Episode 19: A Trio Separated! Landing in a Brand New World!
Ryujin and Dokyo brought Dylan into the village elder's house, which was the biggest building in the village. After taking off his shoes (which was customary in this place), Dylan sat across from Ryujin, nursing a tea as the elder began to speak.
"So, you came here from a place called 'Britain' after a Pokémon known as Malamar opened a portal beneath you and your friends," Ryujin said. The elder hummed. "At the very least you fully remember where you came from. Most that fall from portals are not so lucky. Let us pray to Almighty Johto that your friends do the same."
"'Almighty Johto?'" Dylan repeated in confusion.
"That is the name of our god," Dokyo said. "It takes the form a giant bird with rainbow feathers. Having one in your possession means that a great destiny awaits you."
'That sounds like Ho-Oh,' Dylan thought. "Well, there's only one god that I believe in, and he looks a bit different from that… I hope that doesn't offend you, I can sometimes be accidentally offensive when I don't think things through."
"I take no offense, Dylan," Ryujin said. "Many people in Johto believe that Mighty Johto is a sea-faring beast that commands a trio of fearsome fliers."
'And that's Lugia,' Dylan thought. He looked at the table where his phone had been placed. 'At least this thing still works, but I have no reception, obviously. I'm stuck in some sort of ancient Japanese society, so there's no cell phone towers yet.'
"…If you could give us a description of your friends," Ryujin said, pulling Dylan from his thoughts. "We can send out a search party for them."
"I can do you one better," Dylan said. He held up his phone and showed Ryujin and Dokyo a picture of himself with Ashton and Kris. "The blonde girl is Ashton, and the blue-haired one is Kris."
"I'll have Xatu memorize this image and use Telepathy to transmit it to our messagers," Dokyo nodded. "For now, feel free to wait here with Ryujin in the Village of Black Thorns."
Dylan gave a hesitant nod and stood up, bowing to Ryujin. "Thank you for the help. I think I'll take a look around your village."
"Feel free to do so," Ryujin responded. As Dokyo and Dylan left, the village elder closed his eyes in thought. "That girl, she looks… familiar…"
[***]
Pokémon World Adventure Theme 2
"Pokémon Panorama!"
(Variant of the "Monster Hunter Stories" Theme)
The title card appears, spinning around as the background fills in, showing Pokémon in a lush, green environment.
(Do Do Do, Do Do Do)
Hey!
(La la la, la la la-la, la la-la-la)
Suddenly, Dylan, Ashton, and Kris run through the field, each of them tossing Poké Ball that flashes open to fill the screen with light.
Another day of adventure begins
Yet my bag is already forgotten
Dylan gets a name card, packing up a bag as Aurora waits by a tree.
Whether your fast like a rabbit or slow like a turtle
Doesn't matter to me (matter to me)
Ashton falls from the tree with Vulcan landing on top of her, her name card appearing as she sits up with a grin, Dylan and Aurora giving a sigh.
Even if you have to try again
Always give 100 percent
Kris waves to her friends, her name card appearing as Alpha waves too.
You know there will be a time for laughter
When we reach the end
Dylan and Ashton smile as they join their friend, the three of them walking out of the forest they had been camping in.
This strange power
Will guide us through the dance of life
A mysterious portal fills the screen, with Delphi appearing from it and twirling her wand before posing for the camera.
Find the vista that's still in sight
And carve your path to the goal (RIDE ON!)
The main trio run through a grassy field, with each of them then summoning a Ride Pokémon to race even faster (Dylan flies on Noivern, Ashton rides a Luxray on the ground, and Kris surfs on a Lapras).
Unleash all of your passion that
You've kept hidden inside
And let go, it's your time to shine
The screen changes to show Kris battling with Maui (now a Kommo-o), Sera, and Alpha (now a Feraligatr) against Team RedHot. The evil team run away in terror as Sera transforms into a G-Max Eevee.
If you can finally take on that brave first step
You'll realize, you were never alone
Ashton points ahead, smirking as Phantasm, Halley, and Azrael all pass a ball between them, the Gengar making a slam dunk against a Carnavine.
It's time to take a stand and keep fighting on
To protect the people we love
Dylan stands confidently with Aurora, Vex, and Delphi as they pose on a concert stage.
Jump into battle, shock and amaze!
Never back down, we'll win this game!
We see flashes of the trio's adventures in this mysterious Ancient Johto, as well as new Gym battles against Pyramid King Brandon for Ashton and the Electric-Type Specialist Elesa from Dylan.
Woah… (Woah…)
The best memories stick around like a panorama!
The trio come back together on their Ride Pokémon, racing towards the camera with confidence.
Unleash all of your passion that
You've kept hidden inside
And let go, it's your time to shine
The screen is suddenly ripped apart as a Naganadel bursts through. Kris faces it with a Farfectch'd-looking Pokémon by her side blocking the Ultra Beast with its leak.
If you can finally take on that brave first step
You'll realize, you were never alone
Going back-to-back with Ashton, the camera turns to focus on her facing off against a Hydreigon. Vulcan defends her as the girl takes a Kung Fu stance, commanding her Pokémon to use Flamethrower against Hydreigon's Hyper Beam.
It's time to take a stand and keep fighting on
To protect the people we love
The beams break apart as Aurora jumps through the explosion, wearing special armor as Dylan focuses, a matching armband to her armor on his wrist.
Jump into battle, shock and amaze!
Never back down, we'll win this game!
In a bolt of lightning a Zeraora lands in front of Aurora, its fists sparking with electricity. Doing a taunting motion, Zeraora charges as Aurora summons a Bone Rush staff to clash with it.
Woah… (Woah…)
The best memories stick around like a panorama!
The clash flashes away as we see Dylan, Ashton, and Kris all sitting on a hill, all of their Pokémon coming out to join them as they look out into the wilds and up into the sky, where the logo appears above them.
[***]
As Dylan explored his new location, Ashton found herself in a new place as well. The blonde girl was dropped out of the portal and quite-literally crashed through the roof of a nearby building, which luckily was a thatch roof that broke her fall safely. Sitting up as if nothing had happened, Ashton looked around to see that she had landed in the middle of some sort of ceremony with many sages looking at her in confusion.
(Who is this girl?) one of the sages asked in Japanese.
'Oh great, these guys speak Japanese,' Ashton thought. 'Well, at least I know I'm not in Britain anymore.'
(Look at her strange clothes) another sage said. (She must be an outsider!)
"You guys know I can understand you, right?" Ashton said, speaking fluent Japanese.
The monks all blinked, then held out their prayer beads and summoned Bellsprout and Hoothoot to surround her. Ashton sighed, then summoned out Phantasm and Vulcan to protect her.
"Wait!" said a voice. Entering the room was a man with blue hair that covered his right eye, wearing what appeared to be a ninja outfit. By his side was a Swellow. "Sages, who is this girl?"
The sages put away their beads and bowed to the ninja man. "She fell through the roof, Hayabusa."
'This guy looks like Falkner from the Johto Gym Challenge,' Ashton idly thought.
Hayabusa nodded. "Then she must have been sent by Almighty Johto as a sign! She even has the terrifying Typhlosion at her side. How rare it is for a human to tame such a Pokémon." The ninja turned to Ashton. "Tell me, what has the master of the sky sent you here for?"
"Uh…" Ashton said, not sure how to break it to them that she came from another world. She just nodded and went along with it. "Right, Almighty Johto sent me here to… see how this tower is doing! Looks great, by the way."
"Sprout Tower stands strong," Hayabusa nodded. "Its central pillar protects it from even the strongest of earthquakes, Pokémon made or otherwise. Of course, as a user of Bird Pokémon, that issue is child's play for me. Do you have any Bird Pokémon, child?"
Ashton nodded, recalling Vulcan and Phantasm and calling out Azrael. Hayabusa was in awe at the Armor Bird Pokémon. "The mighty Skarmory! A strong Bird Pokémon indeed. However, I sense that you have other Bird Pokémon with you as well."
Ashton looked confused, but noticed that she had two additional Poké Balls on her. Using these new balls, the girl was shocked when Joker and Vex came out. The Sages and Hayabusa were in awe at the sight.
"The smaller one has the power of a Dragon Pokémon!" one of the sages exclaimed.
"It looks similar to the Zubat of the mountain," another said.
Hayabusa gave Joker a rub on the head, the Tranquill cooing in delight. "This bird is one I have never seen before, but he as great potential, I can feel it."
"It don't actually own these two, though," Ashton admitted.
Hayabusa nodded. "Of course. Almighty Johto sent them with you on your quest."
"…Sure, let's go with that," Ashton shrugged.
Before their conversation could go any farther, a Pidgey flew in through the hole in the roof, a note tied to its leg. Hayabusa took the note, thanking the Pidgey as it flew off. Unfurling the scroll, the ninja hummed before showing it to Ashton, revealing a sketch of her and Kris on it.
"It says here that your friend is looking for you. Another one sent by Almighty Johto?" Hayabusa said.
"That must be from Dylan," Ashton explained. "He's the one that owns Vex and Joker."
Hayabusa nodded. "Then we must leave for the Village of Black Thorns at once! It will be nice to see Cousin Dokoyo again after all this time."
Ashton flinched upon hearing the name of their destination. "Village of Black Thorns? Oh boy, this'll be fun…"
[***]
Kris fell from the sky, screaming as she splashed down into a lake. Panicking, the girl grabbed a Poké Ball and released Alpha, the Croconaw grabbing his trainer and swimming her to surface. Kris gasped for air, holding onto Alpha tightly as they slowly swam to shore.
"I think we're not in London anymore, Alpha," Kris said, looking around the environment. She held up her Pokégear, only for the device to glitch out with an error message. "And it looks like we don't have a stable signal either. But, if I had to guess, it looks like we're in Japan, based on the plants. Hopefully we can find a nearby town that'll be able to help us out."
Coming to shore, Kris had little time to get her bearings as a beam of energy nearly missed her head. Whipping around, the girl gasped as a Gyarados roared, its body huge and eyes glowing red with rage.
"That thing is giving off dangerous vibes," Kris said nervously. Alpha stood his ground, ready to battle. "Yeah, I don't think this Gyarados is going to let us go. Let's battle, Alpha! Use your Agility to move faster!"
The Croconaw readied itself to move, dodging another Hyper Beam and jumping into the water. Alpha used Ice Fang to bite the Gyarados, the enraged Pokémon roaring as it flailed around to get the Croconaw off. Tossing Alpha into the air, the Gyarados roared as an orange glow encased it, using Hurricane to blow the Croconaw back to shore, burying him deep into the sand.
"What was that?" Kris asked herself. "It's like the Gyarados made that last move even stronger than normal."
Alpha pulled himself out of the hole, launching a Water Gun at the Gyarados to continue the fight. The enraged Pokémon fired back with another Hyper Beam, tearing through the Water Gun and blasting Alpha back into the sand.
"This is bad," Kris said. "Alpha, we need to run! It's our only chance to survive!"
The Gyarados floated out of the water, its body glowing green as it suddenly rushed towards Kris. The girl could only look up in fear as the Atrocious Pokémon readied it's jaws with a Crunch attack. Kris closed her eyes, looking away as the Gyarados barred down on her.
CRUNCH!
"Croconaw!"
Kris opened her eyes to see Alpha standing in front of her, his arm in the Gyarados' mouth as he winced in pain. The Atrocious Pokémon tossed the Croconaw to the side, slamming Alpha into a tree as it roared again. Kris gasped, running to her Pokémon's side as he lay still, breathing shallowly.
"Alpha!" Kris cried. The Pokémon tried to get up, but cried in pain as he held his arm. "The Crunch must have broken your arm. You saved me back there, thank you." She looked towards the Gyarados. "We can't run now, and I don't have any items to heal you with. Looks like this is the end of the line for us."
Suddenly, a rock came out of the woods, hitting the Gyarados on the head and turning its attention elsewhere. "Pikachu, use Volt Tackle, Strong Style!" called a male voice, the Electric Mouse Pokémon doing just that and ramming into the Gyarados.
Stepping out of the woods came a boy in a blue outfit with a red scarf and flat cap. He locked eyes with Kris and smiled. "Don't worry, miss! I'm here to help! Pikachu, keep using Volt Tackle!"
Pikachu and Gyarados continued to trade blows, both Pokémon flashing orange and green to either hit harder or move faster, respectively. Kris could only stare in awe at this odd way of battling. Alpha watched as well, gritting his teeth as Pikachu got caught in another Hurricane.
"Darn it," the boy cursed. "Pikachu, this Alpha Pokémon is stronger than any we've faced yet. Akari was right about Gyarados being fierce. Be careful!"
Suddenly, the Gyarados noticed Kris again, readying a Hyper Beam at her as it used Aqua Tail to swat Pikachu like a fly. As the Hyper Beam was about to go off, Alpha pushed Kris behind him, roaring in defiance as he opened his jaws to catch the Hyper Beam.
"Alpha!" Kris cried.
The Crocomaw grunted in pain as he was on the verge of fainting, but his bond with Kris made him refuse to give up. 'Kris is my Trainer. She raised me to help her research all Pokémon. If I die, then I must make sure that she lives on to fulfill her dream!' Alpha suddenly started to glow, smoke going up as the Hyper Beam ended.
The boy ran over with his Pikachu, helping Kris to her feet. "Your Pokémon was brave, defending you like that," he said. "You must a have a strong bond."
"He was my best friend," Kris whispered, tears starting to come from her eyes.
As the Gyarados roared in victory, A flash of movement burst from the smoke. The Atrocious Pokémon received a Water-powered Mega Kick to the face, knocking it to the ground as a new figure entered the battle. He was a large blue crocodile, with a red Mohawk and large jaw. It was Alpha, evolved into a mighty Feraligatr!
"Alpha!" Kris called, getting her Pokémon's attention. He turned to her as she nodded. "Kick this Gyarados' butt!"
Grinning, Alpha picked up the Gyarados and delivered another Mega Kick, before using Waterfall and launching the Atrocious Pokemon into the air. Digging into the ground, Alpha tossed rocks into the air, summoning on Ancient Power to pelt Gyarados with a super effective attack. As the Gyarados fell back to Earth, it slumped over in defeat, barely conscious from the beatdown the Feraligatr had inflicted on it.
"I'll take it from here," the boy said. He reached into the pouch on his back and pulled out what looked like a wooden Poké Ball. "Ultra Ball, go!" he called. The ball hit the Gyarados, sucking it in and dropping to the ground. The ball bounced three times in the air, before shooting off a small firework, signaling that the capture had been successful.
The boy smiled, running over and retrieving the ball. "I just caught my first Alpha Pokémon!" he cheered, Pikachu nodding and doing the same. He then turned his attention back to Kris, who was giving Alpha a big hug for his victory.
"Thanks for the save," Kris said, thanking the boy. "And look at you, Alpha! You evolved into a Feraligatr!"
"Heh, you speak just like my friend Akari," the boy said. He bowed and held out a hand. "My name's Rei, and I come from the Hisui region up north. I was just on my way to do some research here in Johto for Professor Laventon when I heard your battle with that Alpha Gyarados. Don't you know how dangerous those types of Pokémon are?"
"I've never heard of an Alpha Pokémon," Kris said, shaking her head.
"That's also like Akari," Rei sighed. "You wouldn't have happened to all have fallen out of the sky, would you?"
Kris blinked. "Yes, actually."
Rei was taken aback. "Woah, that's crazy! That does explain how you have such a strong bond with your Pokémon, though. I only just recently got that close with my Pikachu here."
The two stood around for a bit before Kris spoke. "Hey, my friends feel here to Johto with me. Can I stay with you until I find them?"
"Sure," Rei replied. "There's a place near here called the Village of Black Thorns that's expecting me to report in. The village elder is going to give us permission to start doing research expeditions here in Johto as well. I'm sure there's someone there than can help you find your friends."
"Then let's not waste any time," Kris said.
The two headed off into the forest, where they would unknowingly run into Kris' friends very soon.
Author's Note
Ryujin: Lance's ancestor, a mighty warrior in the past and the first person to ever tame an Alpha Pokémon, according to legend. His name comes from a Japanese dragon god of the ocean.
Dokyo: Will's ancestor, sharing his descendant's psychic powers. He helps Ryujin with tasks around the village as the elder becomes older. He has a special connection with his Xatu, getting visions of the future on occasion. His name is the Japanese word for "Lucky."
Hayabusa: Falkner's ancestor, a ninja with an affinity for Bird Pokémon. He worships Mighty Johto (known in the present as Ho-Oh) and helped found the order of sages that live in Sprout Tower. His name is the Japanese word for "Peregrine Falcon."
Just like Legends Arceus I wanted to introduce some ancestors to well-known Pokémon Trainers from the games, in this case they're people from Gold and Silver. The Rei that Kris encounters here is specifically the "rival" one, as in this story Akari (the female trainer) is the time traveler sent by Arceus.