Iron Ruins

Iron Island, Sinnoh

Team Rainbow Rocket World

Iron Island was a small island with very few people living on it. Due to the hazards of the island and the creepiness of the abandoned mine, almost none dared to venture out of their small town and explore the surrounding land. As a result, all the civilians resting in their homes were oblivious to the Team Rainbow Rocket helicopter on the other side of the island and the fact that something wicked was about to stir in the ancient ruins of the island deep underground.

"We're here," Trip stated as he stepped out of the plane while holding his camera. One of the perks of being a Rainbow Rocket member was travelling to different places, and he would document his adventures as photos. This was no secret to the rest of the Red Manibuzz, and no one was foolish enough to mock Trip for his hobby, not even the hotheaded Gary.

"Ugh!" Georgia exclaimed as she jumped off the helicopter and marched past Trip who was taking pictures. "Finally! My body is sore from all that sitting!" She began to stretch her arms and started to breathe in the fresh air.

Gary chuckled as he slowly descended toward the ground, taking in the view of the barren and gray island. "If this operation succeeds, there's still a chance that the admins will forget about my defeat!" Gary enthusiastically thought, fantasying about being promoted to commander and bossing Trip around.

"We can finally get started!" Hau excitedly yelled, running down the short flight of stairs. Ever since the commander announced the operation, he had been busy planning for this day, and he wanted everything to be as perfect as possible. The last thing he wanted was to disappoint his teammates and the commander, especially the commander.

Chloe glanced outside for a second before joining the rest of her team below. She didn't care too much about the operation. As long she didn't mess up, she was fine. She didn't want to cause any trouble that'll affect her father.

The last person to descend from the plane was Commander Mars herself. The island didn't seem once, but Mars knew that there was a powerful Pokémon somewhere on this piece of land. Once everyone was gathered around her, she proclaimed, "I'm sure you all want to get started. This should be a simple extraction mission if the stories about Registeel are true. All the various sources we have found believe that the Pokémon can be found somewhere deep underground, presumably in the abandoned mine. Split up and do your tasks. Having Registeel at our disposal would greatly strengthen Team Rainbow Rocket."

"Yes, ma'am!" the five responded and immediately started their respective tasks. Trip and Chloe were the first expedition team, Hau and Gary were the second expedition team, and Georgia was in charge of the grunts whose job was to dig and excavate the land to search for the rumored Iron Ruins. Meanwhile, Mars was supposed to oversee the different teams and report any significant progress directly to Admin Cyrus. Speaking of the admin, she was currently communicating with him via a Holo Caster.

"Sir, the operation has begun," Mars reported to her boss. "The locals are unaware, and if someone does find us, we will take care of them.

"Splendid," Cyrus replied with a stern nod. "I truly hope that your unit Red Manibuzz succeeds, Mars. Also, I heard of the news regarding the library. I trust that you have plans to take care of it?"

"Indeed," Mars answered with a grin. "I have sent an elite team of four to deal with the possible Resistance member. They should easily subdue them."

"In that case, I await your news," Cyrus said before disappearing from the Holo Caster. Now, all Mars had to do was wait for any discovers from her team. As she walked toward Georgia, a sudden explosion behind her on the other side of the island caught her off guard. "I guess it must be the elite team," she dismissed after she calmed down.


Iron Island Port Town

Iron Island, Sinnoh

Team Rainbow Rocket World

"Pikachu! Iron tail!" Ash ordered as he pointed at the Meowth in front of him. He didn't expect to be ambushed when he left the ship, and he felt some remorse for accidentally putting other people in danger. It made him enraged to see how Team Rainbow Rocket didn't care about other people and Pokémon.

"Pika!" Pikachu exclaimed, pouncing toward Meowth who dodged it at the very last second. This Meowth was far stronger than the Team Rocket Meowth he fought before.

"Ha! You really think a Pikachu like you can defeat me!" Meowth haughtily taunted as he signaled Pikachu with one of his paws. "I'll show you a real move! Dark pulse!" A swarm of black and purple rings shot out of both paws and collided with the surprised Pikachu.

"Pikachu!" Ash cried out with worry. Thankfully, Pikachu was okay, but they were both at a disadvantage at the four elite members.

"We can do this the easy way," James menacingly said, looking at the damage Meowth dealt toward Pikachu. "Or the hard way. The choice is yours, boy. Either way, you're going back to headquarters with us!"

"In your dreams! Now, use Electroweb!" Ash commanded watching his Pikachu jump in the air and send out an electric net.

"Wobbuffet! Use Mirror Coat!" Jessie exclaimed as Wobbuffet jumped in front of the trio and glowed. The net slammed into the psychic Pokémon, but it did nothing to Wobbueffet as he began to glow brighter and sent out a beam of white energy.

Ash looked with shock as the beam collided into his Pikachu, sending his Pokémon tumbling onto the ground. "Pikachu," he asked after he ran over to the fallen Pokémon. "Are you alright?"

"Pika," Pikachu responded with reassurance, but a great deal of damage was dealt to the yellow rodent. and Ash knew that it wasn't wise to push his partner too hard.

"Ha! Your Pikachu is done for!" Meowth triumphally announced, showing his long claws to intimate Ash. "Now, come with us, or I'll show you my fury swipes!"

Ignoring Meowth's demand, Ash looked at Pikachu and asked, "Can you still battle, buddy?"

"Pika, Pika!" Pikachu replied as he got up and leaped in front of his trainer. He could continue battling, but he was slowly panting due to exhaustion.

"Alright! You asked for it! Fury Swipes!" Meowth exclaimed running toward Pikachu.

"Jump up in the air and use Iron Tail on the ground!" Ash commanded, watching Meowth lunge toward his Pokémon. After leaping, Pikachu's tail glowed silver, and the Electric Mouse Pokémon slammed it onto the ground, causing cracks to appear and slowing down Meowth's change.

"Hey! What gives!?" Meowth frustratedly cried out, glancing at the Pikachu above him.

"Now, Thunderbolt!" Ash yelled with a grin, prompting Pikachu to glow yellow as electricity gathered around him.

"Pika! Chuuu!" the rodent exclaimed, sending out a thunderbolt at the Scratch Cat Pokémon. However, Meowth stopped the Thunderbolt by sending out another Dark Pulse straight at it, and the Dark Pulse slammed into Pikachu, making him fall onto the ground.

"Now's my chance! Fury Swipes again!" Meowth chuckled maliciously, charging toward the fallen Pikachu and raking his claws on the rodent's face.

"Pikaaaa," Pikachu groaned as he tumbled backwards, stopping at the feet of his trainer. Ash was surprised to see how fast and powerful Meowth was. Despite the damage, Pikachu got up again and sternly nodded toward Ash.

"Quick Attack!" Ash shouted, pointing toward Meowth. Pikachu started running extremely fast and collided with Meowth, surprising him and sending him plummeting backwards.

"Ow!" Meowth complained as he got up. "How are you still able to fight!?"

"Let's try this again! Thunderbolt!" Ash ordered as Pikachu began to prepare to discharge his electricity. As soon as Pikachu released the Thunderbolt, Meowth did the same strategy as before, but he was shocked when the Dark Pulse didn't hit the Pokémon.

"Wha—!?" he started to say, but he didn't get a chance to finish his sentence when Pikachu slammed into him with a Quick Attack from the side. Meowth stumbled onto the ground and stopped near Jessie and James. There were swirls in his eyes, and he let out a groan.

"Meowth! Are you alright, friend?" James anxiously inquired, shocked to see Meowth lose a battle. "Come on! Answer me!"

"Let's keep the pressure going!" Ash blurted out with joy. "Electroweb!"

"Mirror Coat!" Jessie swiftly responded, and the Patient Pokémon jumped in front of his trainer and glowed.

"Wobb!" Wobbuffet yelled as he once again absorbed the power of the Electroweb and send it back toward the Electric Mouse Pokémon. It was a direct hit, and he knew that his partner couldn't battle any more upon hearing Pikachu's crash onto the floor.

"Pika…" Pikachu moaned with spirals in his eyes. After thanking his partner, he gently placed Pikachu on the ground behind him. He was worried for his friend. With Team Rainbow Rocket out to get him, he wasn't sure if he was able to go to a Pokémon Center or even buy medicine. However, he didn't have time to worry about this now. He had a battle to win. He reached for his Pokéballs on his belt, drawing Jessie's and James's attention.

"So, the boy has more Pokémon," James pondered as he watched Ash prepare to toss two balls. "I wonder what kind of Pokémon he has."

"Gengar! Dragonite! I choose you!" Ash proclaimed as the Dragon and Ghost Pokémon appeared.

"Gengar!" Gengar mischievously laughed, glaring at the Meowth and Wobbuffet in front of him.

"Dragon!" Dragonite roared. She was ready to battle.

"Just give up already!" Jessie yelled with frustration. She originally thought this was a simple mission, but this Ash was more powerful than she thought. "I thought he only had a Pikachu," she admitted to herself. The good news was that knowing more of his Pokémon would be easier to find his true identity.

"Don't worry! We still have Wobbuffet," James stated as the psychic Pokémon stepped forward. On the other hand, Meowth was still knocked out.

"Hurricane!" Ash commanded. The Dragon Pokémon let out another roar as the wind began to pick up around everyone. A powerful blast of wind emanated from the Pokémon and slammed into Wobbuffet, causing him to fly backwards and hit Meowth.

"Ugh!" Meowth groaned once again. He never knew Wobbuffet was so heavy. Jessie who looked backwards was shocked to see that Wobbuffet was knocked out too! She had underestimated Dragonite's might and didn't expect the Dragon Pokémon knew such a powerful flying-type move.

"Well then," Jessie began to say as she grabbed another Pokéball. This was a surprise. She didn't expect to use a Pokémon other than Wobbuffet, but clearly things had changed.

"Looks like we'll have to use our own Pokémon!" James finished, tossing his own Pokéball as well. A Drednaw and Morpeko appeared on the ground. The battle was heating up, and both sides knew it.

"We'll go first!" Ash announced swinging his right arm forward. "Gengar, use Shadow Ball on Drednaw! Dragonite, Dragon Dance!"

Gengar chuckled as he created and threw a large purple ball straight toward Drednaw. Meanwhile, Dragonite begun to spin around several times as the effects of Dragon Dance were starting to take place.

"Endure it and use Bite!" Jessie ordered as the Shadow Ball slammed into Drednaw. Despite the damage, Drednaw roared and prepared a giant set of yellow jaws in the air, biting the Ghost Pokémon.

"Gen!" Gengar moaned from the super effective move. Meanwhile, Morpeko slammed into Dragonite with an Aura Wheel, dealing damage to the Dragon Pokémon.

"We have the advantage!" James pronounced while pointing at Ash. "Our moves are super effective! This is your last chance to surrender."

"The battle isn't over yet!" Ash retorted, observing both of his Pokémon. He had a plan in mind, but he needed to wait for the right moment to execute it. "Gengar, Ice Punch on Drednaw! Dragonite, use Dragon Claw on Morpeko!" he called out, hoping that Team Rainbow Rocket would take the bait.

"Drednaw, Bite again!"

"Morpeko, use Aura Wheel!"

"Ugh!" Meowth said as he got up. "That hurt. I'm not doing this again." But no one paid him any attention toward his words except Wobbuffet who was standing nearby and looking at the ongoing battle.

Drednaw prepared to bite the incoming Gengar, but at the last second, Gengar vanished, causing the Pokémon to become confused as he looked all around for the Ghost Pokémon. "Look up!" Jessie wailed, but it was too late for him when Gengar slammed his head with an Ice Punch.

"Dred!" Drednaw groaned as cracks formed underneath him from the unexpected attack.

At the same time, Dragonite blocked Morpeko's attack with her Dragon Claw and sent the Two-Sided Pokémon tumbling toward the ground. Both Pokémon were trying to recover from the attacks, and this was the perfect opportunity to end the battle.

"Let's wrap this up!" Ash shouted with a grin on his face. "Dragonite, use Draco Meter! Gengar, use Psychic to aim the rocks at Team Rainbow Rocket!"

"Quick! Use Counter!" Jessie yelled, hastily dragging the injured Wobbuffet right in front of her.

"No! It should be Mirror Coat!" James retorted back. "Draco Meter is a special move!"

"Those rocks look physical to me! It should be Counter, especially with Gengar's Psychic!" Jessie shot back, and the two continued to argue back and forth. Meanwhile, Wobbuffet didn't know what move he should do as he watched Dragonite summon a stream of falling rocks and Gengar directing the boulders to them.

"Wobbuffet! Wobbuffet!" Wobbuffet called, trying to end the argument. Jessie and James turned their heads right at the moment the rocks slammed Wobbuffet, causing the Patient Pokémon to hit them. Meowth, Drednaw, and Morpeko tried to dodge out of the way, but they too were hit by Wobbuffet, causing them to all fly into the air.

"What a terrible feeling!" Jessie, James, and Meowth yelled as they disappeared from sight.

"Let's get out of here!" Ash said, recalling Gengar and Dragonite and picking up Pikachu. A small crowd was forming, curious about the young boy that defeated Team Rainbow Rocket, but the last thing Ash needed was attention, so he started to run toward the nearby forest with Pikachu in his arms. As Ash continued to run away, he didn't notice a figure amongst the crowd who was completely dressed in blue with a large hat blocking his face.

"Intriguing," the man pondered, looking at the direction Ash went. "To see someone this young defeat Team Rainbow Rocket members…his Aura is rather unusual. It feels different."


Iron Ruins

Iron Island, Sinnoh

Team Rainbow Rocket World

"Faster!" Georgia yelled as she looked at the grunts assembling the mechanical drill. "The ground isn't going to dig itself!" Suddenly, the girl heard screaming, and she looked up to see a giant mass heading straight toward her. She clumsily tried to move out of the way, but the mass hit her, and she was pressed to the ground.

"Ugh! That was terrible!" Jessie grunted, slowly getting up. "We were badly beaten!"

"I know! How did we lose against a child with a Pikachu!?" James wailed as he stood up and patted the dust off his shirt. The two trainers both recalled their Pokémon, leaving Meowth the only one on top of the toppled Georgia.

"Get off of me!" Georgia angrily yelled, pushing the hurt Meowth off her. "What is the meaning of this!? I am a member of the Red Manibuzz, and I will not be humiliated!"

Mars who heard the commotion approached Georgia and saw Jessie, James, and Meowth nearby. "Perfect timing," she spoke with a curious tone, especially glaring at the dizzy Meowth. "I was wondering about the boy and the Pikachu. I admit that your entrance is rather unconventional, but did you succeed?"

"No. We didn't," James answered with spite, looking away from the commander. "He had a Dragonite and Gengar as well. We misjudged him, but next time, we won't."

"Interesting yet disturbing," Mars answered, thinking carefully. "The Resistance must be stronger than we previously thought. At least, we know more about him. I shall send the additional information to Unit Porygon in due time. Where is he now?"

"He should still be on the island," Meowth responded who had partially recovered from the attacks. "We'll hunt him down again!"

"First, we need to go back to headquarters to get more Pokémon," Jessie sheepishly admitted. "We didn't bother grabbing our other Pokémon since we thought this was a quick and easy mission. Clearly, this boy is very talent."

"Then, why is he on Iron Island?" Georgia interrupted, drawing the attention of the adults. "We're here because of Registeel. Is he here for the same thing?"

Mars's expression became darker as she considered Georgia's words. "You have a point. There is only one possible reason why he is here. He is attempting to thwart the operation," she responded with mild urgency on her face. "You three go back to the Galactic building and retrieve your Pokémon. I will have to send out warnings to the other members of the Red Manibuzz to look out for the boy."

"Hey! You don't boss us around!" Jessie protested with clear dissatisfaction of her face. "But we'll go back and get our Pokémon!" With that, the Team Rainbow Rocket Trio walked toward a flat piece of land and tossed a small cube that quickly expanded into a giant Meowth balloon.

Georgia looked up at the balloon and remarked, "That's a strange way to travel." Meanwhile, Mars walked away to alert the remaining members of her unit and to report to Cyrus about the unfortunate development.


"Alright. Message received," Hau replied with a nod as he placed his Rotom Phone back into his pocket. "We'll continue our expedition with care,"

"What is it?" Gary asked, eager to know what news the commander had to say.

Hau sighed, preparing himself for Gary's bragging. "The boy you met at the library… Ash? That was his name? Right?"

Gary nodded, prompting the Alolan native to continue. "Well, the elite team failed to capture this Ash, and he's currently on the loose on the island. Commander wants us to be careful in case we run into him down here," Hau stated with resignation.

"Ha! See! Ash is strong!" Gary haughtily announced, causing Hau to inwardly groan. "Does Trip know about this? I would like to see the expression on his face when he finds out! I bet he would have lost sooner against him!"

"Wonderful," Hau thought, following Gary down a dark tunnel. "The only thing worst than a grumpy Gary is a cocky one."


A small frown formed on Trip's face when he heard the news. "Understood," he curtly said before turning off his Rotom Phone. A curious expression from his teammate prompted him to continue speaking. "It was from the commander. Apparently, the elite team failed to capture Ash, and commander wants us to be careful," Trip spoke calmly as he continued walking down the path. Chloe remained silent. She didn't have anything to add about the commander's words, but she knew Trip was thinking about Ash and Gary's failure to stop the boy. Eventually, the path both of them took led them to a dead end.

"Another blocked route," Trip sighed, prepared to mark this unsuccessful passage on his map, but Chloe's voice caused him to stop for a second.

"Wait," she said as she approached and observed the rocks at the end of the tunnel. "There are cracks between the rocks. This looks like a cave-in."

"So?" Trip questioned, not seeing the point of Chloe's observation, but the girl ignored his question and threw out her Pokéball.

"Boltund!" Chloe's Pokémon exclaimed as he emerged from the Pokéball.

"Boltund! Use Spark on the rocks in front of us," she ordered as the Dog Pokémon glowed yellow and sent out a bolt of electricity at the rocks. The attack broke through the rocks, revealing a hidden room.

"Bolt!" Boltund cheered as his trainer petted him. Meanwhile, Trip walked into the room and was shocked by what he saw.

"We found it," he murmured as he walked forward and glanced at the Registeel statue in front of him. This was the Iron Ruins the place where Registeel is said to reside, and Team Rainbow Rocket had discovered it.


Iron Island Forest

Iron Island, Sinnoh

Team Rainbow Rocket World

"There, buddy," Ash assured his Pokémon. "Eating this Oran Berry I found will make you feel much better."

"Pika!" Pikachu exclaimed after he ate the berry. He did feel better, but he was still hurt from the battle with Team Rainbow Rocket.

Ash exhaled, lying on the ground and thinking about today's events. Dodging Team Rainbow Rocket was harder than he thought if they already found him again so soon. He needed to be stealthier and smarter if he wanted to survive in this hostile world. "I wonder what Goh's doing," Ash pondered, changing the topic. "Wherever he is, it can't be a worst place than this." Suddenly, a loud explosion snapped Ash out of his thoughts, and it was followed by a series of drilling sounds.

"What's that?" Ash questioned, standing up and trying to pinpoint the source of the sound.

"Pika?" Pikachu asked as his ears twitched. Once he found where the sound was coming from, he gestured his trainer to follow him, and they quickly ran through the forest, trying to find out what happened. Unbeknownst to them, they weren't the only ones who heard the sound, and the man in the blue was also curious about the noise.

"Whatever Team Rainbow Rocket is doing on this island, it can't be a good thing," he grimly stated, glancing deeper into the forest.

"Luca," the man's Pokémon agreed, closing his eyes to see if he could find out the location of the evil team and exactly what they were doing.


Iron Ruins

Iron Island, Sinnoh

Team Rainbow Rocket World

"We're getting closer!" Georgia announced as she watched the drill descend deeper into the earth. All the members of the Red Manibuzz were gathered on the surface, eagerly waiting for the drill to finish. Once they had control of Registeel, Team Rainbow Rocket would be closer to their goals of multiverse domination. While the members were enthusiastically talking amongst themselves, Mars was reporting their progress to Cyrus.

"Wonderful," Cyrus spoke with a nod. "The rest of the admins will be very pleased on your progress. Having Registeel is the first step of our plan to assemble the Regi Pokémon together. Hopefully, the power of the Regis will be enough to open a stable Ultra Wormhole for our conquests into other worlds."

"I look forward to it," Mars responded with a grin. "But what about the boy?"

"I already sent the information you had given to me to Unit Porygon. They should be able to pinpoint his identity soon enough. If he does interfere, I want you to take care of him. We can't afford to have any loose ends. The Resistance is still a major threat to our dreams," Cyrus stated with an indifferent tone like always. "It seems unusual this time that they sent just a lone child. I want you to keep an eye for any other Resistance members."

"Understood," Mars replied before the conversation was over. No matter how strong this Ash was, she and Purugly would make short work of him. Little did she know that a raven-haired trainer was watching her and her unit among the bushes.

"Man, was that actually Team Galactic!?" Ash thought with shock. He knew that crooked red hair style anywhere, and he was certain that he just saw Cyrus in the Holo Caster. "Is Team Rocket working together with Team Galactic? Is that why they're called Team Rainbow Rocket? This isn't good." It was already difficult dealing with Team Rocket on an almost daily basis, but Team Rainbow Rocket seemed to be a lot worse. Seven times worse to be precise, but Ash didn't know that. He repositioned himself and slowly edged closer, hoping to listen what the nearby Team Rainbow Rocket grunts were saying. As he got closer and closer, he spotted a familiar hairstyle in the distance.

"No way! That's Gary!" he pondered within his mind. By the looks of it, Gary was a higher-ranking member than the grunts, and he was surrounded by other people around the same age as him, but it was too far away for Ash to determine their identities.

"Pika," Pikachu whispered as the two continued to crawl. If they could get nearer to Gary, then they could probably learn what Team Rainbow Rocket was doing on Iron Island. Thankfully, the loudness of the drill and the chaos of the grunts moving around provided cover for the trainer and the Pokémon. But the duo failed to notice the approaching Meowth balloon in the sky.


"Say! I wonder what they're doing!" James remarked as he looked at the giant drill with a pair of binoculars. "They must be digging for something valuable!"

Jessie who also had a pair of binoculars added, "Didn't you hear? They're digging for Registeel. Apparently, they must have found it."

"That's not our concern," Meowth said, standing nearby with his own binoculars. "We're supposed to find the boy! Now that we have more super strong Pokémon, we should be able to crush him easily!"

"Wobbuffet!" Wobbuffet exclaimed after exiting his trainer's Pokéball. Even though he couldn't see anything far way, he wanted to add something to the conversation.

"Wait a moment!" Meowth suddenly yelled. "I see something yellow that's moving! It's behind Commander Mars, and it's sneaking up on her!"

"Are you sure?" James asked, adjusting his position. "Wait! You're right, and there's a figure next to it with a hat! That's got to be the boy and the Pikachu!"

"There're trying to capture the commander!" Jessie exclaimed with fury. "How could the boy dare to attack a Team Rainbow Rocket commander!? This is outrageous! We are universally feared!"

"I don't think he fears us very much if we lost to him," James noted, still looking through his binoculars. "He's stopping, and he appears to be eavesdropping. I guess he's gathering information for the Resistance."

"You fools!" Meowth interrupted who was no longer looking and was instead changing the balloon's trajectory. "Don't just stand there and watch! We got to stop him!"

"Wobb! Wobbuffet!" Wobbuffet agreed, helping Meowth.

"Right!" James and Jessie both spoke while putting down their binoculars. It was time to act. They were elite members of Team Rainbow Rocket. Even though they would sometimes mess up, they were still better than the lowly grunts, and if all went well, they could be promoted to commanders! The trio were grinning as they imagined the reaction of the other elite members like Butch and Cassiday and how the other commanders like Matori would be forced to respect them. But their dreams were cut short when a blue ball from below slammed into the balloon, forming a hole within it.

"Uh oh," Meowth said who was the first to notice their predicament. "That ain't good!"

"Wobb!" Wobbuffet added before the balloon deflated and the trio blasted away to the other side of the island.

"Not again!" the three wailed, but not a single person heard them expect for the man with the blue hat.

"Good job, Lucario," the trainer sincerely spoke. "Now, let's go stop Team Rainbow Rocket and help the boy."


Ash and Pikachu were currently hiding behind a large crate. They were close enough to listen to the discussion between the members of the Red Manibuzz.

"So, what's next after we capture Registeel?" a snarky voice asked. Ash's eyes became bigger when he realized he heard that voice before in Unova. It was Georgia, Iris's rival!

"Obviously, Registeel is the first step," someone chuckled in response. "With Registeel, finding the other Regis will be like taking a picture of a Bidoof."

"That's Trip!" Ash mused, recalling his rivalry with the boy back in Unova and how he defeated his Serperior in the Unova League.

"Why are we doing this again? Collecting Regis?" a bored sound inquired. It came from a girl, and Ash was even more shocked to recognize that voice as Chloe's. "How did Chloe join Team Rainbow Rocket!?" Ash thought in his mind. He couldn't come up with a plausible explanation for this.

"Because we're doing this to help the team!" a boy cheerfully proclaimed. "With the energy of the Regis, Admin Faba might be able to create an Ultra Wormhole we can use!" Usually hearing that voice would make Ash happy, but he wasn't smiling when he heard the meaning behind Hau's words. Team Rainbow Rocket was trying to open an Ultra Wormhole, and that meant trouble. The drilling then stopped, and the conversation was over as all eyes, including Ash's, shifted to the drill that was moving backward.

"We exposed the room! It's just up straight ahead!" a grunt said, causing the Red Manibuzz to move away.

"What am I supposed to do!? I can't just leave! If they get Registeel, it'll be terrible," Ash pondered, taking a risky peek at the drill. "I got to stop them! But how?" Before the trainer could formulate a plan, one of his Pokéballs suddenly shook and opened. Lucario emerged outside.

"Lucario!" Ash quietly exclaimed. "What are you doing?" But the Aura Pokémon ignored his trainer and closed his eyes. He was listening for something.

"Is something out there?" Ash pondered before he closed his eyes as well. He didn't know too much about Aura, but his experiences taught him to listen carefully and concentrate. He could feel Lucario's Aura, but there was something else. There was someone out there who also had a strong Aura.

"Lucario," Lucario muttered, suddenly opening his eyes. Ash opened his own eyes at the same time, and an abrupt commotion near the drill confirmed his suspicions that he wasn't alone in stopping Team Rainbow Rocket.

"What's the meaning of this!?" Georgia yelled, stumbling backwards from an unexpected Aura Sphere. The Red Manibuzz were about to enter the exposed room, but a mysterious trainer with a Lucario jumped in front of them and started to attack.

"As an Aura Guardian," the man proclaimed, pointing at the Red Manibuzz. "It is my duty to protect the Pokémon of Sinnoh. Leave Registeel alone in your nefarious plans!"

"Luca! Lucario!" the Pokémon besides the man howled.

"You must be the one called Riley. The Aura Guardian working with the Resistance," Mars spoke up, stepping in front of the rest of the Red Manibuzz. "There aren't many Aura Guardians in the world, so defeating and capturing you would help us learn more about Aura and ways to harness its power for Team Rainbow Rocket."

Ash's Lucario swiftly rushed forward from the hiding place and stood behind the Red Manibuzz.

"Lucario!" Ash's Lucario proclaimed, shifting Team Rainbow Rocket's attention toward the other Lucario. The team were now surrounded on both sides by Lucario.

"Now, there are two," Chloe noted, clutching her Pokéball. A battle was brewing, and neither side were unsure how to respond.

"Lucario!" Ash called as he and Pikachu revealed himself, which made Gary instantly turn toward the duo when he recognized the voice.

"You!" Gary abruptly yelled when he saw Ash. A malicious expression formed on his face as he tossed out a Pokéball. Electivire was summoned, and the Thunderbolt Pokémon was eager for a rematch when he saw Pikachu. After seeing Gary call his Pokémon, the rest of the Red Manibuzz soon followed as well as the nearby grunts. The tide had turned in favor of Team Rainbow Rocket, but that didn't discourage Ash or Riley who both knew that they had to stop the evil team from capturing Registeel.

The first move was made none other than Gary. "Electivire! Use Thunder!" he ordered, signaling toward Ash's Lucario.

"Aura Sphere!" Ash shouted back, and the battle had officially begun. Blows were exchanged between the two sides, and it was chaotic as the Team Rainbow Rocket members tried not to hurt each other. It didn't help that both Lucarios were blazingly fast and that they evaded most of the attacks.

"Beartic! Icicle Crash!" Georgia exclaimed as shards of ice formed into the air and were directed toward Riley's Lucario, but the Aura Pokémon dodged backwards, and the icicles ended up hitting some of the grunt's Pokémon.

In the midst of all this chaos, everyone was ordering moves, hoping to make a hit on their enemies, but Trip and Serperior hadn't made a single move yet. They were busy avoiding attacks and waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike. Trip saw Ash's Lucario in the corner of his eye, and he knew that it was now time to fight.

"Serperior! Use Wrap!" he commanded while the Regal Pokémon extended his tail and tightly wrapped around the surprised Lucario.

"Lucario!" Ash shouted upon seeing that his Pokémon was immobilized. With Ash's Lucario out of the fray for the time being, the rest of the Red Manibuzz started to focus their various attacks on Riley's Lucario. On the other hand, Gary was still concentrated on Ash and his Pikachu.

"Tighter," Trip sneered, watching Lucario struggle. He knew that it was futile. No one could escape Serperior's grip.

As Ash saw the events that unfolded, he remembered that Trip employed the same strategy back at the Unova League and how Pikachu broke out by using Iron Tail on the ground. "I could do something similar with Lucario!" he thought determinedly.

"Pika! Pikachu!" Pikachu yelled, hoping to encourage Lucario, but he had to move out of the way from a sudden thunderbolt. Turning his head, Ash saw that Electivire was the one who initiated the attack.

"Electivire, Iron Tail!" Gary announced, pointing at Pikachu.

"Dodge it quick!" Ash said towards Pikachu and then shifted his attention at Lucario and Serperior. "Lucario, place your palms on Serperior's tail, and use Steel Beam!"

"What!?" Trip exclaimed as Lucario followed Ash's order and attacked Serperior with the strongest Steel-type move, causing the Regal Pokémon to lose his grip and fall towards the ground.

"Serp," Serperior groaned from the attack.

Ash looked at his Lucario and was thankful to see that his Pokémon was okay, but he didn't have time to rest with Gary to get out of him.

"I'm sorry, buddy, but it looks like we'll have to battle!" Ash proclaimed toward Pikachu who was still avoiding Electivire's attack. "Pikachu, use Iron Tail! Lucario, Reversal!"

"Pika!" Pikachu acknowledged, swinging his tail toward Electivire's own tail. While both were unable to move, Lucario snuck from Electivire's behind and dealt a massive blow with Reversal.

"Electivire!" Gary wailed as Electivire crashed onto the ground as well. With Serperior and Electivire both on the ground, Ash turned his head toward the Riley who was trying to battle the remaining Red Manibuzz members by himself. It wasn't a fair battle, and Ash knew that he and Riley couldn't win this. They had to prevent Team Rainbow Rocket from releasing Registeel from the Iron Ruins and escape. The only idea he had was destroying the ruins by burying the room under lots of rocks. Hopefully, the damaged ruins would fail to summon Registeel.

"Lucario! Aim toward the tunnel and use Aura Sphere!" Ash ordered, watching his Pokémon sent out a blue orb toward the ruins at the end of the tunnel, but a Shadow Ball stopped the sphere from hitting the statue.

"I don't think so," Mars vehemently spoke, breaking away from the rest of her team and leaving them to deal with Riley. "Purugly, use Shadow ball again!"

"He's going against the commander!" Gary said with shock as his Electivire began to stir. Trip who was tending to Serperior's wounds was observing as well.

'Deflect it with Aura Sphere again!" Ash instructed before turning toward Pikachu. "Pikachu, you use Thunderbolt on the ruins while Purugly is distracted!"

"Luca!" Lucario yelled, tossing an Aura Sphere towards the Shadow Ball. The explosion caused smoke to fill in the air, and Pikachu took this opportunity to use Thunderbolt toward the Iron Ruins.

"Decidueye! Block it with Razor Leaf!" Hau ordered when he saw the approaching Thunderbolt. The Arrow Quill Pokémon sent out a stream of leaves, preventing the Thunderbolt from making its mark. But immediately, an Aura Sphere from Riley's Lucario slammed Decidueye from behind, causing the Pokémon to tumble backward in pain.

"Alright! Let's rejoin the battle! Electivire, use Thunder once again!" Gary proclaimed, and the Pokémon sent out an electric bolt at Pikachu.

"Pikachu!" Ash shouted as Pikachu moaned and collapsed onto the floor. His partner was already tired from the previous battle, and Gary was merciless toward the hurt Electric Mouse Pokémon. While Ash was distracted, Mars's Purugly landed an Iron Tail on Lucario, injuring the Aura Pokémon.

"This isn't good. We have to end this soon," Ash pondered as he looked at Lucario. If this battle continued, they would lose, so he needed something big to turn the tide. His eyes suddenly lit up when he thought of a risky idea, and he quickly rummaged his backpack for the item that he needed.

"We're at a disadvantage," Riley thought as he communicated with his Lucario through Aura. "We may have to retreat."

"What about the boy?" Riley's Lucario asked as he panted. "We can't leave him."

"I don't think we have a choice," Riley admitted with dejection, but a blinding light from the mysterious bot caught his attention. "Could that be…?"

"What is that?" Chloe inquired, turning around and then closing her eyes. "It's so bright!"

"Lucario!" Ash announced with determination as he touched the Key Stone on his Mega Glove. "Let's show them our strength! Mega Evolve"

"Lucario!" Ash's Lucario roared, transforming into Mega Lucario.

"That's Mega Evolution!" Trip proclaimed with shock after the transformation was over. This was no ordinary trainer if his Pokémon could Mega Evolve! All Mega Stones were under Team Rainbow Rocket's property, but clearly this Ash somehow obtained one.

"It's time to show them our full might!" Ash said with a stern expression on his face. "Use Reversal on Purugly!"

"Luca!" Mega Lucario howled, charging toward the Tiger Cat Pokémon and slamming his fists on it. Purugly flew backwards from the powerful attack and collided into a rocky wall. As the dust cleared, Mars saw her Pokémon was knocked out.

"Impossible!" she denied, but it was no mistake. There were swirls on Purugly. "How could he defeat me!?" she thought fearfully while looking at the raven-haired trainer. This Ash was a huge threat, and she needed to alert the admins as soon as possible.

"Now, let's end this! Aura Sphere!" Ash declared, pointing towards the tunnel. Mega Lucario began to gather energy as the ball in his palm increased in size before throwing it. Team Rainbow Rocket panicked, seeing the sphere head toward the ruins that they had just uncovered.

"Quick! Boltund! Use Spark!"

"Icicle Crash, Beartic!"

"Electivire, Thunder!"

Despite the combined attacks, they weren't enough to stop the Aura Sphere, and the sphere struck the statue of Registeel. The statue started to crumble, and pieces of it fell unto the floor, damaging the marked spots. Soon, the island began to rumble, and chunks of rock fell from the cliff, blocking the tunnel and sealing the broken ruins away.

"No! Our plan!" Hau wailed, rushing over to the blocked rocks and trying to remove them with his hands, but it was over. The Red Manibuzz had failed to summon Registeel.

"Lucario," Ash's Lucario mumbled, changing back into a regular Lucario.

"Thank you, Lucario!" Ash praised his Pokémon with a grin, but the peacefulness was gone the moment when Riley rushed over to the boy and grabbed him.

"Come on," Riley whispered, dragging Ash. "We have to get out of here!" While Riley was yanking Ash, both trainers failed to notice that something slipped from Ash's pocket and fell onto the floor.

"Stop them!" Mars ordered when she saw the two and their Pokémon running into the forest, and the grunts that were still standing gave chase.


Half an hour later…


The Red Manibuzz were currently packing up their crates and were preparing to leave Iron Island for the Galactic Veilstone Building. The grunts that entered the forest couldn't find Ash or Riley, and Team Rainbow Rocket decided to give up for now. While the Red Manibuzz was still looking around to make sure that they didn't left anything important, three figures emerged from the forest.

"Finally!" Jessie wailed as the trio walked into the clearing before they collapsed onto the floor. "We're back!"

"Who knew this forest was so big!?" Meowth complained with exhaustion. "We got lost so many times, but we made it!"

"You're late!" Mars criticized as she walked forward to the collapsed trio. "Thanks to you, we had to deal with the boy, and we lost!"

"Wait! Really?" James inquired who was shocked that a commander lost. "How? There's so many of you!"

"He had help from an Aura Guardian, and that's not even the worst part," Mars replied bitterly. "He also had a Mega Lucario."

"A Mega Pokémon!" the three practically screamed, remembering that only super strong Team Rainbow Rocket members could obtain Mega and Key Stones after passing a series of trials.

"Oh man!" James cried, punching the ground with first. "This was supposed to be a quick and easy operation! What are we going to do!?"

"I trust that you three will find a way to go after the boy," Mars calmy suggested, pacing around them. "After all, you are all well-known for what you did in Alola and how you helped us solidly control over the region."

"That's right!" Jessie exclaimed confidently with flames in her eyes. "We are elite members, and we will bring the boy back to headquarters! We may have had a run of bad luck, but that will surely change!"

"Wobbufett!" Wobbufeet added after exiting his Pokéball.

While the trio pronounced their pledges to the commander, Hau who was standing nearby noticed something on the ground. "Hey," he spoke as he picked up the object, silencing the trio. "Isn't this a Rotom Phone?"

Mars snatched the phone off Hau's hand. "It is," she said with an ominous smile on her face. "Most Team Rainbow Rocket members don't use phones, and I doubt an Aura Guardian would use one as well. This can only mean one thing. This belongs to the trainer called Ash."

Chloe glanced at the phone as the commander opened it. "It's locked," she remarked, not seeing the point of the phone.

"For now," Mars triumphally uttered, examining the phone carefully. "Once Unit Porygon gets a hold of this device, we will learn all about this Ash."

"So, what do we do? Our operation was a total bust," Trip blurted in, damping the enthusiasm in the team, but the commander had other plans.

"The Iron Ruins is one place that Registeel have been spotted," she confessed, putting the phone away in her pocket. "This failure is simply but a minor setback for us. We will have to simply try again somewhere else, but you will learn all about those details later. Right now, our priority should be delivering this phone. Board the helicopters and prepare for travel. We are going to Unova to personally give this phone to our top scientists."


Author's Note: This chapter was much longer than I expected it to be. Currently, Ash is in the run with Riley, an Aura Guardian and a member of the Resistance. Meanwhile, the Red Manibuzz are planning to pay a visit to Unit Porygon to crack Ash's Rotom phone and to learn more about the mysterious trainer that defeated them thrice.

Will ash meet the Resistance. By the way, will ash other friends like May, Max, Misty Brock, or even Serena will with Goh, Chloe, Cynthia and Ash recuse the world who domination by team rainbow rocket ?

Yes to both questions. Bringing Ash back to the regular world isn't an easy task, and they might unintentionally meet up with Ash's companions in other regions as they search for a solution.