Chapter 56: Come Together

"There's the Sword of the Vale castle, we've made it to Eindoak Town," Cilan pointed out to the ancient structure towering over the town alongside a bright sun.

"Wow, I've never seen anything like it," May admired the unique design of the castle with Victini.

"Does someone live there?" Ash asked as he also stared with Pikachu.

"Nope, the castle hasn't been inhabited for centuries and is a tourist spot for anyone passing by Eindoak Town," Iris answered while she scratched Axew's chin.

As they walked through Eindoak Town's streets, they noticed there were food stands and people dressed up in unique clothing. Street performers were juggling and performing fire tricks alongside Pokémon while children would run around playing with firecrackers. When they reached the town square, they saw a multitude of people dazzled by dance groups or fire eaters shocking people with their technique.

May questioned Iris and Cilan if Eindoak Town is always so festive. "Actually, we happen to be in town just in time to celebrate the anniversary of Eindoak Town's founding. Many centuries ago, a war broke out between the sons of a king but when peace was brokered by the king, they celebrated by establishing Eindoak Town. The people of this town honor those events with the yearly Eindoak Harvest Festival," Cilan gave a quick lesson in history. Ash, May, and Pikachu took in the tale with interest.

"So now that we're here, where's Genesis?" Iris reminded everyone about the task at hand.

"Team Rocket said Genesis would be the one to find us once we arrived in Eindoak Town, so I guess we have to hang out here until he shows himself," May recalled.

"Do you think they were telling the truth?" Cilan continued thinking about the honesty behind Team Rocket's instructions.

"I am not sure, but we can't risk letting the Swords of Justice and Forces of Nature destroy Unova if what Team Rocket claimed is true," Ash pointed out. The auburn-eyed teen preferred not to take any chances.

The 4 teens and their Pokémon wondered what they would do while they waited for Genesis to show up. Suddenly, a man called out to them, "Children what are you doing dressed like that? Get into the spirit of the festival, get into costume, and join the festival's activities!"

All of them turned to a jolly-looking man in a brown vest and orange hat. "Who are you?" Ash was the first to ask curiously.

"My name is Mannes. I am the mayor of Eindoak Town and responsible for hosting the yearly Eindoak Harvest Festival. Please join in our festivities, there's nothing like it anywhere in Unova and I promise you'll love it," the man encouraged them to join in and presented them with outfits appropriate for the festival.

The friends were a little overwhelmed by the mayor's insistence but given that they didn't have much to do at the moment they figured why not. "Thank you, sir," Iris giggled bashfully as they all received outfits.

Mayor Mannes was delighted by their decision and bid them farewell as he continued with his festival's duties. "Pika!" Pikachu pointed excitedly to a play area solely for Pokémon.

"Tini vi," Victini smiled when it also noticed the play area.

"Axew ew ew," Axew leaped out of Iris's hair and looked at its trainer.

"Go for it, have fun guys!" May encouraged the trio of Pokémon, and with that they jolted off.

"Guess, we should go get changed," Cilan reminded them, and they headed to the changing room station set up for the festival.

When they stepped out, everyone was wearing something unique. Cilan wore a brown poncho with a green stripe across it and a red/white checkered headband. Iris wore a cream-colored dress that reached her knees with orange frills around her neck and brown patterning at the edge of the dress. May donned a red sweater with brown coloring on the upper half and a yellow stripe mid-chest. She also wore an indigo skirt with frills at the end of it to match her top. Lastly, Ash was wearing a red sweater with a black vest and an indigo top that had a thick black stripe across and frills similar to May's skirt.

"I look so cute in this skirt!" May was delighted by her costume while her friends laughed at her overexcitement.

"There are so many things to do here," Ash noticed all the activities spread across the town, wondering where they should begin.

"Cilan and I want to go watch the fire eaters perform, so I think we'll do that," Iris stated eagerly.

"In that case, I saw a couple of games they were hosting and there were a few I wanted to check out. Are you up for it Ash?" May winked at her boyfriend as she spoke cheerfully.

Ash made an eager fist, "You bet!"

"We'll catch you guys later then," Cilan said as he and Iris waved goodbye to them for now.

May urged Ash to come on and the two scurried off in a different direction. "What are we going to try first May?" Ash questioned while they trekked through the town.

"I saw this pen filled with Tepig and a person giving chase to them. There were a lot of people watching, so it seemed really fun. Let's check it out," May responded as she looked toward the area where she saw the activity.

When they approached the pen, Ash saw dozens of people watching and laughing as a man tried to grab one of the 3 Tepig that ran around the pen. The man failed miserably to even catch one and slipped into the mud. People were amused at the expense of the man, but the guy didn't seem to care. "Time's up!" the person looking over the pen declared. The man participating snapped his fingers in disappointment and exited the pen. May and Ash looked at him sympathetically. "Who wishes to be the next participant in our 'Tepig Whisperer' challenge?" the host shouted, and people murmured amongst each other.

Ash approached the man to learn more while May stood behind him, "Excuse me, can you explain what this is?"

"Find out if you are a Tepig whisperer. Your task is to lure all 3 Tepig into the smaller pen, lad" the man pointed to a smaller area of the larger pen that was enclosed from three sides. "You must accomplish this in 3 minutes, otherwise you lose. Try your luck and win a prize for your lovely lass," the man encouraged Ash once he noticed May holding his hand.

"Count me in," Ash proclaimed confidently, willing to give it a shot.

May giggled at his confidence. "Careful you don't get too muddy Ash," she warned him.

The auburn-eyed teen gave her a thumbs-up as he prepared to enter the pen. Spectators were curious to see how Ash would perform as soon as the pen's host set the timer.

"Alright, come here you little rascals," Ash began to give chase to the three Tepig. The 3 Tepig looked at him cautiously as they began running around the pen. Ash noticed one of the Tepig was slightly slower than the others and focused his attention on that one first. The raven-haired boy reminded himself to be mindful of his footing as he dared to slip on the mud a few times due to running a bit too fast. The slowest Tepig looked back at Ash and saw he was catching up, becoming startled by how close he was. However, Ash knew he still wasn't fast enough to get within reach and thought of something quick. He noticed the other Tepig coming right for them, but the Tepig he was chasing failed to notice. "I am coming for you Tepig!" Ash tricked the slowest Tepig into keeping its eyes on him.

The other Tepig was going so fast it failed to stop in time to prevent bumping into the slower Tepig and the two collided into each other. The pair of Tepig had swirly eyes, indicating that they had fainted. Ash didn't waste any time in picking them up and carrying the Tepig. The crowd cheered for Ash as he took down two pigs with one stone.

"Clever boy," May winked at Ash for his trickery.

"One minute!" the pen host announced.

As soon as Ash dropped off the two Tepig in the smaller pen he gave chase to the final Tepig. The last Tepig was a cocky one and gave Ash a smirk, eager to outwit the human. "Let's go Tepig," Ash returned the smirk. The boy turned his hat around and dashed at the Fire-type. The Tepig was fast, and it zigzagged across the pen to make Ash lose his footing, proving its cleverness. Just running after it won't work. I need to be faster, Ash thought about how to get the last Tepig. Then he remembered how the last participant slipped on mud and it gave Ash an idea. "It's going to get messy, but it's the only way," Ash said to himself. As he ran after it, Ash chased it into the mud as intended and saw his chance. "Here goes!" Ash announced as he slid himself into the mud, using the slipperiness to his advantage and building more speed. Tepig noticed Ash and its eyes grew with panic. "Got ya," Ash smirked as he grabbed the fire starter.

"Tepig!" the pig shouted and tried to wiggle its way free, but Ash held firmly onto him. With just a few seconds, Ash sprinted to the smaller pen and placed the final pig there. The trio of Tepig puffed in annoyance that they had been outwitted by the boy.

The crowd celebrated Ash's victory as the pen host proclaimed Ash as the first winner of this year's Tepig Whisperer challenge. "Unpredictable as ever," May clapped for her boyfriend. Everyone else seemed so intent on trying to avoid the mud, but Ash used it to his advantage. It's so like him to think outside the box even if it comes at a cost, May recognized how Ash's unorthodox methods always aided him in and out of Pokémon battles.

"Here you go lass, your boyfriend earned it for ye," the pen host approached May with Ash. May received a small wooden charm carved out as a Tepig. "Anyone who holds a Tepig Whisperer charm is said to be blessed with good fortune for the rest of their life. Many blessings to the love between both of ye," the host bowed as he took to his leave to draw another participant.

Ash looked at May's charm as he reached to hold her hand, "How about that May? You have good luck forever now." The auburn-eyed boy looked warmly at her.

"I already have everything I need for right now. Thank you," May put the charm away and pecked Ash on the cheek. Then May noticed the mud on Ash's outfit when she touched his arm, "Although you look like you need a bath," May joked and Ash laughed.

"I guess I do," Ash scratched the back of his head as he became embarrassed by how dirty he was.

"I've got ya covered lad. Here you go!" Mayor Mannes popped out of nowhere and handed the pair a clean set of the outfit Ash had on. "If you're looking to get a quick bath, might I recommend trying the 'Shoe Fishing' activity," the talkative man added.

"Sure…" Ash responded, but the pair were caught off guard by his sudden and energetic appearance.

Mayor Mannes laughed, "Excellent, keep having fun! I must tend to the other visitors, see you later!" With that said, the mayor jolted off to assist other festival-goers.

"He's an odd one, isn't he?" May raised an eyebrow as they both saw him dash off.

"Sure is, but let's go try out that shoe fishing thing he mentioned," Ash disregarded what just happened. May agreed and they headed in the direction of the activity. They found themselves on the edge of town with a beautiful green pasture settled alongside a small pond.

There were a few couples standing by, watching as one person swam in the pond in search of something. "Is this where they are hosting the shoe fishing?" May asked one of the couples.

"Sure is, the woman must throw one of her shoes into the pond and the man must dive in to search for it. The pond is pretty deep, and you only have a minute to find it. Beware though because many shoes have gotten lost in this pond and if a man doesn't know your shoe, then they might just bring back someone else's. If the man retrieves the right shoe before the timer ends, then they are deemed a chivalrous man worthy of his woman's love," one of the participants explained the name of the game to May.

Ash raised an eyebrow. "Sounds pretty old-fashioned. Are only the men forced to do most of the work in these games?" he inquired with slight annoyance.

"Don't be a party pooper, Ash, it sounds like fun. I'd like to see if you even recognize the shoes I wear every day," May teased Ash to see if he ever admired her fashion sense.

Ash laughed nervously, remembering an argument they had about fashion sense during their original travels in Hoenn. "Chivalry is an important part of Eindoak Town's culture, so we encourage activities like this. Please join the fun if you're down for it," one of the couples encouraged Ash and May to join.

To prove to May that he could do something as simple as retrieve the right shoe, he agreed to partake. "You're on," Ash nodded as he took off his dirty clothes and prepared to go in for a swim.

May smirked, "Perfect, here goes!" The brunette took off one of her shoes and threw it in the pond, watching it sink as Ash undressed down to some shorts he conveniently had underneath.

"Begin!" the person watching over the game screamed and Ash dove in.

The boy swam to the depths of the pond and saw dozens of lost shoes there. He saw sneakers, boots, and sandals of all shapes, colors, and sizes but no sign of May's shoe. This would've been a challenge way back when, but I know May well enough to know her shoe, Ash grinned. He knew the shoes May wore now were a lot like her Hoenn ones but with a black and white coloring instead of red and blue.

Ash swam past a few clueless Stunfisk that seemed to be minding their own business. The boy knew he had to hurry and luckily for him, white was easily distinguishable among all the dark colors of the pond. He spotted May's lonely shoe among some stones and plants and grabbed it. He pushed himself to the surface of the pond, noticing the orange tones of the twilight sky. With all his speed and force, Ash emerged victoriously with the shoe in hand. "Found it," he cheered as he swam towards May.

Spectators clapped and whistled for the pair. May could hear some men and women note that that was true love right there. May kneeled down to receive her wet shoe with a soft smile, "Thank you my chivalrous beloved."

They both laughed at the cheesiness of what May just said, and she pulled him out of the pond. She handed him the dry clothes given to them by Mayor Mannes earlier and Ash quickly dressed himself.

The pair thanked the people near the pond and got on their way, but May lamented that she had to walk with one shoe on now. "Why don't we just lie down on the grass and enjoy the sunset until your shoe dries enough?" Ash suggested.

"Good idea," May nodded but all of a sudden, their stomachs growled.

"All that stuff sure works up an appetite," Ash acknowledged as they both grabbed their stomachs with ashamed faces.

"Why don't I find us a spot to lie down, while you grab us something to eat," May suggested and Ash accepted. He told the girl he'd be right back and ran off in search of food.

May watched him disappear in the crowd as she went to the foot of a hill overlooking Eindoak Town, the castle, and the sunset. This looks like a perfect spot to relax, May settled down as she took in the wonderful view. Even though they arrived in Eindoak Town with a task, she ended up having a good time and was grateful for having come just in time to participate in the harvest festival. "I guess if it wasn't for Genesis or Team Rocket, we wouldn't have been able to experience such a pleasant day," May rested her hands behind her head as she looked at the orange sky and clouds above. She could feel herself getting sleepy for a moment, but she resisted the heaviness of her eyelids. The brunette refused to rest before getting something to eat first. May's stomach then growled again, and she swore it could be heard from a mile away.

"Ash, where are you?" May put her hand on her stomach and sighed.

"Right here!" Ash's shout jolted up May's senses.

The brunette sat up and saw her boyfriend with two corn dogs and two sticks of cotton candy. "Here you go May," the raven-haired boy handed her a corn dog and a cotton candy.

"Thank you, Ash, I could've sworn I was just about to faint," the brunette exaggerated as she happily started eating the corn dog. Ash also pulled out two bottles of water from his sweater in case they got thirsty after eating. The two happily ate and drank as they watched the sun go to sleep. May leaned on Ash's shoulder as they recollected today's events.

Once May finished her corn dog and cotton candy, she took a sip of water and spoke, "Thanks for another great day, Ash Ketchum."

"Any time May," Ash put his arm around May's shoulder and welcomed night together while the party in Eindoak Town continued. They could hear the sound of music and saw fires burning brighter than ever from dances going on in the square.

Their moment was interrupted by a sudden "Pikachu!" though. The slightly startled couple turned around and saw Pikachu, Axew, Victini, and their friends.

"There you are, we've been looking everywhere for you!" Iris exclaimed as she approached them with Cilan.

"Pikapi!" Pikachu leaped into Ash's arms and the friends greeted each other.

"Hey buddy, did you have fun?" Ash grinned, receiving a nod from Pikachu.

"Victini!" Victini embraced May in its visible form since no one was around and rubbed its cheek against May.

"Sounds like you did too Victini," May chuckled as she enjoyed the Fire Pokémon's tenderness.

Cilan and Iris sat down with their friends to join them. "Looks like you guys also had your fill of adventure," Cilan commented.

"We sure did. I had Ash participate in a shoe fishing activity and he chased a trio of Tepig in a muddy pen," May pictured the events in her mind.

Iris laughed as she pictured Ash as well, "Sounds about right," she added.

"What does that mean Iris?" Ash took a sassy tone with the purple-haired girl.

"Oh, nothing Ash, just that you would do anything for May," Iris smiled as she admired the couple.

Ash disregarded Iris's laugh and admitted to himself that he actually would. "I would do anything for Ash too," May interjected as she squeezed Ash's hand. The four friends and their Pokémon talked and gazed at the stars, completely forgetting about the whole reason they came to Eindoak Town.

As they reminisced over favorite moments from their adventures, they could hear footsteps and the group sat up. "Oh, pardon my intrusion children. I wanted to let you know that the festival is about to begin its annual dance. Everyone is welcome to gather at the square and dance to traditional folklore music from Eindoak Town," Mayor Mannes informed them.

"We'll be right there, thank you, Mayor Mannes," Cilan acknowledged. Mayor Mannes bowed and took his leave, appearing somewhat exhausted at this point from hosting the festival.

"Well, the night is still young. Let's go then," May put on her now dry shoe and the gang got moving. They dashed to the square as they could hear the commencement of folk music.

"May I have this dance?" Cilan reached his hand out to Iris and the girl slightly blushed.

"Sure," Iris bashfully reached for his hand, and they got lost on the dance floor.

Victini went invisible and joined Pikachu and Axew in a circle where the three Pokémon danced happily to the sound of music. May found their little dance cute then turned to Ash, "Still remember some of the dance moves I taught you when we were training with Auro, Nate, and Rosa?"

"I'll try my best," Ash laughed apologetically.

"Let's jog that memory then," May enthusiastically grabbed his hand and they hit the dance floor. Much to May's surprise, Ash was actually in sync with her dancing. Ash would twirl and catch her at the appropriate moments. He never stepped on her feet like when she first taught him basic dancing. She was having the time of her life.

Ash held May's waist as they swung back and forth. "How am I doing?" Ash asked shyly.

"Not bad Ash. You're full of surprises today," May noted that Ash recognized her shoe, outsmarted 3 Tepig, and showed he remembered her dance lessons.

"You're definitely a lot better than me," a familiar voice interrupted the couple, which caught them off guard. The two turned around and found Roxas and Lucario standing there, smiling at the pair.

"Roxas!" Iris and Cilan shouted, spotting him from a small distance as well.

"We didn't expect to see you here," Ash smiled as the four friends stopped dancing and got around the sapphire-eyed vigilante. Victini, Pikachu, and Axew had also sensed Lucario's presence and caught up with their friends. The trio of Pokémon were delighted to see their allies once again.

"Are you here to celebrate the festival?" May teased the trainer.

Roxas laughed and shook his head sideways. "Unfortunately, I am in West Unova assisting Auro with the investigation of the tornadoes plaguing the region," Roxas expressed as his tone became serious. The friends acknowledged the seriousness of Roxas's duties and the black-coated trainer followed up by saying, "If you don't mind can you come with me for a bit? I'd like to speak to all of you in a less noisy setting."

"Of course," Ash responded. The friends were a bit disappointed that the fun was cut short, but if there was something important that needed to be discussed then it took priority.

Roxas walked them out of the square and to a quieter street with no people around. "I actually wasn't planning on stopping by Eindoak Town, but I had second thoughts and believed it might be better if I was here."

"Here for what?" May questioned with a concerned tone.

"To meet with me," Genesis emerged from a dark portal beside Roxas.

Ash, May, Cilan, Iris, and their Pokémon immediately became defensive when they saw their foe. "I see Jessie, James, and Meowth fulfilled their duty. Good, they can accomplish tasks when managed by competent minds," Genesis crossed his arms when he saw all the teens there.

"Roxas, did you know we were supposed to meet Genesis here?" Cilan put two and two together, which Roxas nodded at.

"Yes, Genesis is helping us in our mission to stop Omega and all his various schemes," Roxas added. Lucario was caught a bit off guard, realizing that Roxas was about to reveal Genesis's cover.

"How? He's been working against us this entire time," May frowned, confused by Roxas's comment.

Roxas sighed and refused to share this sooner for the sake of discretion, but he responded to May. "Genesis, Silver, and Cloud joined Omega's organization under my instruction and were able to successfully able to infiltrate it thanks to their control over the dark energy that normally corrupts weaker souls like the majority of the people working under Omega. They have secretly been working with us this entire time. I didn't want to reveal this before because I feared it might jeopardize their positions, but we've advanced to a point where it is less relevant to keep that secret," he explained as Lucario nodded at May, confirming Roxas's claims.

The group gasped at the revelation, never imagining the possibility of Genesis or the others being double agents this whole time. However, Ash and May did recall Roxas once mentioned after the battle at P2 Laboratory that Silver, Cloud, and Genesis were more unique compared to the other villains due to their stronger wills. Genesis chimed in, "With that said, I want to apologize for any cruelty done by Silver, Cloud, or me in the past. We had to make our positions look credible, so we always needed to fake our opposition against you and advance some of Omega's agenda for the sake of the mission."

"But Roxas, how can we trust him?" Ash remained skeptical about Genesis as he recalled the various attempts on their lives by the former villain.

"Genesis was recruited by me and every piece of intelligence he has given me to this date has proven true. Genesis is the reason we were able to outwit Omega and his minions during their initial assault against Castelia City and Victini. He's fed us intel on the next task at hand," Roxas advocated for the red helmet trainer.

"You're talking about the conflict with the Forces of Nature and the Swords of Justice, aren't you?" Iris asked for confirmation.

Before Roxas could say anything, Genesis spoke, "Pitting the Swords of Justice and Forces of Nature was always a chess maneuver conducted by the Omega to help Giovanni and Ghetsis capture both groups of Legendary Pokémon. We purposefully set out to make the Swords of Justice believe that we were after the Reveal Glass in order to control the Forces of Nature. When they caught wind of this, you aided them and angered the Forces of Nature. Now they are in conflict and the endgame was to pit them against each other so we could capture them ourselves when they least expected it. Constant fighting would leave them in a weakened state, and we would take advantage of that. However, with the Genesect Army under Omega's control, the situation has become dire. We cannot afford to lose either of those groups to him. We need to end the conflict between them."

Ash and his friends listened to every word, recognizing the severity of the situation. Nonetheless, they still had doubts about Genesis and Roxas could feel it. Roxas stepped in front of Genesis. "I know Genesis may have outdone himself at times," Roxas glared momentarily at the man when he said that "but I am advocating for him because he believes the world needs to be protected. If we don't stop Omega's plans. If we don't learn to trust each other, then we have no hope of winning. Please help us, Ash, May, Iris, Cilan, Pikachu, Victini, Axew." Lucario, sensing the tension his trainer was feeling, balled its hands into fists. The Aura Pokémon hoped Ash and his friends would agree to work with Genesis.

The gang could see the direness in Roxas's eyes and Ash sighed. He stepped up and spoke, "If you trust him Roxas, then I guess we can too."

"We'll do it for the sake of the planet," May placed her fist on her chest, still frowning at Genesis.

"That's right!" Iris and Cilan proclaimed at the same time. Pikachu, Axew, and Victini also agreed sternly.

"Thank you," Genesis nodded back at them.

Lucario let out a sigh of relief. Roxas smiled and reached his hand out, "By the way, Iris do you mind handing me the Griseous Orb I asked you and Cilan to retrieve from the Village of Dragons?"

"Oh right!" Iris and her friends had forgotten all about the orb. They quickly pulled it out and handed it to him.

Roxas thanked her and reminded them that the orb needs to be kept out of Omega's hands at all costs. "Thank you for everything you've done up until this point. I am sorry for dragging you into this mess, but I can't imagine anyone better suited to help us save the world than all of you," Roxas expressed his gratitude. Ash and his friends smiled at him as they were simply glad to help in any way they could.

"I must take my leave now and mobilize for our next task then. Thank you for joining us, Roxas," Genesis spoke, realizing that if Roxas had not been there then he might've failed to convince Ash, May, and the others that he was on their side. We must be running out of time if Roxas chose to make this detour, Genesis thought as he disappeared througha dark portal and waved farewell.

The teens eased up once Genesis was gone, and Roxas also lightened up. "Now how about we go finish off this celebration by watching the fireworks," Roxas suggested happily. He thought this could be the last time they all enjoyed something together.

"Right," Ash and May replied simultaneously to him with enthusiasm.


Help…, a Darkrai fell to the ground exhausted. It was encompassed in dark energy. When it fell to the ground, the Light Stone had fallen from the Pitch-Black Pokémon's grasp.

A green-haired man in a baseball cap approached and kneeled down beside it. "It's ok Darkrai, I am here to help now. I want to help Pokémon like you," N talked to it in a calming voice.

"Use this," Colress handed N a purified gem. N received the gem, then placed it on Darkrai's chest. The gem faded from N's hand as a bright energy enveloped Darkrai and the dark energy began to fade.

Darkrai let out a sigh of relief and rested on the ground, Thank you.

"You're welcome," N smiled as he picked up the Light Stone from the grass.

"Darkrai has been purified and released from Omega's grasp. If Ghetsis and Giovanni had never conducted the Shadow Energy program for him, our jobs would have been a lot easier. Luckily, I learned to synthesize purified gems that reverse the effects of shadow energy, but we're still behind," Colress sighed.

N chuckled. "You would have never joined our side if Ghetsis had never become Omega's underling," the youthful man joked.

"This is true. I am disillusioned with what Team Neo Plasma and Ghetsis have become. More importantly, Omega needs to be stopped," Colress firmly believed and N agreed.