~Heart of the Pokeball Factory~
Ash and Aaron stood across from each other in the heart of the remodeled pokeball factory. Ash ready to throw punches and Aaron remarkably calm for someone who was minutes away from being beat to a pulp. In fact, he didn't seem to mind at all. He just smirked at the younger boy and gestured for him to move to the left. He continued past Ash and took his place back at his computer.
"Quick question. Did it ever occur to you that maybe your friends are in the wrong in this situation?" He asked the rage filled teenager.
"Nope." Ash replied instantly. "Get on with the explanation."
"Ash I already told you I've been watching you for a long time, ever since your first league to be exact, and that's because I had an epiphany of sorts."
"A what?" Ash asked.
"Basically, I came to a realization. You see, back then I had just begun work on the KRA and it would have been completed sooner if I had the help I needed from the beginning. You see Kalos needs a firm hand to guide it to the paradise it has the potential to be."
"...You mean to rule it." Ash corrected. "You want to be a dictator, don't you?" Ash didn't need even minutes to figure that out. He had faced enough wannabe dictators to last a lifetime, so he had picked up how to spot one by their vocabulary. And right now, Aaron was sounding like one.
"Why the bad attitude? There's nothing inherently wrong with dictatorships. As long as they're done right everyone can thrive. So I had been traveling to different regions looking for a specific type of person, a person like you." Aaron told him. "And I have special plan for you my friend."
"Friends don't attack their other friend's crippled best friend with multiple hyper beams!" Ash shot back. "And after you knew his story too!"
"You may not believe me when I say this but I had no idea my employees would go as far as to attack your friends." Aaron told him. "Whoever it was who fired those shots will be punished accordingly, it just goes to show that alone I can't keep control of the KRA. That's why I need you."
"And what could you possibly need from a fifteen-year-old boy who is this close to hating your guts?" Ash asked gesturing with his fingers to emphasize the point.
"Ash, after all I've done for you, allowing you to take refuge in my factory, helped you with your murder situation, helped nurse Serena back to health, gave you a chance to heal your Pikachu and get revenge on your mother at the same time, how could you hate me?"
"You're attacking the only family I have left, that's how. I'd gladly go to whatever fresh hell awaits me just for them to avoid any pain." Ash countered. "The good times do not cancel out the bad! Now answer me, why me?"
"I need a successor. I won't live forever, Ash, and I need someone competent enough, and worthy to continue when I'm gone. You've been searching for a calling ever since the incident in Kanto and I can give it to you." Aaron said. "I can't just have any old person run this place, it has to be an aura-sensitive."
"So why attack my friends? What's your reasoning there? Oh, and if I don't like your answer-"
"You'll beat me up?" Aaron guessed though it wasn't much of a guess since he knew he was right. "I doubt it. Anyway, your friends, whether you want to believe it or not, are not saints in this endeavor. Breaking and entering, assaulting my underlings, damage of property, to keep them from doing further damage to my factory and employees, I needed them restrained before they did some permanent damage. It's entirely possible someone did try and explain the situation to them but they didn't want to listen. You've already seen how Serena talks to me even after I helped her."
"That's...true, I guess." Ash admitted. "But I'm sure she has a reason. She's really a sweet girl."
"Anyways, back to your question," Aaron added. "During my brief search for a successor, I ended up in the Kanto region. I decided to sit in for a couple rounds of the Indigo League to rest my feet. That's where I first saw you. Nobody else felt it, but even at the young age of ten, aura was spilling out of you."
"So what? I sure there were lots of people spilling out aura." Ash said.
"No. I only felt you. Then I had a vision. I saw the man you were destined to become. Tall, strong, influential, and I knew, thanks to that vision, that you would be my successor! When I die, the KRA will be yours!" Aaron exclaimed. He calmed and cleared his throat before continuing. "Sorry. Got a little carried away there. You may have lost the league that day but you won my attention. Every time a league would release the list of its participants to the public, I would scan for your name and if I saw it, I would fly out just to watch you. To see how you'd grown and if you were ready."
"Well I hate to break it to you, but I'm not born to be a dictator. Not even a leader." Ash said. "I may not know exactly what I want, but that's not it."
"Ash, my friend, no one else can fill this position." Aaron countered. "No one else has the kind of power you have. No one has the fighting spirit, no one has the bond phenomenon, no one has the strength, no one but you."
"Sorry but I'm going to find Pikachu." Ash said turning to leave. "I want no part in this."
"I think you're forgetting a few things." Aaron smirked. He turned his chair around and began typing on his personal computer rapidly. He took his pointer finger and pressed down a big red button holding it there. "Vat 1 to the Heart, please." He said.
'Right away, sir.' a voice responded.
"Thank you." Aaron smiled. Around them, a loud whirring sound began taking over the room once again and one of the large circular pads located at the far right of the room began descending into the lower levels. It remained that way for a minute before slowly coming back up to the surface with a giant tube filled with Delia's stolen aura. Ash quickly looked away trying to forget that he ever committed that crime. "I'm the only one who could help your friend." He reminded Ash, turning back around.
"So that's how it's gonna be? You're going to hold my best buddy's health over my head?" Ash glared at him. "Why can't you just find it in your heart to help him?!"
"I will find it in my heart to help him...if you stay by my side." Aaron replied.
"...Well forget it!" Ash finally decided. "I'll find another way to help Pikachu." He said turning to leave once again. He looked over his shoulder quickly. "I don't need you. If I have the aura within me, I know I'll find an alternative."
"What if I could give you the secret to everlasting youth?" Aaron tried. "Ash, I'm being very generous here. This practice is known by one person in the entire world, me. Think about it. You and your friends would never age. You could spend eternity together."
"Let me guess, we'd have to steal that youth from someone else. Am I right?" Ash asked without turning around.
Aaron nodded (not that Ash could see.) "Yes, that's correct. Everything regarding aura is always a give and take." Aaron replied. "But if we take the aura from the scum of the world, murderers, abusers, traitors, then is it really that wrong?"
"Tempting, but I've caused enough pain, even if those I caused pain to kinda deserved it." Ash said.
"Ash, I really didn't want it to come to this, but you leave me no choice. I have one more offer. If you decline, I'll let you go no strings attached." Aaron said.
Ash pivoted around to face Aaron. "Now you're talking. Come on, let's get this over with." Ash ordered.
Aaron, once again, swiveled his chair around and began typing on his keyboard. He hit the same button from earlier and leaned forward. "T, I've sent you a list of holding chambers I want sent to the Heart immediately.
'Yes sir, anything else?'
"Just continue with your work, T." He lifted his finger of the button ending the conversation. "I'm sorry it had to come to this, Ash."
The same loud noise from before engulfed the room once again. Ash covered his ears trying to block out the noise, to no avail. "Come to what?!" He asked trying to talk over the noise. To both his left and right more circular pads began to sink below to go where Ash assumed he kept the vat that held Delia's aura.
When the many pads came back, they were accompanied by the same stasis tubes Delia had been held in, the difference, this time, being who was held in them. Ash began to scan them one by as he turned in a circular motion.
In the first one was a familiar, unwelcome sight of an unmoving, orange haired girl from Ash's past wearing the same yellow, button-across top, red undershirt, and tight fitting yellow shorts from their time journeying together.
The second held the jungle girl Ash traveled Unova alongside in her usual outfit except she apparently had ditched the bow-tie sash she once wore.
Next to Iris was Ash's other Unova traveling companion. Ash knew immediately from the obvious giveaway of his green hair. Dressed up in his connoisseur suit, tie, and dress shoes it was obvious he hadn't changed much in the wardrobe department either.
The fourth held Max's older sister May dressed in her same green and orange outfit from their meetup in Sinnoh, but more importantly from the day she betrayed him.
He hadn't cared too much up to this point, and who could blame him? But as he kept turning the people in the tubes kept growing more and more important to him. First, he saw Jessie and James, just as he suspected, they would be.
Then, he saw familiar frontier brains Tucker, Greta, and Lucy, and boy did it look like time hadn't been too kind to Greta. All three were dressed in their frontier brain outfits. There was Serena's rival Miette, Bianca all the way from Alto Mare, even Kalos Champion Alain was in one, and Ash assumed that's what's happening to Trip and Ritchie at this very moment.
A million thoughts were going through his head. Why had he gone after so many of his friends? How was he able to capture three frontier brains and a champion? If he was able to capture such powerful opponents, what else is he capable of? If he went after Paul, then he had to have gone after Dawn too. Was he going after Serena? Anabel? Clemont and Bonnie? Then his eyes landed on the final two tubes. Those two arguably shook him to his core the most. He began shaking in anger.
Inside the next pod was his longest time traveling companion and practically his brother, Brock. And in the final tube was once again, someone who had basically become a brother to him, Paul. He forgot all about Aaron and rushed to Brock's chamber. He skid to a stop in front of the tube and began banging on the glass "Open up, you damn tube!" He ran over to the side of the holding chamber and found where the pod would open from. He grabbed the seam and began pulling violently. "Let him out!"
He switched his focus to Paul. He ran up to the pod and began banging once again. "Paul! Wake up, man!" He pleaded. He growled and reeled back his fist before slamming it into the pod. "Aaaahh!" He screamed in half in pain and half in frustration, backing away from the prison.
"It's no use." Aaron said from his seat. "There's no way you can break through that glass. Now that you realized what's going on-"
"I still don't know what's going on!" Ash screamed. "You attacked my Pikachu, tried to blackmail me into joining you, and now I find out you've kidnapped half of my friends and put them into aura-suction pods! And all the while, I have no idea why!" He ranted.
"I told you, I need you. And I'm willing to do anything to get you by my side, Ash Ketchum." Aaron said leaning forward. "I tried being nice and helping you out with your problems, but you were taking too long to accept my offer. Of course I lured your friends here even before you set foot in the factory but if I could've avoided using them I would have. Now my final offer. You join me and not only will I help your Pikachu, not only will I help you with your murder case, not only will I give you the secret to eternal life, but I won't hurt your friends."
In just a few seconds, Ash came to another realization "You're holding my pokemon captive too, aren't you?" Ash countered. "You have Charizard and Noivern."
"Sorry, Ash, I really was going to give them back right away, but your friend got to nosy for her own good. Had to have something to keep her quiet." Aaron replied.
"Serena knows?" Ash asked.
"Oh yes. She knew before she even came to the factory, but that nasty hypnosis, who knew it would have such side effects?" Aaron chuckled.
"I can't believe this! Has every word since I met you been a lie?! I should beat you here and now!"
"Think wisely." He told him turning back around. "T, you can bring them back to their holding cells now." He ordered into the comm. "And prep Mr. Stone for extraction. Who knows when I'll need some more healthy aura."
'Yes sir.' Around the two the pods began descending back underground starting on the right with Misty and making its way left to Brock.
"Brock!" Ash called. "Bring them back!" He said turning and glaring at Aaron. He took one more desperate attempt to open Brock's pod as it was sinking down under. "I'll do it! I'll do what you ask of me, just let them go!" He watched as Brock disappeared into the lower levels and was replaced by the plain circular pad from before.
"Good." Aaron said. "I think we're on the same page now." He smirked.
~Lower Levels~
Professor Sycamore and Tory tiptoed carefully up to a turn in the hallway as Plusle jumped off Tory's shoulder and rushed ahead. She peaked her head around the corner to find the two employees caught up in a conversation. She turned back to the others. "Plu. Plu." She said gesturing for them to come forwards with her stubby arm. She ran back to Tory and quickly climbed back onto his shoulder.
"I guess that means we're good to go." Tory said. The two turned the corner to see the two grunts ahead of them. They continued as quietly as possible a good distance behind them.
Ahead of them the others were too busy in conversation to take notice of them. "The boss better follow through with this promise. I don't want to be here anymore."
"What choice do we have? It's not like we could've walked away from the offer. Not with everything at stake." They continued wheeling down the hallway before taking a right down another path.
"Come on, my boy. We have to keep moving." Sycamore said. They quickly followed them around the corner to the sight of the two grunts stopped in front of a heavily armored door. "That must be it." Sycamore whispered.
"Are you sure?" Tory asked.
"Look. See that?" Professor Sycamore asked pointing ahead. Tory turned his head to the wall surrounding the door as it flashed purple in random spots periodically. "That's Trick Room. This is it." He watched as the grunt on the right activated the retina scanner and opened the door. "Uh oh."
"Uh oh? Why uh oh?" Tory whispered back. They watched as the two grunts continued inside the room ahead of them. "I thought you said this was it."
"That's a retina scanner." The professor informed him. "We can't open that door." They rushed forward to the door the grunts had disappeared into. "Without the eye of an authorized personnel, the door won't open."
"Anabel, can you hear me?" Tory called into his comm. "We've run into a bit of a problem. There's a retina scanner. The professor says we can't get in. What now?" There was a pause of silence before the frontier brain's answer came.
'Lay and wait.' The voice of Anabel responded. 'We've lost contact with Ritchie. It's likely that they captured him and are on their way towards you right now. Find a place to hide and once they open the door again rush inside. And try to be secretive about it.'
Tory turned towards the elder man next to him. "How do we sneak in without them noticing us right behind them?" Tory asked.
Sycamore rubbed his chin in thought with his eyes closed before opening them abruptly and snapping his fingers. "We won't. They will." He said pointing at the two pokemon on Tory's shoulders.
"I'm not sure I follow." Tory said.
"Simple. Only Plusle and Minun could follow close enough behind them and be quiet enough to not be noticed. There shouldn't have to be a retina scanner on the other side, so all the have to do is find whatever switch open the door and hit it. The door will open, we'll reunite, and continue with our mission."
"What if they can't open it? We can't just leave them in there. Someone might find them and hurt them."
"If too much time goes by, we'll have to move on to plan b. If they can't open the door quietly, I'll just have Garchomp blast the door down. Now come on, I think I saw another turn nearby. We can hide there until the grunts arrive." Sycamore said.
~Main Floor~
Two men dressed in long, white, lab coats stood in front of a pair of sliding doors, deep in conversation. Just around the corner, spying on the two, was Serena. She had followed them all the way to what she assumed was the lab they were keeping Charizard in. And if Charizard was there, Braxien might be too. Then she can finally let Ash know what's going on around here without any fear for her companion.
"So, you ready?" One of the scientists said turning to the other. "If this Charizard is really as strong as you say he is, he'll probably take us out with one shot."
"Yeah, but the boss'll pod us if we don't try." The other said. "So come on." They took a step forward and the automatic doors in front of them slid open allowing them through, then closed behind them. But for the few seconds the sliding doors were open, Serena was sure she could hear a loud roar coming from inside.
'Now if only I could go in without them freaking out.' Serena thought to herself. "Why can't anything ever be easy? Or at least my forte? Why does it always have to be a battle?" She ranted quietly, to herself.
"I swear I saw two people in lab coats go this way!" A voice Serena was very familiar with said. "They have to know where they're hiding everyone." Serena was under the impression that the only people who knew she was here were those who were in the room when Aaron first addressed them. So she was extra surprised to see two of her closest friends round the corner. Both of whom were not present for Aaron's show and tell.
"Dawn! Mairin!" Serena yelled running out of hiding. "You're here!" She exclaimed.
"Serena?!" Dawn said, just as surprised. "What are you doing? I thought you'd be with Ash!"
"You know Serena?" Mairin said turning to Dawn. "I thought you said you were looking for a guy named Paul?"
"Paul's here?! Where?" Serena gasped.
"Whoever runs this place-" Dawn started.
"Aaron." Serena quickly corrected.
Dawn sighed. "Right. Aaron sent a bunch of goons after us. I tried fighting back but they overpowered me. Just as they were about to take me in Paul offered himself up instead."
"How did you know where to even look?" Serena asked.
"Before they took off Paul was granted permission to give me a quick hug. When the embrace ended, I felt plastic in my hand. Once the two teleported away I looked and found this in my hand." She pulled out a small piece of rectangular plastic.
Serena rook a second to look at it. It was a basic grey card with a giant Pokeball Factory logo on it and a phone number at the bottom. "A business card? How?" Serena asked.
"He's quite the pickpocket." Dawn sighed. "Shortly after I got here, I met up with Mairin who said she was looking for a friend too."
"Don't tell me-"
Mairin nodded. "It's probable they got Alain too."
"But why were you and Alain here, Mairin?" Serena asked.
"Clemont and Anabel called people from all across the world for a rescue mission for you and Ash using a list of people he had kept in his contacts. Apparently, Alain was one of them. But we got separated and now..." She shook the thought away. "What about you? Where's Ash?"
"With Aaron. I haven't been able to warn Ash about him because the jerk kidnapped Braxien and hid her away, hopefully in that lab. He's got Charizard too."
"Ash's Charizard?" Dawn said. "Are you sure?"
At the sound of a wilhelm scream, all three girls snapped their heads towards the lab just in time to hear a loud thud up against the door from the other side. The doors parted, revealing the two men Serena followed to the lab on the floor unconscious right before them.
"I'm sure." Serena deadpanned.
"Well, our best source of information is inside that room too, so I suppose we can lend a hand." Dawn smirked.
"But who knows how many are in there? Are you sure we can handle it?" Mairin asked.
"What kind of half-baked question is that?" Dawn said smacking Mairin's back playfully. "On three." She said turning to Serena who nodded. Mairin open her arms releasing Chespie to the ground. "One...two...three!"
The three girls rushed through the automatic doors, jumping over the two unconscious scientists. They came to a quick stop to assess the situation. The room was painted pure white with all sorts of tubes and conveyer belts located all around but the most eye catching was in the very center of the room, surrounded by pokemon of all types and sizes. Charizard, who was busy smacking away a bunch of smaller pokemon with his tail. He smacked an oncoming Breloom, Cradilly, and Graveler knocking them back into a wall.
"Charizard!" Serena called. Charizard averted his gaze over to the blonde before launching himself off the ground and gliding over to the entrance. He landed in front of Serena. He leaned forward showing something in between his teeth. "Is that your pokeball?" Charizard gave a quick nod. He spit the ball out into Serena's hands. "Ew, it's covered in your slobber!" She shrieked.
Charizard turned his head around to look over his shoulder to find a Chansey and Gloom coming at them. He fired a quick flamethrower at the two stopping them in their tracks. Dawn and Mairin took the hint and stepped forward with their Piplup and Chespin to hold off incoming attacks.
"Piplup use Whirlpool!"
"Chespie, Pin Missle!"
Meanwhile Serena was rubbing his pokeball against her pants quickly. "Do you know where Braxien and Noivern are?" She stuck his pokeball into her pockets before looking back at the dragon. Charizard gave another nod and held both his arms out revealing a single pokeball in each. "Only you could've fought for so long without the use of your hands of your fire type-moves."
~Outside – North End~
In the sky both Ebony and Nightshroud were firing Dark Pulses at Squishy. The two beams met up around halfway to the legend colliding to create one bigger pulse. Squishy was currently fighting with his best Dragon pulse. Meanwhile everyone was busy elsewhere. Clemont and Bonnie were taking shelter behind Squishy since they were out of pokemon.
Meowth was doing his best to Scratch and Payday as many grunts as possible as a small part of his revenge for them taking Jessie and James. He jumped up at the closest boy and gave a single swipe across his face. "I'm gonna make you people my new scratching posts!" He creid raining many cold coins down on the heads of several of his opponents.
Max was currently ordering his Grovyle to do several attacks at once against the opposing Kangaskhan. "Use Bullet Seed. Rush towards him!" Grovyle reared his head back before snapping it forward and shooting a barrage of seeds at Kangaskhan the launched forward. "Don't stop those seeds! Add a leaf blade!"
Without stopping his Bullet Seeds Grovyle's arm blade grew in size and glowed a luminescent green. Seconds later he collided with Kangaskhan with a direct hit. Kangaskhan didn't move. She simply looked down at Grovyle with angry eyes.
"Focus Punch!" Her trainer called. Her left fist quickly glowed white and she pulled back before full-force punching Grovyle in the face. The gecko flew backwards landing several feet back and skidding on his side, stopping in front of Max. The boy knelt down and began to shake Grovyle. "You okay, buddy?" He pulled out Grovyle's pokeball and returned his faithful friend. He sprinted towards Zygarde and came to a stop behind the giant pokemon. "Grovyle's out of it. I can't revive him either."
"We're done too." The three turned to see Molly running towards them with an unconscious Teddiursa wrapped in her arms. "This is starting to look pretty bad. There's just too many."
Abel took a few steps backwards to join the group. "I'm still good to go." He smirked. Ahead of him a stray Ice beam hit Tropius in his wings, causing him to plummet from the air and smack the ground. Abel quickly returned Tropius and turned back to the group. "Nevermind."
"We still have Squishy!" Bonnie yelled. "He'll save us!" How wrong she was. Every grunt began to circle around the group cutting off any escape route. The Darkrai's trainer came forward through the moat of trainers. "Everyone, fire on Zygarde!" He said pointing to the Dragon. From all sides, moves of all types and damages began to bombard Zygarde.
"Squishy!" Bonnie and Clemont yelled in unison.
"And...stop." The trainer ordered. All attacks began to die down leaving only the battered legendary in the spotlight. Zygarde began to waver slightly until it fell head first into the dirt, completely out of it. He glowed lime green and quickly shrunk considerably in size until he was in its canine twenty percent form, the glowed again this time devolving into its core form. Bonnie stepped forward and picked up the beaten Zygarde and placed it in her purse.
"Hands in the air people!" The Darkrai's trainer ordered. "We're taking you to the boss!"
"Is that everyone?" Clemont whispered. "No one has a single pokemon left?"
"I still have Jirachi," Abel said gesturing to his pocket. "but against all of them? It'd be suicide. He can't face them all on their own." He whispered back. Max snapped his fingers. "I've got a plan. Don't tell them Jirachi's still conscious, Abel. If anyone asks you had five pokemon."
"If you say so." Abel responded.
"Hey! No whispering!" He yelled. "You got something to say, say it to me!" Everyone just stood in silence for a moment. "That's what I thought.
~The Heart~
Ash and Aaron watched the screen as it played the image of Clemont and his rescue team being beaten, surrounded, and herded inside the factory. Ash was getting angrier and angrier with each passing second and Aaron could feel it.
"That's enough of that." Aaron said reaching to shut the monitor off. "No need to watch any further." He said.
"I hate you." Ash said with venom. "I really, really hate you." He repeated.
"So rude." Aaron said. "They may just be words but they can still hurt." He said putting his hand to his heart and feigning hurt feelings.
"Well, what now? You prep more pods and lock them up too? Just keep up that routine until I don't have any friends left?" Ash glared at the elder man.
"Well," Aaron said pressing his fingers together. "if it bothers you that much, I suppose we can make a deal, I'm a reasonable man, of course." He smirked. "Tell you what, if you can convince your friends to join the KRA also, I'll let them out."
"Even if I did take that deal, they'd never go for it." Ash shot back. "Not unless you have incentive over them too."
"Not yet." Aaron said. "But I'm working on it. Tell me, you wouldn't happen to know Serena's last name, would you?"
"You're kidding, right?" Ash asked. "You can't be that stupid."
"Of course, I'm kidding. You'd never cooperate now that you think I'm a 'bad man', would you?"
"You are locking up all my friends." Ash retorted.
"Yes, but it's all for a good cause. The good of the few cannot outweigh-" Aaron was cut off by a giant explosion coming from the entrance to his workspace. Through the smoke came three figures. The first being a slender purple haired girl in a suit and tie and a familiar duffle bag slung over her shoulder, the second being a little mouse fitted with the best prosthetics money could buy perched on her shoulder, and the third being a familiar moderately muscular woman in a purple jumpsuit and the wildest hair ever.
"Hey Ash. Good to see you again." Anabel said. "Ready to go home, now?"