"Alright so tell me Mr. Great Tusk what do you know about the ostrich and her terrible plot" Inteleon demanded.
"Well, I was just minding my own business looking for something to eat when this Espathra showed up with a bunch of Pokémon saying she had unbelievable power with the crystals or something I don't know I wasn't paying attention"
"She tried to get some of her little gang to make me join by force it took one Stomping Tantrum to send them running"
"So this Espathra was snooping around where she doesn't belong," Inteleon remarked.
"Um, Inteleon we also went snooping places we didn't belong," Flygon asked.
"Oh that's different Flygon we're trying to track down some burglars we're looking for justice isn't that right guys"
"Yep, Mhm, Definitely, yes sir" the rest of the Pokémon that had gone into The Great Crater agreed.
"See Flygon what did I tell-"
"Flamigo is gone!" Klawf shouted scuttling out of the forested area.
"What!"
"Nobody had seen her since last night nobody can find her anywhere" Klawf explained.
"Oh my goodness they kidnapped Flamigo" Absol gasped.
"How could they do something so cruel" Abomasnow scoffed.
"And if she did kidnap Flamigo why wouldn't they kidnap anybody else?" Flygon asked.
"Alright clearly this Espathra has gone too far we need to track down this Psychodelia Ostrich and her gang of Flamingo kidnapping rabble-rousers and bring them to justice"
"Who's with me!" Inteleon asked everyone who had gone to the Great Crater volunteered along with Great Tusk.
The possie set out into the Paldean wilds. It was already dark out with only the light of Stantler's antlers to guide them.
"Morpeko! Morpeko stop it get back here!" Inteleon heard someone yell suddenly a Veluza burst through the bush's flesh missing as if she was just she'd it being chased by a Morpeko.
"Aléjate de mí, por favor!" The Veluza leaped into Inteleon's arms the Morpeko voraciously ate Veluza's discarded flesh.
"Morpeko please calm down Veluza can only shed her flesh off so much before she needs to regenerate it" Team Rockets Pelipper flew out of the bush, followed by Bramblin, Glimmet, and Wobbuffet.
"Freeze in the name of the law" Inteleon held out his finger at Pelipper.
"Hay, hay, hay calm down there Inteleon we were just trying to stop Morpeko from eating Veluza"
"Well, an honorable goal but we're looking for the Espathra that kidnapped Flamigo and I'm sure you Team Rocket folks are behind it" Inteleon dropped Veluza back to the ground.
"Did you say you were looking for an Espathra?" Glimmet asked "Team Rockets been looking for an Espathra too"
"Ya, got a call from the boss saying to look out for an Espathra said it had something to do with Team Galaxy? Or was it Team Fire I can't put my branch on it" Bramblin added.
"Yup," Wobbuffet confirmed.
"Ah, I don't believe a word of it" Abomasnow grumbled.
"Let's take them out" Sandile yelled.
"Inteleon, give me the go-ahead and all hit them with the Blitz" Darmanitan commanded.
"Who, now everyone just, calm down" Great Tusk stepped in between the two parties
"Instead of resorting to immediate violence why don't we work together"
"Huh?" Everyone said in unison.
"Why don't we work together against a common enemy us and Team Rocket against the Espathra"
"Ya, sure, sounds good, okay, cool, de Acuerdo" everyone seemed to agree.
"See isn't that better" Great Tusk took the lead as everyone else followed.
"Alright, how do I look Pikachu?" Ash asked he had picked out the one suit he owned that his mom had gotten him for his birthday.
"Pika-pika" Pikachu seemed approve.
"Ash there you are" Goh and Iris appeared from a flying Taxi Goh was also wearing a suit well Iris was wearing her champion outfit.
Ash and Goh walked into the academy all rest of the gym leaders and teachers were already there. Iris went over to talk to the elite four leaving Ash and Goh alone.
"Shit do you know who to talk to?" Goh asked.
"I don't know but I'm going to try some of the food Paldean food is delicious" Ash and Goh walked over to the food display. Ash and Pikachu began wolfing down some stuffed peppers.
"Wow, this taste's amazing want to try some Goh?"
"I'm good not much of a spice person"
"You know what those are made of?" a man with thorny green hair approached Ash.
"Ya I saw in one of the cookbooks the meat is seasoned with an extract from the heads of Scovillain it's super spicy"
"Also a natural laxative" the man replied.
"What!" Ash spit out the pepper as everyone started laughing.
"Don't worry we're just messing with you"
"My name is Brassius I'm an artist specializing in grass-type Pokémon. I am also the gym leader at the Artazon gym" The rest of the gym leaders elite four and teachers introduced themselves.
"Excuse me Mr. Ketchum do you want a drink?" Poppy approached Ash handing him a strange red drink. Ash took one sip and quickly spat it out, realizing it was wine.
"Dios mío! Poppy what did you just give Ash?" Rika ran over and picked up Poppy.
"I gave him the red drink that you drink with Uncle Larry and Grandpa Hassel"
"Qué! Poppy you can't just give people wine"
"But Rika you said that drink was only for grown-ups" Poppy cried.
"I know Poppy but wine is a drink that people need to be careful when drinking it can make them act very more importantly Ash is not a grownup"
"You mean like when you drink too much of it and start saying bad words"
"Yes now why don't we go find Hassel I'm sure he would like to tell you all about wine"
"Sorry about that you know how kids can be" Rika took Poppy to go sit with Hassel. It shocked Ash to no end that someone who was still learning basic addition was an elite four-member.
"Not that we mind Ash if you want to try some of the fancy grape juice" Saguaro laughed.
"Oh it's fine it doesn't taste that good to me anyway"
"Well, the offer still stands at least until La Primera el destructor divertido shows up" Grusha jeered sipping a glass of wine.
"Who's La Primera?" Goh asked taking a bite of some Patatas Bravas.
"Ugh, Geeta" Tulip groaned.
"Isn't Geeta the champion?" Ash asked.
"If you want to be technical yes" Ryme responded "Although that's only because the age requirement for being the top champion is 18 other whys Nemona would have taken the tile already"
"She talks about how Katy you have to go easy on them there new trainers you can't give them too much of a challenge" Katy made air quotes well chewing on a danish.
"Then she goes on about how she's absolutely incapable of holding back" Larry ground.
"But then she shows up to battle Steven Stone with a Gogoat and Avalugg" Dendra moaned.
"Everybody your gonna want to quiet down she's here" Kofu yelled as Geeta and Clavell walked into the room.
"Inteleon your gonna want to see this" Frogadier pointed to the edge of a cliff Inteleon, Pelipper, and Great Tusk came over to investigate.
On the cliff overlooking a canyon at the bottom various Pokémon sorting out large glowing crystals in the center, Flamigo could be seen talking with Espathra.
"Sweet beans on toast"
"Dysfunctional sorting system needs a lot of work," Pelipper remarked.
"What's that coming?" Great Tusk pointed to a wagon being pulled by a pair of Rapidash on top was a giant crystal glowing bright purple.
"It's just like the crystals in the great crater" Everyone poked their heads out of the bushes to look at the crystal.
"All right I have a plan and each one of you plays a part in it"
"What do I do?" Wobbuffet asked.
"Wobbuffet you've got the most important part of all you stay up here and if anything goes wrong you give the signal"
"Espathra just, hear me out," Flamigo asked.
"I don't want to hear another word" Espathra shut her down.
"Espathra please I don't think we should be doing this we don't know what these crystals are capable of" Flamigo pleaded.
Espathra's eyes seemed to glow bright with fury but before she could replay Pidgeot landed beside her.
"Boss! boss! someone is coming"
"Hello, their good afternoon" Inteleon and Maushold appeared ridding on Grate Tusk.
"And who are you?" Espathra's guard dog Pokémon surrounded them.
"We're the neighborhood watch" the mother Maushold replied.
"The neighborhood watch?" Houndoom questioned "What neighborhood?"
"Shoot now what" the boy Maushold whispered.
"Don't look at me Inteleon replied.
"Why do you mean don't look at me this was your plan" the girl Maushold shout whispered.
"I didn't think that they would question us"
"Yes the neighborhood watch and by neighborhood watch, we meant the neighborhood watch of the European Continent"
"The entire European continent?" Espathra questioned.
"Yes, we're Paldean peninsula subdivision we came to make sure that you are not um, not violating union laws" Inteleon replied.
"Union laws?" Espathra seemed to be getting suspicious Inteleon was just trying to stall them so they didn't see the rest of the posy stealing the giant crystal.
"Yes all crystal minors here are part of a union long story you know how the Paldean monarchy could be with their union busting caused some slight issues but long story short we need to make sure you not violating union laws" Great Tusk and all four Mice face palmed as Inteleon spoke.
"Hay!" A Persian pointed to the posy stealing the crystal.
"No es lo que parece?" Veluza shouted.
The rest of Espathra's underlings began to surround Inteleon.
"Cacaw, Ca, Ca, Cacaw, Ca, Ca," Wobbuffet ran down the trench screaming getting everyone distracted.
"Run!" Inteleon screamed grabbing Flamigo by the neck.
"Go Great Tusk giddy up!" Great Tusk took off running with Stantler who was carrying Frogadier and Raichu as Aerodactyl, Pelipper, and Flygon flew overhead well everyone else rode the wagon with the giant crystal.
"Looks like we made it," Lokix said confidently. The sudden flapping of wings behind them shut Lokix up.
Behind them Various Flying-type Pokémon we're chasing them.
"We got birds!" Sandile announced from atop the crystal.
The flying type Pokémon launched Air Slash and Air Cutter narrowly missing the crystal.
"What in tarnation don't attack the crystal!" Espathra snapped riding on top of Noivern.
"Pidgeot dive!"
"You got it, boss!" Pidgeot swerved down along with an Archeops and Swanna.
"siento hostilidad!" Veluza shouted.
"Incoming!" Spidops yelled.
The Swanna and Archeops appeared on each side of the wagon charging up a Scald and SmackDown well Pidgeot swooped down from behind with an Aerial Ace.
Inteleon grabbed the wagon wheel, slowing it down and causing the Swanna and Archeops to hit each other and Pidgeot to slam into the crystal, knocking himself out.
"Braviary grab the Flamigo" The Braviary swooped down with a Sky Drop, missing Flamigo, picking up Inteleon, and taking him into the sky.
The flying Pokémon kept launching more flying attacks at the wagon nearly knocking it over.
"Woo, I suggest we take a defensive stance" Misdreavus suggested. "Well, I suggest you shut up and help attack!" Aerodactyl replied hitting a Golbat out of the sky with Wing Attack.
"What happened to Inteleon?" Raichu asked.
"He's in a previous engagement" Pelipper replied knocking out a Tropius with an Air Slash.
More Flying types kept swooping down and attacking the crystal.
"I don't know how long we can hold them off" Darmanitan yelled knocking out two Skarmory with Flare Blitz beside him Absol Night Slashed wildly at a flock of Pidove and Abomasnow attacked with Blizzard.
"Flygon there's too many of them" Glimmer yelled hitting a Starly with Venoshock well Veluza and Bramblin hit an Oricorio with Aqua Jet and Night Shade.
"I told you we should have taken a defensive stance!" Misdreavus yelled as she and Sandile knocked out a Drifblim with Bite and Hex.
"Could you just stop talking and help us" Spidops replied well he, Lokix, and Greedent knocked out two Hawlucha with Bug Bite, Assurance, and Body Slam well Stantler, Frogadier, and Raichu attacked from the side with Hypnosis, Water Pulse, and Thunderbolt.
"Hold on I'm busy!" Flygon yelled knocking out a Mandibuzz with Dragon Claw "
"We need to lose them" the father Maushold yelled hitting a Zubat with Super Fang.
"A well good thing that we're heading towards a cliff that should lose them," Wobbuffet said in a cheerful tone as he used Mirror Coat on an Altaria's Hurricane.
"Wait what cliff!" everyone said in unison.
"Can someone please tell me where's Inteleon?" Flygon asked again.
Up in the Sky Inteleon was trying to think of a way to get free of Braviary.
Inteleon suddenly got an idea he used a U-turn causing the Braviary to drop him from its talon. However, Inteleon didn't think this plan through causing him to fall through the sky although he saw Flygon below him.
"Incoming!" Inteleon yelled landing on Flygon.
"Ouch, a little warning next time!" Flygon snapped.
"I did warn you" Inteleon replied "Besides I'm more worried about the cliff in front of you"
"What Cliff, Oh my god!" the wagon rolled down the cliff sending everybody tumbling down and by pure coincidence landing right into the Cerise laboratory.
"Well on the bright side we're looking to install a new window there" Inteleon pointed to the giant hole the wagon had made in the roof.
"Inteleon do you know how much property damage that we just caused?" Flygon yelled.
"Oh come on don't be a downer Flygon we just saved Flamigo isn't that right Flamigo?"
"Ya sure," Flamingo replied uneasily.
Goh noticed how the mood in the room seemed to drop when Geeta walked into the room.
The previous liveliness and casualness vanished and were replaced with an almost corporate or office-like feel.
Geeta went around greeting all the gym leaders who kept the conversation formal despite just complaining about her a minute ago.
Goh didn't really feel like socializing with all these people he didn't know he sat down with some Patatas Bravas and soda.
Ash and Iris seemed to enjoy socializing a lot more Iris talked about battling with the elite four well showed off his world coronation team.
Seeing Ash's world team made Goh think about how he was absent from his battle against Leon.
To this day Goh hated that he had been absent. He felt disappointed in himself that was his best friend's ultimate battle his final slope to summit the mountain he had been climbing for years. And did he miss it for some stupid mission to try and find Mew who in their right mind would think that was a good idea?
"OMG Goh is true that you gave Ash the Wattrel!" Iono sat down beside Goh he hadn't even noticed that Ash had brought out Wattrel who was comfortably standing on his arm.
"Oh, uh ya I thought he needed another Electric type"
"OMG that is so Kawai!" Iono screamed.
"Such I nice gesture" Tulip added. "What made you decide to give him Wattrel?" Goh was taken aback by Tulip's question.
"Well, I hadn't seen him in a while since I was busy with Project Mew and I felt like I should give him something to make it up to him he's never had another electric type so I felt like it would be a nice gift you know. It was kind of spontaneous I was worried that Ash wouldn't like it at first"
"Seriously! that Wattrel is so cute how couldn't you love her?" Wattrel flew around the room pecking at some seeds.
"Well Ash and Pikachu have a special bond I was worried that he would hate having another Electric Type I kept second-guessing myself after I gave it to him"
"So it was a spontaneous decision?" Tulip asked.
"Ug ya I kind of was a just kind of found her on the beach and I decided that she'd make a good choice"
"Ash, is he a close friend of yours?" Tulip asked.
"Ya, I'd say he's my best friend. We traveled together for over a year honestly I don't know where I would be without him" Tulip seemed to be thinking about something.
"Hey, Iono you have a Wattrel right? Why don't you go play with Ash"
"OMG that's a great idea!" Iono squealed running over and nuzzling Ash's Wattrel.
"Goh, something seems to be troubling you with Ash did something happen?"
"Well, It's just I was on a Project Mew mission in Hoenn when Ash had his big final battle against Leon" Goh suddenly felt teary-eyed,
"I've never forgiven myself for missing it I should have been there for him it was the biggest event of his life and I missed it for what to go to some mystery Island in the middle of the ocean just for Mew to screw around with us like were its toys!"
"Have you ever told Ash about this?"
"Ugh, no I've never had the courage to tell him how sorry I am that I missed that battle"
"Why don't you tell him it seems to be weighing on your chest quite a lot" Tulip suggested.
For a moment, Goh had always wanted to apologize to Ash that he had missed his battle with Leon. He thought that giving Ash Wattrel would finally clear his head, but it only worsened.
"I don't know it's been a year already I think Ash has put it behind him he's not the kind of person to hold a grudge like that"
"Ash might have let it go but you clearly haven't even if Ash doesn't care about I think it's best for you if you're able to tell him how you feel"
"Your right Tulip I need to tell Ash that I'm sorry"
End Credit song Ofelia by Kiltro.
Alright, another chapter is done I don't really have a lot to write about in the author notes so look forward to the next chapter we get to see Juliana and Florian again:)