Not all that long after Zacian had her Repeat Ball (and had been introduced to the rest of the team, since she'd only met some of the team after the Pokémonopolis incident and that only briefly), Ash and his friends ran into someone who claimed to be able to speak to Pokémon.
"Oh, neat!" Ash decided. "Did you learn the same way I did?"
"You can speak to Pokémon as well?" Simon asked. "Well… goodness. There's more of us than I thought, I suppose."
"It depends how many you think there were," Ash said. "'cause if you thought there were thousands of us, then I'm just one of those. But if you thought you were the only person, or if you thought there were only a few and the rest of them are psychic, then yeah, there's more than you thought."
"That's a unique outlook," Simon said, with a smile. "But… alas, there are plenty of people who are willing to claim to understand Pokémon, simply to make money."
"They're a bunch of idiots, then," Pikachu snorted. "I mean, they might be able to bluff through a bit, but… how hard exactly is it to test? Hey, Ash, what's my favourite food?"
Ash considered. "Well, last year I'd have said ketchup, but then we found those ketchup flavoured crisps in Goldenrod and now you keep begging Mew to go back to get some more."
"How did you know about – I mean – right, like that," Pikachu said, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment. "But yeah, you'd… kind of need Pokémon who were willing to cooperate anyway just to fake it!
He paused. "Though I suppose you could achieve that with enough morally unscrupulous Zorua. And I have to specify that because I know first hand that not all Zorua are like that, despite the stereotype."
Zorua jumped out of his Pokéball. "Aww! Pikachu, that's so meaningful to me!"
"Overly excitable, short-term, easily amused and very distractable, maybe," Pikachu went on, which made Zorua wilt a bit and Simon try not to laugh.
Then an Officer Jenny knocked on the door, demanding to know if they were the group that defrauded people by pretending to understand their Pokémon.
Zygarde looked interested, then loped out of the door while the argument was going on.
"I can prove I can actually understand Pokémon any way you want!" Ash insisted, a lot of arguing later. "And I'm pretty sure Simon has the same kind of thing, so you could test it with him, too – you just need to have something where you don't know something, and Simon doesn't know something, and in fact none of us in the room know something except for whichever Pokémon you're having speak to Simon. Then when Simon can tell you the right thing, that's proof!"
"There's a couple of things missing from that, like doing it more than once," Brock admitted. "But apart from that that is how you'd do a scientific test like that. That's pretty impressive, Ash."
"Thanks!" Ash grinned.
Officer Jenny looked dubious. "Well, I suppose that might work, but I'm worried about fraud…"
There was a thump at the door, and everyone looked over to it. Then there was another thump, followed by a squeak as the door handle slowly turned.
Zygarde came back inside, and looked up at Simon. "Zyyyyy-ga-zy-rde!"
Simon blinked. "...some fraudsters fell in a well?"
Zygarde nodded. "Garde!"
"I think that's best," Simon agreed. "Officer, this Pokémon says that the people you were actually after have fallen in a well and that they can lead you to them."
"...suddenly I feel like I'm on an old TV show," Officer Jenny admitted.
Zygarde was quite correct, and Officer Jenny was quick to arrest the fraudsters.
After being slightly confused about where the well had come from, since it hadn't been there half an hour ago.
"I'm not really sure what to think about what happened today," Ash said, in camp one evening. "I kind of feel sorry for that Natu."
"We all feel sorry for that Natu," Pikachu agreed. "In retrospect, one of us should have said something before he tried reading your fortune."
"What exactly did happen?" Zapdos requested. "I heard the bang, but I didn't get the details."
"So, there's this whole ritual about washing and ringing bells and stuff, before Natu tells your fortune," Ash said. "I guess it's supposed to make it so that Future Sight can be used to predict the future, instead of just being an attack impact?"
He shook his head. "But, anyway, once Natu had finished focusing and was at the point he was supposed to take out the fortune, there was this kind of clattering noise, and then the fortune telling machine thing exploded. There were, uh, about a thousand slips that all said 'you may already be a winner', and Natu got buried in them."
"He told me that if I stayed with Ash I'd break the laws of the universe," Pikachu told Zapdos. "Then I said that I already knew that, and he just gave me this really weird look and flew back to his trainer."
"I think that's going to have to be a rule for the future," Misty considered. "Don't try working out what Ash's future looks like."
"Well, I know what my immediate future looks like," Ash pointed out. "Trying to get Shaymintwo to a place where he can use Gyro Ball!"
"Isn't that a move which works better the slower the Pokémon using it is?" Brock asked. "That means it'd be almost useless for Shaymintwo, he moves at hundreds of miles an hour in battle."
Ash shrugged. "There isn't really anything about it that means it has to be useless for him, and it is a good way for him to protect himself from Ice attacks without having to set himself on fire."
Brock thought about pointing out that Shaymintwo already set his feet on fire every time he got up to speed, but decided against it
It wouldn't really help.
Besides, yesterday he'd been working with his Bulbasaur on Vine Whip, and had worked out a way to crack the whip-end so fast it caught fire. So really he didn't have a leg to stand on.
"Ah, it's good to see you," Zacian said, as Ash reached their training area for the evening – which was, at the insistence of various people and Pokémon who preferred sleep, on the other side of some trees from the main camp. "Anything in particular for tonight?"
"Well, I wanted to work with Shaymintwo on something, but apart from that not really," Ash replied, sending the Grass-type out. "You could help with Moonblast, or… actually, I think I've had a better idea."
He sent out Dragonair as well. "Okay, Dragonair, mind helping me try and work something out?"
"Sure!" Dragonair agreed.
He coiled around. "Is it going to be grappling? Because I've been thinking a lot about that trick Charizard did sometimes, and I think I could use it too."
"That might be a good end goal," Ash said, thinking. "But what I was actually thinking about was… Zacian's immune to your Dragon Breath, but that also means that she can be a good target for you. While Shaymintwo using Gyro Ball is going to be resistant to both, if he does it right."
"What's the idea, then?" Shaymintwo asked. "Are you talking about a free for all?"
"More like having Dragonair keep Shaymintwo safe," Ash explained. "The idea I had was that – well, Zacian can make illusions, and she should make her illusions move only in ways that she can move, while Dragonair's job is to hit any of the illusions – or Zacian herself – with Dragon Breath before she can come in and actually tag Shaymintwo from close range."
Shaymintwo snorted. "I don't need your help."
"You're as much of a pill as my brother sometimes," Zacian commented, rolling her eyes. "Unless I've misunderstood Ash, this isn't about you needing help, not one on one – it's about making it so that if you're in a two on two battle, Dragonair can keep you or another Pokémon safe while you focus on a different threat."
"Right!" Ash agreed, as Shaymintwo tried to work out what 'a pill' meant in this context. "And, really, Shaymintwo, you shouldn't overdo it but it'd kind of help for you to not really be paying attention to what's going on. That makes it a better challenge for Dragonair."
"That shouldn't be a problem," Shaymintwo announced. "I'll just train in midair."
"Oh, that's right," Zacian said. "I don't think I've shown this off yet. Pay attention, Dragonair."
Dragonair nodded.
Slowly, without any fuss, and with no visible sign beyond a faint golden sparkle around her paws, Zacian left the ground.
"That's cool!" Ash announced. "That's not an illusion, right?"
"No, this is all faith and trust and Fairy dust," Zacian told him. "Now, let's hurry up and get this training done, shall we?"
They were starting to get close to Olivine City, but the friends still found time to stop off and take part in a Pokémon balloon race.
Misty didn't have any Fire-type Pokémon, so she couldn't really be on a team by herself, but after some negotiation and a few pointed comments from Pikachu they decided she'd probably be best accompanying Ash – who set up Cyndaquil as the one to be their burner.
"If you think I can do it, then I can do it," Cyndaquil declared, punching his fists together. "Let's do this!"
"I hope we can beat Brock to the finish line," Ash said, looking over at where Vulpix was using her own Ember to start slowly inflating the balloon. "There's going to be plenty of people who do this all the time, but it's kind of a more achievable goal to beat Brock, right?"
"That sounds about right," Misty agreed.
And I'm helping you guys navigate! Silver added. Well, really I'm helping both sets navigate, otherwise it wouldn't be fair.
"I'm glad for your help, Silver," Ash said, sincerely. "Now, uh… hold on. Hey, Pikachu?"
"Yeah?" Pikachu asked.
Ash pointed. "Is it me or does that balloon look kind of… odd, to you?"
Pikachu squinted, ears twitching, then his expression cleared.
"If by that you mean it looks like Darkrai, as in not a balloon of Darkrai but actual Darkrai floating in the air with a rope around their waist, then yes," he said.
Misty had seen it as well. "Oh, not this again…"
Hoopa does not know how balloon races are scored! Or how they steer. Really Hoopa thinks everyone should be grateful, because it is thanks to Hoopa that they will be having good weather today. Hoopa brought Rayquaza to act as a judge!
Hoopa must admit that Hoopa did not expect to see Rayquaza in an Alolan shirt, but then again Hoopa did fetch Rayquaza from Exeggutor Island.
Anyway, we have some human teams, which are boring and Hoopa will stop talking about them. Then there are Zekrom and Reshiram, who have enlisted large numbers of Drifblim each to carry them, and who seem quite annoyed that the other one has chosen the same option. Hoopa could not find Kyurem but Hoopa is sure they will behave.
Next to them in a balloon shaped like Arceus is the Lake Trio, all the way from Sinnoh! Hoopa does not know why people say all the way from somewhere, when it is as easy to go eight thousand miles as it is to go fifty. But they are there, and that is the sort of thing people say.
Moving along the line, there is Groudon with a hot air balloon shaped like a rock, and then there is Kyogre with a water balloon that is not hot air and is not in the sky. Hoopa has already said that Hoopa does not know how balloon races are scored, so do not ask Hoopa if that is legal.
Then we have two entries who are using Air Balloons. They seem awfully small to hold such a large amount of Pokémon, but Hoopa is sure that Heatran and Regigigas know what they are doing.
At the end of the line we have Glastrier, who is in a balloon that does not seem to be taking off. Hoopa is not sure if that is because Glastrier is an Ice Type or because Glastrier is just heavy.
A late entrant is Giratina, who is entering as a balloon without a basket!
And finally Dastardly Darkrai and Victini have entered! Hoopa expects they will be up to their old tricks again.
Now, the race is about to begin! Presumably. Hoopa thinks it is something to do with the wind?
"So, how do you operate one of these anyway?" Mesprit asked, pulling on the burner cord. It went fwoosh, and the Lake Guardian flinched back. "Oops!"
"If a flame came out, you're meant to do that," Uxie reported, eyes firmly shut. "That's how these work."
"What do you do then, then?" Mesprit said. "Do you just use it until you win? But if it was that easy then it seems like we've already lost, because we didn't start using it when they said go."
"No, no, we've got to just have enough persistence to keep going!" Azelf insisted.
Azelf's twin tails flicked out to either side. "So let's get that burner going and speed to the finish!"
"The burner should be used when you need to ascend, and turned off when you need to descend," Uxie told the other two Psychic-types. "It's about working out which air currents are going the way you want."
"But how do you do that, then?" Mesprit said. "You're the only one who knows and you can't see."
"We'll work it out on the way!" Azelf insisted.
On the ground, Glastrier gave up trying to get the balloon to take off.
He hopped out of the basket, and started trotting.
The first bit of the course was an easy journey across a field, and Glastrier looked over with interest as a balloon full of lake pixies crashed into the nearest pond.
"At least I'm not last," the Wild Horse said, tossing his head.
"Okay, Cyndaquil!" Ash called. "A bit more flame, okay?"
"Sure!" Cyndaquil agreed.
He took a deep breath, blazing up his quills on the second try, and sent a burst of fire up into the balloon to lift it a little higher.
"That looks pretty good," Misty said. "The other fast moving balloons are at this level."
And you're going the right way, too, Silver said. But I think I just saw Victini pop the balloon that was keeping Heatran in the air?
His wince was audible even in his telepathic voice. Ouch. It's probably a good thing that was just an old quarry…
Giratina drifted gently in the wind, watching as Reshiram and Zekrom offered suggestions to their Drifblim – asking them to go a little higher, or a little lower, to get the best wind.
Then a little orange spark darted between them for a moment, and Reshiram winced.
"Ow," he said. "There's no need to be petty like that. I'd have thought your precious ideals would lead you to want a fair race."
"Are you accusing me of something that isn't true?" Zekrom replied. "That's outrageous!"
"If you were telling the truth then maybe, but that's not what you do, is it?"
"I wouldn't expect you to know what idealistic sportmonship is anyway!"
The two Unovan Legendaries started vaguely waving their arms at one another, doing what was as close as you could get to a slap fight when both Pokémon were being kept firmly out of arms reach by their Drifblim, and Giratina wondered whether that would affect their finishing placement.
Deciding that it might actually help, the Ghost-type swivelled in space to see how Regigigas was doing.
The Continental Pokémon was holding on to a bright red balloon which really shouldn't have been able to lift him, but that was how it had been for the entire race so far so that wasn't anything different.
Regigigas was almost neck and neck with the Darkrai Balloon That Might Just Be Darkrai By Itself, and Victini's ears bounced back and forth in the basket. Then Victini shot out in a blur of orange light, and popped Regigigas' Air Balloon with a Flame Burst.
Regigigas plummeted towards the ground, made a pass with its hand halfway down, and suddenly it was holding another balloon which lifted it right back up to cruising altitude again.
"I didn't know Regigigas knew Recycle," Giratina said, thinking out loud.
Undaunted, Victini popped the balloon a second time. Then a carrier Pidgey flew past, and Victini returned to the basket before saying something high-pitched and a little too quiet for Giratina to hear.
Victini and Darkrai turned to pursue the carrier Pidgey.
That was about the time Giratina realized he hadn't been looking where he was going, and he drifted through a tree.
"Whoops," he said.
"All right," Rayquaza declared, at the finish line some time later. "Here are the results."
His arm swept along the trio of Shamouti Birds. "You crossed the finish line first."
"He meant me!" Articuno declared. "That means I get the islands!"
"No, he meant me!" Moltres countered. "That means it's me who gets the islands!"
"Was there a wager on the race?" Rayquaza asked, raising an eyebrow. "Did you agree to give up your islands to the one who won?"
"Yes, if – and I cannot stress this enough – and only if, I won," Zapdos said.
Rayquaza shook his head, and put down an instant photograph.
It showed all three birds crossing the finish line at the same instant, by beak.
"Work that one out yourself," he instructed. "But you're all disqualified anyway, because it was a hot air balloon race and you didn't bother with a hot air balloon."
He pointed at Kyogre. "You are disqualified because it is a hot air balloon race, and that was not a balloon full of hot air."
"The rules did not specify that," Kyogre complained.
"They did," Rayquaza countered. "Page four."
The Dragon-type turned to Groudon. "And you are disqualified because it is a hot air balloon race, and you were using Stealth Rock."
"In my defence, there was nothing stealthy about that rock," Groudon protested.
"Nevertheless and however," Rayquaza said. "Most other participants did not finish, for one reason or another, though I am afraid that Giratina has also not qualified for the title owing to not having a hot air balloon."
"It was a nice afternoon out of the Reverse World," Giratina said. "I am quite satisfied."
"Which means," Rayquaza finished. "That out of all the participants, the winners are these two humans and the Meowth. Congratulations."
"So… you mean we win da new engine?" Meowth asked.
"No, that's the prize for the human balloon race that was going on at the same time," Rayquaza clarified. "However, since I was told to provide the prize, you do get my leftover Margarita fridge and all the contents."
He placed down a fridge the size of a small car.
"Don't drink it all at once, or if you do then don't operate machinery."
"Third place isn't too bad," Misty said. "Don't you think, Ash?"
"Yeah, but I do kind of wish I could have gone off after that Pidgey," Ash admitted. "I'm probably not going to see another one for ages…"
He shrugged. "Eh, now I think of it that was probably Mew anyway."
AN:
So to clarify the situation with Zacian – there is one Zacian in this timeline, and there is one Zacian in the other timeline.
Meanwhile, well, if Hoopa sees an opportunity Hoopa is going to take it.