Chapter 16: Team Magma Strikes! The Draconid!
"We're finally here!" Ash exclaimed as he stopped in front of a looming old tower. "It's the Sky Pillar!"
"Pikachu!" Pikachu gasped as he glanced at the large tower in front of him. The tower looked old and worn, but it was tall enough that it reached past the clouds.
"It says that the tower was built to respect a Legendary Pokémon that lives far above in the heavens," Goh spoke as he looked at his phone. "I think this tower is meant to thank Rayquaza after saving Hoenn from disaster."
"Wow," Chloe said as she stepped closer to the tower's entrance. "It's even bigger on the inside, but can we go in?" She peeked her head into the entrance and turned her head left and right, but she didn't see anyone in the tower.
"It'll be fine!" Ash nonchalantly announced as he walked into the tower. "We're here for research, and as long as we don't cause any trouble, we should be fine!"
"If you say so," Goh hesitantly said as he turned on the flashlight on his phone. The inside of the tower was dark, and the trio followed the light from Goh's phone as they looked around.
"I wonder when this was built," Goh mumbled to himself as he recorded his surroundings before bumping into Ash.
"There's some stairs!" Ash yelled as he pointed forward. He rushed toward the flight of stairs and began climbing.
"Hey! Wait for me!" Goh shouted as he followed Ash and Goh up the stairs. The tower was quiet, and Goh wondered where the Draconid people were if they were connected to the tower's origin.
"Sir, there are intruders," a grunt spoke as she held up a screen. "There appears to be three children climbing up the stairs. One of them has a Pikachu."
The man snatched the screen from the grunt and peered closely at the children as they explored the tower. "Stop them, and make sure they don't get to the very top," he responded before glancing at a machine that pointed to the sky. "We must collect the data about the meteorite before our enemies do. Do not fail me."
The woman nodded as she gestured two other grunts to accompany her as she descended the flight of stairs. As she and the others ran, she wondered why the three children were there, and she felt sorry for them, knowing what she was going to do.
The man sneered before turning to face his hostages who were tied up. He caught the Draconid people by surprise and captured them as he and the rest of his team seized control of the Sky Pillar.
"You and your devious plan will fail, Team Magma," one of the Draconid people spoke as he glared at the man. "You are a fool if you think you can harness the meteorite's power."
"The meteorite is only a part of our plan," the man coolly responded. "Besides, those three kids can't do anything to help you." As he walked away, he couldn't help but have the feeling that one of the children was familiar.
"Look at the tapestries!" Ash said as he looked up to see an old piece of cloth hanging from the ceiling. "It looks like Rayquaza!"
"Fascinating," Goh mumbled under his breath as he took pictures of the tapestry. The ancient cloth depicted Rayquaza fighting against two other Pokémon as a group of humans trembled before their might.
"They must be Groudon and Kyogre," Chloe remarked as she observed the red and green Pokémon near Rayquaza. "This must be their battle."
"You're right," Goh replied as he carefully leaned forward. One of the humans was larger than the others, and the person was holding a bright orb in one of his hands. It looked similar, and Goh's eyes went wide as he realized what the object was.
"It's a Key Stone!" he excitedly proclaimed as he pointed at the person. "That person is trying to Mega Evolve Rayquaza!"
"Awesome!" Ash spoke as he continued looking at the tapestry. "I can't wait to see what else the Sky Pillar has!"
Suddenly, a chuckle could be heard, and the trio turned around to see three people emerging from the darkness. "Unfortunately for you, you won't be going anywhere else," one of the grunts said as he held a Pokéball.
"Pika!" Pikachu angrily growled as a frown formed on Ash's face. Ash recognized these people, and he recalled what they did in Hoenn.
"Team Magma!" he blurted as he pointed at the grunt. "What are you doing here?"
"None of your business," another grunt snapped back as he tossed a Pokéball in the air. A Baltoy appeared, and the other grunt summoned a Numel in front of the trio.
The third grunt who was standing in the middle looked uneasy, but she casually stepped forward and extended her hand. "We don't have to fight. If you come with us peacefully, we won't hurt you."
"No way!" Ash retorted as he swung a Pokéball forward. "Lucario, I choose you!"
"Luca!" Lucario uttered as the Aura Pokémon scowled at the Team Magma grunts.
The middle grunt sighed as she threw a Pokéball forward, revealing a large Salamence that roared.
"Salamence," Goh called out as he recognized the Pokémon. He couldn't believe it was another Salamence, and he knew who to use as he grabbed his own Pokéball.
"Aerodactyl! Go!" he shouted as Aerodactyl appeared and hollered at the Salamence. He was tired of losing to Salamences, and this was his chance to prove himself.
Glancing at Ash and Goh, Chloe reassured herself as she clasped her hand over one of her Pokéballs. She had to help, and she bravely summoned Eevee into the room.
"Numel! Teach these kids a lesson! Use Flame Burst!" one of the grunts commanded as he pointed at Lucario.
"Lucario! Use Aura Sphere!" Ash countered as he watched Numel summon a stream of fire balls toward him.
"Baltoy! Psybeam on that Eevee!" the other grunted commanded as Baltoy shot out a beam of pink energy toward the Evolution Pokémon.
"This is your last chance to stand down," Salamence's trainer warned as she cast a serious expression at Goh. "Otherwise, your Aerodactyl will face the full might of my Salamence."
"Never!" Goh shot back, raising his left fist in the air. "My Aerodactyl is strong, and we'll prove it to you! Use Dragon Breath!"
"Tear it apart with Dragon Claw," the woman dejectedly ordered, and Salamence's hands glowed as it lunged forward and broke the incoming Dragon Breath apart.
"Eevee!" Chloe yelled as Eevee was slammed back into a wall from the beam. Eevee groaned, but she got up and winced before turning to face the Baltoy.
"Alright," Chloe spoke as she glanced at Baltoy. "Use Copycat!" Eevee glowed as she prepared to send out a pink beam. Meanwhile, Numel crashed into the ground nearby as an Aura Sphere from Lucario struck it after disintegrating the flaming balls.
The other grunt stumbled backward as he recalled his Numel. He never seen a Lucario that strong, and he turned to find Baltoy panting after Eevee's Psybeam collided with it.
"Aerodactyl! Iron Head!" Goh shouted, oblivious to everyone else except Salamence and its trainer. Aerodactyl's forehead glowed as a protective coating formed over it. The Fossil Pokémon charged toward the Salamence, who was waiting for its trainer's command.
"Fire Fang," the woman neutrally said, and flames formed in Salamence's mouth as the Dragon Pokémon prepared the attack. Aerodactyl attempted to slam into Salamence, but Salamence stopped the attack by biting onto the Fossil Pokémon's head. Both large Pokémon strained against each other, and Aerodactyl was overpowered as the flames overwhelmed him.
"Aero," Aerodactyl winced as he stumbled backward from the attack. Salamence merely grunted at him.
"Lucario! Let's help out!" Ash yelled as he looked at Baltoy and Eevee. "Use Force Palm!"
Lucario shot out a powerful shock wave as it collided with Baltoy, who stumbled onto the floor from the impact.
"Ma'am, there're too strong! What should we do?" the grunt asked after returning Baltoy. "Tabitha won't be pleased!"
"Go and warn him," the woman responded as she pointed upward. "I'll take care of them for now." The two grunts nodded and left, leaving her to deal with Ash, Goh, and Chloe.
"Alright!" Ash exclaimed as a grin formed on his face. "Let's take down Salamence together!"
"No," Goh responded, and the response shocked both Chloe and Ash.
"Why?" Chloe inquired as confusion formed on her face.
"Me and Aerodactyl will deal with Salamence. You two follow the others and find out what is going on," Goh repeated as he looked at Chloe and Ash with a serious expression. Ash pondered for a moment and nodded as he grabbed one of Chloe's arms and dragged her toward the stairs.
"Brave," the woman muttered as she glanced at Goh and Aerodactyl. She noticed the Mega Stone hanging on Aerodactyl's neck and looked back to see a bracelet with a Key Stone on Goh's left hand. "Your Aerodactyl has potential," the woman began to speak as she touched a strange orb near her ankle. "I would like to see its full potential."
"That's a Key Stone!" Goh exclaimed as energy emitted from the Key Stone and surrounded Salamence as the transformation took place. Salamence's wings started to merge, and its feet shrunk in size while the Dragon Pokémon roared.
Goh was shocked that Salamence could Mega Evolve and held up his Rotom Phone to scan the Pokémon:
"Salamence, Mega Evolved Form. The Dragon Pokémon. A Dragon and Flying type. Mega Evolution fuels its brutality, and it may even turn on the Trainer who raised it. It's been dubbed the blood-soaked crescent."
"This isn't good," Goh thought as Salamence soared in the air above. Aerodactyl wasn't ready to use Mega Evolution, and their chances of beating Salamence was slim. He was about to pull out another Pokéball to summon Cinderace, until Aerodactyl stopped him with a roar.
"Aerodactyl," he said as he anxiously watched his Pokémon. He knew that Aerodactyl wanted to face Salamence in a fair fight, but he wasn't sure they could win.
"What would Ash do?" Goh pondered as he recalled some of Ash's battles. "He always knew what to do."
"Thunder Fang," the other woman commanded, snapping Goh out of his thoughts. Salamence opened its mouth as sparks formed between its teeth.
Knowing that he had to do something, Goh shouted, "Aerodactyl! It doesn't matter if it's Mega Evolved or not! Make sure that it doesn't hit with Rock Slide!"
Aerodactyl nodded and shot out a stream of rocks as Salamence swiftly lunged toward the Fossil Pokémon. Despite its size, Salamence managed to dodge most of the rocks, and it destroyed the final rock with its mouth as it continued its relentless charge. However, the rocks were a distraction, and Salamence was now close enough.
"Dragon Breath!" he ordered as he watched a beam of purple energy leaving Aerodactyl's mouth. The beam slammed into Salamence, and Goh knew that the attack was super effective.
"Sal," Salamence mumbled as it repositioned itself. It looked furious, and Goh knew that it won't go down easily.
"Come on," Ash encouraged to Chloe as they ran up the stairs. Something important was at the top of the Sky Pillar, and Ash could see the light from outside as he ascended the final flight of steps. He shielded his eyes as he heard someone speaking.
"I should have known it was you again," a voice spoke, and Ash turned to see a familiar figure holding a Pokéball.
"Tabitha," Ash responded as he remembered the Team Flare Admin in his journey through Hoenn. He also heard the name from one of the grunts, and he knew that defeating him was necessary.
"You're lucky that this mission only required a small amount of my team," Tabitha arrogantly snarled as he pointed at Ash and Pikachu. "I'll finally get the chance to have my revenge. Mightyena, eliminate them!"
A Mightyena appeared before Ash, and Ash thrust his right hand forward as he yelled, "Pikachu! I choose you!" Pikachu leaped off Ash's shoulders and glared at the Mightyena.
"Iron Tail," Tabitha ordered, and Mightyena jumped into the air as it prepared to strike Pikachu.
"Electroweb!" Ash commanded as Pikachu shot out an electric net in front of Mightyena, allowing Pikachu to dodge out of the way.
"Shadow Ball!" Tabitha shouted, and Mightyena turned and launched a Shadow Ball at Pikachu.
"Send it back with Iron Tail," Ash spoke, and Pikachu slammed the Shadow Ball with his tail. Mightyena dodged out of the way just in time, and the Shadow Ball exploded midair.
Meanwhile, Chloe was trying to remain hidden as she observed the situation around her. There were a group of people tied up, and she saw that the two grunts were frantically taking down some sort of machine. She quietly crawled toward the people and started untying as the battle continued to take place.
"It's time to end this, Pikachu! Use Thunderbolt!" Ash yelled, pointing at Mightyena who was preparing for a Hyper Beam.
"Pika! Chuuuu!" Pikachu uttered as he released a powerful bolt of thunder that hit the Mightyena as it launched a Hyper Beam at Pikachu. A giant cloud of smoke appeared from the impact between the two attacks, and Ash had trouble seeing through the thick smoke.
"Sir! It's done!" one of the grunts shouted. "Now's our chance!"
"Then, let's go," Tabitha announced as he recalled his Mightyena who fainted. "We already have what we wanted. I'll inform Zinnia as well."
Ash charged into the smoke, hoping to stop them from escaping, but it was too late as the grunts hung onto a roped ladder that was part of a large plane. He could only watch as the plane camouflaged itself and flied away.
"Thank you so much," one of the Draconid people said after Chloe freed him. The two other people thanked Chloe as well, and Ash peered his eyes away from the sky and turned to face them. Ash learned that their names were Renza, Tomatoma, and Jinga and that they came to the Sky Pillar after they learned about possible intruders.
"Can't believe he caught us off guard," Tomatoma growled as he raised his right fist in the air. "If it weren't for you two, he would probably be still collecting information about that meteorite."
"Meteorite?" Ash asked with a curious expression. "What does Team Magma want with a meteorite."
"We don't exactly know, but there's something in it that could defeat Rayquaza," Renza responded as he looked up at the sky. "Team Magma is trying to find where the meteorite might land and use its power before anyone else can."
Ash was about to ask another question, but Chloe interrupted him by saying, "Goh! He's still down there with the other Team Magma grunt!"
"Aerodactyl," Aerodactyl groaned as he recovered from a Crunch attack. Mega Salamence was too strong, and he was close to fainting.
"Hang in there!" Goh encouraged. He hoped Ash and Chloe were okay as he carefully watched Salamence again.
"Why won't you still Mega Evolve?" the woman inquired as she observed both the trainer and Pokémon. "Aerodactyl has a Mega Stone around its neck."
"It doesn't matter," Goh quickly retorted, causing the woman to frown in response. "We can still fight without Mega Evolution!"
"Your Aerodactyl has trouble after it Mega Evolves," the woman continued speaking after she saw the pained expression on Goh's face. "My Salamence had the same trouble as well."
"Goh!" a voice suddenly said, and Goh recognized it was Ash's. Footsteps could be heard, and it sounded like they were descending the stairs.
"Ash! Chloe!" Goh shouted back. "I'm over here!"
The woman recalled Salamence back into its Pokéball and held a smoke bomb in her hand. "Go to Meteor Falls and tell the Elder about your situation and that Zinnia sent you," the woman spoke before throwing the ball. Smoke instantly filled the room, and the woman was gone once it vanished.
"Goh! Are you alright?" Chloe asked as she, Ash, and three other people ran into the room afterwards.
"I'm fine," he replied as he was thinking about the woman's strange words. "She left when she heard you coming. She said to go to Meteor Falls and that her name is Zinnia."
"We have to go after her," Ash exclaimed, but he was stopped when Jinga placed a hand on his right shoulder.
"Let her go," Jinga calmly spoke as he shared a knowing glance with Renza and Tomatoma. "If what she said is true, then it would be best to follow her advice. For now, please tell us why you are here."
"We were lucky that you were curious enough to enter. It is true that only those who are worthy may enter. However, you saved us, making you three an honorary friend of the Draconids," Tomatoma spoke after he listened to the trio's story.
"Alright!" Ash replied with a smile on his face. "That sounds so cool!"
Goh merely nodded at Tomatoma's words. He was still thinking about Aerodactyl and what Zinnia meant. "What is at Meteor Falls anyway? She told me to find someone called the Elder," Goh inquired.
"Meteor Falls is where we live, and Elder is in charge of it. She is both old and wise," Renza responded to Goh's question as he scratched his head. "We can take you there now since we're planning on going back."
"Can she really help me and Aerodactyl?" Goh asked one last time as he watched the Draconid people pull out their Pokéballs and summon three Flygons.
"She can put on the right path, but it is ultimately up to you to make the right decision," Tomatoma explained as he got on his Flygon. "We'll stop in Fallarbor Town to heal our Pokémon. Then, we'll go to Meteor Falls."
"What are we waiting for?" Ash eagerly said as he climbed up on one of the Flygons. "I can't wait to see Meteor Falls!"
"It could be a good opportunity to learn more about Mega Evolution," Chloe mused as she also climbed on another Flygon. "We should tell my father at the Fallarbor Pokémon Center."
Seeing the confident expression on his friend's face, Goh nodded and raised his left hand in the air. "Then, let's go!" he said as he climbed on the last Flygon with Renza.
"Report," Maxie spoke to Tabitha from a screen as the Admin bowed his head in respect.
"We have confirmed the power within the meteorite," Tabitha politely responded as he raised his head. "Unfortunately, we didn't get a chance to predict when the meteorite will land."
Before Maxie could respond, Tabitha quickly continued, "However, we know where the meteorite will land."
"Where?" Maxie asked as he readjusted the glasses on his face. "It is essential that Team Aqua doesn't know."
"We covered our tracks, sir. If they do follow this, they will end up in the wrong location. The meteorite will land in the region of Galar, specifically in place called the Crown Tundra."
"Good. Continue your research about the meteorite here and try to locate Groudon. We must not make the same mistake twice," Maxie responded with a wry smile before disconnecting the screen.
Maxie glanced ahead at Courtney who was standing in front of his desk. "Go to Galar immediately, and build a base of operations there," he immediately ordered while Courtney nodded. "I want the Crown Tundra under the firm control of Team Magma, and make sure that Team Aqua doesn't know."
"Yes, sir," Courtney replied as she walked away to carry out her boss's plan.
Goh continues his struggle to master Mega Evolution as he and the others go to Meteor Falls to meet with the Elder. He and Ash will train there to strengthen their bonds with their Aerodactyl and Dragonite, respectively. Meanwhile, Team Magma has expressed interest in Galar.
Will Grooky appear?
Yes. Grookey will make an appearance in Galar and cause mischief for the trio.
Will they talk to brandon about the regis?
Yes. Brandon will appear, and I plan on him joining a Raid Battle with Goh and two other people.
Hey, do you plan on playing the Pokemon "Brilliant Diamon" & "Shining Pearl" games once they come out later this year? I know I am, given that I never really played the original Sinnoh games back in the day. It's not weird that I'm a young adult, and still like to play the Pokemon games, is it?
I'm not sure about the games, and I don't think it's strange to like Pokémon games as a young adult.
I hope there's a Delta episode. By the way, did you notice that Cinderace is the same size as Lucarion despite his species suposed to be taller than him. It seems he's smaller than his kind.
The anime has been inconsistent with the size of Pokémon for a while, so it's hard to determine the average size of a Pokémon.
So, they will get to meet Zinnia next time? If the Crown Tundra will be appearing soon, will they know about the legends of the Isle of Armor as well? I hope you'll bring back some of Ash's rivals like Paul, Trip, Stephan, Alain, and Sawyer here. Will one of them are participants of World Coronation Series?
Zinnia will play an important role in the future, especially at the Crown Tundra. The trio will visit the Isle of Armor, and Ash will train there with Mustard. I plan on bringing back all the rivals you mentioned and more in the World Coronation Series.
Great story so far, my only question is will Ash meet up with the other Champions, and will they know he is a champion? You would think they would have like a meeting or something to commemorate it. Looking forward to the next update
They will eventually find out that Ash is a Champion. So far, Ash has met with Leon and Steven, and they don't know yet.