Ash the Iron Trainer

by Mar 'Darry' Darren

It was a freak storm. One that separated Ash from Misty and Brock but not with Pikachu. And yet Ash was able to find an entire new region and be reunited with a friend that he never thought he will see again. With four young Pokémon found in a crate as eggs, Ash will take this new region and in the future, Kanto with skill and Mega Evolution!

19. Anistar then Terminus

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

Anistar then Terminus, Home of a Great Secret

Previously on Ash, the Iron Trainer;

Serena felt as if her heart was shattering to see a very proud and independent Sneasel act like a beaten child, forced to the ground so she can see her favorite stuffed animal teared apart. "I can help you. If I don't then I will learn and not make the same mistake. I will help you Sneasel. I have seen the world. It is beautiful, especially in a lot of places and there are all sorts of others like us and like you to encounter. The world is a fun place and that is why we love it. And you will love it too. I promise."

Serena then kneeled down and held down her hand. And Sneasel stared at it for the entire time. And then cried to see Serena looking down with nothing but sadness and compassion, nothing else. "…Sneasel~~el." She said and used what little strength in her bones to place her hand into Serena's.

"How are you holding up Serena?" Ash asked his Kalos native companion. She had been in a sour mood since that encounter on Route 17. But it seemed that Serena was doing just fine with her new Sneasel. Right now, they are waiting in the Pokémon Gym of Anistar City, Sneasel was still in careful healing for a serious case of exhaustion. Serena's wounds were quickly treated to prevent any chance of them getting infected; which can happen if the cuts and scrapes were left to the cold air and the elements.

"I will be fine." Serena said with a sullen tone. Almost like she had disappointed her younger sister and broken a promise with her under one minute. All Serena could think about was her newly captured Sneasel and the possibility of failing to connect with the Sharp Claw Pokémon. "I will be fine." Serena repeated with a voice of a child about to crack under stress.

Ash had an unsettled frown on his mouth to hear that. "…Okay." He finally spoke up. "Take your time and let me know if you need anything. Meanwhile, me and my team need to get ready for the day that we will try the Anistar City Gym." Serena just nodded and her expression didn't even budge.

And so, three days have passed. Ash had stayed true to his word. When he wasn't practicing tactics with his Pikachu, his four Steel type Pokémon and his three Kanto mid-evolved starters, he was tending to his friend in the dumps. Getting her something to eat when she skipped meals, a drink of water on once every occasion and helping her get into bed after curfew. But Ash didn't like on how this was getting to Serena, she might need to have her mental status checked.

"Three days Serena…" Ash spoke up during their lunch time. "I had hoped that three days will be enough but you still haven't realized Sneasel out of her Pokéball since you had her checked at the Pokémon Center. This has been going on too long."

"I told you that I will okay." Serena could only say and Ash wasn't going to take that and walk away. "Why can't you just leave me alone for once? I can do this on my own and you know that!"

"It's you that doesn't know that I can't let you do this alone!" Ash retorted and Serena didn't seem to take it softly.

"I can handle my own business Ash! Why can't you just mind your own!?"

"You are my business! Your future is my business! Your happiness is my business!"

"And why is that!? Are you trying to control my life! What kind of a friend are you to…?"

"I AM THE KIND OF FRIEND THAT HAS A GIRL WHO LIES TO HERSELF ABOUT WHAT FRIENDS ARE FOR AND CAN'T EVEN MOVE ON!" Ash roared louder than an enraged animal. "UNLESS YOU FIX YOUR MESS RIGHT HERE AND NOW, I WILL HAVE TO FIND ANOTHER GIRL TO CALL MY FRIEND!"

Serena widened her eyes to hear Ash actually yell back at her and even glare with eyes filled with anger and disappointment; that last outburst hurt the most. That was the worse she had seen in Ash's eyes. What is worse, it was all directed at her. "The rules of a trainer are clear. If you prove to be irresponsible of even one Pokémon, then you will have to give up your license to capture and train Pokémon. And that means you will lose whatever rank you had in the Battle Chateau!"

"No…no…" Serena started to realize that she had let time escape her and ignored everyone else around her. "NO!" Ash didn't even stir from that outburst.

"What you need to do is simple. Realize your Sneasel, feed her and be honest with her. That is all your Sneasel wants if you wish to feel like a trainer again." Ash then got up from his seat. "I am going to blow off some steam and I wish to see you make some progress by nightfall. And here…" Ash then causally tossed some kind of claw in front of Serena. "You will find a better use of that than I can. You will find out how soon enough."

Serena couldn't even whimper to see her best friend stomp his way out of her sight; frustration and disappoint in its finest was what she could see in his posture. "Ash…"

After a while, Serena finally reached in for the single Pokéball on her belt. And out of it came Sneasel. Or at least what is left of her. Sneasel looked like was stuck in a well for a week, almost starved to death and with an expression of salivation after a while of being in complete darkness; she looked a lot paler than the average ice type Pokémon.

"Here you are…" Serena filled a feeding bowl to twice the capacity and slid it in front of Sneasel. She didn't want to sound desperate to Sneasel after three days of neglect from all that depression that Serena didn't know want to do with. Thankfully, for her at least, Sneasel didn't care about any of that when she saw all that food with her name on.

Serena watched in complete silence, seeing that Sneasel wanted food in his belly instead of words through her ears. And when Sneasel ate till her belly was full, Serena wanted to start the painful discussion with her dark and ice type Pokémon. However, Sneasel saw the claw that Ash had just gave Serena and acted like a kid with an early Christmas present. Sneasel even ignored her enlarged belly to just grabbed the claw and bounce around, happier than Serena can imagine for a Pokémon like a Sneasel.

"You really want that claw?" Serena finally spoke loud enough to grab Sneasel's attention. But when the Sharp Claw Pokémon finally laid her eyes on Serena, they didn't show anger or coldness. Instead, they showed regret and yet happiness at the same time; like Sneasel confirmed what Serena said and is sad about something else entirely, both in one package. "But why? Aren't you strong even without that Razor Claw? It does help you by giving a better chance to make your target's to flinch in battle…"

Serena was interrupted when Sneasel moved as fast any other, to steal her Pokédex. And yet, Sneasel didn't run away with it. Instead, she opened the Pokédex and typed on some of the keys before Serena gently took it back. The Pokédex was set by Sneasel to be back on the entry about the species in general. But then Serena saw something that she overlooked.

{…This Pokémon has yet fully evolved. A separate region named Sinnoh has discovered several new evolutions to many species of Pokémon from Kanto to Hoenn. Sneasel has an evolution that requires one to hold a Razor Claw and level up during the night time.}

"You wanted to evolve but couldn't do it alone? Is that why you wanted to be caught, because we trainers are your best hope to evolve?" Serena asked and Sneasel nodded at both accounts. Then Sneasel lost her happy mood when both of them remembered just how did Serena caught the former. "Well why not?" Sneasel then looked up to Serena, "Lets train. Train until nightfall and then you will be able to evolve."

The Sharp Claw Pokémon looked like she couldn't be any happier. And the two of them did just that. They trained personally for the rest of that afternoon. They even decided to skip dinner time because they felt too excited to stop then. And when the sun finally disappeared over the horizon, it was time; time for Sneasel to start glowing and changing.

{Weavile, the Sharp Claw Pokémon. It signals its companions by using its claws to leave mysterious markings on the surfaces of trees and ice.}

Weavile is now a bipedal, weasel-like Pokémon with a pale gray body and several feathery areas. It has a bright red crown and collar made of wide feathers, and a single, thinner feather on each ear. Weavile has two tail feathers and three claws on each paw. There is a yellow, oval marking in the center of its forehead. Its eyes are red with three eyelashes, and four fangs protrude from its upper jaw.

Weavile is devious and intelligent. It usually lives in cold, icy areas where it forms small packs. A pack of Weavile uses teamwork to take down its prey. It can communicate in the form of carving patterns on trees, ice and boulders.

"Okay…Weavile?" Serena said in a soft tone, unsure of what else to say. But the newly evolved Sharp Claw Pokémon did turn to her direction. "Is this what you wanted since we first met? Someone to help you evolve because you always found it impossible to do so? It was because you needed that Razor Claw in order to do it."

"We…Weavile~!" The dark and ice type actually smirked before doing the one thing that Serena never thought will happen; Weavile actually hugged her! She only did that once before; when Ash defended her honor by correctly guessing her gender right in front of Serena.

Serena honestly had no idea what Weavile was trying to say but she didn't care. "You're welcome Weavile. My Pokémon, my friend." As just as Serena said those words with all her heart, her Sharp Claw Pokémon actually did what it was thought to be impossible for a Pokémon like Weavile; she cried. Tears wetted Serena's shirt, they felt rather warm coming from an ice-type Pokémon; even they can have a warm soul. But Serena didn't mind, she just wanted to be with Weavile; to be the mother that she dreamed of being one day.

XXXXX

With that dilemma finally settled, it was time. Time for Ash to take on his latest Gym Battle. And Olympia is rumored to be the second toughest Gym Leader in all of Kalos. Most trainers actually tried to do her before the others and regretted underestimating her team. The Kalos League even passed a law to trainers to follow a certain order of Gym Leader, ending with Olympia and another Gym Leader.

Wulfric, of the Snowbelle City Gym, was very strong and very difficult to beat. Most experienced trainers said that battling Wulfric is similar to trying to stop an iceberg in motion. And his signature Pokémon, an Abomasnow, was rumored to be nearly unbeatable; especially once it has achieved its Mega Evolution.

But Ash will have to worry about that later. Only about Olympia and her team of Psychic type Pokémon. He heard about Psychic type Pokémon in general from as long ago as he was too young to start his journey back home. Psychic types are usually the ones that are the most cunning with their advanced intellect but also are some of the most boastful and egotistic; and their trainers reflected this trait themselves.

And that couldn't have been better to say about all the trainers within the Gym. Although, they did have some interesting Pokémon, most of them you can't find in the wild. Like these,

{Exeggutor, the Coconut Pokémon. Exeggutor originally came from the tropics. Its heads steadily grow larger from exposure to strong sunlight. It is said that when the heads fall off, they group together to form Exeggcute.}

{Reuniclus, the Multiplying Pokémon. Several Reuniclus can amplify their Psychic powers when they clasp hands and their brains form a network.}

And,

{Gardevoir, the Embrace Pokémon. Gardevoir will use all of its psychic energy to protect a trainer it has made a deep connection with.}

The gym itself was like a maze linked together by portals a lot like the ones in the Laverre City Gym. And to decorate the gym even further were all sorts of symbols for astronomy; constellations, comets, suns, moons etc. And the maze itself were thin and nigh transparent, like they were made of some kind of cloudy glass. And below everything is the surface of a blue sun.

Of course, the maze did provide some amusement to the trainers until they finally found out the path to the very center. The platform that had Olympia, Master of Psychic Pokémon and Leader of the Anistar City Gym. "Greetings young trainers." Olympia spoke like her voice was composed of many people speaking at once. No doubt because of her enlightenment and heighten minds; she is a trainer that is able to connect the best with Psychic type Pokémon.

"I trust that you saw us coming and know why we have arrived." Ash spoke up, with Serena no longer standing behind him this time. That dilemma with her Sneasel, later Weavile had showed her the true side to Pokémon; she longer feels afraid of Pokémon in general, and already she felt more connected to all them than ever before.

"Indeed. You, young man, wish to challenge me and my team for the Anistar City Gym Badge." Olympia replied and Ash nodded.

"I am here to try for it. Just because I haven't lost yet doesn't mean that I can slack off and still make it to the league." Ash then remarked and tensed his posture that made Olympia chuckle and get into her own posture.

"Of course not. Shall we begin?" Ash nodded and the platform soon transformed into the shape and size of the average Pokémon Gym battlefield. "I will go first. Sparkle with wonder, Sigilyph!" It was a Sigilyph like those from Route 10.

Sigilyph is a spherical Pokémon, possessing two cyan eyes with a third on a black appendage on top of its head. Sigilyph has a pair of wings and a tail that are yellow with blue and red stripes on each of the "feathers", two black-colored three-toed "feet", and two small spikes at its base. Sigilyph will use its psychic powers to attack anyone who invades its territory. Due to it retaining memories from when it guarded an ancient city, it apparently flies along the same route constantly.

"Come on out, Mawile!" Olympia sure was even more amused to see the Deceiver Pokémon arrive on the battlefield.

"An Steel type against me and my Psychic types? You sure are a cunning trainer. You are the first one that has sent out a Pokémon like this one since I was elected to be the Gym Leader." Olympia remarked in her echoing voice.

"Trust me Olympia. I am a trainer with plenty more up my sleeve. You better be as ready as I am. I am looking forward to the second toughest Gym Leader in Kalos." Ash replied and that meant no more prattle between trainers. Now it was time for action!

"Charge Beam if you would." Olympia called out for the first move a lot like a scholar will call on one of his students in class. And as Mawile was staring down that small bolt of electricity,

"Use your new Stockpile!" Ash called out and Mawile mimicked the action of inhaling a large meal and swallowing it. This caused her body to turn purple and take that Charge Beam without much problems. "Now use Fake Tears." Mawile suddenly broke down and brawled in the way a baby will when unsatisfied and not knowing what to do about it.

But this successfully lowered Sigilyph to lower its guard. "Now use Fairy Wind!"

"Light Screen." Olympia was also successful in blocking that Fairy Wind, even though it is the weakest fairy type move there is; it was the effects of Fake Tears, lowering the target's guard against special type attacks. Light Screen always blocked special attacks. "Now use Charge Beam."

"Sucker Punch!" Olympia actually looked shocked to see that she had showed her plan, with a flaw. And the Mawile is able to use that flaw in the manner of Sucker Punch. What's worse for her is that Sucker Punch is a dark type move and those work super effectively on Pokémon like Sigilyph. "Ice Beam!"

Now Olympia knew that this Mawile was trained for her team inclusively. Perhaps showing off her Pokémon worked too well. There was no time for another Light Screen with Mawile in close quarters of her Pokémon after that Sucker Punch.

"Thunder Wave!" Olympia now went on full counter, seeing an opportunity to turn this development into her favor for this once. Mawile just couldn't evade that Thunder Wave, successfully cutting down half her speed and leaving her at an unpredictable chance of being unable to move. "Now Roost."

"You heal up too. Rest."

Both Pokémon decided to take a breather and while Sigilyph was able to gain a heath boost by half of its full heath, Mawile got all of it back. But now she will be at a tight one as she will remain asleep for a little while; the best of this is that while asleep, Mawile can't be paralyzed at the same time.

"Use Shadow Ball!" Olympia now went for her own advantage with her fully awake Pokémon, to use the effects of Charge Beam to cover up moves that don't provide STAB.

"Act out with your reflexes during Sleep Talk." Ash spoke calmly for the first time this during this match. And it worked as Mawile actually moved and dodged like her body was acting out on its own, protecting itself from the attack. With this Mawile was able to dodge every single attack until naptime was over. This means that Mawile is up for a few more moves against Sigilyph.

"Charge Beam!" Olympia shouted and the Sigilyph let loose a small beam of energy at Mawile. The Deceiver Pokémon still dodged that attack, "Thunder Wave!"

"Ice Beam!" Ash called out and Mawile was able to not only dissipate the Thunder Wave but also so some sudden super-effective damage to the Sigilyph. "Now Iron Head!"

"Mirror Move!" Shortly after Mawile's forehead turned to the shine of steel, Sigilyph did the same. And both Pokémon met at with hard heads, shaking the Pokémon Gym.

Ash could never figure out just how did smoke appear of the battlefield is nothing but energy. Whatever the case, the field was soon covered in. And Ash could do nothing but wait until, "There! Psychic!" Olympia had surprised everyone watching by accurately figuring out where the enemy Mawile was and successfully caught her in a psychic bound. But Ash didn't seem to be shocked or worried; but confident and smirking!

"I always wanted to try something like this. Fairy Wind!" Ash called out and Mawile was surprised that while the Sigilyph did have an unbreakable hold with Psychic, the flying and psychic type was helpless to stop the Fairy Wind. And with the gust providing some sudden lift and a strong current at that, Sigilyph actually lost concentration. That caused the Psychic to let Mawile loose. "Finish with Iron Head!"

"Sigilyph!" Olympia could only shout out to her Pokémon as Mawile moved faster than ever and landed a devastating blow onto the flying and psychic type. And this time, Sigilyph did not get up from the fighting ground. Mawile had won the match, a point for Ash and his team.

"Show us your royal intellect, Slowking!" Next, she sent out a new Pokémon. Ash scanned it.

{Slowking, the Royal Pokémon. It has tremendous intelligence and intuition. No matter what the situation, it stays calm and collected.}

Slowking is a bipedal Pokémon with a Shellder latched onto its head. It is primarily pink, with a pale yellow muzzle and scaled belly. Its feet and hands each have a single clawed digit, while the hands also have a clawless thumb. Around its neck is a spiny ruff with alternating red and white stripes. The Shellder on its head has a spiral shape with two horns near the base. A red gem resides in the center of the Shellder.

The Shellder's bite releases venom into Slowpoke's brain, causing a chemical chain-reaction that unlocks a superior intelligence and extraordinary power. More venom is injected into Slowking every time it yawns. The more venom the Shellder releases, the more intelligent Slowking will become. However, if the Shellder on its head comes off, it will forget everything it has learned. Slowking's intelligence can match that of a human and it constantly attempts to learn more. Its inspiration and intuition are also highly developed, and Slowking is able to stay calm in any situation and plan situations with effective results.

"Mawile, good job. Return." Ash actually pulled off a good return move, Mawile was on her last knees despite using Rest; it must have been using half that energy in the Fairy Wind and the rest for that Iron Head on Sigilyph. So far, that was one challenging Pokémon. "Come on out, Durant!"

"You sure are going for the advantage, are you? Young trainer?" Olympia said, amused rather than worried like before. "Begin with Curse." Slowking glowed with an ominous color that could make the Royal Pokémon look like a ghost or something. But while Curse then lower Slowking's abysmal speed even more, it did increase its Attack and Defense power.

"X-Scissor!" Ash called out Durant's first move and while that did super-effective damage, Durant felt like Slowking's flesh had gotten harden and practically bounced her, dealing not much damage. "Try Struggle Bug!"

"Sorry Ash but, Calm Mind and then Flamethrower!" Olympia called out and Slowking relaxed despite Durant attacking it with various little points of biting. Then it actually defined its water typing and let out an actual stream of fire. Durant was last seen scorched in flame. But then, as everyone looked in to see the damage, 'Durant' was simply a doll.

"Yeah, and I am sorry too Olympia. For this, X-Scissor!" Olympia was surprised to see another Durant come as if from nowhere and actually did some damage to Slowking, the effects of the Curse seemed to not matter to such a powerful X-Scissor.

Then it hit her, "You…and your Durant…" Olympia never felt so foolish as to underestimate Ash. She must have been used to trainers underestimating her instead.

"You got it. My Durant's special ability is Swarm. Similar to Overgrow, Blaze and Torrent from all the three starter Pokémon. When my Durant is at or below half her full health, her STAB bug type moves double in power." Ash remarked and Durant smirked in her own way.

"Then we will stop holding back, Slack Off and then Nasty Plot!" Slowking then got up and healed with a glow of green. Then its expression showed that it came up with some bad thoughts that also increased its Special Attack power. "Now use Scald!"

"Double Team and then Crunch!" Durant was able to evade the dangerously hot Scald attack and landed a super-effective Crunch on Slowking. Of course, that was not enhanced by her Swarm ability. At least it did cancel out one of the effects of Curse by lowering the defensive power with Crunch. "Now use X-Scissor!"

"Psych Up!" Olympia called out and Slowking had actually mimicked Double Team by being as evasive as Durant. "Scald!" This time, Durant had to really move to avoid that Scald attack now that Slowking more evasive and nimble this time.

"Time to take a chapter out of your book as they say, use Thunder Wave!" Ash called out and Durant saw that she can use her evasiveness to match Slowking's and land a paralyzing field of electricity onto the Royal Pokémon. "Iron Head!"

Olympia saw that it was useless to call out for an attack since Slowking actually flinched to that Iron Head attack, which Thunder Wave didn't help one bit. "Flamethrower!" But for Olympia to give up now will be insulting, her Slowking also was not to be counted out so soon. Durant was about to land another hit on the Royal Pokémon but instead had to retreat when Slowking pulled out another stream of fire before the Thunder Wave caused it to freeze up again.

"Slack Off!" Olympia called out and Slowking halted in its tracks, glowing green with energy flooding back into its systems once again. But while that could mean the battle is going to linger, it was not to be.

"Guillotine!" Durant appeared, faster than ever and before Slowking could stop her. With a single snap of her pincers, the mighty Royal Pokémon fell.

Finally,

"Come and reveal your unwavering cunning, Meowstic!" This one is definitely a new Pokémon.

{Meowstic, the Constraint Pokémon. When faced with trouble, Meowstic will raise its ears and create enough Psychic power to demolish a ten-ton truck. Its appearance varies, depending on gender.}

Meowstic's appearance differs drastically between genders, but in either form, it is a bipedal feline Pokémon with a humanlike posture, digitless appendages, and two tails. The male's fur is predominantly dark blue with accentuations of white, while the female's color scheme is reversed. The male's ears are mostly blue with some accents of white, and the tips are pointed straight; the female's ears are entirely white, and the tips are curled. The tuft of fur between the male's ears is white and in a straight, diagonal style; the female's tuft is blue and curled. The collar of fur around the male's neck is white and in a pointy style, while the female's collar is blue with a curl rising up to its face. The male's eyes are spring green with darker green pupils, while the female's eyes are yellow with red pupils. The male's tails each have a white stripe just before ending in white, while the tails themselves end in a point; the female's tails are blue at the base and end in white fluffy curls. The male's arms end in white, and its legs are white at foot level; the female's arms end in blue, and its legs are mostly blue in a fashion resembling stockings.

The organs hidden in Meowstic's ears emit psychic energy powerful enough to obliterate a 10-ton truck. It usually keeps its ears tightly shut in order to keep its otherwise uncontrollable power in check, but it will unleash this power if threatened. It usually keeps a stoic, virtually emotionless face; some Trainers adore its unsociable demeanor. The moves it naturally learns depend on its gender; the male's learnset is mostly comprised of supportive and disruptive moves, while the female focuses on all-out offense.

All in all, this Meowstic is female. Ash didn't care about it that much, only about the next challenge to face for the Gym Badge. "Durant, use Entrainment!"

"Fake Out!" Olympia called out and Meowstic charged to try and stop Durant. But the Iron Ant Pokémon and her trainer had something mind in case of situations like this. As soon as Meowstic struck Durant, the Entrainment move was preformed anyways.

"Good, come back Durant!" Ash recalled his Iron Ant Pokémon and then reached in for another. "Let's go, Doublade!"

"You weren't kidding, Iron Trainer Ash." Olympia spoke up and the young boy sighed at that nickname, feeling a little overpraised. After all, he was still a ten-year-old boy. "Whatever the case, Shadow Ball!" But something went wrong, Meowstic didn't attack, instead dropped to the ground and looked like she lost a week's worth of sleep. "What is the meaning of this?"

"I wish that I can explain it too." Ash said, getting everyone's attention. "I was aware of Durant's hidden ability but while we were training, we both were confused when her abilities changed! Between the two of the abilities." The crowd of trainers gasped. "I wasn't lying that my Durant's ability is Swarm. But we have figured out how to use this phenomenon in battle, forcing our targets to gain the ability Truant." As Ash went on, Olympia was getting a headache trying to make sense of all this. "Then again, all this started with this strange stone we found…"

"Role Play!" Ash was interrupted when Olympia called out for her Meowstic to actually move this time, switching abilities in inverse to Entrainment. Now it is Doublade that has Truant and Meowstic has No Guard. "Sorry Ash but this will have to wait until after the battle is over. We don't have all day."

"Okay then. Doublade…" Ash called for his Sword Pokémon. "New course of action, Slash!" Doublade went in with both of his blades glowing with energy, coming in for a double slash attack (Got his name together and apart in one sentence! Cool!)

"Barrier!" That was a surprise. Meowstic can gain the move Barrier as an egg move and it looks like the Gym Leader's Meowstic does have it too. Anyways, Doublade's Slash attack was halted, "Shadow Ball!"

"Shadow Claw!" Ash revealed a very handy get-around when it came to Truant, it only activates once the user completes an action; any interruptions just resets the process. And Meowstic using Barrier was a pleasant surprise because it only presents a helpful situation for this to happen and for Doublade to try for another strike.

And strike so did he, Doublade's Shadow Claw was strong to slice through the Shadow Ball and land a super effective move that had STAB backing it up. Then there was when Doublade's new Truant ability had to kick in and make the Sword Pokémon to sloth around.

"Calm Mind." Ash was wondering why Olympia wasn't attacking his Doublade, to put some more pressure on him. I guess that even the toughest of Gym leaders will be more fair than difficult at battling. "Now Stored Power!" Meowstic, after glowing and increasing her special attack and defense, sent out all that compressed energy at Doublade.

And that sent the still helpless Doublade flying with some damage from that psychic type move. Of course, it was time for Doublade's Truant to finally wear off. "Now use Shadow Sneak and Slash once you hit!" Doublade moved faster than Meowstic could ever be. Once the Sword Pokémon was in close quarters, he infused Shadow Sneak's priority with the critical hit ratio of Slash.

"Shadow Ball!" Olympia knew that Ash just wanted Doublade to make as much damage as possible. And another Shadow Ball was all it took to land an indefinite hit that totaled the Sword Pokémon.

"We need more work later." Ash said, taking this defeat of his Pokémon like a seasoned trainer. "Go, Bisharp!" It was the remaining member of Ash's four steel types that gave him the nickname, 'Iron Trainer'.

"Role Play!" Olympia knew that a Bisharp knows the move Guillotine, which is what made the species so infamous. But even if the opposing Pokémon has No Guard, then the Bisharp can just end it there with that knock-out move. But it was not to be,

"Taunt." Ash commanded and Bisharp made some rude gestures that got on Meowstic's bad side, making her too angry to use any status moves like Role Play. "Now use Guillotine!"

"Barrier!" Olympia tried to stop the Guillotine but when her Meowstic had used her egg move, it was too late. With being manipulated by Ash into gaining the ability No Guard,Bisharp's Guillotine couldn't be stopped and couldn't miss; it hit Meowstic without fail.

"Thank you Ash for the great battle. Now here is my strongest!" Olympia said as she returned her Meowstic. One final Pokéball came into view. "I present the greatest mind among my Pokémon, Alakazam!"

{Alakazam, the Psi Pokémon, and the evolved form of Kadabra. With the brain like a super computer, it possesses many different supernatural powers.}

Alakazam is characterized by its humanoid structure and large mustache. The female Alakazam has a significantly shorter mustache than the male. Its snout is long and thin, and it has long, ear-like spikes extending from the back of its head. Additional spike protrude from each cheek. Covering its yellow, skeletal body are brown armor-like sections over its chest, shoulders, forearms and knees. There are three toes on each foot, each of which has a white claw. It wields a silver spoon in each hand, which act as amplifiers for its psychic abilities. Alakazam is able to lower the accuracy of its opponents by bending the spoons it wields, using its signature move Kinesis.

Alakazam is able to use all forms of psychic abilities. These powers are used to move its body, as opposed to its weak muscles. It also uses its psychic powers to hold up its head, which is too heavy to be supported by its neck, due to its continually growing brain. It is said to have an excellent memory and can remember everything that it has experienced since hatching as an Abra, and has an IQ that exceeds 5,000. It is found in urban areas.

"Bisharp, go for an Iron Head!"

"Miracle Eye." Olympia commanded and Alakazam focused on Bisharp, making it impossible to miss and removing any immunity to psychic type moves. And Alakazam even allowed Bisharp to hit it with Iron Head, not that it will matter to make the Psi Pokémon to flinch. "Now use Psychic!"

Bisharp was actually shocked to see that he, a dark type Pokémon will now be harmed by a psychic type move. "Use Thunder Wave!" Bisharp tried to paralysis Alakazam when the Psi Pokémon glowed right before the Sharp Blade Pokémon did the same. And after that, both of them were paralyzed. "Darn it, Synchronize."

Not to be confused with the move named the same, Synchronize can cause the user's status conditions to pass onto the opposing Pokémon. Very deadly if used right. "You sure are clever for someone who made a foolhardy and reckless action. Even though you did give my Pokémon a disadvantage." Olympia remarked, while muttering that last sentence under her breath. "Now use Focus Blast."

"Hold it together Bisharp!" Ash called out and when Alakazam landed that ultra-effective hit, Bisharp actually held in. "Use Metal Burst!" Bisharp glowed brightly orange and released a ball of energy from all that damage back at Alakazam. Bisharp fainted to all the pain he was trying to ignore to use that last move. But a gym leader's Pokémon is not to be denied or underestimated.

"Thank you Bisharp, return. Now come on out Greninja!" Now it was time for Ash and his fully evolved Ninja Pokémon. "Use Shadow Sneak!" Greninja, like a ghost or a ninja, disappeared into the shadows on the battlefield and landed a super-effective hit on Alakazam.

"Focus Blast." Olympia called out and but when Alakazam sent that ball of energy at Greninja, it just went right through the Ninja Pokémon harmlessly. "Psychic!"

"Night Slash!" Ash quickly countered with a command that caused Greninja to go through Alakazam's Psychic harmlessly like before. "Now use Aerial Ace!"

"Another Focus Blast!" Alakazam had no idea what is going on with this set up as its sphere of energy did touch Greninja but it seemed to only scratch the Ninja Pokémon, and barely did any damage. In fact, if that Focus Blast did hit Greninja, it would have been shredded on contact. "Those this mean…?" *Gasp* Olympia had finally figured out Ash's shtick.

And just in time to command her Alakazam to avoid another Night Slash. "Miracle Eye and Psychic!" Alakazam focused its view on Greninja and actually landed a hit on the Ninja Pokémon.

"Took you long enough Olympia, not exactly what I had expected of the second toughest Gym Leader in Kalos." Ash smirked and jabbed at Olympia's image which made the gym leader twitch her eye; a genius and a prodigy he may be, Ash was still acting his age of ten years.

"Psychic!"

"Hydro Pump!"

Once both moves hit their targets, it was still as clear as day to be a stand-off between them. It was time to stop holding back and go all out, especially for Olympia.

"It is time Ash, behold my Alakazam at his full potential!" Olympia reached up to where her hair makes an arch across her forehead. Hidden underneath happened to be a Key Stone to match the Mega Stone daggling from one of Alakazam's forks since it first appeared out of its Pokéball. "Keystone, let our hearts and minds link together. Behold the stars and to the ends of space, may our bond teach us the true meaning of battling. Mega Evolution!"

Once the light surrounding Alakazam had passed, Ash hurried to scan it.

{This Pokémon has now undergone its Mega Evolution. It remains a pure Psychic type. It now has gained the ability Trace which allows it to temporary mimic a target's ability until it is sent out of battle.

Now as Mega Alakazam, this Pokémon gains a large white beard and his mustache becomes larger and white. The armor-like sections become bulkier, and his upper body section becoming slightly shorter to reveal his thin stomach. The head becomes diamond-shaped, but it keeps his four spikes. Additionally, he gained a large, oval, red organ in the center of its forehead. The organ is said to emit psychic power. His lower legs become longer and slimmer and its feet become skinnier and resemble talons. It gains three additional spoons, which it levitates in the air above his head

And once it gazed on Greninja, its Trace ability soon kicked in; now both Pokémon have Protean to give them STAB behind every move, attack or status. "Recover and then Psychic!"

"New course of action Greninja. Use Substitute!" Ash called out to his Pokémon and once the Psychic attack came, it only hit a doll left in Greninja's wake; in the manner of the text book definition of a ninja. "Now use Water Shuriken!" Greninja then appeared from behind Mega Alakazam and shot out shuriken or ninja star weapons made of water at the Mega Evolved Psi Pokémon.

"Nice tactic Ash, now use Energy Ball!" Olympia commented Ash and then commanded her Mega Alakazam to use a trick of their sleeves and used a super-effective hit on Greninja, gaining STAB from the new Protean ability.

"Night Slash!" Ash called out and then Greninja and Mega Alakazam went at it once again. And for what felt like an eternity, both of them face each other down. *sigh* Ash released breath of air, "This is going to take all day if we keep this up. Why not one more for all the marbles."

"I don't mind Ash." Olympia responded and then, with all their might, both trainers roared out like lions;

"FOCUS BLAST!"

"HYPER BEAM!"

This was it, if Greninja falls then Ash's remaining team is doomed. If she does win then there goes the Gym Leader's own team and Ash will win his seventh Gym Badge. When the light died down, both Pokémon were staring each other down, trying to last longer than the other. Unlike of course, Greninja was able to get on her feet while Mega Alakazam got dizzy and fell to the battleground.

"It looks like you win Ash." Olympia said, sounding like she was tired as well. After all, she willed for the battlefield to appear for this Gym Battle. "Come on, let's go to somewhere more peaceful for our discussion."

"Right." Ash said as he felt his throat sore from yelling all those moves. And thankfully Serena gave Ash a water canteen to drink from before meeting up with Olympia in the lobby of the gym. That was where Ash received the Psychic Badge; it was shaped like a crystal ball emanating smoke. And with the badge came another TM, for the move Calm Mind.

Ash also shared what he had learned about his Durant switching from Swarm and Truant during the Gym Battle. There was still so much not known yet but one thing was for sure; Durant and the other three steel types that Ash happen to find have a very interesting destiny at their trainer's side.

But when Ash and Serena were out of sight, Olympia noticed that one of her apprentices was approaching. And with the feelings of shock and fear inside her mind. "Mistresses! Look at this!" She shouted and shoved something into Olympia's hand.

"And what is this?" The gym leader asked but the apprentice was too scared and out of breath to answer. Looking down, Olympia noticed that it was a gadget that can easily fit into a human hand, even that of a ten-year old's. And it looked like can show a projection.

And it did show one. It was of a large man that had the appearance of royalty. His attire was a stuffy suit that was black and red. And the hair stood out as it was gravity defying and with a flame-red tone. "Greets listeners, trainers and civilians alike. I have some terrible news that I wish to announce."

XXXXX

Meanwhile,

Ash and Serena had themselves and their Pokémon rested up for the next route. And they heard of a large cave system that had its mouth on this very route. And while that can be exciting to check out, the trainers are also interested the new Pokémon to encounter. And they had spent a good couple of hours checking them out.

These were inside the usual bushes;

{Sandslash, the Mouse Pokémon. When it runs at full speed, it sends up a thick cloud of sand in order to hide itself.}

{Graveler, the Rock Pokémon. Rocks are Graveler's favorite food. This Pokémon will climb a mountain from the base to the summit, crunchingly feasting on rocks all the while. Upon reaching the peak, it rolls back down to the bottom.}

{Pupitar, the Hard Shell Pokémon. Pupitar is encased in a nearly indestructible shell and has enough power to topple a mountain.}

{Lairon, the Iron Armor Pokémon. It digs up iron ore for food, and smashes its steely body up against others in battles over territory.}

{Torkoal, the Coal Pokémon. Torkoal burns coal within its body to produce energy. As a defense, Torkoal is able to release smoke from its nostrils and its back to confuse enemies.}

And

{Gurdurr, the Muscular Pokémon. Gurdurr trains its muscles by carrying a steel beam. With its amazing strength, even professional wrestlers can't move it.}

And then there was the rare catch;

{Heatmor, the Anteater Pokémon. Heatmor has a blazing inner fire and uses the hole in its tail to breathe. Durant is its enemy.}

What Ash really caught on this trail was the rare catch that can only be encountered while smashing some of the rocks down below, near the entrance to Couriway Town.

{Shuckle, the Mold Pokémon. Shuckle stores Berries inside its shell, and the Berries eventually turn into a delicious juice.}

Shuckle is a Pokémon that resembles a small turtle. Its body is yellow and appears soft. Until they are in use, Shuckle's limbs appear limp. It is encased in a very hard red shell that has many holes in it. The holes in its shell are rimmed with white. Rather than actively hunting and foraging for food like most other Pokémon, it collects Berries and stores them in its shell. The Berries inside are liquefied and fermented by Shuckle's digestive juices, which it then consumes. These juices are also used to dissolve rocks so Shuckle can hide under them. It can be found in the mountains.

The reason Ash wanted a Shuckle because that species is infamous for being the weakest in Attack power and Speed but unequaled in Defensive power to make up. It is almost like with a Smeargle on Route 7; they both are good examples of a Pokémon that is a challenge to raise.

Then there was the last thing to check out before heading to where Route 18 ended, the Terminus Cave. When they reached the mouth of the cave there was a brisk breeze coming from inside. That proved the cave mouth was hollow for sure, there is definitely a caver system to check out.

And when Ash placed the first step inside the mouth of the cave, he and his group were met with a startling vision. They were suddenly inside a cave room and in a pool that was filled with green-glowing water. Before any of them could panic, there was bubbling in the pool, right in front of them.

Then something came out of the water, right at that spot. Its appearance was clouded by the darkness of the cave; and even the water shine didn't help. It was like some kind of a serpent with five flat spikes coming out of from the back of its head. The scales were polygon in shape there seems to be jeweled eyes and no mouth on its head.

{I am the one that gives order.} That voice was unlike any human's so Ash and his friends figured that it was the cloud figure talking to them. {Whenever the being of Life conflicts with the being of Death, I am awakened to match them both. My power is superior to theirs and they both fear me.}

"So why are you telling us this? How can mortals like us help you?" Ash then spoke, showing his brave self. Yet the creature was silent. "I believe that you are mistaken because there is no conflict between this 'being of Life' or 'being of Death'. So why have you been awakened? What has disturbed your slumber?"

{…} Still the being is silent. {…Yes.} After a while of silence, it finally answered. {I do not sense any conflict between them. But it was their cries of pain and hate that have awakened me. Once you find them and ask why they are in pain, then we will meet again.}

"Before you go, tell us of the fog!" Ash then said when he sensed the vision beginning to fade. That outburst gave a jolt that restarted it and the creature was clear again. And so was its confusion.

{Fog? And which fog do I have to answer for? My powers don't cause any.} The creature asked of Ash who just nodded. Then he explained,

"This land is surrounded by a very dense fog that caused a gap between time with Kalos and the outside world." Ash told the creature. "I was told within the Sea Spirit's Den that this fog is not natural and was caused by a being like you that has the power to affect time. Do know of such a being?"

{…} The creature was silent once again. {…I do know of a being of Time. But I am clueless as to why he would cover this land in a time pocket. All of us beings of great power have another that we all answer to. And I have been dormant in my cave home until the previous two full moons appeared. That was when I heard their cries and yet no conflict between each other. I cannot leave the cave until there is such an event.}

"Thank you anyways, being of Order." Ash then replied. "We can't make any promises but once we encounter either this 'being of Life' or 'being of Death', we will find the cause of their pain."

{Thank you, Chosen One and trusted friends.} The 'being of Order', as Ash put it, responded with an encrypted answer. {Fare well.} And in the end, they never guessed that they will find their answer very, very soon.

End of Chapter 19

*Thanks for the reviews. This week and the previous one has been a hassle to get my studying in order. I have three quizzes and a test to worry about! I can be sure that this will be my last update this month and I will try harder in October! Wish me luck! *

Pokémon on Hand;

Ash – Pikachu (Male), Doublade (Male), Bisharp (Male), Mawile (Female), Durant (Female), Greninja (Female), Ivysaur (Female), Charmeleon (Male), Wartortle (Male) and Snover (Male).

Serena – Delphox (Female), Mr. Mime (Female), Cubone (Male), Kangaskhan (Female), Phantump (Female) and Weavile (Female).

Off Hand;

Ash – Ledian (Female), Kadabra (Female), Snorlax (Male), and Smeargle (Male), Sableye (Male), Quilladin (Male), Lucario (Male), Luvdisc (Male), Talonflame (Male), Gogoat (Male), Lapras (Female), Poliwag (Male), Ferrothorn (Female), Rotom (Female) Gourgiest (Female) and Shuckle (Male).

Serena – Furfrou (Male), Spritize (Male), Swirlix (Female), Audino (Female), Luvdisc (Female), Poliwag (Female), Plusle & Minun (Female) and Gourgiest (Male).