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Pokémon – Move Names and Pokémon Abilities
{Pokémon} – Pokédex
Ash, the Iron Trainer
Lysandre Labs
Previously on Ash, the Iron Trainer;
"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.
"Well here we are." Ash spoke and Serena could only nod. They were no longer on Route 18. They were back in Lumiose City, standing right in front of where Lysandre Labs was supposed to be located. But instead of a lab, they were facing a café. One that is coincidently named Lysandre Café, located between the city's Magenta Plaza and Autumnal Avenue.
"This is where that special message from the professor said to find where they make the Holo-Caster technology, Lysandre Labs." Serena replied and Ash silently nodded this time. If it weren't for a message following a gift from Professor Sycamore telling them everything he knew about this 'Lysandre' fellow of a terrorist, the two trainers will never have found the place.
Still, it was too easy to get to the café. There were no grunts trying to ward them off or even tried to kick them back out on the street. The plaza and the street between it and the street were completely empty. What is more is that Ash and Serena had gotten the Holo-Caster without much trouble; the message was sent to them using the same technology that Lysandre himself invented. It was almost like he counted on Ash and Serena to find the front for his lab and the center of his evil deeds.
Whatever the case, all the answers should be right inside. Once Ash opened the door, the smell of coffee and snacks were let loose like rabid animals out of their cages. But Ash knew that something was up when the restaurant looked like he hadn't had any customers in a while; or rather, hadn't let any in for that while.
"I am sorry but we are closed until further notice." The bartender said without even facing the two trainers. "Boss's orders."
"Then you will be relieved. We are not here to buy refreshments." Ash the responded with the coolest tone he could muster. Serena just stood by his side, not saying a word in an attempt to not draw in too much attention. "We would like to speak with the owner that ordered this place to be closed off with the door unlocked." This got the bartender and the other solo employee to look up and see Ash and Serena in the middle of their café.
"If you do then you will have to find the hidden door and say the magic words." The waiter said with the tone that said 'come and get it'. Ash and Serena knew then that they had to battle their way into Lysandre Labs. Taking out their Pokéballs, the two trainers were able to do just that.
The grunt disguised as a bartender had a Scrafty that knew Payback and High-Jump Kick. Ash decided to go in with his Shuckle. Scrafty took in Shuckle's Stone Edge after being affected by a Power Split move. But High-Jump Kick didn't get Scrafty anywhere and neither did Payback when Shuckle was able to use Gyro Ball. Scrafty couldn't take in that attack and the grunt panicked when he lost; he also let this loose under his tongue; 'I hope he doesn't find out to look behind the bookshelf!'
Meanwhile, Serena faced the fake waitress who sent out a Liepard that knew Fake-Out, Assurance and Night Slash. Serena decided to go in with her Kangaskhan. Both of them knew one of the same move, Fake-Out, so the match started on a stalemate so soon. Then Serena's Kangaskhan went in with a couple of Mega Punch moves followed by an Outrage to match Liepard using Night Slash. But Outrage was Kangaskhan's strongest attack from experience, despite the lack of STAB, and eventually the Parent Pokémon overwhelmed Liepard and won the match for Serena. And the pair managed to catch this from the fake waiter who mutter; 'I hope they don't find out the password is 'open sesame'.'
With the two hints won fair and square, the two trainers easily found the secret entrance to the labs from within the café. And through a metallic and futuristic hallway, Ash and Serena were taken by surprised as to who was waiting for them at the end. "Hello young trainers. We finally met after this long time." It was the boss of Team Flare himself, confessing right on that dire announcement made just shortly after Ash's battle with Olympia in Anistar City.
XXXXX
"You are Lysandre?" Ash asked the massive man with hair as big as a lion's mane. "I thought you will be taller." The man growled for only a second before regaining his calm just as fast.
"I thought the same since you, young man, are the Iron Trainer. The one that even Wikstrom of the Elite Four respects." Lysandre mocked replied but Ash didn't stir. The boy is almost like a seasoned warrior. Ash, at only ten years of age, is staring up to a terrorist and expertly kept his emotions under check; to let people like Lysandre see that they get to you is a fatal mistake.
"I didn't get caught in a storm, washed up to a beach with four eggs about to die before hatching just to get a reputation Lysandre." Ash spoke up. "I was destined to come here and do what I have been doing ever since. That is all I know and that you need to be stopped."
"Stopped?" Lysandre laughed, not at Ash but the idea of that his goals are considered to be nothing short of a terrorist's. "Someone needs to cleanse this beautify country and world of what dirties it. The criminals, the tyrants and all those who abuse and neglect the beauty. They need to be taken care off and taken out."
"And once you do that, then who is going to do the same to you? You, the criminal you are allowing yourself to become?" Ash then remarked and Lysandre doesn't answer. "It is either that you stop yourself now or be the person you making yourself out of for the rest of eternity. Do you want to complete your goals and then make yourself forgotten? To truly…die?"
Lysandre once again doesn't answer. Ad after what felt like an eternity, he made a deep sigh. "If you are not going to leave this country to cleaned then so be it. But I want to see that conviction at its greatest. Challenge me and show me that you have commented to this foolhardy endeavor." Normally, this will go right over the heads of regular ten-year-old's but to one named Ash, that meant just one thing; Lysandre wants to battle him and determine the winning side of this conflict that way.
"Come out, Mienfoo!" Ash recognized that small but powerful fighting type that appeared in Route 8 and was even used in Ash's Gym Battle against Korrina in Shalour City. Time to test out one of his more recent additions to his team,
"Come, Shuckle!" Lysandre didn't as much as bat an eye to the sight of the Mold Pokémon. "Power Split!" Ash called out and Shuckle did its thing, glowing of a rainbow tone that so spread onto Mienfoo, sharing both of their attack power.
"Use High Jump Kick!" Lysandre finally made his move. And Mienfoo jump high into the air and descend for a devastating kick while trying to aim for Shuckle. But Ash had a counterattack,
"Use Gyro Ball, stay where you are!" Ash commanded and Shuckle had plenty of time for even a Pokémon as slow as he was to get into a ball and spin rapidly while remaining still. When Mienfoo did land on Shuckle, the motion of the Gyro Ball damaged the Marital Arts Pokémon quite a bit and caused it to hit the ground instead. High Jump Kick and its derivative Jump Kick both have the risk of causing damage to the user if the move missed; and since the former was a stronger variant to the latter, the recoil damage is also stronger.
"Forget a comeback and use Swords Dance!" Lysandre called out to his Mienfoo that has already received a lot of damage. But Ash wasn't going to take any of this like a sitting duck.
"Infestation!" Shuckle then summoned various insects from hidden cracks in the lab to cover up Mienfoo, causing it pain. Now Lysandre can't switch it out.
"Reversal!" Now that Mienfoo has given up on an aerial strike, preferring solid ground, the Martial Artist Pokémon reached Shuckle before Ash could call another attack. And with all the damage taken, the Reversal was of a high power. But it was not the end of Shuckle,
"Bind and Gyro Ball!" Mienfoo was taken by surprised when one of Shuckle's arms grabbed a strong hold on one of its own, before spinning rapidly. And Mienfoo was taken up for the ride, hitting the ground hard every turn; thankfully for Lysandre, the floor was made of something that was very difficult to even scratch. Otherwise it will be a pain to fix after this battle. "Now pull him in!" Ash commanded and that was all over for Mienfoo.
All that momentum generated by the Gyro Ball was being contained by Shuckle. But when Ash called for his Mold Pokémon to pull Mienfoo towards him, all that energy and power was directed at a single target. Lysandre growled to see his first Pokémon fall to a 'simple' Shuckle; clearly Ash had potential to train recently caught Pokémon to face off those who had been trained for months, maybe even years.
"Avenge your comrade, Murkrow!" Lysandre returned his defeated Mienfoo and out came the Darkness Pokémon from Route 15 and 16 in horde encounters. "Foul Play!" Murkrow moved faster than even Mienfoo and Shuckle couldn't stop the Darkness Pokémon from using his enhanced attack power to strength that dark type move. "Now Steel Wing!"
"Stealth Rock." Ash simply said and Shuckle knew why Ash wasn't going to issue an attack. Especially after that Murkrow used that super-effective Steel Wing. Shuckle just ignored the pain and used the one and only chance to lay out hidden rocks that will strike any Pokémon coming out to the field to do rock type damage; Ash had a feeling in his guts that Stealth Rock will give him an edge over the other Pokémon in Lysandre's team.
"Now Retaliate, Murkrow!" It was all over for Shuckle, with an enhanced Foul Play and a super effective Steel Wing, a Retaliate with a fainted Pokémon on Lysandre's team will be just too much for Shuckle. Murkrow slashed right through Shuckle and successfully knocked out the Mold Pokémon.
"We need more training." Ash said to himself and the ball that retrieved Shuckle of duty. "Now come on out, Ivysaur!" Ash could have picked another Pokémon on hand but the one with the mid-evolved Seed Pokémon vibrated at the touch.
"Aerial Ace!" Lysandre wasn't even amused to see Ash send out a grass type against his flying type Murkrow. But he never saw this coming,
"Double Edge!" Ash called out and Ivysaur moved with speeds the defied her bulk and size. Both Pokémon hit each other with Double Edge being twice as strong as Aerial Ace, the former was the obvious winner of that stalemate. "Using a move that can't miss? It is also good for making the user a clear target, don't you agree?" Ash remarked. "Now blind Murkrow with Poison Powder!"
Ivysaur sent out a dust of purple powder from the flower on her back, right into Murkrow's face. That successfully blinded Murkrow with the poison in the powder working its effects and irritating the Darkness Pokémon's eyes. "Now for a new move, use Nature Power!"
Ivysaur focused and called forth power from her surroundings, in the form of three separate spheres that raced towards the distracted Murkrow. And that dealt even more normal damage. All this didn't amuse Lysandre one bit, "Murkrow, use Perish Song!"
"Double Edge!" Ash had heard of Perish Song; it can cause all Pokémon that hear it to faint in a short time. Thankfully, Ivysaur hit Murkrow before the Darkness Pokémon could as much as make a whimper. "Now use Venoshock!" Ivysaur lived up to her grass and poison typing by spreading a special poison on Murkrow that grew within seconds, eating away at Murkrow's health. After a couple of minutes of trashing in pain, the Darkness Pokémon fell.
"Roar with all your strength, Pyroar!"
{Pyroar, the Royal Pokémon and the evolved form of Litleo. Pyroar's mane which is made of fire becomes larger when it gets excited.}
Pyroar is a quadruped, leonine Pokémon. It is mostly dark brown with light brown legs, tail tip, chest, and face. A male Pyroar has a large, dominantly red mane with gold streaks forming pattern resembling the Daimonji symbol 大. The shape also resembles the symbol for fire 火. In contrast, a female has a long, gold and red mane extending from its forehead to the whole length of its body. This one is a male. Pyroar's irises are tinted azure with black pupils.
Pyroar live in prides, led by the male with the largest mane of fire, and the females protect the pride's cubs. Pyroar viciously threatens any challenger with a fiery breath exceeding 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit. It and its pre-evolution Litleo are the only known Pokémon that can learn Noble Roar.
"Fire Fang!" Lysandre commanded, and his Pyroar charged with his mouth filled with fire. Ash focused on that approach and so did Ivysaur. And impressive considering Pyroar was hit by Stealth Rock. When the Royal Pokémon was about to pounce like any lion,
"Flash!" Ivysaur concreted and then glowed nearly as bright as sunlight. Pyroar couldn't get his eyes on Ivysaur and had to make a crash landing. "Now Double Edge!"
"Get up and use Noble Roar!" Still shaken from the light that almost blinded him, Pyroar couldn't stop Ivysaur from crashing into his torso. But he was tougher than that and growled in a way that made Ivysaur cringe. "Now use Sunny Day and then Fire Blast!"
Ash was about to rework his tactics after the Noble Roar but then smirked when Lysandre called for a Sunny Day. "Hurry Ivysaur, use Growth and the dodge!" Ivysaur heard that and got up with just enough time to literally grow stronger when there was a spot of sunlight within the labs. When Pyroar tried to hit with Fire Blast, Ivysaur dodged with ease and moved as if a blur. "Now use Solar Beam!"
Lysandre growled to himself. Of course Sunny Day can be used against him since grass types are willing to risk their safety in enhanced sunlight for their own benefits. And despite the type disadvantage, Pyroar felt that Solar Beam hard. "Use Overheat!"
Pyroar shook off the pain from the Solar Beam and sent out a spiral attack of flames at Ivysaur. "Counter with Razor Leaf!" Now that was foolhardy and reckless but Ivysaur did it anyways. While it didn't protect the Seed Pokémon entirely, that attack did take most of the power in that Overheat so the worse Ivysaur had gotten were burns.
"This is getting too old." Lysandre growled out and Ash smirked.
"I couldn't agree more." Ash replied with a mocking tone that just got under Lysandre's skin. "Solar Beam!"
"Overheat!"
Both Pokémon unleashed their energies into a standoff. And it seemed that no Pokémon has the greater advantage, they will get nowhere until the first one to run out of steam. Instead, something else happened. Ivysaur started to glow as she silently roared through the heat and approaching exhaustion just to keep using Solar Beam.
Once Ivysaur had finished glowing and growing, Ash scanned her.
{Venusaur, the Seed Pokémon and the evolved form of Ivysaur. When Venusaur sprouts out its large flower petals and absorbs the rays of the sun, it becomes energized.}
Venusaur is a squat, quadruped Pokémon with bumpy, blue-green skin. It has small, circular red eyes, a short, blunt snout, and a wide mouth with two pointed teeth in the upper jaw and four in the lower jaw. On top of its head are small, pointed ears with reddish pink insides. It has three clawed toes on each foot. The bud on its back has bloomed in a large pink, white-spotted flower. The flower is supported by a thick, brown trunk surrounded by green fronds. A female Venusaur will have a seed in the center of its flower such as this one's.
Venusaur uses its flower to catch the sun's rays to convert them into energy, which causes the flower to take on colors that are more vibrant. The flower releases a soothing scent that attracts Pokémon. This scent becomes stronger after a rainy day.
All facts aside, Venusaur felt her exhaustion lifting like a feather off the ground on a windy day. This and the surge of energy and power right down to every point of her body, the newly evolved Venusaur was able to enhanced her Solar Beam to overcome even an Overheat attack.
"Use Sludge Bomb!" Ash called out and Venusaur coughed out a large sphere of smelly poison that landed all over Pyroar. "Let's see if you can finally use this. Earthquake!" Venusaur slammed her foot hard on the lab floor and shook it so hard that Pyroar felt badly; and with the Sludge Bomb doing some hard damage already, this attack had sealed the deal.
"Impressive, I don't usually resort to my Pyroar in a battle with children. But that might be my signature Pokémon, this one is much stronger and my very first. Come forth, Gyarados!" Lysandre said and summoned one last Pokémon.
{Gyarados, the Atrocious Pokémon and the evolved form of Magikarp. In ancient literature, there is a record of a Gyarados that razed a village when violence flared.}
Gyarados is a serpentine Chinese dragon-like Pokémon. It is mostly blue, with a yellow underbelly and yellow spots along its body. It has a three-pointed, dark blue crest on its head and four white, dorsal fins. Its mouth is very large and gaping, bearing four canine teeth. It has one barbel on each side of its face. The barbels are white on a female and the same color as the main body on a male. Gyarados's tailfin is similar in structure to the crest on its head, except with a thin, white fin spread between the points.
The fangs of a Gyarados can crush stones and its scales are harder than steel. Gyarados is infamously known for its fierce temper and wanton destructive tendencies, and is attracted to violence. In addition, Gyarados is also notoriously difficult to tame even after it is captured by the Trainer, usually requiring an exceptional amount of work in taming it until it can obey its Trainer. Gyarados usually lives in large bodies of water, such as lakes and ponds or even seas and oceans.
"Iron Head!" Lysandre called out with a tone that spelled that he wasn't holding anything back anymore.
"Double Edge!" Ash had some kind of bad feeling in his gut but those words made it out of his mouth anyways. But Venusaur had spent weeks trying to adjust to her bulk as an Ivysaur; now that she was about eight times heavier and twice as tall, all that hard work went out the window. And the Iron Head wasn't stopped, and thus Venusaur had to feel the flinching effect instead. "Sludge Bomb!"
"Outrage." Ash called out for a STAB move and while Venusaur landed the hit, it only made the Gyarados even angrier. And that came right before Outrage, in which the user isn't angry enough. But the scary part was that when Gyarados finished the period of Outrage, it didn't look affected by confusion; Outrage always caused confusion from the exhaustion and pure thrashing. That was why it is frowned upon to be a considered as a trump card in battle. "Now use Ice Fang."
"Razor Leaf!" Ash called out as if he was starting to lose his grip on his battle composure. This troubled Serena and Pikachu but it seems to go pass Lysandre. That was because both him and Ash had to focus on the match as Venusaur tried to stop Gyarados from biting down with Ice Fang.
While Gyarados did get slowed down, it still bit down on Venusaur causing her more pain than ever. Then, "Tilt to the side Venusaur!" Ash called out and this time, Venusaur used her size to an advantage, almost crushing Gyarados under all that weight. But while this did get Gyarados to let go of Venusaur, Ash didn't feel any more confident; this was something that shouldn't happen to a trainer, Ash couldn't let this go on any longer.
"Solar Beam!"
"Blizzard!"
Venusaur gave all she had but since she was fully evolved, there is no more sudden power-ups this time. And both trainer and Pokémon ultimately underestimated this Gyarados. That Blizzard attack actually froze the Solar Beam, reaching to the very large flower from which it was emerging from. Once that hit, Venusaur felt like her body was burned and froze at the same time. All that sudden pain had caused her to pass out.
Ash tried keep his composure against Gyarados and reach for another Pokémon but he found it impossible when the very beast was staring at him. It was like trying to stare down a mountain that had eyes of killer intent. This was the true power and horror of the Atrocious Pokémon's Intimidate. Once Ash had figured it out, shame soon filled his system. Fear and the shame of it all were clouding his vision and crumbling his spirit. Ash shed a single, silent tear before uttering, "I lose."
"Too bad, I was hoping you will actually stop me." Lysandre said, "But I did get to see the wonder of a Pokémon taking on such unbeatable odds solo. Still can you really stop me?" Ash didn't answer and it didn't matter since Lysandre wasn't planning on sticking around any longer. "I have given a card to activate the elevator to one of my scientists. Find the card and come to where I will be found. I have a certain person you must meet."
Ash said nothing, which can be explain from the fact he was making a rant in his mind. 'Just what is he to be so calm about all this!? Does he care that we are trying to stop him or is he trying to mess with us!? I will never understand grown-ups!'
XXXXX
After Lysandre was out of sight, Ash had to try anyways. And just like the madman said, the elevator refused to work unless it directs a certain card on hand. The only way to follow after Lysandre was to find the entry card. Too bad that around the elevator was a maze and almost every entrance has those titles that dictate direction.
But after a few turns of trial and error, the trainer got the hang of things. Just in time to reach one of the pads that seemed to be a lot like those in the Laverre City Gym and the Anistar City Gym. Once they went through it, they were in another room and they weren't alone either. "Hello brats."
It was the scientist named Aliana standing there and blocking the way to two of the teleporter pads. "If you are looking for the key, then I don't have it. I do, however, have the way to the pad that will lead you to the key. If and only if you defeat me. And this time, I won't hold back after what you did at the power plant."
Ash braced and so did Serena. "Come on out, Mightyena, Druddigon!" Ash and Serena have encountered Mightyena before and now the species has become very common especially on Route 15. But the second Pokémon was definitely different.
{Druddigon, the Cave Pokémon. With the skin on its face harder than rock, Druddigon warms its body by exposing its wings to the sun.}
Druddigon is a large, blue, draconic Pokémon with medium-sized wings shaped like thistle leaves. Its bright red head is harder than rock and is very rough. It has a set of glaring, ferocious pale yellow irises. Its arms are longer than its legs, giving it the appearance of a hunchback. It has a thick, moderately-sized tail and sharp claws on both the hands and feet. It also has tall, conical, red spikes; three on each arm, one on each shoulder, two on each leg, and four on its tail. It has a blunt, brutal snout, bearing a maw with no discernible teeth; instead, small fang-like protrusions sprout from its jaws. It has a series of olive, ellipsoid scutes running across its belly.
Druddigon warms its body by taking in sunlight with its wings; if its body temperature lowers, it becomes immobile. It has savage physical strength; it nimbly chases prey around its den, using its outstretched claws to catch them. Druddigon lives in caves, and is carnivorous.
This time, Serena wasn't going to watch and leave Ash alone anymore. As for the boy himself, that memory of being fully exposed to that Gyarados's Intimidate wasn't going to just fade away. Ash could still see that face that killed his will and spirit to keep fighting further. And all Serena could do was to feel pity and sympathy for him.
"If you are not going to draw Pokéball then I will have to fight you two!" Aliana shouted out and that got their attention to the battlefield again.
"Pikachu, go!"
"Mr. Mime, let's battle!"
With all pieces in place, the match can begin.
"Both of you use Dark Pulse!" Aliana commanded and all of her Pokémon roared with a string of dark rings connected with dark energy at both opposing Pokémon.
"Light Screen!" Mr. Mime heard that and was able to block both of the Dark Pulses. "Now move in to use Ice Punch on Druddigon!" Mr. Mime is one of the few Pokémon that can learn all the three elemental punches; but only when they are taught by a Move Tutor or figure it out on their own.
"Discharge!" But before Mr. Mime could attack Druddigon, Pikachu shot out a wave of electrical energy that hit both Pokémon hard. "Slam on Mightyena!" Pikachu charged with the intent to give Mightyena a bad headache.
"…" Serena didn't see that coming, any of it. "M-Mr. Mime, try again!" She tried to pull herself together and Mr. Mime had to shake her head to focus and this time, she landed that hit on Druddigon like she wanted to. That Ice Punch did a very good job on it. "Now use Psybeam!" That last move finished off Druddigon in a spectacular way. But the moment was spoiled when Serena and Mr. Mime heard,
"Okay, okay! I don't have the key! One of us does and to get to her, use the right pad! You can figure it out." Aliana was on the ground, being crushed by her Mightyena and be interrogated by Ash with Pikachu making her 'cooperative'. Then she fainted on a high note. Ash didn't even flinch at the sorry sight that was making Serena cringe and feel worried.
'Ash…'
After defeating her, Ash was able to guess right which pad to take; the one on the left. The other one simply sends the user back to in front of the elevator. And moving forward, the two trainers have come across their fair share of trainers and their Pokémon; ranging from Swalots, Liepards, a Mightyena, a Houndoom, a Toxicroak, a Manectric and a Scrafty. Thankfully, that last battle had actually cleared his head a little; all the stress and clouding emotions had been burned off with a little 'cutting loose'.
Then there were the items uncovered. A few reviving medicine, a pair of Black Glasses that increase the power of dark type moves, one Hyper Potion, one Rare Candy and even a TM for Taunt (prevents the opponent from using status moves for a short while).
Of course, the real great discovery they made was a room filled with shelves of books. Or to be specific, volumes of stories. But these were not fairy tales or bedtime stories. These stories were special and they held the answers Ash and Serena needed.
Then there was that last volume that pretty much brought the whole world down hard. "Are all of these books on the same thing?" Serena was the one checking out a shelf while Ash did another. "About some king and kingdom from three thousand years ago? Why would a person like Lysandre want with somethings like these?" Serena didn't hear a reply and saw that Ash was just looking at one particular book, "Ash…"
"But what is in this last book?" Ash asked, without an idea of what to expect. And he had no way to prepare himself for it. "What tha…? Is this what Team Flare is after? Is this the goal of all this?" Ash asked all these to himself with the look like he was suddenly looking at the photograph of a dead man; maybe someone that was close to him as dead as a doornail.
Serena only heard unanswered questions so she gently took the book for her to read. And she had the same expression of horror and shock at those same letters written onto the paper. This might just solve Team Flare's ambitions but there is only one question left; will two ten-year old rookie trainers be able to stop an organization of grown-ups that have all the power, means and opportunity to use this information to destroy an entire region?
XXXXX
Once the two trainers were able to digest the info from that book, they decided to not speak it out loud until they were sure of it. Despite sounding real and genuine, the info seemed a little far-fetched; Lysandre still kept in perfect condition so he must have prized it. That madman will definitely explain it to this pair of trainers and Pokémon.
But that was all placed aside when one room had a nasty surprise to say it lightly. In it was not one but two of the Scientists of Team Flare. The same duo that was threatening the lives of the workers at the Pokéball Factory north of Laverre City.
"You two!" That was to be the greeting from both parties which was rather humorous, like a clinched finally reworked
"The boss said that you will be after the card key. But none of us were given it. Let's see if you can battle your way out this one." Celosia remarked and…
"And don't think you will be as lucky back at that stupid factory. None of us are going to hold back!" Bryony finished off. Ash could have sworn those two were a comedy pair of sisters or something; their ridiculous attire was also a big give away.
"Manectric, Drapion!"
"Liepard, Bisharp!"
The Manectric they have seen before in the Pokéball Factory but back then, Celosia never used this second Pokémon.
{Drapion, the Ogre Scorpion Pokémon, and the evolved form of Skorupi. With its sturdy body, Drapion takes pride in its strength, defeating opponents without the need for poison.}
Drapion is a large, purple, scorpion-like Pokémon. Its eyes are a pointed shape, with blue-colored upper portions. Drapion has two small, pointed protrusions between its eyes, and one on the back on its head. Drapion also has protrusions on its jaws, two on the upper and three on the lower, with large, fang-like, white-colored features extending from its mouth. Its body is composed of many violet-to-lavender body segments which ends with a tail with two stingers. Drapion has four segmented legs with pointed toes. Its most distinguished feature is its huge claws. It can turn its head 180 degrees.
Drapion is a very aggressive Pokémon, attacking anything that enters its territory. It has a sturdy build and takes pride in its strength, being able to take down foes even without the use of its deadly toxin. It has enough power to easily scrap a car.
Ash just ignored the other Pokémon as it was not necessary to describe them in any context. "Come, Mawile and Bisharp!"
"Let's battle, Delphox and Weavile!" Serena called out. Of course, this disobeyed the rule for double battles; four Pokémon out on both fields is overkill. To explain the best without an hour's worth of details is like so; Mawile finished Liepard with an Iron Head followed by a Play Rough attack, Manectric used Fire Fang on Mawile but fell to Weavile's Ice Punch, and Bryony's Bisharp used Metal Claw on Weavile but fell to Ash's Bisharp through Guillotine. Drapion was left facing Delphox and Bisharp until the Ogre Scorpion Pokémon got a critical hit with Night Slash on Delphox.
This caused Ash to go over the edge. Ash went for the overkill himself; Iron Head, Aerial Ace, Stone Edge and then another Guillotine. Like with Aliana, the scientist duo was now at the hands of two ten-year-old trainers; or to be specific, Ash's own merciful hands.
Serena had to see that the two women had to feel pain when they tried to not answer. Once they did, Ash had gotten them some swellings and bruising while several cuts with their clothing. Serena didn't know what has gotten into Ash that he will be so violent and rough against these Team Flare trainers.
Later, in yet another vacant room.
"Just what is with you?" Serena had to ask because this new behavior of Ash was just getting on her nerves. "This isn't like you. I thought that you use skill and strength to play a fair game. Now you are acting more like these Team Flare jerks."
"You weren't the one to look into that Gyarados's eyes." Ash said coldly and Serena knew that there was something up when Pikachu refused to look at her as well. She could have sworn to see that Pikachu was acting a lot like how Ash is right now.
"No but I thought you hate this guys too. So how come you are acting and battling more like them than like you always did? Was it what that madman said?" Serena wanted to be sure before going on further.
"For a madman, Serena, he was right." The girl gasped to hear Ash say such things. "In a battle, the one with the most skill and the most strength have the greater advantage but ultimately it is the one with the most conviction and will to fight that come out on top. And, no matter what you call him, Lysandre still won because he actually tried to help Kalos; and he had to see the dark side of us trainers and human beings alike."
"Ash, just what are you saying?" Serena said. She didn't like where this appears to be going. One bit.
"You read those books on a king three thousand years ago and his kingdom that feel to forces lost in time. What I read was the background of Lysandre." Serena could only nod. "He was a prince. A descendant of the younger brother to that lost king. But he didn't care about royalty, he wanted to make his own form of help to Pokémon and trainers. That all ended when he made friends with a shiny Magikarp; which shines brighter than even the purest of gold."
"Wow." Serena could only remark and noticed that Ash had nodded with a look of anger.
"But while Lysandre only wanted to be friends with that Pokémon, everyone around wanted that Magikarp for money and amusement. They wanted to make a fortune off showing this shiny Magikarp like a circus animal or even a zoo animal. They couldn't care less about the Pokémon itself or even Lysandre when they stole that Magikarp from him." Serena couldn't believe what she was hearing. "And Lysandre never saw that friend of his ever again because at his young age, even a prince is helpless to stop adults from stealing his Pokémon. Instead, he just saw everyone around him as greedy, heartless and despicable monsters."
Serena couldn't say another word. Ash was speaking like Lysandre had told him his life story and trusted the boy to be truthful about it. "And ever since, Lysandre will try to look away and hopefully see the beauty that is in this world and in us who live in it. But every way he turned and every path he walked in life, there will always be people in need that soon morph in ungrateful and the demanding kind; those who look more like demons instead human beings."
"Years of these horrors and ugliness had done their toll on Lysandre. That is why he wants to wipe out Kalos. Because the corruption and greed had already begun to affect what makes Kalos beautiful. Every single member of Team Flare was only called criminals because they wanted to help, to share and make peace between humans and Pokémon. But society didn't want any of that so they told us children to see such people as villains."
"So, are you going to just give up?" Serena then asked to finish up the story. "Are you now changing your mind about stopping Lysandre from his evil plans?" Ash thought hard on the answer until it came to him.
"No. I am telling you this because the only thing I gave up on was battling and treating Lysandre like a villain, an evil man and a madman. He is still a human and a person who had to suffer harder than most deserve." Ash stated. "That is why I am pushing myself and my Pokémon. I want to learn how to fight Lysandre like a man who still has good in him that is trapped by emotions of disgust and hatred. Even if he can't be saved, I will show him that there is always hope in this world; there are many things worse than death which includes dying after abandoning one's hope."
"Ash, are you really going to do this for Lysandre?" Serena asked to be sure and Ash nodded.
"Yes. Sure we had to see cruelly done by them but since we have dared to enter Lysandre Labs, it is our duty to quell their anger even by a little amount." Ash said. "And to think that for the first thing since that storm which brought me here to Kalos, I have felt fear." Serena was wondering why Ash was bringing this up, "Fear and doubt and shame came when I saw Gyarados topple Ivysaur. And the look in his eyes spelled power beyond which I can see the extent. That is why I gave up, because if a trainer feels negative emotions then their Pokémon will feel it too. I will never send anyone out to battle once I start to lose my will to fight."
Then Ash approached Serena to the pint that he was in close contact with her. But Serena didn't try to back off or repel him. When Ash embraced her, he whispered. "Always remember this day Serena. Never lose your will to fight, because once you do then you and your Pokémon are doomed to lose. There is evil in fear, only shame that wouldn't stay in your heart for long. Can you remember all this?"
"Yes. Thank you Ash." Serena whispered back. "Why not we go back to saving the world? It is still the one I love, because all my friends love it too especially you Ash."
XXXXX
After beating them and having that deep conversation, Ash and Serena still didn't have the key. But they went on anyways and after some more battles with Team Flare grunts, they finally came across the next room. This time, there was only one scientist there. And the trainers recognized her this time around. She was Maple, the one from the Frost Cavern.
"Oh so you finally found me, the one with the key." Maple said, casually talking to them even with Ash having this angry but contained look on his face. "But I am sure that you get the picture. I am not giving it up without a fight."
"Fine. Let's do this." Ash said to Serena without shifting his focus. This time, Ash went for his Greninja against the Houndoom and Serena used her Kangaskhan against a Weavile that Maple pulled out of her sleeve. Not wanting to delay any further, Ash called on his Greninja to use her new Hydro Pump against using Power-Up Punch when Houndoom tried to use Thunder Fang and then Dark Pulse. Kangaskhan had a little more trouble with Weavile's Quick Attack and Ice Shard priority moves but using Fake Out and then Power-Up Punch as well had overwhelmed the Weavile.
"Fine, you got me. Here is that stupid key." Maple took it out of one of her pockets. "Now hurry it up. Our boss isn't the most patient man in Kalos!" Ash and Serena ignored her and took a sure route back to the elevator. There, Ash scanned the card and the elevator opened for them. Inside, the control pad had three options that included the ground floor; there was one available but the other was marked black and won't respond to Ash pushing it.
Once the elevator ride to the floor below was over, there was a simple hallway leading to a simple room. But in this simple room was Lysandre and a prison cell. Ignoring the energy bars, Ash and Serena were shocked to see the large man from Route 13 the prisoner. "…H…Hello…" He spoke like an elderly man down on his luck.
"Children, meet AZ. He is the man that is described in the books you helped yourself to read." Ash and Serena didn't respond, trying to take this in. "I understand your confusion. How can a man from three thousand years ago still be living to this very day? The answer lies in the weapon he made that once ended a great war and wiped out all the blacken hearts from Kalos. And somehow, AZ was made immortal from the energy of the weapon."
Ash and Serena still didn't answer; they didn't even pay attention to Lysandre. That was because they were listening to the tale of the strange man 'AZ'. His tale was about a man from centuries ago that had only one thing; a Pokémon, the Flower Pokémon.
He loved that Pokémon very much. But around him was a great war and that Flower Pokémon was sent into combat and the conflict. Years passed since the man had to see his Pokémon become a solder of war; then he was given something. He was given a tiny box, shaped like a coffin and with a certain flower on the lid. The man was devastated; his prized possession and closest friend had fallen and miles away from him.
In grief, the man constructed a great machine. One that can bring life to the dead. And the man succeeded and his Pokémon was revived. But the man was filled with more than grief, he was full of rage. He couldn't forgive the world for forcing his friend to die in their wars and turned the machine into a weapon. And with on mighty blow, the war was resolved but with many causalities on all sides. And that wasn't the worse to happen.
The Flower Pokémon, who had been given life once again, saw that many others had to give their own for its revival. Out of shock and disbelief, the Flower Pokémon left the man. It only saw a shell of the man it loved more than anything. The Flower Pokémon probably will never forgive the many lives taken for its own.
"Indeed." It seemed that Lysandre didn't mind that a pair of children were ignoring him and listened to 'AZ' instead. "And this former king had a brother that also saw what AZ had become. He hid the weapon away so that it will never be used again. But that man still trusted the shell of his brother and granted AZ the key to unlocking the weapon." 'AZ' flinched and look regretful; like he lost something that is now in the hands of a man that wants to destroy this region.
"Now that we have the key, we will complete our plans. Once we do, only Team Flare will exist in this wretched world." Lysandre said as he made his leave. "Remember this, children. Call us villains, terrorists and madmen but every single one of us hates this world. Injustice, anger and hate; we all felt it in one or another. That is why we are doing this, so there won't be any trash or garbage dirtying this wonderful land. If you want to stop us, then take in everything before you do."
Ash and Serena said nothing. Not even until they heard the ding of the elevator that Lysandre used to exit the basement floor. They still stared at 'AZ', "Please. Children, listen to the words of an old man in eternal pain. Don't let that madman succeed. The weapon won't spare anyone. Only those who have used it for good intentions but have fallen off the path; my existence is an example of the punishment for such a vile act."
"…We will." Ash finally spoke up. "Despite what that terrorist will call this, it is wrong. And we will let him see it in one way or another." 'AZ', in his cell, nodded and bid them good luck; that is all this three-thousand-year-old man could do.
XXXXX
When they entered the elevator for a second time, they didn't press the ground floor button. But the other one that was now available, for a floor underneath where AZ was being held. And this time, there was a hallway leading into a room filled with machinery; it was like the entire structure was just one big machine.
"Hello children, I am glad that you decided to come and meet the man in charge of my scientists and pretty much the entire Team Flare, second only to me." Lysandre said and motioned to present the strange man that was also in that strange room. He looked barley any human. "His name is Xerosic."
Xerosic's skin was chalk white, like he hadn't been in sunlight for days, and his hair was the shape and color of the Team Flare symbol. His eyes were concealed by orange goggles with a metallic colored frame. And the microphone on his right ear was the same color. His outfit was mostly flame red with white stripes forming the image of a business suit and even a strange pattern on both legs. And for being a scientist, he was wearing only one blue rubber glove on; the other was visible in the respective pocket.
"For a boy of such a young age and with only a simple rodent lass by your side, you have beaten my scientists and gave us a hard time before coming together today." Xerosic talked polite but there was a lot of things that just rubbed the trainers the wrong way and got their nerves on edge.
"And we will keep it up until you see that once you destroy the world then you won't have a home to rebuild. After all, you people say that all you want is nothing." Ash then spoke up, ignoring Lysandre take his silent leave; he didn't want to waste his time not even to see Ash take on Xerosic. "And unless we beat you, you will get nothing in the end. And as such, I will fight to stop you."
"Then so be it boy! Crobat, Malamar, show our superior skill and strength!"
{Crobat, the Bat Pokémon and the evolved form of Golbat. It flies so silently through the dark on its four wings that it may not be noticed even when nearby.}
Crobat is a purple, bat-like Pokémon. This Pokémon's pointed ears are long, and appear to lack insides, while its mouth is small and usually has its teeth bared. Crobat's eyes are red with yellow sclera. It has two pairs of wings; one smaller pair is located near its stubby feet, and a second pair on its shoulders has greenish-blue undersides and two stubby 'fingers'. The hind pair of wings developed from legs, and can still function as such. This allows it to rest by hanging on a tree branch with its rear wings. If Crobat is flying by fluttering only one pair of wings, it is proof that it has been flying a long distance. By alternately resting its front and rear wings, it can fly all day without having to stop. Crobat is a nocturnal Pokémon that is typically found in caves.
And,
{Malamar, the Overturning Pokémon, and the evolved form of Inkay. Possessing the strongest hypnotic powers of any Pokémon, Malamar can compel others to do anything it wants them to do.}
Malamar is a dark-purple squid-like Pokémon. It has a pair of fins on the bottom of its body that function as its legs. Malamar's main body has six light-yellow spots on the front and back and a light-yellow stripe nearly wrapping around its body above the spots. Its arm-like tendrils have grown scythe-like in appearance. Malamar has a red beak, half closed eyes with black sclera, yellow irises and wavy "hair" made of eight tentacles. It possesses strong hypnotic powers, which it uses to force others to do its bidding. It can lure prey with hypnotic motions before it wraps its tentacles around the prey, then it finishes off with digestive fluids. Malamar and its pre-evolution Inkay are the only known Pokémon that can learn Topsy-Turvy.
"Come to battle, Charmeleon, Wartortle!" As Ivysaur had evolved into a Venusaur during that battle back at the entrance of the labs, it was time for the other mid-evolution Kanto starters to give it a go.
"Just how much to consider this to be a game, boy!?" Xerosic growled; he felt insulted to go all out against Pokémon that haven't fully evolved like his are. "Crobat, use Cross Poison! Malamar, use Superpower!"
Crobat charged in with poison forming a large deadly 'X' while Malamar glowed red with power. "Wartortle, take the Superpower with Iron Defense! Charmeleon, use Flamethrower on Crobat!" Ash called out and his Pokémon didn't hesitate; they had little time as it is. In situations like this, hesitation will only doom a fighter.
Wartortle braced for the Superpower attack while focusing his defensives to that of steel. Meanwhile, Chameleon used a large stream of flames to burn the Cross Poison as well as making it difficult for Crobat to hit its target. As for Wartortle, Malamar did cause some damage but the most was temporary embed the Turtle Pokémon into the lab floor. But there was just this thing about Malamar that Ash's instincts were screaming to take extra caution about.
"Malamar, use Topsy-Turvy on Wartortle and Crobat, Air Slash!" Xerosic called out and Ash growled to see Malamar turn upside down, and did the same to Wartortle's recent stat changes. Then there was Crobat sending slashes that cut even the atmosphere within the lab room.
"Charmeleon, use Fire Spin to soften the Air Slash!" Ash called out and his Flame Pokémon focused a lot of energy into creating a wall of fire that consumed the air slashes; after all, water is fire's enemy while wind just fuels fire. "Now use Iron Defense again Wartortle! Charmeleon, time to try out something. Use Scary Face on both of them!"
That was the moment of truth. While Crobat flinched and lost a lot of speed, Malamar looked like it gotten faster instead. 'That's it! It got to be!'
Ash figured it out which ability Malamar has. It was the ability that was considered to be a hidden one, Contrary. With Contrary, every stat change is reversed. Superpower usually lowers attack and defense power but with Contrary, both of those stats will increase instead. And the Scary Face speeding up Malamar is another example of that ability.
"Enough of this! Malamar, Psycho Cut! Crobat, Cross Poison and for real this time!" Xerosic shouted and this time, both of his Pokémon got serious and moved faster than before.
"Iron Defense! Fire Spin!" Ash called out, there was no time to attack; but sometimes a good defense is the best offense. And both of his Pokémon took in those attack with some difficulty. But Ash seemed to have a knack for having miracles having in most of his matches when his Pokémon tried to take in the pain; they didn't want to let their trainer down, especially once he loses the will to fight. Then they started to glow and transform into,
{Blastoise, the Shellfish Pokémon and the evolved form of Wartortle. Blastoise's heavy body weight can make opponents unable to battle. It retreats into its shell when necessary.}
Blastoise is a large, bipedal tortoise-like Pokémon. Its body is dark blue and is mostly hidden by its tough, brown shell. This shell has a pale yellow underside and a white ridge encircling its arms and separating the upper and lower halves. Two powerful water cannons reside in the top sides of its shell. These cannons can be extended or withdrawn and can be used to assist in high-speed charges. Blastoise's head has triangular ears that are black on the inside, small brown eyes, and a cream-colored lower jaw. Its arms are thick and striated with three claws on each hand. Its feet have three claws on the front and one on the back. It has a stubby tail at the end.
And,
{Charizard, the Flame Pokémon and the evolved form of Charmeleon. When competing in intense battles, Charizard's flame becomes more intense as well.}
Charizard is a draconic, bipedal Pokémon. It is primarily orange with a cream underside from the chest to the tip of its tail, which burns with a sizable flame. Charizard has a long neck, small blue eyes, raised nostrils, and two blunt horns protruding from the back of its rectangular head. There are two fangs visible in the upper jaw when its mouth is closed. Two large wings with teal undersides sprout from its back, and a horn-like appendage juts out from the third joint of each wing. Charizard's arms are short and skinny compared to its robust belly, and each limb has three white claws. It has stocky legs and cream-colored soles under its feet.
This Pokémon flies in search of powerful opponents to battle, and its fire will burn hotter as it gains experience. Its fiery breath is capable of melting boulders, massive glaciers, and has been known to accidentally cause forest fires.
"Guys…" Ash said softly. "Let's finish him off!" Both fully evolved Pokémon roared with agreement. So strong that both Crobat and Malamar were set backing off and losing focus on their attacks. "Hydro Pump and Fire Blast!" Charizard and Blastoise fired a large fire and a strong stream of water respectably.
Crobat was roasted alive and Malamar almost drowned and crushed by the sheer force of the attacks, both of them. Ash smirked, he actually had fun like old times.
XXXXX
"You have lost. You and your little gang have lost." Ash spoke like a predator to his prey that have failed to out run him. "Now if you don't mind…" Ash then approached the defeated scientist with the intimidating forms of Blastoise and Charizard staring down as well. "Where is the switch to de-activate your fake weapon?"
"Fake…!?" Xerosic growled out until he saw the faces of the powerful Pokémon looking with faces of malice. "It is real. We made it so and why should I just turn it off now?" Large growls were his answer. "Alright! One of the switches behind me turns it off and the other turns it on! Just take your pick!"
"So be it." Ash said and walked over to the blue large button on the left without hesitation. Once he pressed it, the room roared to life but with the hum of a machine powering down. "I am sure that you wanted me to press the other button to turn this so-called weapon."
"…Yes." Xerosic said but then turned from defeated old man to a tyrant who has a sneaky plan to pull out of his sleeve. "But all you did was cut off the weapon from our headquarters! Why else did you think I made a miniature control for the weapon, right here!" Xerosic revealed some kind of handheld device with a large red button that he pressed immediately after he revealed it; he did this with a smile and the laugh of any evil scientist
Ash ignored the madman laugh cruelly to see what could only be in nightmares. Out of the ground near where the three stone slabs were located in Geosenge Town. Only that they weren't just rock slabs. They were the tips of the weapon.
The earth shook inside the entire town and ended momentarily when the three stone tips had moved, and submerged right back into the ground. Then the moment of silence ended with the ground shaking twice as hard. Then the earth cracked where the three large stone slabs vanished.
Out of it came the ultimate weapon. It looked suitable for its awakening like a flower bulb. It was a large flower with petals made of mystic glass/crystal. Inside was more of the crystal material and it contained something of a blue dome, based with a red cone, both were radiating energy. And at the bottom of the ultimate weapon, that disappeared back into the ground, were large power coils that are definitely coming from where Team Flare was powering the weapon.
"Ash…that…that weapon…" Serena could only gasp and struggle to find her words.
"It could do more than destroy Kalos along with everything living on it, the whole world can be destroyed by this giant weapon. If left unstopped, Team Flare can just might complete their plan." Ash could only reply, with memories of the world outside flooding his systems.
End of Chapter 20.
*Here it is, the latest chapter of Ash the Iron Trainer and the last for a while. I had a little change of plans and decided to stop here and focus on my other stories until I feel like continuing this story.
As for why I had Ash lose against Lysandre, I wanted to actually break the pattern to spice things up. Although you want a really skilled Ash, an unbeatable trainer will just get boring. Also, this will help Ash in the long run as you may or may not noticed in Ash's match with Xerosic.
I know that this was one hell of a way to leave the series but I will get back to updates when I feel like it has been long enough. But I can't promise that it will be around Christmas time and especially New Year's Eve week. Just let me know what you think. *
Pokémon on Hand;
Ash – Pikachu (Male), Doublade (Male), Bisharp (Male), Mawile (Female), Durant (Female), Greninja (Female), Venusaur (Female), Charizard (Male), Blastoise (Male) and Shuckle (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 Snover (Male).
Serena – Furfrou (Male), Spritize (Male), Swirlix (Female), Audino (Female), Luvdisc (Female), Poliwag (Female), Plusle & Minun (Female) and Gourgiest (Male).