The Floating Palace High Above Valencia Island

As he had thought, Cinnabar Island and the surrounding areas was a fruitless endeavor. No matter. That was in the past. Right now, Ghetsis was focused on something else entirely. As usual, he was seated on his throne-like chair in his Floating Palace, which was currently hiding above the clouds over Valencia Island. In front of him, a screen with a live feed was displayed. One of his faithful Shadow Triad members knelt in the foreground. Immediately around his servant, Ghetsis noted a meadow, some pillars, and a stone tablet. Far off in the background, the man's piercing red eyes could see three island land masses, separated by the ocean.

"So, you are on Shamouti Island?" Ghetsis enquired.

"Yes Lord Ghetsis," answered the kneeling Shadow Triad member in the normal drone-like voice.

"Well then, report!"

"I am currently at the back of the island, standing by the local shrine. There was a guardian protecting the vicinity, but it was dealt with efficiently. The locals refer to the islands in the background as Fire, Ice, and Lighting. Finally, the stone tablet contains text matching that of the prophecy when translated. I believe this is what you have been looking for my lord," summarized the servant, still kneeling with his head bent down in submission.

At last, the search is ended, triumphantly thought the villain, glee displayed on his face. His attention quickly turned back to his subordinate.

"You have fulfilled your duties admirably. I have new orders for you. Rendezvous with the others and return to the vessel at once. You are dismissed." The Shadow Triad member gave a nod, and the feed ended, sending the screen back into its storage panel as well.

"Computer, set a course for Shamouti Island," calmly ordered the man.

"Course set for Shamouti Island. Estimated time of arrival is 24 hours," echoed the response.

So close!. I am so very close now! I WILL BE KING!

Orange Islands Unknown Location

A flash of lightning, intense flames, and a bone-chilling blizzard. A boy felt and saw this seemingly all at once. The elements raged, clashing between one another. A light fell from the sky between them, heading for a watery grave below. Then he was back at the meadow. The flowers were wilted, dead to the world. His eyes moved to the shrine. He recognized it from before, but three orbs were now placed within. Orangish-red, yellow, and light blue. Behind him, footsteps sounded, and he turned to see a beautiful young girl, slowly approaching. She was garbed in a white robe, sandals, and a veil. Her could see long flowing hair, split into two. She stopped by the boy, sending him a smile, and then pulled out a precious instrument from her bag. A beautiful Ocarina, made of materials the boy had never seen touched her lips. A soothing and familiar melody began to play. The shrine lit up a healthy green, the elements ceased their fighting, and the falling light grew stronger.

BOOM! The girl was gone in an explosion. The shrine was destroyed. The elements raged. The light died. All around him, Ash Red Ketchum could hear familiar eerie maniacal laughter

Orange Islands Ocean

"Ash…"

"Ash!"

"ASH!"

Ash's eyes opened to meet the bright sun and the immediate visage of Brock who was shaking him rather roughly. Instinctively, he shielded his eyes from the brightness, also noticing Tracey, Lucario, and Pikachu, who were all looking at him concerned.

"Thank goodness you're awake!" sighed Brock, releasing Ash.

"What do you mean? What happened?" frowned the youth.

"You fell asleep a few hours back Ash, while we were still on Lapras. 10 minuets ago though, you just started shaking and thrashing about. You're lucky Brock caught your before you tipped into the ocean," explained Tracey.

"Oh." That's when it came back to him. The vision coursed through his mind as he recalled the elements, the light, the girl, the destruction, and the cruel laughter. Ash swallowed hard, processing everything.

"Apprentice, are you alright?" Lucario chimed in.

"I'm fine, but I just had another experience with Aura Foresight," sighed Ash. He quickly explained the details, leaving nothing out, having learned the necessity of sharing such things already.

"You know," Brock started, scratching his chin in a pondering gesture.

"I think it's pretty interesting that you were dreaming about a beautiful girl. Those were your words won't they?" teased the aspiring medical professional and Pokemon Breeder. Ash rolled his eyes, ignoring the jibe. Tracey was more serious in his first impressions.

"It has all the same elements of your previous dream. The elements, that light, and destruction. What does it all mean though?"

"Tell me apprentice, was this laughter similar to what you heard in the vision with the red-eyed man?" pressed Lucario.

"Yeah. It was exactly the same. Still creeps me out. You think it's important?"

"It very well could be. We should keep an eye out for this character. He seems to be a source of trouble," answered Ash's master. The humans shared a nod, and then returned to silence. Everyone continued to try and think of what it could all mean. An ominous feeling hung over them all as they continued towards their next destination on Lapras.

Kumquat Island Pokemon Center

Ash and his friends enjoyed the rest of their journey without any other surprises. Within a few hours, they had arrived at Kumquat Island, where Ash's final Orange Island Gym Battle would take place, in the evening. The island was located in the northern part of the Orange Archipelago. Tracey mentioned how it was a well known luxurious seaside resort, featuring grand hotels, beautiful beaches, and hot springs. Unfortunately, the gang didn't have the money for that kind of thing, so they made their way to the local Pokemon Center instead. Everyone handed their Pokemon over to Nurse Joy for a quick check up, and then headed off for bed. Everyone aside from Ash that is. The boy in question decided do do some last minute research for his upcoming battle at one of the center's computers.

Searching through the web, Ash found out the Gym was run by a woman named Luana. Apparently, she also owned one of the fancier hotels on the island, called the Kumquat Hotel. Somewhere within lied the Kumquat Gym. Ash was slightly turned off by that notion. The last time he and his friends ventured into a luxurious location was aboard the S.S. Anne. Considering how that turned out with Team Rocket and all, he liked to avoid such things when possible. Still, sacrifices had to be made, and Ash would get over it to win his final badge in the Orange Islands. On the other hand, Ash was slightly amused at the coincidence that his final Gym Battle would take place in a hotel, which was pretty much the exact same as what had happened in Kanto. Well, close enough.

Scrolling down the web page, Ash was taken aback when he finally found the twist behind this gym. There were no pre-battle challenges, but the actual battle itself was a double battle. More than that though, the battle would be over when only 1 Pokemon was defeated, as opposed to both. Ash's 7th Gym Battle in Kanto had been similar, aside from the 1 Pokemon rule, but he doubted that this battle would be so easy. One, that Gym had been relatively new, and the Co-Gym Leaders were ex-rivals. Two, there would only be one Gym Leader controlling both Pokemon aside from him, and she seemed to have been running the place for years. He'd have to be careful with this one.

When Ash finally found something about her Pokemon, the news didn't get any better. Luana had an extensive roster, and there were no clear favorites. Picking favorable type matchups would be impossible. At least if he wanted to plan out some strategies ahead of time, which he did.

Guess I'll just stick with Tauros and Snorlax like I planned, thought the boy. With that in mind, Ash shut down for the night, joining his friends for a restful sleep. It would be the last good night of rest he got for a while.

Pallet Town Oak Pokemon lab

"Yes, I appreciate it Cynthia. Truly, thank you for digging into this as much as you already have," smiled Professor Samuel Oak, looking at the blonde through his video phone.

"It was an honor Professor Oak. I wish I could do more to personally help, but unfortunately duty calls here in Sinnoh. I will be sure to tell my contact what you mentioned though about Ash's current location. She should be able to get them to where they need to go. Until next time," finished the Champion, waving goodbye and hanging up the phone. No longer able to be seen, Professor Oak slumped back into his chair with an exhausted sigh.

"At least we are making some progress now. Shamouti Island looks promising. Still, why do I get the feeling that Ash is headed for trouble? Probably because trouble always seems to find him one way or another," snorted the man. Despite his feelings on the matter, there wasn't much else he could do to help. Calling in assistance from the Champion and the Elite Four would be overkill, especially over a perceived vision. Not to mention they were likely doing plenty of last minute work for the upcoming conference. Ash was truly on his own. Well that wasn't exactly true. The boy did have his friends. Friends? Maybe there was someone Professor Oak could call to offer assistance? With a few strings pulled by Professor Oak, they should be able to offer aid in a timely manner as well. With that in mind, Professor Oak moved to dial another number.

Kumquat Island the Next Morning

Ash woke up extra early, shoveling down breakfast in the cafeteria at breakneck speed, before heading to Nurse Joy to pick up his now rested Pokemon. This was followed by a quick stroll out back to the Pokemon Center's practice battlefield. Ash grabbed two Pokeballs from his belt, releasing his friends.

"Lax."

"Moooaar."

"Nice to see you guys too. Today's the big day. It's time for the Gym Battle. Ready to give it your all?" the serious boy asked. Snorlax and Tauros nodded and huffed in response.

"Good. Before we battle though, I have to tell you two something. It's going to be a double battle, which means both of you need to work together. So, we're going to talk some last minute strategy," slyly smiled Ash. The two Pokemon leaned in, and Ash went into his plans for the match.

Kumquat Hotel

All they could do was stare. The thing was even more obstinate and obnoxious than they had thought. Kumquat Hotel towered above Ash and his friends. He couldn't even see the top without squinting from the sun. The walkway they traversed had palm trees on either side, banking on that island feel. Chauffeurs were also out and about, taking car keys from guests and helping them to unload luggage.

"Guess we better head on in," sighed Ash, leading the way for the others. Walking through some rotating doors, they found themselves in the lobby. Bellhops moved throughout, taking luggage up elevators with guests. Some people simply relaxed in various chairs and couches.

"Where do we even go?"

"Maybe try checking with the front desk?" suggested Brock. Heading on over, the gang waited in line for a few minutes, before finally getting to speak with someone.

"Good morning sirs. Are you checking in?" questioned a refined older gentleman in a suit. He clearly showed some skepticism, likely judging their unruly appearance as well as their age.

Kind of looks like a Butler, thought Ash with a small smile.

"Actually, we're here for a Gym Battle, or my friend is," answered Tracey, pushing Ash forward.

"I see. And what is your name young man?" the older man asked.

"I'm Ash Red Ketchum."

"One moment then." The man moved to a landline behind him, and dialed in a number.

"Miss Luana, a young man by the name of Ash Red Ketchum is here for a Gym Battle."

"…"

"Indeed?"

"…"

"Of course Miss. I will take care of it right away," finished the man, hanging up the phone. He turned back to the group with a far more jovial expression.

"My apologies for holding you up good sirs. Master Ketchum, Miss Luana has been expecting you now for quite some time. If you will all follow me, I would be happy to escort you to the battlefield." The man walked around the desk, gesturing for the gang to follow, and so they did. Along the way, he provided something of a miniature tour.

"To the right, you can see through those windows to our on-sight therapy room. Here our professionals help Pokemon work out injuries, stress, or just plain work out," chuckled the man. Brock was taking notes, paying close attention to what looked like a Jynx on a treadmill and a Venusaur doing some form of resistance training.

"And here we have our dance studio. Master Rudy often spends a good deal of time here when he visits with his sister Mahri…"

"AHHHHHH! That name. Don't say that name…"

"Oh boy," face-palmed Tracey, dragging the now catatonic Brock along.

"You can ignore him and continue," Ash said in response to the bewildered look on the man's face.

"Emm. Right then." The desk-man continued to point out interesting sights, such as the Hotel Hot Springs and a full Tennis Court. Eventually, they finally found themselves at the actual Pokemon Gym. Fully equipped with seating room that could fit over a thousand fans, good lighting, and a pristine battlefield, Ash couldn't help but give an appreciative whistle.

"Travis?" spouted a feminine voice. Everyone's heads turned up and around to see an older woman in the bleachers behind them looking at Ash with apprehension. The boy stared back in confusion, spotting short red hair, a blue dress, a yellow jacket with green trim, and sandals. Her excitement faded, seeing Ash from the front.

"Thank you Jeeves. I'll take it from here."

"Of course madame," bowed their escort, walking away. The woman dropped down from the stands onto the battlefield, approaching the gang with a sheepish expression.

"Sorry about that, Ash I take it? It's just, I have a son who looks just like you, down to that Pikachu on your shoulder. That Espeon is certainly unique though."

"No problem ma'am, and you're right. I'm Ash!" cheerfully answered the boy, thinking of his own bond with his mother.

"Is your son a Pokemon trainer too then?" Tracey asked.

"He is, but he's far off on his own journey in a distant region. That's why I was so surprised when I thought he walked into my Gym," chuckled the woman.

"Then that must make you Luana, the Kumquat Island Gym Leader and member of the Orange Crew," shrewdly observed Brock, who had recovered from his earlier state by now.

"Got it in one. It's nice to meet you all, especially you Ash. The other three have said nothing but good things about you. I also heard about a sparing match with a member of the Elite Four. Very impressive," praised the woman.

"Err. Nice to meet you too. I hope I can live up to your expectations," Ash nervously answered.

"So do I. Given your reported preparatory skills, I assume you know the rules of my gym by now?"

"Sure do. It's a double battle. First trainer to lose a single Pokemon loses the battle." Luana nodded in approval.

"That will save time then. Fred!" called the woman, clapping her hands. A young adult man in a similarly dressed outfit to that Jeeves character entered the stadium.

"Yes madame?" bowed the man.

"Be a dear and officiate this Gym Battle please."

"Of course." With that, Ash and Luana assumed their positions, while Brock and Tracey took their own in the bleachers.

"This will be an official Orange League Gym Battle between the Gym Leader, Madame Luana, and the challenger, Ash Red Ketchum. At stake is the Jade Star Badge. Both trainers will send out two Pokemon to participate in a double battle, with the Gym Leader selecting her Pokemon first. The battle will end when a single Pokemon from either trainer is unable to battle. Send out your Pokemon, and let the match begin!" declared the referee.

"I haven't used these two in a while, so come on out!" yelled Luana, tossing two Pokeballs into the air. First emerged the the yellow-brown humanoid fox-looking Pokemon, Alakazam. The powerful Psychic Pokemon held a spoon in each hand, gazing at Ash with intense focus. Luana's other Pokemon wore the skull of it's dead mother and carried a long bone. Unlike the one from Lavender Town, this Marowak was light brown, which was exactly what Ash was used to from his prior studies. The boy did nothing for a moment, analyzing both Pokemon and processing the reveal internally.

Alakazam and Marowak. The first of the two is extremely powerful, but also has a very low defense, making it something of a glass cannon. Marowak's attacks are not nearly as strong, but the defensive prowess of that Pokemon can't be understated. I think the strategy needs to be to focus on Alakazam, while trying to avoid the powerful psychic attacks. However, if we get close to Marowak, we'll strike. If we have to choose, we'll also take damage from Marowak as opposed to Alakazam. Ok. Let's do this!

"Snorlax and Tauros, it's time to battle!" Both Pokemon materialized, primed for battle, albeit with different motivations. Tauros continued to be a firebrand, loving the chance to prove her power. Snorlax was simply here for the three helpings of Oaks' special recipe that Ash had promised earlier. Regardless, they were ready.

"Psychic Bonemerang!" snapped off Luana, getting the battle underway. Marowak chucked his bone in a fast spinning motion, heading right for Snorlax. That wasn't the end though, because Alakazam added his own powers to the attack, giving it more speed, and making it curve to Tauros!

She's targeting my less-defensive Pokemon too!

"Snorlax, Rollout to get in front of that attack and stay in your ball," responded Ash. The gargantuan Pokemon moved swiftly, rolling into a ball and intercepting the attack with his hefty body, causing the bone to bounce back, having dealt minimal damage.

"Press the attack with Rollout and aim for Alakazam! Tauros, charge behind Rollout and prepare for my command," continued Ash. Snorlax rolled forward, gaining speed, while Tauros was right behind him.

"Teleport." Alakazam flashed away

"HORN ATTACK INTO SNORLAX'S SIDE! SNORLAX, TRANSITION TO ICE PUNCH ON MAROWAK!" roared Ash. Tauros sprinted harder, aiming a horn at Snorlax's side, and sending him flying right into Marowak with an icy fist bearing down on the creature.

"Reflect" cried Luana. Alakazam reappeared several feet away, but his eyes flashed and a translucent barrier appeared between Snorlax and Marowak just before the blow struck.

"WAK!" cried Marowak, sliding back from super-effective damage, even if the power was reduced.

"Not bad, but you've left Tauros exposed and unprotected. Bonemerang around Snorlax and Psybeam!" Marowak tossed his bone once more, angling it around Snorlax, heading for Tauros, while Alakazam fired a precise beam on a direct line for Tauros.

She's right! Snorlax is way to close and doesn't have the speed to intercept that bone. Got to stick to the plan, especially with Intimidate in play.

"Head straight for that bone to dodge Psybeam and use Take Down on it to send it flying. Snorlax, fire off another Ice Punch while Marowak is undefended!" Tauros moved fast, jumping forward out of the path of Psybeam and straight into the oncoming Bonemerang. Take Down certainly sent the bone away, but Tauros suffered residual damage as a result. Meanwhile…

"LAX!" Snorlax raised its fist high, ready to deliver another punch.

"DISABLE!"

"FALL FORWARD WITH BODY SLAM!"

"JUMP LEFT TO DODGE!"

Time for a big risk

"SWAGGER!" Several things happened in quick succession. Alakazam's eyes flashed blue and so did Snorlax, ceasing the Ice-Punch in it's tracks, but that quickly transitioned into a Body Slam. Marowak jumped to the left, barely dodging the attack, but in the air and still without his bone, Marowak was unable to avoid Swagger.

"WAK! WAK! WAK!" Yelled the Pokemon pounding its own head. BAM! Marowak's bone finally returned to sender as well striking the confused Pokemon and dealing even more damage. Still, the Pokemon stood.

"Marowak's defenses are pretty high, but soon he'll be out for the count!" goaded Ash. Luana narrowed her eyes, but Ash beat her to the punch with another order.

"FINISH WITH HORN ATTACK AND BODY SLAM!" Tauros instigated a seemingly final charge, while Snorlax, who had stood back up from the previous Body Slam, moved forward, preparing to fall on top of Marowak. That was when Luana acted.

Ally Switch!" called Luana. Alakazam and Marowak teleported away, changing places in a mere instant. She was momentarily relieved at that.

Checkmate.

"CHANGE THOSE ATTACKS TO ASSURANCE AND LICK!" Her relief shifted to horror, and she opened her mouth to sound another quick escape, but Snorlax' skills were far superior in that department. His tongue shot out at light speed, wrapping Alakazam in place and dealing super-effective damage. Unfortunately, it also seemed that the Psychic Pokemon was now Paralyzed.

"TELEPORT!" desperately tried the Gym Leader. No good. Alakazam couldn't move.

"BONEMERANG!" That attack did work. In a moment of sanity free of confusion, Marowak tossed his bone at Snorlax's back, filled with the enhanced power of Swagger.

"BRACE YOURSELF AND HOLD ONTO THAT ALAKAZAM SNORLAX!" Snorlax tensed, grimacing to anticipate the impact.

"LAX!" cried out the Pokemon in pain from the blow. He stood firm though, refusing to relinquish Alakazam. That's when Tauros arrived.

"RELEASE!" yelled Ash

POW! Tauros struck headfirst with a brutal Assurance attack, just as Snorlax finally let Alakazam free from Lick. CRASH! Alakazam flew back into a wall. Given his extremely low defense followed by two super-effective attacks, Alakazam was out before he hit the floor.

"Alakazam is unable to battle! As the Gym Leader has lost a usable Pokemon, I declared Ash Red Ketchum to be the winner!" called the referee.

"WAY TO GO YOU TWO!" fist pumped Ash, slightly jumping in the air. Snorlax and Tauros shared a grin, feeling pretty good about the performance themselves. They had just won their first Gym Battle after all.

"Lax?" questioned the Pokemon, approaching Ash with crossed arms.

"Yes. I promise you'll get it later on you glutton. Return," chuckled the boy, calling back both Pokemon.

"That was some battle Ash," smiled Luana, walking towards the boy. By now, her Pokemon had been called back as well.

"Thanks Luana. It was fun doing another double battle," grinned Ash.

"I'm glad you had a good time," laughed the woman, getting more serious in the next instant though.

"However, by winning this Gym Battle, you have now earned the right to challenge the Champion of the Orange Crew. That will be a six on six battle Ash, and it will be no joke. Promise me you'll train hard and give your all." Ash sobered up himself, giving a firm nod in response. Satisfied, Luana pulled a small object out of her pocket. It was purple, shaped like a snail shell. An even smaller gemstone in the shape of a star was featured in the center.

"Take this Ash. It's the Jade Star Badge, and you've earned it." Graciously accepting the badge, Ash thanked Luana one final time, and then departed with his friends, excited at the future prospect of a battle with the Orange Crew Champion.

Outside of the Hotel

"Another fine battle Ash," said Tracey, giving the boy a friendly jab to the shoulder.

"Hah. Thanks Trace, but my Pokemon did some good work too," chuckled Ash, walking right into Brock who had frozen on the spot.

"Uh Brock?" Ash asked, still seeing the teen unmoving. Brock slowly raised his hand and pointed ahead. Ash'e eyes widened and he understood why Brock had froze. Standing not 15 feet in front of him were two girls, looking back at them with wide smiles. One appeared to be a few years older then Brock with wild green hair. She sported an orange jumpsuit and a backwards cap. The other one though… she caused Ash's face to split into a grin, and carried his legs forward before his brain could process anything else.

"Who is that?" Tracey asked the still frozen Brock.

"It's…"

"Oof!" cried the younger girl, feeling the boy crash into her and envelope her in a huge hug. At least he had the tact to avoid crushing the precious Pokemon she held in one arm.

"Nice to see you again Ash," softly smiled the girl, returning the hug.

"You too Misty. You too," choked Ash. His friend was back, and all was right with the world.

END CHAPTER

Misty is back, just in time for the good stuff! So ends the Orange Islands Gym Battle arc and we dive headfirst into the 2nd Movie! That's the good news. The bad news is that the next chapter is likely not going to come for a while. As with BDSP, I pre-ordered Legend's Arceus and will be playing that for the foreseeable future in my free time when it arrives, which should be today (Friday, January 28th, 2022). In addition, something else in my life may change radically in the next few weeks, which would be for the better, but it is not certain yet, so I will not give specifics.

Next Time - Misty and the gang exchange stories, the other girl introduces herself, Ash and Co. are escorted to the mysterious Shamouti Island, Ghetsis enacts his plan, and some new characters react to changing weather patterns caused by said plan, setting the stage for a far off plot down the line. Who knows what else will happen?

LegendaryArchon - Thanks for the reviews! Glad you are enjoying the story. Feel free to offer your thoughts and critique when you catch up.

StrikertheFallen - Thanks for the review! Happy you believe the story is worthwhile. Hope you enjoyed this chapter as well.

Reader2 - Thanks for the review! I do want Ash to catch Gen 5 - 8 Pokemon yes. I think I will start incorporating that in Johto, but in a way that makes sense. Hoenn for example, has connections to Kalos in ORAS, which would make it an ideal time to give Ash some Kalos Pokemon. Glad you like the idea of other heroes. I already have plans for Serena in that regard. Still working out how others will assist. Through these other characters, I hope to give glimpses of the unvisited regions as well.

TalesfanJmf - Thanks for the review! Nice to see a guy who enjoys a good training montage, and Pikachu learning Return seemed natural for sure. Slowking was hinted at in this chapter, but I see where you are coming from. I have tossed around the idea of Ash catching Meowth from Team Rocket a few times, but decided against it. He already has Espeon, allowing him to communicate with a Pokemon. In the future, he will receive something similar. For now, I have no plans of an actual talking Pokemon. Finally, I saw the move you mentioned! I can see the potential for sure.

Espeon860 - Thanks for the review! We will see if your predictions bear fruit or not. Not telling. Cynthia is quite terrifying and beautiful isn't she? Hope this double battle was better. It felt a bit short to me, but I couldn't figure out more to do with it. Will have some longer double battles with more Pokemon in Hoenn.

Tyuo - Thanks for the review! Ash's ego needs to be kept in check, and Lucario is happy to do it from time to time lol.

Reader - Thanks for the review! You will get Paul vs somebody we've already met in Hoenn, which will occur while Ash is in Johto. I'm looking forward to that greatly! As for Silver vs Paul, not in the near future. Would be interesting to see the two bad boys, even if they are emotionally different, go at it. That may be something to explore in the final arc of this story i.e. Sinnoh.

Remember to review with your thoughts and critique : )

Smell ya later!