From Purika City, the friends travelled south through Izabe Island – the island itself part of an archipelago that formed a kind of barrier on the way to Sootopolis.
They could have just gone directly to Sootopolis, but there wasn't enough of a rush to do that, and it gave time for Ash and May and their teams to develop before their respective final pre-League or pre-Grand-Festival challenges ahead.
Skitty picked up Magical Leaf with the help of Ash's Bulbasaur, who also took the opportunity to teach May's Bulbasaur – and both Koraidon and Miraidon – how to use Solarbeam.
"What about Solar Blade?" Koraidon asked, focusing the sunlight overhead as they walked. "Ash mentioned it."
"I don't actually know that one," Bulbasaur replied. "I do know Solarbeam, but not Solar Blade… but since they're very similar, I think the best way for you personally to learn Solar Blade is to start with Solarbeam and begin… fiddling around with it. Making it into something which works better for you."
"Oh, I get it!" Koraidon realized. "Okay. So for Solarbeam I focus the sunlight together and then sort of, um, breathe it out, while for Solar Blade I would focus it together and then let it out by punching something?"
"That would work, I think," Ash agreed. "Yeah, by doing that you're tying it in to a way that works well for you to attack things. And it's a blade move, but it could be blades on… your claws?"
He glanced at Absol, who was listening in. "Does that sound right?"
"It could work, but I'm not certain," Absol admitted. "I've got a giant blade on my head, see, so I don't really need to look into how to use slashing moves without a giant blade on my head."
"You could use them with the giant blade on your tail," Pikachu pointed out.
"Yeah, that would be an option too," Absol confirmed.
They turned a corner, and Absol pointed. "By the way, don't use that bridge or anything."
"Huh?" Ash asked, stopping. "Why not?"
"Why not what?" May said. "Is something wrong?"
"That bridge is a bit dangerous," Absol explained. "Which probably means it's really bad, if the consequences could be permanent."
"Huh," Ash frowned. "...hang on a moment, I know how I can test it."
He took his saddlebags off, and Absol shook his head.
"Nope, it's gone," the Dark-type said.
"Hmm," Pikachu frowned. "Assuming for the moment that you actually do have some kind of damage-sensing powers-"
"Of course I do," Absol grumbled. "They're just not properly configured for being directly associated with the Prince of the Universe."
"Don't call me that, it makes me feel awkward," Ash protested. "And, uh… here we go!"
His ring changed colour as he picked up the Feather badge.
"I'll walk out on the bridge, and if it collapses, then this will mean I'm okay!" Ash explained.
"I was actually thinking about that," Pikachu replied. "See, what I was wondering is, if Absol's disaster senses are picking up when there's something that can't easily be fixed, what if what he was picking up was not you falling in the water but your saddlebags falling in the water. So… your Pokédex, that kind of thing."
"That would do it, yes," Absol agreed immediately.
He tilted his head slightly, then looked over at a nearby rock. "You may as well come out."
Another Absol – a wild Absol – lifted their head up over the lip of the rock, followed by the rest of them.
"What are you?" she asked, staring at them.
"I'm the herald of Ash Ketchum!" Ash's Absol said. "Be not afraid, for he is here!"
"Hey!" someone shouted. "There's that Absol that's been causing all that trouble!"
Two armed men came hurrying up the path on the other side of the river.
"Causing trouble?" Ash repeated. "Like what?"
"This Absol's – okay what on earth are you?" the first man said, interrupting himself. "You've got another Absol with you? What's up with all the Absol showing up around here?"
"If you don't want Absol showing up, maybe pay attention to the warnings they're giving!" the wild one said. "How else am I supposed to get you to evacuate the area?"
Ash trotted forwards a bit. "It sounds like there's some kind of misunderstanding going on, but I can translate," he volunteered. "She's saying something about needing to evacuate the area!"
"That sounds bad," Miraidon said. "Is that bad?"
"Evacuate means to leave, because of something," Koraidon replied. "So probably…"
"Why would we need to evacuate?" the man asked. "It's that Absol who's been wrecking all the bridges! It's probably already wrecked that one!"
"It' s not me who's wrecking the bridges, it's something else, and it's all related to some kind of big disaster that's coming!" Absol replied, still perched on top of her rock.
"Okay, I think we need to think about this," Ash said, trotting forwards a bit further, but stopping before the bridge itself. "Why do you think Absol's doing it?"
"Because it turned up at the same time the disasters began!" the spokesman told them.
"You know, correlation isn't the same as causation," Brock said, stepping up next to Ash. "Are you sure there isn't a confounding variable?"
That just made them look blank. Ash, too, because the main thing he knew about confounding variables was that he was confounded by them.
"...what's one of those?" Latias said, as confused as everyone else.
"Latias asks what one of those is," Ash supplied, grateful for the reason to explain it.
"A confounding variable is when there's something invisible that's changing, and where you're seeing two things happen as the result of that," Brock told them. "So, if you notice that people who eat ice cream more also get sunburned more, you might think it's because the ice cream is causing the sunburn… but instead, it's because both happen when you're outside on a hot day."
Koraidon raised her paw uncertainly. "So… I make hot days, and… I should… eat ice cream?"
"What's ice cream?" Miraidon asked.
"I need to show you!" Koraidon decided. "There's a thing called an ice cream sandwich which isn't as good as a normal sandwich but it's still really nice…"
Fortunately for everyone in Ash's group, Ash was the one who tested the bridge, and after it had given way Koraidon was able to give everyone lifts over the collapsed bridge – one by one.
Fortunately for Koraidon and Miraidon, it turned out that there was a shop in nearby Riyado Town that had ice cream available.
Ash made sure to get a mixed bowl for Miraidon to taste, in case they had any preferences, then while they were having some proper ice cream the argument about Absol started up again.
Now they were mad about Ash's Abol being in town, and after trying to work out how to get started Ash did his best to defend his Pokémon.
"How many Absol do you think cause disasters?" he asked.
"...huh?" one of the villagers asked. (Or maybe they were townsfolk.) "What do you mean, how many Absol? One is enough to cause all sorts of trouble."
"That's not what I mean, though," Ash replied. "I mean that – do you think Absol all cause disasters deliberately? Or is it just a thing that happens around Absol?"
That led to a bit of grumbling.
"They must do it deliberately," another villager decided. "Even if it just happens around them, they're the ones who are bringing the disasters here and causing us trouble."
"So you don't know if it's something that just happens around them or something they have to try to do, and you don't care?" Max asked. "That's just one of those things where people get mad at Dark types for… for being Dark types!"
"Yeah!" one of the boys said, went pink as everyone turned to him, then shook his head.
"It's true!" he added. "That's why Gordon went to find one and show you-"
"Nicky, Gordon's probably had a disaster happen to him by now," one of the townsfolk said. "That's what happens when an Absol gets involved!"
"Is there anyone you'd listen to about this?" Ash asked. "Who told you this, anyway?"
There was a bit of muttering.
"It stands to reason, doesn't it?" a villager asked. "'s why they're Disaster Pokémon."
"Brock's Torkoal is a Coal Pokémon," Ash replied. "And he doesn't make coal. I don't think he uses it or eats it either."
"Actually, does he have anything helpful to say in this situation?" Latias asked.
Torkoal came out of his Pokéball.
"Hmm," he said, sitting down, and puffed out some smoke.
Everyone crowded around expectantly.
"If the canyon fills with water, it is not a canyon for long," he said.
"If the canyon fills with water, it is not a canyon for long," Ash repeated. "...I don't get it."
"I don't either," Brock replied. "Canyons do usually form from small rivers working for a long period of time, not a big river working quickly, but I don't see why-"
"Hold on a minute," Nicky said. "Everyone, stop!"
He pointed. "I know I'm young, but when was the last time the river was as full as it's been the last six months?"
"Well, that must have been…" someone began. "There was that one time, twenty years ago, it rained for a week and the river got clogged downstream."
"But it's been that high for six months," Nicky said. "And the water's way faster than it was before. I remember playing in that river, that's not safe now."
"And I know what Pokémon makes loads of water," Ash contributed. "Rain, anyway. That's Kyogre, she's a Legendary Pokémon… it's not Absol, they're not even Water type."
He frowned. "Actually, where did that wild Absol go?"
"I can go look," Latias volunteered.
"I just realized," Bulbasaur admitted. "After spending months back at the ranch, whenever I go back to this it's a real reminder of just how often you get into these situations, Ash…"
Latias found Absol quickly, and led the group to a place near the middle of Absol's territory.
"I've lived here for years," she said, as Ash translated. "But about… six, seven months ago, I started to feel signs of a disaster. I'm not sure what the big one is, but it's going to be around here… and I've tried to warn people, but nobody listens!"
"Lived here for years?" someone asked. "How come we never saw you before?"
"I didn't want to scare anyone!" Absol replied. "But there was that one boy with a Heracross, he saved me-"
"You mean Gordon!" Nicky gasped.
"If you say so," Absol said. "I did not get his name."
Ash translated that, then translated the next bit as well as Absol went stiff. "It's getting stronger. I think we're close to the big one happening."
"Hmm," Brock frowned. "Absol, have there been any earthquakes recently?"
"Why are you asking the Absol?" someone asked. "Yeah, there's been earthquakes!"
"And you didn't think that was relevant?" Max demanded.
"Everyone out of the flat land, now!" Brock ordered firmly. "Something's up with the local spring!"
Fortunately for Brock's reputation, and especially fortunately for Absol's reputation, the point at which the spring finally broke free happened in the next few minutes.
Then Brock's Steelix plunged into the canyon and acted as a dam, diverting the water away from Riyado Town itself, and by the time the floodwaters had subsided Gordon had turned up again.
And the local Absol had said that she was quite interested in staying local, but also interested in having a trainer if they were going to stick around Ridayo Town.
"Well, that worked out nicely," Ash's Absol said, glancing up at Pikachu. "Told you."
"I've got to admit," Pikachu agreed. "After that, I agree that Absol can indeed predict the future."
He flicked his ears. "Not necessarily you specifically, mind. Just… some Absol..."
AN:
It's a tough job, being a herald.