Since it was a long way from Petalburg to Rustboro, it wasn't really feasible for the friends to carry enough food for the whole journey.

Fortunately, they didn't need to, for several reasons. One of them was that there were Pokémon Centres and small towns scattered along the route, but when that wasn't enough they found another alternative – like when they found themselves in need of lunch one day, and Zapdos simply volunteered to go and fetch some food.

"Are you sure this is going to work?" Max asked, not for the first time, as May and her Azurill played catch with the GS ball. "I know you can understand Pokémon, but… I know you wrote out the order too, but it just seems weird."

"We did it a few times in Johto, mostly for Ho-Oh though," Ash replied, with a shrug. "I trust Zapdos to come back and get help if she has trouble, too."

Max considered that. "I guess that makes sense… it still seems weird, though. You'd expect to do it with a Pidgey or something, but…"

"Why's that?" Ash asked. "Is it because they're rarer?"

The younger boy just looked at him in complete bafflement. "...what?"

"I have a suggestion," Zygarde said, getting up from where he was resting on a rock and padding over to May and Azurill. "What about if you try hitting the ball as far as you can, Azurill, and I will go and retrieve it so you can try again."

"That sounds like pretty good training," Ash said, as Max tried to work out how to get his point across. "That way you can practice power, too."

"What's that?" May asked. "Oh, uh… looks like we might need to try after lunch, I think that's Zapdos on the way back."

"Ah, this is going to be good," Zapdos said, a few minutes later, once everything had been unpacked and laid out. "A good flight of a few miles to work up an appetite…"

Then a Taillow came flying in, and picked up a sushi roll before flying off.

"Hey, that's not very polite," the Electric-type objected.

Another Taillow came flying in as well, and snatched some of the yaki soba. Then a third went for a Pokeblock, and Zapdos waved her wings ineffectually at them. "Stop it, please."

"Yeah, it's kind of rude to take food without asking," Ash protested.

Then one of the Taillow took a dango ball.

Zapdos' wings lit up. "You did not just do that."

"Get down!" Pikachu advised.

Max and May couldn't understand him, but the intent was clear.

"THUNDER!" Zapdos announced, and for a few seconds it rained Taillow.

Then, with bolts still snapping around the clearing, Zapdos turned up her beak. "That's better," she said.

"Really?" asked a Taillow.

Zapdos looked down.

One of the Taillow had sparks fizzing over their tailtips, so had clearly been caught in the wide-area blast, but still seemed perfectly hale.

"Ooh!" Cranidos said. "That's neat! So if you and Pikachu can do attacks which break the Earth-type immunity, and Zygarde has those moves that break the Flying-type immunity, maybe this Taillow can do something that breaks the Flying-type weakness!"

She raised a claw to her muzzle, and hummed. "Maybe it's an Ability? It could be called Delectric, or Type Mismatch, or…"

"Okay," Pikachu mused, flicking his tail and drawing in most of the residual charge so it wouldn't get in anyone else's way. "Congratulations, random Taillow. You have interested me."

"Us," Zapdos corrected.

"Yeah, us," Pikachu agreed. "So-"

"What about this?" Ash asked. "Taillow, is there anything that would make you interested in joining my team?"

"Wow, that's a lot of interest because I dealt with a weak Electric attack," Taillow said, jumping into the air and hovering there. "What about this – what makes you think I'd be interested in joining your team at all?"

"I'm pretty sure we can teach you Electrify," Ash suggested. "That way your cool ability to shrug off electric attacks applies to any attack!"

Taillow thought about that.

"You have my attention."

"...somehow I feel like I should be taking notes," Max whispered. "To everyone else Ash must just vanish into the woods for a week and come back with a Pokémon that completely ignores everything we know about… well, Pokémon…"

"Okay, Azurill, let's see if we can get it to Max without Zygarde being able to catch it," May said. "Ready?"

"Zuu-my best," Azurill replied.

May blinked. "...what?"

"...I said I'd do my best?" Azurill replied, a bit confused. "Is something wrong?"

"Ash!" May called, turning. "I just understood what Azurill said!"

"Oh, wow, that's great!" Ash replied. "You got the hang of it really quick!"

"Got the hang of what?" Eevee said.

Ash looked down, then held out his arms, and Eevee jumped up into them.

"I've missed you!" Eevee told him. "Crobat said you were over here so I ran ahead, Vulpix is just behind!"

"Oh, so that's what's going on," Ash realized. "Max, May, you remember I mentioned my friend Brock? I guess he's turned up in Hoenn after all! And that's why you understood what Azurill said, May, it's Vulpix's Hypnosis, she learned it a couple of months ago."

May didn't know what to think about that, at first, but then decided that being disappointed she couldn't understand Azurill by herself yet would be really hugely unfair to Vulpix, and would mean being upset when she could still have a talk with Azurill… and Torchic, and all the other Pokémon in the group as well.

"Hey, that's a good point," Taillow said, interrupting her training with Pikachu and Cranidos. "Don't most humans normally not understand Pokémon? What's up with you being able to do it?"

"Good luck getting a good answer," said a young man who was probably Ash's much-mentioned friend Brock. "It's so obvious to Ash that I don't think he ever really thinks about it. How have you found Hoenn, Ash?"

"Well, it's been pretty good," Ash answered, letting Eevee back down and nodding a hello to Crobat as well. "I met a couple of new friends, and I won my first badge!"

"I think he means literally," Vulpix suggested, sticking her tongue out.

At about the same time, several miles to the south, a hard man slammed the door on his latest captures.

"And you won't make trouble if you know what's good for you," he said. "Fearow, Pupitar, if any of them try to escape – make an example of them."

Rico stood back a few steps, contemplating the truckload of Ekans and Koffing, then got into the driver's cab.

As he was about to turn the key, though, a voice interrupted him.

Two voices, specifically.

"Prepare for trouble, for we're in the right!" the first announced.

"And make it double, you're going to get a fright," the second agreed.

With a hiss, two trainers landed in front of the truck – both wearing uniforms and equipped with jetpacks.

"What. The hell," Rico asked, as the two trainers continued through a complete spiel about truth and love and preparing to fight, and then a weird talking Meowth landed between them with a snarky comment.

"Those Ekans and Koffing are prospective Team Rocket recruits," James said. "As of now."

"Which means that if you mess with them, you mess with Team Rocket," Jessie added. "And you don't want to mess with Team Rocket."

"...what a complete load of nonsense," Rico snorted. "Fearow! Get them!"

James threw a Pokéball into the air – well into the air, so high it was an obvious failure – and Rico's Fearow flew forwards to punish him.

Then a Muk landed entirely on top of Fearow, flattening him completely.

"That's it," Rico declared. "Pupitar!"

Pupitar moved forwards, glowed, and evolved into Tyranitar. The big Armor Pokémon roared, and Jessie and James drew a bit closer together.

"It's a good thing our motto has a known length," Jessie said.

"An' dat Porygon's good at doin' trajectory calculations an' stuff," Meowth added.

Rico was about to ask what on earth that could possibly mean when a Wobbuffet smacked into the ground at terminal velocity about ten feet away.

"Wobb-baaa!" it bellowed, and a massive surge of Counter energy blasted Tyranitar off his feet.

"TaaAAAR!" the Rock-type snarled, pushing itself upright, but then blasts of some weird ice attack came down out of the clear blue sky and froze Tyranitar to the floor.

"Arbok, go and free those Ekans and Koffing," Jessie called.

"Weezing, Toxic!" James added. "Meowth, tell Porygon to keep it up!"

"It ain't like he can't listen to da radio, ya know!" Meowth griped. "An' keep an eye out in case dis guy's got some kind'a trump card! You know, a tough Pokémon!"

Rico actually felt slightly insulted by that.

His Pupitar – Tyranitar, now – was a tough Pokémon.

Wasn't he?

"With a gym leader, it's partly a question of philosophy," Brock was explaining, as they made their way towards Rustboro.

Probably towards Rustboro.

"Rock types are tough Pokémon, especially physically, as a rule," he said. "But at the same time they've got an unusual amount of weaknesses. So my gym battles were usually about making sure that a new trainer knew how weaknesses worked and giving experienced trainers a challenge about covering their weaknesses."

"And then Ash came along?" Max asked.

"I'm not saying you're wrong…" Brock admitted. "But a big part of my passion has always been in how you raise Pokémon to make them better at something, and Ash is the best example of that I've yet seen."

Max couldn't really argue with that.

Then Crobat flew down to hover next to Brock.

"There's a giant Zigzagoon up ahead," he reported. "I think. It could also be a themed villain with a collection of normal Zigzagoon."

"A… themed villain?" Max repeated. "That sounds like something you've run into before."

"I should tell you about Gligarman some time!" Brock replied. "He wasn't the villain, but same basic thing."

Fortunately, it was neither a giant Zigzagoon nor a themed villain.

Instead, the boy (who introduced himself as Nicholai the Knickerbocker) was someone who tried to empathize with wild Zigzagoon by dressing up like one.

"I… kind of think that if you do that then Zigzagoon are just going to be confused," Ash said. "If you want to battle with them then you could just ask, right?"

"Well…" Nicholai began. "...that wouldn't work, right?"

"If you ask me, it's better than battling and capturing an awful ruffian of a wild Pokémon who doesn't even want to be there," Vulpix sniffed.

"Though I guess it might help a bit if it helps you get into the right mindset," Ash frowned. "And once you've got understanding Zigzagoon right, then you'd just be able to use that as a basis for understanding other Pokémon!"

He considered. "Though… if you're just trying to catch a Pokémon because you want a Pokémon, or even a Zigzagoon, their personality might not work great with what you want them to do. What do you want to do with your Zigzagoon?"

Ash had to repeat the question, because Nicholai was still staring at Vulpix, but then the boy shook his head. "Oh – right! I'm going to challenge Norman of Petalburg Gym!"

Max sniggered. "Good luck, unless dad goes easy on you. He nearly beat Ash."

"He nearly beat you? You can't be all that tough, then!" Nicholai declared.

Ho-Oh emerged from his Timer Ball in a flare of light.

"Excuse me," he said, in a brassy voice. "The Zigzagoon over there. Yes, you. I was wondering if you'd be interested in having a trainer… you seem the adventurous sort."

He turned his attention to Ash. "This is my first time doing this. Is that okay?"

"I think so!" Ash replied. "Nice and polite! That way the other Pokémon isn't nervous!"

With that good deed behind them, the friends continued on through Petalburg Woods.

Azurill was making steady progress on Iron Tail, trying to learn how to use it to make her tail lighter or heavier as she moved – which meant she'd be able to change how she was moving in mid-air, as Cranidos enthusiastically explained – while Torchic was working on Fly, and Taillow was going through the first stage of learning Electrify.

Which turned out to involve being electrocuted a lot.

"Yeah, I'm trying to feel the electricity," Taillow said, shaking her wings out. "But mostly I'm feeling the electricity bounce off. Is there something I'm missing?"

"Oh, maybe…" Cranidos mused. "I'll give it some thought…"

Between one step and the next, though, Zygarde froze.

"Data update," they said. "There is an ecosystem anomaly in this forest."

"That's bad, right?" Ash asked. "How nearby is it? Is it a big problem?"

"Problem is local," Zygarde informed him. "I recommend a closer look."

"Sure!" Ash decided. "If we can help out, then that's just what we should do!"

Zygarde led them to a tree, then sniffed at it, while a large collection of Treecko looked down at them with varying degrees of hope and suspicion.

"What is the word for having lots of Treecko, actually?" May said. "I don't think I know that one… Max?"

"I don't think there is one," Max admitted. "Except for the basic ones, like a grove of Grass-types, that kind of thing."

"Analysis complete," Zygarde reported. "Solution determined."

A flicker of green light came flashing over from elsewhere in the forest, depositing a Zygarde Cell in front of the canine Pokémon, and they inspected it before tapping it with their green paw.

The Cell vanished off in a direction that was vaguely westwards, moving in a blur of green light.

"I have contacted the required Pokémon for the solution on my cell," Zygarde declared. "There will be a delay. Please wait."

The humans looked around, a trifle awkwardly, then sat down.

"...hey, Bulbasaur?" Ash asked, after a bit. "How different is this to that place with the Ivysaur and Venusaur you visited back in Kanto?"

"Better behaved, for a start," Bulbasaur decided. "They don't seem to try and pressure anyone into evolving."

"I like the idea of evolving," Azurill piped up. "It'll mean I'm a Water type!"

One of the Treecko jumped down in front of them. "I still don't trust you."

"I didn't know you didn't trust us at all," Ash said. "Why not?"

"You're just here to catch us," the Treecko insisted. "This is all a trick, though I don't know how."

A golden ring appeared in mid-air, and Xerneas stepped out.

"So this is where you've been," the cervine Legendary said, nodding to Zygarde. "Enjoying yourself?"

"It has been most agreeable," Zygarde replied.

Xerneas turned her gaze to Ash, who also got a nod.

"Thanks again for your help last time," Ash told her. "Think you can help with this tree?"

"Let us find out," Xerneas said, her antlers glittering faintly.

She knelt, and a flow of Fairy-type energy spread out across the ground.

"Ah," she declared. "Tell me, are you attached to this specific tree, or just a tree here in general? Because I can do either, but this specific tree would be a lot more work."

"Ecosystem disruption minimal in either case," Zygarde said.

"...I don't understand the question," the Treecko nearest Ash admitted. "What do you mean about that specific tree? Who are you?"

"I," Xerneas said, her antlers lighting up. "I am the Life. I am the Seven Coloured Tree. I am the Restorer, and the Spring, and the Harvest."

Zygarde coughed.

"I am also a little drowsy, because it's about two hours before dawn by my own clock," Xerneas added. "Since I would rather not go to sleep for a thousand years just to fix that, though, I will assume that you'd be happy with a replacement. Please stand back."

Pushing at the ground with a hoof, Xerneas made a small hole, then bent down and kissed it. When she lifted her head, there was a tiny seed there which she covered over with the same hoof.

Rising back upright, she took half-a-dozen steps back.

"Geomancy," she added, and within less than a second the tiny seed grew into a mature tree – fast enough that it forced the old one out of the way with a crack sound.

"Wow," May said. "Pokémon can do some amazing things!"

"Thank you," Xerneas told May. "Now, I'm going to go and get back to bed."

"Okay, so… you know Bullet Seed, and Pound," Ash said, some minutes later. "And you're kind of fast, that's good… I guess you might have trouble taking hits, though… hey, Cranidos, isn't there some move that means the Pokémon doesn't actually take the hit?"

"Oh, yeah!" Cranidos agreed. "It's called Substitute! It's kind of finicky, but… eh, I'm pretty sure I can make it work out for you."

Treecko chewed meditatively.

"So I use this move when I'm hit, and it's like I wasn't?" he asked.

"...actually, yeah, that's better, let's do that!" Cranidos said.

He giggled. "That's going to work out really well, actually!"

"So, let me see if I have this correct," Lokoko said, in Rinshin Town two days later.

She nodded towards the old Green Lodge. "That is an abandoned building which belonged to your grandfather."

"That's right," Alex confirmed. "I used to play there, but… you know how it is. It's going to be demolished to make room for new development."

"Alas, I do not know how it is," Lokoko said. "I once spent many a decade in an old mansion, abandoned by everyone but myself, and I could not leave. I would have been quite happy for someone to visit, but it did not appear that anyone was willing to do so."

She sighed. "Perhaps my life would have been quite different had my trainer built his home closer to a town, but…"

Ash crouched down next to her. "Are you okay, Lokoko?"

"I am fine, Ash," she replied, rubbing against him, and deliberately trailing one of her tails through his hand. "Simply a thought about the road I could not take, but it is all in the past. I am happy with my life as it is now."

Alex had looked a bit uncomfortable during the obviously personal moment, but rallied. "That is… the town council doesn't want the place to be unoccupied, and I can't really justify living there myself. It's too big, I wouldn't be able to keep it up."

"But what about the Shroomish there?" Max protested. "They're used to living here!"

"I was going to get to that," Lokoko said. "Alex, is the only option really that the building be demolished and used as a building site?"

She hummed to herself. "Or, perhaps, could it instead be used as some kind of park? That would remove what the council is worried about, without causing other problems."

"And I've got a great idea about how to demolish the building in a hurry, if that's an option!" Brock added. "Ash could spend ten minutes training there."

"Hey!" Ash protested. "Most of the damage to Petalburg Gym was Norman, not me…"

Alex had been thinking. "I… well, I guess if there are Pokémon staying there then making it into a park would be a good idea, but if there aren't then not building there just means building somewhere else."

Eevee raised a paw. "Um, Mr. Alex, does that mean that if we do show there are Shroomish in there then you'll do the park thing?"

"Oh, you can talk as well?" Alex asked, confused. "I thought it was a Ninetales thing."

"Actually it's a Vulpix thing, too," Vulpix called. "You're welcome~!"

Alex blinked a few times, thought again, then nodded. "All right," he said. "If you can show there are still Shroomish in the mansion then… that kind of proves it."

"Great!" Max declared. "Hey, Shroomish! Come on out, and bring your friends!"

A whole troop of Shroomish marched out of the door at once.

The one with a handkerchief tied to the top ran over to Max and jumped up and down. "Here's my friends!"

"...my word," Alex said, his hand at his mouth. "That's… are you all the ones I used to play with as a child?"

"No, some of us are new," one of the Shroomish told him. "I remember you though! We always wondered how you could move on that swing without someone pushing you!"

"By the way…" asked the Shroomish Max had met. "...you're a trainer, right?"

Max winced. "Not yet," he admitted. "My sister is, though, and… uh… May? I know we talked about this…"

May considered.

About a day later, the phone rang in the Maple household.

"I'll get it," Norman called, and picked it up. "Hello, Maple residence… May!"

He listened.

"Oh, of course, we wouldn't mind at all. Yes, it's very understandable – it's your journey. But I think it's very nice of you to let Max have one of your team slots… a Mightyena and a Shroomish? And you've got Torchic and Azurill?"

He laughed. "You'd better watch out, or you'll have more of his Pokémon than your Pokémon! But yes, I'd be glad to take care of any who don't fit into your on-hand team – both your ones for you and your ones for Max. How are your Pokémon doing, by the way?"

Norman listened carefully.

"Sorry, your Torchic knows Fly?" he asked. "...yes, I suppose he is a bird. I don't know why I was confused, now you put it that way."

At about the same time, in Pallet Town, Professor Oak put his head in his hands.

"Why am I only now finding out that Ash Mega Evolved?" he asked Tracey. "He'll discover an entirely new kind of evolution next…"

"I wouldn't put it past him," Tracey replied, shuffling through some notes and sketches. "Oh, by the way, apparently Ho-Oh wants to try a new kind of curry where you leave out the rice and the tofu and the vegetables and just put raw curry paste in the pan… something about either having a nice meal or discovering a new way to breathe fire."

Samuel Oak shook his head. "If I'd told my younger self that the time I met a Celebi and got rescued by a trainer with more than one Legendary Pokémon was the quiet bit…"

AN:

In the interests of clarification, I thought I would point out that Shaymintwo is NOT based on Sonic the Hedgehog.

He uses weapons, repeatedly uses Teleport, skates around with flame coming from his feet, is a genetically enhanced clone and his ultimate attack often takes the form of a spear.

He's Shadow.