Chapter 44 A Stealthy Challenge!
On the way to Courmarine City, Ash and his group are now training his own Starters. With Elena joining the group, Ash and Serena have been taking care of her as their daughter. They had met another rival named Nene, who tried to trade Pancham with her Farfetch'd, but Serena refuses as she wants to train Pancham. And then they accidentally hurt a Gallade who was filming a movie, so they decide to help the director by using their own Hawlucha as the substitute. Now they are taking a rest at the lake, until they notice someone floating on the river.
"It's Sanpei!" Ash says in surprise as he dives into the river to save him and his Greninja.
"What happened to him?" Serena asks.
"I think Greninja is poisoned." Clemont says as he looks at the Greninja. "I'll prepare the medicine."
"Guys! There's another one!" Flora says as they turn around, seeing an unconscious samurai-like person with a Chesnaught that is frozen in ice.
"Romaru as well?" Ash gasps. "And the Chesnaught is frozen."
"And there is another one..." Elena says as they turn in another direction, as they see a witch lying on the ground with a Delphox who seems to be knocked out.
"Kyute and Delphox!" Serena says. "And the Delphox is falling asleep..."
"Just what's going on here? Why are these three here at the same place?" Ash asks in confusion.
After waiting for a while, they finally wake up and Ash says, "I'm glad you are all awake."
"Ash?" The three of them say in unison, but then they are now looking at one another. "Sanpei? Kyute?" Romaru asks. "What are you two doing here?"
"This is what I want to ask." Kyute replies.
"Regardless, where is my Greninja? Is he fine?" Sanpei asks Ash, who shows them that all three Pokemon are healed.
"Thank goodness. I was scared that something happened to you." Kyute replies.
"So I guess you three know each other?" Serena asks.
"We've met back at the ceremony where we got our own starters." Romaru says. "We will also sometimes meet each other for training."
Sanpei says, "But living in different clans, we also got into an argument of which clan is better sometimes.
After introducing Elena, Flora, and David to them, they are surprised to learn that Elena is Ash and Serena's daughter. But after telling them that they adopted her, they sigh in relief.
"But why were your Pokemon being poisoned, frozen, or asleep?" Bonnie asks.
"Well..." Before they can reply, they hear a voice, "Found you!"
They see a ninja with a Barbaracle appear in front of them. Sanpei says, "That is the enemy who attacked me!"
"What?" The others are surprised.
"Indeed, hand over the scroll or face Barbaracle's Razor Shell!" The masked ninja says as he has Barbaracle attacks, Ash's Froakie manages to use Cut to stop it.
"Pikachu! Use Thunderbolt!" Ash yells, but Pikachu's attack doesn't work that much on it.
Before they can continue, they see a magician in a cloak along with a Sigilyph as she says, "You are not going to get away with the tablet. Sigilyph! Use Air Slash!"
Sigilyph tries to attack them, but Fennekin uses Hidden Power to stop it. Serena asks, "Another one?"
"Stop this useless struggle and hand over the book!" A third person arrives with an Avalugg. "Avalugg! Use Ice Beam!"
Chesnaught goes for Pin Missile to stop the attack, and Clemont says, "Damn it...we are all outnumbered."
Sanpei says, "We can still get away from this. Ninja Leaf Shroud!"
After they are leaving, the masked ninja turns to the masked samurai, "Looks like some people were dragged into this."
"We can't let them interfere." The masked Samurai says as the cloaked witch just floats down.
"So what's the deal with those three?" Flora asks.
"I think they have said something about a scroll, a tablet, and a book?" David asks.
Sanpei, Romaru, and Kyute take out the respective objects, and they also reveal that they are given the task of it. Sanpei says, "It was my instructor: Saizo sensei's test, I have to deliver it to the Safe House before sunset."
"You too? That place is where Teacher Mineva asks me to go as well." Kyute says.
"The same goes to my master Tokugawa." Romau says. "And let me guess, we were both ambushed by those three during our journeys, and that's why we met there?"
"Yeah, but the problem is, we don't know why they want the things we have." Kyute adds.
"Then we'll be helping you." Ash says. "It must be very important to you guys for this mission."
"That will be great." Sanpei adds.
Clemont says, "Wait for a second. We have to proceed with a plan. And the future is now thanks to science."
Clemont decides to trick the ninja by inventing a mechanical set of decoys, named the "Robo Step by Step", and sends it on its way.
While the plan is going on, they are now looking at the map towards the manor, they realize that they won't be able to reach during the day following the path.
"Are there any shortcuts?" Elena asks, "Or as the master of time, I can slow the time flow?"
"What do you mean by that?" Before Elena can reply, Ash covers her mouth and says, "Nothing, just tell us if there are any shortcuts."
Serena whispers to Elena, "We can't let them know you are Dialga or else you're in danger."
"Sorry, Mama." Elena frowns.
"There is a shortcut, but it is dangerous." Romaru says as he points at the route, and they decide to go that route through the mountains. They start by taking the narrow wooden bridge. While crossing, the bridge breaks and Clemont falls along with Serena. They are saved by Greninja's tongue and Delphox's Psychic, much to their delight.
They next arrive at a tunnel that leads directly through the mountain. However, they are attacked by several Golbat, though Sanpei has his Greninja use Smokescreen to distract the Golbat. Ash, Serena, Elena, Sanpei, Romaru, and Kyute are the only ones that emerge from the caves, while the others seemingly disappear.
"Oh no...we were separated." Serena says.
"Should we get back into the cave to find them?" Elena asks.
Before they can reply, the masked ninja, masked samurai, and the cloaked witch arrive. The witch says, "You have nowhere to hide right now."
"Hand things over and no one will get hurt." The masked ninja adds.
"Ash, Serena, and Elena, you go find the others, we'll handle those people." Romaru says.
"No, we will stay and battle." Ash says.
"Indeed." Serena says as they send out Froakie, Fennekin, and Chespin.
Froakie and Greninja start the battle using Double Team and surround Barbaracle. Ash and Sanpei command Froakie and Greninja to use Water Pulse and Water Shuriken respectively. But Barbaracle dodges, causing the attacks to instead destroy the duplicates.
Fennekin and Delphox are using Fire Spin to trap the Sigilyph, but it manages to dodge it, and it goes for Psycho Cut, which deals a lot of damage to both Fire Type Pokemon. Delphox gets back up and strikes a Mystical Fire, which hurts Sigilyph and lowers its special attacks.
And Chespin and Chesnaught are using Needle Arm, but Avalugg uses Protect and then goes for Gyro Ball, but Chesnaught blocks it by using Spiky Shield.
Just then, a net appears, and all the Pokemon dodge at it. Serena asks, "What's going on here?"
(Insert Team Rocket Motto)
"Not those guys again..." Elena frowns.
"Those were the trouble makers who made some sort of giant machine to steal our Pokemon, right?" Sanpei asks.
"You too?" Kyute adds.
But as they are going to throw more nets, both Sigilyph, Barbaracle, and Avalugg destroy them with ease. "We won't let you interfere with our plans." The masked Samurai says.
"Our targets are the Pokemon, we are not interrupting you guys!" James yells as Meowth and Jessie's Wobbuffet charge to attack, but they are hit by Barbaracle's Razor Shell.
"Seed Bomb!" "Mystical Fire!" "Water Shuriken!"
All three final forms of the Starter Pokemon use their attacks and then they sent Team Rocket flying. "We're blasting off again!"
After they are gone, Kyute asks, "Why are you helping us?"
"We don't need to answer that. Now we should continue with the battle." Masked ninja says as his Barbaracle uses Poison Jab, but Greninja dodges it. Sigilyph goes for Hypnosis, but Delphox dodges it before the move hits. And Avalugg goes for Ice Beam, and Chesnaught uses Spiky Shield again.
Froakie, Fennekin, Chespin, and Pikachu are going to attack, but Barbaracle goes for Mud Slap, causing all Pokemon to be covered in mud, and both first forms of the starters are knocked to the wall by Sigilyph's Hurricane.
"Oh no..." Serena says. "This is bad."
"Now time to finish it off." The cloaked witch says, as they are going to deliver the final blow, but just then, both Chespin, Fennekin, and Froakie block their attack as they are glowing.
"What's happening?" Elena asks.
"That's the light of evolution...but three at the same time?" Romaru gasps.
Just then, a Frogadier, Braixen, and Quilladin appear in front of them. Ash says, "You all evolved!"
"That won't be helping you. Poison Jab!" "Air Slash!" "Gyro Ball!"
As the three attacks are coming, Frogadier uses Aerial Ace to block the Poison Jab and hits it back, and Braixen uses the Solar Beam by the sunset to hit Sigilyph, and Quilladin uses Bulldoze to stop Avalugg from its tracks.
After that, the masked samurai turns to the masked ninja, who nods as he uses Ninja Leaf Shroud to leave, along with Samurai and the witch.
"If you want to find your friends, they are at the safe house." Those are the words they left for them.
"Are we going to trust them?" Ash asks.
"It may be a trap, but we have to continue if we want to find them." Sanpei adds.
Ash and the others arrive at the manor, as Serena asks, "Hello, is anyone here?"
"We're here!" Flora yells as they are stunned to see the four of them there.
"What...but..." Elena doesn't know how to say, until the three masked people arrive and remove their masks.
"Saizo-sensei?" "Master Tokugawa? "Teacher Mineva?" All three exclaim and Ash and Serena can only mutter, "What?"
They open the book, scroll, and tablet, only to find that there's nothing inside. "What is the meaning of this?"
Tokugawa says, "Everything is just a test, we are testing you."
Mineva says, "We planned everything together, as this safe house is where you got your own starter Pokemon."
Clemont says, "They didn't want to involve us in their test, but Ash, Serena, and Elena are exceptions."
"I see." Ash sighs.
As the teachers are talking to students, David notices the three starters and he asks, "Wait, are those three..."
"I see, they all evolved." Flora adds.
"I wanted to see it! Can you all turn back to your first forms so that you can evolve again?"
All three starters are sweating, as Clemont sighs, "You can't do that, Bonnie."
"Not if I can do it." Elena says, but Ash and Serena stop her from doing so.
After that, they decide to train with each other since their tasks are over, and the three starters are delighted that they can battle with their final evolutions.
This chapter is very hard to write, considering that I want to add some interactions with Kyute and Romaru into this part. And I hope you like this chapter and the next chapter is going to be the Skiddo ranch.