A Legendary Photo Op
Alec's POV
Continuing on the way to Anistar City, they started to near Mt Molteau, a volcano that sat near the border of the Kalos and Sinnoh regions. "So that mountain's a volcano?" Ash asked as Mt Molteau came into view.
"It is. See the smoke coming out of the top?" Clemont asked, pointing near the peak.
"Wow," Ash said in slight awe.
Ethan's ears then perked. [Somethings coming,] he warned, looking towards some bushes nearby. Not long after, the said bushes started rustling.
"Did you hear that?" Serena asked.
"Is that a Pokémon?" Bonnie questioned. A Charmeleon then stepped out of the bushes and looked at the group.
"What's a Charmeleon doing out here?" Alec wondered.
[Hey there!] Pikachu greeted. He and Dedenne ran up to Charmeleon, who responded by shooting Flamethrower at them. The flames were surrounded by a blue glow and went into the sky before exploding.
"Good work Ethan," Alec said.
[No problemo,] Ethan replied.
"What was that about?!" Bonnie demanded.
"Charmeleon!" a voice called out and Trevor walked into the open. "Oh, there you are Charmeleon," he said when he saw the Fire-type. Charmeleon shot Flamethrower at Trevor, hitting him.
"Trevor?" Ash asked.
"Yeah," came the reply.
"You alright?" Alec asked, helping Trevor up.
"I'm good. Wasn't expecting to see you guys though," Trevor admitted. Charmeleon then shot another Flamethrower.
"Stop that at once Charmeleon!" Alec shouted, focusing on his Speaker Aura, as he came to call it. Charmeleon looked like he wanted to protest, but didn't.
"Why's Charmeleon in an awful mood?" Serena asked.
"And it's like that no matter what I do. I don't know how you were able to stop it, Alec," Trevor responded.
"It's a gift," Alec answered half-truthfully.
"Maybe Charmeleon wants to have a Pokémon battle," Ash suggested. Charmeleon's face lit up at Ash's words.
"Is that what you want?" Trevor asked Charmeleon.
[Oh yeah! Let's go!] Charmeleon said nodding.
"Great. Just leave it to me. Fletchinder, come on out!" Ash called out, releasing the bird.
"Let's go Charmeleon!" Trevor told his partner. "Alright. Let's start things off with Fire Spin!" Trevor ordered. Charmeleon slammed his claws on the ground sending fire towards Fletchinder and making a circle around where Fletchinder flew.
"Quick, get out of there!" Ash ordered. Fletchinder avoided the spinning flames.
"Now use Flamethrower!" Trevor ordered.
"Deflect it with Steel Wing!" Ash commanded. Fletchinder spun in the air using the move and spread the flames around him. "Use Flame Charge!" Ash called out. Fletchinder flew towards Charmeleon, who briefly caught Fletchinder before getting knocked back.
"Charmeleon, use Dragon Claw!" Trevor commanded. Charmeleon closed the distance with Fletchinder and tried to slash him, but the bird dodged at the last moment. "Now Flamethrower!" Charmeleon fired but Fletchinder flew into the air.
"Now use Steel Wing!" Ash ordered. Fletchinder dived down towards Charmeleon and knocked him out.
"And that is it!" Clemont declared.
"You were awesome, Fletchinder," Ash congratulated.
[Thank you,] Fletchinder replied.
"Charmeleon, are you alright?" Trevor asked him.
[I'm good. Glad to get that out of my system,] he answered.
"Sounds like Charmeleon's better," Alec said.
The six then sat down nearby. "It's been a while since we've seen each other. So how are things?" Trevor asked.
"We're all doing great," Ash answered.
Trevor then looked at Alec. "I saw your Champion battle and it was amazing. Your Charizard really inspired Charmeleon," Trevor told him.
[I can't wait to be that powerful,] Charmeleon added.
"Glad to hear it," Alec replied.
"Charmeleon might have evolved, but his personality seems the same," Clemont noted.
"Yeah. Charmeleon's been amazing in gym battles," Trevor told him.
"Sounds like you're working hard," Serena noticed, coming up after handing out some Poké Puffs.
"Yeah. It's not just me. Shauna and Tierno are working hard too," Trevor said, then looked at Serena. "Tierno's right! You do look great!" Trevor said with a small blush on his face. Alec noticed Ash had tensed up a bit.
"And did Tierno also mention that me and Serena are siblings?" Alec asked.
"Oh, yeah," Trevor said, chuckling with a bit of nervousness. Ash then calmed down. "I was somewhat surprised but it made sense at the same time."
[I think it shocked Alec more than anyone else,] Alec heard Ethan mutter to Pikachu.
"So, have you all come looking for Moltres too?" Trevor asked.
"Moltres?" Alec and Ash asked at the same time.
"I'm I wrong?" Trevor asked, slightly confused.
"I didn't know Moltres was in the area," Clemont stated.
"I want to meet it!" Bonnie shouted.
"What makes you think Moltres is nearby?" Ash asked.
"Well, I've examined and analyzed various documents that seem to show that Moltres stops near Mt. Molteau. From what I could see, it's around the time that Moltres is normally there," Trevor answered.
"I take it you want to get a photo of it?" Alec assumed.
"You know it," Trevor said happily. He then pulled up his camera. "Take a look at this," he said. He then showed pictures of both Zapdos and Articuno.
"That's incredible!" Ash complemented Trevor.
"I'm surprised you got these good shots. The few times I got close to a Legendary Pokémon usually involved them attacking me before I could do much," Alec noted in slight shock.
"Well, if I can get Moltres, I'll have taken photos of the Legendary Bird Trio!" Trevor said excitedly. He then began to show off some recent Pokémon he's taken photos of and Alec stopped listening shortly after. "So you get it now?" he asked.
"You bet! You've met all kinds of Pokémon," Ash said, mostly for Trevor's sake. Looking behind Trevor, Charmeleon looked slightly annoyed at his trainer's antics.
"And Moltres is next!" Trevor shouted confidently.
"Well, we can join you," Ash told him. The rest of the group agreed and headed up towards Mt. Molteau.
On the way up the mountain, Trevor showed the group that had been taken by another photographer, but the image wasn't that good. Alec had to concentrate to see Moltres on it. "You sure this is Moltres?" Alec asked Trevor.
"I'm sure about it," Trevor answered.
"But it's really hard to see anything. How do you know?" Bonnie asked.
"There aren't any Pokémon with that wing shape. And as I said earlier, Moltres has been seen here in the past," Trevor answered. "The photographer wasn't even looking for Moltres when he saw it, so if we head to the rock in the photo, we're sure to find Moltres," Trevor added.
"So that's all we have to go on then," Serena said.
Clemont then chuckled in the way he did before pulling out one of his inventions. "So we're heading to a big rock. I'd say this is my cue. And the future is now thanks to science! Clemontic gear on!" Clemont shouted, pulling out a box-shaped robot with two arms with large claws. "I'd thought we'd encounter a situation precisely like this one. This is my Rock Searcher Mark 1!" he declared.
[Where he keeps those robots I'll never know,] Ethan commented.
"You think this is going to work this time?" Bonnie asked Clemont unenthusiastically. Trevor was in awe though.
"So this is another one of your famous inventions!" he shouted before taking a picture of it.
Clemont then took the photo Trevor had given them and put it into the machine. I input the landscape of this photograph into its memory. Then my amazing device will locate an exact match automatically," Clemont boasted.
"Awesome!" Trevor shouted.
"Please save the praise for later, my good friend. After we discover Moltres' location, you can thank me," Clemont said confidently.
"If it doesn't blow up first," Bonnie muttered to Alec. He couldn't help but snicker a bit.
Clemont either ignored or didn't hear Bonnie's comment. "Rock Searcher Mark 1, on!" Clemont shouted, pressing a button. The machine then wheeled away.
"Science is so amazing!" Ash declared.
"Let's go see Moltres!" Bonnie shouted. The group then followed Clemont's device as it looked at rocks.
As they did so, Alec couldn't shack a presence he was feeling. "Do you feel that?" he asked Serena.
"Feel what?" Serena asked in turn.
"Like something is here," Alec clarified.
"No. Can't say that I do," Serena replied.
Clemont's device then looked at a bunch of rocks in an area and Trevor got distracted by all the Pokémon, pointing out tiny details that Alec couldn't notice at all. The machine then started rolling off again. "Trevor, let's go!" Ash shouted.
"Oh, please one more minute. This is incredible!" Trevor shouted.
"Has he already forgotten about Moltres?" Alec wondered aloud.
[Why does this always happen?] Charmeleon complained.
Before anyone could say anything more, they heard an explosion not too far way in the direction Clemont's machine went. "What's that?" Ash asked.
"I hope it isn't my Rock Searcher Mark 1!" Clemont shouted.
"We'd better find out," Alec suggested. The group ran towards the smoke and saw the ruins of Clemont's device.
"I knew it!" Clemont shouted in pain.
"Another one bites the dust," Bonnie said plainly.
"You'll get the hang of it Clemont," Alec told him, trying to reassure his friend.
"How are we going to find Moltres now?" Ash questioned. Clemont's device then started moving again and chased the group around. "Clemont, what's it doing?!" Ash asked him.
"It's gone haywire!" Clemont answered. The machine then sped past them and into a large lava pool below.
"That was close," Serena said. Two claws then came out and grabbed Pikachu and Ethan.
"Ethan!" Alec shouted.
"Pikachu, no!" Ash cried out at the same time.
"Pikachu yes!" Meowth declared, standing on top of a rock with the rest of Team Rocket before the three did their motto. Pikachu and Ethan meanwhile, were trapped in glass balls that were likely attack-proof.
"You followed us again!" Serena shouted in annoyance.
"Perceptive," James noted. "The plan was to make Moltres into one of our associates."
"But since the odds of you finding it are zero, we'll take Pikachu and Umbreon and call it a day.
"Fletchinder, let's go!" Ash shouted.
"Rhino, you're up!" Alec called out, letting out his Rhyperior.
"Two can play that game!" Jessie shouted.
"The game is rigged in our favor!" James added. James let out his Inkay and Jessie let out a newly evolved Gourgeist.
"When did Jessie get a Gourgeist?" Clemont asked.
"I found some simple fool to do a trade then trade back to get Gourgeist to evolve. Now Gourgeist, Shadow Ball!" Jessie commanded.
"Inkay, Psybeam!" James ordered. The two attacks went towards Fletchinder, but Rhino jumped in front of the bird and took them both, not leaving a scratch on him.
"That Gourgeist size is so rare!" Trevor suddenly shouted, taking pictures of Gourgeist.
"Trevor! Save the pics for another time!" Serena shouted.
"Oh right. Charmeleon, Flamethrower!" Trevor commanded.
"Defect it with Psybeam!" James shouted. The two attacks clashed causing an explosion.
"Rhino, use Rock Wrecker!" Alec called out. Rhino moved his arms so the holes on his hands could shoot out small rocks that formed a larger one and sent it towards Gourgeist and Inkay, both dodged.
"That Rhyperior is annoying me," Jessie declared. "Gourgeist, finish it with Shadow Ball!"
"Inkay, Psybeam!" James shouted at the same time Jessie called her move. Rhino took both attacks again, not even scratching him. Fletchinder then swooped in and hit both Pokémon with Steel Wing.
"Urghhh! Forget Rhyperior! Target Fletchinder with Shadow Ball! Once more with feeling!" Jessie commanded.
"And it's Psybeam for the win!" James added. The two attacked Fletchinder as he flew over the lava pool dodging the attacks. The two attacks went so wild that some large boulders were knocked loose and fell into the lava.
"Either fall easily or stop being a moving target!" Jessie shouted in annoyance.
[WHO DARES TO DISTURB ME!] a loud boy and girl voice shouted.
[Uh, what was that?] Fletchinder asked, slightly nervous.
"What's that?" Ash asked, everyone looking towards the lava.
[WHO DISTURBS MY SLEEP!?] the voices asked.
"I think we just pissed something off," Alec said, fear creeping into his mind.
"You don't think that…" Trevor started when the lava burst up. Bonnie grabbed onto Clemont while Rhino grabbed those closest to him, which happened to be Ash and Serena, in a protective manner.
A figure then appeared in the lava plume. "Moltres!" Alec said in slight awe and fear.
The lava plume then ended, Moltres flying above everyone. "So Moltres was here! Hiding in the volcano's magma all along!" Clemont shouted in surprise and awe.
"I've heard something like that before. It's said that Moltres builds up its power by sleeping in volcanoes," Trevor said, taking a quick picture of Moltres.
"Hold on. If Moltres sleeps in lava, then did we just wake it up?" Serena asked in fear.
Moltres' eyes then opened and looked at the humans and Pokémon beneath it. "Okay, let's go back to Plan A! Take Moltres away!" Jessie shouted.
"Okay. Inkay, Psybeam!" James commanded.
"Gourgeist, Shadow Ball!" Jessie ordered. The two fired on Moltres, who blocked the attacks with its wing effortlessly. Moltres then fired a powerful Flamethrower at Team Rocket, sending them into a blastoff.
While Pikachu and Ethan had been sent with them, they came back towards the ground still in the spheres they were trapped in. "Quick Fletchinder. Use Steel Wing!" Ash called out. Fletchinder flew towards Pikachu and Ethan and hit both spheres with his attack, freeing both Pokémon.
"Ethan! You're alright!" Alec shouted as he caught his partner.
[Of course, I am. I'm me,] Ethan commented.
[You'll never change, will you?] Rhino asked Ethan rhetorically.
[Nope,] Ethan answered.
Moltres wasn't done, however, as it shot Flamethrower at everyone remaining. "I think Moltres thinks we're friends with Team Rocket!" Clemont theorized.
Alec jumped out of the cover he was in and approached Moltres. "Moltres! You can calm down! We're not your enemies!" Alec told it. Moltres didn't listen though and shot another Flamethrower at Alec, which Rhino blocked, doing some damage. "Seems we don't have a choice. Rhino, use Rock Wrecker!" Alec ordered. Rhino fired multiple boulders at Moltres, who either dodged or blocked easily. Moltres then shot Flamethrower at one boulder heading towards him and overpowered it, the Flamethrower sending Rhino into the nearby cliff. "Rhino!" Alec shouted.
"Frogadier, I choose you!" Ash shouted. "Use Water Pulse!" he commanded. Frogadier shot the liquid orb at Moltres, but it evaporated on contact.
"Let's try fire. Charmeleon, Flamethrower!" Trevor commanded. Charmeleon fired, but Moltres took the attack like it was nothing.
Moltres then shot another Flamethrower, this time at Fletchinder, who was hovering over the lava pool. Fletchinder managed to dodge the attacks and close in on Moltres. Moltes then got a lucky Flamethrower that sent Fletchinder into the cliff, then onto a platform across from the rest of the group and over the lava.
"Fletchinder, you okay?!" Ash shouted as Moltres hovered near the injured bird. Ash then started to move towards Fletchinder.
"Ash don't!" Alec told him, grabbing his hand as Frogadier stepped in front of his trainer.
"Alec, let me go! Fletchinder, I'm coming!" Ash shouted. Moltres then turned towards the group and launched a Flamethrower towards them. Rhino then appeared in front of Alec and Ash, arms opened protectively.
"Rhino, move!" Alec ordered.
[Not happenin' boss,] Rhino replied firmly, but shakily.
Before the flames hit anyone, Fletchinder flew in front of them, his body glowing blue. "Fletchinder's evolving!" Ash realized. When the light cleared, it pushed away the flames and Talonflame appeared in Fletchinder's place.
Moltres then dived down towards Talonflame, who's body was surrounded by blue fire and hit Moltres. "That was Brave Bird!" Alec shouted.
"That's one of the strongest Flying-type moves!" Clemont added.
Moltres then tried to shot Talonflame with Flamethrower. "Now Talonflame, Brave Bird!" Ash ordered. Talonflame dodged Moltres's attack and flew up towards the sun, diving out of the light like a predator. He dodged two more Flamethrowers from Moltres and scored a hit on the Legendary Pokémon.
"Rhino, let's help out. Rock Wrecker!" Alec commanded. Rhino only got the chance to fire off a single boulder though, as Moltres turned and scored another Flamethrower on Rhino, knocking him down. "Rhino! You alright?" Alec asked him.
[Not really. Moltres is stronger than I thought,] he admitted. Alec pulled out Rhino's Great Ball.
"Get some rest. You did good," Alec told him before activating the return sequence.
"Talonflame!" Ash suddenly shouted, diverting Alec's attention to the battle. Talonflame had just been hit with what appeared to be Fire Blast. Talonflame was now falling towards the lava.
"Ash, what are you doing?!" Serena shouted. Alec ran up only to see Ash running down the side of the cliff towards the lava and jump out to catch Talonflame.
"Ethan, Psychic!" Alec called out. As that was happening, Frogadier quickly threw his frubbles to grab Ash, stopping him as Ethan's Psychic grabbed him. Ash and Talonflame were just above the lava. Ethan brought up Ash back to the rest of the group. Moltres didn't attack again for some reason, but Alec saw that as an improvement.
"That was too close," Clemont commented.
"Warn me next time you decide to jump off a cliff. That seems to be a habit of yours," Alec commented, trying to lighten the mood.
"Don't you do something like that again! I was so worried," Serena told Ash, trying to keep tears out of her eyes.
[Seriously, Ash,] Pikachu added.
"Sorry I scared you all like that," Ash apologized.
The group then remembered Moltres and turned to see it hovering over them. It didn't say anything as it left. "I think Moltres realized we weren't its enemies," Alec said.
"Wonder where Moltres will go now?" Ash wondered.
The group headed back down the mountain as Trevor admired the photo he took. "Wow, I got a really great shot!" he said excitedly.
"That's great," Serena told him.
"And Talonflame evolved, so I think that was worth it," Ash said.
[As long as you stop jumping down cliffs,] Ethan remarked.
"Oh, before I forget," Trevor said before taking a picture of Talonflame and Forgadier. "Gotta keep expanding my collection," he remarked. The group then said their goodbyes to Trevor and continued towards Anistar City.