Chapter 15: Babalun's Arrival

In a surprising discovery, two new Sacred Mechanoids emerged with two new Sacred MechaMasters. The invasion of rogue Sacred Mechanoids seemed to be endless on the Holy Land as an inside job by Dagmeyr caused panic to the Academy. Kenshi woke the Pure White Sacred Mechanoid before Ash woke the legendary Sacred Mechanoid named Excalibur. Ash and Kenshi retreated through the entrance of the coliseum. The students became concerned. "It's a trap!" one girl gasped. "They'll be cornered like poor little Koro!" In the coliseum, pillars stood in sections and was in close to restrain movement. The Rogue Sacred Mechanoids flanked out to cover any openings. Ash and Kenshi felt cornered while the pillars restricted their movement. All of Ash and Kenshi's girls they've known were overtly worried.

"Okay…" muttered Ash to himself. "Enemy Sacred Mechanoids all around, pillars this close and Kenshi and I don't have a weapon." he closed his eyes to which he picked up movement. Swiftly, two rogue Sacred Mechanoids found Excalibur.

"Freeze!" one shouted. Excalibur didn't move. Ash kept his eyes closed. The rogues were cautious for any movement.

"Well, at least this one's listening…" the other believed as they hovered over. "Next thing we know, this Sacred MechaMaster's playing possum."

"That or maybe this Sacred Mechanoid's got some parts that aren't up to snuff."

"Only one way to find out." The Sacred Mechanoid lifted his rifle. Excalibur snapped awake and snatched the attacking Sacred Mechanoid's arm and rifle before throwing it at the other. Both rogue Sacred Mechanoids collided and fell into a heap. Seeing the pile, Ash smirked.

"So, that's what it's called, huh?" he mocked. "I'll keep that in mind!" Kenshi's Sacred Mechanoid moved through the pillars with ease. No Sacred Mechanoid stood up, even Dagmeyr wondered how to corner it.

"Dammit!" he cursed. "Cordyline, be careful!" Her Sacred Mechanoid repaired from the invasion at Havoniwa, Cordyline eyed Kenshi's Sacred Mechanoid with a callous sneer.

"Oh, I'm gonna treat you real nice!" she promised. Within range, two more Sacred Mechanoids appeared from behind pillars and aimed at Kenshi. Out of nowhere, Excalibur hammer-fisted one in the core, smashing it. The impact cracked the core to which it buckled and smashed, blood squirting from a few of the shattered areas. All that remained was a cry. Ash's eyes lit up. His hands began to quiver and shook precariously.

"Wha… What did I?" he stuttered. Dagmeyr came at Excalibur and Ash snapped back to his senses to which he evaded the sneak attack. The students watched from the upper tiers in awe and wonder.

"I've never seen a pure white Sacred Mechanoid before," one student gasped.

"Who's piloting that and the other Sacred Mechanoid?" another student questioned.

"Yeah, who are those Sacred MechaMasters?" one more wondered as Mexiah's students approached.

"We have the information you need," Wreda teased as she, Bwoole, Grinyo and Yeliss arrived.

"It's Ash and Kenshi," Yeliss proclaimed. "Kenshi's piloting the pure white Sacred Mechanoid while Ash is in the revived one." The students couldn't believe it's the Highlanders who were the Sacred MechaMasters.

"For real?" one chestnut brunette student awed.

"You mean Lashara's attendants?" a dark brunette asked.

"I saw Kenshi enter the white Sacred Mechanoid with my own eyes!" claimed Grinyo.

"And we heard Ash from the other with our ears," Bwoole added. The girls awed and began to admire their saviors, calling them heroes and wishing to love them. Chiaia watched while not paying attention to Mexiah's students gossiping to the marvel of their newfound favorite Sacred MechaMasters. She watched in awe as the two Highlanders circled around the pillars and rogue Sacred Mechanoids.

"Oh, wow…" she hushed. Then a flashback played in her head.

"They're enclosed by the draft as they fight around those pillars," Lashara recalled. "It is terrifically difficult to move around."

"It doesn't really look all that hard to me," Kenshi doubted. Recalling the moment, Chiaia chuckled.

"What an idiot…" she muttered. Then, she remembered back in Havoniwa when Ash tried to explain the plan to rescue the Sacred MechaMasters at their resort.

"Besides, I'll need you in my planning to rescue Ceres and Dagmeyr," Ash informed. "We don't want emotions battling emotions, that'll get you destroyed."

"Wait, when did you have a plan?" asked Lashara.

"When it comes to being a Pokémon Trainer, strategy becomes second nature." Hearing Ash's words, Chiaia understood Ash's take.

"Ash, why couldn't I have met you as an older teen instead of Dagmeyr?" she wished. Suddenly, she spotted Mexiah amd Ulyte near the monument of the Sacred MechaLord. "Mexiah!?" She dashed off around the coliseum as Mexiah had a blank stare and Ulyte admired the efforts of Ash and Kenshi.

"Many great Sacred MechaMasters were hailed as experts fought right here on this hollowed sacred ground," Ulyte briefed. "But not a single one of them was able to use moves like those two." Dagmeyr began to struggle with how to deal with Ash and Kenshi. What laid was an abundance of scattered Sacred Mechanoid parts which included limbs and cores, mostly cracked. Excalibur appeared for Dagmeyr sneered at his appearance while Ash spotted Kenshi's Sacred Mechanoid behind a pillar.

"At least I know you're not a coward," he growled as he charged at Ash. Kenshi saw him pass and snagged Dagmeyr's feet with his tail and flung him into a pillar. Down, Dagmeyr looked up at Kenshi with an arm blade arisen. Without warning, a green Sacred Mechanoid barreled into Kenshi. Dagmeyr had been spared but the green Sacred Mechanoid flew right into the path of Excalibur who hoisted the green Sacred Mechanoid and threw him into a pillar as he smashed into the stone, legs and an arm sheered off. "Cliff, no!" Dagmeyr turned to Excalibur and they locked arms. "What the hell are you? Some beast like that Highlander!?"

"At least I came to defend the students and stop the rampage a coward like you started!" snarled Ash. As the armored train fired on the fortress, Maria, Yukine and Pikachu arrived.

("Queen Flora!") he squeaked. Flora turned to find her daughter, her attendant and Ash's prized Pokémon.

"Pikachu, I wasn't expecting you to join!" she cheered as she let Pikachu onto her lap. "Yukine, thank you for making sure my daughter's safe." Yukine blushed to the praise.

"Wahanly wanted me to keep Ash's Pokémon safe after they found Team Rocket in the Holy Land," Maria informed.

"I see… not that I mind at all. Pikachu's as welcomed as Ash and Kenshi." She turned back to view Ash and Kenshi's work in their Sacred Mechanoids. "What an amazing day. I never would've imagined Ash and Kenshi as Sacred MechaMasters, let alone controlling a pure white Sacred Mechanoid and an ancient relic of another. Amazing…" Maria caught sight of Flora's shaky but excited grip. "It's hard to imagine someone wielding that amount of power!" Pikachu became concerned as he saw Flora grip her face in a maniacal gaze. "I swear, one of these days, I'll make that niece of mine give me the inside scoop!" That's when Flora felt licks on her hand. She looked down on Pikachu as he gave her a sad look.

"Pikachu's worried that you'd want the power of Ash and Kenshi's Light-Type powers," Yukine believed. Flora petted Pikachu's head, assuring her that she meant it in a civil manner.

"Thanks to Ash and Kenshi, the majority of the rogue Sacred Mechanoids are inoperable," Maria reported.

"Especially with Ash wielding the Sacred Mechanoid that belonged to the first king, Arthur," Flora added. "But don't count Lord Babalun out. He's got that Koro to pull from his hat." The fortress reached a pond and admitted light in blue and magenta circles. Lightning crackled in between the circles. Meanwhile, Dagmeyr's Sacred Mechanoid seemed out of commission as more parts of destroyed and damaged Sacred Mechanoids strewn the coliseum floor. Excalibur pinned Dagmeyr's to the pillar.

"Ash, believe it or not…" he monologued. "I was a firm believer that you were a powerful kid. Now look… I'm trembling." Suddenly, his core opened and he stumbled out of his machine.

"DAGMEYR!" shouted Lan. She stopped her air bike and Dagmeyr approached. "Hop on, we gotta get outta here!"

"No, not without her!"

"It's Cordyline, she'll be fine! She knows what she's doing!" One more struggle had Cordyline's Sacred Mechanoid tangled with Kenshi's as his Sacred Mechanoid's hand gripped and smashed Cordyline's head. Ash watched and sighed, trembles still working through his body. Suddenly, he spotted Chiaia nearing the Sacred MechaLord's remains.

"What's she doing?" he asked. Suddenly…

"Mexiah!" called out Chiaia. "What is wrong with you!" Looking over, Ash spotted Mexiah on the arm of the Sacred MechaLord. "Can't you hear my voice!? Please! Will you just answer me!? Mexiah!" That's when a hologram of a grown man in a maroon military robe appeared. His goatee made his sneer an added sinister appearance and Chiaia gasped.

"It has been quite a while, Chiaia," he calmly said. Ash and Kenshi came back together and saw the new man's hologram.

"Kenshi, you know that guy?" questioned Ash.

"Nah, this is the first time for me," Kenshi shrugged. Chiaia became hesitant to the new man.

"What's going on!?" she cried out. "Tell me! What have you done to my sister!?" The goatee scowled down to Chiaia.

"You'll find out soon enough," he ordered. "Stand back." A pedestal emerged under the Sacred MechaLord and Mexiah under it. The students started to realize a problem with the events.

"Something's not right with this." Kenshi pondered,

"You mean a connection with Mexiah and the Sacred MechaLord?" guessed Ash. That's when they felt quakes and saw an object being drawn from the lake. "Uh, Kenshi?"

"Hey, don't ask me, I'm not sure what's going on!" The hologram by Mexiah cackled.

"That's right!" he chortled. "Come to life!" Just as he said that, Mexiah felt immense pain and clasped her head. She screamed in pain. Chiaia saw Mexiah's struggle.

"Let her go!" she cried out. "Let her go, Babalun!" Rather than do anything, Babalun watched.

"Hear me, Chiaia…" he started. "It's time to learn that Mexiah isn't your sister." Chiaia gasped to the news.

"What do you mean by that!?" snapped Ash. Babalun prepared to explain.

"Chiaia, your father excavated her body from the same ruins where he discovered the Sacred MechaLord," he clarified. "Your big sister was made by the ancient civilization." Disbelief painted Chiaia's face.

"That's impossible…" she stuttered.

"Is it? See for yourself." With a scream, Mexiah was cast in light and morphed. She turned into Doll.

"Big Sis Mexiah!" called out Kenshi. When the light dimmed, Doll was there. She let out a maniacal laugh.

"Mexiah and Doll are one in the same?" guessed Ash. Chiaia collapsed. Ash dashed to the side where Wahanly's MechaWorkers were stationed while Wahanly, Lithia, Aura and Lapis watched in horror.

"Guys, don't worry about Doll," he advised. "Kenshi and I can deal with this. You get the students to safety."

"But, Ash!" called out Lapis. "We can't just leave you and Kenshi to fight Mexiah."

"It's not a choice we have, Lapis," Ash assured. "And besides… uh, Wahan… what happened to Pikachu?" Wahanly blinked before preparing her admission.

"I told Maria to hold onto Pikachu and all of your Pokémon," Wahanly answered. "They're on the armor train with Queen Flora." Ash bared a sweat drop.

"Actually, that's not a bad choice. Tell you what, Lithia, get as many of the students to the armored train. I know I'm going by gut but I trust Flora in making sure the students will be protected."

"Are you sure?" wondered Aura.

"Get her out of here as well," he pointed to a distraught Chiaia. When the MechaWorkers began to move, Bablun discovered Excalibur as he returned to face Doll.

"The legendary Excalibur," he grinned. "How fitting that the Sacred Mechanoid from ancient Ashvalha has returned to face its old nemesis. The ways of old are resurrected!" The Sacred MechaLord snagged the remains of the fallen Sacred Mechanoids, including Dagmeyr's abandoned core. Once inserted, Doll proceeded to enter said core.

"SISTER!" shouted Chiaia. Doll heard and turned to a crying Chiaia, only to scoff.

"I'd hurry and get those kids out of here," she said with a smug. "Unless of course, you want them to die."

"NO WAIT! YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO THIS! MEXIAH, DON'T! PLEASE, STOP!" Doll entered the core and activated the Sacred MechaLord. Ash turned to Kenshi with an idea.

"Kenshi, take Chiaia and go," he ordered.

"Are you sure?" wondered Kenshi. "You want to fight Doll by yourself?"

"I do. Besides, I can feel the anger from this Sacred Mechanoid seeing this behemoth." Turning, Kenshi saw Chiaia and believed in Ash.

"Just don't die, alright?"

"It's me, Kenshi. You guys come before myself." Kenshi pondered Ash's decision before he chose his path.

"Okay, see you back on the Swan." Kenshi left, Ash turned and faced Doll and the Sacred MechaLord.

"I had a funny feeling as to why you chose to stay," Doll muttered. "Is Mexiah's love too much? Are you planning to free her with that sorry excuse of a Sacred Mechanoid?" Ash didn't answer. He watched from the side as only Lapis and Chiaia stood. He turned back to Doll.

"Is it really a sorry excuse when I was able to beat some of the strongest Sacred MechaMasters as a rookie?" he taunted.

"Those guys? Ha! After seeing that, I can tell that you and Kenshi are prodigal sons. You two had no formal training and here, we saw a display that a hundred years of training would not suffice to the power of Excalibur and the pure white Sacred Mechanoid… but I digress. Besides, it's much more fun with an open field. All these pillars won't let my arms stretch." Doll made the Sacred MechaLord's arms out, a strong magnetic coil of rings kept the hands from going to far as every pillar was crushed. They retracted before being flung out at Excalibur. Ash commanded Excalibur's arms and caught the hands, waves of force passing and blasting the seats where the students once stood. Excalibur stood firm, much to Babalun's interest.

"After hundreds of years, Excalibur has shown greater power," he studied. "Impressive, especially for an ancient Sacred Mechanoid." Doll commanded the Sacred MechaLord to point her arm at Excalibur… but stopped. Ash braced Excalibur for Doll's next attack, making Babalun irate. "Doll, what are you doing!? Finish that relic and return!" Doll shivered.

'Why can't I attack Ash?' she minded. 'Is it Mexiah's personality? Is it my kiss to him?' Ash also noticed Doll's inability to move as something oozed from the Sacred MechaLord. "Ash, I know you've been a great friend to Mexiah… and in all honesty, I do wish there was a way I can consider you as a little brother. Sure, I enjoyed Kenshi more, though as Mexiah… but it doesn't take away the time of us. You're strong, whether inside Excalibur or as yourself." Ash smiled to Doll's words.

"Sounds like an invite that I can't accept," he declined.

"Even as subtle as that, you've seen through my offer. You've always been a battler… as have I."

"You would be an awesome Pokémon Trainer with words like that. Who knows… when this is all over, you'd be along with Ceres and Hazuki back to my world."

"You don't say… perhaps it can be as myself now or as Mexiah back then? Would it matter?" Doll let out a sigh. "Alas, it would only be a dream." Ships had started to flee the Holy Land.

"There were some minor injuries," a man reported in the armored train to Flora. "But all 221 students that we acquired made it safe." To Flora, she had all the students needed.

"Excellent!" she praised before standing up. Pikachu crawled onto her shoulder.

("What's up, Queen?") he asked.

"Stand by!" ordered Flora. "Arm the cannon!" The engine of the train opened the hatch. Maria gawked to what Flora had planned.

"Mother, no!" she pleaded. "Ash is still there, you could kill him!" The engine car revealed a cannon rising and adjusting to the coliseum.

"Oh, don't worry," Flora assured. "Something tells me my future son-in-law will be just fine. Right, Yukine?" Maria gawked to Yukine who agreed with a nod. Maria and Pikachu gasped to what Flora wanted to do. The cannon was in position.

"The main cannon is ready to fire!" one man reported to Flora who grinned.

"Alright then, let's retreat to a safe distance," she accepted as Maria and Pikachu reached the control panel. "After firing the main cannon, have the front car self-destruct. With any luck, we can cut off anyone trying to track us!" Reaching, Maria grabbed the mic.

"Ash, can you read me!?" she yelled. Ash blinked and realized the voice.

"Maria?" he guessed. "Hey, is Pikachu with you?"

("I'm here, Ash!") squeaked Pikachu. His trainer sighed in relief.

"As long as you're safe, pal," Ash smiled.

"Listen, Ash!" barked Maria. "My mother is gonna do something incredibly stupid!" Ash's eyes widened.

"What… exactly is she doing, might I ask?"

"All I can say is brace yourself!" The cannon fired and soon the shot reached the coliseum with Ash in dire shock.

"Are you out of your mind!?" The shot exploded in between Ash and Doll to which Excalibur flew from the remains of the coliseum and into a cocoon. He flew out of the draft and the cocoon bounced over what remained of the Holy Land and to a the dormitory on a flying vessel where Lashara spotted it.

"Here he comes!" she announced. The cocoon somehow broke free and Excalibur reemerged before landing and Kenshi's Sacred Mechanoid caught him. Excalibur and the Sacred Mechanoid rested as Lashara, Chiaia and Wahanly came to the two Mechanoids. "Hey, are you okay!?" Kenshi's core opened and he jumped out before helping Ash out of Excalibur.

"Easy there," Kenshi calmly said. Once on the ground, Ash found his footing. Ash and Kenshi looked back with the girls to the Holy Land and what it once was.

"For now, it's best that we retreat," Lashara moaned. "We are simply too weak."

"It's alright," Kenshi eased. "We weren't exactly ready for all of that going on." Ash wasn't listening as he glanced at the ruins rather distantly. He looked to his hand as he remembered watching the blood come out of the core of a Sacred Mechanoid. He crumbled and Lashara came to him.

"Anyway, we need to retreat to the Barrier Workshop," Wahanly suggested. Kenshi and Chiaia turned to Wahanly for an explanation. "It's a one-in-a-million chance that the Sacred MechaLord is ever activated… but if so, Naua said to go and see him." This astounded Chiaia.

"Wait, my dad said that?" she gulped.

"And… I can spill a few secrets to what's going on with all the Sacred Mechanoids being activated."

"Well, alright then," Kenshi accepted. Lashara propped Ash's head up.

"It's time you took up some rest," she suggested. With a sad face, Ash shook his head.

"I crushed someone to death, I just know!" he whimpered.

"We're now in war. There are only two groups to think of: those who survive and those who die. We want you to be in the sake of surviving. The goddess will forgive you when it's all over." Ash looked to Lashara who smiled. "With that Sacred Mechanoid, you'll become our savior." She hugged Ash while Kenshi wailed.

"I forgot my crystals I dug up!" he cried. "I worked so hard to do so!" This made Chiaia livid.

"Kenshi, what did I tell you about digging up crystals before?" she growled. "Why did you lie and dug more up? Answer me, you little twerp!" Rather than answer, Kenshi ran with Chiaia chasing. Back at what remained of the Holy Land, Cordyline's men celebrated the liberation. Team Rocket was also there.

"Oh, sure…" growled Jessie as her head was wrapped in bandages. "I don't know what's worse: being denied those fuzzy little critters to go with the twerp's Pikachu or getting my head bashed in like a hammer to a screw?" James and Meowth sighed greatly to her mistake.

"Jessie, you hammer nails, not screws," Meowth mewed.

"Though, after what we went through, we definitely got a lesson in what goes on in this world," James summarized. "The twerp's a machine master and makes us look like mere amateurs!"

"Not to mention his robot's some ancient relic, which I don't buy too much into," Jessie grumbled as Dagmeyr came forward.

"I've heard you three are highly skilled mechanics," he mentioned. Team Rocket looked up, hoping to see his point.

"We are," Meowth blurted.

"Great," Lan accepted. "Perhaps, you can create a weapon to stop the legendary Mechanoid. We hope to hit them before they get the weapons to engage." Team Rocket got a job. What awaited the students and royalty in the Barrier Workshop? And what weapon could Team Rocket have to stop Excalibur?

TO BE CONTINUED…