Hey guys, I know that changing your username isn't recommended here, but I just really like this username better than my old one, seeing as how it is also the name I go by on YouTube. Hope you guys don't mind.

Also, I just quickly read through Chapter 7 and noticed all of the glaring spelling/grammar issues...sorry about that, I guess I must have rushed more than I thought I did. I'm pretty sure I fixed them all, but anyways enjoy this next chapter!

Chapter 8: The Recovery

~ Sea Spirit's Den ~

Kyogre had not even undergone Primal Reversion yet. Alain hoped that meant that Team Aqua hadn't figured it out yet. Even so, the rain was relentless; definitely not the optimal battling conditions for Charizard.

"It's a shame. Truly, truly, a shame that you absolutely have to stand in our way."

Alain looked helplessly around him at the dozens of people and Pokemon surrounding them. Carvanha snapped their jaws nastily in the water, and above them were countless Zubat and Golbat, whose ear-splitting screeches seemed to echo through the air. His confidence was draining by the second; he wasn't used to being trapped like this. But he knew he had to remember to trust his companions, even if he didn't really know them all that well.

Champion Diantha was not enjoying being half-submerged as she thought about the situation. She had full confidence in Alain and his abilities, and she did not doubt Ash's other companions in the slightest, for she knew that he wouldn't have brought them here if they weren't capable.

To everyone's surprise, it was Team Piplup who initiated the battle. Iris immediately commanded Dragonite to attack Matt's Sharpedo without wasting any time. Dragonite flew straight towards Sharpedo, its entire body surrounded by an aura of draconic power. The build up to the attack was extremely suspenseful, but Sharpedo managed to easily dodge the Dragonite's Dragon Rush.

"Gyarados, I choose you!" Misty shouted, releasing the Atrocious Pokemon from its Pokeball. It landed in the water with an enormous splash, forming a massive wave. "Use Hyper Beam!"

Gyarados' Hyper Beam was powerful enough to knock out two Carvanha with one shot. But just as quickly, two more Carvanha were there in place of those two.

"Marshtomp, come out and use Mud Shot!" Brock shouted as the Mud Fish Pokemon jumped into the water and released a respectable Mud Shot attack.

"Piplup, use Bubblebeam!" Dawn commanded. She would have sent out Pachirisu, but she didn't see it faring well on water.

"We've got to do something about the water!" May shouted, knowing full well that Dawn could be using Pachirisu right now if not for the battlefield. She herself wanted to send out Venusaur, but she safely assumed that it wouldn't be able to swim and battle at the same time.

Kenny stood next to Dawn with a confident air about him, which seemed to calm both trainers somewhat. "Breloom...come on out!" he shouted as he tossed two Pokeballs into the air. "Breloom, ride on Empoleon's back!"

Breloom stood firmly on the back of Kenny's Empoleon as the two Pokemon sped around the island. Breloom launched powerful Energy Ball attacks at multiple Pokemon. It was hit back by relatively weak Water Gun attacks, and Empoleon was too fast for the Golbat to get in close.

Gary nodded and tossed another Pokeball into the air. "Hey, that's a great idea, Kenny! Electivire, hitch a ride on Blastoise's back!"

The Thunderbolt Pokemon appeared and landed on Gary's Blastoise's shell, intimidating every single Team Aqua member as its tails sparked with pure electrical power. It proceeded to obliterate multiple Carvanha and Golbat with its powerful Thunder attacks.

Admin Matt frowned as Team Piplup began sending out more Electric and Grass type Pokemon. They're more versatile than we thought.

"Team Aqua, stand your ground! We have Kyogre...do not show any hesitation!" Matt commanded. "Kyogre, use Origin Pulse!"

May and Brock both looked surprised. "Well that's new," Brock said as he cautiously watched the Legendary Pokemon.

Kyogre released a massive wave of aquatic power that swept through Team Piplup, causing other waves to form and push them around for about a minute. Shaken up from the impact, everyone tried their best to keep their cool and focus on the battle.

Alain suddenly realized that if Team Aqua was here, then Mairin was in terrible danger. There's no way she and Chespy can hold their own against Groudon...I have to be there, Ash will be too busy to look after her, I-

Diantha seemed to read his mind as she noticed his expression. She said, "Alain, you must not worry about Mairin. You and I both know Ash very well. He can-"

"But she needs me! I know Ash is strong, but Mairin and I, we've been through so much together...I really need to be with her now, and make sure she-"

"You don't need to be with her now. I'm sure she is just as worried for you as you are for her, but you have to remain calm and focus. To leave now and go to her would be to disrespect Ash and the promise he made you to keep her safe. Not only that, but Team Piplup needs a leader...Ash appointed you the leader, and they look to you as that leader because they trust him," Diantha said.

Alain gripped one hand into a fist as he held onto Tierno's Blastoise with the other.

Diantha understood that he was feeling conflicted, which would ultimately detract from his ability to focus on the task at hand. She decided that it would be best if they came to a compromise. "Alain...I will go to Mairin and make sure she is okay. But you...you clearly have a battle of your own to worry about."

Alain looked as if he wanted to argue, but knew that this was probably the best way. He nodded slowly, turning his attention back to the battle. "Please, go now..." he said.

Diantha nodded and released her Gardevoir from its Pokeball. "Gardevoir, use Teleport!" she said, and within an instant she was gone.

"Sir! The Champion's just escaped!" shouted a Team Aqua grunt.

"Do I look like I'm blind, for Arceus' sake? I can see that! Focus on your battle, and stop worrying about shit like that! I'll track her down myself!" Matt angrily shouted. Then, to everyone's surprise, he rode his Sharpedo back to the facility on the island.

"Why's he going back?" Kenny asked no one in particular. Beside him, Trevor began to think hard.

"If Diantha's using Teleport, then I would think it would be very difficult to track her down. Although it would probably take a good 10 to 15 Teleports to make it across the Kalos region, it would be nearly impossible to find her, unless-"

"Trevor, can you shut up and just fight with us?" Tierno shouted as he gave commands to his Blastoise.

"Well, I wanna send out Charizard, but I don't think that's the best option right now..." Trevor said, frantically searching his belt for a different Pokeball with a Pokemon that would work well. He was barely managing to keep himself above water, so sending out a Pokemon was going to be another difficult task altogether.

May looked around at everyone desperately, trying to find a Pokemon capable of carrying her Venusaur. Gyarados was the only one big enough, but it was too thin. But then she realized that there was a different, possibly even better option.

"Beautifly, come out and use Sunny Day!" she commanded, making sure her voice was loud and clear for all to hear. "Trevor and Alain...you're good to use Charizard now!" she announced proudly, enjoying the fact that she was turning the tide of this battle.

Alain turned and smiled immediately, his hand instinctively reaching for Charizard's Pokeball. Finally. It's time to show them our true power...

Much to Team Aqua's dismay, Beautifly appeared in a flash of white light, fluttering its intricately patterned wings. Within seconds, the rain was gone, replaced by the numerous bright rays of sunlight from Beautifly's Sunny Day.

Simultaneously, Alain's Charizard appeared ready for battle, beating its wings confidently. With a touch of his Keystone, Alain immediately Mega Evolved Charizard. Almost everyone recognized the beautiful and colorful streams of light that connected the hearts of Pokemon and trainer. Soon after, Gary, May, and Misty all Mega-Evolved their Pokemon.

Gary's Blastoise gained an extra cannon, sporting one on each arm and one huge one on its back. Misty's Gyarados grew larger and more intimidating fins. It's underside became a blackish-grey color, which has been speculated to be representative of its type change from Flying to Dark.

May sent out Blaziken right after Sunny Day was used. She tapped her Keystone, which she had made into an earring, and Blaziken's strongest form emerged from the light, streaks of fire billowing from its more physically refined body.

Alain's Charizard's booming roar struck fear into the hearts of Team Aqua's members, who were all frightened to be facing four Mega-Evolved Pokemon. All but Admin Shelly, who for some reason did not seem to be too bothered by the weather change...

– –

~ Terminus Cave ~

"No, no, just wait. I want to see if this will be enough to finish them," Admin Tabitha said to his Lieutenant.

"Okay, sir. But just warning you...we have to keep in mind that they're exceptionally strong trainers."

Team Dedenne was struggling to recover as the ground continued to quake violently. The devastating heat wasn't helping, either. As he watched everyone desperately trying to keep their footing, Ash decided that it was time to take action. I'm done with this shit, he thought.

It actually took him a while to realize that he was still holding onto Serena. She had lost her balance and he had helped her up, but to his surprise she was still gripping his arm tightly.

Calem noticed this and frowned. His already rocky relationship with Ash was beginning to decline even further by the second.

Ash stood up confidently and looked around him at the members of Team Dedenne. In as loud a voice as possible, he shouted, "Everyone! Stop and look around you. They're watching us slowly tire ourselves out...they're just watching, for Arceus' sake! Let's fight back! We can adjust to this...we can fight through anything!

Serena looked up at him in awe, as if she suddenly remembered something she had been forgetting for years. Wow...

Clemont sighed, knowing that Ash's heart was in the right place. But he doesn't realize that not all of us are like him...not all of us can adapt to any situation. I don't think I-

Suddenly, a Pokeball on his belt opened up and out came Chespin, with an unusually serious expression on its face. "Che, che pin che!" it cried out angrily, scolding Clemont for getting so down already.

Clemont looked surprised, then nodded. "Y-you're right, Chespin...that was the old me. I'm no longer afraid of danger...we still have a fighting chance!"

Bonnie smiled proudly at her brother. He might be a big baby, but he's growing, she thought. "Lapras, come on out!" she exclaimed.

Cilan decided to keep Simisage out, despite the conditions being in favor of Team Magma's Fire-type Pokemon. He trusted his Pokemon, and he had been with Simisage ever since he had received it as a Pansage when he was only ten.

Serena found herself stumped. She could send out Braixen, since the sun would augment her Fire-type attacks...but Groudon's Earthquakes were extremely powerful, and she knew Braixen wouldn't be able to withstand more than two, if that many. Pancham was her next option, but it was small and inexperienced in terms of battling. She supposed that Sylveon was probably more powerful, and it didn't suffer from any type disadvantages in this situation.

"Sylveon, take the stage!" she exclaimed as she tossed its Pokeball into the air.

Ash nodded in her direction. "Good choice, Serena," he said, with a small hint of a smile on his face.

Serena looked slightly surprised. She was even more surprised when she realized that in the heat of the situation, she was still holding onto Ash's arm. She thought about letting go, but she needed Ash to stay balanced. On top of that, she didn't want Calem to think that anything was going on between her and the boy from Pallet Town. Although...did she really care about what Calem thought at this point?

Calem, Paul, and Drew decided to fight with Pidgeot, Aggron, and Flygon, respectively. Pidgeot and Flygon could avoid Ground-type attacks with ease, which made them advantageous picks for this battle. Paul chose Aggron because he knew that it would be able to withstand any physical attack after it Mega Evolved.

"Chespy, come on out!" Mairin shouted as her starter Pokemon appeared in a flash of white light.

"Ivysaur, it's your time to shine!" Shauna exclaimed excitedly as her first Pokemon was released from its capsule.

"Clemont! Help me!" Bonnie screamed as she lost her balance. She tumbled to the ground, the earthquakes too much for her to handle alone.

To her surprise, a Pokemon came to her rescue. It lifted her back up onto her feet and held her to make sure she didn't fall again. Bonnie looked up and saw that it was a Gallade.

"Nice job, Gallade! Hey, are you alright?" Max shouted, running over to them as he pushed up his glasses.

Bonnie nodded and smiled radiantly. "Yeah...hey, thanks for helping me, I-"

She was interrupted by a deafening roar. Everyone turned to see Ash's Charizard emerging from its Pokeball, breathing random bursts of powerful flames in every direction.

Ash raised his hand up high, his Keystone gleaming spectacularly in the bright sunlight. "Everyone! Stand with me and fight!" he shouted, touching two fingers to his Keystone. Those who had a Keystone followed suit, and within seconds the air was filled with countless streams of light.

Max's Gallade gained large, strong blades protruding from its forearms. Paul's Aggron looked like it had a suit of impenetrable armor on as it slowly made its way towards the enemy. Calem's Pidgeot's new form was magnificent, the crest on its head became longer and more fierce-looking, and its wings and tail were capped with blue-tipped feathers.

Ash's Charizard gained much sharper features, sporting a fearsome-looking spike on its head and two fin-like spikes, one on each arm. It's wings looked as if they could slice through air, and the fire burning on its tail burned even brighter.

Ash smiled as he saw the looks on all the faces around him, those of his companions and enemies. Team Dedenne was looking more confident than ever, despite being the victims of a nasty surprise. Team Magma, on the other hand, looked hesitant and uncertain, with the exception of Tabitha and Courtney. The two Admins simply looked at each other and nodded their heads.

– –

~ Route 20, Kalos ~

On the back of her Salamence, Zinnia the Lorekeeper was now flying through the Kalos region, in search of the Legendary Pokemon that would help her reclaim her legacy.

Hang on...where do I even go to find Rayquaza? Zinnia thought. I left so quickly...Grannie didn't even get the chance to tell me where to go. That's so strange...she's almost always completely thorough with everything she does.

She had her Salamence land in the middle of a forest for some rest. She softly stroked the Dragon Pokemon on the back and said, "You've done your people a great honor, Salamence. Now rest, rest until I call upon you again."

Then she sighed and sat down underneath a tree, deep in thought. I need Grannie's wisdom...she would know what to do. Why didn't she come with me? Well, I suppose she is old...whatever...I'm here now, and that's what counts.

Aster nudged Zinnia's leg with its large ears. "Whis, whismur!"

Zinnia laughed and picked Aster up, embracing her Pokemon lovingly. "Oh Aster...you're always here for me, aren't you?"

– –

~ Sea Spirit's Den ~

Admin Matt was in his office, communicating with Petrel via Holo Caster.

"Yes, I can guarantee that the Gardevoir will need rest; after all, no Pokemon can Teleport someone across an entire region in any less than three hours. It'll probably take her just that amount of time, maybe two and a half hours, since it is the Champion were talking about."

Matt remained sitting there for the next minute, listening to Petrel.

"Ah, yes, he will work nicely; I've heard about his amazing abilities. But how will you convince him to work for us? Seeing as how he's a-"

Petrel explained to Matt how this man is very easily motivated, regardless of the moral values in question.

"Hm. I see, that's interesting. Petrel, you've proven to be even more useful than I thought you would be. I suspect the Champion will be around Route 15 in an hour or two. Make sure he is waiting there by then."

– – – –

End of the chapter. Sorry it took so long for me to update, I've been especially busy lately. Anyways, leave your thoughts in a review below, I'd really appreciate it.