Hey everyone! Here it is! Chapter 30 of the Chosen One's Wrath! Man, can you believe it? We've come all this way and now we're getting closer and closer to the endgame. Let's get this party started guys and girls. If you're new to the story, please consider following and favoriting my masterpiece as we close in on an unreal 1,000 favorites and followers. It would mean a ton to me!
As a reminder, uploads come once a month on the 25th unless something out of the ordinary happens!
Last chapter I told you all was going to be a doozy. I'm happy to see the overwhelming reviews in favor of the chapter as well, as it was a testament to what I hoped would be an absolute banger of a chapter. Now, what if I was to tell you this chapter is even crazier? Would you believe me? Keep reading to find out.
With that, cue the flashbacks, and I'll see you lot at the end. Reminder, if you haven't read the last chapter, I seriously recommend stopping here and going back to read Chapter 29. The flashbacks will have large spoilers.
Enjoy everyone!
LegionZ Presents… The Chosen One's Wrath… Chapter 30
Last Chapter…
It had worked to perfection. The grunts had no clue why the attack hadn't come from the front door first, and because troops had been guarding the sewers beneath the base, the roof caving in had trapped Pokémon and troopers alike. It had been a perfect assault. The guardians suffered minimal injuries thanks to their Ultra Beast training and high-tech armor. Rocket had signaled the police to come to their location while the grunts had tried to move Xavier as the attack occurred.
Ash's plan was spot on. The base was destroyed. The grunts were either captured or dead. Their Pokémon joined them. Xavier had been recovered and was now in recovery.
Perhaps the only thing that hadn't gone as Ash had hoped was captured Flare's leader, whom Ash fully expected to be in the base to see the league be 'defeated.' Sure enough, they were there and caught flat-footed. Unfortunately, they'd escaped before Ash could capture them.
The man continued. "Mr. Winchine shall receive all wealth from the will, though I will still read out what was originally to be dealt to each person."
The lawyer spoke directly to the champion. "Is this suitable Mr. Ghost?"
"Of course." Ghost fought the urge to roll his eyes; what claim could he possibly have had on this? It was undoubtedly something that Abel should hold onto, after all.
"I'm glad you agree, I'm sure Mr. Ketchum would as well, if he were here."
Silence came for a brief moment.
Time seemed to slow in the room. Ghost felt the blood rushing through his ears. Chills were launched up and down his spine and Ghost felt the weight of the world come crashing down on him with brutal force. Ghost felt his mind spinning wildly, as though he was about to feint. He knew what he had just heard. Barely managing to speak coherently, the champion whispered faintly.
"… W-Who is the other benefactor?"
Abel eyed Ghost up curiously. Mr. Cronwall spoke. "As specified from the top of the will, the only two benefactors and therefore, people who are permitted to hear this will, are Mr. Abel Winchine of Hoenn…"
"… and Mr. Ashura Ketchum of Kanto."
Abel spoke next. "Yeah, I was always hoping to meet him, but he passed under really weird circumstances. I have no clue why he…" Abel's voice trailed off as Ghost's mind began working overtime. He was the other benefactor of a mysterious will that was given to Abel? Why? On top of it, why hadn't he been given the will? What were the odds of being given the will when he was in the same room as the other benefactor?
The lawyers authoritative voice snapped Ghost out of his trance. "Correct; as Mr. Ketchum cannot be here, Mr. Ghost is substituting to the deceased to listen to the written statement, permitted by Mr. Winchine and approved by myself as well. With the opening statement out of the way, we'll begin the written statement." The man cleared his throat once more and spoke again.
"With that, I, Mr. Thomas Cronwall, formally invite Mr. Winchine and Mr. Ghost to listen to the final will of my client…"
"… Mr. Tracey Sketchit."
Present…
Three days had passed since the rescue of Xavier. It had been three days since Ash had explained what he'd learned, and it had been three days since the elites had scattered and split into teams of two. The lovebirds were on one assignment, while the newly released Player and Ms. Ruthless were local in ALT City doing another mission for Ash while he prepared for Cynthia.
Curiously, there was still no word from Malva; it was as if she'd vanished. Xavier remained increasingly worried about the girl, as his text messages had gone unanswered as well. When Ash questioned Diantha about the missing elite, she said nothing other than she knew Malva was fine and in good hands. Since Ash had extremely larger fish to fry than a girl who he despised to her past, Ash had no choice but to trust the woman until he knew more.
Abel's recovery spot had been moved due to an unforeseen circumstance that left little choice but for the move to occur. The hospital didn't like it one bit, but agreed, nonetheless. Today was the day of Ash's champion battle against the great Cynthia. In the days leading up to that particular battle, Max had unsurprisingly advanced thanks to Abel's attack. What had been a surprise was not one but both of the other two remaining champions getting dispatched by their opponents.
Trip had defeated Alder in a 3-1 rout, while Gary beat back a lifeless Lance 3-0. Ash felt somewhat bad for his friend, but there wasn't much he could do since Lance had essentially ghosted him for the past week or so. Seeing Lance get outclassed by Gary hurt more than Ash thought it would, but it definitely wasn't Gary's fault.
The entire world would be watching the upcoming battle; the young, upstart and fiery champion against the experienced, dangerous blonde champion. Ash had trained relentlessly for days for the battle, though his elites knew there was an alternative motive behind their champion. So, nobody questioned his decisions for the upcoming days, because there were a lot of them, to say the least.
At the moment though, the location that Ash was in wasn't important. The more important location was where Axel and July were currently situated; the Hotel Grade Lake, on route 213 of Sinnoh. The couple was more than happy to be assigned a job there, since they'd been recently starved of quality time together.
Ash was out of reach, so that left the two groups to contact one another in place of their leader. They were each other's bosses until Ash was done with Cynthia. At their usual check-in point, Xavier rang for Axel, who picked up nearly immediately.
"How's the stakeout going big man?" Axel joked as soon as he picked up.
Xavier spoke into his pokégear with a voice that sounded like a mixed bag. "Well, it's bittersweet. I'm happy to still be a part of the crew, I'm happy to be alive, but I'm just pissed knowing that you lot are just outside Sunnyshore and I'm still in ALT City. So, guess I'm taking it by the hour."
Zandra suddenly joined the call from her own phone, interested in the conversation. "It's duller here than the past two battles of the tournament. How's the view in Sinnoh?"
Axel, who was sitting on a beach chair near the Grand Lake Hotel pool, was gawking at his girlfriend, who'd just undone her towel to reveal nothing but a lime green bikini. She winked at her man before slowly walking into the pool. Axel spoke almost robotically. "Oh yeah… view's great…"
"You sound distracted there bud, glancing at July's tush?" Xavier jested at his friend.
"Whazit? Huh?" Axel got out of his stupor.
"Ah!" Xavier yelped. The pink-haired beauty had slapped him behind his head.
"Stop teasing him." She scolded.
July, meanwhile, had called over to Axel. "Babe, who's on the phone?"
Axel said nothing other than. "It's four sweetheart. Who do you think it is?"
"Ah, will do. Give me a rundown after." Her head ducked back under the cool water, vanishing from sight.
"Dog, quit staring at her tush."
"Say what now?" Axel spoke incredulously.
"Yowch!"
"Stop teasing him Xavier Blackmon." Zandra scolded again.
"Come on woman, I'm gonna bruise here!" The man cried.
Axel snorted over the phone, finding the conversation nothing short of amusing. "Stay on topic here guys, as much as I love Xavier's suffering a decent bit amusing. How's the tailing going? You think they're on your scent?"
"No, no… don't think they are at least. Max usually has his heads in the clouds about being in the final four. Those around him just seem to be taking in the views as well. Guess they're all pretty full of themselves at the moment." Xavier spoke tentatively, still eyeing up Zandra, as though he expected her to come after him again.
Zandra wasn't though. "Dawn seems entirely normal. Haven't seen Drew here at all, so there's no reason to suspect they'd be up to something. Iris and Cilan are enjoying the ride as well, both promoting themselves as Max gets all the attention he wants. Pretty sickening to be frank. I can't wait until we bury them for all they've done to Ash."
Axel spoke again. "Any word on Serena or Malva?"
"No, I'm fairly certain Serena's been hanging around the stadium as of late, so we're going to head there in not too long. Malva's completely gone. With Diantha assuring us that Malva's fine, we have nowhere to start looking. We've tried asking the other elites, but they're clueless too. I don't even know where to begin with her." Zandra shrugged helplessly, noting the borderline desperate look on Xavier's face.
Xavier, willing to do anything to change the subject, spoke swiftly. "At least tell us you've had some good news while on vacation?"
"Eh, it's more like medium news, and it's not really a vacation." Axel added. He reached under the beach chair and picked up a slim laptop. After pressing buttons rapidly on the laptop, multiple screens showed up. "I planted all the camera's surrounding the site, like Ash said to do. The problem is, there's nobody who's actually showed up yet. We don't know if anyone's coming, we don't know if we wasted our time but if they do, we'll be ready. Hence, the medium news."
Xavier looked to Zandra, who nodded. "Alright, check in a day from now, same time. Maybe different place though? With someone who's fully clothed?"
Axel didn't have a chance to respond before Zandra smacked him upside the head yet again. "Mercy!" The man begged with a laugh.
"Godspeed Axel!" Xavier laughed again as he hung up.
"Why you—" was all Zandra got out before she too hung up. Axel laughed and looked back at the computer curiously. The various camera's were set up so that they'd be informed of a particular group showing up before things went south. The motion sensors placed inside the camera's would warn him with beeping noises, and then they would mobilize. It was their job to ensure that the group would be defeated and held off. They had good reason to believe that the group would find their way there in not too long.
"Babe, come on, get in the water!" July called out with a laugh.
Axel grinned. "You're avoiding work, my dear."
July pouted. "And you're avoiding your woman. Come on!"
Axel grinned and shook his head. He took off his shirt and after carefully hiding the computer in the underside of the chair, he leapt into the water, soaking his girlfriend.
Meanwhile, back in ALT city, Xavier and Zandra had split up to tail targets. Xavier went after Max and the traitors while Zandra moved out to tail Serena. Both were under disguise, as to remain in secrecy.
Zandra was standing on the road next to the stadium, eyeing up the crowd for any shot of seeing the blonde woman. Thus far, there was no luck. Unless it was entirely bad luck…
The pink-haired elite was relieved that Xavier was not only back, but that Ash hadn't kicked him out when he had a golden opportunity to do so. Xavier definitely could come off as a bit of a blowhard from time to time, and it rubbed some people the wrong way quite a good bit. They didn't know Xavier like his friends and elites did. Now, Xavier could hopefully just get back into the swing of things little by little, knowing that his position wasn't going anywhere.
Ash had been acting far different than he usually did, with good reason. The news he'd gotten about Tracey had rightfully stunned him as well as it had everyone else. Now, they were left to ponder what the scenarios that may play out in the world.
"Excuse me?" A quiet voice spoke.
Without really looking, Zandra spoke gruffly. "What is it?"
"You'll need a better disguise there."
Zandra whirled to the figure and was absolutely stunned to see none other than Lance standing there, looking like someone had run over his puppy. "L-Lance? How did you…"
"To the normal eye, you may have gotten away with it. Not with me Zandra." He spoke quietly, voice laced with tentativeness. This was a side of Lance she'd never seen before; he looked so broken, so unconfident in himself.
"Are you… alright? You didn't look like yourself on the battlefield."
Lance chuckled weakly. "Guess you noticed that huh? That was pretty hard to miss. Yeah, I've been out of it as of late. Can you guess why?"
Zandra's face morphed from sympathy to contempt. "Oh come off it Lance. After what you did, could you blame me?"
"Yes. I could." Zandra opened her mouth to argue before he spoke swiftly. "But I don't." The girl gawked.
"Come again?"
"I don't blame you. If I was in your shoes, I'd probably do the same thing." Silence came from Zandra as she gawked at the red-haired man in disbelief.
"Say what?"
Lance held his head in shame. "Is there anywhere we can go? Somewhere to talk in private?"
The girl slowly nodded, nothing short of stunned by this new Lance. A few moments of walking and the two found themselves in an abandoned warehouse nearby the stadium. Zandra hoped Serena wouldn't make a random appearance in the upcoming minutes, but in the end, there was no way of knowing if she'd randomly roll by.
Zandra pulled off the blonde wig she was wearing and frowned. "Alright Lance, out with it. Why did you come find me?"
"What makes you think I just didn't find you by chance?"
Zandra raised an eyebrow. "Alright, fine. I came to find you because I had to talk to you. I had to see you."
"About…"
Lance held his head. "About how sorry I am." The pink-haired girl gawked at the champion, not believing what he was saying for an instant. The look on the girls face was all Lance needed to see before he continued.
"I know. I mean it too; I'm sorry. I've been avoiding this for years… this conversation. I need to tell you how sorry I am. Sorry for leaving this stone unturned, sorry for not taking your feelings into consideration. I'm sorry for still flirting with you even though you've made it clear that you aren't interested in me for, well, obvious reasons. I'm sorry for acting like a total dick for all these years. I deserve everything that comes to me, and I'm just… sorry for all the pain I caused you."
Nothing but silence reigned from the female for a few minutes, still trying to process that Lance had swallowed his pride to admit his guilt to her. That really meant a lot to her, but…
"It doesn't change what you did to start all this in the first place Lance, and you know that. You can't just take it back." She scowled.
Lance bit his lip. "I know that, that's why I'm apologizing—"
"You can't apologize for something like that Lance! You can't take back all the sleepless nights or countless tears you've given me. I can't just forgive you like that!" The elite snapped at him angrily.
"You need to—"
"NO! You need to listen to me Lance; I will never forgive you for what you've done Lance! I can forgive you for being a jerk, I can forgive you for the pain you caused my friends in the past couple of years, but I'll never forgive you for the suffering you've given me for taking my virginity and having the gall to up and leave without so much as a word to me or anyone for that matter."
Lance threw his hands in the air. "I was scared! You'd been drinking! I'd been drinking! We were wasted! I was scared you'd think I was taking advantage of you and you'd have my head on a pike or something!"
Zandra snarled. "And you never thought to say something about this to me? You couldn't have waited a few minutes? I can't believe you."
To say Lance looked exasperated was an understatement. He looked like a bubble about to burst. "Zandra, you need to look at this from my point of view, please!"
"You expect me to pity you? To support you? You're delusional." She said, voice dripping with malice.
"It's not like you've been completely innocent here either Zandra!" He pointed out aggressively.
"WHAT could you possibly be on?"
"For one, it's not like you haven't been flirty with me from time to time!"
The girl cried. "When would that be?"
Lance's face morphed into one that borderlined triumph. "Well for one…"
Flashback… Chapter One…
"LANCE IS… UNDENIABLY… THE MOST POWERFUL TRAINER IN THE WORLD."
Lance chuckled softly and shook his head. If only the world knew the truth…
That gave him a thought. Curiosity getting the better of him, he took out his Pokégear and called someone that he had begun to talk to quite a bit more as of recently. It rung softly for a few moments until he heard someone on the other side say.
"Hello?"
Lance smiled lightly. "Hello Zandra… did he watch it?"
"What do you think? Of course he did. He was just as pumped up as I can ever remember seeing him. You really oughta pay him a little visit out here one of these days…" the girl on the line said.
Lance chuckled. "I'll see him soon, after all, Charles called for that meeting. I'll end up seeing him there."
"Still though, I wouldn't mind seeing you either. I won't be at that meeting… don't you want to see me too?" the girl teased.
He felt his cheeks heat up a little and then replied as calmly as he could. "How people call you the ruthless is beyond me, your name should be the tease."
"Hah, wouldn't you like that to be the case? But in all seriousness, everyone out here wants to see you sometime soon, not just me."
Lance smiled and got up to stare out the window. The night sky was beautiful in Johto, but where she was, it was even more amazing. He knew it was going to be amazing seeing her again, but he was more excited to see him again. It had been quite a few months now, and he was looking forward to seeing his good friend.
"I'll see you all soon. Tell him I said hi, later Zan."
"Catch you."
Present…
Zandra felt her cheeks blazing. He was right. He was authentically, 100% genuine in his confusion. She had been flirting with him. There was no denying it. She'd meant it too; she'd meant every word.
She did miss him.
But why was she feeling like this?
"Well?"
Zandra sighed exasperatingly. "Okay fine; maybe I was teasing you a little, but it's nothing compared to what you did!"
"Does that justify you teasing me though!?"
"Yes! No… Maybe?" She shrugged helplessly. "It didn't seem like much in comparison to what you did."
"Doesn't make it right. You know that."
Zandra opened her mouth to argue, but knew down in her heart that he wasn't lying. She sat on the ground and within seconds Lance was sitting with her. "Well, I… I guess I'd be lying if I said otherwise. You're right… flirting with you only to shoot you down repeatedly out of spite isn't right. All the elites would agree with you. Anyone… would agree with you, actually."
Lance said nothing as Zandra contemplated her next words. "I hate this."
The man blinked, unsure of the vague sentence. "You hate me?"
The gorgeous girl shook her head slowly. "No, I hate what it is we're doing."
Lance looked a bit confused. "Look." She sighed. "I find you… well, attractive. You're easy on the eyes, and I know I'm not the only girl who looks at you like that. I could take Cynthia for an example if I really wanted to."
"Say what now?"
The pink-haired girl snorted. "Please; you haven't noticed her ogling you?"
Eyes wide and face morphed into one of skepticism, Lance shook his head slowly. "Hm, well in any regard, yes, women find you attractive. I find myself amongst them. Believe it or not…" she hesitated briefly before speaking. "I even find your over-confident and brash personality rather dashing. It usually comes off as arrogance to most other men. For you… I can't describe it, but I really find it appealing. You don't take shit from anyone, and I truly respect that about you as well."
Lance scratched the back of his head. "Ash can boss me around if he wants to."
Zandra continued, her speech getting more passionate by the moment. "But that's only because you felt guilty about what happened between us and Ash found out!" He looked surprised by the statement, not that it was false. "Did he—"
"No, he didn't say anything. I suspected it was an unspoken agreement between you two. I didn't want to break it up for obvious reasons. With you covering for him for over two years, the league was able to prosper much more. Ash was able to keep making public appearances for days on end. He was able to keep the crime down. Once our training was finished, we began our first assignment of patrolling the islands and introducing ourselves to the locals. It was our job to build reputation. We rotated every two days across the islands for around half a year."
Lance was quiet for a moment. "Why are you telling me this?"
The girl looked a bit guilty. "Well, during that time, we also rotated in at ALT City. Rather, the city when it was just a great, big, useless sack of dirt in the middle of nowhere. Ash was able to forge the city from the ground up and only make it this beautiful and prosperous because you were able to buy him time. While that was going on, I had plenty of time to think about… what had happened. I needed that time."
"For the first few weeks, it was just unbridled rage. I wanted you to be wiped off the face of the earth by Arceus himself. I felt I had true justification for the scenario. As time went on though… I tried to put myself in your shoes. I kept thinking that maybe you just made a mistake. I kept waiting for you to try and come explain yourself."
She looked at Lance for perhaps the first time in a good handful of minutes. "You never did."
The champion nodded. "Ash was fairly clear I should give you all the distance the regions provided. Even if he hadn't said anything, I was pretty sure you didn't want to see my mug anywhere in the region where you'd been just appointed elite. I stayed way clear of Alola for that reason."
Zandra looked downwards again. "After some months, I began to put on the mask that many people see today. It's a bit like Ash's first phase as Ghost, where he always wore the Black cloak and hat. The people of Alola knew Ghost for that outfit for some time, and despite seeing his efforts to defend the region, they could never truly shake the ominous and brooding feel he gave off. After a bit, Ash decided to stop wearing the cloak in the hopes of building a better reputation.
Lance nodded. "It worked."
"Yeah. People only call him Ghost now, which is considered a good thing." She looked sad. "I wasn't so lucky. The mask I put on had spread to the public. I was cold, unforgiving, quiet and… well, bitchy."
The red-haired man wisely kept his trap shut as Zandra found her next words. "Everyone else began to develop their reputations. Axel was given the title of Hero because of his reputation as a vigilante of HeaHea City being revealed. He was given an award for making the city safer by the city council instead of Ash. Xavier got his nickname for being a heartbreaker, as well as a master card player. 'The Player' never lost in his prime, I don't think he's lost since being elected as an elite either. July… the Beautiful, doesn't need too much explanation. She's like walking cocaine for any straight, single men."
The girl was quiet for a moment and then spoke softly. "And then me… the Ruthless. The mask I'd put on had frozen over. My reputation as a complete jerk to everyone I met across the months had built up to the point where my name was set. I buried anyone I faced in battle. I never gave autographs. I never stopped to take pictures or chat with the townsfolk. It didn't matter that I was one of the greatest trainers in the region; everyone knew to stay out of my path. And it was my own damn fault."
She looked up suddenly in realization. "I… I've never told anyone that before. Not even the elites. Not even Ash."
Lance looked surprised by her tale. He wisely chose his next words. "Do… Do you feel any better now that it's off your chest?"
The girl hesitated before giving a smile… a genuine smile. "Yes… I-I do actually."
Lance gave a small grin. "I'm glad. Really."
The girl placed her hand on his, making him jump slightly. "I'm sorry Lance, for how I've been acting around you. It wasn't fair to you, and yet I didn't stop. I can't say you don't deserve some blame, but I know my actions didn't make the situation better. I'm sorry for what I've said and done."
The man nodded slowly, a small grin on his face. Slowly, he wrapped his hand around hers. She didn't pull away. "It's alright. I was the cause of it. I deserved at least what was given to me. I understand. I've been messing things up lately too…"
"What do you mean?"
Lance looked guilty. "My overconfidence, I may have let it out too much with Ash. He tried to warn me about asking you out. I didn't listen, and I lashed out at him hard."
Zandra nodded. "Yeah, he mentioned as much. If it's any consolation, I think your fight with him was the last thing on his mind the past couple weeks."
This made the man look up in surprise. "What? Why?"
Zandra shook her head. "These past weeks have been brutal for Ash. Before your fight, Xavier was kidnapped."
"Yeah, I asked him about that just before I blew my top."
"Mhm, and just hours after that, May went into a coma."
Lance gasped quietly. "W-What? As in, his girlfriend May?" The girl nodded, and Lance took a moment to gather his thoughts.
"Wow… that's enough to make any man go insane."
"Exactly. He spent weeks coping with losing his friend, elite who was also his friend, and his girlfriend in a twenty-four hour period of time. May still hasn't woken up. Xavier is back, but with what happened with Abel and his attack—"
"Huh?"
"And then preparing for Cynthia, he's got so much on his plate right now. He's working triple overtime at the moment and I can't help but feel useless."
Lance waved his hands in front of his face rapidly. "Wait wait wait, hold up, what happened to Abel Winchine? That is who we're talking about here, right?"
Zandra looked at him. "You really have been out of the loop these weeks haven't you?"
The man looked sheepish. "Yeah. Couldn't even prepare for a battle because I was so out of it mentally. Some champion. Ash is out while his friends abandon him left and right, but he still powers on."
Zandra placed a hand on his shoulder lightly. "Don't judge yourself too hard. Ash is the most dedicated person we both know, and that's a fact. We know why he works so hard; he needs to get his revenge on the bastards that were contempt with condemning him to hell. That's why we support him and respect him at the same time, right?
"Yeah… yeah you're right." Lance nodded slowly.
A moment of peaceful silence followed. Then, breaking the silence, Lance spoke once more. "So, where does this leave us exactly?"
Zandra didn't say anything for a moment before deciding. "Let's call it friends for now… sound fair?"
The man gave a nod and smiled. "Friends it is."
With his impeccable timing, her pokégear rang. One look to the man calling told her something was up. "S-Sorry, I need to take this."
"Xavier, what is it? I'm in the middle of something."
"You're clearly not with Serena, because I just found her. And you won't believe who's she's with. I need you here as soon as possible." The Player himself spoke on the other line. The female elite blinked rapidly before nodding. "Okay, got it. I'm on my way. I'm bringing a guest."
Before Xavier could answer, she hung up. "Wanna come for a fly?"
Lance said nothing… he only grinned.
(Time Skip… A handful of hours later)
Ash was walking down the tunnel to the ABS battlefield. He could hear the fans roaring and stomping on the bleachers in an effort to make as much noise as possible. 'Enter Sandman' was roaring through the concrete tunnel. He felt little to no emotion, however. Ash knew very well that this was a battle he could not afford to lose. A week ago, it was a battle he'd be kicking himself over if he was defeated.
Now, it was one he likely couldn't forgive himself for if he lost; not with the current circumstance. He couldn't afford to lose now. These past few days had been nonstop grinding for him and his Pokémon. Cynthia was all that stood in front of him of a chance to bury Max Maple once and for all. No doubt though that this would be his toughest test yet, and now he was a step away from the 6 on 6 battles in the semi-finals and championship match.
Unlike Diantha, Cynthia had at least rightfully earned her spot as a champion. Her team was world-renowned. Her Garchomp was possibly the most feared Pokémon of all the champions. This would be no cakewalk… at least not like the past battles he'd endured. Ariana, Cynthia's niece and Ash's first opponent in the tournament, would likely seem like a light breeze in comparison to her older relative.
Pikachu hopped off Ash's shoulders and sprinted to the entrance of the tunnel, waiting for his cue to run out. Ash took his time, knowing when the crescendo would hit… despite not listening to the song as he walked. The instant he stood by Pikachu's side, he heard his name being announced, and fireworks began to be launched left and right.
The crowd let out a thunderous roar that sent chills down the spine of all who heard it. Pikachu sprinted out on the field proudly while Ash slowly walked out, hands by his hips, palms open and head down slightly. His eyes were closed. He looked like he was doing as photoshoot of some sort.
He continued to slowly walk like this, shoes quietly clapping the soft dirt below. The infamous Ghost lifted his head and without breaking stride, stared down his opponent. Cynthia looked back at him, expression unreadable. Pikachu, being the faithful partner he was, had already prepared himself in Ash's box.
As he approached the trainer's box, the stadium had began to chant his name.
'Ghost!'
'Ghost!'
'Ghost!'
'Ghost!'
'Ghost!'
As soon as he stepped in the rectangle, the crowd let out one last boisterous cheer before dying down as the referee announced the rules.
"The battle between Champion Cynthia Shirona of Sinnoh and Ghost of Alola is about to commence." The crowd exploded into cheers, their excitement hardly being contained. Neither Ash's nor Cynthia's face changed from the spectators.
"This battle is the final 3 on 3 battle of the tournament. The winner of this battle will face Max Maple for the right to go to the Championship. As deemed by a battle randomizer, there will be no stadium gimmicks. However, at no point may a Pokémon be swapped out. Therefore, moves such as Baton Pass, Volt Switch or U-Turn may not be used in battle. Is that clear?" the referee announced authoritatively.
"Yes." Cynthia spoke for the first time.
"Crystal." Ash nodded briskly.
"If a Pokémon is forced out with a move such as Dragon Tail, the swap will be allowed. Otherwise the Pokémon that switched out will be disqualified for the remainder of the battle. Are both trainer's ready?"
"Yes."
"I am."
The referee nodded. "Trainer's will release their Pokémon at the same time, on my mark. 3… 2… 1… throw!"
As Ash threw his first pokeball in the air, time slowed. Despite facing against one of the most powerful trainers in the world, the biggest event that had happened to him since the day he was betrayed came flooding back to him in one mere moment. He was at the hospital with Abel… he'd just recused Xavier with the elites, Rocket and the Guardians…
Flashback… three days prior…
Ash found himself openly gawking at Mr. Cronwall. He must've looked quite hilarious, because the man chuckled and spoke directly to him. "Why the surprised look Mr. Ghost? Were you expecting the will from someone more famous?"
Within seconds, Ash found a suitable alibi. "I… I've heard of Tracey Sketchit before."
Abel looked rightfully surprised. "You know Tracey? How?"
Ash looked a bit uncertain for a moment before speaking. "Someone asked me to look into the disappearance of Ash Ketchum. I travelled to Pallet Town to speak to someone of great importance to the case. The man was I was speaking with was Professor Samuel Oak. He told me about the tragic passing's of both Ash and Tracey. The timing of this… well it feels uncanny. Perhaps I was indeed meant to be here at this very moment."
Abel looked nothing short of stunned at Ghost's words. "You were in Kanto? How recently?"
Ash shrugged. "Does it matter?"
Mr. Cronwall cleared his throat. "Ahem… I don't believe this conversation is one I should be here for… may I proceed with the will?"
Both of the other boys in the room exchanged glances before Abel spoke. "Go ahead then."
Mr. Cronwall nodded before looking down at the paper. "As I previously mentioned, this is the will of Tracey Sketchit. Mr. Sketchit unfortunately passed on a handful of years ago due to a Pokémon attack. It has not been confirmed and likely never will be, but foul play was suspected in Mr. Sketchit's death. According to his final will, the contents of the will could only be revealed to either of the benefactors upon their eighteenth birthday due to the contents of the will. With that, I shall begin the official opening statement."
"In attendance for the hearing to Mr. Tracey Sketchit; Mr. Abel Winchine, one of the two benefactors. Mr. Ghost of Alola is substituting in for the additional benefactor, Mr. Ash Ketchum, who could not be present at the hearing. Mr. Winchine has given his approval for Mr. Ghost to substitute in for Mr. Ketchum. I, Mr. Thomas Cronwall, have approved the conditions for the hearing and therefore, I will begin with the benefactor list and what they shall receive from the deceased."
The man continued. "With Ghost's approval, Mr. Abel Winchine will be given the numbers to Mr. Sketchit's private bank account, which will be provided separately. Here." Mr. Cronwall handed Abel a small piece of paper, to which Abel dumbly nodded, unsure of what else he could say or do in the situation. "Continuing, the Pokémon of the deceased shall also be given to Mr. Winchine, but as the Pokémon of Mr. Sketchit could not be recovered, there will be no Pokémon that are given out."
'Hm… that's weird. A lot like my own Pokémon who vanished under mysterious circumstances. No way Abel and his lawyer know that though… best to keep it to myself.' Ash's mind spun.
Meanwhile, the lawyer droned on about possessions that had been held in safe keeping that would be transferred over to Abel, and to the duo's surprise, there were quite a few items. Apparently, Oak hadn't taken any of them, even though they were in the laboratory at the time of Tracey's demise.
"Continuing, there is a letter from Mr. Sketchit to Mr. Winchine. I shall begin the reading of the letter now."
The older man cleared his throat before speaking in a softer tone.
"To Abel, my closest friend. How have you been buddy? If you're reading this, well, it means I kicked the can way earlier than I should've. Definitely not what either of us were hoping for huh? Well, I hope this finds you well. I don't know what will have happened or where you would be when you find out that I'm gone, but I know that whatever the reason may be, I know you'll be kicking yourself over something. I know you'll think that it all could've been avoiding had you just done something different, but you need to accept that some things just happen for a reason."
"Anyway, now that I've gotten my little rant out of the way, I'll ask you the same question I did before; how've you been? Have you become the best trainer in all the lands yet? I have little to no doubt you've at least taken a great stab at it. I'm sure one of the things you may be thinking is why I chose you as one of the two benefactors to this. Well, a day doesn't really go by when I'm not thinking about how many trainers you've whooped. Not a day goes by without me thinking about how much stronger you've gotten as a trainer and as a person. I have nothing but confidence and faith in you. You're bound for great things Abel."
"I still remember running into you in Hoenn. I was on business for Professor Oak. I remember just stumbling on you. You were so lost, so confused. When you told me you'd run away, I couldn't believe someone had so much confidence in themselves to take the rest of their lives in their own hands, with nothing but their guts and a Minun at your side. I was awed… you remind me of someone who I expect to be in the room with you right now. The fire in your eyes when you battle, it reminds me of Ash Ketchum. You're both special."
"You see, just before I met you, I finished travelling with Ash and his friends. I'm guessing this will be the first time you two have met, so let me say a few things about him, before he gets all humble and denies everything. Ash is one of the most devoted people I've ever met in my life. The passion for battling he has is second to none. I have no doubt he'll become a champion one day. His battling styles can change from reckless to calculating without him knowing it himself. He'll be a true test for someone like you, and I think a battle between you both will shake the earth's core. Unlike a lot of other trainers, Ash's bond with his Pokémon is something that he values above all. I've seen the bonds between him and his Pokémon up close. It's unbelievable. Those connections that he has with his Pokémon, it reminds me of the bonds you have with your Minun and Fletchling."
"I know this journey that you've been on will be a brutal one. I know that carrying the thoughts that your foster parents passed away so young must've shocked you, even if you hated them to the bone. I never knew my parents, I didn't know anything about them growing up, and I don't know anything about them as I write this today. By this point, you likely know everything I'm leaving you. Now though, I tell you my final piece of advice to you."
"Holding onto grudges will only hold you back. You need to forgive and forget in order to move on. Facing your anguish head on is how to truly live your life to it's fullest. It's a bit ironic, given as what I've written to Ash. Come to think of it, he's expected to be in the room with you anyway, so perhaps I didn't have to say some of those things to begin with. In any regard, Abel, my dear friend, live your life. Battle to the top. Forgive others who wronged you, and yourself for anything that may happen. Swallow your pride and find yourself in others. Get a girlfriend. Get married. Have kids. Make your legacy, and pass it onto them. You may not know much about your family's origins, but look to this as an opportunity; you can become the beginning of your family's line. How do you want your name to be remembered?"
With that, Mr. Cronwall stopped speaking and waited expectantly for the rush of emotions from Abel. Ghost was the first to speak. "Your parents died at a young age?"
Abel nodded slowly. "My biological parents apparently gave me up for adoption at a young age. They couldn't have given a Rattata's ass about me.I don't even know where I'm technically from. All I know was that I was adopted in by a bastard couple who treated me like I was cattle. I was abused and mocked by everyone in our town. Everyone thought so little of me. It became so bad that I didn't think twice about sneaking out the day I turned ten with nothing but a handful of pokeballs and some money I smuggled out. I'd spent years learned and studying battle styles from trainers, and once I had caught my first Pokémon… I decided that I'd go back and arrest my parents for abuse."
Abel looked up at Ghost determinedly. "When I became champion."
It didn't take long for the Alola champion to piece together the rest. "Your foster parents though?"
"Yeah… about a month after I snuck out, I came back. The whole village was ablaze. I was burnt to the ground within minutes of me arriving. I never figured out what caused the fire, only that I received a message from a carrier Pelipper a day later stating my foster parents had died in a village fire. They didn't have any Pokémon, so I ended up just carrying on like nothing happened. I think that's what Tracey was telling me about; I didn't go to their funerals. I didn't mourn them. I felt nothing… and I feel guilty for feeling like that."
Ghost nodded in sympathy. "My father was out of my life at an early age. I still don't know why he left my mom and I. It crushed me. Sometimes parents can be total blowhards, right?"
The 18-year-old looked surprised by the change of tone from Ghost. "Uh, yeah, you're right."
Mr. Cronwall looked at the duo expectantly. "Well then, are we ready to hear Ash Ketchum's letter?"
Ghost held his hand out briskly. "Proceed Mr. Cronwall."
The lawyer cleared his throat for the umpteenth time since the beginning of the conversation and began.
"Ash… Ashy boy. It sounds weird in person and in writing too. Guess Gary was wrong about something then. How've you been Ash? If you're reading this, then something has gone horribly, horribly wrong. This means I've unfortunately kicked the bucket ahead of your eighteenth birthday. I wish I could spend so much time with you, watching you mature into a young man, eventually marry May and start a family. Don't deny it, we all know you and May have been eyeing each other up like wild animals all these years. For how I know even though I never really 'travelled' with May, don't forget all the connections I've built over the years. I know a good deal about everything in this fair world."
"My fear is that I've learned too much. I fear that I may have found something horrible about this world we live in, and that by writing this, the illusion wrapped around our lives will come crashing down. If you're reading this, it likely means I didn't tell you what it is I suspect I've learned… what I've stumbled upon. I don't know who I can trust with the information I have, and that's why I had to be extremely secretive as well."
"Maybe it's best that I start from the beginning. You may want to buckle in, this is a doozy. As you know Ash, I've been working with Professor Oak for years now. In fact, when you turned 10, it had been around two years since I started working for the Professor. Maybe it was a bit less than that…wait, was it more? Either way, that's a crazy thing to think about. It goes beyond time though. See, for the first two years or so, I was just settling into my role. I didn't see the bigger picture of what was happening. So, by the time you became a trainer, I was just really starting to get the idea of my role with Professor Oak. Once I began to hone myself, I began to realize some things about the professor. He's… well, he only cares about himself. As my initial idolization of Oak blinded me for so long, I began to realize how egotistical the man was. He lusts for power. He lusts for control. As the weeks turned into months and his personality didn't change, I began to realize what the other Professors had warned me about had been true."
"I was in too deep. While in Kalos, a mysterious man met with Professor Oak. I didn't think too much on it at that exact moment, because Professor Sycamore was telling me about a new discovery called Ultra Beasts, and a device called a Rainbow Yzerlock. I was absolutely fascinated by it. I began to pour hours into the studying, to the point where everything and anything I had been doing was devoted to the Yzerlock. Normally, that wouldn't be anything wrong."
"The issue lied in Professor Oak. He'd been going to see Delia, muttering things about 'blackmail' or something of the sort. I have no clue what he was talking about. He was taking more absences. I wasn't always there to see how many times he left. But the more and more time I put into learning about Ultra Beasts and the Yzerlock, the more and more Professor Oak would press me and question me to my line of research. Each time, I'd have to make something up. I knew something was going to happen soon, and it did."
"Eventually, I broke down, admitting I learned about a strange device called the Rainbow Yzerlock from Professor Sycamore, and wanted to keep it private. When he asked why, I said it was because I didn't want him to waste his time with 'pointless shooting in the dark.' He seemed to buy the answer at first, but once more, left in a hurry. I became convinced something was wrong… horribly, horribly wrong."
"I admit, what I did next is against all morals. Some weeks later, I broke into Professor Oak's computer, and I copied over on his hard drive. I read some of his diary entries. I was sick to my stomach. I couldn't believe that he would stoop so low. I realized then that I was being played for a fool. I knew I had to stay away from the Professor as much as possible. I chose to leave the lab as much as I possibly could, knowing fully that the Professor was likely monitoring my progress. I decided to do everything I could to prevent someone other than someone I truly trusted to find the Yzerlock."
"By this point, I was certain the Professor was allied with Team Flare. I needed a test to prove my theory though. Using his computer again, I sent multiple messages out about the Yzerlock and Ultra Beasts to the multiple shady contacts on his computer and told them not to reply. I knew it was risky, to say the least. After I had confirmed that the messages had been delivered, I deleted the messages and cut the power to the building, using a complete power surge as a coverup to why things were different on the computer. To make sure he didn't suspect a thing, I admitted to him what I told the contacts."
"The catch? Most of the information I told Oak and the contacts were false. I gave them a fake location to search, and sure enough, grunts were there with enough scanning equipment to fund an army within twenty-four hours. I was crushed. I knew that I was in far over my head, but that the best chance I had to keep the Yzerlock out of Flare's hands was to keep feeding Oak bogus information until Flare could be defeated. I know this is risky. I know this can be absurdly dangerous, what I'm doing here."
"This all happened less than a week ago, by the way. I'm writing this on September 21st, 2013. I cannot trust anyone other than you Ash, or another close friend of mine… his name is Abel Winchine. I met him during some research travels of mine in Hoenn. He's a gifted battler, just like yourself. You're both going to get along great. There's another thing… I don't want to throw you or Abel into the fire until you've been given time to prove yourselves. That's why I've given specific instructions that, in the event of my death, the will cannot be opened until either one of you turns 18. I think the two of you are only a year or so apart in age, so if you're reading this Ash, Abel's definitely mature enough to be brought into the fold. I'd trust him with my life."
"Ash… I'm sorry I'm forcing this onto you. I'm so sorry that I didn't tell you about this ahead of time. You're a close friend… one of the only people I know who wouldn't dare stoop so low as to betray those that are close to them. If you only breezed through the whole thing, half-listening to me drone on and one… then please, listen to this."
"First… Do not trust Samuel Oak. He's bent on changing the world, and he's not afraid to put anyone down who stands in his way. Be careful Ash. Second… while I have never once stated this to anyone before, in writing or in person, I must reveal to you the location of the Yzerlock. Throughout all the countless hours of studying everything I had, I believe the Yzerlock is in the Sinnoh Region… somewhere in the area of Lake Valor."
"Trust your Pokémon, trust your instincts, never back down, never surrender. You may now be carrying the most dangerous knowledge in the world… what you choose to do with it is now up to you. Please forgive me for the burden I just placed upon your shoulders. Goodbye old friend… I'll see you in a much better place."
Mr. Cronwall stopped speaking for a moment to eye up Ghost, who looked nothing short of stunned. Abel next to him also looked absolutely rocked. "W-What…"
Ghost said nothing, his mind racing a thousand miles a minute and his heart feeling like it was on the verge of collapse. The only things he could truly think about now were Tracey's final words… but also him investigating Oak's logs. He felt his brain about to spiral out of control when a thought rushed back to his coherent memory.
Flashback… Chapter 21…
He kept digging away.
September 16th, 2013
This can't be happening. Tracey had finally opened up to me about the Rainbow Yzerlock, it's powers, it's abilities, and it's supposed location. I can't believe a device of such magnitude actually exists. This is my golden ticket.
But then, it was gone. The boss finally caught wind of Ultra Beasts and the Rainbow Yzerlock. Wish I knew how. Bless my heart, he doesn't seem to know I was aware for this long. They're ordering some sort of operation. This could be bad, and I'm in the dark. They're giving me last minute instructions on what's happening. I can't back out now.
What are they planning?
The one question remained, "Who is they?" Ash would muse over it and come up empty handed. This was just giving him more questions than answers.
September 24th, 2013
… I never thought I would see the day my successor would die. I was in the plaza with Delia and Tracey. The Power Tower competition was going on and everyone was blissfully unaware of what was about to happen. All of the sudden, there was just chaos. I heard a scream from Tracey and I saw the most grizzly sight I've ever laid eyes on. A spike, who knows how long, impaled straight in his torso.
Flashback Over…
A cold grip of reality cascaded over Ghost, the feeling of dread drenching him head to toe. Tracey had written his will just three days before he had died. The more he thought, the more sense the situation was making. Tracey had been killed because he messaged the contacts that he himself was the source of the information. Because the message itself had came from Oak, Flare had no reason to suspect Oak was planning on keeping the information for himself. It also explained why Oak had no clue how Flare had found out, because the messages had been deleted.
Ghost also recalled the end of the September 24th log… how Tracey supposedly spoke about the Yzerlock before he was killed. He must have been sending Oak in an opposite direction to throw off Flare. It also explained why Flare and Oak couldn't ever find the Yzerlock, and why the Professor had believed he was next to be eliminated. Finally though, Ghost recalled another crucial and life-defining moment of his own…
Flashback… End of Chapter 21…
Tracey instead let out a quiet murmur. "I-I've only had the honor o-of being true friends w-with a handful of p-people Ash… I'm b-blessed to be h-having my final moments w-with one of t-them. T-Thank you… Thank you."
Ash felt the tears threatening to spill out in waterfalls. "No… not like this."
Tracey whispered. "Ash… come closer…"
Ash leaned down, unsure of what else to do. His eyes were filled with salt water and the slightest bit of action could be all it took to make them overflow. Tracey gently grabbed Ash's hand, now stained with Tracey's blood.
"M-My work… is h-hidden. I-I can't… trust… anybody with it… you c-can't get to it… yet. B-But you will… in time." Tracey rasped. "Ash. You… ehhh… A…" He let out a blood filled cough. "Y-You two… the o-only ones, w-who can d-do this…" He fell back down to the ground and uttered his final words.
"N-Never forget Ash… m-my… m-my will… t-there's a-a will… there's a-a… way." With his final words, Tracey's eyelids drooped closed and his hand fell from Ash's grip onto the grass below. The tears had long since fallen and were still cascading out. Ash reached for Tracey's neck to confirm what he already knew.
Tracey was dead.
Flashback End…
… That had been it. This conversation had been exactly what Tracey had been eluding to in his final words. His was foreshadowing Ash meeting Abel and getting the information he needed to find the Yzerlock, stop Flare and defeat Professor Oak. There was just one thing that still didn't fit the puzzle.
How did the traitors fit into the situation?
By now, it seemed inevitable that Professor Oak was the mastermind behind the betrayal, but that whole situation didn't line up. If Oak still firmly believed Ash had the information that would give away the true location of the Yzerlock, he wouldn't have gotten the traitors to do his dirty work. On top of it, there was no reason for Oak to want Ask gone if he possessed the knowledge of the Yzerlock's location. It still meant that Oak was guilty.
The question was, what was he guilty of?
Mr. Cronwall cleared his throat and spoke again. "If I may? There's another matter to discuss with Mr. Winchine."
Abel blinked rapidly, trying to process what he'd learned. "U-Uh yes?"
"There's another document for you. I believe it to be best if you read it and did not share this document to anyone." The single slip of paper that was given to Abel from Mr. Cronwall seemed to mark the end of the conversation. "With that, the hearing is complete. Should there be any questions, please feel free to speak with myself via Pokégear at any point, and I shall happily answer all questions." The man bowed his head in respect before leaving the room and the two young men to themselves.
Abel was reading the paper given to him slowly as Ghost spoke aloud. "This is so odd. There's so much that doesn't fit here. I need to figure this out… I'll need to let the elites know as soon as possible. This… this throws a huge wrench into everything. Who knows what he's been plotting for this long."
He was ripped from his train of thought from the only other person in the room. Next to him, Abel had let out a strangled gasp. Ghost's eyes tore to the legal adult. "What? What is it?" Abel said nothing for a few moment before he began blinking rapidly and his eyes closed shut, his head and body going limp. Ash didn't hesitate. "NURSE! NURSE!" Just before multiple doctors rushed into the room, Ash snatched the document lying in the man's hands. He covered it skillfully as he backed out of the room carefully.
He slowly made his way down the hallway, intent on reading the document. Ghost backed into a secluded corner of the hospital before carefully inspecting the document in his hands.
Certificate of Birth
This document certifies that Abel Darius Winchine was born to Delia Hanako Ketchum and Lysandre Fuladari Winthrop in the hospital at 8:42 PM on—
Ash let out a strangled gasp and threw the document to the ground as though it was poisoned. He gasped softly multiple times, trying to comprehend an unfathomable truth. After another moment, he snatched the document up again and reread it several times over. There was no mistaking it; it was an authentic birth certificate. Ash leaned up again the wall and allowed his head to touch the cold surface. He closed his eyes and tried to piece together what he'd just learned.
'Abel's my half-brother.'
'Abel's my half-brother.'
'Abel's my half-brother.'
'… how could this happen?'
Twenty Minutes Later… Xavier's Room…
The elites were utterly baffled and let totally slack-jawed. The foursome looked around the room and after a few minutes of simply looking at one another, they allowed the questions to flow as freely as they wanted.
"Abel's literally your half brother?"
"Tracey found the location of the most powerful item in the world?"
"Professor Oak's not the one who orchestrated the betrayal?"
"You learned all this in the past hour?"
The questions were halted when Ash put up his hand. "Yes, Abel is apparently my half brother. My mother said she kept this from me when I confronted her as Ghost, but I never expected it to be someone we actually know pretty well. Continuing, Tracey didn't find it; he just thought he did. Tracey's will lines up with Oak's logs that claimed Tracey updated his will around a week before he died. No, I don't think Oak could be the one who orchestrated the betrayal. He'd have no reason to want me gone if I was the only one who apparently knew where the Yzerlock was supposed to be located. And yes, I learned most of this in the past hour." Ash sat down and began to rub his temples in irritation.
Xavier whistled softly. "Damn."
Axel nodded solemnly. "That's a lot of curveballs to be thrown at you in one move."
"Tell me about it." Ash muttered softly.
Zandra seemed to be deep in thought for a few moments before she broke the silence that had been uncomfortably building. "I have something to think on, Ash."
Ash nodded. "Shoot."
"There's another something that doesn't line up to this whole scenario."
July cut in. "What's that?"
"The whole 'age eighteen' thing. Something's off about that." Ash and the other four looked at the pink-haired girl expectantly. She spoke as though she was a detective. "Alright, look at what we know. If either you or Abel were expected to get the message when you were eighteen, it would put you at a legal adult. Because you weren't eighteen when Tracey passed away, you both would have to wait until those years ran by before, theoretically, the Yzerlock could be discovered."
"You're not making sense Zandra."
The girl nodded rapidly. "Oak knew that Ash could access the will, but didn't when the professor believed Ash could. If Oak relayed that information to Flare, maybe they pieced together that Ash needed to be of age in order to access the will."
"Okay…" the group slowly spoke in unison.
"Ash is believed to be gone, but Oak finds out that there's another person who has access to the will. If that information is relayed, then Flare has realized they need to wait until that person turns eighteen in order to access the will. It wouldn't be public knowledge who the other person that the will could be talking about, it would only be someone who had knowledge of Tracey's friends, who was out of the region at the time of the funeral, who was below the age of eighteen and—"
"Had the information to connect all the dots together." Ash spoke slowly.
Axel blinked. "What am I missing here exactly?"
Ash began to see where Zandra was going. "Abel's attack."
"What about it?"
Ash nodded, and his eyes began to get wider by the second. "Abel was attacked by Team Flare. He told me he hadn't even told his lawyer who attacked him yet. That meant Mr. Cronwall was unaware that Flare was responsible, and it happened on the same night that Abel turned 18." Ash's head shot up. "Professor Oak would be one of the only people who could connect the dots from Abel being connected with Tracey."
Ash turned to the group this time. "That's why Abel was attacked. That's why Flare left without taking any of his Pokémon or taking him with them. They weren't after anything basic or any Pokémon."
"They were after the will."
Ash suddenly got up and sprinted out of the room, leaving a distraught group of elites in his wake. He sprinted down the stairs and out of the front door, nearly trampling a handful of people along the way. He let Pikachu run ahead of him as he navigated the streets to the nearest parking lot. He never took his eyes off the yellow rodent, who acted as his guide. Sure enough, within minutes, Ash found exactly what he didn't want to find; Mr. Cronwall, bloodied and bruised. He shook the man in an attempt to wake him.
Ash looked around wildly to see if the attackers may have just been leaving. It appeared he was out of luck. There was nothing around but cars. He cursed softly, knowing that the worst had just happened.
One call to the police and Mr. Cronwall was being helped into the very hospital that he just came out from, the irony. Ash shook his head as the man was carried inside on a stretcher. Despite the man revealing the most important information of the will to him, there was a far greater problem that the world faced.
Mr. Cronwall's suitcase was missing. And therefore…
The will of Tracey Sketchit was missing as well.
Ash burst back into the hospital room containing Xavier and snarled. "We're too late."
Zandra spoke. "What happened?"
"Flare has the will. They ambushed Mr. Cronwall in the parking deck and took the suitcase containing it. They know where the Yzerlock is, and they know that the league has the same information as they do." The four looked amongst one another, seemingly knowing what that meant, but July asked the question regardless.
"It means, we're on the clock. We have to find that damn Yzerlock before Flare does, or the world could fall into ruin. It's time to start executing some moves. Axel, July, I'm going to send you to Hotel Grand Lake to set up a full force stakeout. If they find the Yzerlock there, we're screwed, and I can't leave the region with my battle against Cynthia right around the corner, I'd be crucified by Goodshow."
Ash spoke again. "Xavier and Zandra, I have something else for the both of you. I'm going to ask you to follow the traitors and attempt to get any information you can on them. They must fit into the betrayal somehow, but if it's not Oak where they fit in, you need to figure out how."
"Got it."
"Will do."
He continued. "Meanwhile, I'm going to approve transfers for Abel and May to be moved to the league's private hospital ward. They could be targeted as easy picking for leverage here. Zandra, speak with the front desk on how to get that ball rolling. I'm going to see May."
The duo split up, each going opposite directions after leaving the room. Ash took long strides as he made his way to May's room. He had taken out his phone and died a personal number, the one that led to one of his most trusted associates. "Bail? You there?" He spoke with authority as he heard someone pick up on the opposite line.
'Ghost, sir. How can I help?' The mid-twenties black man spoke as though he was a seal-team operative.
"We're going to have some guests for an extended period of time, and they'll need extra security. I'd like for you and Arch to personally guard them, as there's nobody I'd trust more for their safety then you two. Up for the task?"
'Yes sir! Say the word and we'll be ready!' The response came instantly.
"Excellent. Prepare the private ward. It'll be connected with the hospital in case anything goes wrong."
'Affirmative sir, I'll give Arch the FYI. Awaiting your return.'
"Good. Over and out." Ash slammed the phone closed and sped up, fearing for May's safety. He rushed through her hallway, knowing she was close by. He burst into the room, not caring to knock in the slightest. "Nurse, I need to—"
Ash's words were caught in his throat. He was caught speechless. There, standing at the window and looking out over the city, was a beautiful brunette wearing a hospital gown. It was short enough where Ash could see her creamy legs and the slightest undercut of her backside. He finally found the coherent words that had been lodged in his throat for so long. "M-May?"
The girl slowly turned around, face not giving away any secrets. "Hi Ash."
AN: Andddddd that's all she wrote ladies and gentlemen. I hope you enjoyed this absolute BANGER of a chapter and all the 12,000 words that came with it! I also hope it was worth the wait. As per usual guys, upload's are once a month on the 25th. I can't really afford to post more than that given my current situation, I hope you understand.
If you enjoyed, please follow and favorite both myself and the story to show your support. We're closing in on the 1,000 mark for both followers and favorites, if you can believe it!
Next chapter, we have ANOTHER big one! That will have Ash's battle against Cynthia, and the long anticipated conversation Gho… ahem, Ash, will have with May. It's nearly that time. The endgame is slowly coming into picture, and it's only going to get better. I hope you guys enjoyed the fireworks, and we're not at the end yet.
Thanks for reading guys. See you in a month!
LegionZ