Hey everybody, I'm back with an update for the story here. I decided to continue it, so I hope you all are happy for that. Anyway, thanks again for the continued support and I hope this chapter keeps you all happy. So sit back and enjoy the read and feel free to review if you are feeling generous.
Chapter Summary: Ash rushes Froakie to Professor Sycamore's lab where he learns a bit of Froakie's backstory and he is introduced to concept known as Mega-Evolution.
Key:
Bold- PA system/Message Bulletins
Bold Italic- Radio/TV/Pokedex descriptions
Italics-Thoughts/Letters/Flashbacks
Ash had run far ahead of Tom after he pointed him in the direction of Professor Sycamore's lab. He had to get Froakie immediate help after he willingly took the reflected hit of Pikachu's attack to protect him. As he hurried down the road, Ash would send glance down at the unconscious Pokémon in his arms. He and Pikachu continued their fast paced weaving through the crowds, occasionally shoving someone out of the way.
"Coming through!" Ash hollered as he ran between two people.
"Watch it!" A man yelled.
Ash ignored the comment and continued down the road. Halfway down the block he was on, he could see a large looking building off the left with an iron gate in front of it. His legs seemed to gain more ground with each step he took and it was not long before he was at the front doors to the building. He burst through the doors like a hurricane only to collide hard with somebody and stumble back from the hit.
"I'm sorry!" Ash replied as he looked down at the person he hit.
"It's fine, no one got hurt," the boy replied as he stood up.
Ash looked into the boy's eyes and for a reason he could not understand, he felt as though he would not like him. The boy's eyes were a piercing blue and his hair was jet black and messy. The boy looked down at Froakie as he was cradled in Ash's arms and his eyes narrowed for a moment. He looked back up at Ash and crossed his arms.
"Where did you find that Froakie?" The boy asked.
"He just came out of nowhere and took an attack for my Pikachu," Ash replied. "Why?"
"Because that Froakie is mine."
Ash's head snapped up as he heard that and he looked at the trainer with surprise. He did not think that the Froakie he was holding belonged to anybody, but now that he found Froakie's owner, he was ready to hand him back.
"Well, we need to get Froakie some medical attention now. He's hurt pretty bad!" Ash said as he tried to hand Froakie over.
Ash was surprised yet again as the trainer took a step away and glared at him and Froakie. Not only was Ash confused at the trainer's action but he was also starting to get angry with the boy. If he was Froakie's trainer like he claimed, then why did he refuse to take Froakie and get him some treatment? He saw the boy send a cold look at Froakie and from the corner of his eye he could see Froakie sending a look of his own in return.
"You take him," the boy said as he moved around Ash and started walking down the sidewalk.
"Hey, get back here! He's your Pokémon and it's your job to help him!" Ash shouted as he turned around.
"I'll tell you what. When Froakie stops being stubborn and listens to me, maybe I'll take him off your hands."
"What'd you say?"
The boy did not reply as he turned down the sidewalk and vanished from view. If Ash was not currently holding Froakie, he would have chased the boy down and given him a piece of his mind. It infuriated him that a trainer could be so selfish and cold towards a Pokémon just because it did not listen to him. Respect was not given, it was earned and obviously the boy had failed to get Froakie's respect.
"What a piece of…" Ash began but stopped when footsteps came from behind him.
Ash turned around again and came face to face with a man wearing a lab coat. The man himself was fairly tall. He had dark hair and grey eyes to go with his pale complexion. Maybe this man knew where Professor Sycamore was and could help him with Froakie.
"Froakie!" The man said as he took Froakie from Ash's arms. "Sophie, get in here!"
A woman wearing a lab coat with glasses entered seconds later and hurried over to the man. She took Froakie from him and ran down the hall and out of sight. The man turned back to Ash and saw as his gaze was still fixed on where Froakie was taken. A small smile came to his lips when he saw the concerned look on his face.
"Don't worry about Froakie, Sophie is the best at what she does," the man said. "Froakie will be feeling like a million bucks in a bit."
"That's good," Ash said as he looked at the man. "I'm assuming that you are Professor Sycamore?"
"That's right. Now, who are you? I'd like to know the name of the kid that rescued Froakie."
"I'm Ash Ketchum. I got here today from the Kanto region and I plan on competing in the Kalos League."
Professor Sycamore nodded and raised his hand for Ash to shake and he did so. He took note of the strong grip that he had and could tell that the boy in front of him carried himself with confidence and had a massive amount of potential.
"So, what's the deal with that Froakie and what about his trainer?" Ash asked.
"Ah, well, Froakie has been known for not listening to its trainer in battle and would sometimes run away simply because he did not like them," Sycamore replied. "His trainer just left and said he wanted to give up Froakie."
"Well, I just met that kid a minute ago. I can't believe he'd just give up Froakie and neglect his health just because he didn't listen to him. If a trainer gives up their first Pokémon just because it doesn't listen to them, they shouldn't be trainers at all. I mean, me and Pikachu here didn't get along at all at first, but we built a bond after I tried to save him from some Spearow."
Professor Sycamore crossed his arms as he mulled over Ash's words. He respected Ash's opinion of trainers that quit because something did not work out for them and he could not help but agree a bit. He beckoned for Ash to follow him down the hall and the two of them started walking. As they traversed the hall, Ash looked at the décor. There were some photographs of Sycamore along with his staff hanging on the wall and there were some bookcases filled with endless books of knowledge. They turned right and continued down another hall until they came to a larger room that had computers and machines for research. There was a small room off to the right with a window to look inside.
Ash and Sycamore went to the window to see Sophie pressing some buttons to turn on the recovery unit. Three separate hoses descended from the ceiling and inserted themselves into a small dome that covered Froakie and started to spray some orange substance on him. Froakie's wounds began to recede as the spray continued to hit him.
"Looks like Froakie's going to be just fine," Sycamore said with a smile. "It's good you got him here when you did."
"Definitely," Ash said with a nod.
"Ash, I want to show you something. Follow me over to the scanner."
"I'll be there in a second."
Sycamore nodded as he started to walk over to the other side of the room. Ash opened the door to the recovery room and nodded at Sophie as she let him pass. He and Pikachu stood over the dome and looked down at Froakie who was starting to regain consciousness. The two of them smiled down at Froakie as they saw him starting to recover.
"Hey Froakie, we just wanted to thank you for the save back there with Team Rocket," Ash said as he rested his hand on the glass.
Froakie used whatever strength he could to wave his hand in trying to dismiss the thanks. Obviously he was very humble about it.
"For the record, your trainer is an idiot," Ash continued. "Anyone who would give up a Pokémon like you isn't too bright. I mean, look what you did. You took an attack that had the advantage over you and it was doubled in power from the reflection and you still managed to fight. If that doesn't scream potential, I don't know what does."
Froakie gave a light nod as his eyes closed again. Ash and Pikachu thanked Froakie one more time and left the room. They spotted Sycamore standing over by the scanner with a Garchomp standing on it. Once Ash got to the scanner, Sycamore turned around and smiled again.
"How's Froakie doing?" Sycamore asked.
"He's doing great. He'll be back up in no time," Ash replied.
"That's great. Now, let me ask you something."
"Let's hear it."
"Since you are a veteran trainer, I trust you know that when Pokémon evolve they can either have a second or third stage evolution, right?"
"Yeah, to my knowledge the maximum evolution chain for a Pokémon has been three. Unless you count Eevee who can evolve into seven different types, maybe even more."
"I see you are quite intelligent with the concept. Now, what if I was to tell you that there may be an additional evolutionary stage for some Pokémon?"
Ash's eyes widened briefly at that bit of information. A fourth stage evolution was unheard of, but Sycamore was saying that it was possible. He then glanced at Garchomp who was being scanned and then to the computer that was showing very complex diagrams.
"So you're telling me that a Pokémon like Garchomp can still evolve?" Ash asked as he crossed his arms.
"It's possible. That's what my research suggests. I became fascinated with the theory after reading some reports of Pokémon evolving in a way that I refer to as Mega-Evolution," Sycamore replied as he looked at Garchomp.
"Mega-Evolution?"
"A lot of the mechanics are still a mystery, but my staff and I believe that a special bond with a trainer and Pokémon, along with a special stone, may play a crucial role in evolving to the fourth stage."
To say Ash was fascinated was an understatement. He was now very intrigued with the theory and crossed his arms as he thought about it. His thoughts then drifted back to earlier that day when he was at the airport and that Pokémon he and Pikachu saw. It looked like a Blaziken, but at the same time it wasn't. Was that possibly the fourth stage of Blaziken's evolution line?
"Mega-Evolution, huh?" Ash pondered aloud.
"What's more is that the Pokémon is able to revert back to its third stage after it evolves this way," Sycamore continued with excitement.
"Seriously? The Pokémon can revert back to the third form afterwards? Why does that happen? When Pokémon evolve they stay that way. Why is it they can suddenly go back to their previous form?"
"I'm not sure, but that's why I am researching it. I want to know all there is about Mega-Evolution and the only way to do that is to observe it for myself."
As Ash and Sycamore continued their conversation about Mega-Evolution, they were unaware of the eavesdroppers. The Team Rocket trio, having recovered from the setback they had earlier had overheard everything that Ash and Sycamore discussed. The three of them were looking at each other with smirks.
"Mega-Evolution? Think about the Pokémon we could capture and have at our disposal. The boss would love to have that kind of power!" Meowth whispered.
"No kidding. What's more is that there is a Garchomp here and if what that professor said was true, it can still evolve!" James said.
"Okay, here's the plan…" Jessie whispered.
The Team Rocket trio came up with a plan to capture Garchomp and get him to evolve to the next stage. In order for their plan to work, they disguised themselves as researchers to blend in and not draw attention. Once they were ready to go through with their plan, they reentered the lab and ended up meeting with two of Sycamore's staff members who were walking down the hall with Garchomp.
"May I ask who you three are?" Sophie asked as she looked at the three of them.
"We are researchers that were hired to help with the process of Mega-Evolution," Jessie replied.
"Really? That's interesting, I wasn't aware that Professor Sycamore hired more staff."
"I'll go check with the professor," the other assistant said as she went down the hall.
When the assistant left, the disguised trio decided to make their move. James fumbled in his pocket for the device they were going to use in hopes to force Garchomp to evolve. It was there where the trio was met with a small surprise. Froakie had suddenly appeared beside Garchomp and he was glaring at them. He pointed a finger at them and was shouting at them angrily to which Garchomp started to growl as well. Obviously Froakie told Garchomp that he recognized them and their cover was now blown. Acting quickly, Jessie pulled Sophie off to the side, all the while maintaining her cover. James pulled out the device his fingers were touching and he tossed it at Froakie.
Froakie was more than ready to dodge the device, but was surprised when Garchomp got in front of him and the device landed on his neck. The moment the device landed on Garchomp, it extended and wrapped around him like a collar and Garchomp gave a roar of pain.
"Garchomp!" Sophie cried out as she broke from Jessie's hold.
James fished out a handheld device from his pocket and clicked a button to allow a holographic screen to appear. His fingers started swiping on the screen as he tried to force Garchomp to evolve.
"Garchomp, we insist you come along for the ride!" James said.
Froakie jumped up on Garchomp and tried to smash the collar but the shocks that were coming from it blasted him back. Garchomp gave another cry of pain as the shocking sensation was becoming unbearable. His cries echoed throughout the lab and ended up drawing the attention of Ash, Pikachu, Sycamore and the staff. They all appeared seconds later to see him unleash a Hyper Beam across the wall.
"What's going on here?" Sycamore asked.
"Professor, those three did this!" Sophie said as she glared at the tree before her.
"Alright, who are you?"
The trio ditched their disguises and revealed themselves. Ash and Pikachu glared at the Team Rocket trio when they revealed themselves.
"You three again?" Ash growled.
"Who are they?" Sycamore asked.
"Team Rocket. They're a group of criminals that try to steal everybody's Pokémon!"
Jessie laughed as Ash said that and smirked.
"Try? We succeed!" Jessie retorted.
Ash pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed as he heard that.
"Alright, let me just stop you right there. You don't succeed. If you did, you would have captured Pikachu long ago and we wouldn't keep having these stupid meetings," Ash said. "The funny thing is you probably could have been more successful if you didn't waste your time on me."
"Be quiet you little brat!" Meowth sneered.
"Truth hurts, doesn't it?"
"Well, today we succeed! We managed to get control of Garchomp!" James smirked.
No sooner had he said that when Garchomp turned to them and opened his mouth wide. A purple beam shot out and went straight for the trio. They had no time to react as the beam hit them and sent them blasting through the roof and into the sky.
"Garchomp, are you okay?" Ash asked as he took a step forward.
Garchomp's attention then turned to Ash. He opened his mouth again and started to charge another Hyper Beam.
"Get down!" Ash shouted as he pulled Sycamore and Sophie to the ground.
The Hyper Beam hit the wall and swept over their heads. A loud boom filled the room as the beam exploded with energy and destroyed part of the wall.
"Everyone okay?" Ash asked.
"Look at Garchomp's neck!" Sophie said as she pointed at him.
Ash looked to where Sophie was pointing and could see a square like device on Garchomp's throat with a red ring wrapped around his neck.
"Is that a collar?" Sycamore asked as he sat up.
"Yeah, Team Rocket tried to throw that thing at Froakie but Garchomp moved in front and took the hit instead," Sophie replied as she got to her feet.
Garchomp stumbled towards the door and gave another growl as the collar continued to hurt him. He crouched down sprung high into the air, bursting through the wall above the doors to the lab. Garchomp soared across the street and hit another building causing some of the wall to cave in. He landed on the road and started running down it, all the while howling in pain and smashing into parked cars.
"Pikachu, on me!" Ash ordered as he got to his feet and hurried to the door. "We need to stop Garchomp!"
"Be careful, Ash!" Sycamore called out.
As Ash was about to open the door, Froakie stood in front of him and had a determined look on his face.
"What is it?" Ash asked.
"Fro!" Froakie shouted.
"Alright, let's go then!"
Ash opened the doors and dashed outside with Pikachu and Froakie beside him. As he ran onto the sidewalk to head after Garchomp, he saw Tom hurrying up to him as well.
"Ash, what the hell happened?" Tom asked as he and Raichu came to a stop.
"Team Rocket came and put some type of collar on Garchomp and now he's on a rampage," Ash replied.
"Are you trying to stop him?"
"Yeah, you in?"
"Definitely, but there's no way we can catch him on foot with the rush hour traffic."
"Then what do you suggest?"
Tom pulled out a Poké Ball from his hip and enlarged it before he threw it into the air. The ball opened with a snap and Pokémon began to take shape in front of them. When the glow vanished, a Dragonite stood tall and proud in its place.
"We fly," Tom said as he hopped on.
"Good idea, but I have a different suggestion," Ash replied.
"Let me hear it."
"Take Dragonite and help the police get the warning out about Garchomp. I'll cut down the side streets to avoid the traffic and find Garchomp."
"Sounds good. I'll meet up with you later!"
With that, Dragonite's wings spread wide and he shot into the sky with great speed creating a strong gust in the process. Ash looked down at Pikachu and Froakie and nodded as he started running towards the neighboring alley.
Grace was sitting in the living room with a cup of tea. She took a sip as she thumbed through the channels to find something to watch. While she was doing that, Serena was digging through the fridge for something to drink. The two of them decided to call it a day after Serena ended up getting dragged around the pen by Rhyhorn to allow her to clean herself up and rest. Serena had given Grace the silent treatment as she was still miffed at her for making her ride Rhyhorn again. She could hear the channels changing behind her and sighed.
"Come on, Mom! Just pick something!" Serena said as she tried to decide what to drink.
"Serena, you know as well as I do that daytime television is boring and that everything good comes on late," Grace replied.
"Whatever."
Grace turned to the next channel but the show was suddenly replaced with the news. She took another sip of tea as she suddenly became interested with the breaking news story. As she was waiting for the station to start the broadcast, the doorbell rang.
"Serena, can you get the door?" Grace asked.
"Sure," Serena replied as she hurried over to it.
Serena opened the door and in front of her was another girl. The girl had dark skin, brown hair tied into separate tails and green eyes. She was wearing a pink shirt and blue short shorts.
"Shauna, what are you doing here?" Serena asked.
"I was coming over to see if you wanted to go get something to eat! I'm hungry!" Shauna replied.
"Aw, Shauna, I'm tired. You won't believe the day I've had."
"Come on, don't be such a party pooper."
Serena sighed and stood aside to allow Shauna to come inside. She hurried over to the kitchen and started rummaging through the cupboards for some snacks. While Shauna was searching for snacks, Serena went back to the fridge and pulled out a bottle of water.
"Hey you two, have a look at this. Something unbelievable has happened," Grace said as she looked to the kitchen.
"Oh, yeah? Well, something unbelievable has happened to my face!" Serena retorted as she shut the fridge and trudged over to the couch.
Grace turned away sheepishly and took a sip of tea as she looked at the TV again.
"What are we watching?" Shauna asked as she sat beside Serena with a bag of chips.
"What movie is this?" Serena asked as she watched the TV.
"This isn't a movie, it's being shot live from Lumiose City," Grace replied as she turned to them. "A Garchomp is on a rampage."
The three turned to look at the TV and saw a large explosion appear where a purple beam hit the ground.
"What is going on?" Serena thought as she watched the TV.
That's the chapter everybody. I hope you enjoyed it and I will see you next time.