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''What was that?!''

May's heart was still in her throat, they'd somehow stumbled across something...she wasn't actually sure what but it seemed to cause some kind of shockwave. It happened so fast. One minute they were walking, next Brock was pulling her away before they jumped off a ledge. It felt like her ears had just stopped ringing.

Pikachu's sudden cry brought their attention to a group of grass types on the area they had just left. May's eyes were wide ''Did they just attack us?''

Ash and Brock kept a wary gaze on the group but they seemed to be leaving. Both heard Max let out a frustrated noise, turning as Wally asked what was wrong.

''The Nav isn't working! I thought something went wrong back there but the map isn't working at all!''

May blanched ''So we're lost?!''

''Maybe we can try to get back to our path...?'' He offered.

''...That's not going to work.'' The siblings were confused before following Ash's line of sight, finding that their former path was apparently blocked by a number of translucent walls.

''Those look like Reflect or Light Screen walls...'' Brock hadn't heard of the moves working to such an effect, it was as if they corralled a large part of the forest.

''They go away after some time. We could wait or try to get rid of them.'' Max offered.

''That might be why they're so stacked, though.'' Wally pointed out. ''Besides, trying to pull off attacks could just cause trouble...especially if we were right about the Pokémon being aggressive. We don't need to bring more trouble on our heads. The best way to deal with this is if one of our Pokémon could use Brick Break, right?''

Brock nodded-trouble was, none of them knew the move. Ash had mentioned wanting to teach Machop new moves and that one had been among the list but no luck so far. ''Whatever's going on here, I think we're just going to have to find our way out of here.''


That quickly proved to be far easier than done, however.

That first trap was the tip of iceberg. Not only were the few Pokémon they encountered hostile, they also had to deal with a number of well-hidden traps here and there. One had almost cut Pikachu's tail right off were it not for his and Ash's reflexes. That close call made them change their path, almost immediately running into a number of Pokémon, mostly grass types, who seemed to be fighting amongst themselves.

Pikachu's ears twitched up as he heard a distant noise, the source turned out to be a Bulbasaur stuck in the middle of two big rocks.

''How'd it wind up there?'' Ash wondered idly.

May gave him an annoyed look ''Who cares about that now? We've got to do something!'' She tried to pull the Pokémon out, faltering as she realized she was hurting the grass type more ''Sorry, sorry-hold on...''

The sound of a poke ball opening made her jump, bringing her attention to Kirlia. With a wave of his hand, Kirlia brought Bulbasaur over to safety. ''...psychic powers sure are handy. Thanks!''

Kirlia nodded with a smile, both glancing at Bulbasaur as it shrunk back. May wanted to reassure it but the emotion Pokémon seemed to be already on the case. Whatever he said, his calming tone seemed to do the trick.

''You're practically the only wild Pokémon who hasn't attacked us on the spot today, thanks for that. Is everyone here always so aggressive?'' Max had to ask.

Bulbasaur nodded after a moment, gesturing to the humans in the group with a vine. They assumed that to mean that the Pokémon here really didn't like humans, not that it was the first time they dealt with such a situation...

''Any chance you know a way out, Bulbasaur? We're actually trying to leave.'' Ash explained.

The grass and poison type frowned in thought before shaking its head.

Suddenly, they heard several loud bangs as a small figure leaped in the air behind them. It was a Sunflora, using Razor Leaf as it descended. A number of attacks were flying about almost everywhere and they didn't miss Bulbasaur recoiling in fear but showing no surprise.

It seemed to be a group of pokemon fighting against each other. A number of attacks flying in the air, a stray one almost hit the group but Pikachu destroyed it with a Thunderbolt. This also brought their attention to the newcomers.

A bunch of the Pokémon seemed to grow even angrier at this, swiftly changing gears to attacking them next. Max recoiled, his friends just as baffled. What was even happening now?

But the attacks went off and they had no time to think. Kirlia swiftly repelled the closest ones with Psychic before he picked up Bulbasaur and the group ran, hearing the explosions behind them. Before they quite knew it, the little seed Pokémon was snatched by Sunflora's vines as the Pokémon in question set it nearby.

Pikachu and Kirlia were all set to help but then noticed the two talking to each other, Bulbasaur apparently knowing Sunflora quite well. Sunflora cast them another suspicious look as Bulbasaur stood in front of her, they realized that the young Pokémon was trying to defend them. But it did little good as Sunflora only shook its head and began leading Bulbasaur away.

Deciding that discretion was the better part of valor, the group left as well. Had they stayed a little longer, they might have paid closer attention to the Pokémon that had yet to make a move. Perhaps they might have noticed the malice in their eyes as they approached the unconscious Pokémon on the scene...


It only got worse from there. Whatever few Pokémon they encountered that hadn't immediately run were every bit as hostile. They continued having to fend for themselves from them and the traps, and the continuous ordeal was so frustrating that May couldn't hold back anymore.

''I thought that valley where we met Torkoal and Tropius was bad enough. What's with the Pokémon here?'' Bulbasaur was the only Pokémon who was anywhere near reasonable they'd seen today. Needles to say, this was a rather frustrating day.

''...I'm not sure it's really the Pokémon who were behind this.''

Brock nodded at Wally as their curious friends looked on ''You too, huh? Yeah, those traps are a little too organized considering this situation. There's hardly been any sign of them for a while too.''

''Mm, they would've done something before. Plus it looked more a lot of them like are getting away from here.'' The green haired boy added.

''So what do you think...?''

''Hey!'' The sudden cry nearly made Max jump, a man walking out of the bushes. ''What're you all doing here? We set up blockades to make sure no gets in.''

''Blockades...?'' Ash remembered the strange walls, which meant Wally and Brock's suspicions had been accurate.

Shaking the thought, the boy quickly explained what happened. The man nodded after a moment ''I see...''

Recognizing his uniform prompted Max to speak up ''You're a Pokémon Ranger, aren't you? What's going on?''

''This place is called the Forbidden Forest, it's well known around here for having many grass types. We're after a group of Pokémon hunters who are planning to steal them. My team's already clarified that they are here so we've decided to box them in. Looks like you all had the bad luck to stumble across one of their traps.''

''So what do we do?''

''Well, one thing's for sure...'' Ash spoke up after a few moments. ''...I don't want to let those crooks get away with this.''

''I'm all for that.'' Max huffed at the older boy's surprise ''What? Just because I got on your case for rushing into danger like a reckless idiot doesn't mean I want to let awful people like that get away with. More importantly, we're involved anyway and I don't think we can leave easily even if we want to.''

Jackson's attempt at a protest was halted at that ''What do you mean?''

Wally recounted how their attempts to leave took them through a number of directions, many of which had revealed more traps and nasty surprises in store. The ranger's expression was troubled ''I thought we'd gotten that under control...we underestimated them...'' He looked back at them ''...but I can't just let you drag yourselves into this...''

''I think called Max it, we're involved anyway.'' May cut in. ''Besides, it'd help if you had more eyes and ears onboard. We probably can't leave even if we want to, considering that the forest's under supervision from both rangers and hunters. I'm actually surprised we haven't seen any of them yet but either way, if you're looking at it that way, isn't it safer if we stick with you?''

''She's right. None of us like the idea of them getting away with this, so why not help now?'' Wally added.

Jackson sighed after a few moments ''...All right, you got me. We have to stick together, you all be very careful and follow my lead.''

''Right!''


It wasn't long before they ran into trouble, this time coming in the form of a number of wild Pokémon. Snarls and growls escaped them as they advanced on the group, already bracing themselves for battle. Jackson made a point of warning them that given the situation, the Pokémon were naturally on edge. They were more than likely to assume that any stranger, human or Pokémon was an enemy.

The next few seconds proved him right, as a Weepinbell unleashed a Sludge Bomb which Pikachu sliced in half via Iron Tail. The mouse's cheeks sparked with the two Pokémon glaring at each other.

''Wait!''

Taken aback, he looked at Ash ''We don't have to fight!''

''Ash, what're you doing?'' Max demanded.

''We shouldn't hurt them, none of this is their fault!'' To the Pokémon, he added ''We don't want any trouble, just please let us through!''

''It's no good.'' Jackson's sharp look quelled Ash's oncoming protest. ''I told you, they've had little to no contact with humans nearly all their lives. So far as they're concerned, trained Pokémon are just a step above that. Bear in mind that the hunters might actually be some of the first humans some of them have ever encountered. Exactly how do you think you can change their minds now?''

''W-well, I...'' Ash hated that he didn't have an answer. It made a lot of sense; the Pokémon clearly had it ingrained in them not to trust outsiders. Fixing such a thing was never going to be easy. But still...

Brock's next actions put his rapid thoughts at a screeching halt. In seconds, Misdreavus was flying before them, using Protect to shield them from the Pokémon as they attacked. Brock quickly had her use Flash to blind their adversaries, turning to the rest ''Come on!''

Once they stopped, Max wasted no time in rounding on Ash ''What was that? We promised to listen to Jackson and the first thing you do is go off doing whatever you want again!''

''I d-didn't want...'' The older boy knew he'd messed up by the look on his friend's face and Max quickly proved him right.

''It's not about what you want! We have to...''

''All right, all right...'' Jackson inserted himself between the two ''...let's not fight. I think he got the point. No one likes this, we just have to deal with the hand we're dealt. Remember the real trouble is still up ahead.''

''So you've been even deeper in here?'' May clarified.

''Yeah, we've had to comb the entire forest to track the hunters down. We've only found a few of them but that's how we know what's going on, besides, here.'' He gestured at the ground and they were startled to see the multitude of footprints, both human and Pokémon. It looked like the source was in quite a hurry. ''They're still fresh, I noticed that the further we go in, the more of those we find. The hunters are more than likely closing in on the sanctuary too.''

The girl blanched ''Then let's hurry!''


Jackson's theory proved to be on point as they kept running into more hostiles. This time, they came face to face with a group of Parasect. Knowing what he did of the Pokémon, Brock was about to warn everyone to keep going. But the Parasect were faster, unleashing a multitude of spore attacks.

Faltering, Ash didn't have much time to think of what to do as a poke ball was tossed in the air, revealing none other than Tropius. The startled boy looked at Wally, whose attention was on the fruit Pokémon.

''Blow the spores back!''

Tropius quickly did so, the Pokémon reeled back but the powder was already taking effect, leaving them with status problems. The ones who were had already been knocked out.

Wally bit his lip; Ash wasn't the only one who didn't like this-he was just the most vocal about it. While the phrasing could've been better, Max wasn't wrong. This wasn't about what they wanted to do, but what they had to do. If something wasn't done, the hunters could destroy those Pokémon's home. And that couldn't be allowed to happen. Thus, pushing the last of his reserves aside, Wally dug around in his bag for a few berries, leaving them for the Pokémon before the group headed on.

Tropius let out a grunt, curious. Her expression turned into one of understanding once her trainer brought her up to speed ''We'd really rather avoid a fight if we can help it. As far as they're concerned, they're just defending their home. So we'll just focus on defending ourselves, okay?'' Nodding, the fruit Pokémon nudged him and he found himself returning her smile with one of his own.

Smiling, May didn't miss Ash watching the two with a thoughtful look. She hoped he saw it too. He wasn't the only one bothered about fighting the Pokémon; it was just something they had to do. May just hoped they could learn that not all outsiders were as rotten as those hunters. If their actions today could help drive that point home, that would be more than enough for her.

''Whoa...!''

Max could only stare in awe at the sight before their eyes.

It was a group of Scyther, Pokémon he'd only seen in books or TV. He'd never thought he'd see any wild ones in Hoenn. But here they were-and the first thing he noted was that their apparent leader's attention was on Jackson. ''Is one of them yours?''

''No, we actually met them right around the time we arrived. I made a deal with them. They're a swarm migrating back to Kanto; it looks like they ran into the hunters first because one of my teammates saw a Scyther in one of the cages. They're trying to save their friend but I'm afraid they're dealing with the same problem with the locals.''

''Makes sense, I guess even other wild Pokémon aren't exception to the rule.'' Brock mused. ''They can get by faster than us though, does this mean they found something?''

One of the Scyther nodded in response, gesturing to their far left, a path mostly obscured by the thick bushes.

''Then let's go!''


They arrived at the innermost part of the forest to discover it was in complete pandemonium. Attacks were flying left and right, destroying whatever they hit. A number of Pokémon were corralling, the numerous grass types which had fathered there. But the real centre of the battle seemed to be the area up ahead; they could see a huge Venasaur trying to attack a Pokémon as it used Dig.

Now the group had always known Pokémon hunters were terrible people. But knowing that was one thing and witnessing this, the sight of them laughing as they hurt the Pokémon, throwing them in cages and treating them like they were nothing...it was sickening to say the least.

Ash was seething, how dare they?! This was just the kind of disgusting behaviour that made the forest Pokémon hate strangers. And could anyone really blame them? The fact that the hunters were probably the first humans some of them only left him angrier, they couldn't get away with this!

The boy was snapped out of his thoughts when he saw Tropius tackling an Ekans away from a few little grass types. Shaking himself, he grabbed a poke ball as Pikachu's cheeks sparked, the mouse growling quietly.

Wally and Tropius' intervention proved to be what Jackson needed to get to another Pokémon who had gotten caught up in the onslaught.

''Capture on!'' The glowing capture style flew around a startled Swellow, circling it a few times before the process was complete. Swellow gave Jackson his full attention ''We need your help, please get those Oddish away. Those trees look like they're going to fall any minute!''

Nodding, Swellow flew over at once, the frightened Pokémon eventually climbing on its back. Jackson was trying to get a scope of the area and see how the group fared when a sudden cry caught his attention.

The source turned out to be May, who was wincing on the ground. Groaning, the girl looked up to find what exactly had hit her. ''...Oh, it's you!''

Bulbasaur appeared equally taken aback to see her. It took the brunette a moment to realize that the poor thing must have been fleeing in all this chaos. Her expression grew determined as she set the little Pokémon down next to her ''It's okay, I've got you. Beautifly, let's go!''

A hunter scowled as he watched her take down one of their Pokémon. ''I thought the rangers were bad enough, now there's even more wannabe heroes?''

''Whatever, let's take 'em down!'' Another cried both hurling poke balls in tandem. A Numel and a Fearow appeared, charging at Beautifly.

The Fearow was immediately met with a Thunderbolt before Numel was slammed by a Crab hammer, sending right into its trainer. Pikachu and Corphish landed in front of the relieved Beautifly, smiling at her grateful cry.

May let out a breath, but there was no time to relax. The reason being a Grimer charging at her brother, making her take action ''Tackle and then Stun Spore now!''

''Thanks, Sis!'' Max beamed, remaining behind her and Ash as he rejoined them.

''Nice try, you creeps! Go near my brother again and you won't get off anywhere that easy!'' She snarled.

One of the hunters clicked their tongue ''Don't get cocky, brat. You're going to regret interfering!''


Wally and Brock had gotten separated in the midst of the battle, discovering a few rangers who were nearly cornered by their adversaries. A combination of Kirlia's Psychic and Misdreavus' Psybeam put paid to that attempt.

''More wannabe heroes?!''

''Who are you?'' One of the rangers asked.

''We just happened to wind up here when all this started, we're here to help you guys stop them.'' Brock explained quickly ''Lombre, Nature Power!''

The Pokémon hopped in front of them, the move creating an Energy ball which blasted an enemy away. A Victreebel leaped towards them a second later, only for Manectric to leap in and slam it down with Fire Fang.

''Nice one, guys. All right, use Shadow Ball!''

''Manectric, Discharge!''

Jackson allowed himself a small smile. He'd chalked their encounter up as bad luck for the group but he counted himself fortunate now. They were certainly skilled; the hunters' numbers exceeded his expectations, the more hands on deck, the better. Swiftly directing Swellow to fend off another assailant, he went to tend to one of his downed teammates.

Wally had an idea ''Brock, Misdreavus knows Confuse Ray, right?'' The older boy confirmed, curious. ''Here's something we can do...''

Seconds later, as Misdreavus flew out front, the hunters' Pokémon attacked on command. They realized their mistake too late as the ghost type unleashed the burst of Confuse Ray, leaving them dazed. Whatever attacks they had prepared wound up hitting either themselves or their teammates. The boys capitalized on this having their Pokémon unleash a combination of Psychic and Psybeam, fusing both moves to make them much more powerful.

''All right!'' Brock smiled, their trick left over half their adversaries knocked out.

''Don't even think you've won!'' A hunter barked ''Magcargo, Flamethrower on the brats!''

''Psybeam into Psychic this time, Kirlia, just like we practiced!'' Wally shot back at once.

Both attacks combined once more, but unlike the explosive concentrated blast, this one turned out to a widespread wave of psychic energy, sending the Magcargo flying. Brock defeated it with Misdreavus' Power Gem.

''See, we're doing pretty good, right?''

An amazed Bulbasaur looked up at May, who winked ''You just leave this to us. Those jerks won't bother you all again.''

Bulbasaur began to smile as she nodded, drawing closer to the girl. The battle had been bad but their arrival was definitely turning things around. They could win this!


The swarm of Scyther's concern was to their missing friend, first and foremost. But they also wanted to help the Pokémon here and stop those rotten humans. Unlike the denizens of the Forbidden forest, they knew very well that humans were both good and bad, just like Pokémon. Which was why they didn't mind helping the rangers, cooperation would've been good for both sides after all.

And it was just as well, for it was two of the rangers who discovered the cage holding their friend, hidden away in a large truck with a number of others. The captured Scyther was battered, a number of wounds visible on its frame, leaving its friends seething.

The hunter left guarding the truck was lanky but on the wimpy side, flinching as he came face to face with the furious Pokémon. ''B-back off! They're ours, all ours!'' His fear was real as one of the Scyther advanced ''Fine, we'll get you pests too! All you Pokémon are good for is getting us profit!''

He punctuated the statement by releasing two Houndour and ordering them to attack. The Scyther swiftly dodged the oncoming fiery attacks; a couple of the nearby enemies seized the chance to attack them as well. This left them on the defensive, their only offensive being that one of the swarm knew Hidden Power. The normal turned ice type move gave them a temporary respite as ice collided with the flames, the Scythers quickly using the resulting steam to strike a few unsuspecting targets.

An enemy Fearow dissipated the steam with a few flaps of its wings, immediately diving at the swarm's leader. It came too fast for the Scyther to react, sending it into a tree. The Pokémon was about to continue its relentless charge when a wicked Thunderbolt struck it down.

This brought their attention to Ash and Pikachu as they joined the fray, the first immediately turning towards the Pokémon. ''Those guys are rotten as they come but you're fine helping them do this-how could you?!''

But the Pokémon clearly couldn't care less, a few even sneering at the Kanto trainer. Angered, Ash was about to press further when one of the Scyther caught his gaze and shook its head. This was a waste of time. Those Pokémon were just as lowly as their trainers, of course they wouldn't care.

''...Fine, let's take them down. They're not getting away with this!''

Scyther nodded, stepping in front of him, blades at the ready as Pikachu jumped down.

''You pests aren't getting in our way ever again!'' The hunter leader pushed his sleeve down, revealing a Keystone strapped to his wristband.

''Wait, but that's-!''

''Steelix, Mega Evolve!''

In a flash of light, the already huge Pokémon was now towering over everyone. Its trainer smirked wickedly ''Dragon breath!''

Most of the Pokémon were quick to get out of the way; Kirlia was one of the few exceptions due to his fairy typing. As such, the attack simply brushed over him as he helped others get away. But this left him vulnerable to a sneak attack from a Muk who had used the Dragon Breath as a cover to sneak up on the emotion Pokémon and unleash a burst of Sludge. The startled Kirlia had no time to react, crashing near his trainer and friends.

''Kirlia...!'' Wally was quick to find some healing items for his starter, the Muk choosing to continue attacking then. Tropius and Manectric intervened; the latter's Discharge stunning it before the oncoming Dragon Hammer sent it into a tree. ''...thanks...'' The four focused their attention on the enemy, a few of the remaining Pokémon opting to join Muk.

The forest's Pokémon continued to watch, mystified. They'd grown to expect the worst of humans, some of them had even attacked this group. And yet here they were, fighting the hunters out for their sakes. Kirlia had saved a good number of their youngest members before Muk attacked. The Pokémon rangers were all focused on their safety first and foremost. May's protectiveness over Bulbasaur was undeniable. An enemy tried to overwhelm the girl's Torchic with a wave of Pin Missile but a confident May had Torchic replicate their combination from Rustboro, the widespread flames destroying the barrage. The attacking Pineco was then defeated by a point-blank Flame Burst.

Ash and Jackson were leading the battle against Mega Steelix, Corphish's Bubblebeam blasting one of its eyes. The iron snake's attempted at retaliation was quickly halted by Swellow's Heat Wave, Machop following up with a double Karate Chop.

The hunter leader grit his teeth ''All right, use Sandstorm!''

Swirling wind and sand nearly threw Corphish into the air, only for Machop to grab and pull both him and Swellow down. Steelix unleashed an Iron Tail that blew them back, making to continue attacking on command. But then Pikachu unleashed a Thunderbolt, which as the mouse expected did nothing but it was enough of a distraction for the three of them to recover.

''Nice one, buddy.'' Pikachu smiled at his trainer's praise.

Mega Steelix's oncoming Stone Edge tore a good chunk of the area around it, making a surprised Ash recoil ''How'd it get this strong all of a sudden?''

Max had chosen to learn about Mega Pokémon since meeting Shelby so he had a good guess ''I think I read that Mega Steelix's ability gives its steel, rock and ground types a power boost.''

This was quickly proven accurate; Swellow blasted Mega Steelix with another Heat Wave, leading its trainer to call for a Stomping Tantrum. Jackson grimaced as Swellow was sent crashing into a tree, collapsing. The other combatants were struggling to keep their balance with the area shaking around them as the iron snake swung its tail, throwing many of them back.

''What do we do-? It's so strong!'' Max managed, wide-eyed.

''It is but I think we can use that.'' Jackson's eyes never left the enemies. ''The terrain's actually bad for them and I think they realized that. If they use any wide spread attacks, they'll be caught up in them. Even the Mega Evolution limits its mobility further, it doesn't look like they care if their allies get hurt but I won't say the same for their captives.''

It made sense; they'd just realized that while the hunters had sent out their Pokémon to help their leader most of them had opted to steer clear of Mega Steelix's general range. They'd likely expected this right from the start.

Meanwhile, Wally, Brock and the rest facing the other enemies found themselves in a similarly complicated situation. Muk was strong but sneaky, opting to target those weakest to him first, which included Kirlia and a number of the grass types. This included the ones who were too weak to battle, trapping them so they couldn't escape.

Brock scowled as Muk evaded another attack, a Houndour tackling a Gloom away ''They know we want to protect the Pokémon and they're taking advantage of that...'' He didn't miss the shadow sneaking behind his Pokémon. ''...Misdreavus, go intangible! Mudkip, Water Gun right on Misdreavus' spot!''

His timely reaction saved both Pokémon from another stealthy blow but Muk escaped before the Water Gun hit. Brock had heard of Pokémon skilled and smart enough to battle without their trainers' orders, but this was the first time he'd witnessed it. It truly did complicate things as they really had no idea what to expect. Muk seemed to be relying on poison wearing its opponents down in battles of attrition, and it was working...

The onslaught continued, the forest sustaining a decent amount of damage and Wally knew they had to do something fast. At this rate, the Pokémon won't even have a home anymore. Lowering his voice, he looked at Kirlia ''Remember your idea from the day we met Petilil? I think it's just what we need now...''

Kirlia's expression lit up when his trainer finished, likewise Manectric smirked and Tropius' smile was confident. ''You know what to do, ready?''

Nodding, the three charged at Muk from different angles. It melted into the ground using Acid Armor to avoid Tropius' Gust, unprepared to find that Manectric had tracked its scent down, allowing him to strike back with Fire Fang to halt the oncoming counter. This also brought Muk's attention to Kirlia and it immediately attacked the psychic and fairy type with Sludge Bomb. Kirlia flew up at once, Muk waited for him to land before unleashing another blow only to be dismayed when it was dodged in a similar manner.

Muk was completely oblivious to Manectric and Tropius helping the frightened Pokémon and breaking some of the cages nearby. They were quickly joined by Brock and his team, with Misdreavus helping Kirlia keep up the distraction.

The freed captives were more than willing to join the fight, their numbers divided between cornering the hunters and swarming Muk. The poison type could only look in shock for a few moments, weariness getting the better of it. It unleashed a wide spread Sludge Bomb and then...

''Now!''

The poison attack was frozen in mid-air by Psychic. Kirlia thrust his arm down and the bomb was sent right back to sender. It didn't do much damage, simply pelting the startled Pokémon only for Kirlia to send it into the air with Psybeam, boosting it with Psychic for a more forceful blow that served to knock it out.

Heartened by his friends' success, Ash allowed himself a grin. Mega Steelix was certainly powerful but as Jackson concluded, it was limited. Not to mention they were wearing it down.

The hunters seemed to be catching on as well for they had doubled up on their offense. Once they found their Pokémon losing, they'd escalated to attacking the trainers as well. Jackson had handled that with little trouble, likely due to experience. Scyther had readily joined in as well, saving Ash from a couple of close calls.

Mega Steelix unleashed another wave of Dragon breath, Scyther leaped up at once, unleashing a multitude of Hidden Power. The spheres exploded on contact, creating a smokescreen. Mega Steelix and its trainer struggled to look around in the thick cloud; they were completely unaware of Machop charging behind them. The hunter leader cursed loudly as the superpower Pokémon tossed him into a tree. But then Mega Steelix came charging, using Bite. Machop could only hold the iron snake's mouth open, Ash reacting at once.

''Scyther, can you use Air Slash on its eyes?''

Giving an affirmative, Scyther flew again, unleashing two blades of wind that nailed the mark. Mega Steelix recoiled, its trainer pulling himself up, barking orders in his growing fury. Machop was able to use this opportunity to break free, striking his adversary in retaliation before rejoining Ash on the ground. Any of the nearby Pokémon who could still fight unleashed the attacks they were able to muster. Their target roared in fury and pain, making to unleash another attack but Jackson got a Gloom to use Stun Spore to stop it.

''All right then, Corphish, full power Bubble beam. Machop, Karate Chop!'' Ash cried.

The two struck in tandem, knocking Mega Steelix back and it crumpled into a heap, its evolution fading at last. Cursing, its trainer was about to retreat but then...

''You're not going anywhere.''

That was all the warning he had before Jackson hit the back of his neck and everything went black.


A team of the rangers arrested all the hunters before long, assuring Jackson that they would ensure the criminals face justice. The rest were to keep an eye on things in the area and help the Pokémon.

''Oh, that'd be great!'' Relieved, May moved on to another issue ''But...what about the hunters' Pokémon?''

''We'll be rehabilitating them,'' was the ready response ''It's not the first time we've dealt with such a situation. Our end goal is to ensure all the Pokémons' safety.''

The quartet exchanged smiles at the news. Already, they had all the forest Pokémon healed. May felt her smile widening at the sight of Bulbasaur skipping around Venasaur, the little seed Pokémon was clearly close to her evolved form.

''Oh, hey-what's up?''

Both looked over as they heard Ash, finding one of the Scyther approaching. The mantis Pokémon pointed an arm at the boy and Pikachu, a challenging glint in her gaze.

Recognizing the expression made Ash grin ''You want a battle, huh? All right, let's go!''

''I thought we had enough battling for one day.'' May sighed.

''I mean, it's Ash-'' Brock shrugged, amused as Machop stepped up to the plate ''-besides, as I understand, Scyther appreciate strength. It probably just wants to experience Ash's strength first hand.''

Scyther let out a battle cry as it charged, unleashing an Air Slash. Machop jumped back to dodge but Scyther fired more blades, Ash called ''Bat them away with Dual Chop!''

Machop's arms gained a vivid blue glow and he swatted the Air Slash blasts away, Ash had him carry on with Strength. Scyther barely managed to dodge in time but they were ready for that ''Seismic Toss!''

Grabbing his opponent's wing, the Superpower pokemon sent the bug and flying type into the air. As Scyther tried to regain its balance, Ash made his next call ''Rock Tomb!''

Machop raised an arm and three large rocks appeared, falling towards Scyther. The mantis Pokémon managed to avoid but the third clipped its side. Scyther had just barely managed to avoid crashing down by launching into Agility. But then it surprised Ash by spinning around and seemingly disappearing, striking Machop from behind.

''What was that?''

''Aerial Ace, it's a move that zeroes in on the target.'' Max provided.

Impressed, the Kanto trainer focused his attention back on Scyther. The mantis was already flying back up, apparently preparing for another Aerial Ace. Machop wasn't fast enough to dodge that but...it didn't mean they were stuck.

Machop bit back a pained cry as the next Aerial Ace sent him reeling, which was when Ash made his move ''Use Payback!''

Smirking, Machop gladly did so, unleashing a devastating punch that sent Scyther towards a large boulder. Both sides were getting clearly worn out now and Ash felt Machop had fought enough today, he wouldn't drag this out any longer. Scyther was too tired as it was suddenly running at Machop, using Agility once more.

''Slow it down with Rock Tomb and then Strength!''

Scyther had no way of predicting where the rocks would land, which was exactly what they wanted. The mantis was soon trapped between the boulders, Machop following up fast and Scyther fell to a knee.

Grinning, Ash looked at Machop, who gave him a thumbs up ''Yeah, that's that. Great job.''

Scyther stood after a few moments, respect clear in its gaze. Nodding at Ash, the mantis pointed at his poke balls ''You want to come with me? Awesome!''

Turning back to the swarm, Scyther began addressing its friends. A few of them seemed saddened by the upcoming departure but they nodded and a few voiced their support. Ash and Pikachu smiling at them ''It's okay, I promise Scyther's going to be in good hands!''

The swarm leader inclined his head in return and Scyther approached him. Ash tossed a poke ball and Scyther leaped up to tap it. It only shook a couple of times before they heard the chime that announced a successful capture.

The Pokémon were startled when it disappeared, leading Max to assure them it was fine. Ash had six Pokémon, so Scyther had to be sent back to Pallet Town.

Jackson looked on with a growing smile ''You kids really are something else, how about I show you a way out now?''

''That'd be great!''


As the ranger led them out, they remained oblivious to a certain young onlooker...

When they neared the exit, Jackson revealed a surprise in store.

''Wait, you mean-?!'' Ash could only gape at the item before their eyes but Jackson nodded.

It was the hunter leader's keystone.

''I think you'll have a much better use for this than me. Consider it thanks for what you've done. That battle would've turned out worse without your help, this is the least I can do.''

Ash could only look in curiosity as Brock took the item. He'd never thought they'd come across another keystone like that-what happened with Wally had been surprising enough...

''...we agreed, right?''

He blinked as May and Brock shared a nod, turning to him ''It's all yours, buddy.''

''Wait, what?''

''We just figured it'd work best with you.'' May shrugged ''At least a couple of your Pokémon can mega evolve, right? Knowing you, you've got the required bond in spades. All you're missing are the Mega Stones.''

''Oh-but...you sure?''

''Absolutely.'' Brock placed the item on his palm without missing a beat, Ash couldn't help smiling as he thanked them. He was admittedly flattered by May's faith in him. She hadn't even met most of his Pokémon and yet she clearly believed that without a shadow of a doubt.

''Hey, it makes sense. Now all you guys have to do is find the right stones.'' Max looked from Ash to Wally.

''Oh, so you found one too?'' Jackson wondered.

Nodding, the green haired boy's gaze drifted to his bag where he kept his stone ''It was a gift from a friend.''


''So let me get this straight, one of Kanto's rarest and most difficult Pokémon to catch...and you got thirty of them?'' Jackson clarified.

''That's what I was thinking!'' Max put in.

Wally saw it differently ''Well, considering it's Ash-I don't think it's as surprising as it should be.''

''...Yeah, okay-that's fair.'' The younger boy nodded, grinning as Brock laughed.

Ash held back a groan ''...I can't even argue because they're right.''

May was snickering as the amused Jackson caught on ''...Would I be correct in assuming that days like today are par for the course with you?''

''Yup.'' The siblings chirped.

May had a thought ''Actually, Jackson? Do you know anything about a new recruit named Vito? He's a friend of ours...''

She began telling him more at his behest, leaving him pensive. ''...I haven't met the kid but I know the ranger he mentioned. The man's practically a legend to us, no wonder he was impressed.'' A pause ''Although...now that you mention it, there might have been talk about a newbie blowing through the ranks and I know for a fact he was a trainer first, something about battling being in his blood. We don't get too many of those so he probably stood out.''

Knowing the Winstrates' love for battling, it wasn't a surprise. Ash grinning as he put in his piece ''I think that's him. Vito must be working hard!''

''Seeing how determined he was, I know he'll do great.'' Brock hummed, smiling.

It was just as Jackson revealed the exit leading out of the forest that they discovered a surprise.

The rustling of the bushes alerted them to a new presence. Wary after the day's events, they were naturally on guard. Thus, the familiar green figure leaping out was certainly unexpected.

''Bulbasaur?!''

The little grass type beamed at May, using on her vines to circle the girl before using it to tickle her. Letting out a startled laugh, May smiled ''What're you doing here?''

''Seems to me that Bulbasaur liked you enough to want to join your team, May.''

Jackson's observation made her light up ''Really?'' Bulbasaur nodded, letting out a happy cry as May hugged her. ''I'm glad. We're going to be great friends!''


Well, that's that.

I really didn't like how the original chapter looked so I had to rewrite it a few times. It just never felt right. To clarify, Wally and the others heard plenty of stories about Ash and Brock's travels before, which is why Wally's convinced that the 30 Tauros thing is practically peanuts in comparison. I read somewhere that Ash wanted a Scyther, I can't remember if it was canon thing or not but it gave me the idea to get Scyther here.

Anyway, yeah this is going to be Ash's Key Stone. I'm going to look into the boys' getting them both fixed up soon. Jackson's like Shelby in that he's another trainer from the games, I remember battling him a few times back when I played Alpha Sapphire.

Welp, thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed it. Till next time!