Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon or the concept of Moemon.
"So, we need to pick up a Moemon Egg?" Molly asked.
"Yep. The director of the Marine Moemon Laboratory found a Moemon Egg and wanted to give it to Professor Elm." Ash explained. "He asked us to pick it up for him since we happen to be close by."
"I see." Misty nodded in understanding. "So, where is the lab?"
"Believe it or not, it's that house on the edge of the small cliff." Laby informed them.
Everyone stared at the 'lab'.
"...Not exactly inspiring." Giselle sweatdropped.
Brock carefully leaned over to look down the cliff. "I think that's a small pier down there." He examined.
"I suppose you don't need much to make it a lab." Es muttered.
There was a flash as Laias emerged from her Moe Ball. "To be fair for whoever lives here, Professor Oak's lab isn't much bigger than this." She pointed out. "His ranch, on the other hand, is huge."
"I guess Marine Moemon don't need- wait, look!" Ash interrupted himself, pointing out into the sea.
The gang squinted. They saw something out there, but they couldn't figure out what.
"Wait." Laias was the first to recognize them, her eyes widening. "Is that...my old pod?"
"Wait, really!?" Her daughter exclaimed, popping out of her Moe Ball excitedly. "Our old pod's here!? I'm wanna go say hi!"
"I guess we can do that." Ash smiled. He returned his two Lapras and sent out Maelstrom. "Head for those Larpas, Mal! They're Laias and Umie's old pod!"
"Is that so?" Maelstrom asked, intrigued. "Well then, let's go!" She flew off towards the Lapras pod.
"...Should I follow him?" Mei-Mei asked, confused.
"It's your choice." Pia shrugged.
"Excuse me?" A voice called, and everyone turned to see a woman waving at them. "Hi, do either of you know why that boy's going out to that Lapras pod?" She asked, looking worried. "I've been trying to call them over for hours. He's going to ruin my work!"
"I doubt Ash is going to do that." Brock assured her. "His two Lapras are from that pod."
The woman blinked in surprise. "Really?"
"Ash caught one of his Lapras at the beginning of his adventure through the Orange Islands." Misty explained. "He brought her back to her pod, as well as saving them from some pirates, and then her mother decided to join him as well."
"That's right." Serena confirmed. "Ash is taking them to see their old pod again."
"Interesting." The researcher said, and then blinked as she took a closer look at Brock. "Oh, I recognize you now!"
"Really?" Brock asked, a little surprised.
"Yes, Professor Ivy told me all about your service to her." The researcher said, and then realized that she hasn't introduced herself yet. "Oh, where are my manner? I'm Naomi, the head researcher here...as well as the only researcher here."
"Low budget?" Brock guessed.
"Pretty much." Naomi confirmed. "I'm researching communication between Water-type Moemon, specifically Lapras and others who use ultrasound and infrasound." She shrugged. "I put in a budget for a month's worth of pod food, which is close to asking to be allowed to open a restaurant. I got denied."
"Ouch." Giselle winced.
"Hey guys!" Ash called as Maelstrom flew back to them.
Naomi stared at Maelstrom in shock. "I knew he was riding on a flying Moemon, but I didn't know she was a Lugia!"
"Yeah, Ash is something else." Brock chuckled.
Naomi blinked. "Actually, Professor Ivy mentioned someone named Ash Ketchum having a bunch of Legendary Moemon."
"Yeah, that's me." Ash confirmed. "By the way, the Lapras pod is willing to answer any questions you have."
"Huh. That works, I guess."
Naomi asked the Lapras leader questions, mainly about how far the pod usually migrate from the Orange Islands. It wasn't until some hours later that the researcher ran out of questions.
"That was amazing." She said, putting down her third full notebook. "Just...wonderful, to get that much first-hand information. Thank you so much for your time and effort."
"It's no problem." The Lapras leader replied. "You paid us quite well."
"Yes, though it took quite a lot of my supplies of..." She trailed off and shook her head. "Oh, who cares! I'm going to write this all up, and publish some papers about it, and then I should be able to get one of my more ambitious projects going!"
She turned to the gang. "Oh, and thank you all for being so patient! Sorry about that. I got a bit-"
"It's no problem!" Ash assured.
"It's nice of you to say so." Naomi smiled, and then remembered why they were here. "Oh, I almost forgot! Elm said you'd be coming to pick up the egg!" She collected her notebooks and hurried up the stairs towards the lab doors.
"She's a bit excitable." Her Lanturn, Lana, said in an apologetic way. "By the way, I hope I wasn't being a nuisance earlier."
"You mean the Supersonic?" The Lapras leader clarified. "It was a bit off-tune, but not as bad as some of the other Moemon we've met."
"I'll work on that, then."
"Here we are!" Naomi said, coming back down the stair with an egg container with a green egg inside of it. "The poor thing was stolen from the Moemon Preserve at Mount Slver by poachers, but they were forced to leave it behind in a police raid."
"The poor thing." Mei-Mei said, wincing. "That can't have been pleasant."
"Yeah." Naomi agreed, then blinked. "Wait, who said that?"
"...Oops." The invisible Latias said meekly, realizing she just gave herself away. She turned to Ash. "Um, Ash?"
"Don't worry. It should be fine." Ash assured her. Mei-Mei nodded, and then took a deep breath and shimmered into visibility. Bleue, seeing her sister turn visible, did so as well.
"Cool!" The younger Lapras said in awe.
The Lapras leader stared for a few seconds, then turned to Laias and Umie. "Those are the Eon Legendaries, Latias and Latios." She said.
"Bleue was actually caught by Serena." Laias told her. "But is this really surprising?"
"No, it actually isn't." The leader said, knowing Ash's identity.
"Those are interesting Moemon." Naomi said, looking at Mei-Mei and Bleue. "Are either of you Water types?"
"No. We're Dragon/Psychic types." Bleue answered. "However, we are quite water-capable."
"Oh, so like Lugia."
"We're also Legendary Moemon." Mei-Mei added.
"...Probably should've expected that."
Having obtained the Egg, the gang went on the road to New Bark Town. Currently, they were having lunch, with Lauren taking care of the egg. "Hey, Lauren, why are you so insistent on caring for the egg?" Giselle asked.
"Because this is a Larvitar Egg." Lauren answered. "I know for certain because I hatched from an Egg just like this."
"So, the Baby Moemon is a Larvitar." Brock said, to which the Tyranitar nodded.
Ash gently stroked the Egg. "I can feel a scared presence inside the egg." Ash said. "It's as if Larvitar doesn't want to come out."
"But why?" Misty asked, confused. "Wouldn't any Baby Moemon be excited to hatch?"
"Do remember that this egg was stolen by poachers." Maelstrom reminded her. "Also, Moemon can gather experience even while they're in their eggs, so the Larvitar must have experienced terrible things."
"That's why I want to take care of her." Lauren insisted. "I may not be the Tyranitar that birthed her, but seeing one nearby should help ease her fears." Just then, she felt the Egg shake. "She's hatching."
Everyone gathered around in excitement as the Egg started glowing, and then there was a Larvitar in Lauren's arms. She wore an oversized green sweatshirt with a red diamond on the front, the sweatshirt just barely covering her lower area, stopping at her thighs. The sweatshirt was slipping off of her shoulders in an adorable way, and she had a cute little tail sticking out of her back. Her hair was down to her shoulders, tied back in a ponytail sticking back, with a horn jutting out of the top.
"She's so cute!" Molly squealed.
Tomo looked at Ash, who was frowning. "What's wrong, big brother?"
"Something's wrong with Larvitar." Ash said seriously. "Her skin looks a little pale, and she seems to be shivering."
Lauren also noticed this the moment she hatched. She placed a hand on Larvitar's forehead to check her temperature, and her eyes immediately widened in alarm. "She's freezing!" She said with great worry. "Her body temperature is way too low for a Rock Moemon! We need to get her to a Moemon Center quickly!"
"There's a Moemon Center nearby!" Laby informed. "Get a move on!"
Wrapping Larvitar in a blanket, the gang ran to the Moemon Center at once.
Seeing Larvitar's condition, Nurse Joy immediately started checking her all over, but couldn't find anything wrong. She decided to call Professor Elm for help, but the Johto Professor wasn't at home, so she just sent him an email. All she could do was keep Larvitar warm, wrapping her in another blanket and turning on an electric heater. "This is the best I could do for now." Nurse Joy said worriedly. "I just hope Professor Elm gets my message in time."
Es's gem flashed, and she had to bite back a curse. "I do not like that." Pia frowned worriedly, seeing Es's reaction. "What's wrong?"
"There's going to be a thunderstorm." Es reported.
As if on cue, everyone heard thunder booming outside as the storm started, and then the Moemon Center's power went out. "Of all times for this to happen!" Lauren cursed.
"Chana, turn on the emergency generator, quickly!" Nurse Joy shouted urgently.
"I'm afraid we have a problem!" Chana shouted back, sounding worried. "The emergency generator was just hit by lightning! It's fried right now!"
"Larvitar will freeze to death without power." Ash grunted. "I'll keep her warm! You guys check on the generator!" As the others quickly ran to the generator, Ash sent out Youko. "Youko, help us keep Larvitar warm." He told her.
"Of course." Youko nodded, and then heat from her body, focusing it onto the young Rock Moemon.
Lauren then held Larvitar in her arms, hugging her close to her chest. "It's okay." She whispered softly to her. "You're gonna be okay."
That night, everyone was asleep, but Lauren was still holding onto Larvitar as she slept. Then, she started dreaming of being in Larvitar's egg, experiencing some of the bad events she went through. She got drifted about in a river, she got kicked about by humans passing by, unaware of her being on the ground, and to top it off, she was about to get run over by the truck.
The last event startled her awake from the bad dream, and she saw that it was morning. Looking down, she saw Larvitar trembling in her arms. "You were having a nightmare, young one." She whispered softly, her eyes filled with worry. "And somehow, I was sharing it with you."
Later that day, Professors Oak and Elm, as well as Delia, arrived at the Moemon Center. "We were expecting Professor Elm, but what are you and Professor Oak doing her, Mom?" Ash asked, surprised to see her and Oak.
"We were having dinner with Professor Elm when he got Nurse Joy's message." Delia explained. "She said there was a Larvitar that was freezing, but she couldn't find anything wrong."
"That's right." Nurse Joy confirmed. "I've done everything I could, but nothing has helped Larvitar much."
"Okay then, leave it to me and Professor Oak." Elm said.
"Yes, we'll make Larvitar alright again." Oak assured.
While the two professors tended to Larvitar, Delia went to the Moemon Center's kitchen to make breakfast for everyone. Thanks to the two professors, Larvitar was now feeling better. "Well, Larvitar is feeling healthy again," Professor Elm started with a frown, "but she's not responding to anything at all. It's like her mind is shaken and scared."
"I do not blame her." Lauren said softly. "She's been through a lot."
"What do you mean, Lauren?" Es asked.
"Last night, I had a shared nightmare with Larvitar." She explained. "I saw the terrifying things she had experienced before she hatched; drifting about a river, getting kicked around. She even was nearly run over by a truck."
Everyone shuddered from hearing the bad experiences. "Well, that certainly her lack of response." Elm said.
"Breakfast is ready!" Delia called.
Ash had an idea as they ate breakfast. "Why don't we take Larvitar outside for a bit?" He suggested. "We could show her that she doesn't need to be afraid of the world." Elm thought it was a good idea and agreed to let Ash take Larvitar outside.
When breakfast was finished, Ash, Pia, Es and Lauren went outside with Larvitar, showing her to a green field, the ocean and the sky. There was even some wild Jumpluff happily flying about the area. "Larvitar, I know you've experienced very scary things while you were in the egg," Lauren spoke to Larvitar, "but you don't need to be scared of this world. There are so many great things which you don't need to be afraid of." She gave her hand a reassuring squeeze as she smiled softly at her. "We are all happy to be in this world. Just give it another chance, and you will find happiness as well." Larvitar simply stared, red eyes blank like she was a mindless soul.
"Aww, isn't that sappy?" A familiar voice mocked, and that's when Jessie, James and Meowth showed up.
"Team Rocket!" Ash shouted, glaring at the trio.
"Didja miss us, twerp?" James asked, smirking.
"No, but admittedly, we haven't seen you three since Arborville." Pia answered while also noting their absence.
"We've been busy with other things." Meowth shrugged. "But, now we're back, and we're going to take you and Es, and we'll also take the Tyranitar and Larvitar while we're at it."
A protective instinct overcame Lauren and she snarled. "YOU WILL NOT TAKE LARVITAR!" She roared, making Team Rocket back up in fear of how scary she looked. "HYPER BEAM!" She fired an all-powerful golden beam that sent Team Rocket blasting off.
Ash, Pia and Es looked at her with wide eyes. "Whoa. I haven't seen Lauren act like that." Ash said, stunned by Lauren's protective showing.
"She may not be Larvitar's mother, but I guess fully-evolved Moemon will always feel protective over their basic forms." Es said.
"Well, she has been taking care of Larvitar since she hatched." Pia pointed out.
"Who are they?" Larvitar asked.
"Just some idiots who think they can steal my friends." Lauren replied, and then blinked when she realized that Larvitar spoke. "Wait, did you just talk?"
"Mm." Larvitar hummed a yes and nodded.
Lauren smiled with relief and hugged Larvitar close. "Thank goodness. We were so worried about you."
Larvitar blinked in shock at Lauren hugging her so close, like a mother would to her child. Feeling her warmth, she remembered her actual mother and how she held her close to her. "Mommy..." She sighed, closing her eyes and smiling as she snuggled into Lauren's chest.
"I may not be your mother," Lauren said softly as she gently stroked Larvitar's hair, "but I promise that I will bring you back to her."
Ash, Pia and Es stayed back and smiled at the sight, seeing Larvitar accept Lauren. Then they all heard Bellossom singing. Larvitar turned to the sight and saw them dancing, and caught sight of the Pidgey and Butterfree flying up into the sky, with Jumpluff floating around and dancing to the Bellossom's singing.
Lauren could tell that Larvitar was amazed by the sight. "It's wonderful, isn't it?" She asked, smiling.
"Yeah." Larvitar smiled. She was starting to open up to the world.
"Ash!" Everyone heard a female voice call out as Serena and everyone else ran towards them.
"Are you okay?" Tomo asked.
"We saw Team Rocket blasting off." Wendy said.
"Yeah, they were after Pia and Es, like usual." Ash replied. "But the moment they talked about taking Larvitar, Lauren became super protective and sent them blasting off with Hyper Beam."
"Huh. Well, she is her basic form." Brock said.
Lauren felt Larvitar tense up when she saw the others and stroked her hair in a calming manner. "It's okay, Larvitar." She spoke softly, making the young Moemon look up at her in confusion. "These are my friends. They won't hurt you." She assured her. Larvitar spared a glance at the others, and then turned to Lauren and hugged her tightly, hiding her face into the Tyranitar's chest.
"I'm afraid it's gonna take a while for Larvitar to open up to the world completely." Elm guessed.
"I believe so." Oak agreed.
"Well, she seems to trust Lauren, at least." Molly noted.
Lauren looked at Larvitar, remembering the location of her home. "Larvitar's mother lives in the Moemon Preserve in Mt. Silver, correct?" She asked.
"That's right." Elm confirmed. "And the Silver Conference takes place in Silver Town, which is also in Mt. Silver."
"Then we will take Larvitar home." Lauren decided, surprising everyone.
Ash looked at the Johto Professor. "I hope that's not a problem, Professor Elm."
"Not at all." Elm smiled. "I was going to ask you that anyway."
And so, it was decided that the gang would take Larvitar back to the Moemon Preserve to reunite with her mother.
"So many Moemon..." Larvitar said nervously, hugging close to Lauren as she looked at all the gang's Moemon. Among them was Forra, Brock's Pineco, who had recently evolved into Forretress. She wore a rocky violet shirt with long sleeves that covered her hands, and a skirt that reached her knees, with bright red hair down to her shoulders, covering her face. She wore a rocky hat over her hair, the color matching her clothes, and she had black eyes.
"Yes, there are many different Moemon here." Lauren agreed, stroking Larvitar's hair to calm her down. "But it's okay. You are surrounded by friends."
Kirei approached the two, walking slowly as to not frighten Larvitar. "It's nice to meet you, young Larvitar." She greeted softly, kneeling down to her level. "My name is Kirei."
Larvitar stared at Kirei. "You're pretty."
Kirei giggled. "Thank you." She looked up at Lauren. "I've been told about the situation surrounding her, but looking at you two together, it's almost as if you're her mother."
Lauren understood why the Suicune would think that. "I may not be her mother, but I will protect her until we bring her back to her home." She said firmly.
"You want to evolve?" Ash asked Fuyuku.
"Yeah." Fuyuku nodded. "The League is coming up, and I want to help you win. Please, give me the Ice Stone so that I can become stronger."
"You've already grown very strong, Fuyuku." Ash assured her. "But if you really want to evolve, then okay." He took out the Ice Stone and gave it to Fuyuku. She held is firmly, and then both glowed a bright light, catching everyone's attention.
"Looks like Fuyuku decided to evolve." Wendy said, watching as the Alolan Vulpix evolved into an Alolan Ninetales.
Fuyuku now were an elegant snow-white kimono, with nine fluffy snow-white fox tails sticking out and snow-white hair flowing down her back, and calm, crystal-blue eyes.
"Wow, you look amazing, Fuyu." Priere complimented her friend's new look.
"Thank you, Priere." Fuyuku responded with a cool smile.
"She looks different now." Larvitar said.
"That is called 'evolution'." Lauren explained. "When a Moemon gains enough experience and has the right mental fortitude, they will grow and unlock the potential hidden within them." Lauren nodded in understanding as Ash checked Fuyuku's data with Laby.
Moemon: Alolan Ninetales
Names: Fuyuku
Species: Fox Moemon
Type: Ice/Fairy
Current Level: 85
Scarcity: Rare
Ability: Snow Cloak
Height: 5'04"
Weight: 101.4lbs
Cup Size: C
Weaknesses: Steel, Fire, Rock, Poison
Resistances: Ice, Dark, Bug
Immunities: Dragon
Known Moves: Freeze-Dry, Moonblast, Extrasensory, Agility, Powder Snow, Tail Whip, Roar, Baby-Doll Eyes, Ice Shard, Hail, Aurora Veil, Confuse Ray, Ice Beam, Blizzard, Mist, Sheer Cold, Hex, Iron Tail, Aqua Tail, Dark Pulse
Evolves Into: None
Evolves From: Alolan Vulpix
Info: Alolan Ninetales, compared to their Kantonian counterparts, are calmer in their behavior, but still like to tease whenever they can and are no less loyal. When in battle, they tend to be very cold and will ruthlessly pelt their enemies with snow, freezing them stiff in an instant. In ancient times, before they were identified as a regional variant of Ninetales, they were revered as a deity's incarnation. As such, no one dared to enter the mountains they live in.
"A deity incarnate, huh?" Priere mused, looking at Fuyuku.
"That was in ancient times." Fuyuku said calmly. "Besides, I was hatched from an egg alongside you. I am more your sister than a deity."
Priere smiled widely when she heard that and hugged the newly evolved Moemon. "I love you too, sis." She said in kind. Fuyuku gave a warm smile and returned the hug.
Unfortunately, the moment was ruined when everyone heard a frustrated roar. "What was that?" Larvitar asked fearfully, hugging Lauren tighter.
"That sounded like my sister, Vulcanus." Kirei said, looking serious as she recognized the roar. "She might be in trouble!"
"What is the meaning of this!?" Vulcanus shouted angrily as she tried to untangle the rope binding her feet. She was playing ball with her friends when she accidentally knocked the ball away. Taking responsibility, she ran off to go collect it, stumbling upon an interesting spa for wild Moemon. When she found the ball and went to get it, she ended up stumbling herself due to tripping over some rope. "I swear if this is Team Rocket's doing-"
"Now, Marisa!" A male voice interrupted her, and then she saw a young man wearing glasses come out and send out a Misdreavus. "Use Mean Look!"
Vulcanus blinked as the Mean Look hit her. "Is there any point to this?" As she managed to move into a sitting position.
The young man then sent out a Croconaw. "Now, Knaw, use Hydro Pump!" He commanded.
Knaw hit Vulcanus with Hydro Pump, causing her to get wet. "Hey, what was that for!?" Vulcanus exclaimed, starting to get annoyed.
"Now, Ultra Ball!" The young man then threw an Ultra Ball at her. The Entei yelped as it beaned her in the head...and then it harmlessly fell to the ground. "What!?" The young man was now shocked. "Why didn't it work!?"
Vulcanus rubbed her head where the Ultra Ball hit her, and then looked at the young man. "Human, am I right to assume that you are trying to capture me?" She asked.
The young man blinked. "Um, yeah. I've always dreamed about catching you."
"Then I'm afraid you're too late." She told him. "I'm already caught by another Trainer, which is why your Ultra Ball didn't work." She then noticed Ash and Kirei running up to them. "And there he is now."
"Vulcanus, are you alright!?" Ash asked.
Kirei looked at the young man, then the Ultra Ball on the ground, then at her sister. "I was not aware that you had your own stalker, sister." She spoke.
"I was just made aware." Vulcanus shrugged.
"...You already caught her?" The young man asked weakly.
"Yeah, I did." Ash replied as he undid the rope binding Vulcanus's feet. "I actually caught all three Beasts."
"And we were the ones who asked for it." Kirei added.
"Oh..." The young man sighed sadly, sulking.
Knaw sighed as Marisa went to cheer up their Trainer. "We're really sorry for inconveniencing you." The Croconaw apologized. "Nelson always liked the stories about Entei and dreamed about catching her."
"Well, at least he understands when he needs to stop." Kirei said. "Unlike my stalker, who tried to steal me and my sisters from Ash."
"Thankfully, Nelson knows his limits."
"I'm not the only Entei, though." Vulcanus spoke, grabbing Nelson's attention. "There are other Entei in the world, but I suggest not trying this ambush capture. Legendary Moemon will only consent to being caught by Trainers who have either proven their skill or strength in battle, or simply earned our friendship and trust."
"...Right, so I should focus more on training my Moemon and bettering myself as a Trainer." Nelson nodded. "I understand. Sorry for trying to catch you."
With that, Nelson and his Moemon left to plan for training. "He's a nice kid." Vulcanus said.
"He's a definite step up from Eusine, I'll tell you that much." Kirei said, frowning at the thought of her former stalker. "I'm so glad I don't have to deal with him anymore."
Thanks to Lauren, as well as travelling with everyone, Larvitar was opening up little by little. She's begun to trust everyone to a certain extent, with the only ones she trusts fully being Lauren, Ash, Pia, Es and Serena. While on the way to the Moemon Preserve, she got to meet a friend of theirs.
"Hey, Casey." Ash greeted the baseball girl. "How are things going for you?"
"Oh, it's a home run!" Casey said excitedly. "Look!" She called out a Moemon to her side. She wore a yellow shirt with black stripes and a lightning bolt down the middle, and yellow shorts, with yellow hair down to her shoulders, black eyes and two antennae sticking out her hair. "I finally caught an Elekid!"
"Awesome!" Ash smiled. "Now you're on your way to an Electabuzz."
"Yep!" Casey nodded eagerly. "And let's not forget my other star players." She sent out the rest of her team.
"So, your Flaaffy evolved into Ampharos." Pia noted, and then looked at Chika, who was now a Meganium. "Oh! Chika evolved, too."
"Yep." Chika smiled.
"Hey, Ash. Let's have another battle!" Casey challenged him. "My team and I will show how far we've come!"
"Sure." Ash smirked. "Show me what you've got!"
"Battle?" Larvitar asked.
"You see, when two Trainers meet, they tend to challenge each other to a Moemon Battle, in which they send out their Moemon to fight." Lauren explained, before patting Larvitar on the head. "Don't worry. You don't belong to any of us, so you won't be battling."
The others moved aside as Ash and Casey got ready to battle. "Three per side. Same rules as last time!" Casey suggested.
"Very well, then." Ash said.
"I wonder how strong Casey has become since last time." Misty said, interested in Casey's growth.
"Sparkle, up to bat!" She sent out her Ampharos.
"Keiko, I choose you!" Ash sent out Keiko.
"A Water type?" Casey blinked, confused by Ash's choice. "Okay then, use Thunderbolt!" Sparkle released a bolt of electricity that hit Keiko, but it was them who were shocked when she took it like a champ.
"Pia shocks harder." Keiko giggled.
"Sorry, Casey, but training with Pia has helped my Moemon build up resistance to Electric moves." Ash told her. "Keiko, use Scald!" Keiko released steaming hot water at Sparkle that knocked her to the ground.
"So, Electric moves won't work." Casey frowned. "Let's try Dragon Pulse!" Sparkle opened her mouth and released a shockwave of electricity at Keiko, who danced around to dodge. "She's dancing?" The baseball fan blinked in confusion, then saw the swirling energy. "Wait, that's Dragon Dance! Stop her with Thunder Wave!"
"Mud Sport!" Ash commanded. Keiko slammed her tail into the ground, causing mud to rise up and stop the paralyzing waves. "Now Waterfall!" Slamming her tail again, she caused water to erupt from under Sparkle that carried her into the air. Keiko then swam up the water and rammed into Sparkle, sending her flying higher. Keiko landed on the ground first, doing a spin before ending in a cute pose, and at that moment, Sparkle hit the ground, dust kicking up when she landed, before clearing up to show that she was unconscious.
"Sparkle is unable to battle! Keiko is the winner!" Brock declared, and at that moment Keiko glowed a bright light and evolved into Feraligatr.
"Great work, Keiko!" Ash praised. "And congrats on fully evolving, too!"
"Thanks, Ash." Keiko smiled, doing a happy dance. This made the gang chuckle, as even after evolving into Feraligatr, she's still the same Keiko they know and love.
"Well, that's my first out." Casey said as she returned Sparkle. "I thought that Thunderbolt would've dealt more damage."
"High level Trainers train their Moemon to deal with their weaknesses." Ash told her as he returned Keiko. "And like I said, training against Pia has made my Moemon pretty Electric-resistant."
"Gotcha." Casey nodded in understanding. "Okay. Bee, up to bat!" She sent out her Beedrill next.
"Cindy, I choose you!" Ash sent out Cindy.
"Oh, that's a problem." Casey winced. If Ash can win despite type-disadvantage, then him having type-advantage is bad news. "Well, we're still going for the swing! Sludge Bomb, Bee!"
"Flamethrower!" Cindy released a stream of flames that burned away the Sludge Bomb and continued onward.
"Agility!" Casey quickly commanded, and Bee dodged at blinding speed. "Now, Double Poison Jab!"
"Lava Plume!" Ash commanded. Cindy's hair lit ablaze as she caused an explosion of flame around her. Bee couldn't escape this one as the flames hit and easily knocked her out.
"Bee is unable to battle! Cindy is the winner!" Brock declared, and then, just like Keiko earlier, Cindy glowed a bright light and evolved into Typhlosion.
"You too, Cindy?" Ash chuckled.
"The three of us agreed that we would evolve in our next battle." Cindy said with a smile.
"By the three of you, you mean you, Keiko and Haruka." The Aura Guardian deduced.
"Yep."
"Well, congrats on evolving anyway." Ash congratulated her before returning her as Casey returned Bee.
"It's two outs against the opposing team, and the star player comes to plate!" Casey did her usual baseball fanfare. "Chika, up to bat!" She sent out Chika.
"Why did she say that?" Larvitar asked, confused.
"She likes baseball." Pia answered simply.
"Haruka, I choose you!" Ash sent out Haruka.
"My pre-evolution?" Chika questioned with a raised eyebrow.
"We can't underestimate her, Chika!" Casey warned her. "We've got to swing hard! Use Petal Blizzard!" At her Trainer's command, Chika released a blizzard of pink petals at Haruka.
"How's this for a swing?" Haruka asked, extending two vines from her hair. Said vines then glowed green and lashed out, breaking apart the Petal Blizzard.
"That was Power Whip, right?" Ash asked.
"Yep." Haruka nodded. "I can learn Vine Whip, so why not Power Whip?"
"Well, in a way, it makes sense." Brock shrugged.
"Body Slam!" Chika charged at Haruka to body slam her, but the Bayleef braced herself as she grabbed Chika, skidding back a bit from the force of the impact before picking up the bigger Moemon. "Wh-What!?" Chika yelped, startled by being picked up off the ground.
"Go flying!" Haruka shouted as she hurled Chika into the air. She then used Power Whip to pull her back down to her, and when she was close enough, punched her to the ground in front of Casey.
"Talk about a combo." Casey winced, before looking at her Starter. "Are you okay, Chika?"
"I can still fight, Coach." Chika grunted as she stood up.
"Okay then, go for the home run!" Casey encouraged. "Use Solar Beam!"
As Chika absorbed sunlight into her body, Haruka decided to form an Energy Ball.
...and eat it.
This action shocked everyone, and they were even more shocked when power erupted from her body. She began glowing a green Aura, and her hair and leaves looked more vibrant.
"What just happened!?" Giselle asked with wide eyes.
"It looks like she got a power boost from eating the Energy Ball!" Es said, just as stunned as everyone else.
A smirk formed on the Bayleef's face as she raised her fist. "Frenzy Plant!" Shouting her attack, she punched the ground, causing large thorny vines to erupt from the ground. The vines looked to be glowing with a green Aura, though, as if enhanced by Haruka's power boost. Seeing the enhanced attack coming at her made Chika panic and fire her Solar Beam. Unfortunately, the vines easily punched through the beam and slammed down onto her, causing dust to kick up.
"Chika!" Casey cried out for her Starter, but when the dust cleared, she was clearly unconscious.
"Whoa." Ash said, amazed by his Bayleef. "That was awesome, Haruka! What was that?"
"Something I and the other Grass Moemon figured out." Haruka replied with a proud smile. "If we eat an Energy Ball, we can gain an Overgrow effect that powers up our next Grass attack."
"That's awesome!" Ash cheered, and then Haruka glowed and evolved into Meganium.
"And that's all three." Es chuckled.
Casey returned Chika. "Well, you won, Ash. You're as powerful as ever."
"You've shown definite improvement yourself." Ash complimented her. "I'm sure you and your team will do great."
"Thanks, Ash!" Casey smiled. "See you at the Silver Conference!" She waved goodbye as she ran off.
"She's strange." Larvitar commented.
"Well, this is my first time meeting her as well." Lauren admitted. "But she's quite the interesting human."
"She's got a lot of spirit, which is key for a Moemon Trainer." Es said as Laby brought up the data of Ash's Johto Starters.
Moemon: Meganium
Name: Haruka
Species: Herb Moemon
Type: Grass
Current Level: 88
Scarcity: Ultra-Rare
Ability: Overgrow
Height: 5'11"
Weight: 117.8lbs
Cup Size: DD
Weaknesses: Fire, Bug, Poison, Ice, Flying
Resistances: Grass, Water, Electric, Ground
Immunities: None
Known Moves: Grassy Terrain, Vine Whip, Ancient Power, Counter, Leaf Storm, Heal Pulse, Nature Power, Razor Leaf, Magical Leaf, Sweet Scent, Reflect, Light Screen, Safeguard, Aromatherapy, Body Slam, Sunny Day, Solar Beam, Secret Power, Energy Ball, Giga Drain, Strength, Power Whip, Frenzy Plant, Petal Dance
Evolves Into: None
Evolves From: Bayleef
Info: Meganium are a very happy and helpful species of Moemon, and have a very good scent that comes from the flower on their shoulders. The petals of this flower can be removed and used as an aphrodisiac. Meganium are always happy and are willing to do anything for their masters. They enjoy being around other Moemon as well.
Moemon: Typhlosion
Name: Cindy
Species: Volcano Moemon
Type: Fire
Current Level: 88
Scarcity: Ultra-Rare
Ability: Flash Fire
Height: 5'07"
Weight: 113.3lbs
Cup Size: DD
Weaknesses: Water, Rock, Ground
Resistances: Grass, Ice, Bug, Steel, Fairy
Immunities: Fire
Known Moves: Flare Blitz, Extrasensory, Double Kick, Quick Attack, Ember, Flamethrower, Flame Wheel, Swift, Flame Charge, Dig, Detect, Aerial Ace, Wild Charge, Eruption, Blast Burn, Lava Plume, Brick Break, Heat Wave
Evolves Into: None
Evolves From: Quilava
Info: Typhlosion are what many would call "hotheaded". They tend to get angry very easily, and if their rage peaks, their bodies become very hot, and not in a good way as anything that touches them in this state will instantly go up in flames. This makes them very hard to approach, but they are very nice if you manage to keep them from exploding into fiery rage.
Moemon: Feraligatr
Name: Keiko
Species: Big Jaw Moemon
Type: Water
Current Level: 88
Scarcity: Ultra-Rare
Ability: Sheer Force
Height: 6'03"
Weight: 115.8lbs
Cup Size: DD
Weaknesses: Electric, Grass
Resistances: Water, Fire, Steel, Ice
Immunities: None
Known Moves: Hydro Pump, Dragon Dance, Ice Punch, Aqua Jet, Water Gun, Bite, Crunch, Ice Fang, Swords Dance, Slash, Ice Beam, Waterfall, Ancient Power, Rock Slide, Scald, Brick Break, Dragon Claw, Aerial Ace, Secret Power, Hydro Cannon, Iron Tail
Evolves Into: None
Evolves Into: Croconaw
Info: Feraligatr are very aggressive Moemon. Despite their size, they can actually move incredibly fast, and their powerful jaws allow them to bite through even steel. Despite their aggressive nature, they are quite playful towards other Moemon and are sweethearts with their masters. They are very loyal, and if they see someone threatenting to hurt their Trainers, they will not hesitate to chomp down on them and tear them up.
"Alright. Now we're ready for the League!" Haruka said, feeling pumped. "But first, we need to get Larvitar back to her mom."
"Yeah, so let's go." Ash said.
Moments after, Molly suddenly stopped as she felt something...a familiar connection. 'Huh?' She thought. 'Why does this feel so familiar?'
Glimmer noticed that Molly stopped. "What's wrong, Molly?" She asked. Everyone else stopped and looked at her.
"I sense something...familiar." Molly said.
"Something familiar?" Ash asked with a raised eyebrow. Just then, the gang all saw a purple light glowing in the sky, and then an Unown, whose hair was styled into an 'M', appeared in the air above them.
"An Unown!" Pia gasped.
"What's one doing here?" Es wondered.
The Unown floated down to them, and Molly noticed something off about her movements. "Something's wrong." And as soon as she said that, the Unown fell forward the moment she touched the ground. Molly ran up to check on her, seeing that the Symbol Moemon's face was blushing red and her breathing was heavy. She was also shivering a bit. "She's sick." The little girl said with a frown. "And she also feels...afraid."
"It must be because she's been separated from the other Unown." Serena guessed.
"Well, first, we should focus on her health." Laby instructed. "Unfortunately, there are no Moemon Centers near our current location, so we'll have to take care of her ourselves."
The gang worked together to nurse Unown back to health. Molly insisted on doing most of the work, which Ash was fine with. He also noted that Larvitar was watching over Unown as she rested. He was happy that the young Moemon has opened up to Moemon, but she was still shy when it came to humans.
Meanwhile, Glimmer was speaking to Pia, Es and Wendy. "So, what's the deal with the Unown?" Glimmer asked. "You all seem to have history with them."
"Well, before she came with us, Molly lived with her birth parents in Greenfield." Pia explained. "Her father was a Moemon Professor who was researching the Unown, but they captured him and his wife because their research disturbed them."
"They took Molly's parents as prisoners?" Glimmer gasped.
Pia nodded. "Yep, and then Molly unintentionally called them through the tiles her family had. The Unown sensed her sadness, so they decided to make her happy by forming a connection with her and using their powers to make her dreams a reality, turning Greenfield into a crystal palace."
Glimmer looked confused. "They wanted to make Molly happy, even though they are the reason she was sad in the first place?"
"Yeah, it's quite hypocritical when you think about it." Es said. "But that's what they did, and it got to the point that a illusionary male Entei kidnap-"
"Wait wait, hold on!" Glimmer interrupted Es. "A MALE Entei!?"
"When they're in large groups, the Unown's power is limited only by the imagination." The Espeon told her. "But yeah, they created a Male Entei, and he kidnapped Ash and Tomo's Mom." The Galarian Ponyta gasped hearing that. "That was when we first met Vulcanus. She volunteered to help us infiltrate the crystal palace and save Miss Delia. Ash was able to help Molly see that she can still find happiness in the real world by adopting her, but at that point, the Unown lost control of their power, and we were only able to stop them thanks to the Male Entei."
Glimmer stood with her mouth agape. She knew that the gang had a few crazy adventures before she joined, but it was something else hearing the one incident that involved her trainer. Looking back at Molly, she was amazed that she would willingly help the Unown after all of that.
The next morning, Unown had made a full recovery, much to everyone's relief. "Looks like your alright, now." Ash said, smiling.
"Yes, I am well now." Unown said, smiling back, and then she looked at Molly and her eyes widened. "You're..."
Molly blinked in confusion. "Do you know me?"
"Yes, I do." Unown replied with a sad smile. "Molly Hale. You remember what happened in Greenfield, yes?"
The young girl's eyes widened. "Are you one of those same Unown?" Everyone else was surprised by the revelation, except Larvitar, who did not know about what happened that day.
"I am." The Symbol Moemon admitted. "Molly, I am...very sorry for our actions. We had taken your parents from you and made you sad, and then decided that we would bring you happiness. When you decided to find happiness in the real world, we accepted your decision, but our powers were too far along to be stopped, and thus went out of control and almost hurt you." She lowered her head in shame. "Thinking back, what we did was nothing short of hypocritical. I'm surprised you're willing to help me after that." It was clear that Unown regretted her actions.
"We couldn't just leave a sick Moemon like that. That just isn't right." Molly said. "Plus, because of what happened, I found a new family. You even gave me my papa, so I've already forgiven you. Actually, I want to thank you for that."
Unown's eyes widened. She didn't expect Molly to forgive them, or even thank them for what they've done. A serene smile formed on her face as she felt a huge weight be lifted off her shoulders. "Thank you." She whispered. Ash also smiled at how mature Molly handled the situation.
Larvitar then walked up to Unown. "Hello." She greeted. "I'm glad you're okay."
Unown looked at Larvitar curiously. "A Larvitar?" She wondered, looking at Molly.
"She's not mine." Molly answered the unspoken question. "Besides, she's afraid of all of us except big brother and his Moemon."
"Is that so?" Unown asked with a raised eyebrow. "Is his Tyranitar her mother?" To her mild surprise, Molly shook her head.
"No, actually. Her mother lives in the Moemon Preserve near Mt. Silver, but she was taken away by poachers and experienced some scary things. What's worse is that she was just an Egg when it all happened."
"Dear Arceus..." Unown gasped, a hand over her mouth to show how horrified she was. She looked at the young Moemon with pity. "Such a chain of events would traumatize any baby Moemon of the outside world."
"I know." Molly nodded sadly. "Big brother trying to help her open up to everyone. It's a slow process, but she's getting better."
"I see." Unown nodded, before giving a small smile. "Perhaps I can be of some help."
"Really?" Molly asked, looking surprised.
"You're not gonna create a crystal palace again, are you?" Glimmer asked, sounding a bit nervous.
"Oh no, nothing of that level again. Besides I would need my other kin to help me." Unown assured. "What I am suggesting is some special psychic therapy."
"Psychic therapy?" Tomo asked.
"It's when therapists use their Psychic Moemon to enter the patient's mind." Brock explained. "The personally see all the events that led to their trauma to figure out how to help them."
"That sounds like something Misty would need." Tomo commented.
Unown looked at the Water Moemon Trainer for an answer. "I have a huge fear of bugs."
"I see." Unown said. "Anyway, the plan is to send all of you into Larvitar's mind so that you can erase her fears from within."
"If that will help her no longer be afraid, then I'm willing to do it." Lauren said, determined to help Larvitar.
"Very well." Unown nodded. She reached out to Larvitar, but paused as she realized something. "One more thing. Does anyone have a Psychic type with Miracle Eye? I can't send in the Tyranitar without it."
"Got it." Es said, using Miracle Eye to eliminate Lauren's Psychic immunity.
Unown nodded once again. "Alright. Now we may begin." Her hand touched Larvitar, and then she glowed really bright, using her power to send everyone into Larvitar's mind.
Ash woke up in a strange area filled with broken egg shells. "Looks like I made it in Larvitar's mind." He said to himself. Looking around, he saw that he, Serena, Tomo, Molly, Misty, Brock and Giselle were floating on egg shells. "Is everyone here?"
"All the humans are here." Misty said, noting the absence of their Moemon.
"Where are Pia and the others?"
"Ash?" They heard Pia's voice, but it sounded quite deep and came from above. Turning around and looking up, the humans saw that the Moemon were all gigantic.
"Why are you all so big!?" Giselle shouted.
"It's not that we've gotten bigger, it's that you all shrunk!" Es replied.
"This is a side effect that normally happens during the start of psychic therapy." Everyone heard Unown explain. "If the patient is a Moemon, the humans tend to shrink drastically in size. You will return to normal size after a moment."
Ash noticed that Larvitar wasn't with them. "Larvitar's not here, but that must be because we're in her mind." He guessed. "We need to look for her and help her."
The gang started to search for Larvitar, with the humans riding on the Moemon's shoulder. Ash rode of Pia, Serena rode on Es, Tomo rode of Wendy, Molly rode on Glimmer, Misty rode of Toki and Brock and Giselle rode on Lauren, with Mei-Mei and Bleue floating a bit overhead. Suddenly, the area around them changed, now being filled with Elekid heads. "What's going on?" Glimmer asked as the area changed again, this time looking like a serene sea with a Suicune standing in the middle ahead of them.
"Right now, you are experiencing Larvitar's past in her eyes, going back in time until you reach the origin of her fears." Unown replied.
Just then, the area changed again, and now they saw an enormous egg with cracks and a black thorn on the side of it. "This is Larvitar's Egg." Ash recognized the Egg immediately. He looked through one of the cracks and saw an image of himself. The other humans saw images of themselves too, but theirs were in black and white.
"This must be how Larvitar sees us through her eyes." Molly figured. "Our images our in black and white, but Ash's is in full color, meaning he's the only one she trusts."
"Yes, and that black thorn represents the root cause of her distrust towards humans." Unown explained. Hearing this, Ash went to the black thorn and got sucked into it , with everyone else following.
The gang was now in another area, but this time, the humans were back to normal size. "So, this is the origin of Larvitar's fear?" Ash asked, and then an enormous machine appeared out of nowhere and shot out a web that surrounded the area. "What's going on!?" He demanded.
"I'm scared..." Everyone heard a whimpering voice.
"Larvitar..." Lauren recognized the voice immediately. "She sounds so scared."
Just then, the machine grabbed an Egg and everyone saw three men holding the Egg. "Poachers." Ash said angrily, knowing who the men were. "I see now. This is the day Larvitar was stolen from the Moemon Preserve."
Suddenly, everyone heard a roar, and a Tyranitar appeared. "Mommy!" Larvitar called out.
"That's Larvitar's Mom!" Misty gasped, and then her face turned to horror as the machine fired blasts at Tyranitar.
"You bastards!" Lauren roared with rage. The mother Tyranitar lied on the ground, very hurt from the blasts, and she even got a scar on her chest. She then disappeared from view, with Larvitar calling out to her the entire time. "When I see those poachers, I'll make them wish they were never born!" Just then, the memory faded and Larvitar appeared, but she was surrounded by patches of black thorns.
"Those black thorns represent Larvitar's fears, which have grown from her awful memories." Unown explained, sounding serious. "Even though they petrify her, the time she has spent with you encourages her to break free." Sure enough, everyone saw Larvitar struggling to free herself from the thorns. "You must help free her from her fears. Go!"
"You don't need to tell us twice!" Ash shouted. "Let's go, everyone!"
The gang ran up the hill of thorns to help Larvitar, but the black thorns weren't going to just let them as more thorns sprouted up to block their advance. "You're not gonna stop us!" Ash shouted, coating his hand in Aura and chopping through the thorns. Pia and Es used Iron Tail and Psychic Tail to break through while Lauren slashed through with Dragon Claw.
The black thorns halfway up the hill, the black thorns went on the offensive, vines growing forth to attack them, but the Eon Duo destroyed the incoming vines with Dragon Breath. Serena also fired Psychic pulses to counter the vines, while Wendy and Glimmer used Flamethrower and Psybeam.
By the time they got to Larvitar, she had been frozen in a block of ice. Ash ran up to the ice and hit it with Force Palm, aiming to free her. "Larvitar!" Ash called out to her. "Don't give in to those painful memories! Remember all the good and fun times we had together!"
"That's right!" Brock shouted. "Not all humans are bad Larvitar!"
Mei-Mei fired another Dragon Breath at a vine of black thorns, and then turned to Larvitar. "You may have been taken by bad humans, but there's no need to be scared!" Mei-Mei shouted. "Because you're in the care good humans now!"
"Yeah, we promised to reunite you with your mother!" Serena shouted, reminding Larvitar of the promise they made to her.
"And you've met other nice people while we were traveling together!" Misty reminded as well.
"Larvitar!" Tomo and Molly called out.
Larvitar stirred a bit from within the ice, causing cracks to form, something that Lauren took notice of. "Larvitar!" She let out a determined roar, and then a whirlwind of rocks suddenly surrounded Lauren until she was encased in a stone slab.
"Lauren!?" Ash gasped, surprised by her suddenly being trapped, but then he noticed his Key Stone was glowing for some reason. The stone slab then shook until cracks formed from the center, a pair of glaring red eyes showing from the cracks, and with a roar, Lauren broke from the stone slab...as Mega Tyranitar!
"She Mega Evolved!?" Pia gasped, completely shocked by the sudden Mega Evolution. Everyone was, in fact.
With a mighty roar, Lauren set her gaze on the ice trapping Larvitar. "Giga Impact!" With a mighty roar, she charged forward with all her strength, her body glowing with golden energy as she put all her power in a single punch right at where the cracks were forming, completely shattering the ice.
Now free of the ice, Larvitar opened her eyes and saw Lauren. "Lauren!" She said happily, hugging the Mega Tyranitar.
"It's okay, Larvitar." Lauren said softly as she embraced Larvitar. "You don't need to be afraid anymore."
At that moment, the gang found themselves back at the giant green egg. The black thorn had disappeared, and everyone images were displayed in full color. "Looks like Larvitar trusts us now." Molly smiled. Suddenly, the egg began to glow, and the gang was transported back to the real world. Lauren was also back to her normal form.
"I'm glad to see you all return safely." Unown smiled.
Serena walked up to Larvitar. "Larvitar, no one is going to hurt you again." She assured her. "We are going to take you back to your mom. That's what we promised you." Larvitar stared at Serena, and then hugged her with a smile.
"Looks like the therapy was a success." Unown smiled. "She now sees you all as friends." The gang was happy that Larvitar was free of her bad memories.
"Thanks so much for helping us, Unown." Molly thanked the Symbol Moemon.
"It was my pleasure."
"By the way, how did Lauren Mega Evolve?" Wendy asked. "Lauren doesn't have a Tyranitarite, yet she still Mega Evolved."
"Ah, I almost forgot that can happen in the mindscape." Unown said, getting everyone's attention. "If a Moemon in the mindscape is capable of Mega Evolution, and their determination reaches a peak, then they will Mega Evolve, even if they don't have a Mega Stone." She explained.
"Wow, that's pretty awesome." Ash said.
"I agree." Lauren nodded in agreement. "It felt nice to Mega Evolve."
Just then, a portal to the Unown's Dimension opened up in the sky, and hundreds of Unown came out. "Look! It's your friends!" Molly pointed. "That means you can go home now!" The stray Unown, however, instead of looking happy, had a frown on her face, even as an Unown-H took notice of her.
"There you are! We've been looking all over for you!" She called. "Come on, let's go!"
Molly looked at the Unown-M, taking notice of her frown. "What's wrong?" She asked. "Aren't you happy to see your friends again?" The stray Unown didn't answer, but she floated up to the other Unown. There was a moment where they just floated there, seemingly talking to each other, and then the other Unown flew back into the portal and closed it, leaving her behind. Everyone was confused as to why the Unown-M stayed behind, and then she flew down to them, standing in front of Molly. "What's going on?" The young girl asked. "Why didn't you go with them?"
"I've been talking about it with them." Unown said. "And I've decided that I wish to stay with you instead."
Everyone was surprised by her decision. "Really?" Molly asked.
Unown nodded. "I feel it would be best if I joined you on your journey instead." She bowed to Molly. "If it is okay with you, I am willing to lend you my power."
Molly looked at Ash. "Big brother?"
"If she wants to join, she can." Ash said, giving her a Moe Ball. Molly took the Moe Ball and used it to catch Unown.
"Papa is not gonna believe this." Molly said, thinking about how her father would react to her having an Unown. Giggling at the thought, she sent out her newest Moemon.
"Thank you for accepting me, Mistress." Unown bowed gratefully.
"I'm happy you want to join us." Molly replied. "Okay, you're an 'M'... How about Mercury?"
"I will accept any name, Mistress." Unown, now Mercury, said with acceptance.
And so, with Molly gaining a new team member, the gang continued on to the Moemon Preserve.
"Are we almost there, Laby?" Ash asked.
"Yes." Laby confirmed. "Just cross the bridge in front of you and you'll reach the Moemon Preserve."
"I'm almost home." Larvitar said. Eagerness to see her mother again taking over her, she quickly ran across the bridge.
"Wait for us, Larvitar!" Lauren called, running after Larvitar, with everyone else following them, unaware that they were being watched by three men.
"Did you two see that?" The first man asked his cohorts.
"Those kids had a Larvitar with them." The second one said. "I bet'cha she the same one from the egg we stole."
"They're taking her back to the Moemon Preserve." The third one deduced. "Which means...we can steal her and her mother in one fell swoop, along with that other Tyranitar."
"Let's not forget those kids other Moemon." The first man said, smirking greedily. "They look good enough to fetch some nice cash." The other two men shared his smirk.
Larvitar was happily walking through the Moemon Preserve. "I'm finally home." She said, smiling.
"Yes, you are." Lauren agreed. "All that is left is to find your mother." Everyone heard a roar the moment she said that.
"What was that!?" Molly asked, spooked by the roar.
Lauren looked at Larvitar, whose eyes were wide. "Was that...?"
"That was Mommy!" Larvitar exclaimed excitedly. "I recognize that roar!" Just then a very angry Tyranitar showed up. Thanks to her transparent leotard, the gang could see what looked to be a scar across her chest.
"She has a scar across her chest." Es noted. "She's definitely Larvitar's Mom."
"You humans are not welcome here!" The Mother Tyranitar growled angrily. "LEAVE!" With a roar of demand, she fired a Hyper Beam at the group, but Lauren countered it with her own Hyper Beam, grabbing her attention.
"Please wait!" Lauren exclaimed. "We're not here to cause trouble! We only wanted to return your daughter to you!"
"My...daughter?" Larvitar's Mom repeated, looking less angry as well as a bit hopeful.
"Mommy!" Larvitar called.
Her mother looked at her with wide eyes. "Larvitar..." She whispered, recognizing her daughter. "It's really you..." The baby Moemon ran up to hug her mother, and everyone smiled at the heartwarming sight.
Lauren walked up to them. "I'm glad that you two are finally reunited." She said with a smile.
"Thank you for bringing her back." Larvitar's Mom thanked her. "I'm sure you've taken good care of her as well."
"Miss Lauren and everyone were really nice, Mommy." Larvitar told her.
Her mother smiled. "I'm glad you've already made friends."
Es's gem suddenly flashed, and her eyes widened. "Watch out!" She warned. She quickly pulled Larvitar back with Psychic, just in time to save her from being caught in an orange net like her mother and Lauren.
"What!?" Lauren gasped.
"Mommy! Miss Lauren!" Larvitar cried out.
"Where'd that net come from!?" Ash demanded, angry at someone trapping his Moemon. Laughter answered him, and a giant robot Tyranitar showed up.
"That's the robot that stole Larvitar's Egg!" Tomo shouted, recognizing the robot from Larvitar's memories.
"Which means the ones piloting it are those same poachers!" Pia growled.
"Hear that, bros?" The first man asked with a smirk. "Sounds like we're quite famous."
"Right you are, Braggo." The second man laughed. "Who wouldn't know the Moemon Poacher Brother, Braggo, Chico and Burt?"
"Got that right, Chico." The final man, Burt, agreed with a sinister smirk. "And now that Larvitar's here, we can steal her and those two Tyranitar."
"Not happening!" Ash shouted angrily. "You will not take Larvitar and her mother, and ESPECIALLY not Lauren!"
The three brothers laughed at his declaration. "Just try to stop us, brat!"
Lauren growled angrily. "You're the poachers that led to Larvitar being traumatized." She said, sand and darkness forming around her. "Just for that, I WILL NEVER FORGIVE YOU!" She roared mightily, releasing a storm of black sand that tore open the net and freed her and Larvitar's Mom.
"What's that?" Misty gasped.
"Lauren's mixed Sandstorm with Dark Pulse." Brock realized. "A Dark Sandstorm!"
"What the fuck!?" Braggo shouted. "Chico, I thought you made that net to withstand a Tyranitar's attacks!"
"I did!" Chico shouted back. It sounded like Chico was the inventor of the three brothers, but he underestimated the power of Ash's Moemon when he made the net.
Lauren turned to Larvitar's Mom. "Are you okay?" She asked.
"Yes, I'm fine." The other Tyranitar replied, amazed by the attack Lauren used and making a note to learn it herself.
"Agh, whatever!" Burt exclaimed, sounding annoyed. "Let's just grab those Moemon already!"
Larvitar was shaking with anger. "I won't..." She spoke. "I won't let you hurt my friends and Mommy!" She felt power surge withing her as she glared at the poachers, and with a shout, she called forth that power and released it in a golden beam that shocked everyone.
"That's...Hyper Beam!" Ash said. He recongized the attack and couldn't believe that Larvitar learned it while so young.
The two Tyranitar were the most shocked out of everyone, pride filling them both. As the Hyper Beam hit the Mecha Tyranitar in the chest, the two looked at each other and nodded. "Hyper Beam!" They fired their own much stronger Hyper Beams, joining Larvitar's and hitting the mech's chest.
"This is bad!" Chico panicked. "This thing can't take multiple Hyper Beams at once!" Sure enough, the Triple Hyper Beam soon pierced the mech, and the whole thing exploded.
"Alright! Way to go!" Ash cheered.
Larvitar collapsed from the recoil of using Hyper Beam, but her mother came and picked her up. "My daughter, I'm so proud of you." She said, gently hugging her. Larvitar gave a tired smile and hugged her back.
Lauren, meanwhile, approached the down Moemon Poacher Brothers, cracking her knuckles. "You three are about to learn what happens when you fuck with a Tyranitar." She smiled in sadistic enjoyment at what was to come. The poachers, in comparison, were pale with fear, and soon three male screams sounded throughout the Moemon Preserve.
By the time Lauren was done, the three poachers were unconscious, with black eyes, swollen faces and missing teeth. "They deserve it." Ash said simply as he turned to Lauren, who was stretching her body. "Feeling better, Lauren."
"Much better~" Lauren chirped happily.
"What's going on here?" A female voice called as a Ranger approached them.
"Ah, Ranger Mason." Larvitar's Mom called to her. "These humans brought my daughter back to me and apprehended the poachers that stole her in the first place." Larvitar waved in her arms. "Don't ask how they look so beat up, though."
Ranger Mason looked at the unconscious poachers."...Well, it's not like they don't deserve it." She shrugged.
A few minutes later, the unconscious brothers her put in the back of a police van and driven off. "I've been after those three for ages now." Ranger Mason said, sounding relieved. "Thank you all for finally catching them."
"I'm just glad they won't be poaching anymore Moemon." Giselle said.
"Thank you all." Larvitar's Mom thanked them. "It's thanks to you that I've been reunited with my daughter and those horrible poachers are arrested."
"I'm just happy to see you two back together." Lauren smiled.
Ranger Mason looked at Lauren. "That Tyranitar's yours, right?" She asked the gang.
"Yeah." Ash nodded. "I had originally saved her from another, worse criminal, and she decided to come with me after that."
"Well, it's clear that you've been treating her well." Ranger Mason nodded in approval. "I may have something you can make use of." She dug through her pockets a bit, before pulling out a familiar necklace.
"A Mega Stone?" Ash gasped.
"Yep. This one's a Tyranitarite." Ranger Mason said, earning a wide-eyed look from Lauren. "I've been wondering what to do with this since I found it, and I might as well give it to you as a reward for your efforts."
"Thank you so much, Ranger Mason." Ash thanked her, happily accepting the Mega Stone and giving it to Lauren, who was thrilled to be able to Mega Evolve for real.
And so, with their quest complete, it was time for the gang to leave, with a heartfelt goodbye to Larvitar and her mom, the gang left for the Silver Conference.
Chapter 67 DONE!
This was a long one for sure, as it pretty much covers the entirety of Larvitar's time with Ash and co. However, the main change is that it's Lauren she is mainly attached to, and thus she gets a heavy focus throughout the arc.
Before that, though, Laias and Umie reunited with their old pod!
The gang also meet Casey again, and all of Ash's Johto Starters evolve in the battle. I'm also bringing in the Energy Ball Boost trick early.
Also, Molly catches an Unown! More specifically, an Unown-M, because that's the first letter of her name. She also helps alleviate Larvitar's fears, and we also see a moment where a Moemon can Mega Evolve in the mindscape, even without a Mega Stone.
And finally, Larvitar reunites with her mother, followed by a badass moment of her learning Hyper Beam, stopping the Moemon Poacher Brothers with her mother and Lauren helping her, and this is topped off with Lauren now being able to Mega Evolve for real.
Now, the next chapter will be the prologue to the Silver Conference, with the usual recap of who hasn't battled yet. See you guys then!