Note - Thanks for telling the errors, the errors have been corrected as much as possible. If there are any errors, you can leave a review.
Last Chapter…
"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!"
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?"
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 state-of-the-art illusion 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.
Present… Enjoy everyone!
Flashback… Same one that last chapter ended with…
"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…"
Ash cleared his throat and continued. "When I call out your name, I implore you to come to the top of the stage here to be inducted. After such point, I will accept you into the league's folds and you may exit backstage. I will be taking no questions at this time or after the announcing of the elites. For the gym leaders, applications will be accepted starting a week from tomorrow. With all formalities out of the way, I shall announce the first elite."
The whispering in the room had gone from nonexistent to unmistakable. This moment would be remembered forever in the league's history; the first elites to ever step foot in Alola. A few moments passed by with the whispering still lingering. Ghost then held up his hand and as if air had been sucked out of the room immediately, and the whispering halted instantly.
For the second time in a short span, Ash cleared his throat. "The first elite… is a young man who I sense has a bond with his Pokémon that very few other can match. A hand-to-hand combat instructor in his spare time, he knows all there is about battling. His battling style, while not the most advanced, shows the connections he has with his Pokémon and he utilizes that bond as a tactical advantage in battle. In the short time I was talking to him, he was very respectful, kind, and showed a deep knowledge of Pokémon techniques and care. A situational battler who feeds off his Pokémon's courage and makes it his own to strengthen the bonds they share, and a young legend in the making. Hailing from HeaHea City with his partner Zeraora, I'd like to welcome Alola's first ever elite; Mr. Axel Fractera."
The hall gave a polite applause to the young man who was inducted. After a small moment of waiting, a young man with jet-blonde hair and disbelieving eyes made his way up the stairs to the stage. He had brown eyes and a huge smile on his face as he came full into view. Ghost held out his hand in greeting, to which Axel shook firmly.
"Welcome to the league my brother." Ghost said with a grin on his face.
"T-Thank you…" Axel whispered, shock still laced through his eyes, though the smile too never left his face.
Ghost motioned for them to stand next to the podium so that everyone could hear through the microphone. He looked at Axel and spoke the line he himself had created for this night. "Do you, Axel Fractera, swear loyalty to the Alola Region? Do you swear to defend her, to aid her, and cherish her lands as though they were your own, as now they will be?"
"I-I do." The man, who couldn't have been older than twenty, got out.
Ghost nodded and announced. "Then, Axel Fractera, I deem you, part of Alola's finest… an elite four member. Congratulations." The hall gave another smattering of applause as Axel looked to the masses and gave a polite wave. With that, he walked off to where Ghost had motioned for him to vacate to.
With that, the champion turned back to the crowd and relooked down at his paper.
"The second elite… is a young woman that cares for those she knows a great deal, and even more for those she knows not. This woman, an impressive chef and model, has been an icon for women across the region. Her battle style is one of great patience, allowing her Pokémon to sense the openings and weakness' of their competition as well as her. Fearless when defending those she cares about, daring on and off the battlefield, this young woman will make a fine addition to the league's foundations. Hailing from Mossdeep City with her partner Sylveon, I'd like to welcome Alola's second ever elite; Ms. July Ruftulis."
Another small smattering of applause went through and a beautiful young woman emerged from the crowd, seemingly unable to control her excitement. She had bright green hair, dark green eyes and was blessed with the curves of Aphrodite. A great portion of the men in the room seemed to be unable to take their eyes off the young beauty. She looked like she was in her younger twenties. The smile on her face was almost contagious. As she walked to meet Ghost once again, she called out her Sylveon, who appeared just as happy as she was.
She shook his hand firmly, the smile finding it's way to her eyes as well. "Welcome to the league, my sister." Ghost said, the same line as he had spoken to Axel.
"Thank you. Thank you!" The woman seemed to be overcome with excitement. Sylveon, next to her, seemed just as ecstatic as her trainer. Using the same hand motion he'd given Axel a minute prior, July went next to Ghost and stood pat, awaiting the vow.
"Do you, July Ruftulis, swear loyalty to the Alola Region? Do you swear to defend her, to aid her, and cherish her lands as though they were your own, as now they will be?"
The girl didn't hesitate. "I do!"
"Then, July Ruftulis, I deem you, part of Alola's finest… an elite four member. Congratulations!" The hall gave their cheers with July absorbing in all that had just happened. She looked at her leader with determination. "I won't let you down."
Ghost smiled and nodded her way before she too vanished to where Axel before her and gone. He then turned back to the masses and cleared his throat for the third time, which wasn't easing the nerves of those in the hall and hoping to hear their names called.
"The third elite… is a man who keeps cool and calm under the most intense situations. These types of people are especially unique, as they can block out the noise around them and dedicate their focus completely on what's in front of them. You can understand why having anyone like this is a valuable asset to this league's foundation. As a poker player prior to taking a chance on the Alola league, this man replicates his poker tactics with bold and unpredictable strategies that keep his opponents guessing at all times; a true force of a battler who's sky-high potential makes him a shoe-in for an elite role. Hailing from Sunnyshore City with his partner Pyroar, I'd like to welcome Alola's third ever elite; Mr. Xavier Blackmon."
Despite the applause that came over the room, everyone could clearly make out the, "Holy Fuck," that seemed to carry the most noise in comparison to all else. As a young male made his way to the point of meeting the new leader, it was obvious those of the opposite sex were drinking him in. He was about six-foot or so with silk-smooth brown hair. He himself looked like a male model and the females in the audience were loving it… along with some of the men as well.
'Is it just me or is Ash choosing everyone based on how attractive they are?' Lance paused, lost in wonder. 'If this is the case… Zandra should be selected, even though he won't do so and just plain refuses to listen to my reason… wait, am I being selfish, or am I looking out for Zandra?'
As Lance raged his inner war, he didn't notice Xavier being officially inducted into the league with the same oath he'd given both Axel and July. The man gave the young leader's hand a firm shake before he disappeared as well.
Ash tapped the mic in front of him twice and gave his final announcement. "With that… this is the final elite." He looked down at the piece of paper in front of him and seemed to scan the crowd with his eyes, as if searching for someone in particular. He then looked back down and spoke.
"The fourth and final elite… is a woman who knows how to adjust her style of battle at any moment. She—" The champion was cut off as groans were heard throughout the hallway, almost entirely all men.
"Silence!" Ghost roared.
The hall fell eerily quiet. "I will not have such childish reactions. Consider this; those who just decided to have their thoughts known as such an inopportune time, perhaps your maturity is a reason to why I have elected to not appoint you as an elite." The room was still silent, not a soul dared to challenge the one who'd so easily stomped his competition.
Ghost stared amongst the crowd once more before continuing. "This woman's prior profession was a most unusual one… bounty hunter. She, however, has morals. This woman refused any and all contracts that pertained to those of the law, and therefore was considered a prime asset to the Nimbassa City police force. Hunting down criminals and their Pokémon alike, she was no stranger to battling. As I previously mentioned, this trainer is skilled in battle, but where she excels more than others is when she is under pressure and is forced to change her battle strategies on the fly. Much like Mr. Blackmon, having someone who is unpredictable strengthens the league by a vast margin. Hailing from Nimbassa City with her partner Aurorus, I would like to welcome the final elite of Alola, Ms. Zandra Polisik."
As clapping ensued, Lance's jaw dropped open, disbelief coloring every one of his features. Zandra, meanwhile, stood next to him with a similar look of shock on her face. The red-haired man reacted first. "Go, go!" He gave her a gentle push, which snapped her out of her stupor. She weaved her way to the front of the podium, where Ghost stood with a small grin on his face. He'd gotten Lance good, and he knew it.
As he officially appointed Zandra the final elite, Ash considered his choices back once more. He knew he was bound to receive some heat for not selecting a single trainer that made it inside the top eight of the alola league, but he frankly didn't care. Ash saw extremely high ceilings for all the trainers he'd selected, and he'd selected each of them for different reasons. He just hoped they'd all mesh together well enough.
Zandra took the oath and vanished backstage where everyone else was waiting. She still couldn't believe she'd been selected, especially when Lance had told her that Ghost didn't seem very receptive of his recommendations.
She made her way to the only open room and saw the three people selected before her waiting. The blonde boy nodded and the green-haired girl squealed. "Yes! I'm not the only girl!" Zandra gave her a sheepish grin, unsure of how exactly to respond to that.
The brown-haired man shrugged. "Most leagues have that as well; two chicks and two dudes. Nothing out of the ordinary really." He looked at Zandra closer and then spoke again. "Speaking of, what's your name? Since we were in here, never got a chance to—"
"I'm Zandra. Sorry, you all are?" The pink-haired girl interrupted.
"I'm Axel. I'm from HeaHea City here in Alola." The blonde boy held his hand up lightly in greeting.
"July's my name! Great to meet you! I'm a Hoenn girl, born and raised in Mossdeep City!" The other female proudly replied.
"Xavier, Blackmon. That's me. Sunnyshore City's where I spent most of my time, guess it's changing now huh?" The other male in the room chuckled.
A new voice cut through the conversation. "Glad to see you're all mingling." The foursome turned to see their new leader standing there with a small grin on his face, hat in his hand. July was the first to say something. "This is unreal! I can't believe this is really happening! We're really all elites?"
Ghost nodded. "That's correct. You're all the first elites to the region."
"I've got a question if you don't mind?" Xavier spoke up. Ghost turned to look at him expectantly. "Not that I'm ungrateful or anything, but if memory serves me right, none of us made it past the top eight in the tournament. Is there a reason other than that to appoint us as elites? Gotta think there's multiple reasons for it?"
All the newfound elite members looked to their champion, who responded honestly. "I am well aware none of you finished inside the semi-finals or better. As I see it, you all have sky-high potential. I intend to bring out the best of you as your leader every single day. For the time being, our operations will be held elsewhere, which is fine. I will be putting all of you through training regiments to make you and your Pokémon amongst the strongest in the world."
Ghost turned and motioned for them to follow him slowly. "For the time being, enjoy your night. Feel free to mingle with everyone else. For tomorrow, meet me here in this room, at noon. Training begins then, and we'll begin to uncover your true talent." He then walked out of the room, arms behind his back and hat now on his head.
Some time had passed since the ceremony. The hall was bustling, and overall, it seemed that nobody was too butthurt about not being selected as an elite. After all, if they were selected as Gym Leaders, they'd have their own building made for them and still be recognized. The pink-haired elite was shaking hands with people she didn't know for some time but finally saw a familiar face after a good bit.
She saw the red-haired champion and let out a loud laugh and rushed towards him.
"Congrats Zan!" The pink haired girl threw her arms around Lance, laughing merrily. People around took notice but said nothing. Lance set her down and handed her a drink he'd so conveniently prepared for her. "A toast to your future!"
"Cheers!" They clinked glasses and downed their drinks. Lance immediately motioned for a nearby waiter to refill their drinks and he struck up a conversation. "Looks like we'll be seeing a lot more of each other huh?"
"Seems that way to me. Guess I owe you a good deal of gratitude for swaying Ghost." Zandra said to the man. Lance scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Well, it's like I said; he wasn't listening to me at all. It was like he wanted to do the opposite of what I was trying to tell him to do the entire time."
The beautiful woman frowned. "Well, seems it had to have worked in some capacity at least?"
"Maybe. He's always tough to get a read on so I can't really say one thing or another."
"He doesn't have to." The duo turned to see Ghost with his hat pulled down, covering his face. "While he did spend a rather enormous amount of time trying to petition for you Ms. Polisik, it wouldn't have made a difference either way. You're a formidable battler, you seem to have a personality that meshes well with the elite group I'm searching to build here, and you have an impressive bond with your Pokémon. That, as a whole, is why you are here. For the better or worse, it had nothing to do with what Lance here had to say."
Ash cast a long look at Lance, who couldn't tell exactly what the young champion was portraying due to his attire. "Enjoy the rest of your nights; the both of you." He then stalked off slowly, as if basking in the attention he knew he was getting.
"Ghost is a strange guy, lemme tell you…" Lance chuckled softly.
"Don't you know him better than anyone?" Zandra questioned him curiously.
Lance laughed out loud this time. "Trust me; even with that title, it's not saying all that much. He's unique; one of a kind. He's the perfect leader, well, as far as I know him."
The pink-haired beauty merely nodded at the notion, unsure of what else she could say to that response. "Well… another round?" They looked at their now filled glasses and Lance nodded eagerly. "Here's to another round then!"
And the drinking went on and on for a handful of hours, with both Zandra and Lance because thoroughly intoxicated as the night got older. They danced with one another, they danced with the other elites and people whom they didn't even know. Zandra was a woman who knew she could hold her alcohol, but even she herself was a decent-bit buzzed. Lance on the other hand was getting fairly wasted. He was spilling alcohol around the hallway like it was water, and seemed almost unaware of it.
Zandra didn't seem to care though and was intent to enjoying the night like it was her last on earth.
Another hour passed by eventually Zandra too was fairly drunk. Most people had already left the gathering and the that had stuck around were as unsober as the duo was. Before long though, Zandra was yawning and slurring at the same time.
"I… I think it's time to… h-head to beddy-bye…"
Lance hiccupped. "N-No Zanny… T-the hallway m-monsters will-hic-get you."
"I'm exhausted sir… I-I need to get s-some s-sleep… hic!"
The drunk champion did a mock bow. "T-Then allow me to es-es… uh… help… you, your-hic- highne—" He covered his mouth with both his hands in an instant to try and stop the rising bile in his throat. He seemingly gagged a handful of times before swallowing in agony.
Zandra found the situation amusing, as expected. "Did you just-hic- swallow your barf?"
Lance merely groaned.
Zandra laughed at him and his misfortune before she motioned for him to follow her. "Come on… h-handsome… let's go back to my room…"
Lance stumbled forward a step and Zandra stopped him with a shaky arm that was outstretched. "F-For what?"
"Some… some… some sexy time…" She slurred quietly, stumbling a bit herself.
Sometime Later… Noon…
When Ash had arrived at the meeting place at the twelve o'clock deadline, he'd expected the elites he'd handpicked to be ready for anything, and at the worst, a bit nervous. Nothing more. What he didn't expect were three elites standing above the remaining elite, who seemed to be distraught.
Ash approached them cautiously. "What's the problem?"
Xavier rounded on his leader, anger fueling his response. "Why don't you ask your little pal Ghost?"
Ash raised an eyebrow, not backing down an inch. "What did you say?"
Before Xavier could retort, Axel stepped in. "Xavier, hold on, you don't wanna get kicked out of the elite four less than twenty-four hours after you're admitted in, right?" The brown-haired man opened his mouth and then closed it, likely for good reason. Axel nodded and then sighed in relief before addressing his new leader. "Look, we're all hung-up over this, but it's not our story to tell. Talk to Zandra. We'll give you two the space."
The blonde boy motioned for the others to follow him out. Xavier did so without meeting Ghost's eyes, and July did so with her hand covering her mouth. Ash looked at his trembling elite and immediately took in her appearance. Her head was held low in her lap, like she had no energy. He recognized her ruffled clothes and deduced she'd been drinking heavily the night prior. It also looked like sleep had come in very small doses.
"Zandra? Are you alright?"
Silence. Ash waited for a response but got none.
"Zandra? Are you—"
The girl's head shot up and she cried. "DO I LOOK ALRIGHT?"
Ash, for the first time in quite some time, was truly frightened of another human being. The girl had tremendous bags under her eyes, while her eyes themselves were red and blotchy. There was a large gash on her right cheek, one that was undeniably fresh. Ash silently thanked the gods for the black hat he wore that covered his face, because if she'd seen his eyes, she may have preyed on him.
"… That's a trick question."
Zandra didn't know how to respond to that. Instead, she merely went back to hanging her head low. "Zandra, I need you to talk to me." She remained silent.
"Recall the oath you took less than a day ago. As you swore an oath to defend Alola, I took an oath that was quite similar. As you are now amongst Alola's finest, it's my job and duty as leader to help anyone I can, whether it's a commoner or an elite. Now…" He got on one knee and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Tell me what happened."
She slowly lifted her head and this time, Ash took notice of something else he'd missed before; her eyes. Before, they'd been vibrant and lively. Now, less than twelve hours since he'd last seen her, they looked almost… dead.
And what she said next began to put the pieces into place. "Lance… and I, we slept together last night."
She'd been expected her leader to snort or chuckle or do something of the sort, but he did nothing and said nothing. Instead, he nodded slowly, as in encouraging her to continue. The pink-haired girl sniffed. "It was… t-the first time… for me. He admitted that it wouldn't be for him, and I d-didn't mind. W-We were drunk, and I knew I wasn't in the best mind…"
"What… happened?" Ash slowly said.
She bit her lip and blushed hard. "We had a nice time but..." She whispered softly. "He hurt me."
She could see Ghost was uncomfortable at the very least as he spoke his next words. "From what I know… ah, it's… supposed to, for a girl I mean."
Zandra's cheeks burned brighter. "Just..."
"The… er, scar on you face then?"
Zandra shook her head. "N-No!"
This time Ash looked authentically confused. "I'm not sure what you mean then…"
Zandra hung her head. "I… I was so stupid! I was stupid to think that he may actually like me! But… but…" She shook her head. "He used me. He betrayed me. I thought… this whole time he was being authentic." She snarled softly. "I should've seen through it."
Ash was still perplexed. "I may have missed something, but what exactly did Lance do to you that was so bad?"
Zandra bit her lip again. "He… he wasn't there when I woke up. He'd taken all his clothes and other things and just… left. No note, no message, nothing." Ash was stunned; as far as he knew, Lance was a man who truly valued integrity and his own reputation. The cloaked man shook his head at this. "I need to get Lance's side of things before I make any swift judgements. If its true what he did to you, then I'll take care of everything."
He motioned for Zandra to leave. "Go, join the others. I will be with you shortly."
The girl stood shakily and shuffled her way out slowly. Ash immediately closed the door behind her and whipped out his pokégear. Ash dialed Lance in an instant. After a handful of moments a groggy voice was heard.
"Champion Lance. Speak."
"Tell me you didn't do it."
There was some mutterings on the other side of the device and Ash tried to imagine that they didn't happen or weren't a blemish on Lance's record. "W-What do you mean?"
"Cut the shit Lance. Tell me you didn't do what I think you did."
Silence came from Lance's end, a prolonged one. It was more than enough time for Ash to know that Zandra had been telling the truth. Ash shook his head as he felt the tension from Lance even over the phone. "Lance… why? Why did you leave?"
Lance's response was feeble. "I-I was drunk! I'm sorry! I—"
"You were drunk this morning?" Ash almost sounded outraged.
"N-No! I wasn't!"
This time, Ash did sound like he was about to explode. "Then why the hell did you leave before she woke?"
Lance was a bit startled; he'd expected Ash to be more furious at him for getting into bed with his new elite, not for leaving in the early morning. "I… I thought you and your elites would burst your tops! I thought you'd think I was taking advantage of her!"
"If she wanted it as much as you supposedly did, why the hell would you think like that!?"
"I… I don't know! It could've been the hangover taking advantage of—"
"Damn it Lance!" Ash roared, cutting the champion off. "Do you know how much you hurt her? She looks…" Ash paused for a moment before quietly saying a single word: "Lifeless."
Lance's heart gave a painful squeeze at the thought of Zandra being broken. The squeeze grip on his heart turned into a grip as he knew it was by his own actions that Zandra was feeling this way.
"I… what can I to make it up to her?"
Ash was quiet for a moment before he spoke. "Leave her be, let her recover with us."
"What?"
"She has no interest in seeing you. My elites have no interest in seeing you. I'm going to help them through this. I'm going to help… her, through this."
Present...
And Ash had. He led them through their first real test as their leader and friend, despite barely knowing them. Lance, meanwhile, was scared out of his wits to even step foot in the region. Ash had grown colder, unshockingly. As Mr. Goodshow had begun to question why the newest champion wasn't showing up to their usual meetings, all Ghost said to Lance about the matter was, "You tell him that I'm busy building a league from the ground-up."
Lance never had the heart to stand up for Ash, knowing very well the information he possessed could throttle his reputation. That was his problem back then; Lance never looked at the situation correctly. He needed to see it from Zandra's eyes, but instead he was paranoid from looking at it from everyone else.
Lance never got better. He only got worse. He just hadn't begun to see it until then.
The champion held his head in his hands, realization slowly settling in. He was a monster.
"What… what have I become?"
(Twenty Minutes Later…)
Ash swept into the top floor of The Party Starter, fully prepared to get an earful from Mr. Goodshow. At the end of the day, it was essentially a small slap on the wrist. Ash had more on his mind. On the flight over on Charizard, Ash had recalled that he was expecting an important update from some of his operatives, aka Team Rocket. They'd been assigned to uncover where Xavier was being kept given the information that was revealed on the hard drive from HeaHea City outpost.
With some good luck, Xavier Blackmon would be free in not too long. With some bad luck, his most trusted operatives would come up empty. He prayed for the former and not the latter. A moment or so passed on the scenic rooftop with nobody noticing him. Ash had to admit he was impressed by the designers of the event; it was sure elegant.
"Well look who decided to show up!" Ash turned to see Steven Stone and an unknown woman attached to his arm. "Greetings Ghost! My personal congrats on making the top eight!"
Ash gave a polite smile. "Thank you Steven. Not that I don't accept the gesture, but what are you doing here? To my knowledge only the top eight and a specific other were allowed to come to this event?"
Steven nodded. "Indeed; the champions as well are expected to attend, however. Fortunately for you, your tardiness has gone unnoticed."
"For some reason I don't buy that for a second. What gives?"
A new voice cut in. "The only reason I don't tear your ass a new one is because you at least bothered to come." Ash turned to see an old man, a decently-dressed one, but an old man nonetheless.
"Who never bothered to show up?" Ash questioned curiously.
Mr. Goodshow grumbled. "If you must know, it's Lance. The blowhard decided that instead of just coming without a significant other to just not show up at all. He's the only reason I've not blown my top with you Ghost."
Ash joked. "Remind me to thank him later."
Mr. Goodshow's face seemed to turn purple at Ash's words. Steven stifled a chuckle at the commissioners face while Ash failed at the task himself. "S-Sorry." The Alola champion put a hand over his mouth as he struggled to contain his laughter.
"Watch yourself Ghost. Be lucky there's bigger fish to fry." With that, Mr. Goodshow turned on his heel and walked out. Ash began to mingle from group to group for some time. Max was seen with Bonnie on his arm, and when Ash knew he was being watched by the runt, he was fairly surprised Max made no movement towards him. On one hand, based on what the nurse told him, Max may truly just be unaware of his sisters condition. On the other, maybe he knew and had a good reason for keeping his mouth shut. It was definitely a bit odd, to say the least.
Ash spotted Trip talking to an unfamiliar young woman in a corner of balcony. The young man didn't seem to notice the champion watching him. Trip was a bit of a conundrum; what was his angle regarding the traitors? Why did he stop associating himself with them? Seeing as it was unlikely he and Trip would face in tournament, he found it tougher to focus on Trip when the other traitors had to be exposed.
Iris and Cynthia were conversing with a handful of other people that Ash didn't know nearby. It was odd how one year he was looking to these people as legends, and then he was working with them, battling them, and proving to them that he deserved his role in the league. Both greeted him politely, with Cynthia's greeting being far more forced. Ash wondered if the only reason it was so forced was because she was his next battle. Iris on the other hand was bright, loud and cheerful. It was clear the orange-haired man had quite a bit to drink, but Ash didn't see the harm in it.
Gary's date was a young girl who introduced herself as Katherine. She had dark brown hair, green eyes and was taller than most girls present. She was only about half a head shorter than Gary himself. Ash introduced himself and chatted with the pair for a good bit before he made some final rounds. That's where he ran into Abel Winchine, who was accompanied by none other than Lillie. The blonde hugged Ash tightly in greeting and passed along a message that demanded he prepare a gathering between the old Ultra Guardian Force once again. Ash, not wanting to fear the wrath of Mallow, Lana and Lillie all at once, agreed to the motion, which seemed to satisfy her.
Meanwhile, Abel had gone to explain to him that he had just turned eighteen and that he wasn't really sure about the baggage that came with it. Ash had joked with him dryly that Max would be the first person to get pummeled by Abel as an adult, much to Abel's joy. He seemed to take a great disliking to Max, which was a great liking to Ash. The boy had opened up considerably since Max had taken his Pokémon.
True to Mr. Goodshow's word, Lance was nowhere to be found. Ash spent the rest of the time intermingling and making sure everything was in order. Turned out, it was a good thing that he prepared ahead of time, because not a moment too soon, his pokégear rang. He knew what it was, and he knew where to go. Under the guard of night, he slipped into the shadows and vanished from the rooftop.
(TPS Poolside)
"You're sure the source is… of the right trust level?" Ash said slowly. His other elites stood nearby, each of them also looking and listening for the answers they hoped were right.
James nodded. "I'm certain of it. I know what we saw was true."
Zandra spoke with eagerness. "Then we can get him back soon… really soon!"
Ash held up his hand to Zandra. "Slow down. Remember, there's a good chance that someone got a message back to their headquarters about us searching for Xavier. If they know we're willing to slaughter a base full of their soldiers for him and still have him alive, it has to be for a good reason. We need to get an idea of that reason before we barge in willy-nilly."
"Why's that?"
"Because what's stopping them from waiting until the right moment to get rid of him when we've already gotten ourselves knee-deep in Flare Grunts?" Axel spoke gravely.
"Precisely. We must move with caution if our plan is to work." Ash preached.
Zandra huffed. "Why exactly can't we just march in there, beat the crap out of them again like we did first time and get him out of there?"
Jesse sighed. "This base… it is far different to what you faced last time. It's going to be a steeper hill to climb, I'm afraid."
July blinked at this sentence disbelievingly. "You're telling me that the base we're about to try and breach is more complex than a base with an automatic moving rock wall and is carved out inside a hollowed mountain with hundreds of grunts?"
"That's exactly what I'm telling you."
Axel raised an eyebrow hesitantly. "I'm for getting Xavier out of the hands of those freaks as much as the next guy, but does this sound like a suicide mission to anyone else? What's to say one of us won't get captured by them in place of Xavier even if this works?"
Zandra looked miffed for a moment before she sighed and spoke. "As much as I hate to say it, Axel has a point. We'll need to iron out a plan if we're going to go in there."
Ash had a thoughtful look on his face, one that was noticeable enough that James had to make a comment on it. "Something interesting you'd like to share?"
Ash nodded slowly. "I've got a plan."
"Already?" Meowth crossed his tiny arms in skepticism.
"Yeah. I do."
"What type of plan could you have possibly made in a four-minute span?" July questioned her leader incredulously.
Said leader merely grinned toothily. "Sit back and listen. With what we know, I think this is our best shot to get Xavier back." The group listened to his plan with earnest, with each person being assigned a plan. Little did they know, located on MeléMelé island, the captors were also making a plan. They knew the league was coming for them. Who would create the better plan though? That was the question.
Some time later, when all the details were ironed out, Ash's pokégear rang once again. "Hold on one moment. I need to take this."
He opened the line and spoke authoritatively. "This is Ghost. Speak."
Silence for a moment or two. "Excuse me? Say that again?"
Silence. "I… I see… I'll be right there. Yes, I know." More silence. "Heads will roll."
Ash closed the phone and stared blankly into space for a moment or two, unsure of what exactly to make of the call he just got. Zandra tapped him on the shoulder. "Ghost? What is it? Who just called?"
James cut in. "And why will heads be, er, rolling?"
Ash bit his lip and stared at the group bitterly. "There's been an attack."
The group let out a collective gasp. "W-What? An attack?" July whispered in shock.
"Yes."
Axel grinded his teeth. "Who was it? Who got attacked?"
Ash sighed and licked his lips.
"Abel."