Chapter 6: Unexpected Reunions
The grin on Ash's face threatened to split his face in half as he eagerly gazed out the Gummi Ship's windows. Yen Sid's tower was slowly fading in the distance as the ship climbed higher and higher into the atmosphere.
"This is amazing." Was all he could say. "I can't believe this is happening."
"I know what you mean," Sora replied with a grin as he piloted the ship away from Twilight Town. "I reacted the same way the first time I was in the Gummi Ship."
"I'm glad you're enjoyin' yerself," Goofy chuckled, clapping the raven-haired teen on the back and nearly sending him to the ground from the sheer force.
"At least you're not moping about what happened any more," Donald noted as the ship finally exited the atmosphere and was flung into the vast outer space. Ash blinked at what lay before them.
True to Yen Sid's word, there was indeed a pathway made of pure light, at the end of which the teen could just barely make out an image...
"There's only one?" Sora asked, a tone of annoyance in his voice.
"That's no good!" Donald grumbled.
"Wait a minute…" Goofy squinted his eyes as the world slowly came into focus. It was a barren-looking world, upon which sat a large, steampunk-styled castle. "I think we know this one!"
"Well, what are we waiting for?" Ash asked eagerly as the Gummi Ship settled into orbit just above the world. "Let's go!"
One teleportation later...
The Pallet Prodigy found himself stumbling slightly as his particles re-arranged themselves in an alleyway on the world they'd "landed" on. Sora placed a hand on his shoulder to steady him.
"Easy does it, Ash," the brunet Keyblader said with a sympathetic smile on his face. "It takes some getting used to."
"Ugh..." Ash grumbled to himself. "Teleportation. I'll never get used to it. How Gardevoir can do it mid-battle is beyond me..." He paused and glanced up at the looming castle in the distance. "Where are we anyway?"
"This looks like… Hollow Bastion!" Sora exclaimed, his eyes widening in realization.
"It looks a little different," Goofy noted.
"Really?" The raven-haired boy asked curiously. "How?"
"Well… It's a lot less…"
"Evil-looking?" Sora supplied, smirking slightly.
"Yeah!"
"I hope Leon and the others are doing okay," Donald remarked.
"I hope so, too." Sora nodded. Ash, however, was staring off at a nearby rooftop in concern.
"Uh, guys?" The others turned their gazes towards where he was pointing just in time to see a small group of Soldier Heartless disappear in a wisp of darkness.
"Really?" Donald demanded, facepalming. "Here too?"
"Looks like we're gonna have to do some fightin'," Goofy chuckled nervously.
"Let's go find Leon and the gang," Sora suggested. "Maybe they'll know a thing or two about the Heartless or the Organization."
The others were quick to agree and with that goal in mind, the quartet set off to find one Squall Leonhart or "Leon" as he prefered to be called. Making their way down a flight of stairs, the group (sans Ash) was surprised to find themselves in the middle of a bazaar of sorts.
Merchants of all kinds were peddling their wares from stands and stalls. Several signs hanging from the surrounding buildings indicated that they too were various stores. One such sign read "Honey Bee Inn".
Ash filed that information away. While most Pokemon Centers would allow trainers to stay the night for minimal cost, this often left them overcrowded with travelers. So, it was always a good idea to have a backup plan should the need arise. It was a lesson learned from having to camp outside in a nearby park one chilly night. Something the trainer wished to avoid in the future.
"It's hard to believe this is Hollow Bastion," Sora murmured as he watched Donald and Goofy approach a stall to purchase some supplies for their journey.
"It it really so odd to see people living here?" Ash questioned.
"This place was practically a ghost town the last time we were here." The other boy shook his head. "No, not practically. It was a ghost town. The only things that lived here were the Heartless."
"I see…" Ash gazed out at the square that was practically brimming with people. With life. It was hard to imagine that this place had once been wrought with darkness and despair.
But that just made Sora's accomplishment all the more impressive in his eyes.
"The only reason this is possible is because of you," Ash told him, grinning as the brunet boy just rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.
"I guess..." he mumbled just as Donald and Goofy returned with a new pack filled with various necessities.
"We're good to go!" Goofy said, shouldering the backpack. "I asked around and it looks like Leon and the gang are holed up in the Borough."
"Apparently they call themselves the Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee," Donald remarked.
"Well, they've done a standup job so far," Sora said, gesturing to the thriving marketplace. The two animals nodded their agreement.
"Let's hurry and head towards the Borough then," Ash suggested. "I'm a little worried about those Heartless we saw. Especially with all these people here."
They group assented to that logic and quickly made their way towards the northern stairs leading towards the Borough. But not before running into a familiar face for Donald and Goofy.
"Uncle Scrooge?" He exclaimed, staring at an elderly duck wearing a top hat and a rather expensive looking jacket. In his feathered hands were a short cane in the right and a popsicle ice cream in the left. The anthropomorphized duck was standing before an enormous freezer with several dozen blocks of ice sitting within.
Sora and Ash gazed between the two with raised eyebrows. "Uh… who?"
"Scrooge McDuck is Donald's uncle and a business tycoon." Goofy explained. "Before the Heartless showed up, he traveled the worlds on a Gummi Ship with the King. He was helpin' to set up a traffic system."
"Transmit system!" Donald corrected, shooting him an annoyed glare.
"What's all the racket?" The old duck demanded in a thick Scottish accent. He turned and spotted them, his glare quickly evaporating into a smile. "Why, if it isn't Donald and Goofy! Hello lads! Aye, you all look hale and hearty!"
"So do you, Uncle Scrooge." Donald said, nodding politely.
"I can see the relation," Ash whispered to Sora. "He glares just like Donald!" The brown-haired teen had to cover his mouth and turn away, lest he burst into laughter. Donald saw this out of the corner of his eye and turned to glare at him harshly.
This had the opposite effect, merely sending Sora into a giggle fit. Ash was quick to follow as he grinned at the two ducks.
"And who'd these two be?" Scrooge gestured to the two teenagers.
"This is Sora and Ash," Goofy introduced them.
"Please forgive their terrible manners," Donald said pleadingly.
"Oh, believe me. I've seen worse in my day, lad," The elderly duck chuckled.
"So, what are you doing here, Uncle?"
"Ah, well," Scrooge gestured to the piles of ice sitting in the vault behind him. "Ye see, I've been tryin' ta recreate my favorite old-time ice cream. I'd make millions if I just got it right!"
He emphasized this by taking a lick from the popsicle in his hand, only to grimace at the taste. "Terrible...!" He sighed and turned back towards the cooler. "Ah, well… I'm sure you lads've got better things to do than tend to an old duck. Off with ye now!"
Ash looked towards the others and shrugged. The four of them continued their way down the stairs towards the Borough. However, the moment they reached the bottom, a sudden beam of light manifested before them.
"What the—" Ash exclaimed, watching as the strange light began flashing and disappearing all around the area in a seemingly random manner. "What is that?"
"That is the town's defense mechanism!" A feminine voice called out from above them.
The party of four looked up and saw a teenage girl, perhaps a year or two older than Ash and Sora. She had black hair styled into a bob cut and warm brown eyes. Around her forehead was a black hitai-ate and her outfit consisted of a black tanktop with a grey vest and a pair of cut off jean shorts.
Though a complete stranger to Ash; Sora, Donald and Goofy seemed to recognize her. "Yuffie!"
'The ninja master?' Ash thought to himself, remembering Sora's description of the energetic girl back on the train ride to Yen Sid's tower. Yuffie smiled at them before letting out a gasp.
"Look out!" She shouted. Sora's eyes widened, leaping back just as a Dusk appeared out of nowhere and attacked him. Donald and Goofy reacted instantaneously, retrieving their respective weapons.
"We're surrounded," Ash noted, warily gazing at the Nobodies forming a loose circle around them.
"Hey, Ash!" Sora's rather eager voice surprised him. "You said you had a few tricks up your sleeve, right? How 'bout we have a little competition?"
"A competition, eh?" Ash murmured before breaking out into a grin.
"Whoever takes out the most wins," The brunet said confidently. "Let's see whose upgrades are better!"
"You're on!" Ash smirked.
"Oh, brother..." Donald grumbled at their childishness. Goofy just chuckled.
"Ah, let 'em have their fun."
Sora was first to act. In a flash of light, his clothing turned deep red; Star Seeker appearing in his left hand. Wasting no time, he dashed forward, cutting through his first Dusk with ease. It appeared that his transformation granted him increased speed and strength.
Not to be outdone, Ash slammed his fist against his pauldron, causing his entire body to be enveloped in a bright light, nearly blinding his companions. When they opened their eyes, they were shocked to see him standing in full-body armor, his cape billowing dramatically in the wind that (somehow) managed to start blowing at the perfect time and angle.
Ash smirked as his HUD automatically began tracking the Nobodies' movements. Raising his arms, Oathkeeper and Oblivion appeared in his hands. Before he could even think of attacking, however, his Keyblades disappeared and he suddenly found himself sitting atop some kind of hoverbike.
'Wait… what is—"
"AARRRGH!" Ash cried out as the bike suddenly began hurtling forward at an alarming pace, slamming violently into a group of Dusks unfortunate enough to be in his way. "What the heck is happening?!"
Sora, Donald and Goofy sweatdropped as they watched their companion running over the Nobodies on his (admittedly awesome-looking) hoverbike, screaming all the while. "Well," Goofy said uncertainly. "He's winning at least."
Sora wasn't sure how to feel about that.
Yuffie on the other hand, knew exactly how she felt. When she'd first saw the guy, she offhandedly thought he was kinda cute. But there were plenty of cute guys out there; among them being Sora — in a dorky, naive kinda way.
But the minute he donned his armor, he became the spitting image of a fairytale knight. The armor, the confident stance and the billowing cape only solidified that image. Even now, as he heroically dispatched the strange creatures, she only saw a valiant knight sitting atop his noble steed, issuing a manly battle cry as he did so!
Silently, she leapt down towards the other three who were still watching their friend running the Nobodies down with deadpan looks on their faces. Sora's outfit had once again turned black from inactivity as he watched Ash make a fool of himself.
"Target locked." The familiar voice of Dexter flowed out from within Ash's helmet as the HUD began highlighting several Dusks at once.
"Target locked?" The teen repeated, his voice going up an octave as he felt the bike began to vibrate. "What do you mean target—"
"Did that thing just shoot a laser?" Sora asked his companions as they watched the hoverbike fire off a beam of intense light. Donald merely nodded; his face still deadpan. The last of the Nobodies had been defeated, but Ash was still zooming around haphazardly.
"Don't just stand there!" The armored teen shouted hysterically. "Get me off of this—" He was cut off as the bike suddenly slammed into a large crate, sending him flying off — straight in their direction.
Ash's eyes widened as instinct took over. Tucking himself inward, he allowed the momentum to carry him forward as he landed with a roll. The teen threw his arms out, to stop himself just before barreling into his companions; inadvertently making himself look like a total badass to a certain ninja girl.
"Whew…" He breathed a sigh of relief, his armor disappearing into particles of light. "Glad that's over with."
"That. Was. Awesome!" Yuffie exclaimed in starry-eyed wonder. Sora, Donald and Goofy just stared at her with an 'are-you-serious' face.
"Huh?" Ash turned to her in surprise. In the chaos, he'd completely forgotten she was there.
"I can see we have nothing to worry about if you guys are traveling with a strong guy like him!"
Again, the trio could only stare at her.
"Of course, I'd expect nothing else from the Chosen One!" Yuffie said with a wink. That definitely caught the group off guard, as the trio's deadpan stare turned to open-mouthed shock. Ash was no different.
"Wh— How do you know that?" He asked incredulously.
"We know quite a bit about you, Mister Ketchum," the ninja giggled. "Your friend was convinced that you'd be right in the middle of everything that's been going on. And since you're traveling with these guys, it seems he was right."
"Wait, my friend?" Ash's eyes widened. "O-One of my friends is here?"
"Not just one," Yuffie said with a sly grin. "Come on! We're holed up at Merlin's house. Just follow me, handsome."
"R-Right!" The trainer exclaimed. Sora clapped him on the back.
"See, Ash?" He said with a smile. "Told you we'd find your friends." Ash just beamed at him in response. The group quickly hurried after the self-proclaimed ninja master as she lead them down the winding streets of Hollow Bastion.
As they walked on, Ash took note of his surroundings. There was something… incredibly familiar about this place. "I feel like I've been here," he mumbled to himself.
"Again?" Donald demanded, shooting him an annoyed stare. "Is this gonna be a thing with you from now on?"
Ash shook his head. "It's different from before," he insisted. "I can't explain it. But… It's like I already know my way around here. I can tell you exactly how to get back to the bazaar from here despite the fact that I haven't been paying attention for the past few minutes."
"That is weird," Sora remarked with a small frown. "Could… you actually have been here before?"
"I'm pretty sure I'd have remembered if I'd traveled through space before," Ash said dryly. The group fell silent for a while.
"Hey, Yuffie." Sora spoke up after several minutes of walking. "Can you remember if you've ever met Ash before today?"
"Can't stay I have." The girl shook her head, much to the group's disappointment. "But I'm very glad I got to~!" She said this while throwing a wink the the boy's direction. Ash merely gave her a weak smile. "Anyway, it's good to see you guys again. I had a feeling I would."
Sora gave a small grin before placing a hand in front of his face, posing in a dramatic manner. "We may never meet again, but we'll never forget each other," he said in a deep, grumbling voice.
Yuffie almost choked. "Was that supposed to be Leon?" she asked incredulously. The boy rubbed the back of his head sheepishly as everyone laughed at the rather bad impression. "Anyway, bad impressions aside, it looks like we're here!"
The quartet stopped and gazed at the rather indescript door nestled in an equally unremarkable building. Had Yuffie not pointed it out, they'd have likely walked right passed it. Despite his earlier apprehension about his spotty memory, Ash felt a bubble of excitement building up within him. One of his friends was behind that door! No, not just one — if Yuffie was to be believed.
"Well, what are we waiting fo—" Ash was cut off as something came barreling through the door and straight into him. "AAH!"
"What the—"
"Ash?!" Sora exclaimed, staring at the purple… thing that was currently smothering his companion.
"Gerhhh!" The raven-haired teen's voice was muffled by his assailant. As soon as he opened his mouth however, the most horrific taste flooded his senses; nearly causing him to vomit on the spot.
"What is that thing?" Donald cried out, throwing a hand over his nostrils. "It reeks!"
Ash used all his strength to lift the creature off of him before tossing it aside; it's gelatinous form bouncing harmlessly off the cobblestone road. Taking several gasping breaths (and dry heaving several times), the trainer finally got a look at his "attacker".
"Muk?!" he cried out incredulously.
"Mu mu mu Muuuuk!" The poison-type Pokemon exclaimed happily.
"Er, friend of yours, Ash?" Goofy chuckled nervously, waving a hand in front of his nose in an attempt to waft the smell away. It didn't work.
"I-It's one of my Pokemon!" The teen said, still staring at the creature in shock. A beeping noise came from his glasses as it automatically scanned Muk. Once again, the familiar voice of Dexter flowed out.
"Muk — The Sludge Pokemon and the evolved form of Grimer. This Pokémon's favorite food is anything that is repugnantly filthy. Muk is currently not known to evolve further."
"Aw, jeez…" Yuffie grimaced, pinching her nose shut. "Professor, I thought we told you that thing needed to go to the ranch with the others!"
"Oh, dear. I'm so sorry about that." A familiar voice drifted over from within the house. Ash's head snapped up just in time to see the wizened head of Professor Oak poke out from the doorway. "Muk is a quite affectionate. He hates to be left alone for too long."
"P-Professor Oak!" Ash blurted out. "You're here?!"
"Ah, Ash m'boy!" The elderly man smiled at him. "I was wondering when you'd show up."
"You knew I'd come here?" he asked incredulously. The professor merely rolled his eyes.
"Ash, lad." Oak shook his head with a small smirk. "You're always involved when the world goes topsy-turvy. Always."
"From what you've told us, that seems to be true." Sora pointed out.
Donald nodded. "Yup."
Ash just sweatdropped, gently prodding Muk away from him as it attempted to hug him once more. "It's not that bad…" he grumbled before shaking his head. "But that's besides the point! Professor! Are my other Pokemon here? What about my friends? My mom?"
"Now, now…" The old man held up a hand. "Why don't you boys come in first. This isn't exactly something to be discussed out in the open. Besides, there are several people that have been waiting for the two of you."
Sora and Ash blinked in unison. "Both of us?"
"Indeed," Professor Oak stepped aside, allowing them entrance to the building. Yuffie was the first to step inside, a merry bounce to her gait.
"They're right in here!" She exclaimed, gesturing into the adjacent room, just visible from the entrance.
From what Ash could see, there was a large computer taking up a good portion of the room, upon which a middle-aged blond man typed furiously, a cigarette bobbing up and down in his mouth as he gnawed on it irritably.
Beside him were two younger brunettes; one male and one female. The guy appeared to be slightly older and wore black leather. A prominent scar across his face gave him a rather intimidating appearance.
The girl was a few years younger; with sea-green eyes and a braided ponytail. She wore a pastel pink dress and a pair of working boots. But Ash was more concerned with a blond boy sitting beside the computer, fiddling with some strange device.
The boy had fair skin and light blue eyes, over which he wore a pair of wire rimmed glasses. Dressed in a blue jumpsuit that was stained with oil and other such fluids, he looked very much like a young engineer. But moreover, this was someone Ash was very familiar with, having traveled with him for nearly a year.
"Clemont?!" Ash shouted, his jaw dropping. Everyone jumped slightly at the unexpectedly loud voice. The blond's eyes lit up upon seeing who it was that had called out to him.
"Ash!" The bespectacled boy grinned. "Finally decided to show up, huh?"
"It's good to see you safe, Clemont," the raven-haired trainer said with a relieved smile.
"Likewise." The blond nodded as the two of them shared a fist bump. "I like the new glasses, by the way. You trying to copy me?"
"Something like that." Ash grinned at him. "So, where's Bonnie?"
"She's over at the ranch with Tracey," Clemont said with a wry smile. "She fell in love with all your Pokemon, so she's helping him look after them. Leon and the gang were kind enough to take us in, so the Professor and I have been helping out around here."
"So, everyone's safe then." The Kanto native felt relief flooding through him, only to tense upon seeing the uneasy look on his friend's face.
"Well, about that… You see…"
"Oi!" A gruff voice cut in, startling both of them. They both turned to see the older blond man sending them an irate look. "Enough jabberin', Lemon Boy. We need to get this thing up and running."
Clemont made an affronted face at the nickname, but strode over to the computer regardless; though not before throwing an apologetic look towards Ash. The black-haired teen shook his head as the two began trading technical jargon that he had neither the capacity or desire to understand.
The pink-clad girl smiled at them. "It's good to see you again," she told Sora, Donald and Goofy.
"I knew we'd be seeing you sooner or later." The scarred man gave them a small smirk before turning towards the only party member he hadn't met yet. "So, I take it this is the one you and Clemont were talking about, Professor?"
"Indeed, he is." The Pokemon Professor then gestured towards each of them in turn. "Ash, this is Squall Leonhart, though he prefers to go by Leon. Beside him is Aerith Gainsborough. And this is Cid Highwind. Everyone, this is Ash Ketchum. The boy has a knack for getting himself involved in world-ending situations."
"Hah!" Cid scoffed, exhaling a small puff of smoke as he did so. "And judging by the company he keeps, I'd say not much has changed."
"Oh, stuff it, Cid!" Yuffie barked. "You should have seen him out there! He's got this armor and can summon a hoverbike! And he can even use Keyblades! He totally wrecked those weird white things that popped up!"
"Yeah… Wrecked…" Ash let out an awkward cough while Sora and the others merely gave him amused smirks. None of them had the heart to point out the fact that he'd totally BS'd his way through that.
"Hoverbike?" Leon repeated, raising an eyebrow. "Keyblades? As in more than one?"
"Yeah!" Yuffie nodded enthusiastically. "How awesome is that?!"
"But I have two as well…" Sora mumbled, pouting childishly.
"You lost the contest," Donald said with a teasing grin. "Plus Ash was flashier; what with the lasers and explosions."
"But he didn't even know what he was doing!" the brown-haired boy complained. This all went ignored by the adults in the room.
"Hey," Ash spoke up, gently prodding Muk away as it tried to hug him once more. "This is great and all… But we could really use some info here."
Sora quickly sobered and nodded his agreement. "We're looking for Ash's friends as well as Riku and the King," he explained. "Do you guys know anything?"
"If you're talking about your Pokemon, they're fine," Professor Oak assured him. "As for your traveling companions… Well, that's a bit more complicated."
"Tracey, Bonnie and I are the only ones here, Ash," Clemont said grimly. "Bonnie and I were actually on our way to Pallet Town to meet back up with you. And Tracey was with Professor Oak when everything went crazy. I haven't seen head or tails of Serena since we split up in Kalos."
"Neither have we seen any signs of Misty, Brock, Dawn, May, Iris nor Cilan," Oak explained, patting the rapidly paling Ash on the shoulder. "And your mother… Well… No one has seen her since the Heartless came."
"N-No…" The teen whispered.
"I'm sorry to say that that's not all." Clemont continued with a grimace. "Your Pokemon are all accounted for… except six."
"I'll take a wild guess and say Pikachu, Charizard, Gardevoir, Sceptile, Greninja and Heracross?" Ash said weakly, to which Clemont could only nod. The trainer exhaled sharply, collapsing to the ground in exhaustion.
"Calm down, Ash," Sora said firmly. "We'll find them. All of them. Riku and the King, too."
"Yeah, no frowning, remember?" Donald spoke up.
"Our ship runs on happy smiles," Goofy dragged him to his feet with a smile. "Ya gotta think positive. Don't let the Heartless win."
"They're right, Ash," Yuffie exclaimed with a reassuring grin on her face. "Just because they haven't been found yet doesn't mean they're gone forever."
"Muuk Muuuuuk," the poison-type Pokemon said, finally managing to envelop its trainer in a hug, to both his amusement and chagrin.
"Alright, alright!" Ash chuckled. "That's enough! You win, Muk."
"Muk muk!" The Sludge Pokemon gave him a happy grin.
"Hey, I just noticed that Muk stopped smelling," Yuffie noted with no small amount of surprise.
"Indeed," Oak said with a smile. "That just goes to show how worried he's been. A trained Muk only really smells when they're distressed or overcome with emotion."
Ash smiled at his overly-affectionate Pokemon. "That true, Muk?" The poison-type gave a nod of agreement, prompting him to smile once more. Ash closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
When he opened them once more, everyone was relieved to see determination burning within his brown irises. "You guys are right. We'll get them back. Mom. My friends. My Pokemon. Riku and the King. All of them." He said, his tone brokering no argument.
"Right!" Sora, Donald and Goofy nodded resolutely.
Aerith smiled at their enthusiasm. "If you need any help, please don't hesitate to ask."
"In the meantime, why don't you go check on your Pokemon?" Professor Oak suggested. "I'm sure they've been worried sick about you."
"They're over at the old chocobo ranch," Yuffie explained, skipping towards the door. "C'mon, I'll show you the way!"
"Oi, ninja brat." Cid frowned at her. "Aren't you forgetting something?"
"It can wait, Cid." This came from Leon, surprisingly enough. Cid turned to him with a raised eyebrow. "I know. I know. But… I want to see something for myself. If what Oak and the others say is true, then those Pokemon could be a huge help around here."
Understanding blossomed in the mechanic's eyes as he nodded. "Alright." He grumbled before turning to Clemont. "Lemon Boy! You're free to go. But after you've had your fun, get back here ASAP."
The younger blond simply groaned before nodding. Professor Oak chuckled before nodding at them. "You kids head on over to the ranch. I'll stay and help Cid."
"You heard the Professor," Cid waved them off. "Go on, get! You're just getting in the way!"
"Right..." Ash smiled weakly before turning to face his poison Pokemon. "You stay here with the Professor, Muk. Keep him safe, just in case the Heartless show up."
"Muuuk!" The creature nodded its understanding.
And so the group, with the new additions of Clemont, Aerith and Leon, made their way back outside. "Jeez..." Ash grumbled once the door had closed behind them. "Is Cid always like that?"
Aerith giggled at this. "He may seem a little rough around the edges," she said with a smile. "But he means well. And he really does appreciate your help, Clemont. You and the Professor have been a godsend with your technical knowledge."
"Hmph. But of course!" The blond smirked, adjusting his glasses. "My engineering skills are second to none! My inventions have always come in handy on our journeys. The future is now, thanks to science!"
As Aerith giggled, Ash pondered whether or not to mention that Clemont's inventions had a tendency to blow up in his face. As they finally reached their destination, Ash decided against it. He had more important things to attend to.
Before them was a much healthier-looking environment. The word "healthier" was completely relative, of course. All it meant was that there was actually grass and trees instead of the dead, purple earth that covered most of Hollow Bastion.
A large stable filled with hay was positioned on the easternmost side, with a large pond situated next to it. But more importantly, all around he could see various Pokemon going about their usual routines.
They were his Pokemon.
No longer able to contain himself, Ash began sprinting forward, much to the surprise of his companions, bar Clemont; who alone understood Ash's bond with his Pokemon.
"Everyone!" He shouted, catching the attention of every creature within earshot. As one, they turned towards him, their eyes widening. Less than a second later, there was a stampede of Pokemon headed straight towards them, an enormous dust cloud blowing up behind them.
"Uhh…" Sora mumbled nervously as the dust cloud began to draw closer and closer. "Ash?"
"Do they usually do this?" Yuffie asked meekly as the cloud got even closer. Even Leon looked tense as they watched the oncoming horde.
"It's fine," Ash chuckled before throwing a single hand up. "Okay, stop!"
Unfortunately — unlike back in Pallet Town — the stampede did not halt itself and the group could only sweatdrop as the raven-haired trainer found himself dogpiled by a group of very enthusiastic pocket monsters.
"Mmmmmrrrgh!" the teen's muffled voice could barely be heard over the cacophony of sounds the Pokemon were shouting as they smothered their beloved trainer.
"Bay!" His Johto grass-type in particular was rubbing her head against him furiously. "Bay bay!"
"B-Bayleef…!" Ash wheezed. "Everyone… I know you were... worried but please… G-Get off…!"
"What's going on out here?" a voice called out from within the stable. The group turned in time to see a black-haired young man wearing a green tee-shirt and red shorts emerge from the building. Trailing behind him was a little blonde girl with an orange rodent riding on her head.
"Sorry for disturbing you, Tracey," Aerith said with an apologetic smile.
"It's no bother," the young man waved off her apologies. "We really owe you guys for setting us up with all of this."
"No one was using the ranch," Leon said, crossing his arms. "The chocobos ran off ages ago. It was just gathering dust out here with no one to look after it."
"Still…"
"Hey, not to be rude or anything, but shouldn't we do something about this?" Sora piped in, staring at the pile of Pokemon with a hint of concern.
"Ah, well that's—"
"Seriously though… Get… OFF!" Ash grunted, finally succeeding in prodding his overly-affectionate Pokemon off. "Whew… Thought I was a goner for a second…"
"Wait is that… ASH?!" the blonde girl spoke up for the first time, her jaw dropping in shock.
"Dene! Nene!" The rodent riding atop her head likewise cried out in surprise.
"Huh?" the teen turned towards the voice. His eyes lit up upon seeing who it was. "Bonnie! Tracey!"
"Oh, Ash!" The little girl dashed forward, enveloping the older boy in a hug. "Clemont and I were almost at Pallet when everything went crazy! We were so worried about you!"
"Dene!" the rodent nodded its agreement.
"Heh," Ash chuckled, rubbing the back of her head soothingly with his right hand and using his left to scratch her Pokemon behind the ears. "Sorry, Bonnie. You too, Dedenne."
"It's good to see you safe and sound, Ash," Tracey said with an earnest smile as he approached them.
"Likewise, Tracey," the Pallet native said with a grin. "And thanks for looking after my Pokemon while I was gone."
"It's part of my job as the Professor's assistant," the older teen chuckled. "Though I would have gladly done it even if I wasn't. I know you'd do the same if our situations were reversed."
"So, these are Pokemon, huh?" Sora questioned, examining Bulbasaur curiously.
"Yup," Ash answered with a wide smile. "These are my Pokemon. Everyone, this is Sora, Donald and Goofy. They've agreed to help us find our friends!" The assembled creatures all let out a resounding cheer at this.
"They're all so different," Goofy noted, looking at the widely varying shapes and sizes. "I knew you had lots of different ones, but I wasn't expectin' them to be so… well... different."
"And you battle with them, right?" Yuffie spoke up eagerly. "Professor Oak told us you were a strong battler or something!"
"I made it to the finals of the Kalos League," Ash said proudly. "I might've even become Champion, if Team Flare hadn't interrupted the League with their super weapon and Zygarde."
"Team Flare was going to use the legendary Pokemon, Zygarde's power to annihilate anyone not affiliated with them," Clemont explained. "But Ash, Alain and Diantha put a stop to them before they could unleash the weapon's power."
"He saved the world!" Bonnie piped in with a beaming smile.
"Wouldn't be the first time," Tracey added with a wry grin. Ash had turned bright red at this point, as everyone gave him admiring looks.
"It wasn't that big a deal," he mumbled. "My Pokemon did all the work."
"But you were the one who made them strong in the first place, Ash," Tracey said, patting him on the shoulder. "Without you, Froakie would still be stuck at Professor Sycamore's lab. Charmander would have waited on that rock forever. And Pikachu… well... You get my point."
"It was your drive and passion that allowed Ralts to evolve so quickly," Clemont nodded his agreement with the older teen's assessment. "And you're still the only trainer in over a thousand years to achieve Mega Evolution without a stone."
Ash could only nod numbly. While their attempts at a pep talk were certainly appreciated, their choice in examples only left him even more depressed. Fortunately, he wasn't allowed to wallow in his own pity for long, as Leon spoke up.
"Ash," The man said.
"What is it?" The trainer raised an eyebrow at the intensity of Leon's stare.
"Can we see?" Leon asked, a calculating gleam in his eye. "A Pokemon battle, I mean."
A/N: I had to cut it there because the chapter was getting too damn long. The next chapter should be ready relatively soon.
So, yeah. I warned you that things would be different come this chapter. Change has been delivered. From what's been explained so far, you can probably already guess how things are gonna go in the near future.
Also, I changed a few things regarding the backstory, since I finally caught up to the latest XY&Z episodes and it looks like Ash actually has a shot at winning the Kalos League. I made some changes in chapter 2 to reflect that.
You can go back and re-read the chapter (yeah right) or just take note of the changes listed below:
- Ash made it to the finals of the Kalos League against Alain.
- The League was interrupted by Team Flare. (Further details provided in this chapter.)
- Clemont and Bonnie were traveling to Pallet Town when the Heartless attacked.
- Rivalry established between Bayleef and Gardevoir.
- Boke/tsukkomi established between Gardevoir and Greninja.
- Explanations were given as to where Ash obtained his Mega Stones.
- Greninja was given his Ash-Greninja form. (My god, this thing is a beast in XY&Z but I have to say, his voice is a lot cooler in the Japanese version. His English voice is just too high-pitched to have the same effect. Gekkouga FTW!)
- Gardevoir using Hyper Voice on Professor Oak. (You can't have Oak not be attacked due to his curiosity!) Also goes into slightly more detail about her origins. (Only slightly!)
- The reason for the restrictions on Megas has changed. It is now due to a 6v6 full Mega match between Steven Stone and an unnamed challenger.
I'm pretty sure that's all. Anyway, I thank you for reading. Until next time!
Your King
