Hi Everyone! It's LegionZ here bringing you all another chapter to this story! If you all enjoy it, please make sure you leave a review letting me know what you thought of it and any recommendations you may have! In addition, if you're new, please make sure to follow and favorite the story! It would mean a lot to me if you could show your support for the story and every chapter of it along the way!

So, lets talk! I'm typing this chapter on Saturday (For those of you who have been keeping up with the story posts, I post every Sunday with this story…) and that means I'm very far behind with my typing. I was planning to do it all on Thursday, but something came up and I was unable to type anything. My hope is to type everything up today, but I have many doubts about just how much I'll be able to actually type.

Last chapter featured Kiawé, Ash's friend from Alola. (In this story, Ash still becomes an Ultra Guardian along with Kiawé, but instead of helping his family farm, Ash hires Kiawé to become the new Gym Leader of Eahrith Town Gym Leader. The question, however, remains: While Kiawé is taking the Maple's to see the Ghost and the Alola Region, is he aware of Ash's broken past with the family? Will he give away Ash's identity to them? Or is he aware and choose not to say anything? Read the chapter to find out.

I think that's enough of an intro, I hope you all enjoy the chapter, and as per usual, I'll give a recap of the previous chapter as well in case you missed a big part of the story. Thanks everyone, enjoy!

LegionZ Presents… The Chosen One's Wrath… Chapter 4

Last Chapter…

"I know very well why you came today Ghost, and I know additionally why you haven't come to any past meetings." The Ghost coolly replied. "That so? Enlighten me." On the inside, however, Ash silently prayed that this old geezer, who he secretly really was proud of for doing so good, wasn't actually telling the truth.

Goodshow spoke. "You obviously chose not to come to any meetings…"

Ash silently held his breath. "…because your blasted city wasn't completed." The silent breath of air that Ash had been holding in wheezed out softly.

Mr. Goodshow went on a rant. "When your designer Sophocles sent me the final pictures of the city not too long ago, I couldn't believe just how magnificent it was! It was royal! Astounding! Completely and utterly Magnificent! He swore to me that it would be ready in time for the tournament, and I was legitimately about to place the tournament in Unova…" Ash's eyes bulged slightly at this. Goodshow quickly spoke. "B-but don't worry! I knew your designer would succeed, and just in the nick of time; A mere month before the tournament starts!"

Of course, Mr. Goodshow didn't know the real reason Ash was so shocked. If he had just waited another month to complete ALT City, then Aether Paradise wouldn't have to undergo additional security measures to keep on onlookers from the tournament that was bound to attract a landslide of people. He also wished he had knew that Sophocles had promised Mr. Goodshow that ALT would be done by the tournament, but, he knew better than to dwell on the past. It was better to focus on the future.

He gleefully said. "I got accepted into the Tournament that's being held in the Alola Region! It's super restricted; only the best get approval to participate!"

Caroline spoke in a thoughtful tone. "The Alola Region? I've never heard of it." May silently agreed with her; what was the Alola Region anyway? It most certainly wasn't local, no chance of it being nearby, otherwise, she would've known about it. While the females of the Maple family didn't know about Alola, Norman did.

"I've heard of Alola before." Everyone gave him their attention as he spoke. "Alola is a very far away region that used to be a very rural region, split into four sections. Additionally, there are Pokémon there that can't be found anywhere else, well, so the rumors go around in this area. It's purely speculation."

Max's eyes lit up with greed; he could show off his unseen Pokémon and get tons of girls and fame! After winning the tournament, he'd go down in history!

Max spoke eagerly. "W-well? Who is the champion?"

Norman spoke again. "That's just it; nobody knows who the champion really is. The person who won was a young boy not too much older than you Max. He was 16 when he won, so he's supposed to be 19 or so now. But, nobody knows his name. He's simply known by one name." Norman paused before saying quietly.

"The Ghost."

Max's eyes widened a little in fear, while May was listening with very peaked curiosity. "Nobody knows where Ghost came from, what his past is, nothing. It's like he appeared out of thin air. But… when he was crowned champion of Alola, people expected him to laze around and do nothing. He did the exact opposite: he swore to the people of Alola that nobody would overlook them anymore, nor would they stand to being pushovers anymore. And thus… that's precisely what he did."

Norman continued. "The Ghost developed eight gyms with fabulous reputations. He made new cities with a snap of his fingers that attracted more attention. He built a castle for the Pokémon league and all its elites, and he even built one of the most high-tech cities in the world that is finally starting to generate enough tourism to fund a whole region as a whole; it's called ALT City."

"His most noble deed, however, was none of those. It was the choosing of all of his elites that is most notable. When he was anointed Champion, everyone believed he would choose his elites purely on power and call it a day. However, he did nothing of the sort. He interviewed some people who hadn't even made top 16, and gave them the roles of his elites. Of course, when this happened, he received much backlash for many months for the decision. However, when the time came to try and battle his elites, the challengers were blown away. He had chosen his elites not on the floor they demonstrated in the Champion Challenge, but by the ceiling they could hit. It shocked the entire region, and nobody really knows why he chose the elites he did, but nobody is regretting it in Alola now."

"Since the Ghost has become champion in Alola, the entire region is prospering. They now look up to him like the father they never had, and rightfully so. Because of him, Alola is no longer a name that people don't know. Alola is now a name people associate with Power, Beauty, and elegance. He has led the region to glory, and this tournament will likely solidify that." May suddenly had a revelation: for some odd reason that she couldn't place her finger on, she knew she had to meet the Ghost.

In her mind, there was only one thing that made sense: 'If anyone can help me prove Ash was betrayed… the Ghost is the one to go to. With his modesty and nobility, maybe… just maybe… he can help me prove Ash wasn't just killed by that Volcano… he was killed by his so called friends.' Her mind wandered. Seeing that look on his face, that face that looked like the end of the world was upon him, it crushed her. She wished she had just not kissed Drew… and then maybe none of this would even be happening! She yearned for him to still be with her, but alas, it was not to be.

All she could do now was simply take revenge on those who damned him.

Present…

"Daaaaaaaddddddd…" Max whined. "Do I really have to wear these clothes?" Norman firmly spoke. "Yes, you do. Do you want to become Champion?"

Max stuttered. "W-w-well of c-course!"

Norman said. "Then you have to act like one. This event is the first step to attend this event and make a good impression on everyone! That's how you can attract positive attention to yourself and make yourself presentable. That's what you need to know, and that is what you must do if you truly have this much ambition."

The Maples were currently driving to one of ALT City's most famous buildings: The Party Starter. The entire building was rented out by the League Committee for the entire day so that the league champions, elites, leaders, and trainers who were accepted into the tournament could socialize with one another and get to know each other before the tournament began. While Max and his dad were arguing about the suit's and attire, Caroline was staring out the window and the magnificent views of ALT City, and May was deep in thought.

She was wearing a beautiful light blue dress that sparkled at the base. Her firm bust was showing nicely, as was her backside. Her hair was still in her usual style, and she wore a rather pretty white bandana on her head to match her outfit. But, her mind was roaming on things nowhere near her dress.

Her mind was currently pondering her current course of action: She was coming to this party to find the Ghost. After Kiawé, who was driving the car for them, and her dad talk about the Ghost, she knew he was the one person who could possibly help her. The issues, however, were very obvious: Would he even listen to her? How could he possibly investigate a case that happened six years prior? Could she even find him and talk to him in private? There were so many things that could go wrong, her plan seemed destined to fail.

"Hey Kiawé, what's the Ghost like?" Max said eagerly.

Kiawé looked into the mirror and stared back at Max's face, one that seemed anxious, and somewhat… overconfident. Kiawé took his time responding and said. "What do you mean by that?"

Max got a little annoyed. "I mean… what's he like?"

Kiawé got oddly silent for a moment before speaking. "He's a tremendous trainer. He and his Pokémon train together for hours on end before finally calling it quits on a day's work. Sometimes he just relaxes at the League, while other times I think he likes to go shopping and exploring through ALT City… he did, after all, oversee the construction of this entire city that we're driving through as we speak."

Max was still unconvinced. "That's not what I meant."

Kiawé was getting a little heated now. "Then what did you mean exactly?"

Max shot back. "I MEANT, what kind of Pokémon does he have?" Kiawé looked like he was about to explode, so Norman cut in and spoke. "Max! That's enough! Kiawé has been kind enough to show us around and drive us there, you don't need to ruin the day with constant badgering on the region's champion."

Max sulked in his seat while Kiawé took a deep breath to calm himself down from the previous conversation. What May had noticed that nobody else had, was that Kiawé, when talking directly to Max about the Ghost, seemed much more… off… then when talking about it to her mom and dad. She placed it in the back of her mind for the time being, because…

"We're here!" Kiawé announced.

The party was, indeed, already rolling. It had been going on since noon of that day, where Elites and Champions were only allowed. Now, at five o clock sharp, the rest of competitors were urged to go and socialize. Of course, their families and friends were allowed to go as long as they were cleared and confirmed by the party. May looked up at the massive five story building in front of her. Lights could be seen flickering out of the windows above, and on the way in, she saw a gorgeous pool and grassy area behind the building.

She paled considerably. How was she going to find the Ghost in this mess?

(The Party Starter) TPS… Third Floor

Everyone was dancing on the floor. The first floor was primarily for calm socializing, and of course, the backyard was the outside area. The second floor was various games such as Pokémon pool, darts, a miniature Pokémon baseball field (the elites and guests were completely taken off guard with this game), and other games. The third floor was, well, the dance floor. And the fourth floor was the battlefield. Pokémon were required to stay in their pokeballs unless they were on the fourth floor. This was to prevent any unfortunate accidents.

Meanwhile, on the center of the dance floor… "Come On Guys! Let's break it down!" A green haired man yelled before starting to dance in a way that could be rightfully nicknamed, "The Awkward Freestyle." Lucian groaned. "Aaron, you look like someone who just doesn't know what the hell you're doing…"

Aaron stopped dancing and huffed. "I'll have you know that I do know what I'm doing, I'm freestyling!"

A voice cut in. "Yo guys, stop dancing and start drinking!" A man with bright orange hair came over holding up a red cup. "You guys have got to try this Apple Juice… it tastesssssss… sooooooooo" He slurred loudly before stumbling forward into Lucian's arms. Lucian blinked and said loudly. "Flint… are you sure you're alright?!"

"I believe this drink is called an Appletini, if I am not mistaken." Aaron and Lucian turned to see Bertha, the last of their elite, holding the cup in her hand. Aaron started laughing and Lucian frowned. "Aaron this is serious! Flint could be in danger!"

Aaron laughed. "In danger of getting wasted, WHOOOOO!" At that instant, a beat drop hit, and everyone began jumping around higher and higher to the music, including Aaron. Lucian and Bertha helped Flint to the side of the room, where they saw their Champion sitting by herself, drinking some sort of Alcohol. When she saw Flint, she groaned and stood up. She asked the other female. "What happened to him this time?"

"If I understand the situation correctly, to put it correctly…" She began, but Lucian cut her off. "He's drunk. Quite badly at that."

A quiet voice said. "I believe this will help. At these kinds of parties, you tend to expect a few people to be in his state." The elites turned and had different reactions. Lucian's face turned a bright shade of pink, Bertha's face remained the same, and Cynthia's eyes slightly widened. There, before them all, was a gorgeous girl. She had a long green ponytail and similar colored green eyes. She wore a beautiful dark blue dress that squeezed her chest and amplified her curves.

Lucian turned away to conceal his blush from the attractive girl, losing his usually cool demeanor. Bertha was the one to speak. "Ah, I do recognize this medicine. It will indeed cure Flint's ailment. I shall administrate it." While Flint was being helped by Bertha, Cynthia took the time to ask the girl. "Who are you?"

The girl smiled. "My name is July Ruftulis. While you don't know who I am, I do know who you four are. Miss Bertha, Mr. Flint and Lucian… and champion Cynthia. Where is the last of you? Elite…"

"Hey! Where'd you guys run off to?" A voice was heard. "…Aaron." She turned to see Aaron gawking at her body. She giggled. "May wanna close your mouth hun, you could catch some flies." Aaron slowly closed his mouth and Cynthia spoke again. "I know I've heard of a July Ruftulis… but why can't I remember you…"

Aaron suddenly gasped and pointed at her. "You're one of the region's elites!" Cynthia's eyes widened in shock and she whirled back to the girl who was nodding her head. "Yep! I am. I'm the fairy type elite here in Alola. Pleased to meet you!"

Aaron stuttered. "Y-you w-were featured on E-elite weekly! I n-n-never t-thought you'd be so beautiful in person!" The elites stared at him in shock, while Flint was still recovering from his intoxication. July told Aaron playfully. "Thanks for the compliment…" He blushed before she winked and told him. "But I have a boyfriend." Aaron's eyes bulged a little and he turned an incredibly dark shade of red. Lucian chuckled at Aaron's rejection.

Bertha spoke. "This region you have… it is fabulous. From what we've seen, it's amazing."

July spoke quietly. "It wasn't always this nice. Before our champion came to this region and took the reins, we looked like a region destined for failure. Everyone just thought our region was for tourism, and nothing more. During the winter, it was never easy to make a living since a good portion of Alola back then required good weather for jobs."

Lucian asked her. "Who is your champion anyway?"

July was quiet for a moment before telling him. "The Ghost is what we all call him. He became champion just three years ago, and since he did, Alola has thrived. He's put on us on the map, and on the path to glory. He's a brilliant man, though most people don't know it. He's young as well."

Cynthia raised an eyebrow. "Just how young?"

July smiled. "Only Nineteen. If I wasn't taken, I would make a run for him myself. He's single, after all." She winked at Cynthia, who lightly blushed and turned away.

'I do feel a little bit guilty about throwing some of Ash's personal life out in the open, but he really does need to find a suitable girlfriend… one that isn't me. Besides, although he's super cute, he's not my type. Plus, if we started dating, questions would come up; questions that Ash doesn't prefer to answer. Best to try and get his love life on the move ever since the incident… because he hasn't had much of anything since.' July's mind wandered.

Bertha saved Cynthia from embarrassment. "Sorry miss… I think nineteen is just slightly too young for someone like me." The entire group got a good laugh over the incident and asked July further about the region, to which she responded with relative ease.

Second Floor…

"I'm telling you; this game is next to impossible! You give it a try, I DARE you!" A man jet black hair spoke.

A group of five people were standing on the batter's box of the Pokémon baseball field. The field was large enough that you could actually hit the ball over the fence and it would go into the grassy area beneath them. It was like the field was on a ledge overlooking the entire city. A girl with purple hair and large glasses retorted. "Come now Grimsley, surely it can't be that difficult!" He held out the bat to her and spoke confidently. "Then give it a try Shauntal! I'll even pitch easy for you!"

"Out of the way. I'll down him right now." A man the size of a football player grabbed the bat from Grimsley's hand and spoke. "Well, pitch the ball dumbass! Anytime, while I'm still young here!" Grimsley walked to the mound, took a deep breath and pitched the ball. The man swung the bat with all his might, missed the ball entirely, and flipped himself to the ground with an incredibly loud THUD.

Grimsley was laughing hysterically at the man's misfortune, as did another man with flaming orange hair and a girl with an absurd amount of blonde hair. The man on the ground weakly spoke. "Alder… C-Caitlin… shut i-it. It's n-not t-that funny…" Alder replied while laughing. "I beg to differ Marshal!" Caitlin didn't say anything to that though.

"You didn't plant your feet or twist your hips. It generates power and balance in your entire body. You essentially just swung with your arms, hence, why you flipped yourself." A rather husky voice said. The group turned to see a man with bright yellow hair that was cut very short standing there. He wore a white suit and a bright grin on his face. It was clear this man was very muscular, and Caitlin was trying her hardest not to look at the man in front of her. Nobody in the group noticed Grimsley stiffen a bit, but not for the same reasons as Caitlin had.

The black-haired man cleared his throat. "And who exactly are you Newcomer?" Grimsley spoke loudly from the mound. The man held his hand out to Alder who shook it firmly. He then held his hand out to Marshal, who gave him the bat reluctantly. Axel eyed up Grimsley on the mound, as if calculating him. The man carefully stepped up to the plate and dug his right foot into the ground and bent his knees lightly. He spoke loudly as he waved the bat in the air in slow circles behind him. "Whenever you're ready there!"

Grimsley paused a moment before throwing the ball as hard as he could. Axel stepped forward with his left foot and twisted his hips. He pulled his arms at the same time, flexing them to the point where it nearly ripped the suit he was wearing. The ball connected with the bat and the ball was sent flying into left-center field. The man whooped and cried out. "Going, Going… GONNNEEEE! SEE… YOU… LATER!" He then tossed the bat to the side and began to jog the bases while holding up his fist in celebration.

Grimsley looked miffed while Marshal looked completely stunned as he was given the bat back by the man who grinned and spoke cheerfully. "Almost forgot! My name is Axel… Axel Fractera! I'm one of the elites here in Alola!"

Shauntal gasped and spoke. "You're one of the legendary elites here! You're so young though!"

Axel put a finger on his lower lip and said thoughtfully. "Actually, all of the elites here are younger than twenty-six… wait, twenty five. My bad. Our champion is actually the youngest person to ever be inducted as an elite or champion in the history of the world! He was only sixteen when it happened. Wait, was it 17? He was the youngest; That's what I know."

Alder looked curious. "So he beat you to take your spot? Or did he beat another one of your elites to take their spot?"

Axel laughed and said. "Nah, actually we never battled before he became champion."

"How does Alola choose it's champion then?" Grimsley said, a small mocking tone in his voice as he walked over from the pitcher's mound. Axel thought his words out carefully before he began. "How Alola chose it's leader was simple: Win a Tournament. Our leader won, and it was considered a major upset victory at the time. Everyone just expected bad things of him because Alola was considered the washup region in the eyes of many here."

He paused before speaking. "His first move as Champion didn't help his first view to the public. Almost everyone just expected him to select the most powerful trainers after him and he would call it a day, and people would've been fine with that."

Caitlin murmured. "Why am I sensing a "but" in here…"

Axel continued. "But… our Champion didn't see it that way. He chose the four of us not based on our performance in the tournament, but how we'd all work together. He saw the four of us not as a "How high is our floor" but "How high is our Ceiling?" Essentially, he wanted to see our room for improvement, and what we'd do if we were elites in Alola. Not one of us made the top 8 in the tournament, yet he still felt confident enough to choose all of us as his elites."

Marshal was shocked. "B-b-but w-why? No o-offense to you or any other elites o-of course, but shouldn't he have chosen people that were strong enough to defend t-their positions? There has to be another reason he chose you all!"

Axel nodded. "And that there is. There is something that all of us have in common… something that ties all of us to one another. Our Leader saw this in all of our hearts, and rather than take immediate power, he opted to try and build the Alola League and strengthen his elites based on that bond that we all share. Back then, it seemed like a very bad move to many because the public does not know the bond we share. Now, they know we are dedicated to our region, no matter the cost."

Shauntal spoke excitedly. "Well? What's the bond you all share?"

Axel shrugged and cheekily said. "Can't say!"

Alder blinked. "Huh? Then why is the public okay with you running the show if you're still hiding something from them?"

Axel laughed a little. "Everyone's entitled to their secrets. As long as we protect Alola and do our duties to keep Alola beautiful, we'll be fine. And of course… as long as The Ghost is in Alola… We are the most powerful Region in the World."

First Floor…

Everyone was chatting amicably amongst one another on the bottom floor. A man with dark purple hair muttered aloud. "Parties have never been… my thing."

A gorgeous woman with light blue hair spoke back. "None of our things really involve parties Will, you know this. I'd just try to lighten up a little."

Another man next to her spoke softly. "Yes… and that's only because you've had more than half a dozen young men come up to you and ask for your Pokégear number. What a time you must be having."

The Kanto/Johto Elites found themselves chatting in a corner of the room nearby the rather large all-you-can-eat-buffet. Lance was watching the last member of their elite, Bruno, stuff his face with various kinds of goodies. Lance muttered. "Bruno… why is it that you eat this much? You really shouldn't."

Bruno looked back at his champion with a pile of food high enough to feed a family of four. He spoke with a mouthful of food. "Ermphhhh… whaaddoooomeeaan?" Lance fought the urge to facepalm but he spoke calmly. "Bruno… I said that you should really eat less."

"I agree." A female voice said. Lance turned and was met by a beautiful young girl with pink hair that draped over her right eye and fanned all down her back. She wore a simple white dress for her dress attire to the party. Lance, however, turned red when he realized who he was talking to and spoke quietly. "Zandra… it's… good to see you again."

She smiled and spoke. "It's good to see you too Lance. I know we have unfinished business to talk about, but that can wait for the tournament. For now… let's talk about your friends here and if they are who I think they are."

Karen, the other beautiful girl in the conversation, caught onto what was happening. "Lance… who is this girl? You clearly know her."

Lance opened his mouth to speak but she cut him off. "Lance… I can handle it. It's not polite for me to not introduce myself to people anyway." She walked up to Karen and held out her hand to her, to which Karen shook. "Forgive me for my rudeness. My name is Zandra Polisik, and I'm one of the elite four here in Alola." A round of gasps circled everyone who was within earshot of the statement. Will exclaimed. "You're one of the Elite Four here? I've heard they are extremely powerful… all four of them at that!"

Zandra shrugged. "Well I guess it comes with the title."

Koga, the poison type specialist of the group, questioned. "How exactly did you meet our champion?"

Zandra smirked at this, and Lance turned a dark shade of red. "Hehe, I'll let your champion answer that question." Everyone looked at Lance with questioning eyes before bursting out in laughter at his obvious uncomfortable state. He was just silently glad nobody had actually pushed the issue. Otherwise, things could've gotten a little hairy for him. Karen looked around. "Hey… isn't your champion here?"

Zandra's smirk left almost instantly. "Why do you want to know?"

Karen smiled a little. "I just want to introduce myself to him. I've seen a good few pictures of him… he's something to look at." Zandra spoke with venom. "I'd advise you to stay away from him."

Karen blinked. "Huh? Why?"

While Zandra and Karen continued their small skirmish, Lance was deep in thought. Although nobody else knew it, he knew EXACTLY why Zandra didn't want Karen talking to the Ghost. It was because he was very much aware of the incident that had occurred six years ago. To his knowledge, he was the only person outside the Alola Region who knew the truth: That Ash Ketchum and the Ghost were in fact, the same person.

Six Years Prior…

"Are you sure that the volcano is erupting? Are you positive?" A man yelled into his wrist. Lance stared at him for a moment or two before the man yelled again. "Then evacuate the Pokémon! We can't afford to take chances! Moltres is already out? That's a small piece of good news!"

More silence. "What do you mean it's been out for weeks? So it was able to tell it's home was erupting? That's good news, maybe it evacuated some Pokémon along with it!" Lance finally spoke. "How far out are we Lieutenant?" The man yelled back. "Five minutes, tops!"

Lance had been on his way back from a quick visit to the Alola Region. It was his time for tourism, and he had opted to try and get out for a while to see the newest and least developed region of them all. He had to admit, it was a start of something, but they really needed someone else to try and help out at building the region up. Then, on his way back, he had received an alert from his G-Men that a volcano was erupting in Kalos. While Kalos was extremely far from Kanto, it was a shorter distance from Alola. So, they picked up Lance to try and evacuate people nearby the Volcano. That was their current plan of attack. However, as they got closer and closer, it became clear that a new plan of action would have to be taken.

"Sir! We can't got the chopper any closer! We're risking the entire vessel and the crew if we get closer!" The pilot yelled.

Lance ordered. "Retreat! Get to a safe distance! I'll go check for survivors around the exterior!" The man ordered his troops of the new plan while Lance gripped a pokeball and tossed it out. "Dragonite, I need your help!" The yellow dragon roared as it appeared from the capsule and Lance hopped on it in an instant.

As he flew down into the fiery pit, he could see no signs of any Pokémon life anywhere. He really couldn't see much of anything for that matter. He suddenly heard a loud scream from somewhere deep within the abyss. Lance knew that it wasn't a Pokémon's cry… what was a human doing in here?

He told Dragonite. "Dragonite, I'm putting this mask on. I just heard something down in the volcano. We need to go in!" His faithful partner roared its agreement before it swooped down through the rapidly growing mass of smoke and attempted to look for any signs of any life inside the massive mountain.

Lance desperately scanned the sides of the massive volcano for the source of the scream, but after five minutes, he was beginning to lose all hope entirely. Finally, just as he was about to call it off, he saw something moving alongside the edge of a cliff. His eyes bulged when he saw not one moving figure, but a whole group of them! He couldn't make out who exactly they were, but he was fairly determined to find out. He yelled. "Dragonite! Go help those people get out of here!"

However, instead, Dragonite swooped down and plummeted straight towards the Lava Field below. Lance cried out. "DRAGONITE! WHAT ARE YOU—" He stopped yelling when he saw a rather gruesome sight. There, on a rock just above the lava, was a figure. He ordered Dragonite to land on the rock and to see the condition of the person. Lance couldn't believe someone was down here. He knew was likely must've happened. The group of people he had seen were likely tourists just wanted to get a few pictures, and when the volcano erupted, someone lost their footing, and case closed.

Nonetheless, he still wanted to see who this person was, and so that he could take the body back to the family of the deceased. However, when he actually got a close up of the person, he nearly vomited.

The figure was clearly male. His entire right arm was nearly melted away… presumably by an amount of Lava. Lance got on one knee to investigate the condition of him, and got a shock. The boy's skull was nearly completely broken, and yet, he was still breathing! He couldn't believe it, a nearly melted arm, a large fall (presumably), a broken skull and all of that inhaled smoke… but yet the boy was still alive? How did Dragonite even know to come down here anyway? Was he able to sense the trainer somehow?

It was only then that Lance tried to see if he recognized the boy, and was he ever shocked. He did know who this was! It was young Ash Ketchum, only really recognizable at the moment by the lightning-shaped scars on his face. Lance immediately hoisted Ash in his arms and on Dragonite's back. Lance yelled. "Let's get out of here Dragonite! Let's hope that group of people made it out safe and sound!"

As they flew to the surface, Lance heard a soft groaning. "A-Ash!?" he said in disbelief. Ash groaned weakly. "Wha…what…happened…" Lance couldn't believe Ash was even conscious in his condition. Lance swiftly acted and spoke. "Ash, it's Lance, Champion of Kanto and Johto. I just found you at the bottom of the volcano, I'm going to get you help at the base of the—" He was cut off by Ash saying.

"N-no… get… A-Ash… somewhere… q-quiet… s-somewhere… s-safe… C-Call… B-b-brock." He barely managed to get the sentence out in under a minute. Lance couldn't believe his ears. "Y-you're telling me you want medical attention from Brock instead of an actual human doctor? W-why? You could die here!"

Ash moaned weakly. "P-p-please… g-get Ash t-to Brock… T-t-tell nobody th-that you have him… p-please…"

And then… Ash passed out. Lance immediately panicked at this. Should he listen to Ash, or go with his original mindset? He debated back and forth before finally giving in to the former. 'If Ash wants to see Brock this badly… so be it.' He decided. Lance tossed off his mask and yelled to Dragonite. "Dragonite! Pewter City, Kanto! Full Speed Ahead! Go!" Lance took off in the distance, a cloud of smoke in his wake.

Present…

Lance also knew about how May had been caught making out with Drew just after confessing her love to Ash. It pained Lance to see the young boy in so much physical, but even more emotional pain. He swore he would help Ash back onto his feet to try and become a Pokémon Master… with the help of a champion at his side. Zandra, being one of Ash's elites, knew about the incident that had occurred with the last girl Ash ever loved, and was likely keeping the distance between other girls and Ghost as well.

'Unless…' Lance's mind suddenly fell in turmoil. What if Zandra was only defending him because she liked Ash and not himself? What if Zandra was trying to defend their relationship and not the one with him?

"Lance!?" Zandra yelled. Lance was snapped back to reality by Zandra yelling at him. He sputtered. "A-Ahhhh… W-w-what d-did I m-miss?"

"We were talking about grabbing something to eat… would you care to join me?" She held out her hand to him and Lance, who had regathered his confidence, took it with a grin. He silently pondered his thoughts. 'I was an idiot those years ago. I had a chance to make her mine forever… and I fucked up. It happened once.'

He watched in slow motion as Zandra pulled him through the crowd of participants with a smile on her face.

'It will not happen twice.'

Outside Area…

Many people were languishing in the pool and hot tub area, just enjoying the night of freedom before the tournament people were splashing around in the water, while others were even kissing and making out.

"Why are people engaging in such… vile actions in a public area?" A man with dark-indigo colored hair spoke in bewilderment. Another man in a blue and white tuxedo replied, "It's beyond me Wikstrom. I can't understand it either. It's like they don't even care that all of their actions have consequences, especially the ones they engage when not in private. Those are the actions they'll regret most." Elite Four Siebold said quietly.

They walked over to a beach chair, to where their eldest member of their elite was attempting to sleep peacefully. Drasna, the dragon type specialist of their elites, commented. "I must say, this chair is really quite comfortable; it is as comfortable as the background noise is considered rather annoying."

"Annoying!? I absolutely love it here! These people know how to party!" Another voice cut in. The trio looked to see a rather sexy girl walking over in nothing but a tight pink bathing suit and sunglasses. She had curly pink hair that draped down the sides of her face and a sexy grin that were attracting the eyes of many males. She sat down next to the group with a huge smile on her face and said happily. "This party is awesome! This place has everything!"

Then, she dropped her voice to a low whisper. "Except for the amount of boys here who are considering me to being their next meal. The nerve of some of these boys!"

Siebold answered. "Well Malva… it doesn't frankly help that you're wearing such… revealing… clothing."

"He's correct Malva, perhaps you should resort back to your original attire? One worthy of a noble member of the Elite Four?" A melodic voice said. The elites turned to greet their champion, who was still wearing her usual white dress. Malva shrugged at her champion. "I'm not really one to wear such fancy clothes Diantha… you know this."

"Pardon me." A voice said. Malva got bumped by someone as they were attempting to slip by her. She got annoyed by the antics of the man and said angrily. "Hey! Watch it!" The man turned around and Malva's knees grew weak at the sight. He was a man in his mid-twenties by just looking at him. The man had chocolate-colored hair that was shaved on the sides and slightly long on the middle. His left eye was barely shaded by his hairstyle, but his right eye was a dazzling green. His skin was a beautiful light brown, his cheekbones were flawless, and he was sporting a cheeky grin. For his dress attire, he was wearing a black suit, pants, and shoes, with a white dress shirt to boot.

"I'm sorry for my rudeness. Do forgive me." He bowed in front of Malva, and he face turned the shade of her hair. "I-It's q-quite okay." She stuttered.

Diantha questioned the man. "Who exactly are you? Are you participating in this tournament that is occurring shortly?" The man turned over. "Ah, Champion Diantha, I presume? It is a great honor to be your acquaintance." He gently kissed her hand and spoke calmly to the entire group.

"My name is Xavier Blackmon. To answer your question, yes, I am indeed participating in this tournament. And I will do so as a prideful member of the Alola Elite Four!" Siebold, who had been completely uninterested in the entire conversation, was now at full attention. He spoke with a hint of surprise. "You're a member of the Alola Elite Four? What do you specialize in?"

He grinned a little. "I'm a multitype specialist: I work with Ground and Fire type Pokémon." He didn't notice, but Malva's blush appeared even more obvious now. First, Arceus threw a bunch of random boys at her who were checking her out and couldn't have been near her age of 26. Then, naturally, she runs into possibly one of the hottest guys she had ever met, who happened to be an elite, and using the same type of Pokémon she liked to use. The only thing that could make it even better…

"Who is your partner Pokémon? You know, the one you have the strongest bond with?" Drasna questioned the man.

"Ah… that would be my Pyroar… not a doubt about it." He answered.

Her blush now covered her entire face. She never took an interest to dating much since leaving Flare, it seemed as though there really wasn't anyone who peaked her curiosity. But now, she had her eyes set on this male. She knew really nothing about him, but it was her goal to. It seemed as though Arceus wanted her to get to know this male before the tournament ended, because they seemed to have quite a bit in common. It was just up to her to make the first move.

"Is your champion here tonight Xavier? I'd like to test his iron will in battle beforehand!" Wikstrom declared.

Xavier chuckled. "Actually, I'd be lying if I said I knew where he was. That's because I don't." Diantha was concerned. "You don't know where your own champion is? How come? I figured at an event like this he's bound to be here somewhere…"

Xavier laughed. "Nah… that's not how Ghost runs."

Malva's mind froze a little. 'The Ghost? Where does that name sound familiar…'

Xavier continued. "The least we can do for him is to give him a little space. Truth be told, he honestly didn't want the tournament here because of the attention it would bring. He wanted to silently keep building up Alola, but Mr. Goodshow kinda pulled the trigger before Ghost wanted it out." 'That's part of the truth… We don't want people getting snoopy in our affairs with Ultra Beasts just yet.' Xavier added in his mind as an afterthought.

Wikstrom was impressed. "I heard your champion built a good portion of the region all by himself and without his guidance, the success you've had today wouldn't have occurred… is this fact or fiction?"

Drasna scolded. "Wikstrom! That's not a polite way to ask that question!"

"But… he's right." The group turned to see Xavier nodding slowly. "Without him, I honestly don't know where we'd be right now… as a region or myself. He elected me as an Elite, and I was stunned. I thought for sure I had lost my chance to make a true mark on the world, but he saw something in me and wanted me to join him on his quest to make the Alola Region the most powerful region of them all. That's his ambition, and together, with the rest of Alola united under him, he's done just that."

Roof…

Ash found himself on the roof of buildings more times than he would've liked to admit. But… it was happening right now. After seeing all his old friends, companions, acquaintances, even rivals again, he wasn't sure he made the right move at first by staying away from everyone. He had glanced at July helping Flint recover from his intoxicated state. He had spotted Axel teaching the Unova elites how to play Pokémon baseball. He had seen Zandra pulling Lance away to get something. And of course, he had seen Xavier bump into Malva at the pool.

Then, on his way up, he felt his blood boiling. There, chatting with one another, were the traitors. Almost each and every one of them were here in Alola. The moment he had an opportunity, he would tell his elites about it. Max looked as though he had gained maybe half a foot of height in over six years, which Ash found hilarious. Misty looked as though her body hadn't changed in the slightest, despite the six year difference now, which Ash had to grin over. Iris and Cilan were holding hands, much to his surprise. To make that surprise double, imagine the look on his face when he saw Dawn leaning on Trip.

But… none of that compared to his prior disbelief when he saw none other than one Professor Samuel Oak talking with them amicably. He tried to think it was simply just coincidence; after all, this was a massive tournament, and Professor Oak could've just run into them by pure chance. Ash knew this was always a possibility.

But the more and more he thought about it, the more and more he was scared it was true; that Professor Oak was a certified member of the traitors. The issue? He needed to figure out some way to prove it.

"Ah… Ghost! Figured I'd find you up here!" A voice said. Ash turned around and was greeted by two figures. His mind nearly exploded when he recognized them.

AN: Andddddd that's a wrap folks! To apologize for posting a day later than usual, I decided to make the chapter an extra 1.6k words, and I added in plenty of juicy material. Where to start? How about this for starters?

It seems as though all of Ash's elites are getting the attention of the other elites! Will Zandra and Lance make up with their past, or will it consume them once again? And what exactly did happen with them? What's going on with Malva? Does she have good intentions with Xavier, or will it merely be a casual fling? And what does she know about the Ghost that she couldn't recall in this chapter?

Finally, of course, we have the most important section of the chapter: Lance's Flashback. Ash was found on a rock, skull cracked, arm nearly melted off by lava… and yet he survived. What happened that day that allowed him to survive the betrayal of his so-called friends? Keep reading to find out.

If you're new, please make sure you follow and favorite myself and the story! It would mean a lot to me guys, so please do so if you like the story! That's all I have guys! This turned out to be one of the longest chapters I've ever typed (second longest I think, my longest was over 8k in the LOS Chronicles) and it clocked in at over 7,850 words! That's simply unreal! So I do hope you liked it, please let me know what you thought of it by leaving a review!

Thanks guys, till the next upload!

LegionZ