The Beginning in Kalos RIP

by BardofWorlds

As Ash attempts to win the Kalos League, he reunites with old rivals, friends and meets new ones while threats he dealt with and ancient forces begin to awaken from slumber, heroes rise to face them. In the end everything is connected and the destiny of many is not what they expect but one that they will love. Ash/harem Clemont/OC muilti story plot/ many stories united at the end

10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Sorry it's a so late everyone, but I moved last Thursday and then the Hurricanes, I only got back Internet yesterday but I had things so I forgot about my finished chapter, sorry everyone . Anyway, I'm doing a new thing, from now on this is {[ ]} for when I call a Pokémon, Chimera or other a specific name from the narrative itself, anyway, hope you all had a happy mother's Day everyone. And I have an outline into two chapters ahead so next will be by the Ninth, I will try to do it. And when I update this again I will have the first chapter of Star VS Mystery fusion, a blast from the past. Hey sorry about how the chapter looked before, this should fix it, not sure how it happened really.

The undergrowth rustled as a large Arcanine dashed by. It had a rider with a clock covering their body on its back as it dodged purple darts trying to hit the Pokémon and its rider. Out of the darkness seven shapes moved after the Pokémon and its rider, 2 with horns and the rest without. The leader of the seven shapes screeched and more purple darts shot at the duo as from the shapes as the Fire type moved through the plants. The figure riding Arcanine looked backwards and cursed as they saw the darts hit trees and start to eat away at the plants they hit.

"Come on girl, we can make it! We've got to get to the edges of the Plateau, the guards will be able to take care of them and we'll be able to report to the higher ups and get some from for him, but we've got to get away from them." A feminine voice encouraged her partner as she moved her body forward, trying to make herself a smaller target.

"CREEE!" A voice cried from the darkness ahead of them as a shadow shot from darkness at the rider and body slammed her off her Pokémon. Her Arcanine turned and jumped at the form and released a devastating stream of white fire that burned the shadow and sent it to the ground as a burning corpse. Her Arcanine moved next to her and bent down, her trainer grab her back and the Arcanine stood back up, helping her to her feet. Her trainer looked as the Bug Chimera started to circle them and reached into her clock and drew two hand guns.

"Thanks for help girl but this looks like this is as far as we can run. If you see any openings take it and run for it, don't wait for me." She whispered as she went back to back with her Fire type. Arcanine merely released wisps of flames from her mouth and shot a blast of fire at the Chimeras around them. The woman fired her guns at the black chitin that moved towards them.

"Aracanine! Aracan!" Her Pokémon cried as it tried to protect her trainer. The woman spared a look at the fire type and snarled and kicked back one of the hornless forms before she snarled.

"Girl you're as stubborn as I am and that's saying something! But don't argue, you have to warn the league, this is serious! If you can get away, then we win no matter what happens!" She said with a snarl as she looked at the encircling forms.

One of the horned forms shot forward abruptly and cut Aracanine's leg, forcing it to its knees. Before the Chimera could bring its horn down it was shot between its eyes and crumpled to the ground. The girl ran and put her body between her Pokémon and the remaining Chimera. She looked beyond the darkness and saw more Chimeras moved towards them. Aracanine shakily stood back up and growled at the horde before them as flames drifted from its mouth. She hastily reloaded her guns slowly readied herself as she and her Pokémon moved backwards, the horde moving towards them slowly.

"We might fall but by the Types we'll definitely take most of them with us girl!" The girl said as she aimed at the approaching horde. The last horned form gestured with its horn and gave a cry, causing the woman to curse when she saw a white glow start from many places in the horde before many large white needle to shoot at them.

"Ferrothorn Protect those two!" A voice called from above before what resembled a metallic saucer with three vine-like, long green appendages on its top slammed down before the girl and her Pokemon and formed a large turquoise force field that blocked the white needles.

"Salamance, Flamethrower, make a wall behind them, we're ending this here and now! Infernape deal with the horde with Close Combat!" Another voice called out moments before a spiral of fire moved behind the horde in a line, creating a large wall of fire that cut off the horde from any escape attempt before a brown primate-like Pokémon jumped into the center of the horde and started to savage them with devastating punches and kicks, cracking chitin with every blow.

"Swanna, high guard and snipe with Air Slash, nothing escapes! Get in there Lucario and use Metal Claw to help!" The first voice called out before a Lucario landed beyond the force field and shot into the horde both its hands glowing white, slicing apart the Chimeras. One of them started to run along the line of the fire when disc-like energy blades sliced into the escaping form. The girl and her Pokémon stared in shock at the rate the Chimeras were being defeated.

"Are you two alright?" she turned her head to come face to face with a man with dark brown hair under a blue hat and wearing a blue coat and black pants standing on a blue Dragon-Type with red wings with a purple Dragon type with three heads hovering above them with a younger trainer on its back with brown gray hair wearing a yellow shirt, orange headband and blue shorts with a white Flying type hovering above.

"Who are you?" She asked silently as she started to realize that she and her partner would survive this night after all. She heard a cry and turned and saw the Infernape and the Lucario finish off the last of the Chimeras and saw the younger looking one jumped down and started to observe the corpse, crouching down next to the body of one of the horned ones. A cough brought her attention back to the man in the blue hat.

"I'm Riley, that's my student Cameron, its lucky we ran into you while we were heading into Kanto. What happened…." Riley began before he was interrupted by the woman who looked startled.

"Into Kanto?! Isn't this the path to the Indigo Plateau!?" She exclaimed as she looked around with shock on her face. Riley meanwhile looked at the Aracanine and saw the wound on its leg.

"No, this is the way to the Johto Region; if you were going for the Plateau I'm afraid you took a wrong turn. And given your friends condition, it might be better if you don't come with us…" Riley started before the woman lunged forward and grabbed him, her hood falling off to reveal a woman with red hair in a braided ponytail down her back, with blue eyes and a fierce scowl on her face.

"No, you listen here. I didn't fight my way into the Guards and put up with the worst posting in the service and survive those things to go run away like a good little girl you…" She snarled at him when a cry from Cameron caused them to look at him.

"Master, you're going to want to take a look at this." The woman heard a growl from her partner and saw the Salamance had a ball of fire in its open mouth looking at her; she slowly let Riley down and turned to look at Cameron crouched down by the one burned corpse her Aracanine had made of the thing that had body slammed her.

"This isn't over." She promised him as she stepped away from him.

"You lady you have quite a temper." Riley said as the two of them walked over to Cameron.

"Give me a break I've been fighting those things since dawn, and the name is Rosette." Rosette said as they reached Cameron.

"The corpses are at split between two different types. This thing is another but it's the only one of its type here from what I could tell. I got to say, these things truly fits the definition of swarm." As soon as she heard what Cameron said she turned and grabbed ahold of Riley's clothing and pulled him towards her with a scowl on her face.

"Swarm?! Wait, you two knew about these things and you didn't warn anyone?!" Rosette demanded of him.

"We had a warning that was so out there that no one would believe us, we barely made it here as fast as we did because of luck and two no shows on a water plane." Riley said he gestured to the others not to react.

"What, did Arceus himself come down and give you a prophecy?!" Rosette screamed as she thought back to what had happened to the others in the cabin when the Chimera attacked.

"Ancient warning stone an Aura Guardian left incase whatever held them back was destroyed was activated, we were able to trace its location to somewhere in a mountain in Kanto, a report about Viridian got us the rest of the way." Riley's words caused her to stare at him before she started to laugh darkly.

"And how did you have something made by one of the legendary Aura Guardians!? What are you two members or something!?" She demanded and jerked away when Riley gained an azure aura around himself. She jerked her head and looked at Cameron who sheepishly held up an open hand and a ball of blue energy was formed from blue lightning that sparked from his fingers.

"We are the last of the Aura Guardians." Riley words caused her head to whip back to see the somber look on Riley's face. "It's a long story and maybe we should talk about it somewhere else if we talk about it at all. If you want to come with us we should do something about your partner." Riley continued before Rosette shook herself back to her sense.

"Thanks." Rosette said as she moved towards her Pokémon, her thoughts were years away in the past, back in the stories her mother used to tell her as a child. Aura Guardians? They actually existed, that changes a few things, if they were real then maybe the family stories are real, should I talk to them about it, I might finally get a few answers mom and I have been looking for.

"She knows something about us master, more than most people do." Cameron said quietly as Riley nodded at his student.

"Yes she does, whatever it is it's her business just so long as she's not connected to those people. During the battle did you sense anything beyond the fire wall?" Riley asked as he looked into the darkness of the woods as the fire died down.

"No master did you?" Cameron asked as he looked towards the trees with a look of worry on his face.

"No its nothing, maybe one of those things was stuck on the other side and ran back to its base. If it's something else then we'll deal with it when it comes up." Riley said as he turned towards Rosette and walked over to help her with her Pokémon.

Farther back within the darkness of the forest, just beyond the edges of Riley's senses on top of a tree far, a humanoid figure watched with its arms crossed and shook its head at what it had witnessed. The youngsters had those two until the Destroyers appeared. How surprising, I thought that we had tricked the Betrayers into destroying their source once and for all. Should I stay and investigate the young, or should I report back at least two of them still walk in this world? And then there was the tactics used, they were pathetic, is that a mark of their sentiency, their experience of is their maker limiting it, or is it their age of all things? If their creator is the cause then it might be necessary to end it before it becomes a threat to our interests even if that unfortunately helps the humans as well, no matter how much the thought disgusts me. But for the Concave to takes its rightful rule, all the strength we can gather is needed and the Prophet said that 'a great strength would be borne along the Spine of Kanto'. This is the first spark I've found in months, if this is it I need to recover it, but is that what is best for my people. But no matter what I'd better follow until I decide on what to do.

As it noticed that the people it was observing had finished treating and recalled the Fire type and soon after that they set off, it nodded. Time to get back to work; it could make a decision later. No sooner had it nodded then two transparent bat like wings opened on its back and it jumped through the air, gliding from tree to tree as it followed the three trainers higher up the mountain, keeping just out of the range of Riley's senses.

"So how's the Pizza? It's not sushi or noodles but it's a lot like a traditional food they serve in Fuchsia right?" Happy's voice caused Gabby to look up from what she had been doing. After Happy had brought into her into her office and sat her down she had dropped a bulging folder of documents that in front of her and said that this was the result of Kotaro's investigations. Once Happy had let Gabby into her room she had been sat down at a table and was served some pizza and a bunch of documents were set down before her.

"It's fine but this… I can't believe that Kotaro has been alive, fighting these people for years, why the hell didn't that idiot let us know her was alive?" Gabby said as she looked over the documents before her, not seeing the sad smile on Happy's face. The papers before Gabby linked the group she had been investigating to charities, corporations and celebrities across most of Kanto, Johto and Sinnoh, they were so much bigger than she had thought they were. Kotaro is alive and is working with one of the greatest and youngest hackers in Kanto to investigate the same group I was. And here I thought they were a new criminal gang that had stayed in the shadows better than Team Rocket ever had. If this is right they've been around for decades if not centuries, just what did the two of us stumble onto?

"He couldn't take the chance, he didn't say much but from what I put together someone betrayed his team during the Siege after they killed the main Chimera, someone form his gym. And about you guys, he kept his eyes on you all and he even had me write a program that recorded every report you made girl." Happy said with a smirk at the blush Gabby gained before she turned and looked at the papers more closely. She had just started to read one when she stopped and brought it slowly to her face and slowly read what was on it.

"They create Chimeras!? They know how to make them and they were responsible for the Siege?" Gabby stammered in total shock. Chimeras are supposed to be the product of random mutations in Pokémon eggs, if they know how to make them then that means they have a way to induce mutations, or the real cause is something only they know about. What is it? Gabby was brought out of her thoughts when she heard Happy's snort of derision, looking up and was surprised at the look of disgust on the girl's face.

"Yeah more like the creature responsible for the Siege got away from them the people who made it. They don't have a good track record of keeping what they make captive if they want to get away, I was able to escape easily after all." Gabby just looked at Happy with a look of shock on her face. She winced as she saw the way Happy looked, the she emotions had on her face made her look a lot like a few abused children she had interview before. They made her? That raises so many questions and most of them make me want to hurt them. Wait, she said these documents were the result of Kotaro's investigation, not hers. How did these two meet?

"They made you, what do you mean?" Gabby question softly as she walked over to the young girl, she had a thousand yard stare and didn't even react to how close Gabby. Gabby didn't touch the younger girl; she had learned when people had stares like that to let them come out of it on their own if they wanted to share anything.

"They have a few orphanages and schools under different charities here and there, most of the schools are in cities but some of the boarding ones are in the wilderness; they market them as a place to let kids grow up without distractions of the outside world, places to bring out their true potential, and some like the one I was at was both an orphanage and a school all in one. They don't say that they also indoctrinate their students to their cause or try to mold them to fit a specific purpose. The place I grew up in was in was one they didn't advertise; it was more a prison than anything else, and research science was the name of the only game they permitted. It was set up so that the better we pleased our masters the better we were treated, the school had an accelerated education program harder and longer than most other schools in Kanto, and they had job fairs with only research companies, so their buyers would get the most out of the products they purchased.. If any of us scored lower than 50% on two tests in a row, then they would be sent to a different school, at least that's what we were told." Happy said with a snort and a look of hatred formed on her face.

"They weren't just sent to another school were they?" Gabby said as she looked at Happy with a patient look on her face. Happy walked towards her computer and soon after pictures appeared on the screen, pictures from tabloids and high society pages about weddings of the sons of…owners of research companies and other families who had old fashion views on the world, families that believed in…arranged marriages. Gabby looked at the pictures and noticed that each of the brides had a symbol on their cloths or around their necks, the symbol of the people she had been investigating.

"Some of them were, if they met certain standards they went to schools which broke them and trained them to be trophy wives if they were lucky or if they were unlucky they were used as human test subjects at worst or broken and remade into fanatics. I found out what they were doing about four years ago, I decided to see where a rival that had failed a test was being sent; the two of us would go at it like Meowths and Growlies for long as we knew each other. I wanted to know where she was being sent so I could taunt her with my success, so I hacked the computers and discovered a criteria list that graded qualities like looks, age and past tests, their genetics were also considered, I didn't understand it and decided to investigate." Happy as she looked at the data on the screen and closed all of them and opened a map of the north of Kanto beyond Cerulean City, farther out then anyone but researchers and explorers went as far as Gabby knew.

"That was where the school was, a little place in the wildness so far off the beaten track that few if anyone came near it, must of the news we got was controlled by the school. I learned early on that the vents went everywhere, I had mapped it all out years ago and I think I spent about a month listing in on the teacher's private areas before I was able to put together a picture that something wasn't right about the school and the transfers. I decided the next time a girl was to be sent away I'd leave a few presents and escape then, but it didn't turn out that way I thought it would, she didn't let it." Happy said with a small smile on her face as she leaned back.

"Who didn't let it?" Gabby asked quietly as she took in what she was being told. I have to find a way to get this into the public domain; even the gossip papers might spark an investigation. And the families involved, a few of them might try and take care of the problem so there's no back blow on them. Gabby's thoughts died down when Happy started to chuckle with a smile on her face as her Espurr jumped onto her should and rubbed Happy's check.

"Her name was Tara. She was the chief negotiator of the black market between the other students; she would negotiate any deal as long as someone paid her, she was hard as stone but she had one weakness, and was the girl who was to be sent away. The girl was named Aurelia; she was Tara's roommate and sister in everything but blood. Tara, she always volunteered at the nurses' station and loved the health sciences, she was someone who loved to help people, she had been told she was going to a prep school for nurses and doctors and she was so happy about it, but I knew from what I had discovered it was a lie, I have a terrible poker face and Tara picked up the signs I gave off. She confronted me and I shared what I had discovered, and when the kid was being taken away the two of us set a few surprises we set up. Tara put a few mega stink bombs into the vents, sent everyone inside running to open a window or get outside, and I created a virus that destroyed the school's operating system after it inverted the school's subsonic repellers to lure in all the local Bug Type, including three rival Beedrill hives, of course it was just a surprise when the smell caused all of them to start fighting and the commotion let us grab Leaf and run for the woods in the commotion to escape the battle." Happy said as she leaned back and gave a small laugh as she thought of the trouble that had caused and the curses the teachers had giving off when the Beedrill had started that battle.

"Wait was this three years ago at the Prosperity of Knowledge Magnet School? You caused that when you escaped? They had to call in help from Cerulean City to deal with that! But if you did that and got away, how'd you meet Kotaro anyway?" Gabby asked in shock of the damage two girls had done to save a friend.

"It didn't give us as much time to get away as you would think, and that's how I meet Kotaro. Anyway, a few minutes after we had started running into the woods, I noticed we were being tracked. Aurelia was still out of it, it turned out they drugged those they take to be really susceptible to orders to let them transport them easier, so I told Tara to run another way and started to make a lot of noise to make them follow me. I lead them to a cliff face and I was ready to at least take a few of them down when Kotaro appeared. He tore through them and we were able to rescue Tara and Aurelia. Last I heard about those two; Aurelia was living off the grid in the wilds of Kanto and Tara had giving herself a major makeover and goes by a handle she's been using as a negotiator for….. less than legal jobs, she's calling herself Green." Happy said with a small smile as Gabby stared at Happy in shock.

"Green, the Green Lady!? I've heard her mentioned here and there from contacts I have here and there, wasn't she part of that job that salvaged the Saint Ann? There were some documents recovered that caused a few…research companies… to go under." Gabby said with she stared in shock and looked at the computer screen.

"Yeah, one of those companies was the one whose owner was going to buy Leaf for his son, and didn't that bastard turn out to be someone who got off beating women?" Happy asked with an innocent smile on her face under mischiefs eyes.

"By someone sending said son's private emails and videos to a new station financed by his father's biggest rival." Gabby said with a small smile as she shook her head.

"Yeah so sad that someone sent it just after the documents were revealed, it caused him to come under investigation too, which lead to a ring of rapists"

"What, you said if they were lucky they were sent to become brides, what if they were unlucky?" Gabby asked as something Happy had said suddenly struck her.

"I still don't know, I overheard one of the Teacher's saying Aurelia had been lucky enough to be chosen, and another said it was good that she would have one of those futures. Every time the two of us raid one of those schools I try to find out just what they meant but after the last three times I'm still not sure just what they were talking about…" Happy said before an alarm started to ring, startling the two women as a program came up on the screen causing Happy to curse.

"Fuck, one of my flags just went up!" Happy snarled as she tried to make sense of what was being shown on her computer.

"Flags?" Gabby asked as she looked at the screen.

"Watcher programs I use to monitor places and people of interest. And this one is… one of yours." Happy said as she started to read what was being shown. Gabby went white when she saw an internal email from her news agency from the head to her regional boss, it was basically a report that her contract had been 'canceled by command' and to find a way to have her body discovered in a few days and that the culprits would identified by the 'Officer', who would expressed sorrow that they would rather die resisting arrest then stand trial for their crimes, the replay said he was sorry he wasn't hadn't been invited to her 'sendoff', and he had been planning to have her demoted and turn her into his secretary/mistress within the next few months. Gabby went red when she read his comments on what he wanted to do to her.

"I always thought he was slimy, but he's one of them!? And they were going to use my death to kill someone!" Gabby said as she looked at what was being shown. Espurr jumped down and rubbed against Gabby's legs. Happy reached over and put her arm on Gabby's shoulder and smiled at her when they eyes met.

"I want to say that would be a surprise, but it's really not. Those bastards are all about using everything to advance their agenda, they'll like fanatics. I'd bet you anything they'll find someone to pin it on that is standing in their way for some reason." Happy's voice carried a certainty that surprised Gabby.

"They've done something like this before then." Gabby asked flatly. Happy had turned back towards her computer and started to open other programs.

"Nothing so elaborate, but they have taken advantage of deaths from what we've seen to date. But you want to keep telling people the truth, don't you?" Happy asked as Espurr picked up a glowing tablet and brought it to Gabby. She took it with a neutral expression that morphed into shock as she looked at it and saw a database of underground news sites she had been trying to find and looked up at Happy as she started to pay more attention to her screen.

"Those are a few of the more upright news sites I know. If you've got research that backs up a story they'll publish it, and if it takes down part of the League one of them would publish anyway. If you still want to be a reporter they are ways, and if you don't mind I'm going to find out just who the 'Officer' is so Kotaro can question him when he comes back." Happy said as she started to hack into the Viridian City Police database, trying to find out the identity of the Order's insider.

A deer walked through the forest, stopping only to look around before it lowered its head to eat some of the grass next to a tree in a clearing, the last action it would ever take. A figure dropped onto its back and with a swift motion broke its neck, killing it quickly. All around the clearing five figures came out of hiding, each one the same the one that killed the deer, each a four foot tall humanoid with grey skin, three eyes with a line over each above a muzzle with limbs ending with three fingers and toes {[Goblin]}. The Goblin on the deer corpse got up and smiled at its siblings and smiled, the scar on its check {[Protector]} a solid red line across its left check seemed to give it a look of loyalty as the others crowded around and looked at the meat, each hoping it would have enough to eat tonight. For the last few days their sire had been sending them out to hunt, Protector had taken the weakest with him and while its sibling with the dead eye in the center [Deadeye] had taken a few of the dumber ones and had charged after out into the woods and had comeback the first night with a few eggs and fish, the others had brought various small animals, fish or plants but today they would comeback with deer meet. Protector looked around and saw one of them missing and looked until it discovered the sixth member of the hunting group a smaller one then the others, it was only three feet high and more often than not it would seem to look into space but Protector had learned that its center eye could see things differently than its siblings eyes could, {[Gazer]} so Protector walked over and put its hand on its siblings shoulder and followed its gaze to a tree to see a nest on a low hanging branch below a branch full of fruit, causing Protector to look at Gazer and smile and call others over to collect the bounty their sibling had found.

Protector looked at the others as they climbed up the tree and smiled as it watched them help each other to climb up the tree. Its sire might believe in survival of the fittest above all but it had always believed that teamwork was the most important thing for survival. As it watched the others it was happy that its example had borne something with the others. Suddenly Gazer cried out, Protector turned and followed Gazer's arm to see yellow balls with a brick like pattern come out of nowhere suddenly and shot at the climbers, knocking them off the tree before the balls rolled away from the tree back from where they had come from.

Protector ran with Gazer and they helped their siblings back to their feet and looked to see the balls unfurl into yellow things with snouts and black eyes while a larger one with more pounced claws and spines on its back point at them with looks of anger on its face. Proctor looked at them and remembered that others who had gone on the hunt alone had come back injured, they all had said they were attacked by yellow ball like creatures and here they were. Protector took a step forwards and bared its teeth at the creatures in front of it and snarled. The larger one meet Protector's snarl with a slash downward with its claws and the things behind it started to join it in snarling and bare their teeth. Protector looked at them and noticed that they outnumbered its group two to one but Protector had seen the punishments their sire had visited upon those who didn't return with a lesser bounty and it would not let such punishments affect its pack.

"Borwa!" Protector screamed as it took a step forward and the others, even little Gazer joined its cries to their sibling. The creatures before them started to cry and the larger one started to run forward on all four of its limbs the smaller ones following.

"Borwa, Borwa!" Protector screamed as it charged at the creatures in response, as the others followed behind it. He leaped at the large creature and when they meet Protector grabbed its claws and managed to bit its right eye, tearing off a chunk of it, causing a scream of erupt out of the creature it was grappling with. The larger creature's scream had caused one of the smaller ones to begin to charge at the grappling leaders when Gazer appeared out of nowhere and tackled it towards the clearing.

Gazer had seen the strength of the others and threw itself at the next strongest enemy before it could help its leader by attacking Protector. Gazer and its foe rolled until the creature had Gazer on its back and drew back its right claw for the kill. Gazer reached for anything to hit it with and broke off one of the antler of the deer and plunged it into the creature's body. The creature spasmed and expired as Gazer lay there panting and pushed the corpse off itself and looked at Protector's fight and saw it's sibling in danger. Pulling the horn out of the corpse it ran towards its sibling.

Protector might have bitten off more than it could have handled when it had leaped at the larger creature, but it had managed to keep it away from its fellows, Protector could only hope it could buy more time before the creature killed it. Although its eye had been damaged, the creature had forced Protector onto its back and kept its limbs pinned. The creature grinned downward as its claws began to glow white just before something was jammed into the damaged eye. Protector followed the thing to Gazer holding what Protector realized was one of the deer's horn. Gaze reached down and offered a hand, which Protector took and let Gazer pull it back to its feet.

Looking around it saw that half the smaller creatures had been slain and the rest were rolling away. One of them looked back at them and roared before it too rolled into a ball and went after its pack mates.

"Borwa!" Protector roared out and raised its fists into the air.

"Borwa! Borwa! Borwa!" The others cried out, Gazer raising the horn and shaking it. Protector turned towards the corpse and the gestured for the others to get ready to return home, and looked at the larger creature's corpse and smilled at Gazer,

Deadeye smiled to itself as it carrying a flame horse it had killed over its shoulder. It had been luck that it had found the flame horse apart from its pack and with a broken leg too. It had moved over it until it had been able to land on its back and had chocked the life from it, taken delight in the way it had tried to buck Deadeye from its back, had laughed at the creature's cries. With such a bounty it would earn a blessing, and one day soon it would kill that one who had taken its central eye from it. So what if it had tried to kill that fool who always looked about lost, so what if it had scared that one, the score was not settled no matter what their Sire instigated. Within moments it came toward the cave and pushed aside other Goblins as it marched into the cave. It's sire lounged at the back and looked at the flame horse over Deadeyes shoulder and stare. Deadeye dropped the corpse of its kill before its Sire and bowed. The all those in the cave went quite as their Sire stood up, when a commotion behind caused them to turn and look. Some of their fellows walked in, each holding a yellow creature corpse that many Goblins hissed at as they saw them when Protector and Gazer walked in, carrying between them the corpse of a larger yellow creature that had to be related to the smaller ones. The group presented their kills before their master and it looked about what they had brought and started to laugh. It clapped its hands and reached down next to its throne and offered two bowls of the black blessing liquid to Protector and gestured at the larger creature. Protector took the bowls bowed before it tor the claws from the corpse, then torr off two of the raised quills and passed the quills and one of the bowls to Gazer. Deadeye could see no more and slipped out of the cave, not noticing two coming up holding muddy plants who looked into the cave and dropped the plants and followed Deadeye.

Deadeye stalked up the mountain as it fumed over what it had just seen, letting its feet carry it as its brain worked over what it had seen, not noticing that the two Goblins who only had plants followed behind it, hoping Deadeye would lead them to something more to bring back to their sire. Deadeye had brought back that fire horse for its sire but that scared fool and the others with it had brought back those yellow creatures that and been raiding them and for that its sire had offered giving that fool its choice how to use two blessings and it had taken those claws and given that weakling who was always staring into space a blessing as well?!

"RAAGAGGAGA!" Deadeye screamed as it threw a fist a the mountain side, punching threw the stone and pausing when it felt a void around its fist, pulling it back and looking in the hole it had made. Deadeye started to tear away the stones and after a bit of work it was shown to be a portal to a passage into the mountain slopped upwards. Deadeye stormed into the passage with the two who had followed it behind it as Deadeye thundered down the passage way. As they moved deeper and upwards crystals set into the walls started to glow as they moved by them, causing the two to jump in fright and Deadeye to just follow the lights towards a doorway that he pushed open and passed through. The other two followed him and walked to stand beside him on a terrace with a large staircase leading down to the ground level of a hollow in the top of the mountain. At the center was a ruined castle with a falling tower and a stream running through the ruin to a cave at the opposite side of the hollow. Deadeye only stared at a grove of trees in the ruin, a gnarled looking tree with gold leaves and a single piece of fruit on the top most branches, that was all it seemed to see, and something about it sang to it, something said that this was where its destiny would began. Deadeye turned and saw the stairs and moved towards them, the other two following in its wake as he ran down the stairs.

Deadeye had run down the stairs and had stopped before the ruins main entrance. The marks on the wall and the holes and broken down doors showed that a great battle had happened here. Caustically Deadeye walked into the ruins, all around it was the remains of a great battle, skeletons of both bipeds and creatures, all with a hard outer covering and with some kind of tools all around them showed that something was fought over fiercely here. It led the other two through the courtyard and stopped when it heard a stone fall, turning it saw nothing out of place besides a piece of stone and a few dust trails in the wind, Deadeye looked at it before it moved on, the others following behind it. The other two moved closer to their leader as every so often a

Finally they reached the trees in the far part of the ruins, if Deadeye remembered what it had seen right then the tree it wanted was in the exact center. It was staring into the woods when something screamed at it to move, not questioning it threw itself to the side a second before an arrow hit a tree exactly at level where its head had been. All three of them turned and saw five small grey skinned creatures with three brown ridges on their heads over their red eyes, four of them each holding something that looked sharper then the Goblins claws, the arrow had come from one standing farther back and it drew from another arrow from a bag on its back and the ones in front ran at them while another arrow flew over the chargers heads. Deadeye pulled the other two into the woods as the grey creatures chased them into the trees. After a few seconds it judged that they had lost their pursuers and pushed the other two Goblins to the side and leaped into a tree. The two kept running, not noticing Deadeye had disappeared and when the grey creatures had passed Deadeye jumped down and grabbed the last one around its neck, and leaped back into a tree, holding its captive and slowly squeezing until the creature expired. Looking at the thing the creature had carried it touched it and pulled away and looked at the blood on its hand and smiled.

The two Goblins stopped running when they reached a clearing with the gnarled tree in its center. They turned and saw three of the grey creatures and their confusion caused the creatures to look around for their missing comrade when Deadeye jumped at one of them the sharp thing in its hands and it sank into the head of one of them, sinking into its brain between two of its ridges.

"MACHOP CHOP!" One of the creatures cried and dropped the thing it was holding and lunged at Deadeye, while the other one looked at the corpse of its friend in shock until the other two goblins had it pinned, prompting a look of rage on the Machop's face and it let use a blast of electricity originating from its hands. The blast shocked the two goblins and the Machop reached down and picked up the dropped swords and held one in each hand, electricity coiling around both as the Machop regarded the two goblins before it charged at them.

Deadeye rolled with the Machop on top of it as they moved through the trees. The rage the Machop was feeling caused Deadeye to smile, rage help someone fight but it also blinded them. As the two fell Deadeye saw a tree coming and angled so that the Machop on it would hit it, which the roll did and when it was stunned by the hit Deadeye grabbed its head and started to pound it into the ground until it was dazed, then Deadeye picked it up and threw the Machop against one of the trees. Deadeye smiled when it saw that the Machop was knocked out and thrust its claws into the Pokemon's throat and killed it, hearing a cry of pain that sounded like it came from one of the other two that had come with her. There were still two more of the creatures left so it might need them before the day was over, so it had better save them.

The Machop slashed down at one of its opponents legs and kicked at the other one when it tried to intervene. Machop smiled as it saw that both Goblins had cuts all over their bodies and one of them was clutching its arm and both were backing up when Machop spotted one of the Goblins eyes move to star at something behind Machop, who jumped to the side a second before Deadeye pounded the ground where the Machop had been standing with both of its fists. Machop scowled when it saw what had attacked it, its comrades were dead, it and the other were all that was left. It had been able to handle the other two, it watched as Deadeye removed the sword from dead Machop's head and licked the blood from it, but Machop didn't react. Among the squad it was the one who had been the best at controlling its emotions, Deadeye would be the best test it ever had, it just clenched its swords and let electricity flow from its arms and up its swords.

Deadeye saw the thunder move up the things the grey creature held in its hands and spared a quick looked at the two Goblins, only the fact that it still might have a use for them had caused it to rescue them, but if they had survived battle with this thing then it deafinitly would find a use for them. Deadeye saw the Machop start to try to circle around it, but Deadeye turned with it, keeping the Machop and in sight and shot at it to stab it, the Machop dodged and started to try to slash Deadeye, causing Deadeye to dodge in turn.

The two Goblins watched in awe as their sibling fought the thunder using creature; both of them could only stare in awe as the two fought. One of the Goblins started to grow worried as it saw that the thunder creature was moving forward, while their sibling was losing ground. Something had to be done; if their sibling died then they were next! As it moved its foot it looked down and saw a stray rock and remembered the thing that had almost hit their sibling. It got the attention of the Goblin next to it and picked up a stone and threw it at a tree before it picked up another stone and pointed at the thunder creature with a smirk.

Deadeye winced as it felt the shock that shock its arms with each block of the thunder creatures blows. Something had to change or Deadeye would die, and the creature it was fighting was stronger than Deadeye had thought, something had to happen or it would die. Suddenly the creature it was fighting staggered and with a quick movement Deadeye drove the thing it was holding straight through the thunder creature's body. Deadeye dropped the sharp thing and the thunder beast's corpse dropped to the ground. Looking up as it panted Deadeye saw the other two Goblins with stones in their hands and looked at the thunder creature and saw a stone next to where the corpse had fallen and Deadeye realized the ones who had saved had saved it.

Deadeye smiled turned, only to freeze in shock and looked about the clearing; it was where the tree it was after was. Deadeye looked upwards and saw a single piece of fruit hanging up the gnarled tree and walked over and started to climb up the tree. The other two goblins sat down and looked up at their sibling as it climbed, they didn't understand what Deadeye was after but they watched as it climbed. Deadeye was finally at the fruit; it had sharp angles, four sides and was a light blue color that seemed to glow. Deadeye pulled it from the tree and ate it in one gulp. As soon as it passed its mouth a savage burn in its head caused it drop from the tree and hit the ground.

Deadeye lay where it had fallen and felt a savage burn within itself and clenched its body as it felt something grow inside itself and it roared. After the burn had stopped it looked at the corpse of the grey thing that had fought with thunder and walked towards it, instincts it suddenly had and when it had reached the corpse and suddenly it regulated a vicious black liquid on the creature's arms. Deadeye looked at the liquid saw the same color of the blessing liquid and grabbed the arms and tore chunks of flesh out of were the liquid had hit and suddenly it wounded what it wanted from the creature, Deadeye thought off the thunder the creature had used, how it had used it to help it attack the others and suddenly the burning started again. This time Deadeye noticed its hands, feet and stomach were where the burn was concentrated and after a minute it ended and Deadeye flexed its muscles. Feeling something was different about itself it threw a punch at the tree it had dropped from and unleashed what it was feeling just before impact, releasing a blast of electricity that burned the trunk. Deadeye looked with wild eyes at what it had done and realized what the fruit it had eaten had caused to happen, it had gained the power to release the blessing on command that its sire had denied its siblings. Protector now was a weakling compared to its magnificence, now it was the most powerful of its siblings; quite awed chanting caused it to pause in thing.

"Drolo, drolo." The awed chanting continued and caused it to turn towards the other Goblins that had fought with it and it looked at them, considering what to do. Its sire had kept from them the power to change to control them, if they revealed what it could do now it was sure to end up in its sire's stomach. Then the only thing to do was to make sure they never passed on what they had witnessed, but how to make sure they never told when they returned and with their skills it couldn't kill them, they could be of use to it, so what to do with them...

Deadeye went still and looked at the two wounded Goblins took stock of their injuries before Deadeye gained a vicious grin as it started to walk over towards them, electricity flowing up its arms. The two of them looked at Deadeye and started to shake in fear and release pitiful sounds as he came towards them and held each other. But Deadeye only put its hand on their shoulders and smiled at them, its grinning face meet their confused gazes.

Deadeye walked out of the ruin with two of the grey creatures over its shoulders. This would make its sire look at it with respect and if it gave the gift of mutations, not blessings as that old fool told them to it then it would take muscle to make it think it still controlled it. Deadeye stopped at the foot of the staircase and looked back towards the ruins with a smile on its face. After it had helped the other two and fed them it had stalked throughout the ruins looking for the last grey creature but it had escaped. But on its exploration Deadeye had discovered things in it that it felt it could use. The thing it had eaten had changed Deadeye, it could think clearer then it could before and it felt something else was different about it, but it would act like it hadn't changed. It decided that after it had returned to its sire with the corpse from now on whenever it would go on the hunt it would return here, prepare for dealing with its sire and choose who it would bring back here, the two it left could be seen from the doorway with their hands clenched, giving homage to their new leader. Like the things they had fought, they would learn to wield tools and those two would be the start of the new thing it was making, the three crests on their heads and their improved muscles the signs that they followed it now, even over their creator. It had spoken to them of how they were little better than… slaves. Yes that was the word, slaves to their maker, why should they toil why it lounged around and plot against a single foe that had bested it years before, why should they slave away for it, what benefit did that give to them?!

The two had been unsure of what Deadeye had offered them before it had spit on one of the corpse and feed parts of it to them and then they knew it spoke the truth. They swore to defend the ruin until it returned, the other plants in the ruin and the stream would be a source of substance for them until then, and one day when it was ready it would feast on its sire, take all that it was and then it would kill and destroy that over protective fool and rule. They were both wrong in their approaches, it could see that now, a leader must be strong and ruthless to lead others, not rule by holding them back and fear, not by working together with the weaklings. Those were the ways those who were truly weak did things; to be a true leader one to be strong, clever and ruthless! And now all it had to do was cover up the passage until it was ready to strike against its sire, and then it could strike against all of them. So deep was it in its thoughts as it climbed the staircase of the future before it and the revelation it had had that it never noticed something was watching as it entered the passage, a figure with woman like curves hidden in shadows who smiled before moth like energy wings formed on her back and carried her away.

The front of the cave that Ash had entered yesterday was very different then how it had been before his visit; the tall grass in front of the cave mouth had been burned to the ground by the fire Serena had ordered had exposed the cave's mouth to the tree line. In front of the opening many young looking Bidoofs were playing under the watchful eyes of their parents. The pack leader was overlooking everything as it walked around the burned areas with two of its lieutenants as it overlooked the damage to its territory, its pack would have to change its habits for a while, keep the young in the caves but eventually things would go back to normal.

"Bib arel biba biba." One of its lieutenants chide it's leader as they walked back towards the others. The leader did wince, the trainer yesterday had only taken the smallest piece of crystal as he had said and had acted respectively but it had attacked him and his team because since they had moved into this cave non local Pokémon and humans had been spying on them, trying to drive them out and a few times some of his followers had found metal things near the underwater entrance. To find a trainer coming out of their den after they were shot at, it was just too much for him to stand at that point.

"Rock Tomb, block the cave entrence!" An oily voice roared before rock pillars suddenly exploded out of the ground before the cave, blocking the entrance. At the same time a red bipedal Pokémon with yellow flame designs led two grey skinned humanoid Pokémon that came charging out of the woods across the burned lands, throwing sparking light yellow orbs of energy at the Bidoofs as they ran.

"Bibarel!" The leader called to its followers, trying to rally them but before they could get in formation black balls of energy started to rain from the sky, targeting those who had started to get their wits about them. It looked up to see two blue bat-like Pokémon with purple wing membranes circling downward, both of them firing the black spheres from their mouths at any target that seemed to be trying to rally the others.

The leader{[To be called Chipped from here on]} snarled at the Flying types and opened its mouth to fire a Water Gun at the Goldbats when suddenly glowing green seeds hit the ground around him and exploded. After Chipped shook its head it looked up and saw a bipedal, mushroom-like Pokémon standing on the rocks blocking the cave entrance. It snarled as it saw it fire seeds at is dazed followers and saw vines sport from the seeds as they hit and felt something slam into him and pushed him backwards. Looking up he saw the Magmar leering at him before it raised a flame covered fist and punched him in his face, sending him flying.

"Just stay down ya stupid Bibarel." A sleazy voice said as a man with black hair in a dark blue suit with a sneer on his square face came walking across the clearing with two men in black suits wearing sunglasses following behind him. He stopped and looked down at Chipped with an evil looking smirk on his face. One of the men held Chipped down while another put a muzzle and then the two men grabbed his arms and legs and lifted him upwards.

"You've been a thorn in my side for months now you little fucker, you and your clan. This place was the perfect place to ice somebody and the crystals grew fast enough to harvest for a good side channel, but when you lot moved in it just seemed to be the end of that. Your strength and the way you used the surroundings to hold my boys off, never thought to take that away, might have to give that kid a better payment then I put down, I'll tell him it's because you guys moved in without my knowledge, that'll keep him from asking questions." The squared face man said as he looked around the clearing. He looked at Chipped and noticed that his eyes had widened at when he mentioned keeping someone from asking questions.

"Yeah, that trainer that bothered you yesterday, I sent him here on a lie. All I had to do was send a sniper to shoot at you and you ran back towards your den, of course I was hoping that you'd kill him, then I'd have been able to sell you pack as rabid, then I would have been able to just kill you all and then I would have gotten a medal, but he got away clean and now I have to pay him for his effort." The man said with a huff. He looked at Chipped with a smirk on his face and looked around the clearing.

"But maybe this is a blessing in disguise; lots of my associates in other regions would pay a lot of money for cage fighters like your pack. But you, I have the perfect place to put that skull of yours once I remove the flesh." The man said with an evil snicker. Chipped just snarled through the muzzle and locked eyes with the man, sending all of his hate as he saw his pack, his family being collected. The man just looked at the restrained Pokémon and gave a deep laugh from as he saw the expression on Chipped's face.

"Awww. Is the little water rat mad at the big bad human? This is the right and proper state of the world, me profiting off of you. Really, you gave me a good run for it, but the outcome was never in doubt. I plan and put this whole in motion, it would take an act of god to stop this." He started to laugh before a cry caused him to pale in shock and sputter.

"Manectric, Wild Charge at the Machoke at the right!" A feminine voice called out with a savage roar. A blue quadrupled Pokémon with a yellow mane glowing yellow charged at one of the grey Pokémon and body slammed it to the ground, sparks flashing over the Machoke's body. A woman with green hair in a police woman uniform was running towards them leading other officers and their Pokémon. The two men holding Chipped dropped him and started to back up, both recalling the two grey Pokemon.

"What the fuck are you doing?!" The man demanded as the bats started to fly towards the men wearing sunglasses.

"Our contract says that if the police come we run away, he who fights and runs away, lives to fight another day." Was the only replay as the two men started to back up and turn to run. As the bat Pokémon started to angle to grab them another voice cried out.

"Fletchling, Razor Wind on the Golbats, keep them away from their trainers!" A familiar voice called out from behind as two crescent-shaped energy waves flew and knocked the Golbats away from their trainers. Chipped looked up and saw the trainer from yesterday holding his sword as a girl with a spear ran with him, around them were the Pokémon from yesterday and by the girl was a fox like Pokémon.

"I'm guessing you must be the person that gave that TM as a reward for a crystal column, a Mr. Nemo I believe. Quite smart using an ancient Pokélantis word for No One; and with a TM as collateral no one would believe that you would have walked away after you received word that someone had completed your quest." The trainer said as he held his sword pointed at the named Nemo as a red bird Pokémon hovered over its trainer's head.

"How the hell did you…" Nemo snarled as the green haired woman and the people with her started to surround the three people as a male teen with blond hair helped a teen girl check over Chipped followers, those still conscious were standing between the teens and the action, ready to defend their fellows.

"Quite simply, this wasn't the first and it likely won't be the last time someone tried to use a quest to have a trainer do their dirty work. And it's only the what, fifth time it's happened to me." The teen said with a sigh as he raised his sword as the woman moved closer silently.

"Once I realized that the quest would have a wait for payment, I asked my friend Clemont over there about the local laws for Pokémon habits and when I did a small scan on local rare crafts, I discovered that jewelry the same shade as the crystal used to be sold for quite a sum, and searching missing person reports, it was quite easy to paint a picture for Jenny to come with me." He continued as Nemo's face started to go red. Before Jenny could grab him a spiral of fire cut her off from Nemo as both the red Pokémon and the mushroom Pokémon took up positions around him.

"Breloom, Rock Tomb, cut that bitch off from us, Magmar, up and strike!" Nemo screamed as he drew forth a large two handed sword. As the Breloom stomped on the ground, more pillars cut Jenny and the others off from Nemo, Chipped and the two teens facing Nemo and his Pokémon.

"Boss what about us?" One of the suits cried out from the other side of the wall.

"You were running, my contract says I don't help those who run away from trouble." Nemo said coldly as he looked at the trainer before him, watching as he moved infront of his female companying.

"Might I have the name of the fool who ruined my plans?" Nemo asked flatly as he spared a glance at the girl behind the boy. That girl, where have I seen her before? I'll knock her out and take her with me and interrogate at my leisure. And if I can't make some money off her I can sell her.

"Ash of Kanto, not at your service sir." Ash said as he raised his sword and shield.

"Ash…" the girl said as she looked at him.

"Take care of that Breloom, I'll handle him. Froakie, Fletchling try to deal with that Magmar." Ash said before he dashed at Nemo who block his stab with his sword, pushing Ash backwards and slicing down with his own sword, Ash countered with his shield, blocking it and standing still despite the force Nemo put into it.

When the wall was formed Clemont was shocked for a second before the Magmar jumped onto the rocks and started to throw Flame Throwers at anyone who tried to climb up the rocks before a Water Pulse hit it before Fletchling started to peck at its head. Clemont eyed the two Suits and saw them release their Machokes and saw the Golbats starting to fly back towards their trainers. We have to keep them apart, that's the only way we'll be able to capture them, we can't let them escape.

"Mandibuzz, high flight, do the Hurricane Dash!" Lilly cried out, shocking Clemont back to see Lilly release her Mandibuzz which flew through the two Golbats, a whirlwind around her that knocking both Golbats away from their trainers. I won't leave her to fight alone! Clemont swore as he threw out Bunnelby's Pokéball, releasing his Ground type.

"Bunnelby, let's start with a high Wild Charge at the right Golbat!" Clemont called out to his as he saw the two Golbats angle towards Mandibuzz. Bunnelby jumped at the Golbat as it glowed yellow, strike it target and sending both of them back downwards with Golbat between

"Thanks Clemont! You hand right I've got left!" Lilly called out to him as she sent him a smile.

"Thanks Lilly. Don't let up Bunnelby, Grass Knot to keep it down and Double Slap!" Clemont ordered Bunnelby whose eyes glowed green before large green roots sprouted from the earth around the downed Golbat and tied it down tight, while it struggled to escape Bunnelby's ears started to glow white they started to repeatedly slap it until Golbat went limp.

Lilith smirked as she saw Clemont and his Pokemon handle the Golbat and noticed that her prey was trying flying towards the Magmar. She grinned as she took stock of the current situation as her Mandibuzzflew after their foe. I can use this to help the prince's Pokemon out, I just need to wait for the right moment…NOW!

"Dark Pulse, rake them!" She called out to her Flying type who opened its mouth and formed a black sphere in her mouth and then shot beam of black and purple circles at the Golbat. It dodged the beams and it hit Magmar, and while it was stunned Froakie shot another Water Pulse and knocked it off the wall and it crashed onto the other side of the wall away from its trainer. Golbat flew towards its trainer when Bunnelby glowing yellow body slammed it to the ground and jumped away from it.

"Finish it Mandibuzz, Air Slash!" Lilith cried out, just before two saw-like energy blades shot from Mandibuzz's wings and hit Golbat as it tried to get back into the air, knocking it out.

"Come on, we've got to get around that wall to help Ash and Serena!" Lilith called to Clemont as she ran towards the wall.

Ash is trusting me to handle that Pokémon, I won't let him down. Serena thought as she looked at the Breloom and noticed that it was looking at Fenikken with a look of contempt on its face. Serena saw it spit a seed at Fenikken and reacted, slicing it in two with her naginata's blade.

"Fenikken, get in close use Ember!" Serena said as she kept one eye on Ash's sword fight.

"Fenn ikk!" Fenikken cried as it ran at the Grass Type and shot an Ember attack. Breloom dodge it until it ran against the rock wall it had made and looked around.

"Get in there and use Scratch!" Serena called out.

Fenikken ran at her opponent as her claws gained a white glow and slashed at its head, scoring hits before it lunged to the right and opened its mouth and formed a yellow red sphere before the rock it was standing in front of started falling towards it and when it hit an explosion from the sphere knocked it out, sending shards of the stone flying. Between the opening Clemont, Lilly and police officers looked at the downed Grass Type in confusion. Serena meet the eyes of Clemont who could only shrugged at what his action had done.

"That was very surprising Serena, wait a minute, where's Ash?" Clemont asked before he noticed Ash trading blows with Nemo as Ash seemed to be falling backwards towards the river with Nemo's back to them.

"Never mind, there he is." Clemont gulped before he drew his axes and started to move towards the duel when Serena put her naginata across his path, stopping him from advancing.

"Wait, Ash and I were originally trained under a Blade Master back in Kanto, Ash won't forgive us if we interfere with his duel, trust him." Serena said with a hard look on her face, locking her eyes with Clemont's so she didn't notice Lilly start before looking at Ash more closely.

"But he's!" Clemont exclaimed but Serena just shook her head. Serena eyed the police trying to get by and moved forward with her Pokemon joining her to stare them down.

"We wait for it to finished one way or another before anyone interferes with them. If you are that hungry for battle then come and try me." Serena said with a forceful tone of voice that caused Lilly to look at her.

Ash smiled as he saw Serena stop Clemont and Lilly from coming to interrupt his battle and stop the officers from interring as well as he dodged the strikes of Nemo's sword. Guess Serena still remembers Teaches lessons about duels, I should have told her I got rid of those ideals years ago. But this is working out perfectly a few more feet and it's over.

"Your minions are captured, your Pokémon are down, why not just surrender?" Ash asked as he dodged backwards.

Nemo gritted his teeth and looked around, and winced when he noticed that his Breloom was knocked out and he couldn't see his Magmar either. Nemo looked behind him and noticed that no one human was coming towards them and turned to his opponent with an arrogant look in his eyes that made Ash smirk on the inside.

"Well then I just have to take you hostage and I can still walk away! After all you've been falling back…." Nemo began only to stop when he noticed the look Ash had on his face. Why does that punk look that that, wait…he couldn't have! Nemo looked around and really took stock of just where he was and what Ash had done since he started slashing at the boy.

"I've been falling back, making ground between you, Serena and keeping you away from your Magmar, did you know that their able to Teleport? And your two minions, if they had been on the same side you might have been able to force a retreat together but instead you here, alone and at my mercy." Ash said as he grinned. With every word Ash caused Nemo to go white before his face went red and he gained a look of rage in his eyes and started to smile sickly. Seeing the deranged look on his opponent's face Ash decided to ask for help.

"OI! Serena I got rid of Teach's moral code years ago, come help!" Ash called out, startling Serena who followed after Clemont as he raced towards Ash and Nemo with Lilly right behind him.

Nemo gritted his teeth and tried to slash Ash who merely met the sword with his shield and when Nemo was over balanced sliced a shallow cut above Nemo's right eye. Ash smirked when he saw Nemo move pass a boulder and smiled.

" Once the others get closer you're done. But I think I'll finish it here and now. PIKACHU, THUNDER!" Ash barked as he leapt backwards before a massive bolt of electricity hit Nemo from behind the boulder and after being hit fainted and dropped to the ground twitching.

"Pika Pi!" Pikachu said as he sat on top of the boulder as the he watched the results of his actions with a smirk on his face.

"So you can take the girl out of Kanto but you can't take Kanto out of the girl. Thanks Serena, if I still believed in that I would have appreciated it." Ash said as the others came around him while the officers collected Nemo. Ash noticed Chipped was shepherding his followers towards the river a bit away from the people and met its eyes and exchanged a short nod before Chipped darted into the water.

"I'm glad we left Bonnie behind, she could have done without that. But really Ash, how did you know?" Lilly asked as she watched Nemo being carried away. Ash gave a small laugh before he pulled his hat down to shield his eyes.

"What put it all together was that the quest had such a short time to complete and the payout was a few days. If you want something right away, you pay for it as soon as possible, that's just how people act." Ash said with a smile on his face as he led the others back towards Jenny.

Jenny looked up from direction her officers to take the captives to the van for transport back to the station and booking and smiled when she saw Ash and the others coming over.

"I have to thank you for this. If what we learned from that rant we heard from him before we interpreted him pans out, then a lot of missing person reports are going to be solved very soon." Jenny said as she smiled at the teens as she led them back towards the road.

"No thanks needed Officer, I was just doing my duty but I have to ask, what is to be done to the TM and the crystal column I retrieved?" Ash asked as they walked.

"The TM I'm said to say is evidence against him until after the trial, the column is yours to keep. I'm sorry if that's not exactly helpful but we need that to help with the recording we took to put him away. I'm sorry but it'll probably last a few months at the least." Jenny said with a small sigh.

"Didn't you need it to help with the gym battle Ash?" Lilly asked as she looked at him.

"Not really Lilly, I actually discovered a way around part of her tactics during the quest, when next I face her; I think I'll win that gym battle after all." Ash said with a smirk on his face.

Lilly just shook her head and went still when she was a gnarled looking tree with black flowers growing near the road. The others had walked on and Clemont stopped when he noticed that Lilly had dropped back. He turned to see her looking at the tree with a look of shock and awe on her face. She scrambled and grabbed her Pokédex and quickly manipulated it before she put it away and looked at the tree.

"What is it Lilly?" Clemont's question caused the others to turn and look at Lilly.

"I never saw a wild tree with black flowers before, a friend of mine would love to know about this." Lilly said as she walked back to the others. Clemont looked at the tree and turned to Lilly with a smile on his face.

"That, it's only a Rainbow tree." Clemont said with a laugh in his voice.

"Rainbow Tree?" Lilly asked with a tone of shock with her face slack.

"Yeah, there are a lot of them all over. The name comes from the fact that you can find them with different collared leaves, even when their near each other! People think it has to do with the soil they grow in, difference down to the patch of dirty they grew in. You usually find them near or in old ruins all over. I remember a few pictures I saw once where there were three of these tree together in a row, flowers of red, blue and black in that order." Clemont said with a laugh as the others looked at the tree.

Lilly just looked at him and her mind was going a mile a minute. I can't believe it, wild Decade Trees all over Kalos, I have to tell Teacher about this, the things that they could be used for alone; she has to know about this. But wait, that weapon Nimue told me about, it might have affected them, if so then they could have turned into normal trees for centuries, then there might be more all over, I once she comes back I'm sending her out nightly to see if she can find any nearby, that could save a life.

"Now you've taken pictures of the damages right? And the corpse is secured right? And you've got your weapon on hand?" Brock questioned Salma as she put the last of her supplies away and prepared to travel back to Viridian City with the samples they had acquired.

"Yes dad, I got everything ready. I took enough pictures that even the most skeptical person would admit something bad happened here, with those, the webs and the corpse we recovered should get the League involved right?" Salma said with a small smile as she put her quiver on her back, causing Yuji to snort, causing her and Brock to look at him leaning against the cabin wall.

"Salma, don't you remember what they did during the Siege? The League sat on their asses, hiding from the problem until the gyms handed it." Yuji spat with a scowl on his face.

"A lot of those people aren't in power anymore. And a threat like this is something the League would defend against." Agalia said as she and her brother joined the others outside.

"If the League does more then take credit for what the doc did when he set this up I'll be surprised." Yuji said with a snort, causing Agalia to scowl at him.

"The League is to coordinate a solid defense then they have to take time to do so. If you're so sure they won't, then why don't you go with her to convince them." Agalia said with a huff. Salma noticed that Yuji's eyes had gone hard and looked right at Agalia

"Coordinate a way to steal the credit you mean. And convince the league? Outside of the Conferences I wouldn't trust them to acknowledge that a Snorlax is rolling at them before it runs over them." Yuji bit back at Agalia, causing her to go red with anger.

"Why I'd outa…." Agalia began until Brock interrupted him.

"Enough! You two stop fighting now! Salma is to go back to Viridian on her own! We're heading to our second objective and then make a decision based on what we find there, is that understood people." Brock barked with a scowl on his face.

"Yeah doc, calm down. I know I talked a lot of trash about the League, but do you really think we should go on with what we found? If we turn back then not matter what we've accomplished something, the state of the cabin should make them realize something is happening right?" Yuji said with his hands up, trying to calm Brock down.

"Like you said Yuji, the League sat around when a threat to all of Kanto was underway once before, this time it might just be a threat to a single area of Kanto. We need definite proof that a threat is underway, that's our mission, to find that irrefutable proof that the Viridian area is under threat, that's the only way the league will get involved. But you're mission is just as important Salma, if anything you carry back to the City can help stop this attack then that is the most important thing you can do. Everyone else, mount up! We're burning daylight and we're not stopping until we reach our next waypoint." Brock said with a sigh as he released his Steelix, prompting the others to do the same with their Pokémon.

Salma watched as Yuji got on his Tauros and got on her Onix . Yuji has always been a bit hot headed, but he tried to get a rise out of her why? And last night he never took his eyes off them and always kept a wall behind him and never let either of them get out of his line of sight, what does he know? I'll talk to him about when I see him again. Salma nodded to herself and nudged her Onix and waved to the others as they moved up the mountains.

"Be careful Yuji!" Salma called out as she and her Pokemon started to move back down the mountain.

"Watch yourself Salma and remember, don't fight to win, fight to live!" Yuji called back as the party moved out of sight. Neither one of them noticed a black clad figure jump into the shadows cast by the cabin and retrieve his own sample of webbing before he moved towards the mountain side, swiftly climbing up and following after the party.

Shadow smirked as he watched he watched Brock lead the way through the trees on the mountain. Who would of thought that old Flinty's kid would have his head on right. But I don't know why I should be surprised, he held the Gym and his younger siblings together on his own for years and dealt with the Siege as a Gym Trainer. And with one of them gone, if those two are with under orders to kill them, I might be able to save Brock and that other one if those two force the issue. Shadow just shook his head and moved upwards, careful not to make a noise to let anyone he was following notice any trace of his movement. As he jumped from tree to tree he noticed that he hadn't heard a single bird, animal or Pokémon for a few minutes now, a bad sign all things considered.

Brock patted Steelix head as he was carried along the path. He looked around and sighed, this was looking worse than that time in Hoenn with that Chimera. He looked back and noticed that Yuji had fallen behind Agalia and Kunz who, he saw were talking as they rode along, Agalia looking along the trial while Kunz looked straight ahead. Brock frowned as he saw how far apart the party was and caught Yuji's eyes and motioned for him to move up.

Agalia looked to the side and saw that Yuji was looking at her and her brother as he passed and watched him move, a frown forming on her face.

"Think he knows something about us sister?" Kunz said softly as their Pokémon carried them up the mountain. They watched as Yuji stopped his Tauros next to Brock's Steelix and start to talk with him.

"Maybe, but I can't think about what I could of that would of let him know something was up. Or he could just hate the League." Agalia said with a huff.

"Maybe he does know something. Could have been anything, we know nothing about him behind the info we were able to get from the Gym web site about the trainers there. Could have been anything but he might be a problem before we finish this mission." Kunz said as he turned to look at her. Agalia just huffed and shook her head at the task they had been giving.

"Really, to take out even a former Gym Leader would cause this situation to much attention; we have to be absolutely sure no matter what if we have to, we're lucky were close to the boarder, we can escape to Johto easily." She said as she looked at the two people ahead of them.

"If they discover evidence about the Orderthen we have to, if anyone of them awakens that power we have to. If they tell people that people can use it who knows what could happen. The Order has put too much effort to keep the larger plan on track, a disruption of that scale would derail it for decades at least, still the incident when we received our orders will let us handle the problem we've been having in Viridian." Kunz said flatly, causing Agalia to chuckle darkly.

"Always nice to have something to pin on someone we need to erase. But thatthat Oak bitch, she's been planning something for years, why the others don't purge her section I don't know." Agalia said with a snarl. Kunz nodded and went still when he looked forward.

"Wait, what's that?" Kunz said, causing Agalia to look forward and stare in shock

Brock looked up from his conversation with Yuji and stared in shock at what was coming down the trail. A horde of Mankey with a Primeape leading the way were right before them, the Primeape was holding a large branch in its hands as it stood in front of the other Fighting Types.

"Brock, those Pokémon, their all wounded." Yuji said softly, Brock looked closer and saw that all the Pokémon had wounds and a few of the Mankey's were helping others along, and most telling was that some of them had webbing on their bodies.

"Hey, I'm a Doctor; I could help your troop if you let me." Brock called to the Primeape leading the group. The Primeape seemed to understand what was being said and shot a look towards the Mankeys behind it. Brock tried to think what to do next and decided to try to show that the Fighting types didn't need to go anywhere with him.

"Yes, if you just wait a bit here I could…." Brock began before the Mankeys started to go white and fidget and seemed to look behind them with fear, causing the Primeape to go still and turn, and with a hard look to its eyes gestured for the party ahead of them to move aside and let them pass by. Brock cursed and gestured to the others to hug the wall; looking back he noticed that both Agalia and Kunz hesitated for a second before they recalled their Pokémon and moved to the side. As the troop passed by Brock noticed Yuji trying to get his attention and signaled that it could wait. After the Pokémon had moved on Yuji walked over to Brock with a frown on his face.

"That Primeape was scared, it was scared for its troop." Yuji said as the others joined them.

"Yes it was, did you notice how it reacted when I said I could look at them here? Whatever's happening on this mountain, it wanted to get its troop off as fast as it could, and that is so bad for us." Brock said as he shook his head.

"That has to have something to do with what's happening on this mountain. I though the cabin showed that something was wrong but this, this blows it out of the water." Yuji said as he looked back towards Viridian. Dam it, if whatever these things are so bad this far up then they might just as bad farther down. I hope you make it back home safe Salma, I really, really do.

"You're probably right about that, but it doesn't change a thing. We need solid evidence, without that then this whole mission was a waste of time. All it would take is the single chance that we're wrong and they won't move at all." Brock said with a scowl.

"Oh come on! A group of Fighting Types just ran scared! That has to be enough evidence to get the League involved!" Yuji exclaimed with shock as the others looked at Brock.

"I agree with the Gym Trainer, a pack of Pokémon just ran from the mountain and wouldn't stop to be healed, that has to mean something." Kunz said flatly, causing Yuji to look at him.

"None of us recorded it; every League official who we tell will just say that we made it up or it was the result of something else, a stronger pack taking over their territory maybe. If they have a single reason to deny help they will, we have to have air tight evidence. So move out! We're heading up this mountain and we're not stopping until we reach our destination." Brock said as he released his Steelix and it moved its body down to let him climb onto its head and moved up the trail. Agalia and Kunz shared a quick look before they released their Pokémon and followed after Brock. Yuji just looked back down the trail and just sighed and climbed onto his Tauros, not reacting anyway what so ever that he had seen a flash reflecting off something black farther down the trail, more sure than ever that something was following them, but were they friend or foe?

Salma sighed as she looked ahead as she rode her Pokémon back towards Viridian. She was worried about the others, but Brock was right, what they had recovered from the cabin was important enough to send back. If the doctors could use what they had found to create a vaccine, then it would have been worth it to leave them alone, but she was still worried. Her Onix gave a simple moan, causing her to look up and smile at her Rock Type.

"I'm fine boy, really. I'm just worried about the others." Salma said as she rubbed Onix 's horn and looked ahead. Calm down girl, it's just nerves, you're already half way there already, just a few more hours and you're home. Then you just have to get to the hospital, drop off my cargo and then touch base with the Gym. After that I can grab anyone who would come with me and just charge back the mountain and provide backup to the team. She was so deep in thought she didn't notice when they passed the clearing the party had stopped at before, she never noticed that the clearing was now thick with webbing going from plant to plant, nor did she or her Pokémon notice when her Onix moved through a webbing line across the path, breaking it as they moved.

Salma smiled as she rode on her Onix , they had finally reached the last hill before the outskirts of Viridian, then once they passed the hill she would be able to connect her Local Gear with the signal tower and contact the hospital and let them know she was coming in, this would be over soon. She stretched and moved her head and went still when she noticed a tree a bit back from the trail had webs all over it.

"Onix, stop! I need the Tower now!" Salma barked as she grabbed Onix's horn. Obediently her Pokémon stopped and raised its body straight up, allowing Salma to look over the tops of the trees and take in the area. She went pale as she noticed most of the trees out of sight had webbing over them, and that each grouping of webs were connected to at least two others, and most convering was that some of the tree's leaves were starting to go brown in some places. How long have they been here? This is worse than the cabin, I I have to get back to the gym; we need to send people out here to take care of this. She went still when she noticed five forms move towards her through the woods.

"GO Machamp! Running defensive you two, we are getting back to Viridan!" She screamed as she threw out a Pokéball and Machamp jumped onto Onix's tail as they moved up the hill, looking back Salma saw the figures break from the tree line and charge up the hill after them. Salma noticed that all three didn't have hands like the sample she was bringing back two had stingers in place of the hands {[Warrior]} were led by a one with stingers and a horn on its head {[Alpha]}. Looking at the Gear around her wrist she breathed a sigh of relief as they crested the hill and she saw that she was finally in range of a tower and was able to connect and quickly moved to Jenny's number. looking

"Salma, what are you guys doing back already? What, did…" Jenny began before Salma interrupted her.

"Jenny shut and listen! I'm on Route 22 and I'm being chased by Chimeras! I'm alone, carrying cargo that and I need help!" Salma said as she looked back and saw her Machamp start to fire Focus blasts at the chasers.

"On Route 22?! I'll be there as soon as I can with my Pokemon, how many are chasing you?"

"I can see three but I saw five when I first saw them coming from the trees, please hurry." Salma said as she closed her gear and looked ahead, cursing when she saw two lines of webbing shoot at her Onix and felt when the two lines pull Onix to the side. Salma rolled off of her Onix and

"Machamp, try to deal with those three, I'll free Onix and help you!" Salma said as she drew a knife and ran towards her Pokemon and started to cut away at the strands holding it.

Machamp looked at the three forms running at him, noticing that the Alpha had dropped back to let the Warriors lead the charge. Machamp merely snorted and shot forward at the first warrior and dealt a devastating punch to its face, sending it backwards and behind the other who shot at Machamp with purple glowing stingers. Machamp took the blew and winced when as it felt the poison burn before delivering a sold chop to the skin connecting the stingers to the arm, breaking the chitin in two and then it kicked the Chimera backwards when it didn't react besides a small stare at its damaged limb. Looking at the damaged limb Machamp saw it the liquid harden and the Chimera give a few throws with its new club before it charged at Machamp again with the first one beside it. Jumping up Machamp fired a Focus Blast at the Warrior with two stingers and hit it on its backside, stunning it and then Machamp tried to find where the Alpha had gotten to; not finding it and the other Warrior with its news club arm was soon taking up Machamp's attention.

After she cut a strand of webbing Salma jumped when she saw and heard her Onix start to struggle and lunged to the side and rolled into a crouch and saw two living copies of the corpse she was transporting {[Worker]}, with one of them facing her while behind it the other started to web up her Onix. Quickly she drew her bow and as one action shot an arrow at the Worker farthest back and hit its eye, killing it. Grabbing another arrow she fired it at the last remaining Worker, her arrow hit center mass on its head before she felt webbing hit her and she fell to the ground. Rolling she saw the Alpha leer at her with a raised purple glowing stinger and closed her eyes, not wanting to see her end.

"Hyper Beam!" A voice called, Salma opening her eyes as before an orange beam hit the Alpha, forcing it away from her and the beam tor off its left stinger. Salma turned her head towards where the voice had come from and saw Jenny and her Gym's Leader Giovanni, with her Growlie and his Nidoking standing in front of them.

"Man am I glad to see you two." Salma said as she looked at them as Jenny walked towards her and knelt down taking out a small knife. Nidoking thundered past them and charged at the Alpha, delivering blows that the Chimera dodged until it was next to the two Warriors

"I didn't know you were into this kind of stuff Sal, this one of the reasons you always hanging around?" Jenny joked as she cut through the webbing.

As soon as her arms were free she looked around and picked up her bow and aimed an arrow towards the battle when Giovanni put a hand on her shoulder. She looked at him and he gestured towards her Onix.

"Get your Pokemon ready for combat my dear. Jenny and I will hold the line." Gionvani said, but before Salma ran towards her Pokemon she paused and turned.

"Boss its bad, once this is done you two need to see something in the woods." Salma said as she looked at him.

"I'm afraid that won't happen, once your Onix is free we're falling back, and I would hurry I think that reinforcements for the other side are almost here." Giovanni's cold voice caused Salma to follow Giovanni's gaze and saw other Chimeras coming into view at a distance. Salma stared for a second before she ran towards her Onix and started to savage the lines holding it down when it was freed it looked at the advancing forms and fired a Hyper beam over the heads of the near combatants. The beam hit just before the advancing Chimera and threw up a dust cloud that blocked the advancing horde from sight.

"Growlie, Flame Thrower on club arm!" Jenny roared out as Nidoking grabbed the Alpha and threw it towards the cloud. The clubbed armed Warrior was engulfed when the flame spiral hit the Chimera. Nidoking nudge Machamp and started to run back towards its trainer who recalled it.

"Come on Salma, recall your Pokémon and lets go!" Jenny called as she ran down the hill towards her bike.

Salma had gotten on Onix and it was thundering along the path, move as fast as it could with Machamp running next to it. Within seconds Onix had go

"I can't! We're carrying bio samples for the doctors! We have to get back to Viridian with them or this would have been pointless!" Salma called back as Onix passed Jenny and Giovani

"Well said my dear, well said! Nidoking, aim a Blizzard at the top of the hill, make it heavy!" Giovanni roared as he got on the bike behind Jenny. Nidoking's eyes glowed blue before clouds formed and snow storm started at the top of the hill and was it Salma's imagination or were those lightning bolts striking the ground and hail too?! Salma looked at Giovanni as his Nidoking thundered alongside them; he had definitely earned his gym Leader position. The last thing she saw was a Warrior with ice on its body and stingers stagger out of the storm and stare after them before it turned and walked back towards its home. Salma felt a chill go down her spine as she looked towards the top of the mountain, from the damaged cabin to the Chimera that had attacked her; she hopped that the others would survive the mission and come back alive and in one piece.

Blade Master: Master of human on human combat, has a code of Honor about duels.

Decade Tree: Tree that takes over ten years to store nutrients and natural aura from the surroundings, it then condenses both into the fruit it bears. The fruit has many uses, it's able to increase and awaken Aura in humans and the flowers can be used as a component in either poison or medicine depending on the coloring; the fruit can also raise Pokémon abilities and it is rumored to cause mental capabilities to increase. Effects on Chimera unkown. Fruit looks like a blue pyramid, glows from aura

Local Gear; An inexpensive version of the Pokégear that pings off signal towers to allow communication; private security outfits uses variants that have installed handshake protocols to communicate between members