"This is going to be great when we get it working," Braixen said, adjusting her hat.

"Careful, you nearly knocked me off your head," Serena hissed.

"Sorry," Braixen winced. "We definitely need to work on this more."

"I agree," Serena said. "And don't feel upset, Braixen… we'll just try and get this done properly. Okay, here we go."

"And welcome!" Braixen declared, stepping forwards and sweeping her hat off her head in a single motion.

Serena just about managed to avoid being flung out, this time, but the movement still meant she pulled the hat inside out and was very visible to the audience.

"Hmm," Ponyta said, playing the part of part of the audience. "I think we might need a different hat design. Sorry, Leavanny, but making it out of strengthened silk doesn't seem to be working here because it's not strong enough."

"I could work on… but…" Leavanny said, thinking. "No, I think you're right, I need to come up with something else if I'm still going to be providing a hat that will work for this."

"Or we need to re-think a bit," Serena added, then turned back into a human. "Oh, so that's how long it lasts."

"Not a bad result," said Pancham, playing the part of the other part of the audience. "I assume. Especially for your first time."

"Yeah, that's good," Ash confirmed. "And we're nearly to Lumiose anyway."

"...oh, right," Clemont said. "I just realized, I haven't had a chance to – er – Ash, can you not challenge the gym until tomorrow or something? I'll have you around for the night, I just… need to do some preparation work before the battle."

"Sure!" Ash agreed. "And we should see how Clembot is doing, anyway."

Clembot, as it turned out, wasn't doing especially well. Largely because they got there as he was being arrested.

"I am innocent," the robotic gym leader protested.

"I didn't say what crime you were accused of, yet," the Officer Jenny replied, with her handcuffs at the ready. "How do you know you're innocent?"

"All right, let me rephrase that," Clembot said. "I have not done anything which my database states is against the law."

"I programmed that database!" Clemont said, hurrying across the room. "What do you think Clembot has done?"

"We've got video footage," Jenny replied grimly. "There was a museum break-in and your robot was doing it. It's as clear as night vision cameras."

"I protest!" Clembot complained. "I have logs which show that I was at the Lumiose Gym for the last twenty-seven days, eight hours, twenty minutes and fourteen seconds! Fifteen – sixteen – seventeen seconds. Eighteen-"

"We get the point, Clembot, thank you," Clemont assured him.

"That's going to be a fun court case if they just have to watch them all," Serena said, thinking out loud.

"Be that as it may, I do have good reason to believe that Clembot has committed a crime," Jenny said. "So he's under arrest until this is all sorted out, one way or another."

"Hmm," Ash hummed. "So since it's not Clembot, there must be someone else out there who can look like Clembot! Which means we need to track down another robot, or a Ditto, or a Mew, or a Zorua or Zoroark or other illusion-causing Pokémon! Or maybe someone who can edit security camera footage, but that sounds unlikely."

"All right, so there's two ways we can sort this out," Officer Jenny said, several minutes later, after checking in with her headquarters. "Option one is for all this to go to trial, and that will – I'm afraid – take a long time. We'll do our best but it'll still take a week or two at minimum, and then there's still a crime to solve unless it solves itself in the meantime."

"So what's the second option?" Clemont asked.

"The second option is that the problem gets solved in some other way, while Clembot is under observation and in custody," Jenny replied. "Ash Ketchum is a registered government agent, after all."

"He is?" Serena blinked. "Really? I didn't know about that."

"I didn't apply for it, or anything," Ash replied. "I think Lance just decided that I should be."

"I think Lance decided that if Ash was going to run into all kinds of crazy situations anyway he may as well get paid for it?" Pikachu guessed.

"It's not all that well known, because we don't want to encourage it, but at this point you're almost certainly going to find out anyway," Jenny said. "There are actually systems in place to handle the kind of investigation and crime-solving done by costumed heroes, like Accelguard over in Unova or our very own Blaziken Mask."

"Who's Blaziken Mask?" Pancham asked. "I don't think I've heard of them. Are they a Blaziken in a mask?"

"You'd think so, but no!" Clemont replied. "Blaziken Mask is actually a mysterious vigilante who has a Blaziken-styled costume and a Mega Blaziken. He's sighted mostly here in Lumiose City."

"So he's not quite like Dragonizer, then," Serena said. "Well… it'd be nice to get help from him, but I don't really know how you'd do that. Arc, do you have an idea?"

"I have several," Arc told her. "But I think that the best way to get in contact with a superhero is to ask another superhero."

"Alert!" Clembot said, raising his head. "I have detected a Pokémon on a collision course with the Lumiose Gym! The Pokémon has a rider! The Pokémon is landing outside that balcony door."

"Are you sure that was a collision course?" Clemont asked his creation.

"The Pokémon has made contact with the building," Clembot replied. "Please define collision course."

"I don't know if I need to work on your definition or if I need to work on my definition," Clemont decided.

Then the balcony door opened.

"Hi, Ash!" Cilan waved.

"Cilan!" Ash brightened, waving back. "It's been a while!"

"Indeed it has!" Cilan agreed. "But when we had a chance to come to Lumiose, well, I couldn't say no! It's a city of such fashionable delights that I'm sure I'll be able to pick up all kinds of Kalosian food tips!"

A Noivern's head came in through the balcony door as well. "Hi, everyone!"

"Dragonizer!" Bonnie said. "Are you okay with your proper name or do you want to be Dragonizer?"

"I'm actually under-cover at the moment," replied Iris, who wasn't fooling anyone except possibly Jenny. "I'm Noivern Woman at the moment, and Cilan here is here as my butler."

"I did not know Cilan was a butler," Zygarde stated.

"I know, I'm more of a waiter most of the time," Cilan agreed. "But we discussed it, and we agreed that when you have a Noivern Woman you really need a butler as well."

He sent out Crustle. "Crustle here has even provided a tiny little bonsai limestone cave! It's the Noibatcave, even though it's probably a bit too small to fit a Noibat."

"I could check?" suggested Iris. "I could turn into Noibatgirl… hey, Ash, can Zoroark turn into small versions of Pokémon, again? I can't remember and I want to check before I try."

"I think I'm starting to understand why the Jennys don't get too involved with what costumed heroes are doing," Jenny sighed.

That evening, the friends waited on top of the Lumiose Gym.

"This is a really convenient way to do super-heroing," Clemont said. "I assume, anyway. How do others do it, Noivern Woman?"

"I mostly know about how Accelguard does it," Iris admitted. "And he uses a motorbike half the time. But obviously as Dragonizer I fly everywhere, so you're right, it is more convenient."

"I'm glad to be of assistance," Zacian said, waiting patiently in the middle of a formation of hovering Dragonite.

"Actually, how well do you think we're doing?" Bonnie asked. "At being superheroes, I mean?"

Iris took off, to get a bit more distance, and examined them all.

"Well, Clemont's got the whole gadget guy down," she said. "Could do with a better costume, though, mostly blue isn't all that thematic."

"This isn't a costume," Clemont protested.

"You've got a backpack with robotic arms," Iris countered. "That's a pretty good start. And Ash… well, Ash has a stronger theme but it depends whether he's an Absol at the moment. Are you an Absol at the moment?"

"Not yet," Ash replied. "Maybe Zoroark could substitute in as me? He's got a thing he does where he looks a bit like me sometimes, and that does give him extra powers."

"Maybe," Iris said. "Now, Pikachu, he's set up well. The only problem is, you're not hiding your identities all that well. Serena is doing much better."

"I'm only hiding under a hat," Serena said.

"Yeah, but anyone who looks at you is going to think you're a Braixen," Iris replied, shrugging. "Maybe Braixen should wear a domino mask or something, but you're most of the way there."

She waved a clawed foot at someone coming up the tower. "He's doing much better."

Blaziken Mask hesitated, then clambered the rest of the way up to the level they were on.

"I heard you had a problem?" he said. "I am here to help."

"That would be really helpful, actually," Clemont agreed.

Zygarde raised a paw. "Are we ignoring that Blaziken Mask is Meyer?"

"Hmm," Iris said, as both Clemont and Bonnie tried to absorb the sudden revelation about their dad being Blaziken Mask. "Well, if you didn't know then that's what I call a great cover identity!"

Arc rang.

"Hi?" Ash asked, holding the phone up. "What is it?"

"In summary, Officer Jenny has just got a report of a new robbery taking place by Clembot," Arc said. "She is still keeping an eye on Clembot. Directions to follow in a moment."

"Then let's get going!" Ash said. "If you don't have a good Pokémon to fly you around, you should borrow one of the Dragonites!"

"To the sky!" King Dragonite agreed. "It's a pity that we're not Dragonair any more because otherwise we could be the Royal Dragonair force instead of the Royal Dragon Air Force!"

Two minutes later, they were flying over an electronics warehouse in southern Lumiose.

"There it is!" Clemont called, looking through the Fire Control Gear. "That looks a lot like Clembot, but there's some differences in the design – that must be the fake Clembot!"

"Is it a fake Clembot?" Serena asked, from under Braixen's hat. "Is Clembot a name or a design? And do you think we should try and learn Fly using a broomstick?"

"That would be a great idea!" Braixen agreed. "Hey, look, there's someone meeting the duplicate Clembot!"

Blaziken Mask sent out his Blaziken, who Mega-Evolved balanced on Dragonite-back before jumping off with a somersault and landing wham in front of Clembot.

King Dragonite signalled, and all the other Dragonite came down to land as well. Iris didn't, hovering overhead, and nor did Zacian who swooped in to float just above the ground.

"Who are you?" asked the man who the other Clembot had been meeting. "Wait, I know who you have to be! You're Ash Ketchum!"

"Well, there goes that idea," Zacian said lightly. "Still, blurring faces only goes so far when not many people have this many Dragonite."

"And Blaziken Mask, too," the man added. "Well, that doesn't have to mean anything! My creation is the best robot out there!"

"Hold on, I recognize you," Blaziken Mask said. "Aren't you the head of robotics research at Lumiose University?"

"I think you're right!" Clemont gasped. "Belmondo, right? What are you doing using a robot to commit crimes?"

"I had the perfect plan!" Belmondo replied. "I knew I could create the best robot possible, all I had to do was to fix the mistakes made by Clemont in the design of his Clembot! My Dark Clembot would commit all sorts of crimes, get Clembot framed for them, and then solve the crimes so my Dark Clembot would be the clearly superior robot!"

"Ooh, nice monologue," Iris complimented. "Only, I'm not exactly an expert but I can see a really big mistake you made."

"What mistake?" Belmondo replied. "Dark Clembot, get ready to attack that Noivern with your Pokémon when I order!"

"As you command," Dark Clembot agreed.

"The only reason why everyone thinks that Clembot did all the crimes is that there isn't another Clembot out there," Serena provided. "It's a classic case of misdirection, like in stage magic, but the moment you reveal that you've got another Clembot then that whole assumption comes into question and people look at it again. You didn't even make your Dark Clembot look different."

"I fixed all the bits that needed fixing," Belmondo said, defensively. "Dark Clembot! Send out Magneton!"

A Magneton emerged with a flash, and Blaziken Mask's Mega Blaziken took up a ready stance, but Clemont was already frowning.

"Hold on," he said. "How much did you change, Belmondo?"

He adjusted his glasses. "I want to hear what I got wrong."

"Well, obviously I made it so that Dark Clembot would follow my orders, not yours," Belmondo replied. "And I made it so that he saw winning battles as the important bit!"

"Hmm," Clemont said. "I'm Clemont, the Gym Leader here, and I'm going to stop you stealing my designs!"

"Voice code input accepted," Dark Clembot announced. "Entering Master Recognition Battle Mode."

"Aha!" Clemont declared, taking out a Pokéball and sending out Bunnelby in a single movement. "You couldn't code a new intelligence from scratch, so this Clembot's still got all my voice codes in! Bunnelby, Drill Run!"

Belmondo tried to run away halfway through the battle, but that was never going to work out when a Mega Blaziken was around.

AN:

Because costumed heroes are a thing in the Pokémon universe and this seemed like another good opportunity.