Chapter 12: A Day in Slateport City!
Ash adjusted his cap as he stepped out of the car and breathed the fresh air. "We're back in Slateport, Pikachu!" Ash exclaimed with a grin on his face. The trio had been to Slateport City before when they accompanied Jinny to the Friendship Festival. Now, they were back to attend the Slateport Tournament on their way to the Sky Pillar. Goh and Chloe also exited the car, and Sobble and Eevee followed them. They were currently in front of the Slateport Pokémon Center.
"Thank you for driving us, Looker!" Goh said as he shook Looker's hand through the window. "You saved us a lot of time, and we can participate in the tournament tomorrow!"
"You're welcome, Goh," Looker responded from inside the car. "I'll have to get going to another part of the city. I wish you best of luck for the tournament!" Looker closed the window, and he drove away from the three. He had business to attend to, and he was in the middle of an investigation, regarding Team Aqua's presence in Slateport City.
"Sob!" Sobble quietly murmured to himself. He was sad to see Looker go, but he missed Inteleon most of all. Yesterday, it showed him a lot of moves and gave him plenty of advice. He knew that the tournament was tomorrow, and he wanted to be prepared. "Sobble!" Sobble exclaimed, drawing the attention of Goh. Sobble then proceeded to mimic Inteleon's Snipe Shot.
"You want to train for the tournament?" Goh asked as he bent down. "That sounds like a great idea!" Goh pulled out his phone and began searching for interesting locations near the city. While he browsed through the map, Chloe was looking at a poster pasted on the outside of the Pokémon Center.
"Eevee, look! It says here that there is something called a Pokémon Contest in the city." Chloe spoke while reading the poster. "It sounds interesting. Maybe we could take a look?"
"Contests are exciting," Ash chimed in, walking toward Chloe with Pikachu on his shoulder. "I participated in some of them, and they are really unique!" He was about to continue talking more about his contest experience, but another poster caught his eye.
"No way!" he exclaimed as he rushed to the poster. "There's a PokéRinger competition here!" Ash had participated in two previous PokéRinger competitions, and he had won both of them. Seeing the poster made him more excited than before, and he wanted to enter the Slateport PokéRinger. "I can use Dragonite!" he shouted, glancing at Dragonite's Pokéball.
"Sobble! There's a harbor nearby with lots of Wild Pokémon. Why don't we train by catching some more Pokémon?" Goh suggested as he showed Sobble the map. "This is the perfect opportunity to become stronger!"
"Sobble!" Sobble yelled as he jumped onto Goh's shoulder. He was looking forward to battling Pokémon, and he wanted to show Inteleon how strong he would be the next time they meet.
After the trio talked to each other about what they wanted to do today, they ultimately decided to split up and come back to the Pokémon Center before the end of the day.
"We have our phones to contact each other, so we can use them if we run into any trouble," Goh shouted back as he ran to the direction of the harbor. "See you guys, soon!" Ash and Chloe waved goodbye as well while they went their separate directions. It seemed strange to split up, but they were excited to see what adventures they will experience today.
"We're back at the port!" Goh exclaimed as he and Sobble stared at the water before them. "Last time I was here, I caught a Wingull. I wonder what other Pokémon we will catch today."
"Sob?" Sobble asked as he looked closer at the water. There was a large blue figure that camouflaged with the ocean, and he had never seen the Pokémon before. It was large and spherical, and it was currently sleeping.
"What Pokémon is that?" Goh asked, scanning the Pokémon with his Rotom Phone.
"Wailmer, the Ball Whale Pokémon. A Water type. It spouts water out of its nose and becomes lethargic when its body becomes dry."
"Cool," Goh spoke as he pointed at Wailmer. "Sobble, prepare yourself! Rush over and use Pound!"
Sobble nodded and jumped onto Wailmer's large body. It was slippery, and Sobble had some trouble standing on it initially. But he managed to hold on and execute the Pound attack. Sobble slammed onto Wailmer, and the entire body shook from the attack. However, Wailmer was still sleeping, and the attack didn't seem to do any damage. Discouraged, Sobble muttered "Sob," and continued hitting the Wailmer with Pound multiple times, but the only reaction from it was a snore.
"Sobble!" Sobble sadly remarked after he sat down on top of Wailmer. It was no use. Wailmer was too large, and he was too weak to take it on.
"Don't give up!" Goh encouraged, shouting at Sobble. "Use Water Gun!"
Sobble blasted a stream of water from his mouth at the Wailmer, but Wailmer merely grunted "Wail," and continued sleeping.
"Sobble!" Sobble dejectedly exclaimed as he hung his head low. Water Gun was the only other move he knew, and it was even less effective than his Pound. At this rate, he wouldn't catch up to Looker's Inteleon.
Goh looked at Sobble with a worried expression. There must be something that Sobble could do to the spherical-shaped Pokémon. "It looks like a ball," Goh thought to himself as he observed Wailmer. Suddenly, his face lit up. He had an idea, and he believed that it was worth a shot. "Sobble! Run on Wailmer!" Goh ordered, watching Sobble with a confident smile. At first, Sobble was confused by his trainer's strange request, but he began running. As he ran, Wailmer began to spin faster and faster. It soon woke up and found itself spinning. "Wailmer," it moaned as the world around it looked dizzy. There were spirals in its eyes, and it couldn't see anything properly.
"Now's your chance! Pound on its face!" Goh commanded, thrusting his left arm forward. Sobble stopped running and jumped off Wailmer who continued to spin. He then charged forward and slammed into Wailmer's face. "Wailmer!" Wailmer wailed from the pain. The dizziness had made it vulnerable, and it couldn't fight back.
"Pokéball! Go!" Goh yelled as he threw a Pokéball at Wailmer. Wailmer was sucked into the Pokéball, and the ball fell onto the ground, slowly shaking until it stopped. A ding could be heard from Goh's Rotom Phone, and it declared:
"Wailmer's data will be added to the Pokédex!"
"We did it, Sobble!" Goh happily exclaimed as he picked up the Water Lizard Pokémon. Sobble was beaming with pride. It wasn't as impressive as the battles he had seen, but he was proud of defeating Wailmer with Goh's clever strategy. While Goh was laughing with Sobble, a voice piqued from behind him.
"That was a clever strategy, kid."
Goh and Sobble turned around to face an old man with a white mustache. Despite his age, he was strong and muscular, and he wore black sailor-like clothes with a yellow Pokéball emblem. He also had a white hat with a black bottom and another Pokéball symbol on top of his head.
"Thank you," Goh sheepishly said, looking at the strange man. "Sobble and I are training for the Slateport Tournament, and we hope to win!"
"The tournament?" the man repeated as he stared at the boy and his Pokémon. "There will be lots of strong trainers. It's not going to be easy to get into the top three, especially with a Sobble. Don't you have any other Pokémon?"
"I do, but I want to use Sobble as one of my three Pokémon. That's the only way to get stronger, so I can achieve my dream of catching all Pokémon!" Goh replied with a wide smile on his face. "Sobble!" Sobble agreed. He also wanted to get stronger.
"Interesting," the man stated after hearing about Goh's dream of catching all Pokémon. "You really are something, and I would like to see your skill. Care for a battle?"
"I accept your challenge!" Goh eagerly replied while raising his fist in the air. "My Pokémon and I will prove to you how strong we are. Where will we battle?"
"I have a ship," the main said as he started to walk away. "We can battle there, and I would like to see your full potential."
"Awesome!" Goh spoke as he and Sobble followed the man. "I'm Goh by the way. What's your name?"
"I am Captain Drake," the man responded with a half-grin. "But you can call me Drake."
"This is the spot, Pikachu!" Ash exclaimed to his partner as he looked at the field. "This is the PokéRinger arena, and I can see the goalpost!" Ash was currently standing in the stadium stands after he and Dragonite registered for the competition. He had great memories of the last PokéRingers he attended, and he believed that the competition was the perfect way to train Dragonite.
"Dragonite! Come out!" Ash shouted, throwing the Pokéball into the air. Dragonite emerged and gave Ash a tight hug.
"Cut that out, Dragonite!" Ash witched as he was squeezed by Dragonite's strong arms. "Today, you'll be partaking in the PokéRinger competition!"
"Dragon?" Dragonite asked after releasing his trainer. He looked around and saw that there were many different types of Pokémon flying in the air.
"That's right! It's a competition where you try to be the first to place a ring onto the goalpost while you battle your opponent's Pokémon. It's really exciting, and I can't wait to win this!" Ash spoke with a large grin on his face.
"Tough luck!" a voice interrupted Ash and Dragonite from behind. "You don't stand a chance against me, Greninja boy!"
Ash turned his head to see a large man approaching him. He had a long beard, and he had many paint markings on his body. He also swung a large umbrella around him, and Ash noticed that there was a Dragapult floating near the trainer. He remembered that Leon had one, and it helped fight against a rampaging Dynamax Pokémon.
"Greninja boy?" Ash asked with a confused expression, looking at the burly man. "Do I know you?"
The man struck an intimidating pose at Ash and glared at him. "I am the great Remo, and I participated in the Kalos League. How dare you do not remember me!?" he haughtily spoke, pointing the umbrella at Ash.
Ash pondered for a moment, and his face lit up as he recalled Remo's battle. "Now, I remember!" he said with a grin. "You had a Garchomp who could Mega Evolve, and Alain beat you with just two Pokémon!"
"Pah!" Remo responded as he angrily swung the umbrella. "I might have lost to Alain, but so have you. We didn't get a chance to battle at Kalos, but if we did, I would have crushed you!"
"Crushed me!?" Ash shot back as he stepped closer to Remo. "You only took down one of his Pokémon, while I knocked out five! I'm stronger than you!"
"Really?" Remo smirked as he glanced at the upset Ash. "Usually, I would challenge you to a battle, but we'll just have to prove who's stronger in this PokéRinger competition!"
"Fine!" Ash retorted. He was all fired up, and even Dragonite and Dragapult were glaring at each other. Neither of them wanted to lose against the other, and there was tension in the air between the two Dragon-type Pokémon.
Remo laughed and walked away with Dragapult. "Good luck!" he called back. "You're going to need it!"
"That was odd," Ash muttered while he looked at Remo walk away. He never expected a person like him to participate in the PokéRinger, and he didn't get a chance to battle him at Kalos. "I'm going to need to be careful. He made it to the semifinals," Ash pondered, glancing again at Dragapult. "That Dragapult looks strong."
"Pikachu!" Pikachu said as he nodded. He too thought that Remo was a strange person. Before Ash could continue speaking to Dragonite, the broadcaster announced that the competition was starting soon, and Ash rushed over to the competitors' tent with Dragonite walking behind him.
Chloe and Eevee were standing outside of a huge stadium. "I guess this is it," she said as she looked at her phone. The address on the poster said that the Pokémon Contest was taking place in the local stadium, and the map on your phone had led her here. It was a bit early, and there were a couple of people entering the stadium. Chloe guessed that they were competitors and quietly made her way toward the building with Eevee in her arms. As she opened the door, she stepped inside and looked at the portraits of people holding ribbons. "I wonder who they are?" she asked out loud.
"They're Coordinators," a voice replied behind Chloe. Chloe turned around to see a girl standing there. The girl had long green hair, and she was wearing a blue glimmering dress with a bow tie. She had cloud-like fluff attaches to her arms and legs.
"Coordinators?" Chloe inquired, looking at the girl. The girl's clothing reminded Chloe of an Altaria, but the way that she wore it made her look very elegant.
The girl chuckled at Chloe's question and smiled. "A Coordinator is a kind of trainer that participates in Pokémon Contests. There are many Coordinators worldwide, and Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh are places where there are lots of Contests. There are also some ones in Unova and Galar," the girl explained while she looked at Chloe's Eevee. "Are you planning on becoming one?"
Chloe shook her head. "I'm planning on observing what Contests are like," she spoke with an unsure expression. "A friend of mine said that they were interesting."
"Your friend is right!" the girl responded with a wink. "You're in for a treat! Is he or she in this Contest?"
"No," Chloe responded, wondering why the girl was so interested in her. "He's a trainer, and he's more interested in battling. Right now, he's busy participating in the Pokémon World Championships."
"Pokémon World Championships? My uncle is in it!" the girl happily exclaimed. Before she could continue, a pink watch on her right hand beeped, and she looked at it. "Oh dear!" she said with a worried expression. "It was nice meeting you, but I have to go! Duty calls!" With that, she briskly walked away, leaving a confused Chloe and Eevee behind.
"I wonder who she is," Chloe thought as she glanced back at the portraits. The people in them looked so happy, and she saw many kinds of boys and girls with different ages. There was an adult with brown hair holding a trophy, and a blue-haired girl lifting a unique ribbon in the air. A girl with a Beautifly and another girl with honey-blonde hair with her Sylveon also caught Chloe's attention. She wondered if being a Coordinator was her meaning in life, and Eevee noticed what Chloe was thinking from the stern expression on her face.
"Eevee!" Eevee uttered to her trainer. She hated seeing Chloe look so worried, and she knew that her trainer would find her dream when she was ready.
Chloe saw Eevee's reassuring face and smiled. Eevee was struggling with the same problem, and it made her feel better that she wasn't alone in her search. "Thank you, Eevee," Chloe spoke, embracing the Pokémon in a tight hug. "We'll find our goal together. Now, let's go find our seats. The Contest will be starting soon!"
"Woah! You weren't kidding!" Goh shouted as he looked at the huge ship. He could see a crew of people working on the ship, and there was a large battlefield in the middle. Drake stepped onto the ship, and Goh eagerly followed while looking at the large masts.
"Captain," a person called out as he was cleaning the deck. "You brought back a competitor?"
Drake nodded and approached one end of the battlefield, while Goh and Sobble walked to the other end. "How many Pokémon you would like to use? I have all six," he spoke as he grabbed a Pokéball from his belt.
Goh thought for a moment and decided that this was the perfect opportunity to train his entire team. "How does a 3 vs 3 battle sound?" he shouted back, cupping his hands near his mouth.
"Good to me," Drake responded as he gestured toward one of the crew to step forward. The crew membered positioned himself between the two trainer and announced, "This battle will be a 3 vs 3 battle between Drake and Goh!" The other sailors stopped working, and they were now watching from the deck. They knew that Drake sought out trainers who think differently, and they were curious to see Goh's ability.
"Sobble, wait here," Goh commanded as he pulled out a Pokéball. "I want to use someone else first. Cinderace! Go!"
"Cinder!" Cinderace exclaimed as he jumped onto the battlefield. Drake looked at the Cinderace and smirked. He tossed his Pokéball into the air, revealing a Flygon.
"Flygon," Goh muttered, looking at the Mystic Pokémon. He caught a Flygon once in Mauville City, and Drake's Flygon looked a lot stronger than his.
"You may make the first move," Drake spoke, pointing toward Goh and Cinderace.
"Pyro Ball!" Goh ordered, and Cinderace launched a flaming pebble toward the Flygon. The Pyro Ball made contact with the Flygon, and smoke formed from the impact. "Alright!" Goh exclaimed, but he was shocked to see that the Pyro Ball didn't deal much damage to Flygon.
"Dragon Rush," Drake calmly stated, and Flygon rushed forward and slammed into Cinderace before Cinderace could react.
Cinderace wailed, "Cinderace" as he collapsed from the floor. He managed to get up from the ground, but there were many bruises on his body. He started to pant, while Flygon ominously hovered in the air.
"Cinderace!" Goh called out in worry. He had never seen a Pokémon this strong before, and he now knew that Drake wasn't an ordinary trainer. That Flygon was well-trained, and it was going to be a tough opponent to beat.
"Draco Meteor," Drake commanded with thrusting his right hand forward. He was slightly surprised to see a smile form on Goh's face. "Cinderace!" he asked with a wide grin. "Remember what we did last time?"
"Cinder!" Cinderace confirmed as he watched the meteors come closer and closer to him.
"Now! Jump and use Pyro Ball!" Goh ordered, pointing at the meteors. Cinderace jumped onto the meteors and headed toward Flygon. Once he was on the closest meteor, he jumped off and kicked the last meteor with his foot. The meteor caught on fire and broke into many fragments as it came crashing down at Flygon.
"Fly!" Flygon screamed as the fragments collided with it. It was thrown backward from the powerful impact, but it still remained flying in the air.
"It's still not enough," Goh commented as he watched Flygon. There were some injuries on it, but the Mystic Pokémon was still able to battle. He was about to issue another attack, but Drake recalled Flygon back into its Pokéball.
"Clever," he said with a grin. "You used my own attack against me, but I want to see you deal with this Pokémon!" He grabbed another Pokéball and released it. The Pokémon was small and round, and it had a tough shell surrounding it.
"What Pokémon is this?" he asked, pulling out his Rotom Phone.
"Shelgon, the Endurance Pokémon. A Dragon type. This Pokémon has covered its body in a hard shell that has the same composition as bone. Shelgon stores energy for evolution," the phone rang in response.
"It looks slow!" Goh proclaimed as he carefully observed Shelgon. "Cinderace! Quick Attack!"
Cinderace charged toward Shelgon and slammed into it, causing it to stumble backward. Despite the damage, Shelgon looked almost unscathed from the attack.
"We need to use something more powerful! Blaze Kick!" Goh shouted as he pointed at Shelgon. The shell must have given Shelgon a high defense, but Goh was confident that the attacks would eventually injure the Pokémon. Strangely, Drake didn't order a command and simply watched Cinderace kick Shelgon with is flaming foot. He appeared to be waiting for something, but Goh didn't know what he was waiting for. Just before, Cinderace was about to land another Blaze Kick, Drake suddenly yelled, "Dragon Breath and follow it up with Dragon Claw."
Shelgon opened its mouth and released a mighty gust of purple that slammed into Cinderace. Cinderace tumbled backward from the attack, but he had no time to recover when Shelgon slashed him with its glowing green legs.
"Cinderace!" Cinderace groaned from the powerful two attacks before falling to the ground. His eyes were in spirals, and the referee declared that he was knocked out.
"Cinderace!" Goh shouted as he rushed over to his fallen Pokémon. He couldn't believe how powerful Shelgon was. Drake was waiting for him to drop his guard and struck Cinderace with a powerful combination attack.
"Sobble," Sobble anxiously spoke, standing near Cinderace. He had never seen Cinderace been beaten so easily and was starting to have second thoughts about their training session.
"Thank you, Cinderace," Goh gloomily said, returning the Striker Pokémon back to the Pokéball. He glanced again at Shelgon and turned toward Sobble. "Sobble, are you ready?"
"Sob!" Sobble squealed as he slowly backed away. He was scared of Shelgon, and he had no chance of defeating it. However, Goh merely smiled and picked him up. "Sobble. You can do this," Goh calmy stated. "I believe in you."
Sobble quavered, "Sob!" in response, but he saw Goh's confident expression and glanced back at Shelgon. If he wanted to become stronger like Inteleon, he had to face his opponent. With that in mind, Sobble nodded and hopped out of Goh's arms. He bravely stepped forward and faced Shelgon.
"Alright!" Goh exclaimed while pointing at Shelgon. "Sobble, don't get too close! Water Gun!"
Sobble shot out a stream of water, and it crashed onto Shelgon's face. Despite the impact, Shelgon didn't seem to mind the water and simply grunted. "Sobble," Sobble discouraged said. Other than Water Gun, he only knew Pound, and it was dangerous to be close to Shelgon.
"Shelgon, Dragon Breath" Drake ordered, lifting his cap slightly upward. Shelgon released a gust of purple again, and it was heading toward Sobble.
"Sobble!" Sobble panicked as he watched the Dragon Breath soar toward him, but Goh's voice snapped him out of his terror.
"Shoot Water Gun upward and hide!"
"Sob!" Sobble reassured himself as he launched Water Gun upward. The water trickled onto his skin, and he became invisible. He swiftly dodged out of the way, and Shelgon was confused when it could no longer see Sobble.
"Shel?" Shelgon questioned as it looked around. Sobble had vanished, and it was trying to find it.
"Interesting strategy," Drake praised as he saw Shelgon's confusion. "You used one of your moves as an advantage. Most trainers would have countered the Dragon Breath with another attack."
"Sobble is different," Goh responded confidently as he swung his left hand forward. "He isn't suited for a direct confrontation, and we're using a hit-and-run strategy! Use Pound!"
Sobble suddenly reappeared behind Shelgon and hit the Pokémon with his hands. Shelgon winched from the pain and turned back to face Sobble, but Sobble was already gone.
Drake wasn't discouraged with Sobble's strategy, and he was smiling. It was a while before he encountered a smart trainer like Goh. "It's still nearby. Use Rock Tomb," he ordered, and Shelgon began summoning a bunch of boulders and hurled them nearby. Eventually, one of the rocks slammed into Sobble, and Sobble toppled backward from the collision.
"Sob!" Sobble groaned as he got up. The attack was powerful, and he was having a hard time continue battling. But Goh's encouraging words helping him, and he was soon ready to face Shelgon again.
"Don't give up!" Goh shouted with encouragement. "Hide yourself once more with Water Gun!"
"We aren't going to fall for the same strategy twice," Drake responded, pointing at Sobble. "Double-Edge!"
Shelgon became enveloped in a golden aura and charged toward Sobble with astonishing speed. Frightened, Sobble canceled his attack and could only watch as Shelgon came rushing toward him. Sobble looked around for somewhere to hide, but there was no place for him to take cover on the barren battlefield.
"Sobble! Don't be afraid!" Goh yelled when he saw Sobble's worried expression. "Use Pound! Sometimes, the best defense is a good offense!" He remembered hearing Ash say that phrase during his training sessions.
Trusting his trainer, Sobble ran toward Shelgon and prepared to use Pound, but something was different. His tail was glowing yellow, and he swung it at the charging Shelgon with all his might. The Shelgon stopped temporarily, but before it could further advance, Sobble automatically returned to his Pokéball. After that, another Pokéball was released, and Aerodactyl appeared.
"Aero!" Aerodactyl roared as he glanced at Shelgon. Shelgon stopped charging and looked up with a perplexed expression. Goh was also confused. "Sobble must have used a new move," he thought as he pulled out his Rotom Phone.
"Rotom Phone? What move was that?" he inquired, looking at the phone's screen.
"U-Turn allows Sobble to switch places with another Pokémon in waiting after making its attack."
Goh's eyes lit up, and he grabbed Sobble's Pokéball. "I can't believe you learned U-Turn, Sobble!" he exclaimed as he threw the ball in the air. Sobble appeared near Goh, and Goh congratulate him.
"Sob!" Sobble replied with sparkles in his eyes. He learned a new move, and he had gotten stronger. He felt proud of his achievement and couldn't wait to show it to Inteleon the next time they meet.
Drake chuckled at Goh and Sobble's interaction and glimpsed back up at Aerodactyl. "I see that your Aerodactyl has a Mega Stone," he said, noticing the chain necklace around the Pokémon's neck. "I look forward to seeing its potential."
"He can't Mega Evolve yet," Goh nervously responded while rubbing his hair. "I don't have a Key Stone, and I was hoping to get one for the Slateport Tournament."
"I see," Drake replied while he recalled Shelgon. "I'll bring out my last Pokémon, and I wonder if you and Aerodactyl can take him on!" He tossed a different Pokéball into the air, and a large Pokémon emerged onto the field.
Once Aerodactyl saw the Pokémon, he furiously roared and grunted. It was a Salamence, and Aerodactyl remembered how he lost to J's Salamence. This Salamence looked much stronger than J's, and it had a menacing look on its face. Aerodactyl was determined to win this battle and redeem himself.
"Quick! Dragonite! Aim for the goalpost!" Ash declared from his hot air balloon.
"Pika!" Pikachu encouraged as it watched a Staraptor chase Dragonite, who was currently holding the ring in its right hand.
"Dragon!" Dragonite yelled as he flew himself to the goalpost. Despite Staraptor's attacks, Dragonite had successfully dodged them, and he was getting closer and closer to the goalpost. Once he was in range, he threw the ring at one of the hooks, and the ring landed inside.
"Ash and Dragonite wins this round!" the announcer declared while the audience clapped for the Dragon Pokémon and his trainer.
"Great job, Dragonite!" Ash praised as he slapped his Pokémon's back. Dragonite squealed happily and embraced Ash in another hug. They were rapidly advancing in the ranks, and they were in the semifinals.
"We just need to beat two more people to win!" Ash said as he attempted to escape from Dragonite's hug. He looked up at the scoreboard and saw that Remo was in the semifinals as well. "We're going to face him if he wins," he stated as he looked back to the field to see Dragapult face off with a Toucannon. But his words were interrupted by the announcer, and he heard that he was competing with another trainer called Ben and a Pokémon he had never seen before.
As Ash made his way to the hot air balloon with Pikachu, he saw that his opponent was doing the same. Dragonite was flying in the air, and there was a large black Pokémon with red eyes next to it. "What Pokémon is it?" Ash asked himself while he pulled out his Rotom Phone.
"Corviknight, the Raven Pokémon. A Flying and Steel type. This Pokémon reigns supreme in the skies of the Galar region. The black luster of its steel body could drive terror into the heart of any foe," his phone replied after he scanned it.
"Corviknight," Ash repeated, staring at the Corviknight in front of him. It was large, and its eyes were truly frightening. "Dragonite! Be careful!" Ash called before the referee swung a flag to signify the start of the competition.
"Corviknight, get the ring before Dragonite!" Ben ordered as soon as the flag went down. Corviknight lunged toward the ring with its powerful wings.
"Dragonite! Use Dragon Dance and chase after Corviknight!" Ash shouted while he watched Dragonite begin to spin. Dragonite's attack and speed were boosted, and the Pokémon soared toward Corviknight who was about to grab the ring with its talons. But Dragonite's speed caught the Rave Pokémon by surprise, and he slammed into Corviknight before it could grab the ring.
"Corv!" Corviknight groaned from the impact before recovering to watch Dragonite pluck the ring and head toward the goalpost.
"Brave Bird!" Ben commanded, pointing at Dragonite. Corviknight glowed orange and charged toward Dragonite as it begun to execute the Brave Bird attack.
"Dodge it!" Ash shouted, but he was too late. Corviknight slammed into Dragonite with a powerful Brave Bird attack, and the ring fell out of Dragonite's grasp as he winced in pain. Corviknight swiftly picked up the ring and flew toward the goalpost.
"Dragon Claw!" Ash exclaimed while thrusting his right arm forward. Dragonite roared as one of his claws extended and glowed green. He then dived toward Corviknight and struck the Raven Pokémon with the claw. Corviknight grimaced from the attack, and it lost the ring.
"Get it!" Ash and Ben both yelled at the same time. Dragonite and Corviknight both dived toward the ring, and it was impossible to tell which one would succeed. However, Ash had other plans, and he was waiting for the right time. The ring was getting closer and closer to the ground, until Ash interjected, "Hurricane!"
Dragonite flapped his wings harder and a huge gust of wind formed around the Dragon Pokémon. The sudden wind caused Corviknight to lose balance, and it was swept aside by the wind.
"Corviknight!" Ben screamed as he watched his Pokémon tumble onto the ground. On the other hand, Dragonite successfully grabbed onto the ring and stopped his descent before hitting the ground. He then launched back up and tossed the ring at one of the hooks. The ring entered, and a cheer could be heard from the spectators.
"Ash and Dragonite moves on to the final round!" the announcer declared. "He will be facing Remo and his Dragapult! One of these two will win this year's PokéRinger, but who will it be!?"
"Alright!" Ash exclaimed with a grin. He and Dragonite were unstoppable, and he was confident that he was going to win. He saw Remo compete against other people and knew about Dragapult's Phantom Force. It was going to be a tough struggle for the ring, but Ash had a plan.
"Look at the stage, Eevee!" Chloe spoke with awe as she saw how large it was. There was also a panel of three judges, and a girl was currently on the stage with a microphone.
"Welcome everyone to the Slateport Pokémon Contest!" the woman proclaimed to the audience. "We are honored to see you all here, and my name is Vivian Meridian. I will be the announcer for this contest and let me introduce our wonderful judges." She gestured to the three people and continued speaking, "Please give a warm welcome to Mr. Contesta, the Chief of the Pokémon Activities Committee and Head Judge!"
"It is a pleasure to be here!" Mr. Contesta spoke with a small smile on his face. He was dressed formally, and he had a red suit with a black bowtie. His hair was also well-groomed.
"Next, we have Mr. Sukizo, the President of the Pokémon Fan Club!" Vivian declared as she pointed at a short man with a goofy grin on his face. "Remarkable!" Mr. Sukizo spoke as he waved at everyone.
"Finally, we have Nurse Joy from the Slateport Pokémon Center!" Vivian exclaimed, and Nurse Joy gave a wave to the audience.
"It is an honor to be here again," Nurse Joy warmly said. "Do not hesitate to go to your local Pokémon Center if your Pokémon is feeling unwell!"
"Before we continue," Vivian smirked as she slowly stepped to the side. "We have a very important guest today!"
There were murmurs among the audience as the curtain pulled back to reveal a girl underneath the spotlight. Immediately, the spectators went wild from seeing her, and there were cheers from them. "It's the girl that we met earlier," Chloe whispered, confused by the people's reaction toward her.
"Thank you everyone for your warm welcome!" the girl said as she waved at the audience. "For those who do not know, my name is Lisia, and I am a Top Coordinator. Many of you know about Wallace, and I am his niece. Unfortunately, he's busy running the Sootopolis Gym temporarily, and I am here to fill in for him. I came here to observe Coordinators, and I wish everyone good luck!" She bowed and made her way to a spot next to Nurse Joy.
"She must be really popular," Chloe noted while Vivian explained the rules of the Contest. The Contest had two stages, and the first round was called the Performance Stage, where Coordinators have their Pokémon to perform moves to show their skill and beauty. Next, the judges will decide who will move onto the next round. The Battle Stage was complicated, and Chloe was shocked to learn that it had a time and point limit.
"Eev," Eevee uttered after hearing all the rules. Contests weren't easy, and it sounded difficult to win.
Chloe was deep in thought as Vivian continued to explain what a Contest is. "I thought Ash's and Goh's goals were farfetched, but this seems just as hard," Chloe pondered with a worried expression. "Can I really find my goal?"
"Eevee!" Eevee squealed, snapping Chloe out of her thoughts. The Contest was about to start, and Chloe saw a boy with a suit enter the stage.
"Please welcome George from Postwick and his Gossifleur!" Vivian announced as she pointed at the boy.
"Gossifleur?" Chloe asked as she searched it up on her Rotom Phone. She had never seen this type of Pokémon, and it looked cute.
"Gossifleur, the Flowering Pokémon. A Grass type. It whirls around in the wind while singing a joyous song. This delightful display has charmed many into raising this Pokémon," her Rotom Phone answered.
"Gossifleur!" George commanded, raising his arm in the air. "Use Leaf Tornado and Sing at the same time."
"Goss!" Gossifleur uttered as it summoned a large swirling tornado of leaves and began singing at the same time. Multi-colored notes came out of its mouth and joined the leaves in the tornado. Unlike most tornados, Gossifleur's tornado was slower and more beautiful. The notes glittered as the leaves surrounded it, and Chloe was absorbed by the moves. She had never seen a trainer use Pokémon moves to showcase beauty.
"Now, use Synthesis!" George yelled, and Gossifleur began to glow white and sparkle, while the tornado slowly disappeared. The move brought even more attention to the Pokémon, and the Synthesis made it look even more stunning.
"Wow," Chloe muttered, staring at Gossifleur. She was impressed by Pokémon Contests, and seeing it was much different than hearing about it. Eevee was also engrossed by Gossifleur's performance.
"Finish this with Aromatherapy!" George ordered. Gossifleur glowed pink this time and released a soothing scent that the audience could smell.
"Eevee, it smells so good," Chloe noted as she whiffed the air.
"Eev," Eevee agreed. Smelling the scent made her feel better as she sat in Chloe's lap.
"Thank you, George for your wonderful performance!" Vivian said as George bowed and exited the stage. "Now, please welcome our next contestant!"
"I wonder what the other Coordinators are planning to do," Chloe spoke to herself. She was curious to see what else Coordinators could do with their Pokémon moves. It was different than seeing Ash battling, and Chloe could understand why some trainers prefer to be Coordinators instead.
"Aerodactyl! Let's make the first move! Use Rock Slide!" Goh exclaimed as he pointed at Drake's Salamence. Aerodactyl roared as he summoned and sent a bunch of rocks flying toward the Dragon Pokémon. Salamence took the attack head on and only grunted from the pain. There appeared to be no injuries on the Pokémon as well.
"Thunder Fang," Drake stated, and Salamence's mouth began to glow yellow as electricity formed between its teeth. It soared toward Aerodactyl with immense speed and bit the Fossil Pokémon on one of his wings.
"Aero!" Aerodactyl groaned as the electricity struck his body. It was painful, and when Salamence released him, he felt tired and worn out.
"Aerodactyl!" Goh anxiously yelled, looking at the injuries over his Pokémon's body. Salamence was fast despite its size and weight, and this confirmed Goh's belief that Drake was no ordinary trainer even more.
"Aero," Aerodactyl panted in response, but Goh was glad that he could continue battling. Thrusting his left arm forward, he proclaimed, "Use Dragon Breath!"
"Charge toward it with Dragon Rush," Drake quickly ordered.
Aerodactyl released a light blue beam of energy at Salamence, but Salamence flew toward the beam as it glowed blue. Despite the beam's attack, Salamence swiftly flew through it and collided with Aerodactyl, who was surprised once more.
"Aerodact!" Aerodactyl wailed as he fell onto the ground. Salamence was far stronger than he ever imagined, and he was losing badly. He moaned in pain, but he slowly got up and flew back into the air. He was furious, and he roared as a silver covering appeared on his head.
"Stop, Aerodactyl!" Goh shouted, pleading toward his Pokémon. "Don't charge in recklessly with Iron Head! We need to use a different strategy!"
However, Aerodactyl's anger clouded the Pokémon's logic, and he charged toward Salamence with Iron Head.
"Zen Headbutt," Drake said with a frown. This Aerodactyl had potential, but it wasn't listening to Goh. He was curious to see what Goh would do.
Salamence's forehead glowed as it concentrated all of its energy to its head, and it met the charging Aerodactyl with the attack. Aerodactyl was straining against Salamence, attempting to push it back. But it failed and the Zen Headbutt overcame Aerodactyl as he was thrown to the ground again.
Goh rushed forward to Aerodactyl, but he was already getting up. He was determined to fight to the very end, and he wasn't going to give up. "Aerodactyl," Goh pleaded once more, and Aerodactyl turned to face his trainer. "Remember how we worked together to defeat Beartic. I know that you're desperate to beat Salamence, but we need to try something else," Goh continued speaking as he held out his hand. Aerodactyl glanced at Goh's hand, remembering how Goh calmed him down at the Pewter Museum of Science and how he stopped Beartic from attacking. Aerodactyl approached Goh's hand and placed his head underneath it.
"Aerodactyl!" Goh spoke as he smiled, recalling how Aerodactyl did the same thing when he wanted to catch the Pokémon. His expression became determined as he glanced back at Drake and Salamence. "Let's try to beat them together!" Goh said, and Aerodactly nodded as he flew into the air.
"Interesting," Drake spoke. "You two have been together a lot, but Salamence and I aren't going to hold back. Use Crunch."
Salamence open its mouth and a yellow aura appeared that looked like teeth. The teeth then lunged toward Aerodactyl, biting the Fossil Pokémon. Aerodactyl winced from the attack, but he wasn't backing down.
"Dragon Breath!" Goh ordered with a grin on his face.
"Dragon Rush again," Drake spoke as he glanced at Goh's face. The boy had a plan, and he was curious to see what it was.
Once again, Salamence became enveloped in a blue light and rushed toward the Dragon Breath, but Goh was waiting until Salamence was at the right distance. Once he was that Salamence was close enough, he commanded, "Hyper Beam!"
Aerodactyl charged up a large ball of energy in his mouth and released it in a powerful beam. Salamence was unable to dodge the attack, and the beam slammed into it, causing it to fall onto the ground.
Drake looked at Salamence as it got up and smirked. "You used my strategy of two quick consecutive attacks," he remarked with a tone of slight admiration. "However, you made a mistake. A Pokémon can't attack for a while once it has used Hyper Beam. Finish this with Thunder Fang!" Electricity formed in Salamence's mouth, and it charged toward the defenseless Aerodactly who was too exhausted to do anything.
"Aerodactyl!" Goh shouted, watching Salamence bit Aerodactyl. Aerodactyl wailed in pain once more, and he collapsed onto the ground. He tried to get up, but he shook and fell once more.
"Aerodactyl is unable to battle! Salamence is the winner!" the referee announced.
"Sob," Sobble whispered. Drake knocked out Cinderace and Salamence, and he still had three Pokémon. Goh recalled Aerodactyl and pondered for a moment before Drake recalled his Salamence as well.
"I think that's enough battling for today," he said as he placed the Pokéball back onto his belt. "I wanted to see your skills, and I have seen it today. Your Pokémon has potential, but you need to bond and train with them more."
"Bond and train with them more," Goh repeated as he thought back with his battle against Leaf. "I'll be sure to do that, Drake! Thank you for today's battle! Next time we meet, my Pokémon and I will be even stronger!"
"It was a pleasure battling you Goh," Drake responded with a smile. "It's nice to see a trainer that uses smart strategies. I remember a trainer I met a couple of years ago who used the terrain in his battles."
"The terrain?" Goh asked. It reminded him of Ash who tried to use the terrain to his advantage in his battles.
Drake nodded and spoke, "Yes. You can even use the weather to your advantage. The Dragon-type Gym Leader Raihan does that. I've seen his battles, and they are quite interesting."
Goh remembered seeing Raihan battle against Leon in the Pokémon World Championships. Even though Leon won, Raihan looked like a strong trainer, and he was only the seventh strongest trainer in the world. Before he could continue chatting with Drake, his phone rang, and he saw that it was Ash calling him. He looked at the time, and he saw that it was getting late.
"I really need to get back!" Goh exclaimed as he got off the boat with Sobble. "My friends are wondering about me. Thank you again for that battle!" Drake watched as the boy and his Pokémon ran toward their location.
"He really is something," Drake finally spoke before turning back to face his crewmen.
As Goh ran, he told Ash that he was on his way, but he felt like that something was wrong with Ash. His voice wasn't as cheery as usual, and he sounded disappointed. Goh would have to ask him when he got back to the Pokémon Center.
Ash was the only one outside the Pokémon Center, and he was thinking about his battle against Dragapult. He underestimated Remo and lost. He still remembered Remo's harsh words, and Pikachu looked at him with a worried expression.
"It's okay, Pikachu," Ash spoke with a small smile.
"Pika," Pikachu responded, knowing how hard it was for Ash. Ash thought that he had improved a lot since his lost at the Kalos League, but it was clear that he still had a long way to go. He was worried about losing to Remo. He wasn't even his rival, and if he managed to beat him, then Ash was in trouble. "If I meet Alain or any of my old rivals again, will I manage to beat them?" Ash pondered with a sigh as he drifted back to the earlier events of today.
"Let's do this, Dragonite!" Ash enthusiastically shouted as he entered the hot air balloon. He was finally facing off against Remo, and he was confident that he will win.
"Dragon!" Dragonite responded as he was flying in the air. Remo and Dragapult were on the opposite sides of the field, and they were waiting to begin.
The referee stood between the two trainers and glanced at them. Seeing that they were both ready, he pulled out a flag and announced, "Begin!"
"Dragonite! Dragon Dance!" Ash ordered, watching Dragonite boost his attack power and speed as he spun in the air.
"Drago! Use Dragon Darts!" Remo ordered, pointing at Dragonite with his umbrella. Dragapult launched two Dreepy at Dragonite, but Ash was prepared for the attack.
"Dragonite! Deflect them with Dragon Claw and charge toward Dragapult!" Ash commanded, swinging his right arm forward. Dragonite's right claw glowed green, and he swiped the oncoming Dreepy away and flew toward Dragapult.
"Phantom Force," Remo smirked, watching Dragapult disappear in a portal it summoned. Dragonite stopped its charge and looked around for Dragapult. However, he failed to notice the Dreepy changing their direction and heading toward him.
"Dragonite! Watch out!" Ash yelled. He was surprised that the Dreepy could change direction. Dragonite dodged out of the way just in time, but Dragapult suddenly reappeared from above and lunged at Dragonite. The attack threw Dragonite backward, and the Dreepy saw this as an opportunity and hit Dragonite before returning to Dragapult.
"Dragon!" Dragonite wailed as he was injuried by the two attacked. Ash grimaced as he looked back at Dragapult. This was much harder than he thought, but then he realized that he could deal with Phantom Force and Dragon Darts at the same time. Ash waited for Remo to order a command, knowing that he would go first.
"Dragon Darts again!" Remo confidently yelled with a grin on his face.
"Swipe them away with Dragon Claw and charge!" Ash ordered again.
"This is an interesting showdown, folks!" the announcer proclaimed. "Neither trainer is going toward the ring, and they are more interested in knocking each other out. According to the rules, if one Pokémon is knocked out, the other team is declared as the winner."
"This again!" Remo exclaimed with a scoff. "Phantom Force!"
Dragapult disappeared from view, and Dragonite swung the Dreepy away with his Dragon Claw.
As Dragapult appeared from above, Ash suddenly shouted, "Hurricane!" Dragonite flapped his wings harder and released a massive gust of wind. The wind blew the Dreepy away, and Dragapult was thrown backward as well.
"Now's our chance! Head toward the ring!" Ash yelled, holding onto his cap. Dragonite flew toward the ring and grabbed it, but Remo wasn't finished.
"Drago! Use Infestation!" he ordered. Suddenly, Dragonite screamed in pain and dropped the ring as it was consumed by a green cloud of flying insects.
"What's happening?" Ash panicked as he saw Dragonite roar in constant pain. He had never seen an attack like this before, and he knew that he was in trouble.
"Pikachu!" Pikachu exclaimed, watching Dragonite struggle. He was constantly being attacked, and Dragapult flew downward and grabbed the ring with its mouth.
"Dragonite! Hang in there! Blast the cloud away with Hurricane!" Ash commanded, recovering from his initial shock. Dragonite released another gust of powerful wind, and it dissipated the cloud. But once the attack was over, the insects returned, and Dragonite screamed once more.
"How?" Ash questioned. Dragonite was still receiving damage, and Dragapult was getting closer and closer to the goalpost.
"Infestation attacks the target for four to five times. The target can't flee during this time," Ash's Rotom Phone abruptly replied.
"Four to five times!" Ash shouted with shock. "Dragonite! Ignore it! Use Dragon Claw on Dragapult!"
"Dragon," Dragonite groaned as he tried to see out of the thick swarm. It was difficult, and the constant attack from the insects weren't helping. However, he pushed himself and lunged toward the goalpost once he saw it.
"Eliminate it with Dragon Darts and keep going!" Remo commanded.
Dragapult released two Dreepy and continued flying toward the goalpost. Dragonite attempted to swing the Dreepy away, but the Dreepy dodged and flew around the Dragon Pokémon in a circle. Dragonite winced and tried to find the Dreepy, but he couldn't see them with the swarm. Ash was sweating as he watched the Dreepy fly around.
Once he saw the Dreepy enter the cloud, he warned, "Watch out! Dragonite!" But he was too late. The Dreepy slammed into Dragonite, and Dragonite fell toward the ground and crashed.
"Dragonite!" Ash screamed, but he was interrupted when the announcer spoke. "Dragapult places the ring on the goalpost! Remo is the winner!"
He looked back at Dragapult and saw that Remo was smirking from his victory. Once the swarm was gone and the balloon descended, he rushed toward Dragonite who was knocked out. "Dragonite, don't worry. I'll take you to the Pokémon Center!" he reassured as he recalled his Pokémon.
He was about to go, but he was stopped by Remo. "I'm disappointed, Greninja boy!" Remo roughly proclaimed as he glared at Ash and Pikachu. "I expected more from you, but I guess that's what you get for using a weak Pokémon."
"Dragonite's not weak!" Ash defended with an angry tone. "We've been together a lot!"
Remo laughed and replied, "I doubt that. I train with my Pokémon almost every day, and I can tell you that Dragonite doesn't battle much. If you used your Talonflame, things would be different." He continued laughing as he walked away, and Ash clenched his fist.
"Pika!" Pikachu worriedly spoke as he looked at his trainer. He couldn't see Ash's eyes since they were blocked by his hat, but he recognized that grim expression anywhere.
"He's right," Ash quietly croaked as he began walking. "I haven't been using Dragonite in many battles. The last time he had a serious battle was against Korrina. Remo was been battling and training, while I have been goofing around." He began to break into a spirit toward the Pokémon Center, but Remo's words still rung in his ears.
"That was amazing, Eevee!" Chloe squealed as she stepped outside of the building. The Contest was over, and it was a wonderful experience. She thought that the second round of the Contest was dull, but she was proved wrong. The limits made it more intense, and Coordinators had to focus on showing beauty and battling at the same time.
"Eevee!" Eevee uttered in agreement. She had never seen anything like it, and she was glad that her trainer was happy.
"I'm glad you like it!" a voice suddenly said, and Chloe turned around to face Lisia. She was shocked to see Lisia again and loudly stuttered, "What are you doing here?"
"Don't be too loud! We don't want to attract unwanted attention from my fans!" Lisia quietly spoke with a smile. "I'm here because I'm interested in you and your Eevee."
"Me?" Chloe asked with a shocked expression.
"Eev?" Eevee questioned as well.
"My job is to find potential Coordinators," Lisia explained as she slowly petted Chloe's Eevee. "And I believe that your Eevee has potential."
"I don't know," Chloe muttered with an unsure voice. Contests were interesting, but she wasn't sure of becoming a Coordinator. She needed more time to think about it.
"Well, you should consider it," Lisia said as she winked. Before she continued, her watch beeped once more, and she sighed.
"I'm sorry, but I have to go again!" she yelled as she ran back toward the building. "I hope that you will at least try!"
Chloe solemnly watched as Lisia disappeared and continued walking back toward the Pokémon Center. She was quiet, and she was thinking about Lisia's words. She didn't know much about Coordinators, but she did know that Ash participated in some Contests before. "I should ask him," she mused as she kept walking.
As Chloe approached the center with Eevee, she saw that Goh and Ash were waiting for her outside. Goh was waving at her, while Ash was sulking with a sad expression on his face.
"What happened?" Chloe asked as she looked at Ash. Suddenly, the Pokémon Center chimed, and Ash and Pikachu rushed in, hoping that Dragonite was okay.
Goh sighed and explained, "He lost the PokéRinger competition, and Dragonite was badly wounded. He acted like this when he lost to Bea a while back. He keeps saying that he's a bad trainer, and I'm worried about him."
"I see," Chloe stated as she frowned. She would have to ask her question later. She and Goh walked in the center, while Goh told her all about his crazy day.
"Drake?" Ash perked after swallowing his food. The trio were currently eating dinner, and the three were exchanging stories about their day. Chloe and Ash had finished, and Goh was retelling the story for Ash.
"You know him?" Goh asked, holding a glass of water. "He's really strong."
Ash nodded and responded, "I battled him once. I lost as well, but he did teach me an important lesson of not being overconfident. You're so lucky to get a chance to battle him. I wish I was there."
Hoping that Ash has recovered from his defeat, Chloe began to question, "Ash, what's it like being a Coordinator? Lisia recommended that I try, but I'm not sure."
Ash chuckled, thinking back to his journeys through Hoenn and Sinnoh. "I travelled with two Coordinators once, and I can tell you that it's not an easy task. They did face many challenges, especially Dawn who had a losing streak for a while."
"Did any of them became Top Coordinators?" Chloe questioned as she wiped her mouth with a napkin.
"They were close," Ash spoke as he frowned. "But they all failed on their first try. However, they're trying again, and I hope they eventually succeed."
"Aren't they discouraged?" Chloe prompted curiously.
"Yeah. They were at first, but they aren't giving up." Ash responded as he grabbed more food with his fork. "You should listen to Lisia since she is a famous Top Coordinator. She probably saw something in you that you don't know yet." After he finished talking, he shoved the food in his mouth and chewed it.
In contrast, Goh was looking at his phone for more information about the Slateport Tournament, and he announced, "Tomorrow morning, we need to register the tournament in the Pokémon Center and head our way to a nearby stadium. We should go to bed early since we had a long day today."
After the trio finished their dinner, they prepared for the night and went to bed. Their adventures today were tiring, and all of them were sound asleep except for Ash. "If I want to defeat Leon, I need to train and battle even harder," Ash thought with determination.
Ash will need to overcome Infestation just like he overcame Octolock with Lucario. Goh and Drake had a battle, and this won't be their last. Chloe has learned about Contests, and she is debating n whether to try them or not. The next chapter will be about the Slateport Tournament, and this tournament is important to Goh and Aerodactyl.
Anyway, will Anabel make a debut here in this story?
Maybe. I do plan on bringing the Battle Frontier back, but I still haven't decided on which Frontier Brains should return.
In case after Goh has mastered the Mega Evolution, will he gonna get a Z-Ring too and use Z-Moves to strengthen the bonds with his Pokémon and some of Goh's Pokémon receive some development too? Are you also planning to give Chloe more Pokémon besides Cottonee?
Yes, to both questions.
Remember what I asked a while back regarding Shadow Lugia and Shadow Pokemon, from Pokemon Colosseum, and XD: Gale of Darkness? We all know that their basically Pokemon with their emotions (and possibly memories) suppressed, thus making them soulless fighting machines. Are you planning on implementing them into your story somehow? If so, does that mean you'll also make Pikachu become one? That would make this story so dramatic!
I haven't decided Pikachu's fate in the final villain arc, but I will consider the idea of him becoming a temporary Shadow Pokémon.
Will Ash's Pokémon at Prof Oak's lab and in Alola be joining Ash soon?
It'll be a while for Ash's Pokémon at the Oak Lab and Alola to return, but some old Pokémon from other places might return.
It will be nice if Meloetta and Genesect joins Ash. I think hasn't caught any Pokémon that is female yet. (Genesect is female because of her voice actor).
I think Snivy is Ash's only female Pokémon, but I could be wrong.