Canaclave City (Sinnoh Region)

Far north of Kanto, people and Pokemon lived their lives in a region full of history and mythology. Originally known as Hisui in olden times, the Sinnoh of today thrived, full of modern conveniences that seemed to contrast the historic nature of the region. Despite this, a few towns still contained that same old rustic charm. One of them was Canaclave City, a small port town in western Sinnoh. Aside from the obvious cargo that came and left through the city, Canaclave was home to a library, full of ancient texts dating back thousands of years. On the third floor of the Canaclave City library, late in the evening, a tall blonde woman could be found, quietly sitting at a desk and studying one of these texts. A large pile of books and scrolls sat near her.

Cynthia Shirona, Champion of Sinnoh, had long-flowing blonde hair, covering an eye. Her outfit was all black, complete with a stylish black cape. Between her and Lance, the cape seemed to be a common addition among champions. Setting aside the current text, she picked up a book from her pile. Fables and Prophecy, it was called. As the name implied, it detailed prophecies and legends told throughout time, coming from a variety of sources. Cynthia imagined a good deal of these likely had no truth to them, but that was no issue. She had already found the one that did matter.

The prophecy in the book matches the text from the scroll word for word. It's nice to have another source for confirmation. Good thing grandma pointed me in the right direction, Cynthia thought, thinking of the kind old woman in Celestic Town.

Still, no matter what I read, there isn't anything concrete on the origins of the prophecy. At best, the book makes a vague reference to a stone tablet. Not particularly helpful or even necessarily true, considering how many prophecies are said to come from such things. Cynthia gave a long sigh, stretching her body out for a moment. She had been working awfully hard for the past few days. When Professor Samuel Oak personally calls in a favor though, well who was she to say no. Tossing the book to the side, she picked out another. The title was printed on the cover as Landmarks of Note - A Guide to the Orange Islands. It was in far better condition, having been published more recently. Most probably used this book as a tourist guide of sorts, but for Cynthia, perhaps it might serve a greater purpose. Considering the good professor indicated that one of his charges had come across this prophecy in his travels in the Orange Islands, it was worth looking into.

Let's see here. There's Pummelo Island, Pinkan Island, the Grapefruit Islands… Cynthia continued to flip pages, skimming them for information. Most of these islands were already known to the Sinnoh Champion, considering her own brief adventures in the Orange Islands years ago. A certain island caught her attention and she slowed down.

Shamouti Island? A small landmass found in the north-center part of the Orange Archipelago. Most overlook the small island, choosing to seek fun and relaxation elsewhere, but for those who seek peace and an island steeped in tradition, it is a fine destination. The residents hold an annual festival, honoring the elements. Outsiders can participate to an extent, but the locals guard the secrets of the festivities closely. Perhaps they do not even know the full meaning themselves, as this is a tradition that is said to extend back for at least hundreds of years. Also of note, a beautiful shrine can be found on a cliff with a meadow. A tablet of stone lies at the center. The stone tablet contains writings etched in a language that is unknown in these modern times. It may have a connection to the festival, but this author has no definitive proof. From the cliffside, three islands can be seen. The locals refer to them as the islands of Ice, Lightning, and Fire.

"This it it!" excitedly whispered the girl.

To think the connection could be found in a book for tourists. Cynthia stood, grabbing the relevant reading materials and departing. The answers to the prophecy could be found on Shamouti Island. She was certain. It was time to give the professor some answers, and perhaps to ask a few more questions of her own. She may even have to contact an old friend. One she had not seen or spoken to since her own time in the Orange Islands.

Orange Islands - Uncharted Island

It had only been a few days since Ash's recent victory over Rudy back on Trovita Island. Despite that, he and his friends were already closing in on the island with the fourth and final Orange League Gym. They still had plenty of time until the Indigo League commenced, so today the group found themselves on an uncharted island, and in no particular rush to reach their final destination. The group was camped out in an open field. Brock and Tracey were currently enjoying a cup of coffee at their makeshift camp, watching Ash who had gathered all his Pokemon together.

"You know, you're looking a lot better than you did a few days ago Brock. Did you eat something funny back on Trovita Island that you're finally getting out of your system?" asked Tracey.

"Uh, well the island just gave me a bad vibe. I'm glad we're gone," shivered the teen. Sadly for Brock, Tracey wouldn't let it go.

"What are you talking about? The island was amazing! That river speedboat trip was full of scenic locations for sketches, and then the battlefield was one of a kind. Then there were the people. Wow, were they nice. Especially Rudy and that Mahri girl…

"AHHHHHHH! That name…. Don't say that name," moaned Brock, now in a fetal position and rocking back and forth.

"What? Mahri?" the confused Tracey responded.

"AHHHHHHH!"

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" sweat-dropped Tracey, dropping the subject.

Meanwhile, Ash and his Pokemon were engaged in matters unrelated to mental scarring, but important all the same. His Pokemon were gathered before him, ready for another one of his typical motivational Ash Red Ketchum speeches. The Pokemon in front of him were a bit different than what he previously had though. After his latest victory, he made a few changes. His current team consisted of Pikachu, Espeon, Ryhorn, Scyther, Tauros, Snorlax, Lapras, Clefable, and Pidgeot.

Ash's Water Pokemon, Kingler and Cloyster, were sent back to Pallet Town for a well deserved break. They had proven themselves more than once during their time in the Orange Islands, and sending them home also cleared up space for some veterans that hadn't had a chance to travel with Ash in some time.

These veterans were of course Clefable and Pidgeot. The Champion of the Orange League had a Dragonite, just like Lance. That was a fact. Having Clefable in rotation for regular training again to clear off the rust would serve as a useful counter, given her Fairy Pokemon typing. Pidgeot didn't have a purpose that was near as specific, but he still deserved the chance to stretch his wings. Ash had an idea on expanding his arsenal as well.

The other notable departures were Charizard and Hitmonchan. As expected, Charizard demanded to head home to Pallet Town after the Gym Battle, eager to resume his training with Red's Charizard. Ash bade him farewell, promising not to call him back until the championship match. Hitmonchan had done quite a bit of battling himself lately. Sending him home cleared room on Ash's team, but Ash didn't just send him home with nothing to do. Before he left, Ash asked Hitmonchan to go to his father's Snorlax and ask the rotund Pokemon to help him learn the elemental punching moves. Rudy made excellent use of Ice and Fire Punch, and Ash wanted to do the same. Hopefully Hitmonchan would make good progress in this endeavor. All of that brought Ash back to the moment in front of his gathered team.

"You guys have all put in serious work, both in Kanto and in the Orange Islands. We do have a new teammate," Ash said, eyeing Snorlax for a moment.

"But I'm sure he'll work just as hard as everyone else. That said, there's still plenty more to do. The Indigo League starts in six weeks. Before that, we have a Gym Battle and the Orange League Championship match. We may even had to deal with this prophecy business somewhere in the middle. This means it's time to step up our training," adamantly said Ash with a stern look. His Pokemon returned his fervor, fire in their eyes. Well, in Snorlax's case that might have been hunger, but Ash would get to that. The boy looked to his speedy mouse first.

"Pikachu, it's time for you to learn a now move. I want you to practice powerful attack called Return. It's a variant of Tackle, but it is based on the bonds between a trainer and their Pokemon. Based on our friendship, I like to think it will be a force of nature," smirked Ash.

"Pika! Pika!" grinned the mouse.

"Here's how you are going to learn it. Head over to those rocks and practice your Tackle attack on them. While you're doing it, keep our bond in your mind, and try channeling that energy into the attack. When you can break through those rocks, you'll know that the move has been mastered." Pikachu nodded, beginning to trot off, but Ash called after him for a final note.

"And Pikachu, no using Iron Tail! That would be cheating," warned the boy. Again Pikachu agreed, this time leaving with no issue.

"Princess, you're next. It's time for you to learn one of the most powerful Psychic type moves in existence. Ironically, it's called Psychic," chuckled Ash, looking to Espeon.

"Everyone had heard of Psychic," responded Espeon with a roll of her eyes.

"But not everyone can use it. Think of it as a higher form of Confusion, or a Psybeam, but with the energy more spread out. I'm sending Clefable to work with you, so she can refine her own moves as well. Feel free to spar in between practice you two, and make sure to work hard. Now get to it!"

"On it!"

"Fable!"

"Scyther, I have something for you as well," Ash said, gesturing his hand towards the camp. Scyther turned his head to see Tracey's Scyther approaching.

"You're going to be learning a move called X-Scissor. Essentially, it's an upgraded Slash that uses both blades, but they are infused with natural Bug-Pokemon energy. Tracey's Scyther has kindly agreed to show you the ropes. Be respectful, but kick butt!" ordered Ash.

"Scy!" smirked the Bug Pokemon, slashing his blade against Tracey's Scyther, and heading off with him. Now Ash looked to Lapras. This was a Pokemon Ash felt a bit guilty about. She hadn't really gotten a chance to battle, and he had frequently used her as a source of transportation for his friends and himself. There just wasn't really a chance with the lack of water battlefields. He wouldn't neglect her training though. He wanted to keep Lapras ready for when the moment did come.

"Lapras, I'm sorry you haven't had the chance to fight much yet, but your time will come eventually. For now, we're going to keep up the training. I want you to practice your ranged attacks against a fast moving opponent. Use Ice Beam, Water Pulse, and Ice Shard. In addition, work on strengthening your lungs with Sing Attack. There's a powerful new voice based move we can use in strategic situations, and it is a natural stepping stone we can take from Sing. When I think you're ready, we'll work on it," smiled the boy. Lapras trilled, happy at the attention she received, and had no hard feelings over the lack of battling.

"Pidgeot, I want you to work with Lapras. You will be the target she seeks to strike, but that's not all you will be doing. I want you to pay attention to the attacks she send your way. With enough study, you have the potential to send them back using something called Mirror Move. It's an attack that allows you to mimic an opponent's last used attack. It's rare, but it can be useful in the right situation, like against a Pokemon who uses a move that is also super-effective against that Pokemon. Ready to learn a new trick?"

"Pidgeot!" screeched the bird, flying off, while Lapras waddled after her at a slower pace. Now Ash looked upon Ryhorn.

"Good to see you again. Hope you enjoyed the brief stint in Pallet Town, but now it's back to the grind. I know Charizard showed you some of the basics of Earthquake before he left, and I'd like you to keep working on it. In addition, do some reps with Horn Attack. There are some other moves utilizing your horn that can diversify your moveset later on. Finally, do the same with Rock Blast for similar reasons. Understood?" Ryhorn huffed, stomping off to find his own patch of grass for his training. And then there were two. Snorlax and Tauros remained, and Ash studied them both critically. Tauros looked eager, always aggressive and ready to fight. Snorlax was less impressive. He was currently scratching his belly, and had just let out a loud belch.

"Like I said earlier, we have one Gym Battle left in the Orange Islands. What I didn't say is that I intend for both of you to compete in it," revealed Ash. Tauros now looked extremely pleased, scraping her hoof back in anticipation, but Snorlax didn't react, still absently scratching his belly like he hadn't heard a thing.

"Snorlax!" snapped Ash, finally catching the Pokemon's attention.

"Lax?"

"According to dexter, you know Lick, Body Slam, Rollout, and Rest. Not a bad start, but we can improve. So, you'll be working on two new moves, while beefing up your dodging abilities. The first one shouldn't be too hard since you like to eat. It's called Crunch. The attack is a strong dark type move that will be useful against Psychic and Ghost Pokemon. Whenever you're enjoying a meal, try gnashing those teeth together harder and focusing on negative emotions. I also want you to learn Ice Punch. It will further diversify your skills, while adding another counter to Dragon Pokemon. Maybe it will help in the next Gym Battle too? Anyway, pay attention to Lapras and her attacks. See if you can get a feel for the coolness and ice. Channel that into your fist and punch. With Tauros, your other goal will be dodging. I saw your athleticism back on the Grapefruit Islands and we're going to continue to develop it. Just because you can take a bunch of hits doesn't mean you should. Try incorporating Rollout as a dodging mechanism," finished Ash.

"Lax. Snorlax," grumbled the Pokemon with a frown.

"Fine. I'll give you an extra helping of Professor Oak's special recipe for every day of hard training you give me," sighed Ash.

"LAX!" triumphantly roared the Pokemon. If it worked, it worked. Ash looked to Tauros.

"I think you've gotten a pretty good feel for Zen Headbutt since our last big training session, so we are moving on. Today you're going to begin work on Assurance and Swagger. The first move is a useful counter that is twice as powerful if used after a foe attacks. It's also a dark type move like Crunch. Let's just say I have a feeling we will need it soon. Swagger on the other hand is not an offensive move. It's a risky play that confuses opponents, but it also ups their attack greatly. It will either serve to inflict more damage on us, or force our opponents to deal a great amount of damage to themselves. We will turn to this in desperate situations. Both of these moves can be a bit complicated, but we'll work on them together. I'll be training with both you and Snorlax very closely over the next week," reassured Ash. Tauros remained confident, letting out her own battle cry to declare her readiness.

With that, things were ready to go. Ash buckled down hard, vowing to stay on the island and train for a solid week.

Route 27

Ash wasn't the only one training hard in the world of Pokemon. Somewhere in the wilds between Kanto and Johto, a boy with red hair, a prickly attitude, and a thirst to prove himself, clawed his way to get better. He had been doing so for the past several weeks without rest. Silver still remembered his father's mania during the debacle with New Island. More than that though, Silver remembered his father's uncaring words, excuses, and coldness during their final confrontation in the Viridian City Gym Bunker. The man was weak, choosing to rely on others and subordinates for power, while casting aside his family. Silver would never be weak! He would be strong! This drove him to seek out others, battling more and more, improving the power of his single Pokemon.

"Use Air Slash Farfetch'd," yelled a boy in blue-overalls, across from Silver. The short bird with his leek stalk slashed a wing forward, sending an airwave towards Silver's Pokemon.

"Slide to the left slightly, and then move in with Fury Swipes, Metal Claw, and Slash!" snarled Silver. His Pokemon, a vicious blueish-black creature that resembled a cross between a cat and a weasel, smirked, sliding aside to let the attack blow by, and then it charged.

"Sneasel!" It brutally delivered five Fury Swipes with its razor sharp claws. One claw glowed a bright silver, coming down to deal more damage with Metal Claw!

"Fetch'd!" cried the avian Bird Pokemon, in pain and ready to collapse. Sneasel still had one attack to deliver though.

"SNEASEL!" CRASH! Slash slammed Farfetch'd to the ground, sliding by his trainer and into a tree. It was out cold.

"That was uncalled for! The battle was over before that last attack!" bellowed the boy, looking at Silver with rage. Silver scoffed.

"I have no need for lectures from trainers that supposedly care about their Pokemon. What power do they have? Based on this fight, I'd say not enough. Now send out another Pokemon or surrender prize money. I don't care which." The other boy's expression hardened, as he dug out some money and tossed it at Silver, calling his Pokemon back.

"Carrying all that anger inside can't be good for you. I pity you kid," said the boy, leaving Silver and Sneasel alone. Silver scowled at the closing remarking, calling back his own Pokemon.

"I don't need anybody's pity! I need to get stronger! I need to prove myself! But… Silver sighed.

I can't do that with only one Pokemon. I need more. How he was going to get more was another issue entirely. Being a runaway didn't exactly pay the bills. His father had always provided for him, even if he was an uncaring waste of space. Silver hadn't thought to take much when he left either. What little money he earned from defeating trainers had to go towards food and medical supplies. When it came down to it, there wasn't anything left for Pokeballs, and no Pokeballs meant no new Pokemon. Sneasel was good. He had always been there. He just wasn't enough. Silver needed more.

Loathe as he was to follow in his father's criminal footsteps, desperate times call for desperate actions, and Silver was starting to get desperate. Setting aside the issue for now, Silver absently continued to make his way west. Unknown to him, he was getting closer and closer to a town where a new wind blowed. It was in this town that things would change for Silver, and for the better. Johto was on the horizon.

Orange Islands - Uncharted Island

It was the 5th day of Ash's self-imposed week long training session. All his Pokemon had been pushing themselves hard, just as he had hoped. Each day started, as usual, with a morning run at the crack of dawn. This was followed by the assignments that Ash had dealt out at the beginning of the week, mixed with sparring sessions. As it turns out, Ash had been working just as hard alongside them, driven by his own taskmaster.

Slash. Parry. Dodge. Roll. Jump. Kick. Parry. Dodge. Jump. STRIKE! The sound echoed across the field, and it was followed by silence. Nobody moved. Nobody said a word. Ash slowly removed the blindfold shielding his eyes, only to see his master gingerly rubbing his arm, which had a visible red welt. Lucario turned to the boy, catching his gaze, and offered one of his rare smiles.

"Well struck Apprentice."

"Thanks Mast—"

"Aura Sphere!" Interrupted Lucario, jumping back and sending a small blue sphere at Ash. Acting on instinct, Ash discarded his staff and quickly assumed the position of the energy redirection technique. This time, Ash fully allowed the attack to come to him. Aura Sphere entered his forward hand, traveled down the arm and into the stomach. Ash offered no resistance. The attack continued its pathway, traveling up the back arm and finally flying out of Ash's back hand, harmlessly into the air.

"Nice try master," smirked Ash. Lucario let out a laugh in response.

"You've come far boy, but wipe that smirk off your face. Now it seems I can stop holding back so much, both in our spars and in my attacks."

Uh-oh. Indeed. Ash Red Ketchum would be bruised and battered by the time today's training came to an end.

A Few Hours Later

In the early evening, A thoroughly exhausted Ash and his Pokemon enjoyed an early dinner with Brock and Tracey. The training was brutal, but people and Pokemon alike were improving leaps and bounds, brightening the mood.

"DADDDDDYYYYYY!" Mood killed. Ash sprinted away from the table, going towards the source of the screams, which could only be Espeon. Close to the clearing, he found Espeon in a field of flowers, glaring at a boy on the ground. The boy looked to be around Ash's age, or maybe slightly younger. He was currently wearing a dark blue t-shirt with a light blue sash, red shorts, and a bizarre headband with flowers on his head.

"What happened Princess?" Ash asked, keeping an eye on the boy, who was currently glaring at Espeon.

"I finished dinner early and went out to stretch my legs. Then I found these neat flowers and thought I'd smell them, and then this weirdo pops out of the ground, throwing a Pokeball at me. I sent it back with Confusion before it touched me, hitting him in the face of course," explained the satisfied Pokemon with a sniff.

That would explain the marks on his face, thought Ash. Hearing Espeon's telepathic words, the boy offered his own version of events.

"Well excuse me for thinking you were a cool super-rare wild Grass Pokemon with your green color and all."

"A few things kid. First, Espeon is a Psychic Pokemon. I think you learned that well when she used Confusion. Second, she's my Pokemon and friend, so hands off," growled Ash.

"I could care less about her if she isn't a Grass Pokemon, but that still hurt. I demand compensation!" yelled the boy, standing up with his finger pointed at Ash.

"Compensation?" Ash asked back, unable to keep the amusement from seeping out. The boy's face now had a twinge of red on it, and it wasn't from the Pokeball wound either.

"Yes, and don't laugh at me! I challenge you to a 1 on 1 Pokemon battle!" Ash thought about it briefly, but shrugged. He hadn't battled anyone in over a week and it would be nice to do so again.

"Sure thing. I'm Ash."

"I am Gulzar, the greatest Grass Pokemon Trainer in the Orange Islands!" dramatically proclaimed the boy in a pose.

"Ok then… so about this battle?" Ash prodded, bringing them back to the matter at hand.

"Oh yeah. It's going to be 1 on 1, and I want it to be against that Pikachu," decided the boy with a grin. Ash turned around to see many of his Pokemon and friends had followed him from the table, including Pikachu.

"You really want to battle my Pikachu?" Ash checked.

"Yeah! I'll take him down no problem," nodded the boy with a self-satisfied smile. Ash shared a look with his Pikachu, who wore his own smirk, and then looked back at the kid.

"Ok, but it's your funeral," chuckled Ash.

"Yeah. Yeah. Less talk more battle!" Soon enough, Ash and Pikachu stood on one end of the flower field, while the boy stood on the other. Brock stood at the center, acting as the referee.

"You going to send out your Pokemon?" Ash asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Of course. Behold, my almighty Gloom!" yelled the kid, releasing the Grass Pokemon onto the field. Ash studied it carefully, mentally comparing it to the one he had faced back in Celadon City in his battle with Erika. The Gym Leader's Pokemon looked far more impressive. Nonetheless, Ash would take this battle seriously.

"Pikachu vs Gloom. Let the match begin!" called Brock.

"Razor Leaf Gloom!" started Gulzar.

"Gloom!" Leaves shot out at a moderate speed towards Pikachu.

"Agility and weave through," neutrally responded Ash. Pikachu dashed forward, gaining speed, and moving through the leaves with ease.

"Sleep Powder all around you!" tried Gulzar, eager to nail the oncoming Pikachu.

"Dodge with Double Team and add in another Agility." Gloom shot spores around his general vicinity, but Pikachu disappeared before any came nearby, replaced by an impressive 18 copies that surrounded Gloom at a distance.

"Pikachu, Agility speed circle!" commanded Ash, confusing all of the onlookers now.

"Pika!" cried the Pikachu copies. All of them blurred around Gloom, gaining more speed with the staggering third Agility. All the Grass Pokemon could see was a yellow blur, and it was getting dizzy.

"Magical Leaf!" blurted the boy. It was no good. Gloom couldn't focus or hear the attack call.

"Let's wrap this up Pikachu. Use the move you mastered back in Pallet Town. Use Electro Ball!" roared Ash. Pikachu and his copies stopped moving, jumping into the air with a ball of electricity growing on each tail.

"PI! KA! CHU!" The Electro Ball and the echo images were flung at Gloom, who swayed in confusion. BAM! The loud resounding noise from the attack making contact sounded throughout the field. Gloom was cooked, and he fell to the floor, knocked out.

"But… but… I had the type advantage," muttered Gulzar.

"There's more to battle than type advantage. You need strategy. Electro Ball is a move that grows more powerful based on the speed advantage your Pokemon has in battle. Add in a couple of agilities to Pikachu's naturally impressive speed and you can see why we won this battle quickly," responded Ash.

"Whatever. Would have won if I had gotten my hands on a Leaf of Sun Stone," grumbled the boy, calling back Gloom, handing over prize money, and then running off. Brock overheard that little exchange and his eyes widened.

"Guys, I think I pulled an Ash," sighed the teen.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ash asked with crossed arms.

"I think I know," Tracey said with a hint of a smile.

"It means I forgot something important," Brock said in a no nonsense manner. Tracey burst into laughter, agreeing with the description. Ash muttered something under his breath about not being so forgetful, but was ignored. In any case, Brock soon called out Vulpix.

"Vulpix," cried the Pokemon, smiling up at her trainer.

"Good to see you to Vulpix. Hang on for a second here," Brock said, digging something out of his pocket. He pulled out an orange stone. The same stone he had received back in Stone Town months ago. He got on one knee, holding it out towards Vulpix.

"You know what this is right? It's a Fire Stone. You've grown well these past several months during our journey Vulpix. I think you're ready to take the next step. That is, if you're interested?" Brock asked.

"Vul!" yipped the Pokemon, trotting up to the stone without a care in the world and placing a single paw upon it. A bright light enveloped the small Pokemon, shining through the field of flowers. Vulpix grew in size and height, adding several tails. When the light died, the beautiful visage of Ninetales greeted Brock and everyone else. Looking at Vulpix's evolution, Ash couldn't help but smile. It was another shining example of the wonders of the world of Pokemon.

The Floating Palace - High Above Pallet Town

The search had gone faster than Ghetsis ever anticipated. Truly, this structure was a technological marvel to behold. He might have to send Hunter J a thank you card. That was the only good news. Unfortunately, Kanto had yielded nothing. Every single inch of the region had been scanned and no significant sign of power was detected. There was still Cinnabar Island and the surrounding areas, but Ghetsis didn't hold out much hope. He now possessed a strong feeling that his prize would be found somewhere in the Orange Islands. To that end, he had summoned his only minions for a mission. The three of them knelt obediently at his feet.

Ghetsis looked down on his faithful Shadow Triad. All of them wore an identical black and grey uniform, and they all possessed they same flowing white hair. Most importantly, they would all die in Ghetsis' service if he ordered it. They were that committed. Saving their lives as children had a certain beneficial effect on installing absolute obedience. One he was happy to exploit.

"My loyal servants, the time of the prophecy draws near. I now believe we will find what we are looking for in the Orange Archipelago. However, I must be thorough and finish the search here in Kanto just to be sure. That is why you three will go ahead of me to scope out the Orange Islands, searching for any clues on the whereabouts of the legendary birds of Kanto. Utilize any and all skills to achieve this objective. You are to report your findings the moment relevant information is discovered. THIS IS MY COMMAND! NOW GO, AND CARRY OUT MY WILL!" roared the man, standing up.

"Yes Lord Ghetsis," dully refrained the trio, disappearing in a flash of light. Ghetsis slowly sat back down, a pleased expression on his face. Time was growing short for the world in its current state. The time of Ghetsis was approaching.

END CHAPTER

First, a confession on the direction of this story. Right now, the endgame is planned in Sinnoh. Other characters will visit other regions, but Ash will likely not go beyond that. However, there is a way I am thinking of having Ash visit certain regions in times of crisis to provide aid.

Aside from Ash and company, we got another look into Silver, and Ghetsis of course. To be clear, Team Plasma does not exist yet. Ghetsis' only servants are the Shadow Triad. Most importantly, I brought the "don't say that name" gag into this story. It was needed!

Next Time - Ash takes on the final Gym in the Orange Islands, they meet a certain someone sent by somebody else, and we introduce the arc of Pokemon the Movie 2000.

Talesfanjmf - Thanks for the review! Hope you liked the Cynthia inclusion in this chapter as well. I was unable to see that link you mentioned. Perhaps it was cut off in the review? Teleport is an interesting idea. I might consider it for Espeon later on as a means of transportation, and evasion of moves in battle. Nothing more though. It could be useful for the endgame I have planned in Johto now that I think about it. Thanks again for your long review and keep them coming!

CaptainSammyAngel - Thanks for the review! Glad you like the inclusion of Ghetsis. Figured he could be arrogant enough to think he could be the chosen one. No worries on your review schedule. Do it when you feel like it.

Reader2 - Thanks for the review! Per my initial comments, Ash will likely have no adventures in Unova. I do plan on Ghetsis fighting somebody, or even somebodies we have met and/or will meet. There are more heroes than simply Ash Red Ketchum.

Reader - Thanks for the review! Glad you liked the Cinderace inclusion. Trying to add in foreign Pokemon from Gen 5-8 when possible.

Espeon860 - Thanks for the review! Good call on Brock's Pokemon evolving. Ghetsis is indeed one of the ultimate villains. He will not be Ash's greatest villain, but he will be a reoccurring one.

Remember to review with your thoughts and critique :)

Smell ya later!