He was ready, his Pokemon returned to him but also prepared to fight at a moment's notice. Ash was situated on the upper deck looking out towards the sea, taking in the fresh air while he could. The Hoenn climate was notoriously humid after all. Izabe Island was just coming into view, although with the speed of the boat the background was becoming larger and larger with every passing second.
He had changed into more practical attire. Waterproof dark boots lined his feet and dark cargo trousers with plenty of pockets on his legs. A white tee finished off Ash's simple look.
He had of course looked up Izabe Island in the time he was on the league vessel, what with the journey being uneventful, but peaceful all the same. Izabe Island, according to the Pokedex at least, had a wide variety of environments, from deserted areas to snow-covered mountains making it an ideal location for an ACE program. Its highest peak was known as the Square Top, a cube-shaped rock formation on a mountain and Ash hazard a guess that he would be traversing it at some point over the next few months.
The island wasn't a barren land though, there was at least three main settlements that covered the area, Riyado Town, Cerosi Town and Purika City.
Riyado Town, which should really be classified as a village due to its small size. It was the smallest settlement on the island. It was also prone to flooding.
Cerosi Town was the main supply of imports and exports, with ferry services travelling to and from Sootapoolis City frequently. It had an array of markets and was generally awash with activity. From time to time, one could find a rare item in the market, such as dragon scales or evolution stones, not that Ash had any need for them at the moment.
Purika City, the largest settlement as the city title suggests, was the capital of the island. Its main attraction was the contest hall which attracted a type of trainer called coordinators far and wide to try their hand at winning at a fabled ribbon. With this it attracted its fair share of tourists, thus the city had a large variety of things to do and had the accommodation to hold it.
Ash doubted that he would be able to visit the city in his time at Izabe Island. The ACE program was surely going to consume all of his time. He wanted to check contests out, they were weird in his eyes, but he wouldn't dismiss the event. The current Hoenn champion of course was also a famous coordinator after all.
No, his time would be spent in the harsh landscapes that encompassed the settlements of the island. He could just about make out Square Top mountain, which dominated the horizon as the league vessel sped across the water. Every wave taken in smoothly by the sleek design. The mountain range was as the Pokedex said, covered in snow. This was quite a strange site given the heat of Hoenn, but Ash didn't question it.
He could just about make out the vast desert, which had a lush forest on its outer edge. This was no doubt where he would be making camp. His assumptions were confirmed when the vessel turned slightly and made way directly to the sandy area, the league vessel was obviously permitted to dock anywhere and not on one of the islands settlements.
Ash steadied himself as land got closer and closer. The league vessel slowed as it readied to dock, and Ash could just about make out a single figure that was stationed to greet him. He thanked the captain in advance, aware that he could be strung into action immediately and strummed the six pokeballs on his belt anxiously.
The league vessel halted to a snail's pace as it neared the sandy shore. Ash was abundantly aware that he was about to get his feet wet as the boat struggled not to hit the sea floor. He nodded to the captain before jumping over the edge and wadding through the shallow sea until he made it to the dry land.
"Ash Ketchum?" The league attendee asked as soon as he set foot on the sand. The middle-aged man was wearing a dark green fitted polo shirt with the Hoenn ACE emblem situated in the top right-hand corner with matching tight-fitting cargo trousers on his legs and suitable footwear to boot. On his belt was 9 pokeballs which showed to Ash he meant business. The man was all lean muscle, not an inch of fat to be seen. Although short in stature the man commanded Ash's respect. He was not to be messed with.
"Yes sir!" Ash responded immediately, adjusting his bag back on his shoulder.
"Come with me, ACE Commander Warren is expecting you!" The ACE trainer responded.
The journey was short and made in complete silence. Ash followed a yard or so behind the ACE trainer, scoping out the surrounding area as he walked, waiting on some sort of attack.
Soon enough, the camp came into view and what a sight it was. Row after row of large sheltered accommodation lined the sandy desert. Barracks as Ash recalled the correct terminology. There was wired fencing surrounding the barracks to make up a perimeter and high towers at each corner to aid patrolling. He didn't see any other defensive set ups probably because any wild Pokemon would tear through it immediately.
Ash thought he seen some Tropius and Swellow flying above the vicinity though. The area more defended than he initially thought.
His attention was diverted back to the ground, were a stream of vehicles passed by, a very unusual site.
Vehicles were mostly prohibited in settlements across the world as they disturbed the wild Pokemon. Both land and air travel were either limited or stopped altogether on most routes, although there was certain exceptions. Ash travelled to Unova by plane being one and obviously military being another.
They reached the front gates and were let in on inspection. Ash continued following the ACE trainer once they were inside the camp. The place was extremely quiet for such a large base. They stopped at a particularly large barrack, where Ash could hear the distinct sound of chatter.
"This is where we part, you will meet your comrades inside before being addressed by ACE Commander Warren. Good Luck!" His short travelling companion said quickly before stepping aside and letting Ash through.
He took a deep breath before stepping inside the building. What hit him first was the sheer volume of people cramped inside the large building. There had to be at least a couple hundred bodies inside the barrack.
What he also quickly noticed was that almost all had on the exact same attire as each other which made Ash gulp and that they had formed friendships hence the loud chatter. The attire was the same as the ACE trainer that had escorted him to the premises except for on the emblem the word trainee was splashed across instead. On closer inspection the uniform was also a lighter shade of green to help differentiate between the two classes.
There was also a very large platform at the front of the building with a microphone front and centre. A few chairs were aligned on the platform also which indicated that more than one person would be on stage.
He was just about to introduce himself to the nearest individual when silence ensued. The platform soon filled up with 8 personnel in indigo file. 5 male and 3 female, all commanded respect with each passing step. They all took their respective seat before a giant of a man stepped onto the make shift stage.
ACE Commander Warren, Ash assumed anyway, was massive. Ash thought silence ensued before but now you could hear a pin drop. The man was wearing a full black uniform, different from everyone else in the room, had a short buzz cut and had the stature that rivalled Lieutenant Surge. He had to be at least 6-foot-8 and was an absolute unit.
The man eyed Ash and the other trainees like they were a bit of meat. Ash squinted and thought he seen 12 pokeballs lining his belt. He bet they were all beasts too. The commander let the silence continue for a few moments more, happy to see some of the trainee's squirm under his gaze before he spoke.
"For those of you that haven't of guessed I am indeed ACE Commander Warren!" The giant of a man boomed, not needing or using the microphone placed on the platform.
"The men and women behind me are also ACE Commanders and they will be your instructors for the duration of your stay. You will address them and myself as Staff at all times. Do I make myself clear?" ACE Commander Warren asked clearly.
"YES STAFF!" Ash declared along with the 200 hundred or so other people.
"For those of you that arrived here on time, you would have received your attire and sleeping arrangements!" The ACE commander continued. "You will have also been instructed on which ACE Commander will lead your sorry ass for a group. For those few that were late, stay behind and wait on instruction."
Ash gulped. That was him for sure. There was a bit of reassurance that he was at least not alone.
"Now, I shouldn't have to highlight this, but war is dangerous. Everything that you go through over the coming months will prepare you for said eventuality. Do I make myself clear?" The ACE continued.
"YES STAFF!" Ash again screamed out amongst the horde of people. He seen a trend coming along.
"You will be put through training missions to simulate the real deal. This includes hostage situations, ambush, poaching, guerrilla warfare and general combat amongst others. You will be put through hell. Some of you will quit and go running back to mommy. Some of you will cry. Some of you will not be strong enough!" ACE Commander Warren said loudly, listing off potential missions like they were cannon fodder while belittling the large group simultaneously.
"But if you succeed, you could be commanded by some of the strongest trainers in the world and one day be commanding some of the strongest trainers in the world!" The commander said, finishing on a positive note before walking off the stage.
Ash felt like ACE Commander Warren was staring right at him when those words were said. He was going to be trained by one of the strongest trainers in the world after all.
There was silence for a while before one of the eight present ACE commanders stood up before taking the microphone. A female this time.
"For those of you that were late on arriving, please stay behind to be addressed. The rest of you are dismissed. Report to your ACE commander by 06:00 tomorrow morning!" She said loudly and clearly.
All but one of the eight ACE commanders were left on stage. The trainees quickly filtered out of the large building until there was only about thirty stragglers left over. Ash was quick to note that none of these trainees had the ACE attire on as well which comforted him somewhat.
He continued to scan his comrades. All but two of them had six pokeballs on their belt. That meant that they had special dispensation to carry extra Pokemon, having achieved something significant to do so. The rest of them either didn't have more than six Pokemon or weren't special enough to allow for extra space. Ash could have more partners on his waist. After winning the Vertress Conference he was allowed up to 12 companions. Maybe he would get to that number one day.
The group was a mix of both male and female and ranged in age from maybe a few years older than himself to the late 20's or early thirties (it was hard to tell). He was certainly the youngest, in his group anyway, a burst of pride swelled up inside him at that revelation. Everyone was physically fit, although some stood out more than others, and all looked prepared, at least on the outside for the trials ahead.
He seen a few people size him up. He was tall and well built, but he still had a young face. He let them, no one in this group intimidated him, that's for sure.
"Finished eyeing each other up?" The ACE commander addressed the group.
Ash eyed the commander closely. He was a male, young to be in such a revered position. Ash was quickly putting two and two together that this would be his ACE Commander and the people surrounding him would be part of the same unit. An initiation on both fronts. Stragglers and a newbie in charge. Not the best combination.
He continued to look the commander up and down. He was definitely a newbie, although that might not be a terrible thing. He must have done something extraordinary to be put in such a position.
He was about the same height as Ash, and of similar build too, maybe a bit more muscle mass. He had the ACE Commander uniform on. A very dark shade of green being the only major difference. Ash reckoned he was in his mid-20's and had short black hair with 10 pokeballs on his belt.
"I take that as a yes!" The ACE Commander continued. "If you hadn't of guessed, you are commonly known as the stragglers for being the last to arrive, cannon fodder which no one wants!"
"I am ACE Commander James and I will be your instructor for the coming months. Do NOT let me down. Do I make myself clear?"
"YES STAFF!" the 30 or so individuals said in unison.
"Good! Now if you are to pass this course, you will obey my every command. Now get your shit and head off to Barracks H. I will address you at 06:00 exactly on your first instruction!" ACE Commander James finished, highlighting an area to the left which had an array of attire and bags before leaving the building.
Ash quickly jogged over to get his attire. It was all labelled per individual size and stripped off to get changed. It looked like he had 5 pairs of everything and a state-of-the-art rucksack to go with it.
Others quickly followed suit by stripping off and changing into trainee uniform. Both male and female were down to their bare clothing, and as you can imagine they were eying each other up. Ash even caught a couple of the woman eying his younger body which made him in turn linger a little longer than was required.
To get back on focus, he quickly opened up the rucksack and found a PokeNav inside. Ash marvelled at the sleek design, unable to believe that the military would hand out such devices to trainees. He was going to buy one later on but getting one for free was always better. He imagined it was for contact between one another in case of emergency.
A few others also found the same product and there was a bit of commotion at the pleasant surprise. Fiddling with the device he found out that there was one contact saved, ACE Commander James. His previous theory stacked up then.
Ash gathered the rest of his belongings before flinging it into the rucksack. He quickly followed the rest of his unit quietly and made his way to barracks H, lingering at the back and already feeling like an outsider for being last to arrive.
The unit made short work of finding barracks H and made their way inside the building. What hit Ash first was that it was very basic. The building was long and narrow with very little in it. 16 single beds lined each side of the barrack with a makeshift corridor the only walkway. A single box was assigned to each individual with their name on it, it looked like people wouldn't be choosing their own beds anyway.
Ash wandered the corridor looking for his name, eventually finding it near the top of the building on the left-hand side. Quickly dumping his rucksack and neatly putting away his spare clothing in his designated box. Ash took off his boots which relaxed him somewhat before placing them in the same box. He lay on his bed, shifting his pillow so it was upright before taking out both his PokeNav and Pokedex as the rest of his unit placed there stuff accordingly.
He started playing with the PokeNav first, seeing what features there were. A map, match call, built in Pokegear and a contest section were the main features, and all were accessible on Ash's device. The Hoenn ACE obviously hadn't deemed it unacceptable to disable any of the features, that was for sure. He opted against phoning his mother, believing that such a call would be social suicide on his first night in camp, instead he opened his Pokedex and began exploring the native Hoenn Pokemon.
After a little while he felt someone hit his leg which broke his gaze from studying Claydol, a dual ground psychic type which was also part of his teacher Steven's team.
He looked up to see a woman, a few years older than himself, looking at him expectantly. She was around 5-foot-8, relatively tall for a female. She had shoulder length blonde hair. A few strands curled around her face. Ash could make a faint outline of a few small scars across her cheeks which gave her harder features. They softened after a second as Ash continued analysing her. She, like the rest of his unit, didn't have an inch of fat on her body, or Ash assumed anyway. It was difficult to tell in the ACE uniform after all. Lastly Ash eyed the six pokeballs that lay on her waist, intrigued by what lay inside them.
"Yes!" Ash stated after a few moments, waiting on the female to say something.
"The rest of the group are introducing each other. Thought it best if you joined in too, you know?" The woman replied, not unkindly.
Ash nodded before looking to his right. He could see a rough circle shape outlining his comrades. All of them were there except for Ash and the woman. He got up from his bed, socks hitting off the wooden floor softly, and made his way over to the large group, who made space for him.
He was mistaken about everyone else being in the circle as one of his comrades excitedly came into the barracks blurting out the toilet facilities.
"It's unisex toilets!" the man said with a large grin on his face. Ash couldn't help but chuckle himself at the childish behaviour and by the laughter he wasn't the only one. He had already guessed that anyway, makes people more equal. Still, it would take some getting used to.
"Yes Charlie, we are all very aware of the situation, now pull up a pew, we are making introductions!" Another man said, looking to take the role of leader of unit H. He was a few years older than Ash, probably his early 20's and had striking shaggy green hair with relatively soft features. He was maybe a couple inches taller than Ash, around 6-foot-2 but had a slighter build. He held an air of confidence though. Ash was happy with him taking the lead, at least for the moment, although he did seem rather posh (not that Ash was discriminating).
"Anyway, I thought it best if we introduced each other. It looks like we are all going to be on the same team, so we need to know one another. Make sense?" The man continued.
Ash nodded along with the rest of unit H. It did make sense. He needed to know everyone's teams, their strengths and weaknesses and how skilled they were.
That's exactly what the man speaking proposed which made Ash smile. At least one other person was on the same wavelength as he was.
"So, I propose we go around in a circle. Introduce yourself, were you're from, your highest competitive finish in either a conference or grand festival or whatever applies for you and what Pokemon are on your team. We need to know each other's strengths and weaknesses so best to grab your PokeNav and take note of each other. Sound good?"
Ash nodded again to the man. He wouldn't have said it any better. He was very intrigued at how everybody shaped up and also how they would react to his announcement that he was a conference champion. Heck, maybe a few of them had even competed in the Vertress Conference.
"I'll start things off!" The man continued. "My name is Vito Winstrate. I'm from just north of Mauville City and my best finish was coming top 8 in the Ever Grande Conference. The team I have on me consist of Alakazam, Swellow, Shiftry, Electrode, Swalot and Darmanitan."
Very quick. That was Ash's initial thoughts as he typed Vito's information into his PokeNav. Well all of Vito's team except Swalot that was. It would be there for a reason though. From his finishing position Ash guessed that he would be on similar level to Gary although he had no doubt his friend and rival would soon be ahead if he kept up his training.
Vito definitely could hit hard and fast. Not the most durable team he had seen though. Still, it would be an asset for unit H.
This exercise continued around the circle. A few more people introduced themselves, one of the two people with 8 pokeballs being before Ash. That person, Robert, had actually won the Hoenn Grand Festival. His team seemed quite remarkable too, with a Milotic and Claydol being the main focal points. For a second Ash suspected he wasn't the only one that would be getting special training after this.
He was next, a small pit of Butterfree's had entered his stomach at the thought of speaking in front of a relatively large group before he gulped them down.
"My name is Ash Ketchum and I'm from Pallet Town in Kanto. My only finish is winning the Vertress Conference and my team consists of Lucario, Magnezone, Excadrill, Aggron, Skarmory and Bisharp!"
Ash exhaled as he got his turn over with. He looked up from the floor and seen literally everyone staring at him which made him burst out laughing.
"What?" he asked, questioning the stares after a while.
"You're so young?" Vito spoke up, a hint of dejection in his voice before he masked it.
"And?" Ash replied. He didn't get a response from Vito. From the looks of things, he wasn't the only one trying to hide the fact that a 16-year-old had achieved something in one year that they hadn't in ten.
To break the silence, the woman that hit his leg earlier and spoke up to introduce herself. It worked too as people were quick to jot down notes again on their respective PokeNav's.
She was called Brooke and like Vito was originally from Mauville City. She had an interesting team too with a Roserade and Lapras being the two that stood out most.
The other person with 8 pokeballs was far less interesting than Robert. Ash really had no idea how she deserved such an accolade, but he was sure that he would find out soon enough.
"Right." Vito spoke up after everyone had made introductions. "Quite a team guys. I'm sure we will have no problem creaming the other 7 units. Especially with conference and grand festival champions in the heart of it. I guess we should get some sleep. ACE Commander James will probably run us ragged in one way or another tomorrow!"
Ash nodded along with the result of the unit, aware that a few eyes were on him again. He made his way to his bed, lying on it and resuming looking at the Hoenn Pokemon on his Pokedex. He stopped on Milotic. He wanted to know everything about the majestic beast. By the looks of things, he had the closest thing to an equal in Robert and wanted to be prepared if he ever had to battle the Grand Festival Champion.
Sleep soon took over, not before Ash set an alarm for 05:00. He wanted to shower and be as ready as possible for the day ahead.
XxXxXx
Ash was ready. He had showered, found a breakfast facility to eat which was practically empty, was clothed and was currently sat on his bed waiting for ACE Commander James to burst in at any moment. Most of the unit was up and dressed, although two or three were frantically trying to put boots on.
At exactly 06:00 ACE Commander James briskly came into the barracks, gave the place a once over before flying into a rage.
"Trainees, by your station!" He started. Quickly all 30 or so trainees jumped to the edge of their beds, standing as straight as possible awaiting inspection.
"What a fucking state this place is!" ACE Commander James yelled as he walked up the makeshift corridor before stopping at one poor soul who was still struggling to put their boots on. "Did I or did I not say be ready for 06:00 trainee?"
"Yes Staff!" Said trainee replied. Ash couldn't quite remember his name as he watched the young man get chewed out.
"And why are you not ready trainee?" the Commander shot back calmly, too calmly.
"…" The trainee didn't have a response to that question.
"Make sure it doesn't happen again, do I make myself clear?" The commander replied for him, spinning to address the whole unit.
"YES STAFF!" Everyone replied in unison.
"Follow me, single file, do not forget your rucksacks!" The Commander stated and soon everyone was jogging to keep up with him.
Ash took a moment to look around. All 8 units were jogging in single file behind their designated commander. Soon all 8 squads had left the wired perimeter and were making their way towards the lush forest that Ash had spotted on his travels into Izabe Island. It had to be at least 10 miles to the edge of the forest, quite a trek in the desert climate.
Ash smiled. That would be no problem for him. Being competent in aura had many blessings after all. A few of his comrades looked to be realising their fate as well and the reactions were mixed to say the least.
It took about an hour and a half to reach the destination. The surface making it more difficult to get a footing and the sand weighing people down slowing the process. Some people weren't as fit as Ash initially thought. There was at least 5 people in his own unit that had their hands on their knees, panting in the process, struggling to breath with many more in the adjacent units in equally bad situations.
ACE Commander James and his fellow leaders stepped forward to make a line of 8 as some people continued to get their breath back. ACE Commander Warren appeared from a tent that Ash had not spotted and joined the other commanders, looking at the site in front of him with distain. He patrolled the area like a savage Umbreon before addressing the trainees
"Your mission is to get from one side of the forest in front of you to the evac point which is situated at the end. There will be Pokemon ambushing you and groups of ACE trainers will be situated throughout. Decide in your unit what your plan is. Success is getting as many of you through as possible. Do I make myself clear?" ACE Commander Warren belted out.
"YES STAFF!" All of the trainees screamed in unison. All apparent ills breathlessness forgotten about, replaced by giddiness and nerves of their first mission.
"You have five minutes to prepare, once you have no usable Pokemon, return to this position!" The commander finished before returning to his tent.
Ash turned around to face his group, quickly huddling into the makeshift circle as Vito began to speak, continuing in his role of team leader.
"Right guys, this is what we have been waiting for. I suggest, unless anyone objects, that we split into groups of four. Try and match up with trainers who have a different skill set to you, so your team is well rounded!"
It was a solid plan and gave everyone an equal of succeeding. It was probably the best solution at short notice. If they had more time Ash would have kept everyone as a single unit with physical speedsters at the front to head of any attack and defensive walls protecting the trainers from capture. He could at least emulate that on an individual level, although he wouldn't release Ferrothorn as they needed to keep up a good pace.
Ash ended up teaming up with both Brooke and Vito as well as another girl called Hope who he vaguely remembered had a Froslass.
They made their way to the edge of the forest before releasing their respective teams. Ash released everyone. There was a bunch of excitable grunts and whirs as his team said their hellos.
"Right guys, we need to make our way through the forest in front of you. As practiced, Lucario at the front, Skarmory to the sky, take out anything you see. Excadrill, hold off on digging until you know the enemy, there will be a lot of innocent parties around. Aggron and Magnezone, you're with me. Bisharp, change of plan, your also with me to disperse ghosts and psychics. Understood?"
He got another round of grunts and whirs as confirmation. His team meant business. His 3 allies followed suit, giving instructions to the members they let out. Ash noticed that Vito had let out almost his full team of 6 except for Swellow who he suspected would be let out later to scout. the girls had let out 3 Pokemon each, obviously having less Pokemon suited to a forest landscape with Lapras being a prime example.
Everyone nodded to each other before setting foot inside the forest. The first thing that hit Ash was the insectoid noise from the trees. He looked up to see the whole skyline covered by branches and dense leafage. In front of him was a mass of vegetation and not a great deal of room to manoeuvre, especially stealthily. It reminded him of Pinwheel Forest.
He could hear the distinct sound of Pokemon battle to his right, although when he looked in said direction, he couldn't see it through treeline. They continued to walk forward with their Pokemon when an explosion coursed through the group and everyone fell to the ground. Ash looked up to see his and his comrades Pokemon under attack.
He quickly shot up, annoyed that Vito's Alakazam didn't find the Pokemon or device in time to stop the explosion and started barking commands. His team was relatively unscathed. Only Lucario taking any sort of damage from the explosion. Clearly the others were too far away.
Vito didn't get off so lucky. Both Alakazam and Electrode were returned while his Darmanitan had entered zen mode. Only Swalot and remained by his side, although Shiftry was about somewhere, this was its home after all.
He seen more red stasis as Hope returned one of her team while Brooke only had Roserade out. That explosion had done a number. It had to be more than one Pokemon, but where did it come from.
"Treat everyone in front of us as the enemy, Lucario, use your Aura to search for Pokemon and humans, Excadrill dig underground and report back to me when you find anything. Everyone else wait!" Ash continued to bark out, not willing to risk moving forward without a report.
Vito released Swellow and he sent him to scout. Ash didn't think it was a bright idea. The Swellow didn't have a lot of manoeuvrability inside the forest and could be taken out pretty easily. Skarmory was about for attacks, not doe scouting.
Lucario gestured to Ash that he was finished with his scan. They had been together long enough to get communications across with gestures and appropriate questioning. There were several Pokemon up in the trees to north west and north east. No Pokemon were on the ground. There was an open clearing a few hundred metres ahead where three humans patrolled. Excadrill came back shortly after to confirm what Lucario said, adding that there were two further clearances ahead.
Ash pointed to the trees, explaining to the others what he had just been told. Vito whistled Shiftry down to show its new targets.
"Lucario, Aura Sphere!" Ash stated to his starter. It was his most accurate move. He watched as Lucario fired Aura Sphere after Aura Sphere at the trees. It created an almighty buzz and several Ninjask made themselves visible for the first. It also gave Ash his first targets.
"Bisharp, Lucario and Magnezone engage!" Ash barked out, getting his team to meet the Ninjask head on. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Vito's Shiftry jumping from the tress onto one of the Ninjask and that Brook's Roserade was preparing an attack. He could also here Hope barking orders. That Froslass would sure come in useful.
Pokemon met Pokemon in a collision course with quality overcoming quantity. Lucario and Magnezone decimated the Ninjask with long range attacks while Bisharp cut them down when they got close enough.
Soon enough the unit cleared the first hurdle and began to advance on the clearing. Ash was still aware that he hadn't come across the Pokemon that had made the initial explosion but both Lucario and Excadrill had told him the coast was clear.
They regrouped at the edge of the clearing, well aware that they would have to go through the three trainers in front of them. Brook released her Lapras for extra cover but Hope still only had her Froslass out.
The three trainers, aware that they finally had company, released fifteen Pokemon. six Mightyena, three Linoone, three Shiftry and three Vigoroth.
Easy pickings, Ash thought. He was about to press forward when he spotted three Golbat hiding in the trees behind the trainers. More problematic but Ash didn't voice his concern just yet in case they moved. Hopefully Skarmory could take them.
"Let's just press them. We should be able to get through this. I've got enough speed to get a couple of hits in!" Vito declared confidently. He still had Shiftry, Swellow and Swalot out. Ash must have missed him returning Darmanitan.
"Okay!" Ash replied, focused. As soon as they started forward the three Golbat began to swoop down. That was Skarmory's call and it bore down on the poison types and tore one of them out of the sky with his talons while Magnezone's Thunderbolt made quick work of the other two Golbat before they were returned.
Ash's team were in the thick of the action. Lucario making light work of the dark types, Close Combat and Aura Sphere being particularly effective. He was aided by Bisharp and Brook's Roserade in taking out most of the Pokemon very quickly. Excadrill dug into the clearing before using Drill Run into a sole Linoone and starting on another before Shiftry put it to the sword. Froslass was spewing Ice at the Vigoroth to slow their halt where Lapras then aided it with its own Ice Beams from the defensive perimeter As Ash and the unit watched on.
Two Vigoroth broke through the initial onslaught and made their way towards the group. Aggron nobbily stepped forward, horns and claws at the ready to jab at his foes. It wasn't needed as Hope's Froslass sped forward with icy energy and ploughed two twin ice beams into the Vigoroth, more than stunning them before Vito's Swalot finished them off with Sludge Bomb's.
The Rest of the enemies Pokemon had fallen since and the group was largely in tack. Ash's Pokemon had very little injuries bar a few scratches and bruises, Magnezone being the worst off.
Ash couldn't see Vito's Swellow. He assumed it must have been to injured to carry on. His Shiftry wasn't faring much better, already looking to be on its last legs. It must have been entangled with one of its fellow brethren. He only had two viable Pokemon left.
Brook's returned her Lapras as Ash examined her Roserade. It was still in good shape at least, and she still had Lapras to protect her, even if it was largely immobile on land.
Hope's Froslass seemed exhausted but Ash could only see superficial injuries. It should be able to continue. Surely, she had more Pokemon that was suited to this landscape. He voiced this concern shortly after.
"I'm an ice type trainer!" She replied. "Most of my team are like Brook's Lapras, immobile, plus the heat doesn't suit them. My only other suitable member is Sneasel, but he and Froslass don't work well together. I'll release him once she can take no more!" She finished; a bit peeved off by sounding weak.
That made sense, Ash guessed anyway. So other than him there was five, maybe six friends to fight off the next attacks. There odds weren't looking great.
The unit regrouped at the far end of the clearance. They were aware from Excadrill's report that there was two further clearances ahead, probably lined with at least one trainer each. They also expected an ambush in the forest path in between but Lucario couldn't feel any movement.
The coast seemed clear. The unit moved silently through the forest, Pokemon in tow following suit. They got to the edge of the next clearing swiftly enough and could see two ACE trainers waiting patiently. No Pokemon were visible but Lucario communicated to Ash that he could feel them hidden in the trees. Ash was really beginning to appreciate that aspect of Lucario. Apparently, no foe could stay invisible to one and Ash's Lucario was proving that fact to be correct.
He voiced that to the unit, and they began formulating a plan. Vito spoke up first, returning to his role of leader.
"We need to be smart. There aren't many Pokemon left on our side. I think we should bait them into ambushing us. It would allow us to get a read on what Pokemon they have and how strong they are. The thing is who should be bait?"
That was a smart plan, if not risky. It definitely had flaws though. Would the trainers engage with their full force or use just the required amount? Which Pokemon would be bait? Ash had an idea of using Aggron but would a Pokemon on its last legs be better? Whatever Pokemon was used would definitely faint. The two girls had the same thoughts, but all the other ideas were poorer.
It was decided that Aggron and Froslass would step forward, with the rest of the Pokemon making a semi-circle perimeter. That left Magnezone, Lapras and Swalot to protect the unit if they got breached.
Ash had a sneaky suspicion that the ACE trainers were told not to advance and engage because they were still doing nothing. Just waiting patiently. Their heads snapped towards the forms of Froslass and Aggron as they made their way to the centre of the clearing. Ash could see movement in the trees and a lone a Heracross stepped forward into the clearing. Just as the Pokemon were about to engage, a huge Aura Sphere flew past Ash and into a something not 20 feet behind him and the three humans.
They had been duped.
The Heracross, using the distraction, fired off a Bullet Seed at the baited pair as chaos ensued. Ash turned around to see that Lucario's Aura Sphere had connected with a Magneton that was beginning to pull itself up from the ground as the Pokemon that made the perimeter rushed to their human friends.
Twin Golem appeared from beneath the surface in front of the rising Magneton with two Flygon flanking the three some. They started firing off attacks at the Pokemon surrounding the humans. Magnezone, Swalot and Lapras taking extreme punishment in the process.
Ash shouted a command to Magnezone to press the closing group of Pokemon as Hope released her Sneasel. Hopefully Lapras and Swalot would be sufficient in protecting the group before the cavalry arrived.
A Shedinja was released by one of the ACE trainers into the centre of the clearing once Hope's Froslass fell to the Heracross. Clearly it was more exhausted than Ash initially thought. Aggron was left with a two against one. The Heracross was going to take up all of its time with Shedinja free to strike willingly. She couldn't dodge the Heracross and target the Shedinja at the same.
Fuck Ash thought, He needed Lucario or Bisharp ASAP. Where were they.
He looked around again to see that they had been engaged in attack by the remaining Pokemon of the ACE trainers. Clearly, they hadn't released them all before the attack.
Ash's four Pokemon along Vito's Shiftry and Brook's Roserade were fighting side by side against five foes. Two Exploud, a Manectric, Pinsir and Zangoose were engaged with Ash and his comrades Pokemon.
He was screaming for Lucario or Bisharp to take care of the Shedinja, but he needn't worry. The fight soon spilled into the clearing where Aggron and his foes became part of one fight.
Ash turned his attention back to Magnezone and the approaching enemy. His Pokemon had done well. Taking down both Golem and the Magneton with Hope's Sneasel's help, but with the initial volley he and the team were on the last legs. The Flygon were closing in, firing on Swalot and Lapras who were retaliating in vain, exhausted by the wave after wave of attack and missing the mark.
One of the Flygon broke through, but it was intercepted by Excadrill mid-flight and the two rolled across the vegetation, hitting each other with close ranged attacks.
This was a complete mess. The last Flygon had been taken down by a combination of Skarmory, Swalot, Lapras and Sneasel but had come at a cost. They were all exhausted. Ash promptly returned the Armor Bird Pokemon, noticing that the others were doing the same. Ash turned to Hope, and realisation hit her face that she had to return to the start line. She wasn't the only one as Brook returned her fallen Roserade as the fight continued. It looked like the Shedinja was taken care of somehow, but the Heracross was still standing along with Aggron, both battered and bruised. A Psycho Cut put an end to that from Bisharp who along with Lucario, Magnezone and Vito's Shiftry had taken care of the ACE Trainer's cavalry.
They had won. Just.
The end product was a devastated clearing with exhausted Pokemon everywhere. Excadrill was in a heap with a Flygon on top of her. Both were promptly returned. Red lights were frequently flitting through the forest as more and more Pokemon were returned. Magnezone sagged before falling to the floor. Vito's Shiftry was absorbed in a red light as well.
All that was left was Lucario, Bisharp and a battered Aggron who looked to Ash with steel in her eyes. Ash looked at her before nodding. She wasn't done yet.
Ash looked to his comrades with a hard gaze before advancing alone to the next phase. He turned around to see the two ACE trainers accompanying his unit back to the start. Turning back round he nodded to his three Pokemon before retuning Aggron to her ball.
Taking a deep breath to recuperate and think, Ash looked towards Lucario to scan the forest once again for foes. Again, there were none.
Taking his time, Ash, with Lucario and Bisharp in tow made their way to the last clearance before stopping. He could see one single ACE trainer some two hundred feet away with her full team of six out one hundred feet closer. All fully evolved and formidable. Lucario confirmed that there were no traps but behind her, some further two hundred feet away, there was the finish line.
They advanced on the clearing. Lucario and Bisharp providing cover as Ash threw Aggron's pokeball as far and high as he could, right into the middle of the ACE trainers team.
She knew what to do.
As soon as she formed, an explosion of monumental effect took place, taking Ash off his feet in the process.
Aggron had used a bastardsised version of Heavy Slam, taking out herself and incapacitating the entirety of the ACE trainers team in the process. What was left was seven downed Pokemon inside a massive crater all struggling to move.
Ash smiled ah walked to the centre of the clearing. He looked down on Aggron before returning her fondly.
He nodded to the ACE trainer before walking through the forest and to the finish line, both Lucario and Bisharp a couple of steps behind.
The scene that greeted him was one of surprise. The eight ACE Commanders were in a line with ACE Commander Warren at the head. Five others were waiting one of which was Robert from his Barracks. They were all at ease, lying on the ground or with a Pokemon. All were exhausted.
He walked up to the ACE Commanders, saluting once he got close enough.
"Well done trainee on passing the first test!" ACE Commander Warren said loudly.
"Thank you, Staff!" Ash replied tiredly, finishing the salute.
"Your prize is to watch as your other 250 comrades get beasted!" ACE Commander Warren finished with a smile.
Ash nodded before falling to the ground and returning Lucario and Bisharp to rest. This would be fun.