Riolu and the Dragonborn
"Waaa!" A baby cried out as he was placed into his mother's arms.
The father's eyebrow raised as curiosity formed across his face upon noticing a marking on the baby's arm. He reached out and gently ran his finger across the arm as if he expected the green marking to come off only for it to stay firmly put as if it were a birthmark.
"...Is that a tattoo?" He asked while narrowing his eyes to get a better look. "It looks like a green and yellow Ekans." He commented.
The mother gasped out upon her husband speaking up, she was too busy showering her newborn with love that she didn't even notice the marking. Now that she saw it, she wondered how it had ever gotten past her. Her eyes widened at the sight before she hastily motioned towards the door. "Lock it, lock it now!"
"Huh? What's going on here?" The father tilted his head while growing concerned. "He's not dying is he?"
"No, he'll be perfectly. Better than okay, actually! I've done a lot of reading into legends over the years and during my early days I stumbled across a book that described a tattoo that matches that of our son's. The book also contained a story, describing an ancient hero that had the dragon markings and rode upon a mighty emerald colored Dragon Pokemon! They called him the Emerald Hero."
"The Emerald Hero..?" The father blinked. "This sounds vaguely similar to a story I once heard back in Unova."
The mother gave a silent nod to her husband's statement. "But the story went on to say that there would be another Emerald Hero born in the far off future, born from a descendant of the Aura Guardians and a descendant of the Draconid clan. Destined to bond with the legendary Pokemon known as 'Rayquaza' and save the world from an impending doom! I-I always dismissed it as an old fairy tale but perhaps..."
"Well that'd fit us wouldn't it? You're a-And I'm a-" The father motioned towards her before motioning towards himself.
"Indeed." The mother frowned while holding the child up against her chest. "So if the legend is true then there must be some truth to the 'impending doom' they described, remember the asteroid that wiped out the Prehistoric Pokemon?"
"I never forgot, you know it's a dream of mine to open up a Prehistoric Pokemon themed park on an island someday! Course I just got to get rich enough to maintain one first!" He laughed.
The mother lightly smirked and silently shook her head. "Well it appears that the ancient Draconid people foresaw another meteor coming in the distant future, one large enough to wipe out the entirety of Hoenn while causing unforeseen effects on the nearby region of Sinnoh."
"Which ironically enough is where we live, I suppose we can't ignore his destiny then?"
"Not a chance though we will have to make a sacrifice..." The mother trailed off while looking towards the ground.
"What are you-? No! NO!" The father shouted upon realizing what she meant, dropping to his knees while resting his arms on the side of the hospital bed. "My father ran out on us when I was just a wee boy and I swore that I'd never let that happen to my boy, I'm not pushing Zach out of my life!"
"I know." The mother sighed and offered the father a loving smile as she leaned forward to kiss him. "That's why I'm the one leaving his life, it's too dangerous for us to stick together." For there was a part of the prophecy that she hadn't told him yet.
A few years had passed since the two lovers split, they never officially got married so there wasn't any paperwork to worry about. It was easy enough to make it disappear and pass his child off as 'an accident from a one night stand, which the mother wanted nothing to do with', Arceus knew that it was believable. It was a small town so word of his old 'habit' got around, not even the wise Professor Rowan from the next town over suspected a thing.
Ezekiel had the same appearance that he'd had when his son was born. A layer of thick brown colored hair covered the top of his head while a matching goatee and mustache sat upon the lower half of his face, sunlight reflected off his light skin while his chocolate brown eyes were fixated upon his latest attempt at an invention. Grease, oil and various gears laid scattered about the table, now that his son was old enough to know better it was safe to use that stuff in the open without fear of him trying to eat or lick it.
"What are you making?" His son asked while peering over the table. His hair was much short than his father's and there was no sign of facial hair but other than that, there was little doubt he was Ezekiel's son. He didn't appear to inherit anything from his mother. A green sweatshirt covered his upper body, hiding his tattoo from view though it wasn't as if the neighbor kids hadn't seen it. Dawn simply stared at it the first time she saw it while Barry continuously poked at it as if he expected the dragon to breathe fire. Even the adults had a hard time diverting their gaze from it causing him to be quite uncomfortable leaving his right arm bare.
Ezekiel smiled at his son while running his hands along the side of his invention. Ezekiel was quite smart so he knew without getting a proper diagnosis that something was up with the boy, he quickly caught onto how Pokemon battles worked and even fully understood type advantage but when Ezekiel tried teaching him some basic math or science he struggled. He had social anxiety too but whatever it was, Ezekiel loved him regardless.
"I'm trying to make a machine capable of swapping Pokemon out on the go." Ezekiel explained while hitting at the machine. "It won't be popular as most trainers rarely capture more than six Pokemon at a time but it'll come in handy for those that capture seven Pokemon and beyond!"
"That's so awesome, I hope one of those is available when I become a Pokemon trainer in..." Zach looked down at his fingers. "Four years!"
"Nearly five," Ezekiel corrected with a light shake of his head while offering his son an affectionate smile. "And that's the plan with the rate you collect Pokemon figures and plush toys, I'd wager you'll have around ten or so before you're even a champion!" It wasn't a lot but Zach easily fell in love with certain species so Ezekiel went out of his way to get the more difficult to obtain toys such as Urshifu.
"That's the plan, I want to be a powerful trainer just like Mustard and aunt Cynthia!" Zach beamed. The two champions were his role models, ever since he could remember he watched Cynthia's Championship matches on the television. Excitement consistently flowed through his body whenever she sent out her Garchomp, it was an absolute beast and had yet to lose from what he'd seen. He saw Garchomp two shot the aces of other Champions such as Rex's Raichu, Steven's Metagross, Alder's Volcarona on the regular. Not even Diantha's Mega Gardevoir stood a chance as Fairy attacks weren't enough to hold Garchomp back! The only one that came close was former World Champion Mustard who'd lost the title to Red, a champion that had disappeared before Zach was born.
Mustard's Urshifu put up a pretty good fight and dished out a series of rapid powerful punches and kicks as water flowed around his legs and arms, Urshifu managed to deal a considerable amount of damage and even withstood three of Garchomp's attacks before finally going down. "That Pokemon is awesome!" Ever since that day, Mustard earned his respect and idolization while Urshifu became one of his favorite Pokemon.
"Well you've still got a bit of time to go before then," Ezekiel chuckled while glancing towards the door. "Until then why don't you go play with your friends? I'm sure that they're waiting for you out there."
Zach eagerly nodded before bolting out the door where he'd quickly come face to face with a rather impatient blonde that was the same age as him. "About time you wake up, what took you so long? I ought to fine you for wasting my time!" The boy tapped his foot while continuing to look impatient.
A blue haired girl sweated while glancing towards her friend. "Barry, none of us have money. Besides that's my best friend your talking about!"
"Our best friend, he's mine too!" Barry pouted.
"Hey Dawn, hey Barry!" Zach smiled while excitedly waving at his best friends and his only friends at that. He did try making friends with some kid in Sandgem Town but they recognized him as Cynthia's nephew and insisted on talking about her instead. "What do you guys want to play today?"
"Whatever you'd like," Dawn responded with a simple smile.
"Oooh!" Barry quickly reached into his pocket and retrieved a videogame case. "My dad sent me this yesterday as an early birthday present, it's Super Smash Bros Melee!"
"They made another one?" Dawn questioned with a raised brow. She knew it was Zach and Barry's favorite videogame, she played it a few times but never understood the appeal of it. They weren't old enough to understand that it had been out for awhile.
"We can play as Bowser this time?!" Zach's eyes lit up upon spotting his favorite Mario character on the cover.
Barry gave an eager nod while pointing towards another picture on the case. "Peach too!" He exclaimed while flashing his best friend a teasing smirk.
"Oooh!" Zach's eyes lit up once more while a light red tint formed across his cheeks. Dawn let out an irritated huff and crossed her arms upon spotting his reaction. Barry quickly grabbed hold of Zach's arm before proceeding to drag him off.
"Alright let's head back to my place so I can kick your butt! And remember if you win, I'll be forced to fine you!"
"It's time." Ezekiel sighed as he hung up the phone, Zach was nearing six years of age and would be starting school soon. After all kids were still forced to go to school before they become Pokemon trainers. He had to travel through Hoenn in order to fulfill his destiny but it'd be difficult convincing Zach to go while his best friends were in Sinnoh, especially as Dawn seemed interested in becoming more than friends when they were older. Ezekiel closed his eyes and let out a deep breath. He hated ripping his son away from his friends like this but it was for the greater good, if that asteroid hit then there was a good chance that Sinnoh would get wiped out too. Ezekiel hung his head before walking off to relay the news to his son.
"You're moving?!" Dawn was devastated by the reveal while Barry grew cross.
"I oughta fine your dad, he can't do this to you! What about our rivalry? We're supposed to face off in the Sinnoh League finals!" Barry shouted while waving his fist.
"Barry, he can't help it. He got a job proposition that he couldn't refuse or at least that's what he said." Zach frowned. He didn't want to leave Dawn and Barry, they were the only friends he had and the thought of making new ones terrified him immensely. Not to mention the fact he'd miss the two of them. "We're moving to the Hoenn region so he can start up his dream job."
Barry kicked at the ground from frustration.
Dawn stared at the ground, her situation was quite similar to Zach's as she was the daughter of a famous Pokemon Coordinator. But she was also going to miss him for a reason she didn't feel comfortable sharing yet, she intended on telling him when they started their journey so the two would travel together. "I'll miss you..."
"I'll miss you too, Dawn."
"What are you two talking about?" Dawn's mother questioned. They were right outside her house so she couldn't help but overhear. "You three never heard about videophones? We've got one set up in the house and as soon as Zach's father gets one, the three of you will be able to call each other."
"Wait so we'll still be able to-" Dawn started.
"Talk to each other?" Zach finished while the two smiled at one another before sharing a quick hug. Barry was still pouting and visibly cross however as his 'problem' wasn't resolved, he didn't want to be cheated out of a rivalry with his best friend! "I'll call you everyday!"
"I'll be looking forward to it!" Dawn beamed.
A week later Zach and Ezekiel found themselves in Petalburg City, Zach was awed by the sight of large buildings and skyscrapers as the tallest building he'd seen was the local Pokemon Center in the nearby town of Sandgem, there was nothing like this stuff back home! "Wow..." Zach trailed off before tensing up as they began walking down the crowded sidewalk. Ezekiel took notice and gave his son's should a reassuring pat.
"Don't worry, nothing will happen to you as long as I'm around!" Ezekiel was now dressed in a charcoal colored suit and tie, he sure hoped that he hadn't been misinformed as he'd spent the last of their money, which wasn't much, on the suit. Zach smiled up at his father and stuck close as they walked through town before stopping in front of a skyscraper, the front doors displayed a sign that read 'sold'. "Ah, he pulled through! If he bought this place then that must mean I'm in!"
"In for what?" Zach asked while tilting his head.
"Heh, well I might have convinced a certain individual to lend me money for a start up."
"...what?" Zach blinked.
Ezekiel sweated. "Never mind."
"Ah there you are!"
"Meow!" A set of voices spoke out as the door opened to reveal a man that looked quite similar to the mob bosses you'd see on television. He had a rather unsettling smile while a black trench coat and fedora covered the rest of his body.
"Meow!" His Pokemon partner was just as terrifying as the man himself, a large tan feline Pokemon hissed at the young boy while looking him directly in the eye.
"Ah!" Zach screamed out before hiding behind his father's leg.
"And this must be Zach," The man gave off a light wave. "Hello there, the name's Giovanni! There's no need to be afraid of me, I'm a friend of your fathers. In fact you could almost say I'm something of an uncle to you." Giovanni offered Zach his hand but the boy remained where he was, apart from Giovanni's appearance there was an unusual cold sensation flowing off him. Zach wasn't sure what it was but he didn't trust the man.
Giovanni lowered his hand after a moment before turning to Ezekiel. "Ezekiel."
"Giovanni, my man!" Ezekiel beamed while excitedly holding out his hand. "It's good to see you again!"
Giovanni silently took and shook his hand. "Did you bring those sketches?"
"Of course!" Ezekiel pulled out a notebook from his suit pocket and began hastily flipping through it. "I want Phoenix Industries to be a company that sells products designed for Pokemon trainers of all sorts rather it be your standard Pokemon trainer, coordinator or even breeders! Thus we'll produce Pokeballs for standard income, maybe even produce some original ones at some point! But first let's focus on the original stuff, first up is the Rotom Phone, tada!"
"That's just a smart phone." A man with teal colored hair revealed himself and stood at Giovanni's side. Giovanni gave the man a scowl in response to his comment.
"Show our friend some respect, Archer."
"Yes Giovanni sir." Archer sighed out. The same cold sensation that irradiated off of Giovanni flowed from Archer, his was shockingly stronger than Giovanni's had been. Zach began feeling dizzy and slowly edged away as the sinister aura was overwhelming him before eventually stepping outside for some fresh air.
"That may be but this is no ordinary smartphone for it's a smartphone that is powered by Rotom!" Ezekiel beamed. "Rotom will allow the phone to have significantly more power while also being able to sustain apps such as the Pokedex and official League registries! And we can make them much more affordable than your standard iFruit phone!"
"I see," Giovanni leaned forward with interest as he looked over the notes.
"More affordable? But sir, we could sell them for more!" Archer exclaimed.
"And what Pokemon trainer could afford them? We'd still be making some profit just not a lot, enough to sustain the business and pay the employees. I'm here to help Pokemon trainers, not make them broke!"
Giovanni nodded. "We'll go with your suggestion, I'd prefer you start with that one." Giovanni pointed at the page before motioning with his hand for Ezekiel to move on. "What's next?"
"Up next, the Linking Cord!" Ezekiel beamed while glancing towards his son. The inspiration for the idea came after Zach displayed disappointment that he'd be forced to trade certain Pokemon in order to evolve them. "Recently it was discovered that all one needs to do to evolve Scyther is for it to simply touch a Metal Coat while Dusclops similarly will evolve upon touching a Reaper Cloth but there are Pokemon that still require trading such as Kadabra and Graveler, thus I introduce you to the Linking Cord! This device will function like an evolution stone and evolve Pokemon such as that without the annoying hassle of trading. How great is that?!"
Archer scowled. "They should be forced to trade like I did."
"Quiet Archer." Giovanni elbowed his assistant. "I like the idea but let's hear about the others before we decide on prioritization."
"Good idea, up next is the Pokemon Transport Handheld Model! The name is still pending..." Ezekiel sweated before laughing. "It'll allow trainers to switch out their Pokemon at any point in their journey rather it be five minutes out of town or in the middle of a desert!"
"But isn't that a niche market?" Archer asked. "Very few trainers actually catch more than six Pokemon, even the legendary Professor Oak's lab is nearly empty!"
"It is a rather convenient tool and unique." Giovanni nodded.
"But unfortunately the technology isn't quite advanced enough for it yet." Ezekiel sweated while nervously laughing out. "Which brings me to my last idea, the Master Ball!"
Archer's eyes widened as he saw the description while Giovanni formed a light smirk. "Does it really do that?"
"But of course, it'll help trainers catch any Pokemon without fail and will react like a homing missile so it can't miss either!"
Giovanni clasped his hands together as a sinister expression formed. "Perfect, just perfect..." He rubbed his hands together before holding out his hand. "I believe that I was right in funding you however there is one thing that I must ask of you."
"Anything, name it! Well not anything." Ezekiel glanced towards his son who stood outside the building. "I'm not marrying Zach off to your kid or letting you force something onto him."
"My son is dead." Giovanni spoke.
"Oh my condolences!"
"No need, he's been dead for eight years." Giovanni waved it off. It was rather tragic what happened but Giovanni did his best to move on from it. "It actually relates to your board of directors, I've got the perfect guys in mind. They're old college buddies of mine!" Giovanni clapped his hands, signaling for them to come out.
A cold calculative looking red head walked from a backroom, he wore a fiery red and black colored suit while his hair was slicked back in a professional manner. A colorful gemstone was attached to the man's glasses while large red boots covered his feet and parts of his ankles. Holding his hand was a man that dressed in a drastically different fashion compared to the red head and Giovanni as he looked more like a sea captain than a businessman. The blue bandanna and anchor chain necklace sure didn't do the man any favors. His skin was notably darker than everyone else present.
"Meet Archie and Maxie!" Giovanni introduced.
"Greetings!" Maxie raised a hand in greeting.
"Hey." Archie offered Ezekiel a light smirk.
Zach leaned against the outside wall and took a deep breath as he began calming down.
"Hey isn't that Cynthia's nephew?"
"Sure looks like it but what's he doing here?"
"Maybe Cynthia's come to curb stomp Steven again?"
"Why don't we ask him? He's sure to know!"
"This could be the scoop of the century!"
"Hey kid!"
"Gah!" Zach gasped out as he suddenly found himself surrounded by strangers. He quickly darted his head towards the door only to find his path blocked, he began anxiously shaking in place before spotting an opening between two of Cynthia's fans. He quickly shot forward and squeezed past them causing the reporters to let out an irritable shout.
"Hey he's getting away!"
"After him!"
"Why are we doing this, isn't he just a kid?"
"Yes but we're crazed fans, we'd do anything if we thought it'd get us a shot with Cynthia!"
"The scoop of the century will be mine!"
Zach didn't bother looking back as he ran through the crowded street, blindly rushing ahead before shooting down an alleyway. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes while leaning against the walls of the alley as the Cynthia fans and reporters rushed past the alley. He opened an eye and let out a sigh of relief before exiting from the opposite end to avoid running right into them though it wasn't until now that he realized he'd gotten himself lost as he was out of the high rise district and was in a more suburban part of town. "W-Where am I...?" Zach took a quick look around before picking a direction at random. He walked along the sidewalk before stopping in place upon coming across a park. It was deserted as the sun was close to setting, darkening the horizon and making it difficult to make out which skyscraper was his as he hadn't gotten a good look at the one his father entered. Sweat began pouring from his forehead as he anxiously shot back and forth before uttering out a sigh of frustration as he walked towards the empty swings.
"Stupid fans..." He loved his aunt but there were times where he just wished he wasn't related to her. It made making friends a difficult task as most only wanted to be his friend in hopes of getting to see her, while her crazed fans had no decency and were desperate for a sighting of Cynthia or a chance for her to acknowledge their existence. "Stupid city..." Tears flooded out of his eyes as his thoughts drifted to Dawn and Barry. "I just want to go home..."
"Come on, it's not that far now." A brunette girl waved to her younger brother as he followed her with an armful of books. "We can take a shortcut through the park!"
"Shortcut? More like you want to avoid coming across alley Pokemon." Her younger brother smirked.
The girl's eyes filled with fear as her body shook from fright. "I-I don't know what you're talking about, it's just quicker coming this way!"
"Sure it is, only adds ten minutes of travel time!" The boy sarcastically remarked causing his sister to glare at him. "Geez May, you're not really smart are you?"
A red and white headband sat atop her light brown hair while her blue eyes anxiously darted about as if she feared something jumping out at them. She wore a red tank top and a pair of white shorts along with a pair of yellow running shoes. She was the same age as Zach while her brother was two years younger though they looked drastically different from each other as her brother's hair was a dark blue color, glasses covered his eyes while a green collared shirt covered his upper body.
"I can't wait to read these books, I got to study hard if I want to inherit the Gym from dad!"
"It's all yours Max, I assure you. I have absolutely zero interest in it!" May shivered at the mere thought of her parents attempting to pawn it off on her, she was thankful that Max wanted it.
"Really? Thanks sis! Gee I can't wait to tell our folks!" Max beamed.
"Well well well, what do we have hear?" An older blonde smirked as he stepped out from behind a nearby tree, accompanied by a slim dark haired boy and a rather bulky individual with dark red hair. The larger boy quietly cracked his knuckles while the dark haired boy uttered out a gleeful laugh. "What brings you two into Salamence territory?" The blonde smirked, all three wore sleek black leather jackets that had the blue and red Hoenn Dragon plastered across the back.
"We don't want any trouble, we're just passing through!" May raised up her hands to show they meant no harm.
Max flashed a cocky smirk while showing off a lack of fear. "Relax sis, they wouldn't dare touch us. Everyone knows that our dad is the Gym Leader, even bums like these guys have to respect that!"
"Bums?!" The blonde snarled out. The red head silently cracked his knuckles while the dark haired boy laughed out.
"Can we beat them up now?!"
"Sure, Roy! Brick, you beat up the girl. I'm going to teach this twerp some manners!"
"Yes, Johnny!" Roy laughed out while Brick continued cracking his knuckles.
Zach looked up and noticed the three closing in on May and Max, his eyes narrowed as he hopped off the swing while hastily making his way towards them. "Hey!"
Johnny, Roy and Brick quickly whipped around before laughing out upon spotting that it was another kid. "Get lost kid!" Johnny laughed out.
Max's eyes locked onto Zach and showed a sign of recognition but he kept his mouth shut the one time opening it would have been useful, if the bullies knew that he was Cynthia's nephew they'd likely be too terrified to touch him out of fear of the Champion coming after them. "No way, bullying is wrong! I'm not running off and letting you hurt them!" Zach boldly shouted before flinching as the three stepped closer, although they were only a year older they were twice the height of him and May. May's eyes widened as she stared at the wannabe hero, she wasn't into Pokemon so she had no idea who he was though she did respect him for standing up for them even if it was pointless.
"Yeah well maybe we should beat you up first!" Johnny clenched his fist and lashed out, punching Zach square across the face causing the Sinnoh native to collapse against the ground.
"Oof!" Zach grunted out.
The three gang members smirked and were about to kick him before a powerful roar echoed throughout the park.
"SLAKING!"
The three turned around and screamed like little girls as a massive ape Pokemon raced across the park while beating his fists against his chest.
"Run for it!" Johnny shouted, the three gang members quickly broke apart as they ran for safety.
"Slaking!" Max exclaimed upon recognizing his father's Pokemon.
May dropped to her knees as she grabbed Zach's hand, helping him back to his feet. "You okay..?" She asked.
"Y-Yeah, I think so..." Zach muttered while rubbing his face with his free hand, Johnny had given him a blackeye.
"That jerk..." May growled out before offering Zach a friendly smile. "I appreciate you sticking up for me and my brother though, the name's May!"
"My name's Zach," Zach smiled back before freezing up upon realizing something. May didn't seem to recognize him! He felt a sense of relief upon realizing that he made a friend.
An older version of Max raced onto the scene, clearly out of breath as he stopped to breath for a second before speaking up. "May, Max you two okay?!" He was out jogging and happened to hear the commotion, Gym Leaders had duties beyond simply running the local Gym so he went to investigate in order to see if anyone needed help. He nearly had a heart attack upon seeing his daughter and son surrounded by members of the local gang.
"Of course father, I told them that it'd be a mistake roughing up the kids of-" Max started.
"We probably wouldn't be if Zach hadn't shown up, he tried to save us but-well..." May sweated while glancing towards Zach's blackeye.
Norman's eyes widened. "Geez that's a massive shiner!" The Gym Leader took a quick look around as if he expected to see the kid's parents. "Where are your parents, kid?"
"Parent, just me and my dad. Don't know where he is, I got lost..." Zach trailed off while looking towards the ground.
Norman placed his hand on Zach's shoulder and offered him a comforting smile. "Hey don't worry, I'll get you back to my place and call the police to see if anyone's been asking about you. And if not well I'm sure the police will send your father my way if he gets a hold of them later, the safest place is with me after all. No need to feel afraid while the Gym Leader's around!" Norman exclaimed while trying to ease his worries. "But first we'll treat that injury."
"Gym Leader...?" Zach questioned. May began sweating as Zach perked up, his eyes fixated upon hers and upon noticing her look he flashed her a smile of understanding and didn't say anything until they started following Norman back home. "My aunt's the Sinnoh Champion." He whispered to her causing May to turn towards him while tilting her head.
"The champion?" She whispered back. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in Sinnoh?"
"I wish, my dad had to move here for his job." Zach frowned while looking towards the ground once more. "I just got here today, haven't had the chance to make friends yet."
"Yes you have, I'll be your friend." May whispered back while offering him a sincere smile. "It's hard enough walking around without people making a fuss about my father, I never even had a friend before you came along."
The two friends smiled at each other and continued talking as they walked along to Norman's place. Upon arrival Norman was quick to find something cold to press against Zach's face before walking off to inform the police and within the hour, Ezekiel showed up. Ezekiel was clearly worried but he didn't shout as his son raced into his arms, he was simply glad that he was okay.
Zach and May grew quite close over the new few weeks, Ezekiel and Norman appeared to form a friendship as well or at least a sense of trust as Ezekiel often dropped Zach off to hang out with May while he was at work. The two practically did everything together including outrunning the paparazzi and when it came to finding them a school, Ezekiel and Norman were sure to make sure the pair were together for both of their benefits.
Rustboro City wasn't that far off if one traveled by car so it wasn't a hassle for Caroline, May and Max's mother, to take the pair there each day.
"Good morning class, I'm your teacher but I'd prefer it if you called me by my first name." The older brunette sweated while standing at the whiteboard. "Roxanne, calling me 'Ms.' makes me feel old."
"Morning Ms. Roxanne!"
Roxanne groaned and held her forehead for a moment before moving on. Zach and May sat in the backrow by themselves, it had been Zach's choice to do so as he still felt anxious whenever people surrounded him. The pair paid attention as Roxanne gave a lecture on status effects before turning their attention to the door as it burst open, a fiery red head girl panted out as she stood in the doorway.
"S-Sorry... I'm late... I-I went to the wrong classroom..."
Roxanne turned to the girl and smiled before motioning to the back of the room. "It's alright Flannery, the first day is always a bit messy!" Roxanne giggled out. "Please take a seat!"
Flannery uttered out a sigh of relief. "Praise Arceus, I so didn't need to get detention." Grandpa Kabu would never let her hear the end of it, she wanted to take over the Gym so it was important that she stayed on his good side. The red head took her seat beside Zach and opened her bag before pausing for a moment as she slowly turned to face Zach. Zach noticed her staring at him from the corner of his eye causing him to freeze up while slowly turning to face her. Flannery showed a look of recognition but merely flashed him a cheerful smile as she waved. "Hey, I'm Flannery! Pleasure to meet ya!" She hissed while continuing to wave.
Zach sweated lightly as he slowly waved back while offering her a smile of his own. "Zach, pleasure to meet you too." Flannery recognizing him did make him slightly anxious but he was thrilled that she appeared to be offering genuine friendship.
"Quiet down please!" Roxanne called out. Zach and Flannery shared a brief smile before turning their attention back to the front of the class.
A full year had passed since the move, Phoenix Industries had taken off and was a major success. Business was booming after the unveiling of the Rotom Phone and the devices were selling like hotcakes, Ezekiel moved had them into a penthouse within a neighboring building while starting up work on the Master Ball project. The transition didn't change Zach much, he never really cared about money and had no intention of using it to give him an edge like other rich trainers would do. With some seeking out 'Pokemon with the best EV and IVs' or whatever nonsense, he just wanted to catch Pokemon that he liked and raise them the right way.
Zach currently sat at the videophone within his room as he and Dawn had their usual nightly chat. Hoenn and Sinnoh were so close together that their time zones perfectly aligned. The pair had been doing this everyday since he'd left, Barry occasionally joined every few days but he never stayed as long as Dawn did while thinking that it 'slowed him down' and that he had to get started on planning a team as soon as possible!
"And you better not stop me or I'll fine you both!" Barry threatened before leaving causing the two to laugh. They were aware he had another best friend but he'd yet to introduce May to them as he wasn't sure how to do so without making it awkward.
"You're going to Professor Oak's Summer Camp, right?" Dawn questioned him with a light tilt of her head. "We promised that we'd go together this year."
"Of course, I didn't forget!" Zach beamed. He was excited to meet Professor Oak and see some of the Pokemon that Kanto had to offer.
"Great!" Dawn clasped her hands together while offering her best friend a warm smile. "It'll be nice seeing you again, in person I mean. It's nice talking to you like this but I miss being around you."
"I understand, I feel the same way." Zach gave a nod of understanding. "It'll be good to see you and Barry again."
"What about your 'new' best friend? Isn't it about time we meet them?" Dawn suggested.
"I-I'll have to ask, I don't want to force them to go..."
"Yes!" May's response surprised Zach, his eyes widened as he gave her an unusual look. It was as if his best friend had been abducted and replaced with an alien, he honestly expected her to shut him down.
"Seriously?" Zach's surprise quickly turned to a smile.
May slowly nodded while smiling back at him. "I-It may be nerving but I-I'd love to travel around the world and see what else is out there, and I-I'd like to do it by your side." Even if she couldn't fully cure herself, she needed to partially calm her nerves if she expected to travel with her best friend. She knew his dream was to become as strong as Mustard and Cynthia so naturally he'd have Pokemon of his own someday and seeing how most trainers didn't typically become champions on their first tour, he'd likely be traveling to at least one other region. She'd feel safe by his side and she could only imagine the fun they'd have together seeing the sights while traveling to his next Gym battle.
"I'd like that too!" Zach beamed while feeling relieved that he wouldn't be traveling alone. Having a friend around was good for his general anxiety, he felt calm whenever around his friends.
"May meet Dawn and Barry, Barry and Dawn meet May!" Zach introduced his friends to one another as they stood outside Professor Oak's lab.
Barry seemed visibly disappointed that Zach's new friend was a girl. He let out an impatient tsk as he began tapping his foot. However upon hearing somebody shout 'The Champion!', Barry shot off like a rocket. "I swear if the Kanto/Johto Champion isn't there, I'm so going to fine whoever shouted that!" Seconds later Barry could be heard uttering a fangirl scream. "T-The Champion!"
May and Dawn silently stared at each other for a moment before shouting out with disbelief. "Your other best friend is a girl?!"
Zach looked between the two before responding with a simple "Yes?". May and Dawn were silent for a moment before shrugging as they shook hands. Zach smiled at the sight before motioning with his hand. "Come on, it sounds like things are starting up!"
"Oi Rex, what's it like bein a champion out here in the Kanto region?" Zach and the others heard a brunette trainer their age speaking out in some strange foreign accent that they couldn't place. "What's it like having an Elite Four to boss around?"
The Kanto/Johto Champion quickly waved his hands. "Now now I may be stronger than them but I don't go bossing them around! They're free to do whatever they wish or desire but when a challenger wins the Indigo League or Silver Conference they need to be ready to face the challenger! I like to think of them as my friends rather than my underlings or grunts."
"Aw, having a bunch o people to boss around sounded cool!" The girl hung her head.
"Hey Zach, doesn't that girl look like you?" Barry questioned while thumbing towards the rowdy older girl.
"Oi, that 'girl' has a name ya daft bugger!" The rowdy brunette shook his fist at Barry. "The name's Gloria and don't you forget it or else you'll get a taste of this!" Gloria motioned towards her closed palm causing Barry to gulp while quivering in place with a terrified expression.
Professor Oak sweated before clasping his hands together as he hoped to change the subject. "And now it's time for the annual Scavenger Hunt! I'd like you to pair up in groups of two and find as many things on the list as you can." Oak beamed while handing out sheets of paper.
"Groups of two? Sorry Zach but you'll slow me down, hey Kenny get over here!" Barry waved to a blue haired Sinnoh native. The older kid turned around and scowled at Barry.
"For the last time Barry, the name's Lucas!"
"Yeah yeah whatever, just help me find the stuff on this list. And don't fail! You know that I'll fine you if you do!" Lucas was from the next town over, Barry having met after Zach had left Sinnoh.
Lucas sighed and rolled his eyes as he snatched the list from Barry's hand.
"Barry!" Zach tried calling out to his friend only to utter out a grunt of frustration.
"Screw the rules, I'm going in with my boys!" A cocky blue haired trainer smirk.
"You're the best, Damian!"
"Damian rules!" Damian's fan club followed him into the nearby forest.
Zach sweated nervously as his gaze consistently flicked between May and Dawn, he hated that Barry had ditched him like this cause now it'd feel like he was betraying one of the girls if he chose the other. May only came because she wanted to stick with him and meet his friends while Dawn wanted to spend time with him and hang out in person, Zach let out an irritated groan as he touched his forehead. "Barry..." He lightly growled out.
"Well well well, fancy meeting you here." Johnny smirked as he, Roy and Brick came into view.
"You!" Zach and May simultaneously growled out while Dawn tilted her head in confusion.
"Sorry but who is this?" She asked.
"That's the guy that gave Zach a blackeye!" May snapped. Dawn gasped before shooting Johnny a murderous look.
"Teaching him a lesson more like." Johnny laughed.
"Yeah, you taught him!" Roy laughed while Brick silently smirked.
"What are you three even doing here? Don't you have a bank to rob or something?" Zach growled out.
"All in good time but unfortunately we were assigned this as community service." Johnny formed a look of disgust. "But there's an opportunity here, one of you girls could team up with me while my friends bounce. After all there's three of each of us!"
"Gross." May stuck out her tongue while Dawn edged closer to Zach.
"Yeah that's not happening." Zach stood in front of his friends in a protective fashion while glaring up at Johnny. "I'd rather get in trouble than have you beat either of them up!" Jealousy or obsession wasn't even an issue, Zach simply wanted to keep his best friends safe.
Johnny rolled his eyes and laughed, he pulled back his fist as if he were ready to slug him again only to freeze in place as somebody called out.
"What's going on here?" Rex asked.
"There's our chance, let's go!" May hissed. Dawn nodded in response as the two grabbed hold of Zach's arm before dragging him off into the forest while the champion gave Johnny and his friends a stern talking to. The group looked over the list and began scouring the forest, finding such things as a Metapod's empty shell and a Pidgey's feather. They weren't rapidly finding things but they were having a good time and that's what mattered.
"Hey guys, watch this!"
"Go Damian!"
"You can do it-"
"Shhhh!" Damian hissed out. Zach was grabbing a Cheri berry from a bush when he heard the Kanto native. He stood still for a moment as he wondered if Damian was coming towards him but after a few seconds he deduced that the sound was moving further away, he peered over the bush and gasped out upon seeing Damian empty out Barry's basket, replacing the contents with a bunch of rocks before taking said contents for himself while Barry was distracted trying to get Lucas free from a thorn bush.
Lucas was soon pulled free and Zach attempted to speak out to warn them that Damian had stolen their stuff and was right behind them but as soon as he was able, Barry took off like a rocket. The rocks didn't even slow him down! Lucas sighed as he raced after his partner, seeming to be oblivious as to what happened. "Damian..." Zach clenched his fists as he didn't appreciate him cheating his friend like that.
"Hey calm down," Dawn was quick to grab Zach's hand, his anger quickly cooled away as he glanced towards her. "He's not worth it."
"You're right, let's-"
"Eeeeek!"
"May!" Zach bolted towards his friend's terrified scream. May could be seen ahead frozen in place, her face turned pale white as she pointed ahead while slowly stuttering out.
"G-G-G-G-Ghost!" She screamed out.
"Gastly!" A Gastly smiled at May and approached her, trying to make friends only for her to violently shake as she took a step back.
"Nonono, you won't steal my soul!"
"May calm down, it's just a Ghost type and a tamed one at that!" Zach tried reasoning with May while throwing his arms around her in an attempt to help calm her down. May slowly wrapped an arm around him while continuing to violently tremble in place. "It's not going to steal your soul or even hurt you!"
"I-It's still a Ghost type, I can't stand Ghost types!" May cried while burying her head into Zach's shoulder. "They're so terrifying and you never know if they're truly gone or just intangible!"
"May..." Zach trailed off.
"Hahaha! Look at that wimp, she's afraid of a Ghost type!" Damian laughed while pointing at May. Zach clenched his fists while offering Damian a silent yet harsh glare.
'Note to self, never catch a Ghost type.' His friend was absolutely terrified and although he did love Pokemon, he wasn't going to force May to get over her fear.
"Ash and Chloe, you win the scavenger hunt!" Professor Oak raised his arm into the air as the other students let out a loud celebratory cheer.
"Aw man, we lost! Kenny I ought to fine you for making us not even place!" Barry shouted at his friend. Lucas opened his mouth to correct his friend before shutting it as he realized it was pointless.
"Hmph, I could have won if I wanted to." Damian crossed his arms.
"Yeah, Damian rules!"
"Didn't you sabotage Barry?" Zach asked while giving Damian an unamused expression. "I could clearly see you throwing stuff out his basket and throwing in rocks."
"You're one to talk, your partner was so scared of a tamed Gastly that she went screaming off! She shouldn't even be here if she's afraid of Pokemon!" The boy's eye twitched as Damian insulted his friend, he quickly dived forward and punched him across the face. Gloria let out an eager shout as she rushed forward before throwing a punch of her own, knocking Damian's lights out as the blue haired boy collapsed.
"Damian!" His friends gasped out in terror.
"Ya just got your butt kicked by a girl, ya prick!" The girl laughed while Zach went off to comfort his friend as Damian's words appeared to strike a nerve.
"It was great getting to meet you Dawn!" May smiled.
"Likewise, I'm glad the two of you are looking out for one another." Dawn smiled before turning to give Zach a hug. "I'm not sure how Barry will feel about it but she's welcome to join our nightly chats if she's ever in the mood for it."
"I'm game if she is, it's nice that the two of you are getting along." Zach smiled while returning the hug.
"O-Of course!" May's eyes widened as she was genuinely surprised, she'd thought her screaming her head off at the sight of Gastly would have left a bad impression. She was thankful that Dawn seemed to accept her.
The blonde bombshell of a champion stared into the camera. "Hello people of Sinnoh and the nearby region of Hoenn, I apologize for the unusual situation but Steven just couldn't stomach making the announcement himself. Today, I bring you some painfully terrible news. Rookie trainer, Lucas was found murdered outside Sandgem Town and we have reason to suspect a Jubilife gang's involvement. Similarly in the Kanto, Hoenn, Unova, Kalos, and Galar region, several young boys were lost... Trace, Brendan, Hilbert, Calem and Victor were their names. The Pokemon League committee as agreed that due to the rise of villainous gangs and the increased rate of loss, that we must raise the limit to a more comfortable age of sixteen to ensure that trainers are more mature and have a full state of mind. We hope to narrow down the losses or eradicate them completely, if you're just turning ten this year then I must offer my sincere condolences. I truly feel sorry for you all." Cynthia frowned while shedding a tear.
"L-Lucas died?" Zach's jaw dropped. He didn't know the older boy but he was Barry's friend and he was sure that Barry must be devastated. He whipped out an emerald green colored Rotom Phone and turned on the screen to text Barry and see if he was okay. Though he'd quickly find the answer as Barry started flooding his phone.
"Can you believe this?! Two years away from becoming Pokemon trainers and they up the limit on us! When I get my hands on those League officials I'll fine their pants off, and I'll fine whoever killed Lucas so hard that he'd wish he was never born! RIP Lucas."
Zach's mouth dropped as he stared out his window and towards the distant Petalburg Forest. He didn't realize until that moment that they were so close to becoming trainers only for an additional six years to be slapped onto the wait, it'd be eight years before any of them set off now.
"Ah, that breeze sure is refreshing!" Norman took a deep breath of the forest air while Caroline began unpacking her bags. The family took a weekend trip to the woods, two years had passed since the incident and it was now Zach's tenth birthday. Norman noticed how bummed out Zach and May were about having their upcoming journey pulled right out from under them so they thought camping out would lighten their spirits!
"I wonder what a Thunderbolt feels like." Max commented to himself while buried nose deep into a book. Zach and May walked out of camp after promising Norman they wouldn't stray too far with May edging closer to Zach as they trailed deeper into the forest in search of firewood.
"I'll stick close, I promise." Zach placed his hand on May's shoulder while offering her a comforting smile. May smiled back at him before helping him pick out some sticks for the firewood, the pair would soon have a decent sized bundle of wood in their hands and were about to make their way back to camp when a loud roar could be heard over head. May jumped from fright, sticks flew across the clearing as she tossed them before throwing her arms around Zach. It was hard to blame May as the roar was loud and powerful and somewhere above! Zach placed an arm around May and began comforting his best friend while peering at the sky above, his eyes narrowed as he attempted to see the sky through the thick tree branches. A glimpse of emerald scales caused him to tense up while the roar continued echoing out before the scales began flying away causing him to spot a glimpse of yellow, Zach glanced towards his arm and rolled up the sleeve of his jacket revealing the tattoo which had grown along with him and continued spiraling around the entirety of his right arm.
May glanced towards the tattoo before giving Zach a questioning look. She'd seen it before, May had questioned why Zach always wore long sleeves even during the hottest of summer days causing him to roll up his sleeve and show it off. May had smiled at the sight and thought the Pokemon looked majestic and ferocious simultaneously, even questioning him why he hid it from her only for him to respond that he didn't like people to stare at his birthmark and that he couldn't fully answer her question as he didn't know what the Dragon Pokemon was.
"Zach, what are you...?" May questioned before uttering out a light gasp as Zach slipped from her grasp and raced off as he chased after the green serpent. "Zach wait up, don't leave me!" May pleaded while shooting an anxious look around before darting after her friend, fearing that Ghost types were dwelling nearby.
Zach was silent as he raced after the serpent, hoping to get some answers. His heart began excitedly racing as he raced into a clearing before pausing in place to look up as the emerald Dragon continued flying through the sky. "Hold up, wait!" Zach raised his arms into the air and began waving them like crazy as if it'd help the Dragon respond. "What are you?! Why are you on my arm?!"
"RAY!" The emerald dragon roared and continued flying along causing Zach to let out a grunt of frustration.
"Hey get back here, I'm talking to yo-OW!" Zach rubbed his eye as something smacked against his face. "Same darn eye..." He muttered before pausing in place as his head felt something rather scaly pressed against his face, he slowly slid it into view before gasping out as within his hand stood an emerald green colored scale. He definitely hadn't been delirious, it actually was the emerald dragon! Zach looked up as the dragon flew over the horizon before placing the scale into his bag. "Well at least I got a souvenir, May will-Oh Arceus, May!" Zach was about to race back to find his friend only to pause in place as a cry rang out from over the hill.
"Rioooo!"
"Somebody there?" Zach turned towards the noise and tilted his head. Was it possible the dragon was coming back?
"Rioooo!"
"No, that's clearly a Pokemon in distress." Zach muttered, his hands clenched as he raced over the hillside. Much like he'd helped May all those years ago, he couldn't ignore the Pokemon in distress and went racing on in despite having any Pokemon of his own. There were many situations a Pokemon could be in distress, not all of them battle related but unfortunately that wouldn't be the case for he'd soon see a vicious looking Seviper slashing at a Riolu with a bright poisonous tail!
"Seviper!" The snake hissed before chomping down on Riolu with venom soaked fangs.
"R-Riooo!" Riolu screeched out, his body violently shook while his fur turned a dark violet color before he promptly passed out.
"Poor Riolu..." Zach hid behind a tree and watched as Riolu fell to the ground. "Nothing a Pecha and Sitrus berry won't solve, I'll just wait for Seviper to leave and-why is Seviper going at him again? He's down!" Zach gasped before taking a deep breath. "Arceus, I'm either brave or stupid for doing this..." He rushed out and dived across the ground, sliding Riolu out of Seviper's reach right as Seviper's tail tip slammed where he once laid.
"Sevip?!" Seviper gasped as he stared at the empty spot, the snake shot a quick look around before uttering out a hiss of annoyance upon spotting Zach with the passed out jackal in his arms.
"R-Rio...?" Riolu gasped, an eye slowly opened before drooping back shut as he passed out once more. A smile of gratitude formed across his face.
Zach shot one look at Seviper before turning around to book it. However before he could get far he heard May calling out for him causing him to wince. Seviper quickly turned his head and let out a hiss as he made eye contact with May as she stepped out of the forest. May froze up from fright and let out a terrified scream as Seviper lunged towards her. Zach gasped and quickly placed Riolu down before racing to May. "May watch out!" May wanted to move but found herself unable, she was literally paralyzed with fear! Zach closed his eyes and increased his speed before pushing May away however he wasn't able to save himself as Seviper's Poison Tail slammed directly against his body causing his face to turn purple before his eyes rolled up as he passed out.
"Zach, no!" May screamed out, tears flooded from her eyes while the poisoned Riolu watched the strange boy hit against the ground.
"Rio..." The jackal silently muttered before clenching his fists as a look of determination filled his eyes.
"Huh? What's going on? Where am I?!" Zach awoke to find himself in a hospital bed, his eyes anxiously darted about before eventually resting on Riolu upon spotting the jackal pup standing watch at the foot of the bed.
"Rio..." Riolu offered his savior an appreciative smile.
"Y-You're that Riolu, aren't you?" Zach asked while offering Riolu a smile of his own as he guessed what Riolu wanted. "You're welcome."
"Rio." Riolu closed his eyes and gave him a light bow but stayed put, not wanting to leave his side.
Zach silently tilted his head as he wondered what Riolu wanted before performing a startled jump as the nearby door opened up. A familiar gasp could be heard as May quickly shot forward before throwing her arms around him, tears flooded from her eyes as a smile formed upon her face. "You're finally awake!"
"Finally awake?" Zach grunted out while gently placing an arm around his best friend. "H-How long was I out...?"
"Almost two years, that Seviper's poison really took a toll on you. You're lucky to have even survived!" Norman arrived just in the nick of time, Slaking beat the snot out of Seviper before hurling him towards the horizon while Norman rushed to get Zach and Riolu medical aid. May knew that there was a good chance she could have been in his condition or worse if he hadn't saved her, May felt very grateful towards Zach and visited him everyday in the hopes that he'd wake up.
"Rio..." Riolu clasped his paws together. It was a long boring two years but he stuck by his savior, Riolu owed him his life and wanted to pay him back.
"Two years?!" Zach gasped out. "Arceus... d-do Dawn and Barry know?" He anxiously asked, worried that his friends would think he abandoned them.
"They do, I told Dawn and she told Barry. They've dropped by a few times to check up on you but there wasn't any change until today." May lightly smiled as she pulled away from him before motioning towards Riolu. "This little guy's been here the entire time, he refused to leave. Your dad said he was a family pet so they'd give up on chasing the poor guy."
"Rio!" Riolu nodded to show May's statement was true.
"I-Is that true...?" Zach turned to look at Riolu, their eyes met as they stared at each other. "You stayed here the entire time?"
"Rio." Riolu crossed his arms and flashed him a light smirk.
"Well I appreciate the company, thank you." Zach smiled while getting the jackal pup a light pat. Riolu uttered out a soft coo and leaned against his hand as he embraced the attention.
Ezekiel uttered out a light groan of frustration as he stared at the medical bill. "This is highway robbery..." He growled out. He was thrilled beyond relief that his son was okay but the medical bill was admittingly frustrating as the Master Ball project was already draining away funding while some money just mysteriously disappeared! Ezekiel pulled lightly at his hair as he gazed towards his gold plated Rotom Phone, Giovanni's contact information was displayed as Ezekiel debated asking to borrow more money. However he soon slid the phone away and typed something into his laptop before uttering out a gleeful laugh. "The Aether Foundation, they're sure to help me out!"
Zach soon stepped into Ezekiel's office and tilted his head upon hearing his proclamation. "Help with what?"
"Oh nothing you need to worry about!" Ezekiel laughed while quickly shoveling the medical bill and Master Ball project papers into his desk. He then clasped his hands together while gazing fondly towards his son. "I take it that you want something?"
"Yes, I-I'd like to travel to Sinnoh for a few days to meet up with Dawn and Barry to show them that I'm okay."
Ezekiel looked thoughtful for a moment before forming a light smirk. This was the perfect opportunity for him to meet up with the Aether Foundation's leader without his son noticing or getting worried. "Of course, I'll get right on it!"
Zach took a deep breath before walking down the dirt trail that led into Twinleaf Town, a plastic bag sat in each hand as he ventured into town. Dawn was sitting on her front porch beside her mother's Umbreon and Glameow when she took notice of somebody walking into town. She turned towards the individual before squealing out in delight as she leaped right off the porch before shooting down the road.
"Zach! Praise Arceus you're okay!" Dawn cried out while giving him a rather tight hug. She'd changed a lot since he last saw her, she now wore a black top with a white shirt beneath it along with a short pink colored skirt which matched the large pink boots that covered her feet. Dawn buried her head against his shoulder to hide her tears while he gently placed an arm around her, returning the hug.
"It's good to see you again, Dawn."
"It's g-good to see you too, I-I was so worried that you'd..." Dawn trailed off while looking towards the ground. She never did get to tell him how she felt and now sure didn't feel like an appropriate time as he'd just awakened from a coma.
"I wouldn't leave you." Zach placed his hand on her shoulder and offered her a comforting smile while holding a bag out to her. "Here, I brought you something."
"Oh?" Dawn peered into the bag before gasping out as she pulled out a white woolen hat. Her eyes lit up before she placed it atop her head, she smiled up at it before throwing her arms around Zach once more. "I love it, thanks Zach!"
"You're welcome Dawn." Zach softly spoke, his arm wrapped around her as the two friends held each other.
"Hey what's the big idea visiting her first?!" Barry shouted while barging out of his house, the rowdy teenager now wore an orange and white striped t-shirt along with black jeans and short brown colored boots. "I ought to fine you for that."
"Hey Barry..." Zach sweated.
"And I ought to fine you for making us worried, we thought you were a goner!" Barry shouted out before suddenly shifting his mood upon spotting the other bag. "Oooh present!"
Zach and Dawn shared a look before laughing as Barry reached into the bag before retrieving a green scarf. Barry stared at the scarf as the green was the exact color that his father wore, Barry clenched his fists with a look of determination. Much like Zach aspired to be like Mustard and Cynthia, Barry aspired to be like his father the leader of Sinnoh's Battle Frontier branch. Barry was quick to place the scarf around his neck before flashing his best friend a smirk. "Apology forgiven but you must do something for me!"
"Eh? Well that would depend on what it is you're asking of me." Zach cautiously replied.
Barry held up a finger before racing back into his home, returning a few seconds later with a drawing in hand. Barry eagerly shoved the drawing into his friend's hands while hastily shouting. "A red Gyarados has been spotted at Lake Verity!"
"How did you learn about this?" Zach questioned with a light tilt of his head.
"The internet." Barry boldly smirked.
"Barry, you can't believe everything you see on the internet." Dawn sighed out.
"You're free to think that way if you want Dawn but I intend on obtaining one of it's scales, just imagine how much people would be willing to pay for a red Gyarados scale! Heck I see people buying golden Magikarp from a local Jubilife vendor all the time!"
"...I'm pretty sure that's a scam, I've seen the same guy in Petalburg City. I could swear I saw a jar of golden paint beneath his vendor booth." Zach commented.
"Scam, sham! I'm gonna obtain one of those scales and become rich!" Barry gleefully exclaimed. "And you're going to help by being my distraction!"
"...what?" Zach sweated.
"Yes, you'll get the Gyarados' attention while I sneak up on it. Then once I get the scale we'll race on out of there and get rich!"
"That is a terrible idea!" Dawn gasped out. "Gyarados could k-"
"Sure, why not?" Zach smiled. He was too thrilled having his best friends around that it stopped him from seeing sense.
Dawn facepalmed while Barry gleefully leaped into the air. "Alright, let's get going then!" Barry eagerly raced out of town and led his friends to the nearby lake however upon arrival they'd notice that nothing was in the lake other than a few Magikarp that lazily swam about.
"It doesn't look like anything's here." Dawn spoke with a rather relieved tone.
"Damn it, I'm gonna fine you two for being too slow! Somebody obviously beat us here!" Barry shouted.
"Or Gyarados was never hear to begin with!" Dawn glared while Zach's eyes shifted towards a briefcase that sat a few feet away from the lake. He looked about the area to see if anyone was around but the suitcase appeared to be abandoned so he went to investigate in order to see if there were clues indicating who it belonged to.
"Yeah well-Hey what's Zach got?" Barry immediately darted over upon spotting his friend staring at a briefcase, the eager blonde gave the case a swift kick which forced it to burst open. A few lab notes and a rather ancient dated research journal sat inside along with a set of three Pokeballs. "Oooh!" Barry eagerly snatched a ball up before Dawn smacked it out of his hand.
"That belongs to somebody!"
"Who the heck is Professor Laventon?" Zach asked, his eyes narrowed as he read the research journal cover. He didn't dare touch the journal though as he worried the slightest touch would break it, instead he took a quick look at one of the nearby research notes which gave them all they needed to know. "'Property of Professor Rowan', yep this belongs to the Professor."
"Well I say we take it back to him, the lab's not far off from-Ah!" Dawn screamed out as a horde of Bidoof surrounded them.
"Bidoof!" The Bidoof growled.
"Aw, hey there little guys I-OW! What the heck?!" Barry hastily waved his arm as he attempted to shake a Bidoof from his finger. "You're lucky I can't fine a Pokemon else I'd fine your pelt right off of you!"
"Ow!" Zach gritted his teeth as a Bidoof sank it's sharp teeth into his sneakers. Zach attempted to shake Bidoof off before frustration filled him as a Bidoof bit into Dawn's leg. Zachs' eye twitched as he reached out for a ball, picking one at random before hurling it forward. "G-Go whatever you are, use Tackle!"
"Turtwig!" The Grass starter cried out upon bursting from the ball, the turtle leaped towards Dawn and headbutted the Bidoof away before leaping up to help out Barry. "Twig!" Turtwig then smashed against the Bidoof that bit Zach before sweating as he found himself surrounded. "Turtwig..."
"There's too many of them!" Dawn gasped out.
"On it," Zach reached for the remaining Pokeballs but Barry hastily grabbed at one.
"Use Tackle!" Barry hastily shouted while punching at the air.
"Chimchar!" The orange monkey screeched as he burst from his ball. The monkey leaped across the field and began scratching at the Bidoof while a Piplup burst out alongside him and got to work assisting his friends. The three Sinnoh starters worked hard at pushing the Bidoof horde back but it wasn't enough.
"Geez I thought Bidoof were supposed to be calm, why are they so riled up?!" Dawn asked.
"I'm not sure. We didn't do anything to disturb them, they attacked us first!" Zach frowned.
"Twig!"
"Chimchar!"
"Piplup!" The three starters cried out as they became overwhelmed by the horde.
"Oh no!" Dawn gasped out as the Bidoof began closing in on the three. Zach, Barry and Dawn backed up before coming to a stop as their backs were up against the lake, if they went any further they'd fall right in.
"We can't go any further!" Zach growled out.
"Yes we can!" Barry dove right into the water and swam towards the opposite end.
"Barry, Zach can't swim!" Dawn screamed after him.
"Nor can you." Zach pointed out causing Dawn to lightly blush from embarrassment.
"Bidoof!"
"Bidoof!" The Bidoof began crawling onto the two.
"RIO!"
"Huh?" Zach was filled with disbelief as he saw Riolu rushing towards the Bidoof. He hadn't seen Riolu since he'd left the hospital, was it possible the jackal pup stow away on the plane?
"Rio!" Riolu slapped the Bidoof off of Zach and Dawn before snarling at the Bidoof. "Rio!" He screeched out.
"Bidoof!" A slightly larger Bidoof stepped forward with a challenging look, Riolu and the Bidoof shared a look as they glared into each other's eyes before Riolu thrusted his palm forward and slapped Bidoof across the face. The larger Bidoof yelped as it fell against the ground, it quickly shook itself off before turning to run away. The other Bidoof quickly followed after it, making it evident that the Bidoof was their leader.
"That's the Riolu that kept watch over you." Dawn muttered out before looking towards Zach as a light smile formed on her face. "You planning on keeping him? He's cute!"
"You know, I just might." Zach smiled back at her before looking towards Riolu. "What did you say-Riolu?" He quickly looked around but the jackal pup had disappeared. "Riolu where did you go?"
Riolu watched from a nearby bush as Zach looked around for it. The pup could tell that their auras were a perfect match for each other but he wanted to be sure before making a proper decision. After a few minutes of searching around, Zach and Dawn carefully placed Professor Rowan's property back into the briefcase along with the Pokeballs after recalling the Pokemon before making their way towards his lab to return the property. As the group left the lake, a set of red scales slowly rose from the depths before disappearing back beneath the surface.
"I appreciate your honesty and the return of my property." Professor Rowan spoke while taking hold of his briefcase. "I must have misplaced it."
"You're quite welcome Professor," Zach spoke with a light smile.
"If the two of you ever need anything, you've but to ask and I'll help. There was something in there that was irreplaceable and of grate value to me, I wouldn't know what to do if it got ruined." Professor Rowan spoke.
"Well there is one question that's been left on my mind, whose Professor Laventon?" Zach asked with a rather curious tone. Professor Rowan's calm and stern attitude quickly shifted to the side as the man's eyes widened. Professor Rowan hastily pushed Zach and Dawn from the lab before slamming the door shut behind them, preventing them from receiving an answer.
"Goodbye!"
"Well that was rude of him, you just asked a simple question." Dawn huffed.
"Yeah, though I suppose he has his reasons for it." Zach shrugged.
"Well well well, look who it is!" Johnny leaned against a wall while giving May a predatory look as she passed by. "You've certainly grown over the years." Johnny licked his lips as his gaze focused upon her upper chest.
May rolled her eyes and attempted to walk past only for Johnny to grab her arm. "Hey, get off!"
"Uh huh, I don't think so. Your autistic boyfriend isn't around to save you this time so I think I'll have some fun with you!" Johnny gleefully laughed while May struggled to break free of his grasp before forcefully biting his arm in an attempt to escape. "Ow!" Johnny briefly dropped hold of her before quickly grabbing at her other arm. "You aren't going anywhere, girly!"
"Help!" May screamed out.
Johnny laughed. "Take a look around, nobody's around to save you. You and me are gonna have a fun ti-OW!" Johnny yelped as somebody punched him across the face causing him to release his grip on May.
"Zach, you're back!" May's eyes lit up as she flashed her best friend an appreciative look, admiration shined in her eyes as he stood between her and Johnny.
"Leave May alone." Zach growled out.
"Well well, it must be my lucky day after all." Johnny laughed while crackling his knuckles as Roy and Brick stepped from around the corner. "I can beat the snot out of you and have fun with your girl!" He cackled out.
"You're not laying a finger on my friend!"
Johnny stared at Zach for a moment before bursting out from laughter. "Boy are you oblivious or what, oh it's gonna be real fun beating you!" Johnny punched at Zach only for him to swiftly duck only to get walloped in the face by Roy and Brick causing Zach to crash against the ground.
"Oof." Johnny, Roy and Brick smirked before proceeding to kick him while May tearfully watched.
"S-Stop it! S-Somebody help us!"
"Rioooo!" A blue and black blur whisked across the street and ran into Johnny, Roy and Brick knocking the three over as if they were a pair of bowling pins. "Riolu!" Riolu slapped the three before landing in front of Zach while performing a combat stance. "Rio!"
"Gah, since when did he get a pet?!" Roy exclaimed with a frightened tone.
"I'm not sure, let's go boys. They ain't worth this!" Johnny spat as the three got to their feet and scrambled away as quick as they could.
"Rio..." Riolu turned towards Zach as he got back onto his feet. The jackal pup smiled up at him as Zach looked down at him.
"Riolu...?" Zach groaned out. "Y-You're back?"
"Rio!" Riolu smirked while punching at the air, the two gazed directly into each other's eyes as they appeared to share an understanding with each other.
"Y-You want to stick together this time?"
"Rio!" Riolu punched at the air while smirking up at him.
Zach smirked back at the jackal while dropping to a knee in order to be level with him. The two closed their fists before meeting the other in a fist bump as they marked the beginning of their partnership.
"Rio!"
May watched on with a proud smile, she was slightly nerved by the fact that a Pokemon would be living with her best friend from now on but she'd gotten to know Riolu well enough during the duration of Zach's coma to know that the pup meant no harm.
Zach then turned to May before offering his friend a smile. "Come on, let's get you home!" May eagerly nodded and wrapped an arm around him as the pair headed towards Norman's place.
"R-Rio!" Riolu trembled in place as Ezekiel tossed a purple and white Pokeball up and down. Two and a half years had passed since Zach awoke from his coma and Ezekiel finally perfected the Master Ball project but needed to perform a trial run. Zach was off watching a movie with May so Riolu stayed behind, it was just the two of them and Ezekiel knew that Zach wanted to make Riolu his starter when the time came to start his journey so he decided to take it upon himself to capture Riolu. "Here it comes, Riolu. You're gonna be part of our family as soon as you get in this ball!" He laughed out.
"Rio!" Riolu shot down the hall and raced towards the front door as fear flashed within his eyes.
"Ah yes, that's perfect! Acting as if you want to escape, this is a perfect trial run!" Ezekiel laughed while seeming oblivious to the fact that Riolu was claustrophobic.
The front door opened up as Zach stepped into the apartment right on time to see the Master Ball whip around the corner like a homing missile before it nailed the back of Riolu's head! "Rio!" Riolu fearfully gasped out as he was absorbed into the ball. The ball shook back and forth before quickly chiming out to announce the capture while Zach stared at the ball with a horrified expression.
"W-What the heck did you just do?!" He asked while quickly dropping to his knees in order to open the ball back up.
"It works, it works!" Ezekiel laughed while gleefully calling up Giovanni. "It works!"
"Excellent, we'll start up production immediately."
"R-Rio.." Riolu burst out upon Zach opening the ball, the jackal pup breathed heavily while wrapped his arms around Zach's leg as he violently trembled. "R-Rio..."
"What on earth was that?!" Zach growled while giving Riolu a comforting pat. "Pokeballs aren't supposed to work like that!"
"Why it's the Master Ball of course, the reason why we even got funding from Giovanni in the first place! It can hone in and capture any Pokemon without fail!" Ezekiel eagerly exclaimed while seeming quite thrilled that his invention was a success.
"That's... that's immoral..." Zach trailed off while looking at Riolu as the pup continued to tremble. If a Pokemon wanted to be free then it was their right to be free, they were living creatures after all. Not every Pokemon desired a trainer that would care for them. Zach stared at the Master Ball for a moment before stomping on it, crushing the ball into bits. "Don't worry Riolu, once you're part of my team you'll never have to see the inside of a Pokeball again." Other than for a brief second as he did need him registered as an official member of his team.
Riolu flashed his friend a smile while continuing to tremble in place.
"I-I can't believe it..."
Ezekiel sat on the penthouse's couch, tossing one of the few remaining Master Balls up and down. He already contacted Tabitha and told him to put an end to production asap, thankfully nothing was produced yet so this was the only Master Ball within the entire region but he wasn't sure if he should destroy his invention. He thought highly of all his inventions, his favorite being the Rotom Phone! Sure Team Rocket invaded Silph Co while violently assaulting and even outright killing a few people in an attempt to steal the prototype stored there but Ezekiel loved his inventions as if they were his own children, finding it hard to put an end to them.
"Bye dad, I'm off to May's!" Ezekiel glanced towards his son as he made his way towards the door. Zach now wore a blue and black jacket stylized after a Riolu that Dawn designed for him as a birthday present.
"Zach, I need to ask for your opinion on a certain matter," Zach's eyes focused upon the Master Ball before glancing up to meet his father's gaze as frustration filled his voice.
"Destroy it, there's no fun in catching Pokemon if you know it's always going to succeed! I'm sure I'm not the only one that feels this way and although it sounds a bit judgmental, I honestly think that most the people that disagree on the matter don't have the best intentions... no offense! I-I know you love your inventions!" He nervously sweated before glancing towards the door. "I-If you excuse me, I promised to take May to see a movie."
"None taken, and enjoy it my boy! I'll destroy this asap I promise ya!" Ezekiel waved his son of with a bright smile. However despite his best efforts he couldn't destroy the Master Ball, each time he tried a different method he chickened out as he just couldn't see his invention get destroyed! "Dang nab it, why can't I do it?!" Ezekiel hid the Master Ball overnight before taking it into work the next morning.
"Oh Francis!"
"I-It's Tabitha!" Tabitha whined. "I told you two days ago!"
"Destroy this for me will ya, Tommy?"
"It-Nevermind..." Tabitha sighed out. The money was too good to fight it. The scientist snatched the Master Ball as Ezekiel chucked it.
"Try the basement's incinerator, I tried so myself but almost burned my hand prying it out!" Ezekiel exclaimed while showing off a lightly scorched hand.
"I-I see..." Tabitha sweated. He made his way downstairs and threw the lower offices as the elevator was out due to a power surge. As he made his way past an office booth, a foot suddenly stuck out causing him to trip!
"T-Tabitha!" A purple haired woman raced to her friend's aid while a blonde individual picked up the Master Ball as it rolled across the floor, the scientist adjusted his glasses and shot a quick glance towards the pair before dashing out!
"Ghetsis I got it, I got a Master Ball! Probably the last one in existence from my calculations!" The scientist eagerly exclaimed. "...Yes sir, I'll take the first boat back to Castelia, I'm eager to see you and young master N once more!"
"Ruff!"
"Rioooo!" Riolu gasped out as a brown canine raced into the penthouse.
"Whoa, how did you get in here? What are you anyways?" Zach questioned while tilting his head to the side as the canine raced up to him before resting it's paws up against his knees while excitedly barking out.
"Ruff ruff!" The canine panted.
"It's a Rockruff," Ezekiel explained as he walked into the apartment. "I caught it during my recent business trip to Alola, it's the descendant of a long gone Totem Pokemon but maintains some of it's energy which I'm hoping to harvest to power up a machine." Ezekiel's thoughts drifted towards the hi-tech space suit that he'd been planning on building for his son, although Ezekiel dreamed of inventing stuff his whole life the true reason he started the company was so he could gain access to the technology necessary to allow his son to safely breath and survive the harsh atmosphere of space!
"A machine? What does it do?" Zach questioned while stroking Rockruff behind the ears, the puppy panted out while thumping it's leg against the ground.
"Rufff!" It eagerly barked while wagging it's tail.
"It uh-" Ezekiel shifted his eyes around the apartment as he tried thinking something up. "It creates... oh would you look at the time, I forgot that I had an appointment with-Archie and Maxie!" Ezekiel hastily shot out and slammed the door shut behind him while uttering out a sigh of relief.
Zach and Riolu looked at each other before shrugging, figuring out they'd learn sooner or later.
Zach and Riolu let out a sigh as they sat in an empty manor. May's family went to Slateport City for the weekend so Ezekiel wasn't able to drop him off like he usually did whenever he went on a business trip and this one couldn't wait as something got loose within the Aether Foundation and destroyed some tech that he had a hand in building and given the fact that the foundation's owner was the one that gave him the plans for a highly pressurized spacesuit he didn't have much of a choice, especially as Lusamine was a large share holder now. Ezekiel hated locking Zach and Riolu up but he had to do it, Lusamine knew that he had a son and kept trying to arrange a marriage between Zach and her daughter in order to 'ensure she has the best possible life'. Lusamine meant well but Ezekiel had no intentions of forcing that upon Zach thus he kept him far away from Alola.
Zach sighed out while holding the side of his head with a bored expression as he laid across the seats of a couch. Riolu laid down next to him with a similar look. Zach drummed his fingers against the cushions of the couch before eventually sitting up. "You know, now would be a great time to find May a birthday present! I could find her something that you can't buy back home." Zach smiled while looking towards his partner Pokemon and best friend. "Wanna sneak out and go look for one? He should be gone most of the day so we'll get back long before he notices we're gone."
"Rio!" Riolu eagerly nodded. The two burst through the front doors and raced towards the manor's gate before giving it a push only for it to not budge, Riolu held out his palm and began to thrust out only for Zach to grab hold of him.
"Stop! If you do that then he'd know we got out..." Riolu nodded in understanding before looking upwards.
"Rio!" He pointed up.
"Huh? Oh we could probably climb that, let's try." Zach grabbed hold of the grated wall and slowly started to climb it, Riolu shot up like a blur before waiting on the other side for him. Zach climbed over the top and prepared to jump down only for him to notice that the right arm of his jacket got stuck on a spiked pole. "Oh nonono! Ahhh!" He screamed while falling to the ground after the arm of the jacket tore open, exposing his birthmark.
"Rio rio!" Riolu raced about with his paws outstretched as he prepared to catch his friend only to fail as he soon fell and faceplanted onto the sidewalk directly behind the jackal pup.
"Ow..."
"Rio..." Riolu sweated. His eyes shot a bright blue color as he swiftly looked his buddy over before uttering out a sigh of relief upon discovering that he was okay.
Zach groaned out as he slowly got up to his feet. "I'm okay Riolu, I just-Oh Arceus, she's going to kill me!" He exclaimed with a frightened expression, seeming far more concern over the jacket's state than the fall he'd just taken. Dawn handcrafted it for him and now the entire arm was destroyed beyond repair.
"Rio rio!" Riolu waved his paw as if to reassure him that it was okay however his attention soon diverted towards an approaching trio and Wobbuffet. "Rio.." Riolu's eyes shot blue as he got into a combat stance before soon lightening his stance upon seeing that they meant no harm.
"Hello there!" Jessie waved to get the boy's attention.
"Hello-Er, Alola!" Zach awkwardly waved back with his right arm. Meowth's keen eyes were quick to take notice of what appeared to be a tattoo of a green serpentine dragon that spiraled around Zach's arm with the tail tip stopping a few inches away from his hands. Meowth tilted his head as he tried identifying the Pokemon but he wasn't about to place it. "Sorry about that, I just... forgot my keys." He sweated.
"But you were coming out of your home?" James spoke with a questioning tone as Riolu facepalmed.
Zach began to sweat as his gaze nervously looked to the side. "My father locked me in, okay? I was sneaking out to buy a souvenir for a close friend of mine." He spoke with a certain tone while nervously rubbing his arm. "I sort of promised her that I'd bring something back for her."
"Sounds like you want to be more than just friends." Meowth commented with a sly smirk.
"Eh?" Zach formed a confused expression while Jessie and James turned to each other and shared a brief smirk as it reminded them of Ash and Chloe's friendship before they got together. "Of course she's more than just a friend, she's my best friend! Well one of them anyways."
"Rio!" Riolu facepalmed.
"Forget what I said." Meowth quickly waved it off with a shake of his paw before pointing towards the serpentine dragon. "So seeing how you're not afraid to be rebellious, I'm guessing you got a tattoo to impress a girl? What Dragon Pokemon is that if you don't mind me asking?"
"A tattoo? I'd never get one of those..." Zach frowned before realizing which arm was exposed. His eyes turned wide before he shyly made an attempt to block the dragon marking from view. "Oh that, that's a birthmark. I honestly have no idea what it's supposed to be but I actually did see it flying above me once." His tone suggested that he was telling the truth causing the trio to raise their eyebrows.
"That's an unusual birthmark." Jessie commented.
"Which is why I hide it, it brings too much attention..." Zach sweated while diverting his gaze from the trio. "Is there anything I can help you three with?"
"Well yes actually," Jessie spoke while fishing a picture of Salazzle from her pocket before showing it off to him. "This is a Salazzle, any idea where I can find one of those?"
Zach glanced towards the photo before sweating as he shook his head. "Sorry, this is my first time here so I wouldn't know... but that honestly looks like a Fire type, maybe it's in that volcano over there?" He pointed towards the distant horizon where a fairly large volcano could be seen causing the trio to sweat as they couldn't believe they hadn't noticed that earlier.
"Of course, if Salazzle's anywhere then it's bound ta be up there!" Meowth eagerly exclaimed.
"Wobbuffet!"
"...Hold up, did that Meowth just talk?" Zach asked, having calmed down enough to take notice of the talking Meowth. Jessie, James, Meowth and Wobbuffet all sweated before quickly bolting off.
"Well would you look at the time, we've got to get going. Thanks for the help!" They shouted out while disappearing over the horizon.
"Wobbuffet!"
"Rio..."
"What a weird bunch... well hopefully they find what they're looking for, though I doubt we'll find out as we'll likely never see them again." Zach laughed before heading in the opposite direction as he made his way towards the city. "I'm not sure what their accents were but they sure aren't from Hoenn or Sinnoh."
"Rio." Riolu couldn't help but smile as he nodded in agreement, the chances of them seeing the strange trio again was quite low.
The two headed into the nearby city and began looking around while drawing a bit of attention on account of his birthmark. "Hm, you think May would like a malasada?"
"Rio." Riolu shook his head.
"Ah good point, it'll likely go bad by the time we see her." Zach frowned while darting his attention between various vendor booths. "Let's see, which one would she like best?" Zach wasn't paying much attention to the road in front of him as he focused his attention on the vendor booths while thinking Riolu would warn him if he was about to run into somebody. However Riolu's attention was grabbed by a candy vendor, Riolu's eyes grew large as he eyed a chocolate bar.
"R-Rio!" He excitedly exclaimed.
"Hm? Oh you want chocolate?" Zach blinked upon spotting the candy booth. Riolu eagerly nodded in response. "Well okay but just one, we've got to-Oof!" Zach soon stumbled into the ground as he and another individual walked right into each other. Berries went flying everywhere and splattered against the ground as Zach and Riolu shook their heads as they recovered from the fall.
"Ugh..." The other individual groaned out before gasping out as she hopped to her feet before hastily apologizing to him. "I'm so sorry about that, we were out of ingredients so I was in a hurry and-"
"It's okay, I-" Zach froze in place as he took in the other individual's figure. She appeared to be the same age as him and had long green hair that was tied into a ponytail, her green eyes matched her hair color and her tanned skin tone made it evident that she was most likely a local girl. A red tint formed on Zach's cheeks as he nervously stuttered out. "You're beautiful-I mean you're not at fault! I wasn't looking where I was going either!"
"Eh?" The girl couldn't help but blush at his words and flustered attitude, nobody acted that way around her before so she found it flattering. "Well still, I was in a hurry while you were just walking along shopping. I'm so sorry, I-Oh Arceus, my dad's so going to kill me now! Collecting these berries again will take hours!" She groaned out.
"I can help if you want," Zach offered before turning dark red as he thought it sounded like he was trying to spend time with her. "Er-That is... if you're willing to help me out in return?"
The girl narrowed her eyes as she gave him a suspicious look upon. "Depends what you're asking."
"Well you see, I wanted to get my best friend a birthday present while I was here but I'm at a lost on what to get her! The food will go bad before then and I'd rather avoid getting her a trinket, they just look like tourist traps."
"They actually are," Mallow giggled out before looking thoughtful for a brief second. "I think I got the perfect gift in mind." She spoke before motioning with her arm as they helped each other to their feet. "I'm Mallow by the way!"
The three panned through the forest in search of the berries, Zach wasn't sure what some of them were but Mallow was able to describe them well enough allowing them to fill an entire basket's worth. "That's everything right?" Zach asked while shooting a quick glance towards the sky above, noticing that it was well past noon by now but he should still have a few hours before his father got back.
"Yes-Actually no, there's still one berry left to find." Mallow spoke while looking over the list. "It's-"
"Is it this one?" Zach asked while looking towards what appeared to be a giant magenta colored berry. "It looks deliciou-Oh Arceus!" Zach performed a startled leap as the berry stirred to life within his arms.
"Bounsweet?"
Mallow couldn't help but giggle out at his reaction. "That's actually a Bounsweet and no, you can't eat them!"
"A-Ah, well it sure is cute." Zach laughed. Riolu crossed his arms and gave the berry Pokemon a look.
"It sure is," Mallow looked thoughtful for a moment before looking at Bounsweet. "Hey Bounsweet, how would you like a job at my family's restaurant? You'd make a cute mascot!"
"Bounsweet!" The cherry Pokemon excitedly cried out.
Mallow giggled out before turning back towards Zach as she managed to find the last berry, which was behind him the whole time. "Alright well let's get back into town, hopefully they still got the gift in stock!"
"Happy birthday May!" Zach beamed while holding out a present to her. May quickly snatched it from his arms and began hastily unwrapping it before pausing upon spotting a light blue colored evolution stone.
"What's this?" She blinked with visible confusion as she looked back towards him.
"It's an Ice Stone, they're incredibly rare in the Alola region and practically nonexistent outside of it. I know that you don't have much of an interest in Pokemon but it looked pretty so I thought that you'd probably like it." Zach flustered while rubbing the back of his neck.
May rolled her eyes and gave off a playful smile. The pair were fifteen years old now and the day that they'd set off on an adventure was quickly closing in on them. With Riolu and Rockruff living at Zach's place she was starting to open up more to the possibility of owning a Pokemon of her own, especially if Zach was there to help her through it if she had a breakdown. She definitely had zero interest in obtaining a Ghost type though. "I-It's perfect!" May smiled, pulling her friend in for a hug before pausing in place as she felt something else inside. She grabbed hold of the item and pulled it out to reveal a red bandanna with a Pokeball shaped emblem on it.
"Heh, you said that headband made you look like a kid." Zach smirked lightly while May glanced up at her hair before giggling out as she remembered.
"Oh yes, it really does!" She'd changed her look since and now wore a short sleeved red jacket along with a pair of blue and white colored biker shorts with gloves to match. May quickly reached out and removed the headband, hastily chucking it aside before placing the bandanna atop her hair while gazing at Zach with a fond expression. "I love it, thank you so much!" May beamed while throwing her arms around him once more.
"You're welcome," Zach smiled while gently placing an arm around her. Riolu silently tapped his paw while shaking his head as he couldn't believe how oblivious his trainer was to May's affection, he really had to teach him how to read aura sooner or later.
"So tomorrow's the big day, huh?" Dawn beamed while speaking to Zach over the videophone. "You're finally turning sixteen!"
"Yep, I can't wait! May's already packed away her things, I still have a bit to pack though." He chuckled lightly while looking towards a set of Apricorn Pokeballs that his father had given him earlier that night as an early gift, knowing that he'd be leaving bright and early the following morning. He still had to unbox those along with finding the various other Pokeball variants he stored over the years.
Dawn giggled out before staring off with a longing expression. "It must be nice, I still have to wait four months."
Zach sweated. "I forgot, sorry about that."
"Oh don't worry about it," Dawn waved it off while offering him a warm smile. "It doesn't bother me one bit, I was even thinking about just waiting until the next Contest season to start my journey as I'd only have two or three months to gather up five ribbons and unlike badges they expire so I have to get them all at once and that's just not possible for a rookie." Dawn laughed.
"Well I should be done with Hoenn by that point," Zach spoke causing Dawn to smirk while giving off a quick nod.
"Exactly! We can travel together just like we always talked about when we were children! It'll be fun spending time with May too if she sticks around, course you have to cure her phobia."
"We'll see about that, I'm not going to force it upon her. I understand her fear completely, I mean I'm scared of heights for crying out loud!" Zach laughed.
"Rio.." Riolu now understood why his trainer never stepped foot onto the balcony.
"And I'm scared of clowns," Dawn laughed. "I was just messing around with you! And feel free to call me up if you need to replace your jacket again, I'll always be willing to knit you up a new one." Dawn winked while changing her tone of voice.
"Thanks, I sure appreciate that!"
"Rio!" Riolu facepalmed. She practically spelled it out for him and he failed to notice!
Dawn rolled her eyes while offering a playful smile, she'd make sure she got the point across the next time they saw each other in person. "Goodnight birthday boy and good luck on your journey!" She beamed while waving as she ended the call.
Zach and Riolu turned to each other as excitement flowed through them. "Come on Riolu, let's at least try and get some sleep before tomorrow!"
"Rio!" Riolu laughed before racing towards the bed. The pair couldn't wait to start their quest to become Pokemon champions!
Next time, the beginning of the adventure! This will be the only chapter with time skips, I wanted to set up the plot as best I could without saying too much. Hence why Archie/Maxie and Flannery aren't present for long, flashback scenes with them will appear further on just wanted to avoid making Flannery a case of 'Oh look, he actually had a secret friend this whole time!'. I always viewed Flannery as the same age as the Hoenn protagonists and I actually believe the theory that Kabu is her grandpa. Some things were deliberately left out of the prologue scene as I didn't want to give away too much of the prophecy
I don't make a point of explicitly stating it in the story other than a character bullying him over it but Zach has asperger's, I have it and I always thought it'd be cool for a character to have it without them pointing it out every five minutes and making a big deal over it. He just happens to have it and that's the end of it, the only character that makes a fuss is Johnny and he's a bully.
I also thought it'd be fun to make Archie/Maxie more acquainted with the hero, making it more personal when it comes to taking them down. There's also hints towards Sinnoh's plotline but that's all I'll say there. And yes, Archie/Maxie love each other.
This will most likely end in a MayxZachxDawn polyamory so if that sort of thing makes you uncomfortable, feel free to exit. He won't be in a relationship for awhile but I thought I'd warn you. The story comes first
I spent three full days writing this chapter and I'm worn out, I put more work into it than I've done with any other chapter. I just love Hoenn, it's where I first truly fell in love with Pokemon and home to my favorite remake. The Episode Delta story was awesome and I loved the addition of Zinnia and Lisia to the game, they were cool characters and the inclusion of Deoxys was awesome as I never did get to own one due to how events were handled in the gen 3 days. Rayquaza's also my favorite Legendary so I'm probably just being biased haha
Anyways I hope I caught your attention and if not, that's fine! I appreciate you reading this and hope that you enjoyed it! :)