Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon or Harry Potter
BloodyKitsune: Well...A lot happened in this chapter. I hope you all enjoy it though!
Reviews:
yukicrewger2: To answer your questions in order, No. And you realize that there are other pokemon movies with an actual Entei, right? Besides this an AU thus canno takes a hard shift
Past Shadow's Sin: Hope this chapter answers that main question as for the one about Ash's pokemon, I haven't quite decided about all of his pokemon yet. I will be bringing in others from his teams for sure, but not sure just who.
Chapter 23
As Gold had decided to stay in town for a couple more days to spend more time with the boys, Vali took the time to actually help out Grace and Walter at the gym. In an outside training field while the inside battlefield was being brought up to code under Walter's guidance, she was throwing the Triplets through a gauntlet with her team. Perched on one of the bleachers, she was settled with Balin and Elrond beside her. All three of them were taking detailed notes of what needed to be improved by all three triplets, the advantages that came with actually understanding her entire pack were fully felt in moments like these.
And looking over the notes she'd gathered so far, Vali felt a small amount of regret surge through her. With everything that had happened over the years both with her training and ascendance as an Elite, she'd been too busy to pay many visits to Cerulean especially after Grace and Walter had left for their trip. Many of the frequent calls she'd once made had drifted off especially with the triplets becoming Gym Leaders themselves, she barely had the time to touch base with them outside of ensuring they weren't having too much trouble settling into their new roles. And with Misty...She inwardly sighed while wondering where the playful little girl she'd once babysat for Grace during her rare visits to Cerulean had disappeared? This bitter teenager, it wasn't the girl she remembered with so much fondness.
"There is a League Rep. approaching," Elrond sat up slightly from his slouched position against Vali's side earning a low hum as she pushed away those thoughts, "Ace Lieutenant Dennys is with the woman alongside Brock,"
"Gotcha," Vali looked up from her laptop and turned towards where Elrond was mentally indicating the group was approaching from, "Dennys! Any chance your Kingdra is willing to play around for a bit?"
The dark haired man blinked at her request before nodding as he jogged up a bit faster. As he reached the base of the bleachers, Dennys fell into a quick salute, "Of course, Elite Potter-Black. I assume the elder Waterflowers authorized this training session?"
"Yup," Vali nodded while gesturing to the many battles going on, "Gotta ensure these guys are ready, ya know," She smirked a bit as Dennys smiled a bit darkly, "So is Phosa ready to play around a bit? Just knock a bit of sense into these...pageant pokemon,"
Chuckling as he nodded, Dennys pulled a pokeball from his waist and released a large Kingdra. It was a female who'd seen quite a few battles though still held more of a gentle edge than most of her species. She let out a low croon towards Vali though quickly lowered her muzzle towards Dennys as he began speaking gently towards her. As soon as he pulled away, Phosa shot off towards the largest pool and began adding to the chaos with glee. Letting out a laugh, she shook her head as Dennys commented, "This reminds me of when we used to run together."
"Good times when we had them," Vali nodded before turning towards the League Rep that was finally approaching them, "Ah, Miss Culd, it's been..."
"Only four months since our last meeting, Elite Potter-Black," The dark pink haired woman fixed her thin glasses, "I see your pokemon are still...Doing as they usually do,"
"Indeed," Vali's lips pulled into a grimace well aware of the woman's actual opinion of her, "So," She crossed her arms while looking towards Brock who was shifting about uneasily, "The kid'll be with me until things are either sorted or we find a better option,"
Clud shook her head making Vali's frown grow, "While you are correct to a point, we cannot be sure that things will calm down when the situation has cleared. And finding a better option as you've put it will likely take a long while-"
Feeling a surge of irritation, Vali almost snapped at Clud though managed to hold back her angry tone as she cut in, "Speak plainly, Clud. I don't do minced words and you damn well know it."
Actually snorting, Clud adjusted her glasses again, "Until we can be sure that the situation is resolved, you'll have to travel together with Mr. Slate. Should another option come along, we'll be in touch-"
"My tanned ass," Vali muttered with a glare aimed at the League Rep, "Very well, you can go,"
"I-" Clud's eyes widened.
"Unless there is something else that needs my attention, you can go," Vali turned away from the woman in obvious dismissal.
There was a sound, it was a furious thing that made her internally snicker though Vali refrained from showing it. Finally Clud left with her heels audibly clanking against the stones, she shook her head as the woman finally left. Dennys commented, "And if that was any indication of just which League Rep. you really hate, I don't know what is."
Rolling her eyes, Vali slumped back into her seat, "Lance fucking owes me big for making me deal with that bitch and not telling me everything," She wanted to strangle the redhead just a little bit, "How long are you staying?"
"Until my shift is over," Dennys answered while shoving his hands into the pockets of his jacket, "Boss wants to ensure the kid is settled,"
"Right," Vali ran a hand through her hair and finally looked over at Brock, "Brock," He jolted a bit and looked at her quickly before looking away with his cheeks flushing, "Kid, I'm not exactly in a good mood right now though it's not your fault, alright? The fault lies in your parents being absolute shit people and causing this situation though mainly your pops,"
Head bowing as he gripped the straps of his overly large backpack, Brock nodded slowly while swallowing heavily, "I-They said some things while everyone was being seperated," He clenched his fingers and Vali felt a bolt of sympathy knowing this had to be hard on him, "My dad-he's the one who mainly caused this...Isn't he?"
Letting out a sigh, Vali nodded despite knowing Brock wasn't looking at her, "He did though your mom isn't exactly innocent, Brock. I can't go into all the details as this is an active case, but the situation isn't good."
"Which is why we couldn't stay in Pewter despite Aunt Elizabeth," Brock shifted on his feet as he looked at Vali, "W-will I ever see them again?"
Nodding to him, Vali promised, "While it won't be soon, you will."
"A-alright," Brock's shoulders relaxed and Vali saw the weight visibly lift off of them, "Even if you don't really want me traveling along with you, I...I'll do my best to be a good traveling partner,"
Smiling lightly, Vali nodded to him, "That's all I can really ask though I'll admit to not expecting much since you've never actually gone on a journey," She caught sight of Grace walking out just as her pokenav's alarm rang, "Looks like this training sessions over, we'll get something to eat and I'll get you settled into a room at the pokemon center."
Looking at Brock as he stood awkwardly off to the side while Vali gave Gary some one on one time to help distract his best friend, Ash made the decision to go over to the older teen. Smiling warmly, he held out a hand earning a startled look while asking, "Do you want to come train with us? Vali's going to be busy with Gary for a bit."
"I-Uh, are you sure?" Brock's eyes flickered to Vali for a few moments.
Nodding as he grasped Brock's hand, Ash began to tug the older teen towards another section of the training grounds, "I'm sure," He shot a smile back towards Brock and felt the teen slowly relax, "It'll help us get to know one another on a more personal level since we'll be traveling together."
"Ah-right," Brock's entire body shifted into a way that told Ash how sad he was.
While part of him wanted to dig at that feeling and pull it away from the older teen, Ash knew better now that he was older. Instead he continued to pull Brock towards a more distant area of the training grounds before releasing the older teen's hand. Letting out his team, he prompted the older teen to do the same. Upon seeing only the younger Onix from his gym battle and a Geodude being released, he had to ask, "Are they your actual team?"
"Yeah," Brock nodded while greeting the pair with a soft smile, "I've raised both of them since they were babies,"
Grinning at that, Ash quickly began asking the older teen about what it'd been like to raise the pair which seemed to move Brock's move towards a positive side. Even as he introduced his own pokemon and gave their stories at Brock's own prompting, the teen's mood was relatively high as he mused over how healthy the younger teen's pokemon seemed to be. It was only when Vali called out to them about it being time to go eat that Brock's mood dropped which made him internally grimace and vowed to ask his sister about it.
Only when Vali had retired for the night did he see his chance, Ash begged off when Gary had pulled Brock into watching one of the televised matches from Hoenn. It took a few minutes before Vali allowed him into her room with a curious look. Licking his bottom lip as she gestured for him to sit down, he asked her, "Sis, why is Brock so sad?"
"Hu-" Vali's expression and aura shifted through a myriad of emotions before finally settling on sad as she let out a sigh, "I should've known you'd be the first to pick up on it,"
"Pick up on it?" Ash asked as Vali pulled out her egg case and opened it, "So...There's a reason why Brock's sad?"
Watching as Vali took out the red stained white/gray egg, Ash could see Vali's expression turn soft as she cradled it within her arms while moving towards the bed after grabbing a reddish microfiber cloth. Sitting down beside him, she began to clean the egg while saying, "Yes, Ash. You should ask Brock why he's sad though I'm guess there's a reason you're asking me."
Nodding as he saw her glance at him, Ash told Vali, "Every time he's become happy today when I'm around him, it disappears when he looks at you."
Pausing for a few moments as Vali released a sigh, she resumed her cleaning, "I suppose that is expected," Her lips pulled into a grimace, "Without revealing much, I uncovered some problems that affected Brock and his family. Specifically his parents," She looked at Ash, "Because of this, I don't think Brock likes me very much right now."
"But why is he here then?" Ash asked with a frown, "If he doesn't like you, shouldn't Brock have gone somewhere else?" He paused as a thought occurred to him, "Wait all those times you'd been busy and Surge being in Pewter," He gasped softly and stood up sharply, "The museum too! Is Brock in danger?"
There was a low sigh before Ash found himself being dragged back into his seat by the back of his shirt by Aragorn, Vali spoke as she stood up to return her egg to its case, "You really can put the most random things together and come up with the correct answer even without truly meaning it," She closed the case after ensuring the egg was secure before setting the case back into its former place, "I could get into so much trouble for answering you, but..." She ran a hand through her hair while turning back towards him, "You did figure things out in the end. Some things were wrong and others aren't exactly proven as of yet," She eyed him, "But yeah, Ash, Brock isn't exactly safe which is why he's with us."
Opening his mouth, Ash closed it as the realization of why Brock would be with him if he was in danger hit him. He slumped against Aragorn's side, "Because you're Lance's most trusted Elite, isn't it? Because you can keep him safe."
There was a slight flinch to Vali's aura, Ash wasn't able to comment on it as Vali said, "Yeah, Ash. That and the fact that I'm the only one actually moving around constantly," She sat back down, "Now," She looked at him sternly, "Can I trust you to keep this quiet and continue doing your best to help Brock adjust?"
"Yeah," Ash nodded earning a soft smile.
"Good," Vali pulled him into a tight hug, "Now, I really need to get some sleep because I've got more meetings tomorrow than anyone should've booked, but that's how politics and bullshit go," She released him, "So get out of here?"
Letting out a laugh, Ash nodded, "See you tomorrow, Sis."
Waving him away, Vali didn't bother getting up as Ash left her room. When he got into his own, Gary was sitting on his bed and looked at Ash in confusion, "Were you talking with Vali?"
"Just wanted to find out if we were doing one on one tomorrow or not," Ash took a seat on his bed, "She's going to be locked in meetings tomorrow,"
"Damn," Gary groaned while flopping against the bed, "Well, I'll go visit Ziggy tomorrow," Ash raised an eyebrow at the nickname making Gary flush, "It's only until I get Zigzagoon's preference and everything...If I'm able to keep them..."
"Right," Ash felt a bit bad for Gary, "Vali hasn't said anything yet?"
"No, she's been keeping tight lipped on it," Gary sighed heavily, "I really hope Ziggy's mine though. They're getting better every day and they look so happy when I'm visiting. Nurse Joy even lets me hold them for a bit towards the end of the visits now,"
Heart hurting just a bit, Ash murmured, "I hope you'll get to keep them...So Nurse Joy hasn't been able to find out their gender?"
"She'll be able to find out tomorrow," Gary answered earning a smile, "According to Nurse Joy and Gramps, Galarian Zigzagoon don't present their genders until their four week and a half weeks old at the least. While it sucks that Ziggy had to go through all this crap, we know she's at the very least four and a half weeks old as of tomorrow,"
"That's awesome," Ash laid back in his own bed, "I think I'll go wandering around the markets. Maybe see if Brock wants to come with me,"
There was a sound of discontent from Gary, the brunette groaned out, "Really? Dude, I get that he's kind of cool, but still don't you think it's weird that Vali brought him back with her today?"
Biting his tongue to keep from telling Gary the real reason Brock had been brought along, Ash told his best friend, "Look, Gare, we have to at the very least be nice to him. 'Sides, it's not like Brock makes it hard, right?"
"...True," Gary sighed deeply, "I don't like it though,"
Hands curled around a pair of steam cups, Vali leaned against the Cerulean City courthouse wall and sipped out of one. She smiled as an excited cry sounded moments before a very familiar Raichu popped up to hug her knee. Looking towards the direction where it'd come from, she held out the untouched cup earning a grateful grunt from Surge as he stomped up looking like he'd just barely managed to roll out of bed. After he'd taken the cup from her, she bent down to pet the Raichu, "So, I take it the Safari Zone and Fuschia were fun?"
"Fucking understatement," Surge slumped against the wall beside her, "I'll send ya my findings even though I know for a fact you've already got them,"
Letting out a laugh, Vali shook her head, "It's always good to have multiple points of view besides Charles wants to have a proper report," She eyed Surge as he snorted tiredly, "You going to be okay for these meetings?"
"Is Gold?" Surge asked making her snicker.
"At least I haven't been tromping around through the wilderness," Gold walked up carrying his own cup of coffee, "You look like shit,"
Pushing herself up, Vali spoke before a fight could actually start up since she doubted Surge was in a playful mood right now, "Shall we head in since we're all here? While I'm fine with letting them wait a bit longer, it'll be better if we can get this over with sooner rather than later."
Grunting as he pushed himself up, Surge nodded, "Right."
"Yeah," Gold moved towards the door, "You've got the paperwork for your sides of things, right?"
Holding up her set of paperwork, Vali glanced at Surge and saw him holding up a thin file which had her inwardly sighing in relief as they soon made their way inside the courthouse. As with any case involving abused pokemon, Surge was called in to oversee the pokemon's case once Nurse Joy deemed the pokemon well enough. As he'd cleared Vali as another person capable of rehabilitating pokemon, she could be called in. With the case involving a breeder, Gold had been brought in as he held the highest ranking status as a pokemon Breeder among Indigo. As all three of them had a personal relationship with Gary, an impartial fourth party was brought in, in the form of Gym Leader Chuck.
After a few greetings, everyone got settled in the room they were using for the proceedings and began to discuss the case in length. As Vali leaned back in her chair, she could already feel a headache coming along even though they'd barely begun. If there was one thing she loathed, it was long drawn out court cases when there wasn't a true need for them.
Holding Ziggy in his arms, Gary smiled brightly as the female Galarian Zigzagoon licked his cheek. He actually giggled and pulled his head away only to frown when she let out a whine. Looking up, he grinned at seeing Vali entering the room, "Hey, Sis!" He looked down at Ziggy, "Easy, Girl. It's just my sister," Ziggy made a noise of confusion and he quickly explained, "I know we don't smell similar enough for that, but she is," He looked at Vali who was smiling softly, "Vali, what's up?"
"It's good to see how well you two are getting along," Vali bent down and held out her hand to Ziggy.
After a few moments of staring at Vali's offered fingers, Ziggy sniffed them gently before licking them. Feeling a bit anxious since he knew Vali wouldn't be here unless her meetings were over, Gary asked, "Soo...What happened during your meetings?"
Pulling her fingers away from where they'd been gently running across Ziggy's ears, Vali explained, "It was decided that she," She gestured to Ziggy, "Will be placed in my care," He blinked in surprise at that, "And since we're traveling together, you will be observed by me during the next month. Mostly to see how you two interact and based on how things go..."
"She'll be transferred to me?" Gary asked with wide eyes earning a soft laugh.
"She's already yours, Gary. But this is just to ensure it's a right fit," Vali stood up properly, "Now this little one needs to stay in here for another couple of days, we'll have to do daily check ins after that until we leave Cerulean,"
"Gotcha," Gary felt the tightness in his chest ease, "Vali...thank you for this,"
Shaking her head, Vali patted his shoulder, "Don't thank me, Gare. This was all you, I just had to help it along," She turned away, "I'm heading to the market to grab a couple things. Enjoy your time with her."
"Will do," Gary smiled brightly as Vali left and looked at Ziggy with a grin, "We're not being seperated, girl!"
Walking through the market with Brock, Ash saw a lot of interesting things for sale though didn't go out of his way to buy them. While he did have money that could be spared on more frivolous things as Vali would consider them, the knowledge that as his team grew things would become more expensive caused him to hesitate. He glanced at Brock as the elder teen commented, "You're just window shopping?"
"Pretty much," Ash rubbed the back of his neck as they drifted by many stalls, "While I've got 'extra' money, I know it's smarter to save it. After all, my team isn't going to stay this small forever and with the colder seasons coming, it's only going to make things a bit harder when we travel even if Vali'll make sure we get to a pokemon center when things get too cold,"
While it was still very hot out, Ash knew that fall wouldn't be that far off and with it winter. So planning ahead was a must especially if they would be on the road for those seasons, he really didn't want to freeze too badly as the cold really drained him sometimes. He looked at Brock as the elder teen mused, "My younger siblings never really thought much when it came to shopping. If they wanted something, they'd ask for it...I just tried to budget it as best I could."
Feeling Brock's emotions twist sadly, Ash reached out to pat Brock's arm earning a look. Smiling brightly, he told him, "We can always pick out gifts for them, ya know? Not right now, we'll find interesting things while we're traveling and see if Vali can send them to your siblings. After all, it would be a nice surprise especially if you can send them a Christmas gift, ya know?"
Blinking a bit, Brock slowly smiled as his emotions brightened, "Yeah...yeah, you're right, Ash," He let out a low laugh, "You're a really intuitive kid, ya know?"
"That's what Vali says," Ash shrugged only to pause as Pikachu tugged at his hair, "Buddy? What's up?"
Pikachu pointed towards a stall near the waterside and feeling how interested his partner was, Ash decided to give it a look. Brock followed him with an interested expression, "What did he see?"
"Some kind of stall," Ash answered and slowly a grin formed at seeing Surge of all people standing there with one of his Raichu perched on a shoulder, "Surge!"
Turning towards them, Surge grinned as Raichu waved though didn't make a sound as the mouse had it's mouth stuffed full with a hotdog. Holding back a laugh, Ash walked over to Surge though he noticed Brock slowing a bit. Surge's grin grew as he approached, "Good to see ya, Brat. Heard from the kid that you managed to catch a fairy."
"Clefairy's awesome," Ash nodded his head, "I've got Electrike with me rather than Pidgeotto since the mountain would've been too cramped. How long are you staying?"
"For a couple of hours, I take it you're asking after a training session?" Surge raised an eyebrow at him and Ash nodded earning a feral grin, "Good to see ya still got sense," He turned his head, "Grab me two more of those dogs, a pair for the kid as well,"
"On it!" The tent owner nodded quickly and began to fry up some more hot dogs.
Crossing his arms, Surge looked at Brock, "So you're traveling with the kid and her brats now?"
"Ah-yes, sir," Brock began to look down at the ground.
"It's going to be interesting," Ash quickly added earning a look from both Surge and Brock, "I mean Vali traveling with us was going to be awesome anyway, but having a Gym Leader means getting another strong trainer to give us tips, ya know? Gary's been complaining, but I don't mind it,"
Laughing as he shook his head, Surge grinned, "He was never one to take advantage of that shit."
When the hot dogs were done, Surge paid for them and handed Ash two. Giving Pikachu one, Ash began to eat as they started walking towards the pokemon center. Surge began to ask about everything he'd done since they'd last seen one another.
"I-Thank you," Brock slowly took the water bottle from Vali, "How did you know I'd be up here?"
Taking a seat beside him, Vali shrugged her shoulders, "Eli," She saw him flush a bit, "Though it's not just because of my psychic-type," She looked out towards the waves that rolled in the distance, "You aren't the only one who likes high places when they're not in the best mood."
"You must find it weird that a rock-type specialist would find solace in a high place," Brock looked at the water bottle in his hands.
Shaking her head, Vali began taking out her pack of cigarettes earning a look from Brock as he heard the rustle of fabric, "No," She ignored his sharp intake of breath as she pulled out a cig and lit it before stowing the pack away, "After all, we both know you never really wanted to be a Gym Leader. And to be honest, a specialist doesn't have to be stuck with just a single type of pokemon. Have you seen my team?"
"T-true," Brock's eyes were stuck on her cig.
Rolling her eyes as she took a drag, Vali informed him, "I smoke. I drink on rare occasions. I also fuck around when a certain someone isn't up my ass," She snickered at the way Brock flushed, "So relax, I'm not about to bite your head off."
"I...You're not like how you've been portraying yourself to the media or even in meetings, are you?" Brock asked earning a snicker.
"You're half right," Vali waved a hand around, "What you've seen are faces that I like to show, they all contain bits and pieces of who I really am. By using these faces, masks, in certain places, I can move about more easily,"
"That's-I-Wow," Brock leaned back on his hands, "So when you're with Ash and Gary, the person that I've been thrown by...it's been you,"
"Yup," Vali smiled lightly, "So," She looked at Brock, "Want to tell me what all those deep thoughts were about?"
Quiet for a long while, Brock spoke as his eyes went to the harbor, "Back during those first battles, I could see it and then the gym battle against him only solidified it. It wasn't until today that I realized just how..." He seemed to be struggling to come up with a word, "Ash, isn't a normal kid, is he? He isn't a psychic because I'd gotten a list of all starting psychics like everyone else at the years start. So..." He looked at Vali, "What is he?"
And that question just showed Vali how little Brock had been told, she against felt a flash of anger towards his parents though managed to push it back. Speaking in a kind tone, she informed him, "An aura user."
"Aura? But they're extinct," Brock looked at her in disbelief.
"Almost," Vali corrected while leaning back on her hands, "Well outside of certain areas, the higher ups don't really want anyone knowing just where," She did because of being the Flame Bearer and being the eldest Moltres' student, "Don't go spreading it around that you've met one, alright?"
"I won't," Brock promised earning a light smile, "Though why doesn't he have a Riolu or Lucario?"
"One hasn't chosen him yet," Vali still didn't quite understand the process even if Riley had tried to explain it three separate times, "When the time comes, they'll join up with him and be another partner,"
Pressing a hand to his forehead, Brock muttered, "My head hurts."
"Considering all the fact, it's going to as long as we travel together," Vali only felt a little sympathy for the teen as he hadn't even touched the surface yet since he'd likely end up involved with Legendaries if he stayed long enough, "But have your questions been answered? The original ones?"
"To a point," Brock sat up, "I...This will take getting used to, I've known that since they mentioned I'd be traveling with someone, but...I'll deal with it," He gained a determined look, "After all, I'll be able to figure out how to achieve my dream once this is all over,"
Nodding as she finished her cig, Vali pushed herself up and patted his arm, "Yeah. I'm heading to get some shut eye as today's been a fuck all. I'd suggest you do the same, Brock."
"I will," Brock replied as Vali began heading towards the door, "Though Vali?" She hummed while pausing to glance back at him, "I-Thanks for actually taking some time to speak with me, I know you don't have to. If anything, you're probably annoyed at having to deal with me. So I really appreciate this,"
Smiling slightly, Vali told him, "It's no problem, Brock. After all, we're traveling together now. Just do me a favor and keep an eye on the boys? They're trouble magnets if you haven't heard and I could honestly use the help."
Laughing as he nodded, Brock promised, "I will."
Open swept past in the moon rose high over head, Steven breathed in the salty sea air as Metagross spoke from behind him, "Master, you should come inside. It's become quite late."
"In a bit," Steven's eyes were drawn to the swollen moon and his mind went back to his last full moon trip across the open ocean.
There was utter stillness in the water below, Steven felt nervous as his eyes peered down at the blackened depths. If there was ever a moment where he wished to be in the mountains, it was this one. A soft giggle sounded seconds before a warm hand grasped his and he looked up to see Vali smiling encouragingly at him. Somehow despite the fact her most opposite element surrounded them, she hadn't lost her cheer. Tugging at his hand, she said, "C'mon, Steven. You can't be that nervous on the water."
"It's dark under there despite the full moon," Steven let her tug him across the boat, "And we're apparently going in despite the fact it'd be saner to wait until tomorrow,"
There was a rumbling laugh from ahead of them, Lance's fiery red hair was like a beacon even in the moonlight. Cynthia's blonde looked white in the light much like his own. Smile bright much like Vali's own, Lance spoke as he continued to tug on diving equipment, "Because the cave Cynthia discovered is only visible on full moon nights."
"Not to mention, Lumineon and Finneon in this area have a specific pattern that is only visible during nights like this," Vali added as she dropped his hand to help Cynthia put on her wet suit, "I've been wanting to take pictures of that pattern for months!"
"And," Cynthia smiled encouragingly at Steven, "If we find the cave, we might just find some mega-stones that haven't been documented yet,"
Breath catching at the reminder, Steven finally took the wet suit from Lance, "Fine, but if we don't find anything in an hour we're coming up."
But they'd found so much more than that cave, Vali had managed to find and document two new subspecies of Finneon that could only be found in that area. Between himself and Cynthia, they managed to uncover an entire underwater temple as well as several chests full of mega stones that had gone unnoticed. While inside the temple, Lance had caught himself a Dragalge mating pair and a female Kingdra for his clan. And within the depths of that temple, they'd all discovered markings belonging to Manaphy and Kyogre which had provided more information on Hoenn's beginnings than he'd ever really expected despite the temple being so far away from Hoenn's furthest island. By the time they'd finally left the water, it'd been nearly dawn and oxygen was quite thin even with their pokemon retrieving more from the boat.
Shaking those memories away as Metagross let out a metallic groan, he laid a hand on his partner's side when they settled beside him. Metagross rumbled out, "Those times will return soon."
"Hopefully," Steven couldn't fight the feeling that something was changing.
Ash's Team:
1. Pidgeotto
Female
2. Electrike
Male
3. Pikachu
Male
4. Blitzle
Female
5. Clefairy
Male
Gary's Team:
1. Weepinbell
Male
2. Squirtle
Male
3. Spearow
Female
Vali's present team:
1. Balto/ Arcanine
Male
2. Smaug/ Charizard
Male
3. Elrond/ Alolan-Raichu
Male
4. Eowyn/ Houndoom
Female
5. Aragorn/ Vulpix-King-Gene
Male
6. Pele/ Camerupt
Female
7. Celina/ Pidgeot
Female
8. Thorin/ Flareon
Male
9. Arwen/ Rapidash
Female
10. Galadrial/ Chandelure
Female
11. Nazgul/ Gengar-Shiny
Male
12. Irmo/ Pyroar
Male
13. Ortho/ Furret
Male
14. Noldor/ Smeargle
Male
15. Terra/ Tyranitar
Female
16. Empress/ Salamence
Female
17. Idril/ Sandslash-Shiny
Female
18. Pippin/ Luxray
Male
19. Bombur/ Dewgong
Male
20. Balrog/ Magmar
Male
21. Khione/ Aurorus
Female
22. Rosie/ Meganium
Female
23. Balin/ Typhlosion
Male
24. Disa/ Jolteon
Female
25. Absol
Male
26. Noibat
Male