. "Those meddling mongrels, on the other hand, it would've been a starless day in Sinnoh if I had ever come across them again. Took my life away from me."
"You brought that on yourself!" Iris yelled. "We know what you did to Charmander!"
"Should've been going while the day was still good." Zoey remarked, aiming the new bladed rifle.
"Mando, you see what he was after?" Cynthia asked.
"Kalos Starter Pokémon." Din replied.
"What's your game, Damian?" Ash asked.
"The Champion's Pokémon." Damian answered.
"If you know anything, you know Diantha only had a Ralts." Clemont retorted.
"Not the one that belonged to Diantha," Damian clarified. "I'm talking about the Champion who came before her."
"What?" May asked. She turned to Serena. "You know who he's talking about?"
"I've lived in Kalos my whole life," Serena said. "The only Champion I know of is Diantha."
"Oh, the Champion I speak of precedes Diantha," Damian stated. "The Pokémon I seek… is the one of the Fennekin Champion."
"Fennekin?" Din asked. He took out his Pokédex, hearing the Pokémon he spoke and pulled up the data immediately. As he did, the same Quilladin he saved was making his way towards him.
"Fennekin, the Fox Pokémon. Fennekin expels hot air that can reach nearly four-hundred degrees. It likes to snack on twigs."
"Fennekin Champion?" Ash asked.
"Oh, you don't know the story, do you?" Damian asked. "Four years ago, a woman started her journey across Kalos, and received a starter Pokémon from Professor Sycamore. A Fennekin, to be exact," he started out. "In only a single month, she defeated every Gym Leader; Viola, Gurkinn, Olympia, Amos, all eight. And with only her Fennekin. A Fennekin that knew only Hidden Power and Ember, no other moves. These victories dubbed her as the Fennekin Trainer before the Kalos League, where she stormed through every opponent, and even wiped the floor with Siebold, Drasna, Wikstrom and Malva, before taking on the Champion of that time. No prize for guessing how the battle against the Champion's Shiny Lugia turned out."
"No way…" Brock said. "With just a Fennekin alone?"
"You know about this, Cynthia?" Din asked.
"This precedes my reign," Cynthia said. "I couldn't have known, I was still a trainer with a Gible."
"And the Fennekin never evolved," Damian continued. "All people know is one day, two years after that victory, Diantha won the Kalos League, defeated the Elite Four, and entered the room to challenge the renowned Fennekin Champion. She walked out with the title. No one else was in room when it happened. But after that, the Fennekin Champion disappeared. At least, it's what the press said."
"What do you mean?" Clemont asked.
"Others challenged the Fennekin Champion before her battle with Diantha. All lost, but they say she disappeared before Diantha fought her," Damian explained. "No one knows what became of her lone Fennekin, but they believe she was either left in her Pokéball, or was abandoned. Whatever the case, I'll be catching the strongest Fennekin, and no one else can stop me."
"Let's go out on a limb and say you're telling the truth," Ash said, keeping his lightsaber ready while Pikachu, Zoey's Gallade and Dawn's Buneary got into fighting stances. "What makes you think we'll let you get this Fennekin?"
"Because of this!" Damian yelled, throwing his Pokéball into the air. As he threw it, he tossed a small vial with a purple substance in it.
Gyarados was once again released, and his tail broke the vial. Upon breathing in the substance, he roared loudly, just as Din's Gallade arrived.
"Now!" Din ordered.
"Gah-Lade!" Gallade called out, landing a Solar Slash on Gyarados before landing on the ground again. He looked to the side and used Psychic, lifting up the fallen staffs of the Night Wind assassins and sending them at Gyarados.
"Use Psychic too!" Zoey ordered her Gallade.
"Lade!" Zoey's Gallade called out, throwing large rocks at Gyarados while Buneary sent forth an Ice Beam.
"Pikachu, Thunderbolt!" Ash ordered, aiming his lightsaber out.
"Pika!" Pikachu complied before sending out a Thunderbolt at Gyarados.
Gyarados continued to roar before sending attacks out all around. Damian grinned as everyone scattered away, with both Din and Zoey's Gallade evading as fast as they could.
Din's Gallade suddenly noticed a Flamethrower firing from Gyarados towards Zoey's. Quickly, he used Psychic to throw him away before launching a Solar Beam, but it was not quick enough to fully counter the attack, and he was forced back.
"Gallade!" Din yelled as his Gallade was sent back. Quickly, he took out his blaster and prepared to fire at Gyarados, who charged with Dragon Rage.
"Mando, look out!" Cynthia yelled.
However, before the Dragon Rage could make impact, several green glowing projectiles flew at Gyarados, all letting out a whistling noise. Din looked around before Gyarados was sent back, eyes now swirling.
"Whistling Birds?" Din asked. He turned around and noticed the same Quilladin he saved, launching the projectiles.
"That's a Quilladin!" Brock exclaimed.
"And the way he used Pin Missile," Iris continued. "Just like what Mando used!"
"Quilladin." Quilladin said, stepping forward and smiling to Din.
"This is the way." Din replied before hearing Damian growling.
"You think you've won, Mando?!" Damian yelled. "I haven't yet even begun to fight!" he roared, lunging at Din.
"That's enough!" Din snapped, aiming his arm out.
From Din's flamethrower, fire launched at Damian in the face. Everyone gasped before most of them turned away, Damian falling with a soft groan once the fire subsided.
"I can bring you in warm…" Din started as he walked towards Damian, turning the safety off of his blaster. "Or I can bring you in cold."
Everyone looked back, now more at unease as they were when Din took care of Ursula.
Din noticed the group's expressions as Gallade limped over. He nodded at him, to which he nodded back, before walking to them while Gallade pinned Damian down.
"What's wrong?" Din asked.
"I honestly thought you were above murder," Cynthia said. "But hearing you say that… Do you feel anything?"
"You know what he did." Din said.
"Do you know what you're about to do?" Zoey asked. "I can get where these guys come from when they show concern for your actions, and I can tell you must have done a lot of kills before," she said. "But hear me now. You let all your victories go to your head too much, and one day, you'll be going so far off the deep end you can never come back again. We've all seen it happen before."
"Not people killing others, but losing their way in what's right and wrong," Serena added on. "Are you one of those people?"
Din once again stayed silent before turning to Damian as he was guarded by Gallade. Finally, he switched his blaster and fired, only for a blue blast to come out, stunning Damian and making him go numb.
"Get the Razor Crest here. We're doing warm."
Everyone sighed with relief as Clemont dialed onto a monitor.
Soon, everyone was at the Razor Crest, with Dawn letting Piplup out. He looked to Dawn and smiled, jumping into her arms.
"What do you think will happen?" Cynthia asked.
"I might have a theory." Zoey said as Din led Damian to the Carbon-Freezing chamber.
"Don't move." Din said, pushing Damian inside. After a few seconds of steam hissing, he reemerged as a frozen slab.
"What is that for?" Iris asked.
"Transporting bounties. They all chose warm."
A while later, Din and the group brought Damian to the Officer Jennies. They both looked to the slab before Din released him, causing him to stumble around.
"Alright, where am I?" Damian asked. "And… why can't I see?"
"Trust me, Damian, you'll be wishing you weren't frozen by the time we've delivered you to prison." The first Officer Jenny said, handcuffing Damian.
"Thank you, Mandalorian," the second Officer Jenny said, presenting Din with a case. Everyone crowded around before she opened it, revealing ten-hundred unmarked credits. "You've earned your pay."
"Will there be more jobs like this?" Clemont asked.
"We are a part of a dangerous galaxy," the Officer Jenny who delivered the Credits said. "Four years ago, I was just a scoundrel from Kijimi. After immigrating here, I was able to start a new life as an officer of the law."
"I wanted to ask about that," Din said. "How many are from the other reaches of the galaxy? The last one I met was a former victim of the Imperial Occupation of Lothal."
"We are many," the Officer Jenny from Kijimi said. "A lot of us moved here during the Reign of the Empire. Earth was long kept out of any galactic conflict, but welcomed refugees. We changed our names and settled into life on Earth. You all are a select few who even know about us. With the fall of the Empire on Jakku, we've slowly started to reveal ourselves, but the planet continues to stay neutral."
"Who is in charge of the customs?" Cynthia asked.
"That you would have to speak with a government official about," Kijimi Jenny replied. "She is the only one who immigrated here and is not human."
"Can we meet her?" May asked.
"Only time will tell." Officer Jenny replied before joining her partner to take Damian away.
At the Pokémon Center, Bonnie was looking after Grogu. Behind her, Squishy and Dedenne, a man was waiting anxiously in his chair. Soon, the door opened up, and Din and the group walked in.
"You made it!" Bonnie exclaimed, running to the group. "How did it go?"
"Well, we had our first fight," Ash said. "Not against Stormtroopers, but dangerous people. And we won."
"I'm impressed," Din said before throwing a punch at Cynthia. Everyone looked as she easily caught his fist, causing both of them to calm down. "Very impressed."
"I can see what a Bounty Hunter life is really like now," Cynthia said. "Hard not to kill when there are others trying to kill you instead."
Din tilted his head. "What?" he asked.
"You'll hear no more objections from us about your ways," Brock clarified. "After what we faced today, we understand fully now."
"I guess we all have to accept the change." Ash said as Pikachu's tail glowed playfully.
"Pika!"
Din nodded before approaching the counter, handing his Pokéball to Nurse Joy. Everyone else who had used their Pokémon handed their own Pokéballs to her as well.
"I'll have your Pokémon ready as fast as I can." Nurse Joy said with a smile.
"Take your time," Iris said. "I think I have a whole new sixth sense after what we went through today." She bragged while Nurse Joy approached the anxious man.
"Your Pokémon's better now." Nurse Joy said, a Pokéball in hand.
"He's been acting up so mischievously lately," the man said. "I can't thank you enough."
All of a sudden, Grogu held up his hand, causing the Pokéball to fly to him, with Iris in the way.
"Iris!" Dawn called out.
Iris opened one eye and held out her hand, catching the Pokéball, unaware of a light shooting out from it.
"See? Sixth sense," Iris bragged before a large Pokémon resembling a Pokéball suddenly emerged from the light and flew at her. "I'm a kid no—"
"Voltorb!"
"Huh?" Iris asked, turning just as the Voltorb hit her, causing a slight explosion.
Everyone stood aghast as the smoke cleared. Voltorb was now on the ground, smiling cheekily, while Iris was on her back with her legs in the air, small Dratini almost seeming to fly around her head.
"I guess my senses still need work." Iris said as Bonnie walked to Din, with Grogu looking down at her legs, surprising Dawn.
"Hey! Not again!" Dawn yelled, running to Iris and covering Grogu's eyes.
"What a… curious child." Cynthia noted while the man petted his Voltorb happily.
While everyone was waiting for their Pokémon to heal, Ash, Serena, Clemont and Bonnie were at a video phone, with Professor Sycamore on the screen.
"I heard you were with Mando after his battle with Cynthia," Professor Sycamore said as Din walked over. "You must have had some adventures."
"You wouldn't believe it," Ash said before smiling at Din. "Why don't you talk to him right now?"
Din nodded and walked to the screen. Seeing how he was taller, he squatted down just a little to see the Kalos Professor.
"Mando, hello. I am Augustus Sycamore, the Pokémon Professor of this Region. I can tell you're obviously not from around here."
"You can say that," Din said before everyone else came over. "This is a good place so far."
"Oh, Professor, I was wondering," Serena spoke up. "Was there ever anyone before Diantha known as the Fennekin Champion?"
Professor Sycamore's eyes widened. "I haven't heard that name in a long time," he said. "Yes, she existed. Who told you about her?"
"From the job Mando pulled," Clemont explained. "We learned that she won everything with just a Fennekin, one that never evolved or learned new moves."
"Yes, it's true," Professor Sycamore confirmed. "But I haven't seen or heard from her in four years. Her name was lost over time, so I don't recall her true name."
"Then she could still be known," May said. "I hope we can meet her."
"See you later, Mando." Professor Sycamore said, signing off.
"Your Pokémon are all ready!" Nurse Joy announced.
"Thank you." Din said, walking with the others to collect their Pokémon.
All of a sudden, Din felt something tug at his cape. He turned to see the same Quilladin from before, smiling at him.
"How'd you meet a Quilladin?" Bonnie asked.
"I saved him from Damian," Din explained. "I think my Whistling Birds amazed him to the point of making his Pin Missile just like it."
"I think he wants to join you!" Ash said happily.
Din looked to Quilladin and held out a Pokéball. "You sure?" he asked.
"Quilladin…" Quilladin said before he started to glow.
"What's happening?" Din asked, getting in front of Grogu.
"He's evolving!" Clemont exclaimed. "It might be from that Ultra-powerful Pin Missile!"
When the glow faded, Quilladin was now a tall strong-looking Pokémon with domed, spiked armor on its back and dark-green armor over its arms.
All Din could do was scan with his Pokédex.
"Chesnaught, the Spiny Armor Pokémon, and the final evolved form of Chespin. The force of its tackle is so powerful that it can bring down an armored tank."
Din nodded as Chesnaught tapped the Pokéball.
"Welcome aboard."
"Pi-Pikachu!" Pikachu cheered.
Everyone soon set off, walking with the Razor Crest flying alongside them.
In Lumiose City, Professor Sycamore was looking over some files. He felt his phone ring and picked up.
"Hello?" Professor Sycamore asked. His eyes widened after hearing the chatter. "How are you…? Well, your title is known by some people now. What do you want to do?" he asked. "Everything?" he asked in surprise. He sighed. "Be safe." He said before signing off.
Professor Sycamore brought the files he had to his Garchomp. He nodded to her before she set the files on fire.
"Stay alive… Fennekin Champion."
Author's Notes: Well, everyone you like my new chapter? I apologize for the delay, but I had a lot to do. Still, I made sure to complete this in time for before Star Wars Day coming up, and I hope you like all I had to offer. I will try to have a new chapter out as soon as I can. Please review, rate, and as always, PM me for anything on the story. For now, this is SuperHeroTimeFan signing off, and in time for Star Wars Day, May the Force be with you!