AN: Ahhh longest chapter yet! This is what happened when I have nothing to do at work all day. Thank you to all the fabulous reviews! I LOVE YOU ALL! Let me know if you have any questions of how I am shaping this world or anything else.

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon or any of the characters. Just the random plot bunnies that my mind creates.

Chapter Warnings: Language, blood, violence

Pairing: Ash x Gary

Arc 2 - Suspicion

Excerpt from Prof. Oak's research notebooks

Regional Pokemon

I have finally received the notes I needed from the other professors from nearby regions. It appears that the climate and food sources for each region determines what pokemon can live there.

Every pokemon species has a different set of nutrients that must be obtained in order for it to be healthy. Some of the nutrients, specifically types of plants, depends largely on the weather and climate. This, in turn, effects where certain herbivores can thrive and thus where certain carnivores and omnivores can hunt based on where their preferred meal resides.

Through extensive research by my fellow professors, we have determined which pokemon are specific to which region which has already been released into many pokemon trainer manuals and textbooks.

However, it is interesting to note that some species can only be found in one region while others can be found in multiple. Further study is needed to determine how these pokemon migrated to other regions. Were they caught by trainers and then released into the wild as an invasive species? Did they somehow migrate on their own even if it was detrimental to their health to do so?

There is much that we still need to determine.

Trainers, however, can rest easy when traveling between regions. A simple concoction is all that is needed to keep a regional variant healthy when traveling in a environment it would otherwise not thrive in. Although, that pokemon may not be as strong as its home region since some of its strength is constantly being used to fight off infections and illness.

The concoction is just a mix of regional plants and nutrients that each region are known for. The quantity of each depends on the pokemon. There is a diagram attached that lists what each species needs and in what quantity based on the pokemon's age and weight.

Chapter 20 - Attack

Ash sits on the grass watching Larvitar follow Eevee through some simple drills. They jump over small rocks and dart behind bigger objects as if stalking prey in the harsh Kanto wilderness.

Glancing to his right, he observes Gary leading their pokemon in accuracy drills as Lapras shoots large Ice Shards into the air for Pikachu, Kingler, Wartortle, Charmeleon and Growlithe to hit while the others dueled against each other.

Scyther vs Pinsir, Fearow vs Pidgeot, Nidoking vs Primeape, Tauros vs Dodrio, Haunter vs Kadabra...all locked in intense battles throughout the field. It's amazing how many of them evolved already. It's only been two months since Gary and I left the Academy.

Brown eyes land on the collar on Pikachu's neck. Professor Oak was able to retrofit their extra collars so they wouldn't cause electrical damage but left the GPS chips and voice recognition enabled. In order to keep the League from getting suspicious, the Professor manipulated the collar's code so that the collar will only slightly tighten in warning when the code word is called instead of shocking the disobedient pokemon. That way the pokemon will still flinch when the code word is called and thus looking as if a shock was delivered.

Ash and Gary had to sit the pokemon down and explain the differences between the collars a few times, as well as urge them to trust their trainers so they won't be forced to use other methods if the pokemon don't follow orders.

That was a tough conversation. Especially with all the sad looks of the pokemon who still have the electric collars. I hope Professor Oak can figure out how to switch out the collars soon.

He grunts as a large weight climbs into his lap. Looking down, he sees a panting Larvitar perching on his lap, looking out over the other battles with interest. I'm surprised he is able to somewhat battle already. He's only a month old after all. Of course he has some trouble with the agility drills, but he is slower due to his typing anyway.

He passes a high strength ball of Kevlar over for the little pokemon to play with. A smile graces his face as the rock skin pokemon immediately starts to gnaw on it. He pats Larvitar's head affectionately. I'm glad the Professor was able to make this. I can't believe his jaw strength is strong enough to crunch through rocks already. He'll be almost unstoppable when he evolves.

A loud growl resonates through the area. Ash glances over to the pond. Growlithe is crouched down low to the ground, its eyes and ears pointed at the sky. Charmeleon is tense next to the puppy pokemon as it switches its gaze between the other fire pokemon and the horizon.

Brown eyes widen as a bright light fills the field. Charmeleon is evolving? But Charmander just evolved 3 weeks ago! Ash quickly puts Larvitar on the ground as he jumps to his feet and rushes over to his evolving pokemon.

Large orange, scaled wings stretch out behind the six foot tall lizard. Twin horns sprout from the back of its head. A long orange tail swipes the grass behind him, its tip ablaze. Geez he's big. He must be at least 12 feet from tip to tail.

The wings beat powerfully launching Charizard into the air above the field. It hovers in the air turned towards the northwest. Waiting.

Covering his eyes to help prevent the glare from blocking his vision, he glances between the horizon and his newly evolved pokemon. He can feel Larvitar grab on to the bottom of his pants.

Brown eyes squint at a black dot in the distance. What the hell? He squints harder to try to distinguish the figure. He senses his partner approach on his left.

"What are you looking at Ashy-boy?"

He points at the rapidly approaching dot. He can already make out a long tail and bulky body. Another Charizard?

A high pitch whistling echoes over the area. The shape takes on a light tan color as it approaches. Tiny teal wings sprout from its back. The sun gleams off black armor covering the pokemon's torso and head. Fuck...It's a Dragonite. Ash jumps as Charizard lets out a challenging roar.

Its tail bursts into a large blue flame. Charizard's maw opens wide as a powerful stream of fire is released at the approaching threat. The pokemon barrel rolls in mid-air to avoid the attack. It streaks past the fire lizard and continues south east without even a backwards glance. Another roar snaps Ash into action.

"Charizard, Otpravit'! Come back down!" He yells up to the starter pokemon.

The lizard freezes as the code word tightens his collar before dropping back down to the ground.

"Pidgeot, follow that Dragonite. Keep your distance. We will track you. Come find us if it senses you. Don't engage." He calls out sharply to the waiting flyer.

The bird pokemon launches in the air and quickly follows the dragon pokemon. A cone of air bursts behind its tail as it breaks the sound barrier with a powerful flap of wings.

Ash grabs his frozen partner and rushes inside. He quickly dons his pack and weapons and shoves his partners' into stiff arms.

"The Riders…" The brunet mumbles. Green eyes hazy as Gary stares at a spot on the wall.

Ash grabs onto his partner's shoulders and shakes him roughly. "Gary snap out of it! We have to go in case Pidgeot needs help."

Fire blazes to life in Gary's green eyes. His partner nods tersely and throws on his equipment and weapons as they rush back outside. They quickly call back their pokemon minus Pikachu and the remaining flyers.

Gary hops up onto Fearow as Ash and Pikachu climb aboard Charizard for the first time. He holds on to the joint where its wings attach to his body as the flyers launch into the air and head after Pidgeot and the Rider.

Waving to get Gary's attention, he points to his ear to signal him to take out his comms set. Sliding the earpiece in place, he hooks the small touch screen to his wrist. Pressing the track button, he selects Pidgeot's collar frequency. Applying slight pressure with his knees, he adjusts Charizard's course.

"Will Pidgeot be able to keep up?" Gary's voice calls out in his ear.

"I think so. She can hit Mach 1 if she isn't carrying anyone. I know Dragonite is one of the fastest known flyers, but it was weighed down by that armor and its Rider. She also has her Keen Eyes so she can easily follow from a distance."

Silence meets his explanation. Ash looks over and is met with the Gary's blank face. Sadness and determination fill him to the brim.

I'll protect you from yourself Gary.

xxx-War of the Dragon Riders-xxx

"It looks like Pidgeot has finally stopped. She's at Grampa Canyon."

Gary nods in acknowledgment. Why would the Riders go to the Canyon? There is nothing there...Maybe that's where their base is? It's remote enough and there are plenty of caves…

"What should we do? The only pokemon we have that have a type advantage are Lapras and Larvitar, but Lapras will be a stationary target since she can't move on land and Larvitar doesn't know any rock type moves yet." Ash asks him, his voice clearly filled with frustration at their situation.

"It doesn't matter Ash. We can just let all of the pokemon rush them. Even a Dragonite can't stand up against 18 pokemon and our rifles."

He could practically feel the glare that his partner is throwing his way.

"It's a perfectly viable strategy, Ash. Just winging it. All the pokemon have been receiving top of the line military training for the last two months. They know how to fight."

"Gary be serious." Ash scolds him. "He could have more than one dragon pokemon or some other weapons we don't know about. What will we do if it unleashes a Hyper Beam and kills all of our pokemon in one fell swoop? We need a battle plan."

Gary takes a deep breath to calm his temper. "We need to get there ASAP. Who knows when they will leave and Pidgeot won't be able to keep up if she is carrying both of us."

"Does Wartortle know Ice Beam yet? Kingler doesn't."

Gary shakes his head. "Wartortle can form a few ice particles but he needs more training with Lapras before he can do a full powered Ice Beam."

"Hmm alright. We may have to rely on our rifles then. Pikachu and I will ride in on Pidgeot so I can hopefully get as close as possible before they notice me. We will circle around and come from the other direction so you can sneak up behind them on Fearow. Dragonite is still a flyer so Pikachu will be able to at least cause a little bit of damage."

Gary blinks in surprise at the surprisingly decent plan given their current circumstances. Ash has never been much of a strategist but he is a hell of a battler.

Seeing movement towards his left, he watches the raven lean closer to Charizard and speak to him. Ash turns towards back towards him and pats the fire lizard's neck.

"Charizard can carry Kadabra. There's a slim chance that he will be able to control Dragonite's mind temporarily or at least freeze him in place. I will release Haunter to help with that once I'm close enough. How does that sound?"

Gary mentally runs through their remaining pokemon. Scyther, Pinsir, and Primeape are weak against flying pokemon so they are no good. Kingler and Lapras will have mobility problems in this terrain. Larvitar and Eevee are still too young to cause any damage. Tauros and Dodrio could carry pokemon but Tauros will have a hard time getting down the cliff's edge. Growlithe, Nidoking, and Wartortle have no moves that will be effective against a dragon but if Pikachu is battling…

Staring at the small electric pokemon sitting in front of the raven and the flying lizard below him, Gary modifies the plan Ash has created so far.

"Dodrio can run down the narrow paths on the walls quickly and easily. He can carry Wartortle. We can do what we did in Lavender Town, soak the ground to increase Pikachu's electric damage. That armor it is wearing will help distribute the electricity too. If Dragonite takes flight, we can bring out the other water pokemon to at least try to get it wet even though it won't do any damage so Pikachu can strike it down. If Dragonite remains on the ground, I will release Nidoking to grapple with him. He is the strongest physical pokemon we have right now. He should be able to distract that thing while we get into a position to handle the Rider."

The raven stares ahead as he thinks the plan over. Gary visualizes it over and over in his mind, running different scenarios and possible outcomes. "This is our best option Ash. We have a chance."

"All right. I think that's our best bet. If Kadabra and Haunter can immobilize them, we can interrogate them for information."

"With force." Gary mumbles into the comms set.

Ash gives no sign that he heard his comment. Squeezing his knees into Fearow's sides, Gary urges his flying pokemon faster.

They aren't going to get away this time. I'll make sure of that.

xxx-War of the Dragon Riders-xxx

Two hours later, the soldiers land on the edge of the canyon where Pidgeot is waiting. The bird pokemon points with its wing down towards the southern edge of the gorge.

Gary walks to the edge and lies down to prevent being seen from below. Pulling his binoculars from his bag, he begins to scan the walls and ground in search of the Rider. Hearing his partner lie down next to him, he signals for them to be quiet.

Sounds will echo all over the place here. We need the element of surprise if we are to beat the dragon.

Seeing movement on the floor, he tightens the binocular's focus. Dragonite and its Rider come into view. He watches silently as the dragon's tail glows silver and strikes a large boulder, shattering it into pieces. Iron Tail.

The Rider bends down to shift through the rubble, he places something inside the pack at his feet. They are looking for something.

Feeling a pull on his arm, Gary looks to his left and sees his partner motioning that they should move away from the edge. Gary reluctantly follows the raven. Ash turns and steps close to him. Leaning up, the raven whispers in his ear to prevent the sound from traveling.

"We should call out the pokemon and explain the plan to them so they are ready when we decide to move."

Pulling back from his partner, Gary nods. Reaching towards his waist, he pulls out the pokeballs for Kadabra, Nidoking and Wartortle. White light bursts from the balls as he releases the pokemon. He signals for silence. His pokemon wait quietly for instructions.

Ash steps next to him as Haunter, Kingler and Lapras emerge. The group moves to stand close to the immovable Lapras as Haunter hides in the transport pokemon's shadow. The raven describes the plan to the pokemon as Gary's eyes remain locked on the edge of the gorge. He moves to stand next to Pidgeot who is still keeping watch of the Rider and his dragon.

Several minutes later, Ash returns to his side. He signals that the preparations are complete and that he has relayed the details to Base. Gary scoffs. There is no way reinforcements will get here in time. They might as well just send an investigative unit for after we defeat the Rider. Turning back, he notices that Kingler, Haunter and Lapras are gone. Kadabra is perched on Charizard's back while Wartortle is holding onto Dodrio's middle neck as it sits upon its back. He recalls Nidoking and jumps onto Fearow's back. Ash and Pikachu climb on top of Pidgeot.

"Remember guys, move as silently as possible. We only have the advantage as long as we can maintain the element of surprise." Ash calls out quietly.

At the conclusion of his final instructions, the raven nudges Pidgeot forward. The bird hops forward and steps over the edge of the cliff. Gary's heart leaps into his throat as he quickly straightens for a glimpse of his partner. He sighs softly seeing Pidgeot glide silently over the canyon.

Following his partner's lead, he nudges Fearow forward. Charizard stands a few feet to his right. Dodrio is poised at the top of the path leading down to the canyon floor. Taking a deep breath, he leans forward. Fearow follows the change in weight and leans over the edge of the cliff.

Falling.

Wings spread wide, catching the wind, the beak pokemon angles away from the wall sending them soaring towards the southern end of the canyon. Glancing back, he sees Charizard and Kadabra behind him while Dodrio and Wartortle are already halfway down the side of the cliff.

Hearing a gunshot, he whips back around. Pidgeot is darting around the Rider who is pointing a handgun at his partner. The Rider shoots again but seems to miss Ash and flyer. Pidgeot is too quick and has great eyesight. She won't get hit by a measly handgun bullet.

Green eyes narrow as they lock in on the massive dragon pokemon. What is it doing? Seeing a small flare of red, he looks at the ground. The Dragonite is bent over and blowing a condensed stream of blue fire at a rock. What the fuck?

Gary pulls his Beretta out of its holster as a bolt of lightning comes out of nowhere to strike the dragon. A mighty roar reverberates throughout the canyon. Taking aim at the dragon, he fires three rounds. They bounce off the scales and into the dirt below. The beast's large gray eyes lock onto him. A white light begins to form inside the dragon's open maw. Hyper Beam. FUCK. FUCK. FUCK.

"Fearow! Evasive maneuvers!" He calls out desperately to his flyer.

Gary holds on tight as the beak pokemon starts to dart around at random angles with a few rolls thrown in. With a roar, the Hyper Beam is released. The air itself vibrates at the sheer power of the attack. Pinning its wings to its side, Fearow narrowly avoids the destructive beam in a haphazard dive. It levels out before it crashes into the ground.

Fuck. We can't afford another Hyper Beam to be released. We won't be able to dodge like that again.

Gary quickly releases Nidoking from its ball. The drill pokemon immediately charges the taller pokemon with a Horn Drill already spinning at max velocity. The two pokemon lock arms and struggle to gain the upper hand. Nidoking is thrown to the side but it rises to its feet to immediately engage Dragonite once more.

Head tucked into his flyer's neck, he locates the other pokemon. Charizard flys in a wide arc around the dragon. Kadabra glows bright blue as it prepares to send out a massive Psychic attack. Dodrio sprints across the floor of the canyon.

He will be there in less than a minute. Good.

Glancing towards his partner, he sees Pikachu perched back on the raven's lap. Its cheeks sparking as it waits for another opportunity to attack. A flash of light cues Haunter's release. Once the ghost pokemon is in place, Gary calls out the order to attack.

"Psychic now!"

Blue light surrounds Kadabra while Haunter is engulfed in red. Waves hurl downwards, coming together to form a purple energy. It slams into the dragon pokemon, freezing it in place. Another roar rips from its maw as it slowly begins to move its limbs, trying to break free of the Psychic attack. Nidoking wraps its purple arms around Dragonite's torso from behind to help contain the titan.

Even three pokemon aren't strong enough to fully hold it in place? Damn it!

Glancing down, he notices that Dodrio has finally arrived. Wartortle immediately begins flooding the area with a torrent of water. The Rider climbs up onto a large rock before the water can reach him. Shit he didn't catch on did he?

"Dragonite, Fly!" The Rider calls out from his perch.

Fuck!

The dragon pokemon slowly spreads its little wings. Kadabra is clearly struggling against the willpower of the mighty beast as it pants from its seat Charizard's back. Nidoking struggles in the water as if it is being burned by acid. Come on you two. Just a little bit longer.

Feeling the hair rise on his arms, Gary turns to find his partner. The electric pokemon is curled tight in on itself, collecting all the electricity its small body can produce for one massive attack. He presses the notification button on his comms set to get the raven's attention.

"Ash, they can't hold out much longer! Pikachu needs to attack NOW!"

Pidgeot dives in response to get closer to the ground. Pikachu jumps into the air and releases an enormous Thunderbolt into the water flooding the canyon. Fearow swerves to avoid errant streaks of electricity jolting out from the powerful little mouse. Dragonite lets loose an agonizing bellow as the attack lands.

Gary ducks to avoid a blue-tinted Flamethrower released from the nearby flying lizard. The attack slams into the breastplate of the armor. Green orbs widen as Gary watches the black armor begin to melt before his eyes into a black and silver puddle at the titan's feet.

A whirring noise alerts the brunet to the Horn Drill that is once more powering up. The purple poison/ground pokemon spins around Dragonite and pushes its spinning horn into the now unprotected cream underbelly. Blood pours from the gaping wound as Dragonite struggles to pull away from the spinning horn..

The Rider turns his weapon away from Ash to fire at the drill pokemon that is injuring his dragon. A bullet lodges in the purple pokemon's arm causing it to stagger away in pain. Without the added restriction, Dragonite breaks free from the Psychic attack. It launches into the air and aims directly at Fearow.

Gary is thrown from Fearow's back by a powerful Body Slam. His descent abruptly stops in midair. He strains his neck to look behind him. His body freezes in place as a drop of blood falls onto his face.

FUCK.

xxx-War of the Dragon Riders-xxx

"Stop this at once or your partner will die." A rough voice calls out harshly.

Ash freezes at those words. He wasn't fast enough to catch Gary before Dragonite got him.

The dragon's claws are buried deep into his partner's pack causing the brunet to dangle 20 feet above the ground. Gary is forced to clutch onto the backpack's straps to prevent him from falling into the electrified water below.

Even without the water, he won't survive that drop. If he ducks and rolls at the right time, he will still probably break both of his legs at least.

Nidoking quickly rushes over to stand underneath his trainer to catch him in case he falls. It freezes a few feet away when the dragon raises him higher and shakes him slightly.

"I do believe I said stop." The Rider calls out from atop his rock.

Drawing his own gun, Ash aims at the spot between the Rider's eyes. "Let him go." He growls out dangerously.

The man shrugs as if the weapon in Ash's hand is a mere child's toy to him.

"Why should I? You two attacked us out of nowhere over Pallet Town and here as well. We did nothing to you, yet you have injured my precious Dragonite. I should just kill both of now."

Ash watches Gary's face turns bright red in anger. The brunet glares heatedly at the Rider below him.

"You have got to be fucking kidding me!" His partner bellows from up above them. "You're a goddamn RIDER! You have no right to talk about Pallet Town after you annihilated it 14 years ago! Don't you DARE say that you did nothing to us!"

The Rider glances up at the helpless soldier dangling in the air with his head cocked to the side. He taps his foot against the rock as silence descends upon the canyon. Gary is literally shaking in fury as he clutches onto his pack.

"Attack on Pallet? I don't know what you are talking about. I have been a clan member all my life, but there was never a raid on Pallet Town. You must be mistaken, boy." The Rider dismisses him with a flick of his wrist.

The man slowly, dangerously, turns to face his partner as Gary draws his attention again. "BULL SHIT!" The brunet screams. "Stop lying! I saw a Rider atop a dragon! It attacked me and I-"

"GARY! CALM DOWN!" Ash interrupts. The brunet's mouth slams shut as his eyes burn with unrestrained fury.

Shut up! Look at the position you are in!

Ash nudges Pidgeot to drop down onto a large jutting rock near the Rider. The man turns towards him. Black eyes lock with his brown. His face is covered by a black mask pulled up over his nose. A black cap forms close to his head. Ash's eyes narrow in confusion at the Rider's attire. It is almost identical to mine...the style is just a little different and has purple accents instead of red…

"Why did you come here Rider? Is this your base?" Ash questions the man. He struggles to keep his gaze riveted on the man's dark eyes. To not let his eyes drift to his partner. I can't give him any more leverage over us.

The Rider scoffs and rolls his eyes. He signals Dragonite to come closer. The dragon floats slightly behind him watching Ash carefully.

"I am under no obligation to tell you anything as you can see. I'd rather you answer some of my own questions."

Ash glances towards Gary who shakes his head firmly. Ash hesitates but nods his once Dragonite shakes his partner slightly. I won't let them hurt you anymore.

"I assume due to your ages, you were in the League's Orphan Academy correct?"

The Rider gazes at him curiously. Head once more cocked to the side. Ash nods slowly in agreement. What does the Academy have to do with anything?

"You have what they call starters so I also assume that you are in the top Four." The dark eyes wander around looking at each of their pokemon with a critical eye. Their pokemon glare back defiantly, collars gleaming in the sun as they wait for their orders. "Interesting. Why join the military portion of the League?"

Ash is at a loss for words. What is this? Why ask these random questions? Why not demand numbers or weapon capabilities? Why not demand for us to hand over our pokemon? Why isn't he killing us already?

"As my partner already said," Ash states slowly, "we want revenge on those who destroyed Pallet 14 years ago...All evidence points to you and the Riders." He adds at the confused tilt of the man's eyebrows. There is no way he has been with the Riders and not know of the destruction of Pallet.

A low chuckle causes him to freeze in place. "Ahhh. And who provided you this information young soldier? The League? Figures. History is always written by the victors after all."

Ash stares in utter confusion at the Rider before him. What the hell is he talking about?

xxx-War of the Dragon Riders-xxx

I can't fucking believe Ash is talking to this MURDERER right now!

Green eyes glare at the back of the Rider's head.

There is no negotiating with murderers.

The brunet slowly slides his left hand up his pack strap so as not to draw attention to his movements. Grabbing the handle of his KaBar, he jerks it to the slide and slides it out with a soft swishing noise.

He lowers his arm and takes aim at the Rider's back. One strike to his heart. That's all it will take.

Brown orbs widen as they catch his movement.

Don't you dare say anything Ash.

Noticing the Rider begin to turn around, Gary quickly throws his weapon. It soars end over end and lodges itself in the man's shoulder, a few inches off its mark due to the man's movement. His body tenses in frustration at his miscalculated throw.

The man cries out in pain as he scrambles to yank out the blade. Hearing the distressed sound from it trainer, Dragonite throws him to the side. Time seems to slow down to a Slakoth's pace.

His heart leaping into his throat as he flies through the air. Dragonite flying down towards the Rider. Ash staring at him, completely frozen in horror at his falling form. Their pokemon rushing towards him to break his fall.

Rock walls completely overcomes his vision as he crashes into the canyon wall. Pain blossoms in his arm and head. It overcomes every sense. His sight blackens. Everything hurts.

Until he feels nothing.

xxx-War of the Dragon Riders-xxx

AN: So much happened in this chapter, I don't even know what to comment on lol.

Favorite/follow/review please!

Next up: Chapter 21 - Reunion