Last Chapter
Arceus quieted. "For one split second, I did not know what to do, and what I did end up doing is something that to this day, I've only ever done once."
Arceus turned to look at Ash, who looked perplexed by the tale thus far.
"I intervened."
Ash's eyes widened ever so slightly. 'It… it was you! You saved me from the Volcano that day?"
The white and gold Pokémon nodded. "In a way, yes. I sent my presence, not my physical form, to your location, and using Mew's teaching, I saved you from the Lava. By some small miracle, as your hand was wrapped around your Pokémon belt, I did not have to mourn your six Pokémon you kept with you."
"However…" The Pokémon hesitated. "I did heal all of you…" Ash looked down to what the Pokémon seemed to be staring at and realized swiftly it was his rright arm. He clenched his fingers, still remembering the agony of the lava about to hit.
"How bad… was I? When you healed me?"
Arceus' tone took a graver outlook. "You would have been deceased within a minute, give or take. Your skull was fractured to the point where it may not have been able to have been repaired. Your spine had nearly shattered in two different spots. Quite honestly… you should have died on impact, Ashura."
Ash frowned. "What happened next?"
The God of Creation spoke. "I sent a messenger to retrieve you; the closest thing I could do to ensure you were saved; a Dragonite."
Realization hit the champion like a sack of bricks. "I remember Lance telling me that something seemingly possessed Dragonite to dive into the Volcano despite death looming large… that was you?"
"Indeed."
Ash was still quiet, listening to the Pokémon's story. "After I realized you'd been betrayed, I knew how fit you were to be deemed the most powerful trainer… the most powerful Human the world had ever known. Only someone with the purest of hearts could still find the path to lead a region to glory despite having everyone they know turn their backs on him. And someone who has been with the Chosen One, helped him since he was a trainer, you, Misty Waterflower, deserve to be about as strong as the Chosen One. And so…"
The picture behind Arceus morphed into a black screen yet again. "I decided to give you two something."
The raven-haired boy blinked. He was pretty sure he would've remembered the God of Creation handing him a blue box with some money in it. "You two? What did you give us?"
The Pokémon merely smiled. "A gift."
Ash raised an eyebrow. "A gift?"
"A gift. In fact, she's right next to you. Misty, she is your Pokemon also." Ash and Misty comprehended the Pokémon's statement before his eyes darted down to Vaporeon who was sleeping peacefully. His brain began to put two and two together, and it wasn't long before it all snapped together.
"You found Vaporeon in the other realm and sent her to me? Why?"
"For one, I knew you would be worthy of taking care of her. As you know, it's a large responsibility taking care of a Half-Legend, Half-Ultra Beast variant. Secondly, having her close to you will only make you both that much stronger as time goes on… for you have not heard the final tale that I am to tell you."
Arceus turned around. "This… is the location of the original revolution… the place where the war technically began."
The picture morphed yet again, this time though, it was an Egyptian-looking city, where strange non-Pokémon creatures were running about. Ash frowned as the pictures began to morph quicker this time, as if they were preparing to be shown in a rapid-fire sort of way. Arceus said nothing as the pictures flipped. Ash still couldn't figure out the pattern.
It wasn't until the final picture, anyway, that he saw the pattern. There was a Pokémon surrounded by what appeared to be guards of sorts. The Pokémon had yellow fur and red eyes. It highly resembled a fox.
Around it were a group of golden Pokémon, with Rainbow Gems on their foreheads.
'Vaporeon…' Ash's mind clamped down.
Ash stared up at the legendary Pokémon, who seemed to be wearing an uneasy look on its face. "Vaporeon was part of the original revolution? The one where her own kind; the Ultra Beasts… slaughtered her friends and family?"
Arceus merely looked at him, and it further continued to fall together for Ash and Misty. "That's why you sent her to me, why she trusts humans but has a tougher time with Pokémon; it was the war of Pokémon and Ultra Beasts that eliminated her kind!"
"Oh, and there's more than that. You see, as she is expected to be the last Vaporeon from this universe, it means she is very, very unique. There was another reason I wanted her to be by your and Misty's side." The Alola champion awaited the words of the God expectantly.
"I mentioned earlier a key would be needed to unlock the Yzerlock. While part of me was content in strictly keeping the key away from harm, I began to worry that if it was needed and that Ultra Beasts were able to flow into the world non-stop, the Yzerlocks power would have to be reactivated."
Misty blinked. "That means…"
The picture behind Arceus faded away and a clear cut picture of the Yzerlock was seen. Ash analyzed the whole device, looking at every cut, mark and crevice. It truly looked like a golden arm-gauntlet of sorts, one that would snap onto your wrist and leave your hand barren. As Ash continued his inspection of the device, Arceus' monotone cut his thoughts off.
"Look at the top of the device, Chosen one." Ash frowned but did so. He saw a small groove encased in the top of the device, like something round and circular was supposed to be placed there.
Everything clicked in a singular moment for Ash, disbelief coloring his features. "No! It can't be!" Ash stared at Vaporeon, eyeing the crystal on its head. His eyes then darted back to the crevice on the device. It seemed to be perfect.
"Vaporeon's rainbow crystal is needed to activate the Rainbow—"
He stopped, realization slamming into him. Arceus nodded. "As I said Chosen One, the device was named after the key; somehow, a Vaporeon helped the Humans banish the Ultra Beasts and end the war. Fitting, since they were at the very beginning, and fought on until the bitter end. You were selected to be the Chosen One, someone who could defend all the regions until their dying breath and have the trust of my children. With the title of Chosen One, I knew I should bestow upon you the very things you would need to activate or deactivate the Yzerlock in case the worst should happen."
The picture faded to black and then the area turned entirely white yet again, no trace of a magnified slideshow ever to be seen.
"Your destiny is to lead your people, to get revenge on those who betrayed you, to find true peace in your life, and of course, to defend the world with the power you've gained throughout your perilous journey's. Vaporeon is your passageway to find me, should you need to do so."
Ash's vision began to get blurry. "Arceus, wait I—"
"You have the key. Now, you must locate the Yzerlock. Vaporeon will be your guide, whether it be voluntary or involuntary…"
"Can Misty also help with the search?"
"Sure. She is also pure of heart as needed for your mate. You can have Vaporeon travel with her to find the Yzerlock."
"Arceus—" He got out, the light becoming far too much to fight against. It forced him to cover his eyes on instinct.
"One word of advice before you must return; sometimes those who reside in a home make it what it is. Should you look to start somewhere… that is where I would begin."
And then, Ash and Misty shot up out of bed, Vaporeon peacefully snoozing next to him.
Present
"I'm telling you man, this place gives me the willies."
In HeaHea City, two men in bright orange-red clothes stood pat. They were waiting at the rendezvous for their target, an investor of sorts. Sadly, they had been told to await their target in a rather spooky old-warehouse.
The other man grunted. "Not our concern. All I was told about this place is that nobody should be able to find it. We just gotta wait here until the guy we're looking for rolls in."
"What's so important about him anyway?"
The other man sat down nonchalantly. "Supposed to know all the underground routes of Alola. Boss thinks it'll be good for us; I don't ask any questions. Though frankly, I did expect an appearance to be made by this point of the night."
A hum of agreement from the original grunt was heard before silence was all that followed. One man began to rotate a pokeball in hand in an effort to pass time. The other seemed to be admiring an odd-shaped rock on the ground for a handful of minutes. The silence was short lived however, as the rock-admiring grunt spoke to his companion yet again.
"Serious, what the hell are we doing out here? We're just asking to be set up and—"
The other grunt cut him off gruffly. "Like I said, I don't ask questions. I'm going to climb the totem pole until I'm the head honcho."
The other grunt snorted a bit, clearly not believing it. "Yeah yeah, sure."
"What, you think I can't do it?"
The first grunt shrugged. "Never said that."
The other took a few steps closer to him, eyes narrowing menacingly. "You didn't have to." His companion scoffed. "Oh please, you're acting like a toddler."
"Says the one who finds pleasure in the ruination of others!" His gruff personality was turning into anger.
"Hey, I'm only being realistic. Getting on your knees to beg for promotions isn't my idea of climbing the ranks."
"You're just jealous because I'm willing to do whatever it takes to be at the top! It'll show I have ambition!"
The original grunt scoffed for the second time. "No, it'll show that you've got no backbone… that you're a pushover." The two grunts stared at one another, anger and annoyance only increasing the tension between the duo. "Back. Off. I'll show you who's the pushover. How about the guy who's content with being a grunt his whole life?"
"Says the guy who's dreaming of being the big shot." He shook his head. "Give it a rest. At least I'm being realistic. You're out here thinking you'll be the next Lysandre. It's sad really, I almost feel sorry for you."
Just then, a new voice spoke. "Are you two done with your bickering?"
The two men whirled to the new voice and saw a cloaked man standing there. He had a cape billowing behind him ominously, and he brought the presence of darkness. His face was covered by a hood. The original grunt chucked out his lone Pokémon, a houndour. Next to him, his companion let out midnight-Lyncanroc and the two took stances against the newcomer.
"Who's asking?" One of them yelled, obviously expecting a battle.
The man pulled down his hood to reveal slick brown hair and green eyes. His jawline was defined and he looked like he'd just turned twenty. "Figured your boss would've told you; Scourge ring a bell?"
The men started in surprise. "You're our target. Should've led off with that if you were going to sneak up on us like that!"
"Spare me. Let's get this over with; I've got a woman at home to satisfy, and you lot are holding up the line. Besides, I bet your boss won't be happy you've been lollygagging around while his informant was waiting for the act to stop." Scourge rolled his eyes.
"Alright, lets—"
The grunt placed a hand on his companions shoulder. "Hold it mate. We can't forget protocol." He turned to Scourge. "Sorry about this… sir, but we have to inspect everyone before we take you to our base of operations. You understand, right? We're just trying to make sure we don't have any security breaches."
Scourge grunted but agreed. The man carefully pat down Scourge, taking note of the many pokeballs attached to his belt. "Man, you have been around. That's some haul you've got there sir, glad you're on our side." He finished patting the man down before nodding almost to himself and claiming. "He's clean. Just his Pokémon and that's it."
Scourge once again just grunted before speaking. "Can we go now? I'll be fifty by the time you two are done." The two grunts looked at each other before one sighed. "Fine, let's go then. Our ride is just outside."
Scourge followed the grunts out of the warehouse and to their vehicle. The grunts instructed him to get in the back, much to his disarray. He complied nonetheless and within seconds they were on their way. After a brief report-in from their commander, silence overtook the vehicle and left all to their devices.
Twenty minutes later and the trio was in front of a large mountain, one that had jagged rocks all over and as far as the eye could see. Scourge looked around from the back seat and scoffed. "Is this supposed to be some sort of joke?"
"That's why the boss likes this so much." The grunt in the passenger seat of the car lightly pounded on the glove compartment and a small, ten digit box popped out. The grunt pressed four numbers rapidly, and the box vanished back into the glove compartment. Nothing happened for a brief moment, but then, some of the smaller rocks on the mountain began to shift open. A hole large enough for the vehicle to slip through opened and the grunt driving put it straight through the opening.
There were multiple grunts with Pokémon escort standing watch as they drove past. The tunnel was illuminated enough for visibility to be mediocre. After a moment though, they came out into a large factory-looking facility.
Scourge looked around, a bit surprised there was a facility this large in operation right outside HeaHea city.
"Boss says it's always better to operate under the cover of night, even though these clothes leave little else other than lasting impressions. Come on, he's waiting for you." One of the grunts got out and walked over the Scourge's door and opened it up. The man stepped out, eyes narrowing at the amount of grunts he saw. He counted a few dozen troops, all having at least one Pokémon by their side. How had they managed to stay so hidden for so long?
A new voice cut through his thoughts. "Impressed?"
He turned and saw a brown-haired man in a white lab coat, a smug look on his face. "Very. I know all there is about this region, and yet I never once knew of this mountain being hollow."
The man chuckled dryly. "It has its advantages. Scourge, I presume?" A nod came from their visitor. "Charmed. My name is Alexander. I am the leader of this branch, one of our leading five."
Scourge looked almost interested. "Look, all I'm here about is for money. I heard you got the bling, and that's why I'm here. Let's get talking business."
Alexander looked a bit miffed but nodded nonetheless. "Very well." He turned to the two grunts. "I presume you checked him for… the usual?" The grunts saluted and gave their confirmation. Alexander gave another nod and then motioned for Scourge to follow him. "Such business deals shouldn't be done amongst peasants. Let us go to a more fruitful location."
"Fine by me. Lead the way."
A handful of minutes later and the foursome was now in what appeared to be an office of sorts. Scourge admired the robust décor for a moment or so before he realized he was being watched by the other people in the room curiously. The grunts looked a bit curious, their Pokémon uncaring as ever. Alexander commented. "I appreciate your taste, well, assuming it was just you who was authentically appreciating mine."
"I was."
"Hmm… a wise answer. Now, onto business, as you said." Alexander sat at his desk, looking at Scourge, who was now comfortably sitting on a couch not too far away from where the desk was placed. The grunts were now both at the doorway, both quiet as mice.
"I've been told by sources that you know the layouts to Alola as a whole as well as some lighter schematics of ALT City, is this correct?" Scourge actually snorted. "I wouldn't be here if that was bogus now would I?"
Alexander gave him a small sneer, uninterested in back-talk. "Hold your tongue. I'm the one who's willing to pay for your services, so a little less of your cheek was be ideal. I need you to give me access to the trading ports and trade routes that Ghost and his elite four use to get supplies for ALT City."
Scourge raised an eyebrow. "You want me to tell you how and where the supply routes are so you can, what, starve Ghost out? What kind of strategy is that? You've been gone for years and that's the strategy you reveal yourself with?"
Alexander bit his lip. "Admittedly, the defenses at ALT City are far stronger than I or any of our admins foresaw. It also does not help us that we have one of his elites captive at the moment; I have no doubt they will do anything and everything in their power to get him back." Scourge, to his credit, didn't look the least bit interested. "Look Alex, don't care about an elite; it's none of my business. But what you're proposing is insanely dangerous. You're asking me to do elite four and league recon in their own battleground with no backup."
Alexander snorted. "I have a plan laid out for after you've acquired the routes and the details thereof. However, as I recall, I'm the one paying you to come up with a plan and to execute said plan. Now, will you take the op or not? I will have to ensure your silence about our facilities either way."
Scourge chuckled. "If you're doubting my abilities, shame on you. If you're doubting my fondness to throw myself into one of the most heavily fortified areas of the region, then yes, you'd have merit."
Alexander narrowed his eyes. "You fear Ghost like all others?"
"I respect him. He's not one of the most powerful battlers in the world for nothing. He's clever as well, more clever than others give him credit for." Alexander pointed out. "And yet, you've remained uncaptured. Why is that?"
"Because I'm the best." Scourge said in a matter-of-fact tone.
The brown-haired man frowned at this sentence, carefully considering his next words. "What are your terms for agreement? I am willing to negotiate the price to something that meets your standards."
Scourge was silent for a moment. After a bit of waiting, he decided. "I want four million credits, unmarked. I take one million up front as down-payment and get the other three upon completion of the op. I want information that only Team Flare has for my own purposes, any information that I ask for, and I want your word that I'll have Flare's cooperation during the recon. I'll be risking my neck more so than I've ever done before if I go through with this mission; it better be worth my time."
"Deal. Rack!" One of the Flare grunts stood at attention. "Go to the treasury. Bring back Mr. Scourge his credits, and we'll begin discussing deeper terms." The grunt saluted. "Yes sir!" He made his exit, his Lyncanroc going with him.
"There's something else." Alexander frowned, not liking an additional term being added on after he had already accepted the proposal. "What is it?"
"The information I spoke of, I want it up front as well. If you don't like it, you can keep your credits. That's my offer."
Alexander had an unreadable expression run across his face before he nodded. "Very well, I accept. What would you like to know? Please keep in mind, I cannot say some things about the organization, as it would violate the code. But aside from that, what information would you be interested on hearing about?"
Scourge looked lost in thought for a moment. "Do you have an outpost on ALT City that will help me if the mission goes south?"
"No. We control four bases, one on each island. Our main leader resides in plain sight, while us admins each man one of the four islands. So, if you are caught or if the 'mission goes south,' you'll be on your own. Next?" Alexander spoke in a bored tone while pouring himself a shot of alcohol.
"Why did you choose to expose yourselves in ALT City? What did that serve?"
Alexander nodded slowly, took a small sip of his drink and spoke. "Our first mission since we were forced to go underground was in the form of a kidnapping of the elite Xavier Blackmon. We knew we would have to get Ghost's attention to keep his thought process on finding Xavier rather than our main objective. So far, it appears to be working."
Scourge chuckled. "So you actually have Blackmon?"
Alexander laughed darkly. "Of course, would I make that up? It happened in front of so many people as well, all know now that Flare has returned, and if we can capture an elite four member, anyone is at risk."
"Where is he anyway? I figured he'd be locked up at one of your four facilities despite you guys originating in Kalos as it was." Scourge carefully prodded. Alexander seemed to either not care or didn't notice the sincerity of the question.
"Oh yeah, he's in our MeléMelé hideout." Scourge was about to say something when Alexander downed the rest of his drink and spoke. "In fact, hold up a second, I think I can show you something you'll like." He began to type on his computer rapidly, attempting to input something and pull a screen up for his visitor. Scourge stood and walked to see the screen Alexander was attempting to show him.
Within seconds, Alexander puffed out his chest and proudly stated. "Enjoy."
Scourge's eyes darkened considerably. There, from the viewpoint of a security camera, was the tied up and bloodied body of Xavier Blackmon. It looked as though he was tied up in a cell of sorts, with nothing but a small bowl of water next to him. His hair was caked in dirt and his body was covered in bruises.
"Son of a bitch…" Scourge muttered and lightly tapped the screen of his watch, unnoticed by both Alexander and the remaining grunt. Meanwhile, Alexander still seemed unaware of Scourge's discomfort as he poured himself another drink, his third one since Scourge had arrived in the base. "Well, what do you think? The bastard is getting what he—"
BOOOM!
A thunderous explosion shook the entire base as the side of the mountain that was concealing the hideout was blown to smithereens. In an instant, a hoard of Pokémon rushed inside, being commanded by a group of figures. Alexander rushed to the window that oversaw the majority of his operation and let out a roar. He saw a man in a red vest standing beneath the window and looking up with a cheesy grin on his face.
"It's Ghost! He's found us!"
Alexander turned around and could only let out a small cry of shock when Scourge grabbed him by the head and shoulders, bashing his head against the wall and splitting his skull open. In the grunt's stupor, he failed react quickly enough to save his boss, who was thrown out of the window. Alexander collided with the ground with another sickening crunch. That seemed to finally snap the grunt out of his daze.
"Houndour, flamethrower!" Scourge rolled on the ground to avoid the fire, and called out his trusted partner.
"Zeraora, use Thunderpunch!" In the blink of an eye, the electric-type was in front of the black-dog and the grunt. Both let out a similar cry of pain as Houndour was hit and thrown into the grunt. Both toppled to the ground, unconscious. More explosions and Pokémon moves could be heard from upstairs.
"Good job Zeraora, guard the doorway while I transfer all this information." The Pokémon nodded and made for the doorway, standing watch.
Scourge tapped his watch three times and the disguise was removed, revealing none other than Axel. He bent over the computer and began to type rapidly, similar to how Alexander had. He spoke into the watch. "This is Axel, aka Scourge. I'm in. Buy me as much time as you can."
"Copy that Axel. Stay sharp." Ash's voice rang back. As Axel continued typing rapidly, he pondered their strategy. For some days now, the elites and Ash had been attempting to tail Flare grunts while casually spreading false rumors of a mercenary named Scourge, who knew the region in and out.
Ash himself even made a press conference regarding Scourge, not even bringing the rest of the champions or Mr. Goodshow in the loop. It was crucial for utmost secrecy if they were going to get Xavier back. Thankfully, the rumor mill seemed to do the trick, and Axel was suiting up as the outlaw Scourge. It hadn't been too difficult to get into the good graces of the Flare grunts, they were just promised the simplicity of good graces with their bosses and that Scourge would vouch for them if they put in a good word.
As Axel went disguised as Scourge, the rest of the group stayed hidden from a safe distance while monitoring the situation through Axel's watch, which both acted as a comms device and his disguise. After taking out the perimeter grunts and their Pokémon and discreetly as possible, they all sent out five Pokémon, keeping one in case something went wrong. Ash took the top of the mountain, and blasted his way in from above. Zandra and July took the main entrance, and while mass panic ensued, they could pincer their opponents from above.
And naturally, all while this was going on, Axel would be inside the commanders room, gathering intel. It had been Zandra's idea to pose a decoy, and Ash had been initially hesitant, not wanting to risk having two elites in Flare captivity. Eventually though, it was the resolve from the other two that pushed him to agree to the plan.
It was all to save Xavier from the clutches of Flare. Whether or not Alexander had been telling the truth about the other hideouts at the remaining islands was yet to be seen. He had sounded sincere enough, but he had also been drinking, albeit not that much. Regardless, they would have all the information they needed once the hard drive information was copied in.
A handful of minutes passed tirelessly as Axel waited for the data to be copied. The plan had a few crucial factors; keep the power on, distract their forces, buy Axel time, destroy the base, call the authorities. Axel still heard screams from the Flare forces across the entire base, which was now coated front to back in powerful flames.
'How ironic…' He thought humorlessly. Axel was pulled from his comedy club when he heard a loud 'ding!' The data transfer had been completed. He ejected the device from Alexander's computer and yelled to Zeraora, "It's finished! Clear the hallway!"
Axel quickly ran out to the window and peered down, feeling an odd mixture of satisfaction and guilt as he saw Alexander still lying broken on the ground below, fire nearly consuming him. "Data transfer is complete, repeat, data transfer is complete. Let's roll out!"
"Copy! Throw on nightgear team!"
Axel and the rest of the team gave their affirmative before all of the sudden, the room and facility became pitch-black. "Vision is cut, goggles on!"
The four each had been given their specific gear from Aether Paradise, who all were so much more than what the world believed them to be, but Ash didn't want anyone else knowing that at the moment. As Aether Paradise disliked media attention in the first place, Ash didn't want people to know that a place that was expected to combat Ultra Beasts was also a place that created state-of-the-art gear for the league they represented.
With the power in the facility cut, the rest of the grunts were short work. Their Pokémon provided some difficulties, as they were able to sense and smell their intruders. However, without the commands from their owners, there was little they could do in the long run of things. The four exited the main entrance to see an army of police officers waiting. Many grunts were already outside and on their knees, surrendering themselves.
"Akala Island and HeaHea City police reporting in sir." The leader appeared, giving them all a salute. "Don't worry about the formalities officer. The power is cut inside. We took care of the vast majority of grunts, but there could definitely be a handful left." Ash waved him off.
"Any KIA?" The officer, Sergeant McMichael questioned.
"Lots of 'em. They came at us with everything they had, but we came out pretty much unscathed." Axel admitted sheepishly.
McMichael nodded. "Affirmative. I'll let my squadron know and we'll get right to work." With that he turned around and yelled. "Chalmers, Rhodes! Bring in the Arcanine squad! All breaching officers, be on alert! Many enemies are KIA inside, but some may be roaming! Our target will be the emergency generator, which is located in the leader's office according to Ghost's intel. Let's move out!" The policemen and policewomen saluted and followed the Arcanine squadron's inside.
A new voice was heard. "I thought it would be you sir."
The four turned to see a young woman there with dark purple hair and a black dress. She had blue, almost teal-colored eyes and was about 5'6". Ghost merely chuckled at the newcomer and commented. "How are you Vanya?"
Vanya Strickland, the young Ghost-type gym leader who resided in HeaHea City, playfully jabbed back. "Tired, exhausted really. Imagine my shock when I get an alert from my chief of police that Ghost and his elites had discovered a Team Flare hideout just outside my city, and I had to come out for any possible assistance."
Ash merely chuckled. "Well, you missed the RSVP. Care to file for a rain check?"
Vanya laughed. "Sure sure. Gengar was dying for some battling after getting knocked out in the second round. I'll have to be the one to tell him he's going home disappointed."
"So you will. If you'll excuse us Vanya, we best be heading back to the league." Axel spoke with a smile.
"But…" Ash spoke suddenly, getting all his elites and Vanya's attention. "We could use your help to stay here and enforce anything that happens, if you and Gengar are still interested. If not then—"
She interrupted him swiftly. "We'd be happy to Ghost! We'll take it from here!" She called out her Ghost-type and the duo ran for the front entrance, which was still crackling in flames. July was quiet for another moment before she spoke aloud. "She's… perkier, than I remember…"
Axel chuckled. "Heard it was cuz she got a boyfriend." July punched him on the shoulder to while the rest of the members laughed at Axel's expense. "That hurt woman!" July playfully stuck her tongue out at her boyfriend as the four of them began to walk slowly away from the burning base. A few more seconds passed when Ash spoke normally, but urgently enough that his elites took him seriously.
"Keep walking and talking about anything fun, keep up appearances; we're being watched." That seemed to get the attention of the group, Zandra especially. "Where from?"
"The rocks to our right, a Flare scout no-doubt." He spoke with a huge grin on his face.
Axel started laughing this time. "Should we take them out?"
"…No. We just need to keep up appearances. We know where Xavier should be now. All we have to do is let nature take its course. Let's analyze what we know back at HQ, let's move it." Ash called out Charizard and July called out Togekiss. Zandra hopped on with Ash while Axel leapt on with his girlfriend.
The four then flew away in the direction of the league, knowing they were being watched the entire way there. Sure enough, on the ridge that Ash had described, there was a Flare grunt lying prone with a pair of binoculars of sorts. She looked more than just a little spooked to what she had just seen.
"Maya, report in. What's the status of HeaHea HQ?"
The slender woman replied to her CO in a grime tone, "Destroyed sir. The league somehow found it with such ease, and destroyed it even quicker."
"Was it clear how they made it into the entrance?"
"No, somehow they knew where to look though. Everyone inside appears to have either been captured or… killed."
That bit of information seemed to surprise her boss the most. "Killed? And you're certain Ghost was the one leading the mission?"
"Yes sir, I'm positive."
Silence came from the other end of her earpiece for a small moment or two. "How interesting… Ghost… the leader of a region… willing to slaughter others to get one of his own back." Silence once again. "Did they see you Maya?"
"No sir. I kept out of sight, exactly as instructed."
"Good."
She was quiet for a moment before she spoke once again. "My orders, sir?"
"Return to base at once. They were undoubtedly searching for Mr. Blackmon. For the time being, we cannot afford to lose him. The league likely assaulted the base with the hopes of finding him or finding out where he is being held. There's no doubt now that they have that piece of information. We must move him before the league locates our base. So… yes, return at once to the hideout. We'll form a complete plan over the coming days."
"Copy that command, Maya in and out." She tapped her earpiece, disabling it, and then carefully stepped backwards, vanishing from sight within seconds.
In ALT City, a red-haired man sat a bar as dusk began to take over the gorgeous island. Around him, people were seen happily chatting, whether it be about the tournament, which was about to get into the Elite Eight, or something else. Regardless, this man didn't want to listen to them. Instead, he wanted to figure out his own mindset, and why he had become so… different to the ones he cared for.
Lance Dragonwright scowled down at the wooden structure, as though it was the bars fault that he had royally screwed up. He may have been a champion, but it didn't make that empty feeling go away or get lighter. Over the past couple of weeks, he'd gone from a modest dick to a complete asshole. What was even more embarrassing was that it had taken him that long to figure it out in the first place.
It had started with the small hope that Zandra would give him a second chance to prove himself to her. She was the most gorgeous woman Lance had ever laid his eyes on. Her pretty pink hair, her luscious curves, her naughty smirk and devilish eyes… he began to crave them. When he was away from Zandra, the urge was dimmed down exponentially. Now though, those desires were back, and he had been desperate to right the ship. The only issue was that he chose the wrong strategy to try and attempted to win his way back into her heart before trying simply to understand the big picture.
Under the delusion that he may have had a good shot to win Zandra back, he had told Ash of his plans in confidence. When his friend had told him he should reconsider what he was going to do, Lance snapped. He was furious that one of his best friends didn't believe in him and didn't believe he could do it. Lance had missed the irony of the whole situation.
Then, after defeating Zandra, he met up with her later that day and took his shot. It had ended exactly as Ash had predicted, except far worse.
Lance downed the rest of his drink and slammed it on the bar loudly, getting the bartenders attention. "Another one." The man eyed him up hesitantly but reluctantly poured the champion another drink. "Mr. Champion sir, I'll be frank with you; after this one here, I'm going to have to ask you to leave the premises should you keep ordering."
The man was clearly on edge, knowing very well how powerful Lance was. But Lance hadn't let the alcohol go to his head… yet. He was coherent enough to nod and say to the man. "Yeah, sorry if I'm…. causing any trouble or anything. Just had a rough few days."
The man didn't seem to believe his words entirely, but nodded. "Just take it easy. Keep your cool and keep your head in the right place and we can talk in a bit, aye?"
Lance nodded again before solemnly turning back to his drink. The man watched him for another moment before going back to his own work. Lance held his head, shame still building even at that exact moment. While his elites were not strangers, they didn't hang out like Ash and he had while Ash was recovering mentally and physically. The champion had never seen such fire and passion in a trainer; it still wondered him to this day how Ash survived that fall.
And why he asked Lance not to press charges… not yet at least.
Flashback… Brock's Apartment… Pewter City… Day after the Betrayal
Brock Harrison didn't have much to his name at the moment. While down the road he would become a wealthy Pokémon breeder and doctor, once he had begun his studies, money was a bit of a concern for him. He had been expecting people coming to him regarding Pokémon health questions and anything of the sort.
His apartment was a small one, only possessing two bedrooms and one bathroom. There was a small kitchen and a small living room in the place as well. In that living room, there was a moderately sized table that was used to host the occasional party of co-workers or something of the sort. Currently however, that table was being used to keep one Ash Ketchum off the ground and stable.
Ash was twitching slightly, the only indication that he was still alive. Brock seemed to voice Lance's thoughts as his Chansey ran around the apartment, searching for the necessary medical supplies.
"How on… how is he still breathing?"
Lance softly whispered. "Your guess… is far better than mine."
Brock held Ash down by his shoulders, which were barren since his clothes were dismantled far beyond wear. Lance whispered quietly once more. "Can't we move him to the bedroom? I think he'd be more comfortable there."
"No. We need to keep him flat, stable and unmoving. We need him at a perfect hundred-and eighty degree angle. We've got the supplies to keep him stable, but for a full recovery I'll need help, a lot of help." Brock spoke with haste. Suddenly, he turned back to Lance. "Where did you even find Ash?"
The champion almost cowered under the opposing mans stare. "A…. A volcano. In the base… of a volcano. I couldn't believe he was alive when I found him; he should be dead by all rights. W-What are his injuries?"
Brock was carefully inspecting Ash all over. "Fractured skull in multiple spots, broken leg." Brock was silent for a moment or two before he spoke once more.
"Thank you, Lance. You saved his life."
Lance shook his head. "If anyone deserves credit, it's Dragonite. He knew Ash was there." The red-haired man then turned to a nearby desk, where six of Ash's Pokémon were attached to his belt. "Correct me if I'm wrong, Pikachu always likes to stay out of its pokeball?"
"Yeah."
Lance questioned curiously. "How do you expect that it got in its ball in the first place? And why hasn't it come out to check on Ash yet?"
Brock stared at the belt curiously, as if contemplating the question. "That… is a strange thought. Not an unwarranted one, but a strange one." After another moment, he shook his head lightly before going back to treating Ash's wounds. Brock licked his lips and stood up.
'Come to think of it, why was Ash talking in the third person? Hell, how was he talking at all? It doesn't make any sense. Something seriously fishy is going on here, and I have to figure out what exactly it is.' The champion's mind turmoiled uneasily.
Of course, what Lance hadn't realized that Arceus and Arceus alone was the reason Ash hadn't died in that Volcano. It had been Ash's will to live and to save his Pokémon that got him that far, but Arceus had done major lifting. It was also Arceus who temporarily took control of Ash, as the raven-haired boy was his chosen one, and was able to give Lance the necessary instructions to keep him away from those who betrayed him. After all, only Ash and Arceus knew and would tell the full story.
Brock looked down at the broken form of his best friend and shook his head. "This doesn't make sense. Why wouldn't Ash call out one of his flying Pokémon? Why was he in that Volcano in the first place?"
Lance bit his lip. "I wish I knew. We can only wait until he wakes up."
Brock looked hesitant. "I'm… not trying to be petty, but what about my job? I can't be with Ash twenty four-seven if I'm working my job too."
The red-haired man nodded. "From the money standpoint, I'll keep you covered with the league; as far as I'm concerned, you're a leading medical practitioner of Kanto and therefore you'll be compensated as long as you keep watch over Ash. For supplies, I'll retrieve them personally. As this was expected to be my vacation time, the league won't be looking for me or be needing me anytime soon."
Brock raised an eyebrow. "Do you have a place to stay locally?"
Lance grinned. "The league always has this one place we love to rent out whenever we're in Pewter. It's a penthouse location, so I'll let them know I'm checking in."
The ex-gym leader nodded in approval. "What should I tell my job then?"
"Tell them you're on a special assignment from Champion Lance himself. If they want verification, just tell them they can expect a visit from a fire-breathing Dragonite and the champion within twenty-four hours." He chuckled.
"Sounds good."
Lance looked at the man questioningly. "And you're okay with temporarily stopping your job?"
The man's eyes shined brightly with unshed tears. "Lance, I know you never travelled with us. Ash was like a brother to me. We are brothers, in all but blood. If he were in my shoes, he would need to be forcibly removed to leave my side. We travelled through Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh together. Hell, that's not even every place we've met up and spent time together. I owe him more than I can ever repay him. So yes… I'm certain."
Lance gave him a small grin and nodded as Brock nodded back. Lance spoke once more. "Is there anything you need me to get right now? Could be anything from groceries to medicine."
Time passed as days droned into weeks. Brock, bless his heart, was able to stabilize Ash and keep treating his injuries. Over time, the broken leg began to heal. The rips and tears on his body had begun to seal up as well. It only left his fractured skull. While neither one was surprising to be amongst the last things to heal.
Lance spent a good amount of his time getting to know Brock and staying with Ash. Brock assured him that he shouldn't waste all his free time and encouraged Lance to go out and let him stay with Ash. So Lance had ventured out and enjoyed the best he could from both regions he oversaw.
Pikachu had emerged from its pokeball not long after Lance had left for the first trip of supplies for Ash and Brock. Obviously, the yellow rodent was distraught over the condition of its trainer. Also, it seemed to know what happened to Ash, but neither Lance nor Brock could figure out what exactly it was trying to say.
Lance and Brock, meanwhile, waited for Ash to wake up. One day however, Lance left Kanto temporarily on a business trip after making a handful of calls. Brock had no clue what Lance had left to go do, but agreed to stay with Ash nonetheless. Two days later, after little contact from the champion, Lance arrived back in Brocks apartment. It was precisely a month since Lance had found Ash in the heart of the Volcano.
Present… ALT City, Alola Region
"And it did…" Lance muttered quietly.
Ash had woken up not long after. After Ash had emerged from his sleep, both he and Brock were relieved to see he was mostly the same person. Once finding out that the group of people Lance had spotted scaling the outskirts of the volcano were none other than the people who threw him to his demise, Lance immediately wanted blood. Brock wasn't too far behind him, but Ash didn't want that.
Ash wanted the best form of revenge, and now that he was presumed dead from his so-called friends, he could do whatever he wanted. Of course, Ash hadn't counted on the world being crushed by the loss of a powerful trainer. Everyone was mourning him, even publicly, his friends. Ash knew he'd have to stay quiet for a long time. For some time, as Ash recovered, Lance began to teach Ash some strategies that he and only he knew. Weeks droned into a short couple of months, and before Lance knew it, Ash had almost fully healed. His skull had healed much faster than anticipated, his broken leg had also made a full recovery. It was largely in part due to Brock, but even he had no clue why Ash was able to make such a speedy recovery for injuries that normally took much longer to heal.
Of course, not one of them, Ash, Lance or Brock, knew about Arceus' interference.
In any event, as the time had come for Lance to return back to his post, it also lined up perfectly with Ash leaving Brock's apartment. And since Ash was leaving, it enabled Brock to go back to his job as well, much more compensated than two months prior.
Only one issue remained to that point: where would Ash go? Ash had expressed a strong desire to keep training and catch a new team of Pokémon. When Lance questioned if he could return to Oak's lab in secret to see if he could retrieve some of Ash's Pokémon, the raven-haired trainer agreed to the move, but implored Lance not to tell anyone, not even his mother or the Professor himself. Naturally, Lance agreed to the task, but when he began scouting the location out, he found none of his Pokémon where they were supposed to be.
The champion's first though had been that they were all released, which made obvious sense. His second was that perhaps they'd just been moved to a different location, which made less sense than his first prediction.
However, both predictions were thrown out of the way when Lance saw a tiny green Pokémon walk out of the nearby brush and stare at the Professor's laboratory. Long-story short, it had been Bulbasaur, who still refused to believe that Ash was truly gone. When Lance confronted the grass-type and told it that Ash was alive and well, a reunion had occurred. The issue was that Bulbasaur had no clue what happened to the rest of Ash's Pokémon.
In any case, Lance gave Ash an idea to where he could travel and train to get stronger. Since his visit with Alola was all positive and yet none of the main six regions knew anything about the distant islands, Lance encouraged Ash to go and train, and that he'd return consistently to check on him.
Ash would need a new look and an alias. So, as Lance knew all about Aether Paradise and their services, he entrusted the assistance of Lusamine, the leader of Aether Paradise, to help them out. They thanked Brock and in a flash were in the Alola region.
As it turned out, Lusamine was the perfect ally to have. Lusamine had been shocked to hear their current situation and was more than willing to help out in any way she could. Using some of their latest technology, Ash was given an entirely new makeover. His hair was dyed a lighter-shade of brown, his eyes turned to the color green using aura work, and Ash was given full-access to any other additional things he'd like to keep his identity a secret.
Ash would end up changing his attire as well, opting for a dark-gray shirt, red vest and cap. He followed it up with dark-gray jeans and a combination of red and gray gloves. The last thing Ash wanted done would be painful, but crucial to his hiding.
With that, his attire change was complete. The one last thing to do was to make his Alias. Lance never did know why Ash chose the name Ghost. He always assumed it was he was presumed dead, and therefore was a dead person walking. But instead of choosing a generic name, Ash, taking what was perhaps his true first step into a life of hiding, had a different strategy. Since it would be common knowledge that Lance would be checking in on Ash periodically to confirm he was alright, Ash chose a route that surprised both Lusamine and Lance himself.
Ash's alibi had been that he was an agent under Lance, and that he was ferocious battler who trainer under the champion himself. If Ash wasn't questioned at all, even better. Lusamine additionally came up with a brilliant idea for getting Ash acquainted more with Alola and the Pokémon that were there; Ash received an invitation from the Pokémon school in Alola. It was run by a kind old man named Racko Halpar. His son, Kukui Halpar, would be teaching the class that Ash would be put in!
It was a convenient compromise, and Lance left Ash under Kukui's care, though Kukui himself had no clue that Ghost was actually Ash Ketchum. For two years, Ash would learn under Professor Kukui and the Kahuna's of the islands, who wanted to see if the stories of Lance's supposed protégé were true.
Ash, primed by one of his most powerful teams that he had on him at the time of the betrayal, rolled his way to many victories. It was only when he had developed a solid reputation as a battler that he began to train new Pokémon, which started with Professor Kukui's Rockruff. He would add Pokémon after Pokémon to his team and trained them to be the best using his own strategies along with some of Lance's.
Lance himself would battle Ash just before the second Alola league was announced, and it came as a unreal shock to the red-haired man when Ash came out on top, and easily. It had been a three on three battle, but Ash had won by a score of three to one.
And when Lance found out that Alola was going to have its first champion, and they'd choose their league members as well, he knew very well that Ash was going to win, and win easily.
Lance stayed for the duration of the tournament, taking in the trainers and seeing who Ash would possibly declare as his elites. Even with five or six battles to go, Lance knew nobody could stand up to him. The current Kanto/Johto champion would watch amusedly, casually drinking his alcohol while he watched Ash beat up on trainer after trainer. Sure enough, it would come down to DeShiro Gardens as the last trainer to try and defeat Ash.
Lance's prediction proved correct. Ash stampeded DeShiro as well, though it seemed like a good bet that DeShiro would be joining the elite four of the region at least. Ash had Lance watching and listening during the interview process of becoming an elite four member, wanting a second opinion to go with his own.
Some people impressed both of them. Some were lackluster. DeShiro fell right in the middle of both, not really impressed or disappointing in his interviews. Overall, if Lance could use a word or two to describe the interview, it would be… bland. Other than making it to the championship round, there wasn't too much that DeShiro could boast about.
Lance saw a lot of flaws in every candidate. One of the final one's to go, however, caught his attention. Ash had been tending to his Pokémon while in the conference room, located in Malie City on Ula'ula Island. Lance had been standing with his arms crossed in the corner of the room when a beautiful woman walked in. Immediately, when she spoke, Lance's neck had snapped up so quickly that the bones in his neck cracked.
The woman seemed to notice him and eye him up, but Ash didn't. The interview began and Lance couldn't take his eyes off the beautiful girl. She had pink hair, blue eyes… or he guessed, as only one eye was visible, the pink hair covering her other eye. Lance tried to recall where he had seen her battle, if at all, but came up empty handed. Thankfully, while the interview questions flew by, Ash questioned how her battle tactic had fallen apart against DeShiro. That snapped everything into place for Lance, who recalled she'd been eliminated in the top 16 by DeShiro in a hard-fought battle.
As the interview crossed the fifteen-minute threshold, Lance learned a good deal about this woman. Her name was Zandra Polisik, and she was primarily a fairy-type user. She was quiet and distant most times, but others could be very kind and friendly. She fought aggressively and tried to keep her opponents on their heels at all times. She'd spent most of her life in many regions, only not visiting a single one of the core seven. She was hopeful to join, but said she understood if she wasn't selected, as she had failed to win in the top sixteen.
Throughout the entire interview, when Ash hadn't been looking, she was eyeing up Lance, as if trying to get an angle on him. Lance, feeling confident, had sent her as charming smile and a nod of his head. To his surprise, the girl blushed. After she had left, Lance offered to escort her out.
He wouldn't return to the room that day, as he would spend the rest of it getting to know the pink-haired trainer. They exchanged numbers and kept in close contact over the course of the coming days, waiting for Ash to make the final decision. Lance was certain of one thing; Zandra would make a great elite. She had the perfect qualifying characteristics. He was prepared to argue for her behalf, but there was one tiny little snag.
Ash had not been pleased when Lance hung him out to dry after the interview and instead relied on his trusty Pikachu as his next-closest confidant.
With that, Lance recalled the night of the selection…
Flashback… Approximately three years ago…
It was a warm night in KoniKoni City. All of the higher-ups from Akala Island were prepared to see who their new champion would be bringing into the fold for the new league. One of Ash's first meetings had discussed the approval for a Pokémon league, but temporarily at least, the league's head location would be held in Iprouis City on Ula'ula island.
There was a massive hall that showed the elegance the region had to offer. It was wonderous to behold and all the residents were loving the choice of locations. All the trainers who aimed to be selected had gathered, all filled with the highest of hopes. Meanwhile, in the back of the great hall and far out of sight, Lance and Ash were arguing furiously over the selection of the trainers, as Lance tried to get a last-ditch effort in to convince Ash of his side of the story.
"Lance for the last time, I'm not hearing you out. It's done, period."
The champion, dressed in a black suit with a red tie, tried his best to counter. "You said you wanted my professional opinion as a second listener. I did that, and I escorted some trainer out. Who cares?"
Ash snorted. "Clearly she's not just some trainer to you eh?"
Lance had the decency to look flustered. Ash rubbed his temples irritably. "Look Lance, hear me out. I get where you're coming from in a way. But you need to understand where I'm coming from. How can I trust my best friend, the guy who's been by my side for three straight years when you just upped and left when a pretty girl catches your eye?"
The red-haired champion had no response to that, because if he did respond, it would likely be with a lie of sorts. He merely stood there, speechless. Ash looked down uneasily. He pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed.
"All I can say Lance is that I made my choices without your input. You always told me to trust my gut, and that's what I'm doing here. It's nothing personal, I swear. But your head clearly isn't and wasn't in the right mindset. That's why I'm doing this." He patted Lance on the shoulder twice and Lance had no choice but to stare at his friend, a mixture of disappointment and shock written on his face. With that, Ash nodded in Lance's direction and walked off towards the primary stage, no doubt to prepare for the ceremony.
Lance wandered aimlessly for some time after that, drinking plenty of alcohol along the way. He was slightly buzzed by the time the loudspeakers came on and Ash's voice rang out over the hall. The noise got everyone's attention, as intended. "Hello everyone."
Ash stood at the podium, his black cloak and hidden attire covering his face. Ash had yet to fully commit to his red vest and dark gray attire at this point, and since he'd been crowned as champion, he chose to keep to the shadows. "For all those here, I welcome you to KoniKoni island's grand meeting hall. I'd like to thank those who made this night possible, and know that I greatly appreciate what you do."
Ash nodded and carefully took the hat off his head, surprising everyone there, including Lance himself. "Now, I will be very forthcoming about this. As champion, and as everyone knows, I am permitted to selected who I deem to be the most powerful trainers and promote them into what will be known as the very first Alola elite four. For too long now has the world ignored this fair region, and this league will be the first of many stepping stones to a brighter future for this region and it's people."
"However, even with the elite's that I've chosen, I will also be taking applications for gyms, which will be opening as soon as I approve construction." Whispering overtook the great hall, wrapping their heads around what they'd just been told. Ash continued. "There will be eight gyms. I've already selected the gyms locations, and should all be approved as I expect them to, we will begin the testing of young trainers. For the Island Kahuna's, their duties are not removed."
Ash didn't stop. "In order to qualify for the Alolan league, which in turn, is how you are able to battle the elite four that I am about to announce, a trainer must complete all eight gyms, beat any trials, and defeat the island Kahuna as well. Only when these three things have been achieved will a trainer be permitted to enter the Alola league."
A reporter standing up at the front of the masses cried out. "Won't that dissuade people from wanting to try out for the Alola league if it's so difficult to—"
"That's the point!"
Everyone looked a bit surprised at Ash's outburst, and he soldiered forth. "Every other region has the same thing; beat gyms, beat victory road, win the league. We. Are. Different. And because we're different, we want to give trainers the biggest challenge they've ever had to go through. That's why I didn't pick all my elites based on pure power, and it's also why I won't be electing gym leaders based purely power. It takes many different angles to find the true bonds between humans and Pokémon. That is what I want this region's challenge to be all about."
Ash continued. "Furthermore, if you were accepted to be an elite, you will have a six month mandatory training process. Gym leaders will undergo a similar training course that will take many months as well. Elites for the time being will reside in Malie City for the duration of training, which corresponds to the construction of the Pokémon league. My plan for the leagues location will be explained shortly at a different time."
"Elites and gym leaders will both be compensated handsomely, and the better record they possess ensures the gym's safety. In addition; a gym leader must have one-type of Pokémon they specialize in. Two types are permitted as well, to give trainers an even tougher challenge." Ash nodded, almost to himself. He looked at every soul that was in the hall, his eyes showing nothing but determination.
"There will be no victory road. There will be challenges. There will be no worthless battles where leaders don't feel like giving a damn about their duty and give away badges on silver platters. This will be a region that welcomes all trainers with open arms and shows them what a true challenge can be. This is my vision for how to make Alola the most powerful region this world has ever seen." The group cheered for their young leader, clinking their glasses in salute to their newfound champion.
Ash held up a piece of paper so that the crowd could see. "And it begins now. I will describe these four people I've selected one by one, and why I chose to select them. Keep in mind, should your name not be called, you may still have a place as a gym leader should you wish to have a spot on Alola's pivotal branch."
Ash placed the paper down and cleared his throat. He never noticed Lance, who was roaming towards the back of the pack, holding a pink-haired girls hand. Ash yelled. "Now keep this in mind. While I initially had an advisor…" He stopped for a moment, and Lance felt a small pang of guilt stab him. Zandra said nothing and waited for Ghost to continue. "I decided that it was best to trust my instinct and my instinct alone. These decisions were made purely solo, and I am confident that my decisions will pay off in short order."
"And with that… the first elite…"