Author's Notes: This is the second story in canonical order, as well as the second Pokemon short story I've written. Although this doesn't exactly follow the anime's canon (As they never boarded a ship going to Slateport that actually sunk), I still wonder if I captured the characters properly. In reference to the anime's canon, this is during Ash's Hoenn League journey.
To remind you:
Symbols Legend (Can overlap)
"Talking"
*Thinking*
=Telepathic Communication=
Please leave a review and enjoy.
~ZX
For those of you who don't know, Faraway Island is a hidden island location only in Pokemon Emerald version. You need the key item Old Sea Map (which is unreleased officially as far I know) and talk to the sailor in Slateport. Mew is the only resident in-game, and before you fight her, you play a sort of hide-and-seek game in a patch of really tall grass before encountering her. (I know it's technically an "it" but Mew looks very feminine, so I use "her"). I went there after my brother's Emerald game was hacked for all of the event items. (Eon Ticket, Mystic Ticket, Aurora Ticket, and Old Sea Map. E-bay ftw?)
Disclaimer: I do not claim ownership of Pokemon or any individual aspect therein. Pokemon is copyrighted to Nintendo and Game Freak.
A Crisis Faraway
Location: Faraway Island, an island lush with trees and grass far out of reach from any mainland. This place is home to many weak 1st evolution pokemon and is also rumored to be the home of a rare pokemon. A pair of trainers are specifically appointed to protect this island as a preserve, and are replaced in one-year cycles. Currently, the two trainers appointed to guard the island are a male trainer named Seth, with his team of five Eeveelutions, and another female trainer named Tess (full name-Therese) whom has a Typhlosion, Blastoise, Bellossom, Gardevoir, and Banette.
Previously, Ash, Brock, May, and Max had boarded a "ship" destined for Slateport. However, because of a fatal mistake on the part of two Rockets, whom used the ship as a trap, the ship took damage and eventually sunk. The four are aboard a rescue raft taken from the ship before it went down, and have been floating for almost a day.
It is around midday and Ash, May, Max, and Brock are drifting with the current after the tragic accident. Soon, May spots a patch of land on the horizon
"Look! Land! Finally!" May exclaimed, pointing the others to what she sees.
"Awesome! Hopefully there'll be someone there to help us out." Max added, hope clearly shown in his voice.
"Yeah, our supplies were running thin. Maybe after we find out where we are, we can stock up and continue our journey." Brock said, slightly relieved.
Ash simply looked at the patch of land that May pointed out earlier.
"It seems too small" Ash stated "are we still in Hoenn?"
"I don't CARE how big or small it is, land is still LAND" May shouted, causing Ash, Brock, and even Max to flinch slightly.
After a few hours of drifting and occasional paddling, the three trainers and Max landed and went ashore on a beach (A/N: Which is on the south side of the island, the dock is located just a mile to the East of their location). After getting off the raft and stretching for a bit, they were greeted by a sign that Brock noticed on the beach. The sign stated:
"Trainers Prohibited! Only the Chosen and their visitors may pass this point."
"Chosen? Who are they?" May asked.
"Looks like we're stuck on the beach." Max said, his tone now reflecting the lowering hopes of the party.
"An island that prohibits trainers?" Brock asked, "Max, you're not a trainer yet… maybe you can go check it out."
Just then, all four heard something lightly rustling in the bushes just past the sign, where a large forest begins, but they couldn't see anything or anyone.
"I'm going." Ash declared flatly.
"You can't, the sign says no trainers are allowed." May replied.
"She's right, Ash. These 'Chosen' could be like officers. There may be criminal charges for trespassing." Brock added.
"C-criminal…" Ash said as he imagined himself being put in a jail cell and the barred door closing in front of him.
Suddenly, a burst of yellow light shot out of the forest to their left, and quickly turned towards them. Ash, Brock, May, and Max all screamed and hit the ground covering their heads. The yellow light flew right in front of them and turned abruptly back into the forest. All of them then got back up, dusted the sand off of them and looked around for where the burst of light went to.
"Max…" Brock said, hinting that he should venture into the island.
Max nods understandingly and nervously walks toward the forest. He passes the sign and nothing happens to him. Max looks back to see Ash try and follow him, only to walk into an invisible barrier just before he even passes the sign. May, fearing for her younger brother's safety, decides to go with Max and, like Max, manages to walk past the sign without any difficulty.
"It's best if we wait here, Ash. May might be a trainer also, but she's only going because she cares for Max's safety. Don't take it personally." Brock said to the young trainer, whom had sat down next to him. Pikachu, whom had been on Ash's shoulder the entire time, decided to lie in the sand when Ash sat.
May and Max walked straight into the forest for a few minutes, which to them seemed like an hour. The forest was very dense, with countless trees obscuring most of the sunlight and long grass and bushes line the forest floor in large patches. Pokemon such as Pidgey, Zigzagoon, Sentret, and Taillow populate the forest floor as well, but constantly watched May and Max as they walked by. Just as they were feeling that they were lost, they noticed a cabin roughly ten yards in front of them. Excited and relieved to find the cabin, they walked to the cabin to see if anyone was inside it. As they came within a yard of the cabin, they were confronted by a Flareon and an Umbreon. The Flareon was in a battle pose and baring its teeth, while the Umbreon simply sat and stared at them as if waiting for someone else. As they were about to turn back in fear, they saw an Espeon calmly walk out of the thicket behind them, blocking their escape.
"Espee espeon esp." (Translation- "They washed ashore.") The Espeon told the Umbreon and Flareon.
"Umbreon umb. Breon umb umbreon." (Translation- "She's a trainer. You know she's not allowed here.") The Umbreon calmly replied.
"Stand down, you two. These two people are looking for help." A voice said from within the cabin, much to May's and Max's relief.
The Espeon behind them nods in an 'I told you so' manner and the Flareon and Umbreon move to the side, allowing May and Max to enter the cabin. Upon entering, they find that the cabin is largely undecorated. It was entirely one room with one bed to the right of the entrance, three wooden chairs lining the wall to the left of the entrance, and directly ahead was an individual facing them with an audio-only phone on a wooden desk behind him and a large window on the wall behind the desk. A small refrigerator sat to the left side of the desk. A single light fixture decorates the ceiling. The individual is wearing a black baseball cap with a half gold and half deep silver pokeball design on the front which is slightly visible behind the sunglasses resting on the top of the brim, revealing his emerald green eyes. He wears a black polo shirt with white fringe on the collar with a small half gold and half deep silver pokeball design with a navy blue banner wrapping behind it on the upper left area of the shirt. The pants are black jeans with a silver stripe running down the outer side of each pant leg on the seam with navy blue and white tennis shoes on his feet.
"Please, sit down" The individual told them, motioning to the chairs. "and explain to me who you are and why you are here."
May and Max took their seats and introduced themselves to the individual.
"My name is May, and this is my kid brother Max." May states, which is followed by a quick annoyed look to her by Max. "We're from the Hoenn region"
"I'm Seth. I am the 'owner', for lack of a better term, of the Flareon, Umbreon, and Espeon you saw earlier as well as a Jolteon and Vaporeon whom are also patrolling the island." Seth states as he takes the third chair and sits across from them. "Now for the matter of how you got here…"
"Well, we originally boarded a boat in Dewford Town which we thought would get us safely to Slateport City." Max started, "But it turned out to be a trap by two individuals from Team Rocket… Team Rocket is-"
"I know what Team Rocket is, Max." Seth interrupted, "They have constantly organized operations to capture rare and powerful pokemon, but they also try to steal other trainers' pokemon that they feel are powerful enough to accomplish their goals. This is the first time I've heard of them outside of Kanto and Johto, though. Anyways, continue."
"When Team Rocket tried to take our pokemon, we fought back, which accidentally damaged the boat." May continued, "The four of us took one of the lifeboats on the ship and managed to get away. Since we couldn't see any land or know our direction when we first got on the lifeboat, we simply floated along the ocean current. I think we got lucky we saw your island when we did."
"Well, to tell you the truth, it's not my island." Seth replied, "So the currents took you here, huh? This island is known by few people and even fewer trainers, and is known as Faraway Island. It was probably named so due to the fact that it is located very far away from any sort of mainland. It is rumored to be the home of a rare pokemon. I happen to be one of the appointed guardians of the island. I guess you can say I'm one of the 'Chosen'."
"You're one of the Chosen?" Max said.
"Why are there Chosen anyway?" May inquired.
"Yeah, and how are they chosen?" Max added.
"Good questions." Seth stated, "The 'Chosen' are trainers that are recognized by various pokemon leagues for having large hearts as well as having well-trained companions. The title of 'Chosen' is simply the term and title used for the trainers appointed to guard this island for the year."
"Interesting." May replied.
"To tell you the truth, the title makes the task of guarding this island look more exciting than it actually is." Seth added, ending with a short laugh. "Since, like I said before, few know about this island."
"I thought as much." Max said, giving a short laugh as well.
"Hmm… You still wonder why your friend, the famous Ash, was prevented from entering, yet you were able to enter." Seth asked the young female trainer.
"Y-yes." May replied, slightly shocked.
"Well, my Espeon, Sola, read his mind. She is the one that blocked him for I hope a good reason. Anyway, the reason all trainers are prohibited is because this is, in a fashion, a pokemon preserve." Seth explained.
"A pokemon… preserve?" Max questioned.
"Yes. Pokemon here all seem to have a great dislike for battling." Seth continued "They don't even fight other species and seem to live in harmony, regardless of who is around them. If a trainer were to capture one and force it to fight, they often break and run from the trainer. In some cases, like in an aggressive species by nature such as Spearow, they retaliate against the trainer before fleeing. It's almost as if they say 'Why are you doing this to me?'"
"Oh, I see." May quietly replied.
"The Pokemon League appoints the trainers that, in their eyes, far exceeded what they believe to be the standard trainer. But that not only meant strong partners, but also a large and kind heart to all pokemon. These 'Chosen' protect the island with their allies that have been through thick and thin." Seth concluded.
Seth then got up from his seat and motioned for May and Max to do the same. Seth then led the other two outside, where five Eeveelutions were all sitting and seemed to be waiting for them. Seth began introducing each of them.
"The Espeon is Sola, the Umbreon is Shadow, and the Flareon is Blaze. These three you met in-person already. The Jolteon is Jolt, and the Vaporeon is Misty. These are my companions during my stay here on the island."
"They're… all Eevee evolutions." Max said quietly to himself.
"You may invite your friends here to this cabin. I'll consider you my visitors while I work out a way to get you back to where you came. However, everyone MUST come straight back here. Sola will be watching you in case you try anything funny." Seth said, indicating that the Espeon will be joining them.
As May and Max prepared to relay Seth's invitation, they saw the band of Eeveelutions begin to disband. The Flareon walked off towards the other side of the cabin heading north, and the Vaporeon began walking off to their right, humming to herself. The Jolteon- much to their surprise- bolted off in a large flash of yellow light. The Umbreon, however, simply sat near the doorway that Seth had reentered. May and Max carefully made their way back through the forest with the Espeon following and watching them from a small distance. Upon returning to the beach, May and Max began to relay what they learned. Sola remained in the forest, watching the four humans with both her eyes and her psychic abilities.
"There's a person on this island named Seth. He's one of the 'Chosen' the sign refers to." May began. "He has decided to invite all of us to his cabin while he finds a way to get us back to Hoenn."
"Wait, we're not in Hoenn anymore?" Brock asked, as Pikachu hops back onto Ash's shoulder.
"No, he told us that this place is called 'Faraway Island'. This place isn't near any mainland, which makes us very lucky we saw it, because almost nobody knows about it." Max replied.
"I told you this place was too small, May. It's just an island." Ash boasted, which causes May to fluster.
"HEY! You couldn't tell that just by looking at the land." May shot back to the raven haired trainer.
"Let's just go before this situation gets any worse and they involve us." Brock said to Max.
Brock and Max started walking inland towards the forest, and were quickly followed by Ash and May once they noticed they were alone on the beach. As Max led the way, their path was quickly blocked by the Espeon that followed May and Max back to the beach.
"Sola? Why are you stopping us?" May asked.
"Sola? Is that the name of this Espeon?" Brock quickly asked.
"Yeah, Sola is the Espeon. She is one of the pokemon with Seth on this island. She's going to escort us back to the cabin." Max replied to Brock's question.
"Then why aren't we going anywhere?" Ash asked.
Sola, sitting upright in the middle of the pathway, looks up towards Ash and notices the Pikachu still out of its pokeball.
"Espee, espeon, esp." (Translation- "You, Pikachu, come here.") The Espeon said, looking at Pikachu.
Pikachu quickly hops off of Ash's shoulder and walks toward the Espeon.
"Es espeon espeeon espy?" (Translation- "How come you aren't in a pokeball?") Sola asked the Pikachu.
"Pika piko pikachu pik. Pik, pikachu piko" (Translation- "Ash and I are good friends. Plus, I hate being in the ball.") Pikachu replied.
"What are they talking about?" May asked, with no answer given.
"Espee espeon, esp?" (Translation- "Can you promise me this, then?") The Espeon continued.
"Piko?" (Translation- "What?")
"Esp espeeon esp spee, espeon ESP espeon espee espeon." (Translation- "No matter what Ash tells you, do NOT attack or battle any of the wild pokemon.")
"…Pika, pikachu pik." (Translation- "…Ok, I promise.")
Pikachu, after promising, hops back onto Ash's shoulder, and the Espeon begins to lead the four humans back to the cabin. Again, many young pokemon, such as Pidgey, Taillow, Rattata, and Zigzagoon, carefully watched the humans as they walked by. Halfway to the cabin, Ash was tempted to catch one of the native pokemon, but he was quickly talked out of it by both Pikachu and May. Upon reaching the cabin, May and Max find Shadow the Umbreon still sitting by the doorway, as if waiting for their return. Sola walked up to the Umbreon and quietly talked with him for a little bit as May, Max, Ash, and Brock made their way inside the cabin. Once all 4 humans were inside, Sola and Shadow left together to continue patrolling the island. May, Max, Ash, and Brock were met with a small table with some concessions: clean drinking water, and plates with edible fruits and berries. May and Ash immediately took the two available chairs, and Ash began eating some of the food. Seth was sitting at the wooden desk on the far side of the room facing away from them and looking out the window. The four visitors could then see the large emblem decorating the back of his polo shirt. The design is a pokeball- half gold on top and half deep silver on the bottom. The words "Kanto Pokemon" are sewn in white on the top half of the pokeball and the words "League Member" are sewn in white on the bottom half. Above the pokeball is a navy blue banner with a lighter blue outline. "Seth" is sewn inside the banner in white. Upon hearing them enter, he rose from the chair he was using and offered the chair for either Max or Brock to use.
"So, as May and Max have probably told you two already, I'm Seth. I'm one of the 'Chosen', should you want to call it that, assigned by the Pokemon League to guard this island. You two must be Ash and Brock." Seth said.
"Yeff, I'm Aff of Pallet Town." Ash replied with a mouthful of fruit.
"Wait… we never told you their names…" Max said, suspicious of Seth's foreknowledge.
"I'm from Kanto myself, Max. I lived in Viridian City. After getting my pokemon, I challenged the Kanto gyms one by one. Brock's gym was first in line for anyone taking the Kanto gym challenge. As for Ash, well he's made quite the name for himself over the years." Seth replied, showing a subtle hint of distaste for Ash.
"So were you able to get a ship to take us back to Hoenn?" May asked, quickly changing the subject.
"Well, I got ahold of Seagallop, which is the only boat company that knows of this place and is the ship that brought my pokemon and I here in the first place. They're currently sorting through when they can get a ship here for you guys." Seth answered.
"Getting back to you being a 'Chosen'" Brock started, "Do you have other pokemon here protecting the island besides the Espeon and Umbreon we saw earlier?"
"Yes, along with Sola and Shadow, their children are here…" Seth began to answer.
"Ch-children!" May and Max exclaimed in unison.
"Yes, Blaze the Flareon, Jolt the Jolteon, and Misty the Vaporeon are all children of Sola and Shadow." Seth continued, "However, they have been working together for so long, I tend to treat Jolt, Misty, and Blaze as equals to Sola and Shadow. They are essentially one large family."
"I had thought you trusted all of them a lot if you're letting them roam the island like this." Brock said.
Meanwhile, elsewhere on the island, Sola and Shadow are patrolling the island together. They eventually reach the east side of the island, which is a four-story cliff that abruptly drops off to the ocean (A/N: The cliff encompasses most of the island, save for the south end, which is where the beach is). They admired the sight together for a little bit before they decide to head back inland. Sola suddenly freezes mid-turn, her ears slightly twitching. Shadow, noticing the Espeon wasn't following, turned back and saw her remaining completely still, eyes closed.
"Something wrong, Sola?" The Umbreon asked.
"I… I hear something… chopping the air… like in the city." Sola slowly replied, trying to concentrate on the sound.
"Chopping the air? Like an aircraft… or helicopter?" Shadow suggested.
"Helicopter. Definitely a helicopter." Sola confidently replied, "The sound is deeper, but it also sounds like there is more than one of them."
"I'm starting to hear it too, Sola. It's definitely heading this way." Shadow said, his ears now slightly twitching to focus on the new sound, "We should tell Seth about this immediately."
Both Shadow and Sola quickly bolted inland, Sola using her psychic abilities to navigate back to Seth's cabin and also send a telepathic message to the other three Eeveelutions about a possible threat. Upon reaching the cabin, they wasted no time and barged straight inside.
"=Seth! Seth!=" Sola shouted, both verbally and telepathically.
"Sola? Shadow? What is it?" Seth asked, immediately picking up on their apprehension.
"=Sola heard helicopters out in the distance. I began hearing them too, so they're definitely coming this way.=" Shadow replied.
"H-how do you understand what they're saying to you?" May asked, puzzled.
"I'll explain later. We have business to attend to." Seth replied while reaching for the phone on the desk. He punched a button on the phone's base before talking. "Calling Tess. Tess, we have a slight problem. Unidentified helicopters are approaching the island. Think you can lend a hand?"
"I would, but there seems to be a helicopter flying towards the north side of the island." A female voice said, heard from the phone base's speaker, "I'm gonna have to check that one out first. You think it's them?"
"No way to know until we investigate. If it is them, repulse them as quickly as you can." Seth replied.
"Finally, some action." The female voice quickly said before Seth places the phone back on the base.
"Who is 'them' that the other person referred to?" Brock asked.
"Team Rocket." Seth simply replied, "But it could be another criminal group. Only way to find out is to meet them."
Seth, Ash, Brock, May, and Max stepped outside to find Jolt, Blaze, and Misty standing near the door waiting for them. Seth pressed a button on his watch and metallic "A" shaped wings spread from the sides of his backpack. The bottom opened up for an exhaust port as well. In a burst of heated compressed air, Seth flew upward above the dense tree line to look. He saw two helicopters preparing to land on the beach and motioned for the others below to head to the beach area. Seth returned to the ground and deactivated the jetpack to walk with them through the forest. Before they could even make it to the beach area, Rocket grunts began wandering inland and quickly encountered Seth, Ash, Brock, May, and, Max.
"Ash, Brock, May. I want each of you to take one of my team members to take care of these Rockets." Seth instructed, "May will use Misty, Brock will use Jolt, and Ash will use Blaze. Everyone ok with that?"
Everyone nods. Each of the Eeveelutions took their places near the trainers. Ash used Pikachu with Blaze, Brock sent out Forrtress with Jolt, and May sent out Beautifly with Misty. Seth had Sola and Shadow by his side. Each trainer fared very well against the Rocket grunts, due to the experience and strengths of the Eeveelutions. Upon reaching the beach, the trainers saw a helicopter that possessed two diagonally slanted rotors- one on the right side and one on the left. There was one Rocket more decorated then the previous grunts stepping out. He- a Rocket Executive- wore a white uniform with the red "R" instead of the normal black outfits worn by the grunts. He also didn't wear the "R" hat the grunts did, showing off his short sky blue hair. Three grunts accompanied him. The grunts tried to stop the group of trainers, but Ash, May, and Brock began battling the grunts with just their own pokemon. Blaze, Misty, and Jolt returned to Seth's side as he walked up to the Rocket Executive.
"I'm a guardian here," Seth stated, "you have to go through me to search the island for her."
"Zen ve shall vaste no time. Prepare yourself." The Rocket Executive replied.
The first pokemon sent out by the Rocket Executive was Arbok. Seth countered with Shadow the Umbreon. Arbok immediately lunged forward, mouth open and fangs dripping with a toxin- Poison Fang. Shadow didn't move and instead fired a purple-ish black blob from his mouth- Shadow Ball. As the Arbok was recovering from the previous attack, Shadow ran forward and hit Arbok in the decorated chest with Faint Attack. Arbok took the hit, but then began using its tail to bind Shadow in a Wrap. Shadow tried to fire off another Shadow Ball, but the constant constriction was making it difficult for him to concentrate. Instead, Shadow locked eyes with the Arbok and caught it with Confuse Ray when its head hovered over him, preparing to fire a Sludge Bomb. With the Confuse Ray successful, Arbok slightly loosened its grip on Shadow, allowing him to squirm free. Shadow then got a little distance and fired off another Shadow Ball, which hit the Arbok in the head, knocking it out. The K.O.d Arbok was withdrawn.
The next pokemon sent out was a Crobat. Seth called Shadow back to his side and had Jolt the Jolteon enter the battlefield. Crobat quickly used Astonish to catch Jolt off-guard, but Jolt used his own speed to dodge. Jolt quickly unleashed a Thunderbolt from his spiny fur on the recovering Crobat, but it also had plenty of speed to dodge the attack, climbing above it and swooping back down towards the Jolteon. Jolt faced the attacking Crobat and prepared to dodge an inevitable attack. Suddenly, the Crobat caught Jolt from a distance with Confuse Ray, causing Jolt to stagger in place. Seizing the opportunity, Crobat dove and attacked the confused Jolteon repeatedly with Wing Attack using all four of its wings. After several Wing Attacks, Jolt finally snapped himself out of the confusion and managed to dodge the next Wing Attack. After dodging, Jolt used his speed to build some distance between the two pokemon. Crobat gained some altitude and began swooping back at Jolt. Suspecting the same strategy, Jolt instead used Double Team to create two more copies of himself in a line. Crobat dove at the Jolteon in the center, since that is where the clones came from, in another Wing Attack. Much to the surprise of Crobat and the Executive, Crobat passed right through the middle Jolteon, and was struck down by Thunder from the real Jolt whom was off to the right (A/N: This is from the Executive's POV, which is left from Seth's POV). The K.O.d Crobat is withdrawn.
The Rocket Executive was now becoming slightly angry; a look of annoyance covered his face. Without a word, he sent out his next pokemon, Golem. Seth called Jolt back to his side, and had Misty the Vaporeon enter the battlefield. Despite clearly having the type disadvantage, the Executive's face never changed and didn't make a switch. Misty, hoping to end the battle as soon as possible, charged forward enveloped in water (A/N: Waterfall). Golem summoned a Sandstorm using the sand on the beach, which caused Misty to stop her attack and try to bear the barrage of sand. Golem charged through, naturally unhindered by the Sandstorm, and crashed hard into the Vaporeon with Double Edge. Misty flew backwards and hit the ground rolling on her side. The Golem walked back into the thicker section of the Sandstorm as the Vaporeon began to recover, making Golem tough to see. Misty was slow to get back up due to the Sandstorm, but once she got back on all fours, she fired a Blizzard from her mouth to counteract the Sandstorm. With the Sandstorm no longer providing sanctuary, Misty then launched a Hydro Pump straight at the Golem. Golem, however, managed to jump upwards, causing the large burst of water to miss and fly harmlessly out to sea. Golem then placed all of its weight in the fall and crashed back onto the beach in an Earthquake. The loose sand, however, absorbed the Golem's feet, and the Earthquake quickly dissipated before reaching the Vaporeon or anyone else. Misty seized the opportunity and hit the trapped Golem with another Hydro Pump, freeing it and pushing it back to the Executive knocked out. The K.O.d Golem is withdrawn.
At this time, May- accompanied by Max- succeeded in finishing her battle with the Rocket grunt and began watching Seth's match against the Executive. Ash also finished, but decided to see if Brock needed any help. The Executive's next pokemon was Steelix, which quickly took over a large section of the battlefield with its massive size. Seth called Misty back and motioned Blaze the Flareon onto the battlefield. Blaze showed a smirk as he bared his fangs at the Steelix, clearly not intimidated by the large steel serpentine. Steelix moved first, lunging forward with its jaw wide open (A/N: Crunch). Blaze jumped sideways to dodge the attack and quickly burrowed underground. The Executive gave a quick, loud laugh as the Steelix brought up the glowing tail section of its body, then smashed it back onto the sand in an improvised "Earthquake" using Iron Tail. Again, the sand dissipated the "Earthquake" before it reached the trainers. Seth gritted his teeth, uncertain of the Flareon's condition after the attack. Several agonizing seconds passed before, suddenly, Blaze erupted out of the sand behind the Steelix, a large fireball clearly visible at the mouth area. Upon reaching his maximum height, Blaze unleashed a Fire Blast right at the back of the Steelix's head, causing it to roar in pain. Blaze, upon landing in the soft sand, immediately followed up with Flamethrower, scorching the body of the Steelix. The Steelix, after several seconds of being burned, managed to fire off a Dragonbreath at Blaze, which ended the Flareon's attack as he barely dodged. The Steelix then quickly succumbed to the burns covering his body as he fell to the sand with a crash. The K.O.d Steelix is withdrawn.
Blaze sauntered back to Seth, knowing his work was done, as Ash and Brock joined May and Max in watching Seth finish up his match. The Executive was now on his last pokemon and he knew it, but he smiled, knowing what his last pokemon was. He quickly threw the last ball into the air. Nidoking came out stomping its legs and roaring, itching to fight. Seth turns and nods at Sola the Espeon, whom cautiously enters the battlefield. Nidoking wasted no time and charged forward, head lowered and horn glowing a greenish in a Megahorn attack. Sola was about to use Calm Mind to focus, but was forced to dodge the incoming attack, as this Nidoking moved much faster than those from most other trainers. She managed to focus her mind as the Nidoking overshot and recovered from his miss. Sola then fired Swift from her forehead gem, hoping to stun or distract the Nidoking. Much to the surprise of everyone, he simply used Protect, the barrage of stars simply bounced off of the barrier shield in all directions. Sola simply stood where she was, stunned that this pokemon wasn't simply an attacking machine. After blocking the Espeon's attack, Nidoking leaped into the air towards his opponent, landing just in front of her and hit her twice with Double Kick. Sola staggered backwards, trying to recover and gather her thoughts. Nidoking charged forward in another Megahorn, but Sola dodged it again, but this time she fired a Psybeam from her forehead gem as the Nidoking recovered from his miss. Nidoking once again did an about-face and used Protect to block the Espeon's attack.
"It looks hopeless…" May said, "Sola's attacks can't get through!"
"Don't worry, May. I still have a couple more cards in my hand. I just hope I don't have to use them." Seth reassured her.
Sola kept pushing at the Nidoking with Psybeam for a few seconds before stopping and observing. Nidoking stopped protecting when her attack let up, looked at the Espeon and gave an evil smirk. He leaped forward towards the Espeon again, but this time, he lead with his head in another Megahorn. Sola stopped the attack, and Nidoking, in midair with Psychic and quickly repulsed him. Nidoking landed on his feet and he along with the Executive showed annoyance on their faces. Nidoking charged again, this time his feet were slightly glowing, a hint that he was going to use Double Kick again. Sola fired a Psybeam straight into the Nidoking's chest, pushing him back again. This made the Nidoking go into a rage and started charging with Thrash, his arms almost aimlessly flailing in front of him. This was the opening that Seth and Sola were looking for, as Sola quickly dodged the Nidoking's first strike and hit him in the back with another Psybeam. This angered Nidoking even more as he turned around and charged with Thrash once again. This time, however, he used the incredible speed that he displayed in the beginning of the match. Sola had no time to react and dodge, so instead she met him head on, creating another Psychic wall. She stopped the Nidoking's charge just inches from herself. With the Nidoking's full strength bearing down on the barrier and not just his weight, Sola struggled trying to keep him at bay. Just when it seems the Nidoking will break through, Sola gets an idea and slants her Psychic barrier in such a way that the Nidoking is simply redirected and runs into a tree at the dense forest's beginning, getting his horn stuck in the trunk. As the Nidoking struggles to escape, Sola focuses her mind again with Calm Mind, then uses Psychic to pull the Nidoking away from the tree, pick him up into the air, and slam him back into the sand. When the dust settles, Seth and the Executive realize that the Nidoking is knocked out. Sola pants for a few seconds, having used quite a bit of her energy on that last attack, then noticed that her opponent is K.O.d and ran back to Seth, happiness and pride clearly shining on her face.
"You're defeated. You will leave now… before we make you." Seth stated to the Executive, whom was fuming at his loss.
"Just you vait, kid. Ve vill rise to power again and take control of ze world." The Executive stated before angrily walking back to the helicopter with the grunts. Suddenly, the Executive whipped back around and began sprinting inland, trying to somehow pass the trainers and search the island himself. Before he could even make it to the forest's beginning, he runs into an invisible barrier, knocking him onto his back. As the Executive got up, he heard a light giggle from Sola the Espeon. He shot an evil glare at the Espeon, which caused her to stop laughing and instead, drag the Executive back into the helicopter using Psychic. She then started up the helicopter, causing the pilot to take the controls and began flying away from the island. After the helicopter began flying away from the island, Seth wrote a note on a small scrap of paper and had Jolt deliver it to Tess on the other side of the island. After Jolt took off in a burst of yellow light, Seth, Ash, Brock, May, Max, the rest of the Eeveelutions, and a Pidgey which had perched itself on Seth's shoulder during his battle with the Executive returned to Seth's cabin. Blaze, Misty, and the Pidgey split off from the group to return to what they were doing previously. May once again showed her curiosity after the group settled back into the cabin.
"Ok, how were you able to understand what your pokemon were saying to you before?" she asked, impatiently.
"Telepathy, May." Seth replied, "It's a special ability only available to Psychic types or those that can learn psychic moves. It can also be used to talk to the rest of your pokemon, psychic or not."
"This is very interesting, Seth. I guess everyone's always learning new things." Brock said.
"They're beautiful, yet strong enough to do their duty." May said, softly.
"Thanks, you two." Seth said, before hearing the phone ring on the desk behind him.
Answering the call, Seth kept it off of speakerphone and talked silently with the caller while Ash, May, Brock, and Max spent some time with Sola and Shadow. Seth talked for a few minutes before turning back to the group.
"Good news." Seth began, "Seagallop is sending a HI Speed ship our way as we speak. It'll be here in a few minutes, so all of you should get ready for your trip back to Hoenn."
"YES! We can finally continue our journey!" May and Ash exclaimed together.
Ash, May, Brock, and Max were escorted to the dock by Seth, Sola, and Shadow. As they boarded the ship and were about to set sail, they all heard:
=I have a distinct feeling that we'll see each other again down the road. I don't know when, but when we do, hopefully it will be on more… casual grounds.=
The group looked back to see Seth, Sola, and Shadow simply standing on the dock, lips unmoving, with a lone Pidgey perched on Seth's shoulder.
"That is so cool!" Max exclaimed.
Brock took a closer look at the Pidgey and noticed a blueish tint in its eyes.
"Hey… There is something different about that Pidgey that is with Seth there." He said.
Before anyone else could look and comment, the ship took off in a large burst of speed eastward, returning the trainers back to Hoenn to continue their journey.
Author's Notes: Getting motivation to write is a task in and of itself, especially when the times you get inspiration are in places where you have no way of writing down the ideas that pop into your head. I also recently had a temporary job for a while helping out a former teacher of mine with her huge garden, which hurt my already slow progress on this story.
If you hate waiting this long for chapter updates, I apologize, but I share this one computer (the only one with internet connection) with 4 other family members in my house. You're just going to have to be patient for updates from me.