Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon.
"Pokémon" – Normal Speech
'Pokémon' – Thoughts
Pokémon – Flashback
Pokémon – Move Names and Pokémon Abilities
{Pokémon} – Pokédex
Ash, the Iron Trainer
Route 13, Trail of Thunder and Terrible Terrain
Previously on Ash the Iron Trainer,
When the match was over, Ash moved from his spot as the challenger on the field to consult his new and evolved Pokémon. "Thank you Talonflame, you have us our next badge and helped us finished another step towards the top."
"Ash!" Serena hurried from the stands to hug her companion and hugged him for the amazingly exciting match.
"Ash." Both of the trainers and Pokémon present saw that Ramos was back and with a case that had the badge of the Coumarine City Gym. The badge was shaped like a leaf, with the veins forming the shape of a plant. "Here. You deserve it."
"Thank you Ramos." Ash said quietly and took the badge, to place it in the furthest right slot on the top.
"Also…" Ash and company were about to leave the gym when they saw that Ramos had his Gourgeist next to him, only having enough energy to stay awake and on its feet. Then the Pumpkin Pokémon used its arms to reveal its Mega Stone that was hidden on its forehead, under its hairstyle. "I haven't told anyone until you two but there were two Mega Stones that can cause Gourgeist to Mega Evolve. I want you to have both a copy of the stone I use with my Gourgeist, Gourgitie X, and the second one that is named Gourigite Y." (1)
"Woah." Ash said for the lack of a better response. "But why haven't you told anyone about it? Was it that big of a deal to keep silent?'
"It is just how I am Ash." Ramos said, finally using just the trainer's name. "I don't care if you tell Professor Sycamore the next time you see him but I don't prefer the publically of discoveries. They will just disturb my gardens and green fields. I just wish the secrecy and serenity that brings peace to me and my Grass type Pokémon."
"Okay Ramos." Ash said, understanding the Gym Leader's reasons as he loves the peace in his neighborhood that can be described as that of a farmer's. And Serena nodded, she lived in modest times despite her mother's fame. "Thank you Ramos, we will use your gifts well and let you know what we tell Professor Sycamore."
"Okay young trainers, have a nice day." Ramos said while Ash found himself carrying Serena again but also with Talonflame on his shoulder, to the opposite her female companion was resting her head on. But the young trainer surprised himself by feeling no displeasure on the trail even down the tall hill. It seemed that they will be well on their way to the next gym once a trip to the Pokémon Center was in order.
But it wasn't to be, "Sorry kids. There is this power failure in the Kalos Power Plant so you can't challenge the Lumiose City Gym just yet." A worker by the entrance to Route 13 brought the bad news nice and hard. "But we will let you know when the power is back up. Have a nice day."
"Ash~!" Serena said with a pout when her best friend gently silenced her. "Why are we doing this~!? He said that we need to wait~!" Serena was like a little kid who wanted to know why his idol was doing something she was told not to.
"I am sorry Serena but with the League starting in only another six months, I can't wait. And my Pokémon were getting restless as it is after my Gym Battle." Ash said as they snuck pass the same worker who told them to turn back. Once they got out of the tunnel, a barren landscape greeted the two trainers and lone Pikachu.
Something of a desert for sure. It seems that nothing but Ground types can live here. At least the intense sun can explain why the Kalos Power Plant was located here; it was the best place in the region for harassing solar power instead of fossil fuel. Also, the strong winds can be harvested through wind turbines that can be seen even through the dust filled atmosphere.
And when both trainers started to descend down the stairs to the desert, they did indeed encounter Ground type Pokémon. Quite fitting since Ash learned that the gym in Lumiose City, the one that is currently closed, specializes in Electric Pokémon; and all ground types are the only type to be immune to Electric type attacks and the only type that Electric types are weak to.
{Dugtrio, the Mole Pokémon. In battle, it digs through the ground and strikes the unsuspecting foe from an unexpected direction.}
{Trapinch, the Ant Pit Pokémon. It lives in arid deserts. It makes a sloping pit trap in sand where it patiently awaits prey.}
{Gible, the Land Shark Pokémon. It nests in horizontal holes warmed by geothermal heat. Foes who get too close can expect to be pounced on and bitten.}
Then there were those hidden in rocks and were a little more of a challenge to find than to scan them.
{Graveler, the Rock Pokémon and the evolved form of Geodude. With a free and uncaring nature, it doesn't mind if pieces break off while it rolls down mountains.}
{Slugma, the Lava Pokémon. A common sight in volcanic areas, it slowly slithers around in a constant search for warm places.}
And after that, there was only exploring left to do. That is until a scientist arrived. "Hey kids! What in Kalos are you doing here!? I thought they closed off this route because of the blackout in Lumiose City!"
Serena looked a little nervous but Ash had something in mind that might give him an edge in this heated conversation. "Well if it was that serious then why was that guard at the endurance taking a nap without a care in the world? He even looked bored when he told about this route."
The scientist looked like he was going to explode. "Never mind that!" The two trainers and Pikachu braced for the next thing. "I am out here in the sun, wind and Pokémon because I was robbed!"
"Of what?"
"My Power Plant Pass! It is the only way to get into the Power Plant and now I am stuck out here without it!" The scientist then stormed off, obviously looking for the pass. He wasn't going to be any help.
"Should we…?" Serena asked before Ash shook his head, silently interrupting her; all the while, holding a small blue card that had the words 'Kalos Power Plant'.
"If it is for the good of the region to stop whoever is doing this then so be it." Ash said before he went into the direction of a large building with all the features of a power plant. Serena just sighed and followed after him.
"Oh!" The pair of trainers then saw some in a uniform that rubbed them the wrong way; all red and red hair in the shape of a flare. It was a member of Team Flare from the Glittering Cave. "Where is that pass I stole from that bum!? I need it to get in with the rest of the guys."
"He won't find it." Ash then said to get that Team Flare grunt's attention. "And neither will you." Ash then showed the pass which got the grunt to growl. "Now get out of our way."
"Not a chance, after what do done to us and our Pokémon!" That grunt shouted and then took out a pair of Pokéballs, releasing Pokémon that neither trainer seen before yet. They scanned each of them.
{Houndoom, the Dark Pokémon. Long ago, people imagined its eerie howls to be the call of the grim reaper.}
Houndoom is a quadruped, canine Pokémon that is mainly black with a long orange snout and an orange underbelly. It has small, red eyes and a black nose. Around its neck is a white band with a small skull-shaped pendant on its throat. There are two white bands on each of its ankles, as well as three rib-like ridges on its back. Houndoom has a long, skinny tail with a triangular tip and three clawed toes on each paw. On top of its head is a pair of long, curved gray horns. These horns are smaller on the female than the male.
In a Houndoom pack, the one with its horns raked sharply towards the back serves a leadership role. Leadership is determined by fights within the pack. Its gut is full of toxins, which are used to create fire. This gives Houndoom's fire a foul odor and the wounds it inflicts will never heal. Houndoom appears near volcanic areas. Its howling induces shivering in other Pokémon, and often sends them scurrying back to their nests.
{Golbat, the Bat Pokémon and the evolved form of Zubat. Once it bites, it will not stop draining energy from the victim even if it gets too heavy to fly.}
Golbat is a large, blue bat-like Pokémon with purple wing membranes. It has small eyes with slit pupils and a massive mouth containing four fangs; females have smaller fangs than males. While its mouth seems to be otherwise empty, Golbat occasionally displays a long, purple tongue. Its pointed ears are tiny, and it has short legs with long, thin feet.
It feeds on the blood of both Pokémon and humans, and is capable of drinking over ten ounces of blood in one sitting. Golbat drinks so much blood, that its blood type will change to that of its victim following a feed. It is also gluttonous, occasionally gorging itself to the extent that it becomes too heavy to fly. Golbat is nocturnal, and can be found quite easily in caves.
"Skiddo, I need you." Ash took out the Mount Pokémon that had showed signs of evolving sometime soon. A few more battles and training will caused Skiddo to evolve into a Gogoat, just like Ramos's.
"Kangaskhan, come!" Serena had a hard choice but went with the Parent Pokémon for some more experience on both girl's accounts.
"This will be easy! Houndoom, Fire Fang! Golbat, Air Slash!" The Grunt's Pokémon carried out their commands. Houndoom charged with its mouth filled with fire coating its teeth while Golbat readied to flap some strong and sharp winds. But.
"Vine Whip to stop Houndoom!"
"Fake Out on Golbat!"
Skiddo was able to both avoid a super effective hit and halt Houndoom by clapping the Dark Pokémon's mouth shut prematurely so Houndoom couldn't even bite its tongue. Meanwhile, Serena's Kangaskhan was able to move before Golbat and hit the Bat Pokémon but it ignored the priority move and still sent an Air Slash at Skiddo!
"But how!?" Serena always saw Fake Out beat a Pokémon, no matter how fast they are, and always get them to flinch. But this is the first time that the target was hit and didn't flinch!
"Inner Focus…" Ash said. "Change of plans Skiddo! Swing Houndoom towards the grunt and use Synthesis!"
"Stop him with Air Slash!" The Grunt tried to intervene before Skiddo could regain health through Synthesis. That was when Serena had an idea,
"Take that Air Slash while suing Rage!" Kangaskhan took that risky tactic and got hurt but the while getting her Rage attack stronger as she was damaged while using that move. And Golbat had to receive the sharp end of the stick when Kangaskhan's Rage attack did some pretty nasty damage.
"Okay Skiddo, use Growth and then Take Down!"
"Kangaskhan, Dizzy Punch!"
Skiddo then increased both his Attack and Special Attack power with Growth before charging a reckless attack at Houndoom. Meanwhile, Kangaskhan moved before a dazed Golbat could see her coming. Once Golbat was hit, it became confused when the Dizzy Punch hit.
"That does it!" The Grunt, like a child throwing a tantrum, stomped on the ground in a fit. "Houndoom, use Bite! Golbat, pull yourself together and use Acrobatics!" The Grunt yelled at his Pokémon who barely can get up before attempting to do their commands.
"Skiddo, use Take Down!"
"Kangaskhan, Mega Punch!"
The Grunt screamed as both of his Pokémon were intercepted and defeated by Ash's Skiddo using Take Down on Houndoom and Serena's Kangaskhan landing Mega Punch on a helplessly confused Golbat.
"Now scram." Ash said, returning his Pokémon while Serena mirrored him in order to be as cool as he acted. The Grunt just whimpered before a certain shadow came over his face. And…let's just say he will have to explain where a certain pass went; and who stole it.
XXXXX
Once inside the Plant,
There were Team Flare Grunts everywhere they went! Around the corner, at the end of the hallways and especially in the main room of this Plant. In a room that was the staff lounge and now used as a prison cell for the scientists and workmen that were ambushed and imprisoned by Team Flare.
They all said that the blackout in Lumiose City was because Team Flare shut down the Power Plant and were stealing all the electricity made with the solar and wind power on the Route. Team Flare just never fully explained why they were doing all this.
So Ash and Serena ventured further into the Plant and had to battle Grunts with Pokémon like the Houndoom and Golbat from outside and even the wild Scraggy and wild Croagunk they encountered on Route 5 and Route 7 respectably. Then there were this three new ones for the Pokédex,
{Mightyena, the Bite Pokémon. It will always obey the commands of a skilled Trainer. Its behavior arises from its living in packs in ancient times.}
Mightyena is a quadruped Pokémon that is based on a hyena. Its body is a mixture of black and gray fur, with black lower legs, clawed feet, and tail. It has dark, triangular streak patterns below its eyes, which have yellow sclera and red irises. Its ears are rhombus-shaped with dark insides, its nose is red, and it has gray paw pads. It has a shaggy mantle of black fur.
Mightyena lives in a pack in the wild. As a member of this pack follows the orders of its leader and chases down prey. It gives obvious symbols when it is about to attack, as it starts to growl deeply and flattens its body. Mightyena defeats foes with perfectly coordinated teamwork. If its Trainer is very experienced, it will always obey their orders. As depicted in the anime, Mightyena is prone to licking the faces of the people it is fond of as a dog would. This species lives in grassland areas.
{Swalot, the Poison Bag Pokémon and the evolved form of Gulpin. It swallows anything whole. It sweats toxic fluids from its follicles to douse foes.}
Swalot is a tall, purple, amorphous Pokémon. It has red, beady eyes and yellow whiskers. A female Swalot has shorter whiskers than a male. It has puckered lips and can fit an automobile tire its mouth. Its hands have three fingers. It has a single row of black rhombi running across its midsection, and can expand and contract its body at will. It is capable of swallowing anything whole, and can digest anything except its own stomach lining. It covers prey and opponents with powerful poison. It lives in grassy areas.
And,
{Liepard, the Cruel Pokémon. Their beautiful form comes from the muscles they have developed. They run silently in the night.}
Liepard is a slender, purple feline Pokémon speckled with yellow rosettes. Its fur patterning is considered attractive to many Trainers. It has a pink "mask" marking over its eyes, a pink nose, and small yellow markings over its green eyes. It has two pairs of long yellow whiskers, and a tufted yellow underside. Its lower legs are yellow, and each small paw has a pale pink pad. It has a long, curving tail with a sickle-like shape toward the tip. Liepard has well-developed muscles that allows it to run silently and strike opponents from behind. It has also been known to vanish and reappear without warning.
They were tough Pokémon to beat before Ash and Serena pulled through. And a bonus is that Serena finally got the thrill of battling down and her Kangaskhan had gotten good moves down, moves like Crunch and Endure. Meanwhile, Ash's Skiddo had gotten a lot of battling experience and the time for evolution is now to the point that one more match will finally trigger it.
But now they defeated every Team Flare Grunt in the Power Plant, the building is still not freed. And when Ash and Serena finally made to heart of the plant, there were no grunts overlooking the machinery. One of them, a man, looked a lot flashier than the grunts and wore mostly white in addition to the red hairstyle.
The other was a woman. And her outfit look more modern than the outfit of the grunts. Her hair wasn't red and instead was a brown color and it was all fashioned down instead in the shape of a flame. Lastly, her face was mostly concealed by a strange visor that looked like an air vent.
"So it was you two brats that have been beating our soldiers. I never thought that even with a small army of idiots, we still will have to fight. Shall we, Madam Aliana?" The flashy man in white addressed the even weirder looking woman like she was in a high status.
"Shut it, you are just a mere Admin in Team Flare! I don't need to meddle in with a couple of brats!" Aliana snapped and went back to her work, making sure that Kalos will never get any power to Lumiose City!
"Okay, okay." The Admin muttered before taking a Pokéball from his belt and revealing his own Houndoom. Unfortunately for him, Ash and Serena had already fought against plenty of them and this match was too short to fully describe it; all Ash need was a Take Down attack. "No!"
"You miserable, arrogant fool!" Aliana then voiced her disapproval of this humiliation. "You are fired!" Now the former Admin looked down even more. "As for you two, prepare to lose!"
Aliana then took out a Mightyena that obviously looked more trained and slightly stronger than the ones the grunts have. And with Skiddo still out and too excited to be returned, Ash motioned for Serena to leave this to him. Serena nodded, hoping that Ash knew what he was doing.
"So you are going against me with just a Skiddo, use Scary Face!" Aliana shouted and her Pokémon growled and tightened it's already intimidating face into one that made Skiddo lose his speed significantly.
"Don't worry Skiddo, use your new Bulldoze!" Ash called out and Skiddo somehow caused the iron beneath his feet to ripple and do some damage to Mightyena, slowing the Dark Pokémon but not as much as its Scary Face.
"Use Bite!" Aliana knew that her Pokémon was still faster and most of the time, the fastest Pokémon has the greatest chance to win their battles.
"Blind him with you Seed Bomb!" Ash called out and Skiddo was able to blindside Mightyena with a barrage of seeds that exploded upon impact and contact.
"Assurance!" Of course, Skiddo's Seed Bomb didn't give him enough distance to get away from that Assurance attack.
"Send its flying with Take Down!"
"Swagger!" Aliana then intercepted that Take Down with a Swagger, very annoying and deadly to an unlucky trainer. And when Skiddo was unfortunate to harm himself instead of Mightyena, "Assurance, again!"
And when Skiddo was sent flying hard back toward Ash, the trainer found himself speechless and unable to think of a move that will help Skiddo now. But he refused to give up hope and that paid off when Skiddo started to glow. "What the hell is happening!?" Aliana said, trying to prevent the light from blinding her while everyone else did the same.
Once the light died down, Skiddo was no more. In his place was an impressive looking Gogoat that stood with pride and stability. The confusion from the Swagger had actually faded during the evolution!
"Use Synthesis while Take Down!" Ash wanted to see what his Gogoat can really do. And he wasn't disappointed when Gogoat glowed green which healed all the bruises and any other injury. All the while, Gogoat charged faster and stronger than ever before and landed a bad hit on the Mightyena that couldn't do a thing about this.
"Woah, that wasn't Take Down." Ash said as his Gogoat some recoil damage back but the Synthesis had cleaned that up before it expired. "That was Double Edge!" Gogoat heard the excitement and pride in Ash's voice and nodded in his direction. "Let's see what else you. Leaf Blade!"
Gogoat smirked and then charged with his horns covered in energy that was in the shape of a big, green single blade. "Use Swagger!" Aliana foolishly tried to stop Gogoat and while the new Mount Pokémon was made confused, he still hit his target. And with the bonus of dramatically increased Attack power, Gogoat landed his victory over the enemy Mightyena.
Aliana couldn't believe it, she was beaten by some kid who just happened to have his 'lame' Skiddo evolve into a 'troublesome' Gogoat. "Hey." The Team Flare Scientist looked up to see Gogoat, Ash and Serena all glaring at her with monstrous stares. "Scram. Nobody wants to see you here now or ever. Beat it!"
"S-strategic retreat!" That was to be the last Ash, Serena or any of their Pokémon had ever heard of Team Flare in the Kalos Power Plant and for a while. Once the workers had fixed the wiring so Team Flare won't be stealing ay power, they rewarded Ash with a TM for Flame Charge; it went well with Ash's collection which included one for Power-Up Punch from Shalour City and one for Grass Knot from Coumarine City. The other TMs were for sale in the markets but they were very expensive.
But with that out of the way, Ash and Serena can challenge the Lumiose City Gym. Now with the power back on. But there was just this one last thing in the way.
XXXXX
And while all this was happening, a couple pairs of eyes looked at Professor Sycamore's lab. And they were looking at a certain Pokémon inside, a Garchomp, which is the final evolution of the Pokémon Gible from Route 13.
Garchomp is a bipedal, draconian Pokémon that is primarily dark blue in color. It has red on its underbelly from the lower jaw to the middle of the abdomen, including the undersides of its arms. A patch of gold comes to a point below the red on its belly, and a golden star shape adorns the tip of its snout. Garchomp has horn-like appendages that resemble a jet or plane's engines, giving it an appearance similar to a hammerhead shark. Its large mouth features razor-sharp teeth. The feet have three white talons, and each arm has a single large, white claw for a hand. Curved fins sprout from the arms, creating wings that allow Garchomp to fly. It also has a large dorsal fin and another on its tail that resembles a shark tailfin. The male's dorsal fin has a notch on it. Pairs of small, white spikes protrude from its upper arms and legs, and there are gill-like slits on the sides of the neck. The eyes are intense, with black scleras and gold-colored irises.
According to the Pokédex, Garchomp can fly at an incredible speed—helped by the fine scales on its body that reduce drag—to catch its prey. Garchomp are cave-dwellers, and are seldom seen in the wild.
"If our resources tell us that Garchomp can evolve then we need this one for our cause." One of the Team Flare grunts whispered to the other, holding the binoculars, who nodded. Things are going to get a little messy in Lumiose City soon.
End of Chapter 13
*Thank you all for your support! I really appreciate it. And I loved how you all reviewed my latest story, I sure worked hard on it. I thought that I will include something from the Anime into the next chapter as well as introduce a certain trio to the story, as supporting characters. But if you want them to accompany Ash and Serena then let me know in a review!*
Pokémon on Hand;
Ash – Pikachu (Male), Doublade (Male), Pawniard (Male), Mawile (Female), Durant (Female), Lucario (Male), Ferroseed (Female), Talonflame (Male), Gogoat (Male), and Lapras (Female).
Serena – Braixen (Female), Plusle & Minun (Female), Mr. Mime (Female), Cubone (Male) and Kangaskhan (Female).
Off Hand;
Ash – Ledian (Female), Kadabra (Female), Snorlax (Male), and Smeargle (Male), Sableye (Male), Quilladin (Male), Frogadier (Female) and Luvdisc (Male).
Serena – Furfrou (Male), Spritize (Male), Swirlix (Female), Audino (Female) and Luvdisc (Female).