Hey Guys! Welcome back to the story! This is chapter 13, and I really do hope you will enjoy it! If you're new, please make sure you follow and favorite the story to show your support! Speaking of, I believe by the time this is posted we'll finally be over 300 followers! Woohoooo! Thanks so much for your support for the story everyone, it means so much to me!

As stunning as this is, that isn't even the end of the news! By the end of this chapter as well, we will have hit 100,000 words in this story! Can you all believe it!? We've made it so far and there's still so much to go! Here's to another 100k after this and many more to come! So with that out of the way, we can now talk about the upcoming chapters and things to come.

I expect this chapter to revolve around the traitors because it's high-time I took a chapter or two to center on them. I got a few messages saying, "Wow ANOTHER cliffhanger?" and "Why do you always put cliffhangers" and various stuff like that. I assure you; all these cliffhangers are very much on purpose. After all, it keeps ya'll coming back to reading right? That's my theory at least; it keeps everyone guessing and it keeps everyone entertained as well. Speaking of getting entertained, I'm fairly certain I've waited long enough from typing the actual chapter: let's begin!

Hope everyone likes it, see you at the end of the chapter!

LegionZ Presents… The Chosen One's Wrath… Chapter 13

Last Chapter…

Sure enough, the battle wouldn't last much longer. Ash still decided to play it out as best as possible. He ordered. "Rock Slide, barricade it in!" As the rocks fell around Venasaur in a blind fury, Damien yelled out. "Use Solar Beam! Drought will help us out!"

In what was possibly Damien's first good move choice, Venasaur instantly charged Solar Beam and unleashed it at the blockade of boulders. But, the issue was, with the Solar Beam connecting with the rocks created a massive explosion that temporarily blinded Damien and Venasaur. When he came to, Damien yelled out. "Find Charizard quick!"

"Flamethrower. End this." Ash said in a bored tone. Damien's eyes darted upwards and he paled profusely when he saw Charizard directly above his final Pokémon, his final chance at Victory. He yelled desperately and forcefully. "Evade NOW!" There was no chance whatsoever, however, and Venasaur was engulfed by the flames. When the massive blast of fire stopped, the entire crowd exploded into roars and cheers. Ash silently smirked, knowing his plan had worked to pure perfection, and Damien fell to his knees in shock.

"Venasaur is unable to battle, the winner is Mega Charizard Y! Therefore, the winner of this round in the Zekrom Bracket and the one moving on to the next round is none other than Ghost, the Champion of Alola!" The referee announced loudly over the eruption of the crowd. There was no denying it now; Ghost was the man to beat in this tournament. His Charizard had barely sustained any damage whatsoever and had totally wiped the floor with all of Damien's.

Damien was still in absolute disbelief. He had lost. Not only had he lost, but he had lost badly. He silently cursed Ghost and listened to the crowd as they roared his name over and over. He watched as Ghost slowly walked to the middle of his side of the field, wondering what he was about to do.

Ash was walked out to meet Charizard, who had a large smile on his face and seemed extremely proud of his handiwork. Ash patted Charizard on the nose and said while smiling. "I promised you that you'd have your chance… didn't I?" Charizard grunted in approval before it fazed back into normal Charizard. Then, Ash got onto one knee and Charizard did the same. He was quiet for a moment, pondering his thoughts silently before he said softly.

"For those that have passed… and for those yet to come."

Ash smirked and walked away while saying loudly. "He's all yours." Then, with his hands in his pockets, he walked away, the smirk still plastered on his face. Round three awaited him, and with hope, it would be another person he knew, and yet, a person he didn't hate. A soft smile appeared on his face.

As he rounded the corner and prepared to head to the box, he felt the presence of another enter somewhere nearby. He whirled around to his left and was surprised to see a familiar face looking at him with something in his eyes… what was it? Reluctance? He couldn't place his finger on it, but what he did know was that if this person was talking to him, something was up.

"What is it Abel?"

He was in his usual attire: A pair of slightly shaggy camo pants and a blue shirt that featured a variety of lightning bolts all over it. He was also sporting a yellow hat with a pokeball on the front of it and additionally, Ash didn't miss the Mega Necklace he was wearing either.

Abel bit his lip; his dark blue eyes being slightly shielded for a moment before he spoke. "I wanted to apologize to you, Ghost."

Ash raised an eyebrow. "For?"

He spoke again quietly. "I think we got off on the wrong foot." He held his hand out curiously and Ash shook it. "My Name is Abel Winchine, and I hail from Hoenn." He suddenly laughed and awkwardly chuckled for a moment. "This sounded a lot better in my head than it does now." Ash shook his head. "I'm still confused; why exactly are you even talking to me?" Abel's eyes widened again and he said quickly. "O-of course! I-I'm sorry!"

He then turned slightly grim, his 16-year old face slightly wincing as he awaited Ghost's response to the following statement.

"I need your help."

Present…

Ash was more than just a little bit surprised; here was arguably his toughest competition outside the champion's and elites asking him for his help. It was slightly amusing, but at the same time, was it? He wasn't quite sure. Abel had a slightly guilty look in his eyes, and Ash was forced to consider something else: why had Abel's personality changed so much since their most recent exchange back at the party?

He frowned a little and thought back to that day, trying to recall how he had acted and what kind of vibe he gave off.

Flashback… Chapter 8…

The boy spoke first. "So… word is you're Ghost."

Ash didn't say anything. "All these people here think they've got a chance." He scoffed and then chuckled. "They really haven't seen you battle have they?" Ash couldn't help but raise an eyebrow in surprise. This guy didn't sound like he was insulting him, but rather, acknowledging his strength in battle.

Ash spoke. "You've done your homework." He then frowned. This boy seemed familiar… but where did Ash know him from? He couldn't place his finger on it.

The boy shrugged. "Well I've seen you battle firsthand. I was a semi-finalist until Gardens dispatched me." Ash's eyes slightly widened. THAT was where he knew this boy from! He also understood why he hadn't recognized him. It had been years since Ash had seen this boy, and he hadn't even battled him. However, someone very close to him had.

"You've certainly grown Abel." Ash smirked a little. Abel actually appeared to be taken aback at this, like he didn't expect Ghost to actually know who he was. Ash added with a grin. "I do my homework too." The boy nodded, an emotionless expression on his face. "I suppose I should've known; you are the best trainer here after all… well… after me of course." Ash didn't say anything. He knew better than to underestimate this trainer.

He was, after all, the trainer that defeated Zandra in the tournament. However, that was before Abel had been starstruck in the following round by the eventual runner-up of the tournament named Deshiro Gardens. Ash had easily squashed Gardens, only losing two Pokémon while crushing all of Gardens' Pokémon. In the prior rounds, in the top 8, Zandra had been defeated by Abel, who still had two Pokémon left when he was declared the winner. Gardens had bamboozled Abel in the following round with many status conditions that left him desperate. He had fallen just short, knocking out four of Gardens' Pokémon before falling.

Abel Winchine grinned just a little. "You've got modesty Ghost. Anyone else in your position would be bragging about how easy it would be to win." Ash wisely and coldly said. "Overconfidence leads to defeat."

Abel tapped the side of his head while smirking at Ash. "Yet, no confidence at all gives one no battle spirit, wouldn't you agree?" Ash nodded. "I would indeed."

Abel walked up to Ash's side and whispered quietly. "We didn't have the chance to battle in the tournament before. I would've won then… and I will win now. I'm sorry Ghost, but I am going to win this championship and take your crown. Whenever we battle, and I know we will…" He walked slowly past him. "… I will be ready." He then walked out; a calm yet determined expression written all over his face.

Ash and Pikachu didn't look back to face him. Instead, once Ash knew he was gone, he turned to his faithful partner since day one and spoke quietly. "It appears… we have met our match in this tournament. But… he better watch it. After all…" He grinned and spoke in a serious yet joking manner.. "With that kind of overconfidence, we can't lose."

Flashback End…

Ash's eyes widened a little in recognition. He had totally forgotten about that; his confidence! He remembered Abel's confidence being seemingly through the roof during their most recent exchange of words, but this time… he seemed rather… what was the word he was looking for? Off? Broken? No… not broken… nervous? He scrunched his eyebrows a little to try and think but then realized he was being watched by the same person who was standing across from him with a guilty and yet hopeful look in his eyes.

He regained his cool Ghost demeanor. "What do you need my help with?"

Abel chuckled weakly. "Word travels around this island. There's plenty of rumors saying you'll give people a helping hand."

Ash commented. "Word also is that I don't work for free."

Abel paled a little bit at that. He said quietly. "I-I don't h-have any money…"

Ash then narrowed his eyes. "Then we have nothing to talk about. Best of luck to you in this competition." Ash then turned away to walk away and as he was just about to escape from Abel, he felt a hand grab his arm. In one fluid motion, Abel found himself thrown away by Ghost's arm, which had hurled him backwards through the air. He landed in a heap on the ground and Ghost said venomously. "You better have a damn good reason to put a hand on me Winchine; speak fast and speak now."

Abel quietly said. "The reason I need your help is… is…" Ghost snarled and stood up. "I don't have time for this shit." He walked off and made it only five or six steps before a voice yelled behind him. "My Pokémon were stolen from me!"

Ash turned back, surprise replacing anger almost instantly. "If that's the case, why haven't you gone to Officer Jenny and the police? Why me? There must obviously be a reason for that." Abel spoke, embarrassment leaking out of his voice. "Can you imagine the amount of media and attention that'll be brought to me if I go to the police?" He added on dramatically. 'Abel Winchine, star of Hoenn League, unable to protect his own Pokémon from common thieves…' He shook his head sadly.

Ghost pointed out. "Bowing down to the one who you essentially called your stiffest competition is also not exactly something I'd do as well."

Abel bit his lip but said nothing, fiddling with his thumbs as he stood up from the ground, carefully considering his options. Ghost continued. "No… you have a more specific reason to visit me of all people. What's the catch? You wouldn't dare come to me without a damn good reason. On top of that, if you knew that if you came to me without something in currency and asked for my help you'd likely be turned down." Abel appeared surprised at Ghost's perception, but still said nothing. Ghost's eyes narrowed.

"So I'll ask again… why come to me?"

Abel bit his lip even more, putting it on the verge of cutting his lip open. He finally got the words he had been trying to say out. "The reason I came to you is because we have a common enemy." Ash raised an eyebrow. "And who is that?" He frowned a little and spoke two words that Ash knew all too well.

"Max Maple."

Ash's blood ran cold at the name. Of course, Abel was expecting this reaction from Ghost, but of course, not for the reasons he was thinking. Had Abel known the truth between Ash and Max, he would've known far too much. Abel was only thinking about the situation between them back at The Party Starter before the tournament had begun. That battle had clearly drawn bad blood between them and Abel knew this.

Ash spoke quietly after a moment. "The fact that the little squirt doesn't like you doesn't surprise me; he's spoiled and stupid. He acts like he's the big man on the block when in reality he can't even cut it at being the class clown. Why should that make me want to help you, and what does that have to do with your Pokémon getting stolen?"

Abel said. "He stole my Pokémon. Well, his asshole friends and him that is." Ash actually had to think about this. Why would they steal Abel's Pokémon? What on earth had he done to them? It wasn't adding up. Perhaps he could gain something from this little situation, something more valuable than Money: Information. And for Ghost, the champion and ruler of an entire region, he couldn't have enough of it.

"What exactly did you do to piss them off? Were you just a random hit, or do you think you did something to them to have a giant target painted on your back?" Ash did his best to make the question sound nonchalant. Abel replied, completely unaware. "I… I think there may be one or two reasons he's targeted me."

"Which are?"

Abel hesitated. "I knocked him out in three different tournaments, and when I arrived here, I ran into him. We got into a little bit of a heated argument, but it was done after that! Nobody got hurt, no threats were made, nothing! I honestly can't believe he'd even stoop so low!"

Ash fought the urge to grumble. "I would." Instead, he said. "How do you even know it was him? Do you have any proof or what?"

Abel shook his head. "No, but what I do know is that I saw Max and his friends staring at me during dinner last night with really curious eyes. I didn't know why they were staring at me but I assumed it was just them thinking about the fact that I had mopped the floor with Cilan not too much earlier and that they were just angry with me… Oh… maybe there's another reason?" He said, blushing a bit from embarrassment.

Ash waved it off and said. "Continue."

Abel nodded. "I finished my meal but suddenly, as I finished the last of my cup of water, I could tell something tasted… off, about it. I had no clue what was wrong with it, but the next thing I knew, I woke up on my bed completely out. I had no idea how I got there so I asked Nurse Joy if she knew how I got in my room. She said to me that Max and his friends carried me up there, and before that, they asked if they could have a spare room key in order to get in. She asked why they needed it and they said it was just because I had fallen asleep out in the cafeteria and they wanted to "give me a hand," as she put it." Abel scowled.

"I checked my entire room; of my three Pokémon that I originally had in my battle with Cilan, I had sent one into the PC, so I was missing two Pokémon: My partner and my Flygon. I checked around everywhere to see if I accidentally dropped them, but no, they're gone. I don't know what to do, and you were the first person I could think of."

Ash shook his head. "What kind of currency are you giving me?" He was eerily quiet for a moment before speaking. "I know of a mystical Pokémon that you may be interested in hearing about."

Now, that was something interesting.

"The Pokémon is unheard of, it's not of this world. You won't even believe me when I tell you, trust me." Ash chuckled. "Trust me; I won't be easily surprised."

Abel smirked a little and began to speak. "If I tell you, you gotta promise you'll help me." Ash frowned just a bit before sighing aloud. This was a different situation the more and more he thought about it. This wasn't amongst his usual "Please Help me" pleas. After all, this time it was actually someone who directly had a word that they recently had something happen to them. He decided. "Very Well. I accept."

Abel nodded before speaking. "There's a Pokémon that I've heard of… or… something called a… Beast of some sort? I heard its name is Delveon; I know, it sounds like an Eeveeolution and it is, I think? L-look, it's beside the point: I know where it is rumored to appear! I-I—" He began talking again before Ash abruptly shoved him against the closest wall with a stunning amount of force, and more than enough to make Abel cry out in surprised pain.

"HOW THE HELL DO YOU KNOW ABOUT DELVEON!? THAT'S CLASSIFIED!" Ash yelled at the boy who appeared to be about three different kinds of shaken up by Ghost's sudden outburst. "L-look my g-girlfriend told me about Delveon because I was curious a-about why she was s-so moody as of late and she explained some stuff to m-me, b-but I s-swear, t-that's it!"

Ash's mind, however, had frozen up entirely. He barely caught everything else Abel had said because his mind had yet another vivid flashback.

Flashback… Chapter 9… MeléMelé Island… The Beach…

Another group of people were standing about and minding their own business. They were chatting amicably amongst each other and talking about the latest news in Alola when all of the sudden, a girl from the group cried out excitedly. "Look up there!" They saw a massive Pokémon approaching them and before they knew it, the area was covered by a small sandstorm that lasted about ten seconds.

When it faded, the entire group realized who it was and cheered. "Ghost!" Ash took a bow along with a rather flustered Professor Kukui who laughed a little. Ash held out his hand to two of his closest friends, and they each shook it one by one. "Kiawé, you're lucky May and I are off on the right foot or else I'd take that gym away from you." Kiawé paled. "You… You are joking right?" Ash chuckled and smirked. "Keep thinking that bud."

Ash then turned his attention to the other boy who shook his hand all the same. He grinned. "You're quite the hit Sophocles, everyone is in awe of ALT City you know." The boy happily said. "Clemont deserves a good portion of the credit, it was mainly his ideas, but I put them all together. So it was a joint effort!" Ash laughed and said with a smile. "Glad to know you guys get along so well."

Then, he was attacked by three figures, all females. "Ghost!" They all cried out at once. Ash squeaked out. "A-air…" They released him and Mallow happily said. "Ghost! Why did you never come visit me on my trip?" Ash chuckled nervously and said with a small grin. "Managing a region does have drawbacks Mallow…" She nodded and frowned. "My boyfriend would give you a run for your money…"

End of Flashback… Time Skip About 30 Minutes…

Mallow was humming happily as she aided her father cook for their restaurant. It was still one of her most favorite things to do to pass time. She smiled as she watched Lillie and her Ninetales, Snowy, both enjoying the first round of food that had come out for them not too much earlier. Lillie happily said. "That was amazing Mallow!"

Then, she turned to the door when she heard it open. She saw a cloaked figure walk in with an odd lump on his shoulder. She frowned a little; it had been quite some time since she had seen him wear this outfit. She motioned him to follow her in the back of the restaurant, completely unaware (and rightfully so) about how angry he was at her. Once they had a decent amount of privacy, she turned on him. "So why the sudden appearance Ghost? Taking a little bit of a break from the lovely scenery in Aether Paradise and ALT City?"

He then took off his hook and revealed himself along with Pikachu. Then, she noticed the angry look in his eyes. She narrowed hers in confusion. "Is something wron—" She never even got to finish her sentence because Ash was in her face instantly. "I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU WOULD REVEAL THE CLASSIFIED INFORMATION ABOUT DELVEON! THAT IS SOMETHING NOBODY SHOULD KNOW ABOUT!"

The room was silent for a moment before Mallow managed to stutter out. "I-I don't e-even know what y-you're t-talking about…"

Ash snarled. "Like Hell you do! Abel told me everything I needed to know, Lusamine trusted us with that information and you couldn't even think straight enough to not tell anyone? What's wrong with you!?"

"Nothing is wrong with her." The duo turned over and saw Lillie standing there with Ninetales at her side. She spoke quietly. "It was my fault, not Mallow's, as much as it will seem like that… Ghost…"

Ash was bewildered. "What… What are you even talking about Lillie?"

Then, behind her, another figure walked in. Ash gasped aloud. "A-Abel? W-what?" The boy smiled a little sheepishly and Lillie spoke quietly. "We've been dating for some time now, and you really ought to be more quiet when you have your conversations." Ash's mind was running a thousand miles a minute. Abel knew where Delveon was going to come out from? But how? Why didn't Lillie say anything before?

Then, another thought hit him like a freight train: What if Abel knew his identity? If that was the case, things were about to get very sketchy. May was still the first person he intended to tell he was alive and well. Serena would probably be close behind him: Abel wasn't even sniffing that list yet, and if he already knew his identity, things were not going to look good for him: there was going to be much explaining to do.

He spoke after quite some time of staring at Lillie and Abel. He began by turning back to Mallow and telling her. "I apologize for my rash accusations Mallow. That was uncalled for, and I regret my swift words to you." He then turned back to Lillie and Abel and said as calmly as he could. "But I'm still quite curious to know why—"

Mallow suddenly cut in. "Wait, I don't even know who you are? Are you like friends with Lillie or something?" Ash made a silent note of that. 'She seems oddly confused… like she doesn't know they're dating… they must've kept this quiet; I wonder why.'

Lillie explained. "Mallow, this is Abel Winchine… and he's… well… he's my boyfriend!" She smiled happily. Mallow's jaw dropped open and she squealed. "Oh My Gosh! Lillie! You're dating someone! Why didn't you say something sooner!?" Lillie smiled a little and Ash caught something as she spoke again. "It's a story for another time." Ash caught her eyes and realized what she meant: She was referring to Ash, who was in the room as well. What did it have to do with him?

He watched as she motioned for the two of them to follow her and Abel out. Ash did so with curiosity blooming inside his chest, wondering just what the hell they were about to spring on him.

Ten Minutes Later…

Ash was stunned. "W-what…" Mallow's eyes were as wide as saucers. Lillie nodded in understanding. She had explained everything to them, and they were in stunned silence.

Lillie explained that she had met Abel during her trip with Gladion. They hadn't immediately hit it off, as Abel had challenged Gladion to a battle, who begrudgingly accepted. Gladion, however, had been caught on the wrong side of the fight, and was stunningly defeated by the brown haired boy. It was only then that after seeing Abel's other side, he opened up to the boy.

Ash had been further stunned when she continued talking. Abel had travelled with them for about a month give or take in Sinnoh, the region they had met in, and he learned all about the Ultra Beasts from Lillie and Gladion, who were curious to see if Spear Pillar, located on Mt. Coronet in Sinnoh, was possibly the cause of all of it. Determined to keep them both safe, Abel decided to venture with them. As they both found out, it was a good idea. Team Galactic, who was planning a resurgence under a new leader, decided to try and snoop back into Spear Pillar while they were there.

Of course, Abel and Gladion were both incredibly dominant battlers, but they had hit shaky territory when Lillie found herself being kidnapped by the criminal organization. Then, just as she was about to lose sight of the two males, she managed to break free of her binds with the help of Snowy. Just when she was about to escape from them entirely, however, one of the grunts had ordered a sludge bomb attack. Lillie had covered up Snowy, knowing she was about to be hit.

Except the blast never connected.

Abel had jumped in front of the purple ball, taking it all himself and got hurtled some distance away, beaten and poisoned by the deadly attack. As Gladion defeated the Grunts, Lillie desperately tended to Abel, who had sacrificed himself for a girl he didn't even know. He was nurtured back to health by her as the days passed by, and they slowly developed feelings for one another. One thing led to another, and here they were, back for the tournament because of both Gladion and Abel both performing.

Ash got over his shock and said. "That certainly answers quite a bit, but not all of it." Ash turned to Abel. "How do you know where Delveon is going to come out?" Abel grinned a little. "I helped Lillie by digging into some research and we were able to pinpoint exactly where Delveon should appear."

Ash narrowed his eyes. "I thought you said Lillie told you?"

Abel blushed a little. "A-Ah… e-er…"

Lillie cut in. "I did tell him. But what exactly are you referring to?"

Ash smirked just a little and said quietly. "Abel here was making it sound like this information was extremely classified and in the dark. I now see I was very misled…" Suddenly, realization dawned on Abel's face. "Wait, how do you two know each other anyway? You knew exactly what I was talking about… how did you know about Delveon already?"

Ash smirked a little. He would admit: he had been a little worried about that question had it been asked immediately, but he had been given enough time to formulate a solid and entirely legitimate response. "I'm the champion of a region, and I purposely set up ALT City directly connected to Aether Paradise for a reason. It's my job to know everything that happens in my region, so why wouldn't I know about Delveon?"

Ash honestly expected to be in the clear, but Abel wasn't letting him off that fast. The boy crossed his arms with slightly narrowed eyes. "That doesn't fully answer my question; how do you and Lillie know each other?"

Silently cursing Abel for his sense of curiosity and shrewdness, Ash managed to come up with yet another legitimate response. "The Woman in charge of Aether Paradise is named Lusamine, Lillie's mother. Obviously, she asked for my assistance in Ultra Guardian operations and seeing as how Lillie is part of it, I know her from that."

Thankfully, Abel seemed to understand it. Lillie spoke aloud. "Abel told me about the situation with the thieves, maybe you should help him first Ghost. While you're helping him, we can determine exactly when Delveon is supposed to appear and then when you get his Pokémon back we can devise a plan to stop Delveon from ripping through Alola, or wherever it should choose to appear."

Ash didn't argue. When Lillie was set in her points, he knew it was best to just agree with her and leave it at that. However. Abel realized there was still a problem.

"How, are we going to get my Pokémon back from Max and his band of wimpy goons?" Abel sounded a tad bit concerned. Ash smirked a little.

"Leave that to me."

Later…

Abel would've liked to admit that he wasn't nervous. The issue was that he hated hypocrites with a burning passion. What did that have to do with anything? The thing was, he hated liars, and he would be lying if he said he wasn't nervous. Therefore, it would make himself a hypocrite. So, essentially speaking, Abel was very nervous about what was about to happen.

He knew it would likely end well for them. After all, there was a champion on his side, and nobody ridiculously powerful on the other side. Still, Abel couldn't help but wonder what exactly Ghost had up his sleeve. Ghost was almost always known for being calm, laid-back and relaxed; confidence was something he rarely sported, at least, something he rarely sported openly.

As they walked inside the Pokémon center, Abel said one final time. "Ghost, are you sure about this?"

Ash smirked once more. "Watch and learn."

He approached Nurse Joy and said with a look of total indifference. "Hello Nurse Joy, how are you on this fair afternoon?" Nurse Joy smiled at the champion. "I'm doing quite well Ghost! Thank you so much for asking! Is there something I can help you with?"

Ghost turned serious. "I need access to the room of one of the competitors."

She frowned at this and Abel's silent sweat continued. There was no way she'd allow him check a competitors room, champion or not. "Why do you need to do so?"

Ash motioned to Abel. "My friend here claims a competitor stole a Pokémon of his, and he came to me for assistance. As Champion of Alola, I refuse to turn my head to any thieves, robbers, burglars, or hostiles of any kind. It's my duty to defend this region till my dying breath, and I refuse to stop that duty today. That is why I must investigate this person's room Nurse Joy; to uphold the vow I took the day I became Champion."

Abel thought the speech was crummy, in all honesty. It sounded so corny Abel thought it was actually believable.

And believable it was. Nurse Joy smiled in the slightest and said politely. "Very Well. Whose room is it you wish to know?"

Ash commented aloud. "The person's name is Max Maple."

She nodded and spoke. "I'll check the database for you Ghost, one moment." She turned away to check her computer nearby and Abel tapped Ash on the shoulder, shock all over his face. "H-how… How did you know she would accept and help us?" Ash said calmly. "What I said was completely true. I have sworn my allegiance to this region and she knows that if I even tried to backstab this beautiful region, I would regret it in many ways. Therefore, anything I try to do is with good cause, and because I have shown my faith and loyalty to Alola, everyone stands behind me, as an army does for their general."

Pikachu, who was perched on Ash's shoulder, piped in. "Pika Pi!" Abel raised an eyebrow. "What did he say?"

Ghost grinned. "He's just agreeing with me, that's all."

Abel was staring at Ghost in a different light, perhaps Ghost wasn't as different as Abel thought he was. Ghost seemed to be, underneath that cold demeanor, a nice person. Abel could just tell that. Still, he didn't go blabbing about it, he chose to keep it secret. Meanwhile, Nurse Joy had returned. She spoke.

"He's in room 442. Take the Elevator right over there—" She pointed towards it. "Then once you get off at the 4th floor, simply walk down the hall and take your first left. You'll see it right in front of you."

She smiled politely and said. "I do hope you can bring him to justice." Ash smiled. "That makes two of us," was his reply, before turning on his heel and walking straight at the elevator, with Abel in his wake. They stood in silence as the elevator approached the 4th floor and they both followed the directions exactly as Nurse Joy had said. Pikachu sniffed the air and cried out softly. "Pi! Pi Pi Pikachu!" He was pointing towards the room.

Abel blinked. "What's it saying?"

Ash shook his head. "Don't worry about it. Just follow my lead."

Abel nodded dumbly and followed Ash, who rapped on the door three times as loudly as he could, then stood off to the side, concealing himself from the little peep-hole that every Pokémon center door had. After a moment, footsteps were heard and the door opened. In that exact instead Ash came into view and saw a horrified looking Max when he realized who had knocked on his door.

"Hello Maxie—" Ash started before swiftly punching him in the face, sending him backwards and onto the floor. Immediately, more footsteps were heard, and Ash called out his faithful purple eeveeolution. Misty, who had an lack of clothing on, cried out. "Hey! What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Abel said angrily. "Taking back what's mine! Where is it Maple?"

Max smirked innocently. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Abel snarled. "Why you little—"

All of the sudden, Max's eyes were as wide as saucers and they glowed a bright blue. Max's friends rushed to help him, but were sent flying back by Pikachu, who had unleashed a small thunderbolt at them to keep them restrained. It was Espeon using Psychic in order to try and read Max's mind, uncovering the location of the stolen Pokémon. Abel watched with bated breath, and Ash appeared to be indifferent about the entire thing.

Suddenly Espeon's eyes stopped glowing as well as Max's. Max then stumbled backwards and collapsed on the ground, struggling to get up. Espeon spoke aloud. "Espeee… Espeon!" The cat walked over to a nearby desk and Ash followed curiously. Espeon hopped on top of the desk and purred loudly. Ash questioned. "In there?"

"Espe!" The cat nodded.

Ash motioned for Abel to check who did just that. He fished through the first few drawers and after a few seconds, he took out a pokeball and cried out triumphantly. "This… This is it!" Ash raised an eyebrow. "I thought you said there were two of them?" Abel's face fell and he muttered. "There's a second one… you're right." He fished around in the desk for a few moments before saying fearfully. "Its… it's not here!"

Ash frowned and said to Espeon. "Do you know if it's here?" Espeon shook her head. Ash muttered something under his breath before he suddenly grinned and turned to Max and said sweetly. "So Max, got anything to tell us?"

Max stuttered. "I-I-I d-don't even know what you're t-talking about…"

Ash smirked. "Oh, you don't do you?" He grabbed Max by the shirt and hoisted him in the air, Pikachu on Ash's shoulder and crackling with electricity. Max held his defense, but the fear was in his eyes. "I-I s-swear…" Ash frowned and began to consider alternate possibilities. Max, oddly enough, seemed to be telling the truth. But still, he had to see about what could've happened other than Max lying.

There were most certainly other options. Espeon may have missed something, but then again, it was a Psychic Pokémon, so maybe Max was simply lying? Ash then almost smacked himself in the forehead. He turned around to his Pokémon and said calmly. "Can you see if he's lying?" His Pokémon trilled. "Espeee!" It's eyes once more glowed blue, as did Max's.

Misty, who had been watching closely for a moment or so, began to slowly walk out of the room, unbeknownst to the two males and their Pokémon. Well, that was for only a single moment. Max's eyes stopped glowing. Espeon's, however, did not. Misty suddenly howled. "PUT ME DOWN YOU STUPID CAT!"

Ash frowned. "Don't call my Pokémon stupid; a reminder of what exactly is currently making you float in the air…" Misty paled a little bit but the frown and look of anger did not leave her face. Ash calmly said. "So, where's the other Pokémon Miss Waterflower?"

Misty snarled. "What makes you think I'll tell you?" Ash smirked and said. "Thanks for confirming it." Her eyes widened in realization. Espeon's eyes continued to glow blue, and Misty's eyes glowed blue as well. Abel knew Espeon was reading the mind of Misty, as it had just done with Max. He had to wonder if what was happening was legal, but Abel knew it was for a good cause.

Misty's eyes regained their standard look, and she stuttered in horror. "Wh-what did you just do?" Espeon carefully approached Misty who instinctively reached for her Pokémon belt. Espeon's eyes once more glowed and restrained Misty from moving. While still walking forward, Espeon circled Misty and stopped her Psychic attack and Misty scrambled away. It was too late though.

Misty reached for her Pokémon belt again and her eyes widened when she felt one was missing. Ash scoffed. "You actually had a stolen Pokémon on you?" Misty argued. "I-I didn't know it was a stolen Pokémon!" Ash gave her a look that said, "You honestly expect me to buy that?" Abel accused. "You all stole my two Pokémon!"

Misty again began to splutter angrily before abruptly sprinting out of the room. Abel chased her with aggression. Ash shook his head for a moment before staring down at Max and said quietly. "You will not steal again. You're lucky there's no proof of you stealing them, otherwise you'd be gone. Got it?" Max fearfully nodded his head and Ash chased down Abel.

Misty was out on the balcony, hand on a pokeball. Abel was doing the same thing. Ash yelled loudly. "That's enough, the both of you." Both didn't move a muscle. Then, Ash's pokegear rang. He watched the two for another moment before carefully picking up the pokegear and saying into it. "Hello?"

"Ghost? Is that you!?" It was most certainly a female voice. Ash spoke quietly. "This is Ghost. Speak."

"Ghost! We found the spawn location of Delveon! I repeat, we've found the spawn location of Delveon!"

"Perfect. Where is it?"

And that was when all hell broke loose. An ear-splitting explosion sounded and the next thing Ash knew, he was sailing through the air. Then, there was a burst of blinding pain in his right arm. He rolled over and swiftly stood up, ignoring the minor pain in his arm. He realized he had managed to fly backwards into the room. However, as he stared around, he realized that Abel was missing. He quickly ran out to stare out down and breathed a sigh of relief.

The Pokémon center itself, though in the middle of a city, was luckily enough, surrounded by a small moat of water. He saw Abel swimming below in it with Misty. Both of them appeared to have been knocked off.

But knocked off by what? He looked up and paled profusely. There, sailing in the sky, was a golden Pokémon. It had strange objects sailing behind it, almost as though they were Sylveon's feelers. It had a very odd object shining on its forehead, it looked to be all the colors of the rainbow. The Pokémon's blue eyes were staring down at him. Ash whispered aloud in a mesmerized voice.

"Delveon."

AN: And that's all she wrote folks. That was a much shorter chapter than I intended but it's the way the ball bounced. Of course I try to make the chapters longer than that but it's just how it happened I guess. So now, I shall explain what is happening with the story.

So, you're all probably wondering why it took me a week extra to post. It's simply because I'm very busy with college. There is no set timetable to post exactly once a week, but I will admit, I should've gotten it out sooner, so for that, I am sorry. Usually, I am busy in college, but this week I was extra busy. Hopefully the next post comes out a week from today, still, I can't promise anything. Hope ya'll understand.

Also, for those who followed and favorited the story, thanks so much! It honestly means so much to me guys, thanks for showing your support! If you haven't already, please do!

That's all I got guys, hope ya'll enjoyed the shorter chapter. Till next time!

LegionZ