Ash sat upon a bench behind Ecruteak City's Pokemon Center. His body ached after having used so much Aura in such a short time. So, when the others decided to pay a visit to the famous Kimono Girls, Ash opted out. Though a reunion would have certainly been delightful, he simply wasn't up for it at the moment. Nor was he currently in the mood to have anyone hounding him over his reputation, so entering the Pokemon Center was out of the question.

Of course, there was the call from Mr. Star as well. He hadn't answered immediately so that he could properly sit himself down, so he'd likely be hearing an earful from the old man. Begrudgingly, he activated his Secretary Bot. "Hey, Holo-Alice," He said, causing the holographic imitation of Mr. Star's secretary to appear. "Call Mr. Star."

It bowed in response, disappearing and replacing itself with a simplistic blue and white image of a house phone. It wasn't long before the familiar face of the old man appeared, cheerful as ever. "Ash, my boy!" Jubilantly cried Mr. Star.

Ash managed to give a laugh. "Hey," He said with a small wave. "What's going on, Mr. Star?"

The old man beamed at him, twiddling his moustache. "Why, I'm here to congratulate you, Ash! I expected this mission to take at least a week or so, yet you've already taken it down!" He laughed, puffing out his broad, round belly. Coughing into his hand, he sat up in his chair and righted himself. "But of course, there's no rest for the wicked."

"Another mission?" Questioned Ash.

Mr. Star nodded. "You needn't go after it right away. By all means, take the rest of the day off. The mission is still within Johto as is, so it shouldn't take you too long to reach it." The screen flickered, replacing the video feed of Mr. Star with what appeared to be several photos from above. They looked down upon grisled men in front of caged Pokemon.

Ash immediately scowled at the sight. "Poachers? I'm more than game to take them down."

"Indeed they are," Said the old man. "And to that end, I have both good and bad news." The screen once again changed, now showing five men. One was bald, sporting a cruel smile and wielding some kind of thin, wiry tool. Another appeared to be a literal giant. There was one who's clothes covered most of his body, preventing Ash from seeing his face. And there was one that seemed completely out of place, wearing glasses, looking orderly and generally seeming like he should have been anywhere else than with his current company.

At their head was a tall man only trumped in height by the giant. He had a large, fat gut, but somehow had muscle everywhere else. He appeared to be grinning cruelly at a sight before him: Dozens of cages filled to the brim with Pokemon, and sacks that appeared to be filled with Pokeballs attached to each cage. The sight made Ash's blood boil.

"These," Said Mr. Star, "Were the most dangerous and efficient known poacher group since the infamous Hunter J. We knew very little about them, other than the name of their group and that they were very valued by Team Rocket."

Ash noted, "You keep saying 'were.' Are they disbanded or something?"

He heard a short chuckle from Mr. Star that almost sounded as if he was spitting in utter disgust. It took Ash by surprise. "The Hell Hunters," Hissed Mr. Star, "As they called themselves, the cheeky cretins, have recently disappeared after journeying to Kanto. Though, not before emptying Ilex Forest of the few Pokemon that remained there."

"Is that the good news?"

"Right you are, my boy," Confirmed the old man, "Though every light is followed by a shadow these days it seems." The images on screen returned to the smaller group of poachers. "The one thing the Hell Hunters were good for was keeping other poachers out of business. Now that they're gone, many smaller ones have become very active in an attempt to take the Hell Hunters' spot as Team Rocket's pets. These ones in particular have been troublesome."

Ash nodded, his hand instinctively reaching for a Pokeball and itching for action. Pikachu's cheeks sparked dangerously as he mirrored Ash's anger. He could feel the same from his other Pokemon. "Point me in a direction and I'll have them behind bars before Team Rocket can say their dumb motto."

The screen changed back to show Mr. Star. "While I'm glad that you're as eager as I am, you really should get some rest. It won't do to have you overexerting yourself." Ash noted that in spite of the old man's warning to be careful, there was a glint in his eye that he recognized. He could tell that Mr. Star wanted nothing more than for the poachers to fall as quickly as possible just as much as he did.

He was snapped out of his train of thought when Mr. Star spoke once more. "But I suppose you shouldn't have much trouble," He said with a dismissive wave. "Even though these poachers are technically the runner-ups behind the Hell Hunters, my intel has detected nothing from them that suggests they're anywhere near as much of a threat." He chuckled dryly, leaning back into his chair. "Maybe if they were, they and the Hell Hunters would have taken each other out by now."

Mr. Star's head perked up suddenly. "Oh, but I'm getting off track. Like I was saying, you shouldn't have much trouble with them thanks to that Aura of yours." Ash grimaced. "On top of that," Continued the old man with a growing smirk, "You have all those friends and Pokemon of yours. I'll be looking forward to watching you beat the snot out of those fiends when I survey the mission data."

"Erm," Started Ash sheepishly, "You haven't seen this mission's data yet?"

"Hm?" Mr. Star glanced at his computer screen. "Goodness, no. It arrived as soon as you completed the mission, which wasn't too long ago, so I haven't had the time. Why do you ask?"

Ash rubbed his arm in embarrassment. Pikachu gave him a look of concern, tilting his head at his friend. "You see," Said Ash, "I've been exerting a lot of my Aura a lot today. So much so that it ended up going out of control, and now I…" He turned away from the camera and muttered, "...Can't even walk right now."

He winced upon seeing the surprise in Mr. Star's eyes. "Wait," He said. "You...overused it? So you can't use it right now?" Ash further shrunk at that, expecting an earful from his elder. He was pleasantly surprised when Mr. Star simply said, "I didn't even know that was possible! It was my belief that it had a limitless stock since it came directly from that being named Aura."

Before Ash could get a word in, the old man huffed. "Goodness, Ash, you really must take care of yourself."

There it was. "I know, Mr. Star," Ash reassured him. "I'll be careful when taking those poachers out. I've still got a long way before I get a handle on this-"

"No, not that," Interjected Mr. Star. "Well, not just that. I don't want you putting too much pressure on yourself is all."

Ash gave him an odd look. "If I wait, more Pokemon will be hurt. Aren't we taking on a criminal organization?"

That earned a small chuckle out of the oldster. "Well, yes, we are. But I simply mean in general. You told me you were exhausted, so take a break!" Ash went to protest, but Mr. Star quickly held up his hand to stop him. "Believe me, Ash, if I were still in my heyday, I'd be right by your side. But I suppose the tradeoff with getting older is wisdom for energy. So believe me when I tell you that pushing yourself too hard is self-destructive."

"But I-"

"No, Ash," He said firmly. "If you try to fight them like this, then you'll only get yourself hurt. What happens to all the other Pokemon that need saving if you do that?" Ash opened his mouth to retort, only for nothing to come out. "Exactly. You must know, Ash, that while our goal is to save Pokemon, it is also to inspire people to do the same and help return our world to a state of somewhat normalcy. And how would that happen, you may ask?"

Mr. Star pointed to Ash, a kind smile on his gentle face. "You, Ash. You saved the world once. Now you're doing it again. When word spreads that you, who defeated Necrozma and saved the world, are now trying to save it again, people will join our cause. But that can't happen if you get injured or, Arceus forbid, die on one of your missions because you pushed yourself too hard. So in short..."

"You already saved the world once, Ash. You don't need to get yourself killed doing it again."

At last, a smile of Ash's own crept up to meet that of the old man's. "...Thanks, Mr. Star," Ash said. "I think I get what you mean now."

Mr. Star chuckled. "That's good. I'm glad I can at least be of some use cooped up in here." He turned around to the nearest window. At his altitude from within Star Tower, the sky already appeared to be turning orange. "Goodness me!" He exclaimed with widened eyes. "Look at the time! Why, I must have been talking your ears off!"

With a laugh, Ash shook his head and replied, "Not a chance. Talking with you is always a pleasure, Mr. Star."

The old man turned back around to face Ash, a bright smile on his face. "I'm quite glad to hear that. In that case, feel free to call me whenever you like. I'll be happy to answer when I can."

Ash nodded. "Will do, Mr. Star."

"Then I suppose I'll let you rest up for the night. Remember to take it easy."

With that, Mr. Star turned off the call. Holo-Alice appeared in his place, bowing to Ash. She asked, "Will there be anything else?" Ash shook his head. "Very well. Good-night, Ash." With that, she bowed once more and disappeared, turning the Secretary Bot off with her.

Ash leaned back into the bench, taking in a deep breath before he pushed himself back onto his feet. He wobbled for a moment, much to Pikachu's worry, but he managed to keep himself upright. "Don't worry, buddy," He said to Pikachu, flashing a smile back at his partner. "That call was...refreshing. So I'm definitely feeling better."

He held his arm out for Pikachu to jump onto. When the mouse Pokemon obliged, it felt the arm waver for a moment, but it held steady. When Pikachu gave him a concerned look, Ash merely laughed. "What? It's just tired, like after exercising." Pikachu shook his head, knowing that he was admittedly probably right.

Ash and the others had departed from Ecruteak City the next morning. Though Ash still mourned the lost opportunity of a reunion with the Kimono Girls, he decided the poachers were of vastly greater importance. To that end, he decided to give Mr. Star a call to relay the details of the mission since, as Ash believed for his own good, he hadn't divulged it in its entirety.

He tapped his Secretary Bot's screen, causing Holo-Alice to appear once more. "Good morning, Ash," It greeted. "How may I be of service?"

Ash asked, "Could you ring up Mr. Star? We want to know the details of our next mission."

"My sincerest apologize, but that is not possible," The hologram replied, much to Ash's chagrin. "Mr. Star is currently in a meeting with his Councilmen."

That notion intrigued Tobias. "Councilmen?"

The hologram nodded. "They are powerful individuals who aid Mr. Star in terms of financial decisions regarding the Star Foundation and its goals. I am not permitted to divulge any information beyond that."

Gary shrugged. "Makes sense that the guy couldn't work his wonders alone. Gramps has a lot of help managing the Pokemon of Pallet Town trainers as well as all his research." He couldn't help but to smirk at the memories of his time spent as his grandfather's assistant. Handling dozens of rowdy Pokemon, especially the numerous Taurus that Ash caught, was certainly a handful. "...Yeah. I imagine he needs a lot of help."

"I wonder if we'll ever meet them," Pondered Serena as her vision tilted toward the sky. "If they're anything like Mr. Star, then they'd probably be real nice."

To shoot down that thought as quickly as possible, Holo-Alice shook its head and said, "That is unlikely. Like Mr. Star, they are almost always busy." To demonstrate what she meant, she showed a picture of the literal tower of paperwork atop Mr. Star's desk. "Your meeting with Mr. Star in and of itself was, technically, a business decision, which is the only reason it occured at all. It is often, if not always, that they spend their days at their desks filing papers."

Paul scoffed indignantly. "So basically we're just not worth their time of day despite the fact we're doing their dirty work?" He chuckled dryly. "What a nice way to put it."

"I'm sure they don't mean it like that," Tobias suggested optimistically. "After all, look at what they and Mr. Star already accomplished!"

Paul's narrowed eyes appeared to lax at that, but if that answer actually sated him or not, he did not say. Holo-Alice then spoke up once more. "However," He said, "Like before, I can relay this mission's details to you."

The screen now showed the same image Mr. Star showed Ash the previous day: A group of poachers leering over their captured and caged Pokemon. The image caused a small uproar amidst the group. "Ah!" Cried Gary, Serena and Tobias. Ash and Paul merely scowled at it wordlessly. "Are those…?!"

Holo-Alice nodded, confirming their fears. "Indeed. These are poachers. Though they should pose little problem to you, given your power." Ash heard an empty chuckle dryer than bone under Tobias's breath. "Recently, the entire poaching 'industry' has suffered both a blow and gained a boon in the loss of the most dangerous of their kind, the Hell Hunters. Though they as a whole are now less dangerous, they have also become more active in light of their new lack of competition."

Gary grinned eagerly. "And it's our job to stomp them out before they can get big heads?"

"Just so," Confirmed the hologram, returning to her 'bodily' form in place of the picture. "In time, you and the secondary group will come to blows with many of these groups. It is Mr. Star's hope that such action will inspire a mirror effect from the public."

"Ahh." Tobias nodded along to Holo-Alice's plan, a wry grin creeping up on his face. "So we get to take out poachers and inspire new hope in the public. That way, we offset the influence of Team Rocket and get a head start in bringing some sense back to the world."

Nodding again, Holo-Alice next showed a map of Johto. It zoomed in to a point between Ecruteak City and Olivine City, to a corner at Route 38's end and 39's beginning. "The Star Foundation's intel believes this particular group is currently active here. Due to your close proximity, Mr. Star suggested this mission. It will also serve as a 'kickstart' of sorts, he believes, since the first mission did not go according to plan.

Ash looked behind him to the diminishing sight of Ecruteak City. "It's a good thing we came out the east exit," He mused, "Otherwise we'd be halfway to Mahogany Town by now."

"Which means we may be close," Paul said. In spite of Ash's Auric fatigue, he could sense his old rival's eagerness to put the poachers down. Frankly, he was in the same boat. He felt the five Pokeballs on his belt twitching anxiously. The grin Pikachu was giving him told him he felt the same, Aura or not.

"There is one last thing," Said Holo-Alice. When the group's attention was focused back upon it, the hologram changed to show a loose, blurry photo of something yellow and black. It appeared to be moving so fast that it was in multiple places. Lightning laced its hands and legs. "Our intel claims that this poacher group is hunting a Legendary Pokemon."

Everyone's eyes collectively widened. "A Legendary Pokemon?!" Exclaimed Serena. "Here?!"

Tobias squinted his eyes at the picture, attempting to make out what exactly it was. "A yellow Legendary Pokemon that wields lightning." He scoffed, shaking his head. "That can only be Raikou. Figures that the literal second we help it, poachers try to catch it."

"I dunno," Said Ash, tilting his head. "Raikou doesn't stand on two legs like this one does. And I've never seen this Pokemon in the Hall of Origins, so maybe it isn't a Legendary?"

Paul suddenly started walking ahead of the group in spite of the protests that action spurred on. "It won't matter what it is once we take the poachers out of the equation." He turned his head back to them with narrowed eyes. "And what are you waiting for? The longer you waste time trying to figure it out, the more time they have to capture it!"

With that, he continued forward, unapologetic of how far ahead he was getting. Though the group had qualms about his attitude, all save for Gary held back their tongues. "What a frustrating guy," He said with a chuckle. "He's a total jerk, but he's always right when being one, y'know? It's impossible to argue with him."

Ash frowned, recalling Infernape's rise to glory from the Chimchar Paul abused. "...Not always," He said, following after the purple-haired trainer. That was something Paul himself could attest to, given his earlier behavior shift at the Rings of the Lost. A confused Gary looked to Serena and Tobias for any clue as to what he meant, finding none. With a shrug, he and the others began walking after the two.

Unbeknownst to Ash and the others, they were being watched from behind. Lying in wait for a time most ripe, a certain trio hid, giggling to themselves like children on a playground. A purple-haired man and his partner with fiery pink hair that stretched at an impossible angle. The two wore matching white outfits with a large red 'R' on the suits' chest. Of course, with them, there was also a Meowth that stood on two legs. Together, they leered at Ash with nefarious grins.

"Did you hear that?" Whispered Jessie.

With an eager nod, James replied, "Indeed I did."

Meowth cried, "A Legendary Pokemon! Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"If you're thinking that we beat the twerps and the poachers to the punch and swipe it for ourselves," Guessed Jessie, a devilish glint in her eye, "Then yes."

Devolving into a fit of giggling over their ingenious plan, the trio dipped into the bushes. They raised their camouflage up, carrying it along with them as they snuck behind their targets. Though they could not see it from their angle, their feet stuck out from underneath the moving bushes for all to see. Luckily for them, the surrounding fields, once teeming with trainers and Pokemon, were now so empty that there was nobody to notice them.

Ash and the others soon came upon what appeared to be a farm with a large pasture. Its wooden fences appeared shoddy; nothing more than some logs stacked together and tied with rope. Anyone could climb over it, be it human or Pokemon. Which, Ash presumed, would have made the poachers' efforts all the easier.

He looked around the area with squinted eyes as he tried to make out any suspicious figures but, alas, his Aura was currently too weak to sense anyone further than his group or increase the potency of his vision. It didn't help that the entire farm appeared to be on a higher elevation. "...Doesn't seem to be anyone around here," He said. "I don't hear any Pokemon either."

"That's how most places are these days, Ash," Said Gary wistfully. "Pretty much everywhere, most Pokemon have become reclusive and prefer to be deep inside forests, caves and other areas that aren't out in the open."

Serena frowned as she looked upon the pasture. She spotted an old wooden sign that appeared to not have been managed for months. It was crooked, rotted and the words were scarcely visible anymore. "Moomoo farm," She read aloud, "Home of the world-famous Moomoo Milk. I wonder if they're still open?"

"Now that I think about it," Said Gary, smirking up at the farm, "They probably are. I think I saw a few stands for Moomoo Milk back in New Goldenrod."

That brought on a relieved smile from Ash. "Well, at least there's something that wasn't scarred by the war." He looked back to the group, pointing his thumb up at the farm behind him. "Say, why don't we stop by the place and take some for the road?" Realizing something, he tapped the Secretary Bot, causing Holo-Alice to appear. "Hey, how close is this to where the poachers were last seen?"

With a bow, Holo-Alice replaced the image of itself with that of Johto's regional map. It zoomed in to the approximate point they were at, marked by a blue dot, then showed where the poachers were last sighted, which was marked by a red one. "You are approximately ninety-two meters from where the poachers were last sighted."

Ash looked up to the farm with narrowed eyes. "That close, huh? Let's hope they didn't come here and make any trouble for the farmers."

Wasting no time, Tobias stepped ahead of the group. "All the more reason to check the place out, eh?" He leapt up to grab the elevated ground's edge and pull himself up where he squirmed underneath the haphazard fencing. When he made it up, he grinned down at them and beckoned for them to follow him. "Maybe if the poachers are troubling them, they might give us some freebies when we take those punks out?"

Eager to get into action, or just get his hands on some free Moomoo Milk, he began to walk toward a large barn at the farm's northern end. "Didn't figure the strongest trainer to be a cheapskate," Joked Gary as the group watched him leave.

Ash, however, was more sympathetic. "Well, I can't imagine life was easy since the war without his Pokemon."

"...That reminds me," Paul spoke up. He turned to Ash and said, "When we fought in the Lily of the Valley Conference, the announcer said each participant's town or city name."

At that, Ash looked to the sky in thought. "I can't remember what he said."

"That's the thing, Ash," Said Paul. "I don't think he ever did say the name of Tobias's home."

Serena's face wrinkled. "Do...do you think that-"

She was cut off all of a sudden when Tobias suddenly came running back to them. "Hey, guys!" He cried. His feet practically skidded into the dirt when he stopped, slamming his hands onto the log fence. His eyes were wide with a horror they'd never seen from the once great trainer before. He pointed back to the barn. "Follow me! Quickly! I think we found our poachers!"

With that, he took off like a bullet back toward the barn. Quickly shaking off their surprise, the others nodded to one another, then hastily climbed up onto the pasture to race after him. When they caught up to Tobias, he was huddled next to the door. He silently motioned for them to be quiet, so they quickly came to a halt and crouched down like him.

When the group approached the barn, Tobias motioned for them to put their ears up to the doors. There were voices yelling on the inside. Two sounded gruff, scratchy and were unpleasant to listen to. Two others appeared to be pleading. A woman, and what seemed like a much older man.

"For the last time," Someone said, "Hand over the Miltanks. Unless you feel like turning your farm into a grave, that is."

Another said cruelly, "You're already beat, old man. We'll be taking every Pokemon you have, so why don't you make it easier on all of us and just tell us where you're hiding it?!" A loud bang was heard from inside, along with the sound of cracking wood. "We're not object to having our Pokemon attack people that aren't cooperative."

"P-please," The old man begged, "J-just leave us be! This farm, and our Pokemon, are all we have! We've never hurt anyone!"

One of the gruff men scoffed. "Well, we're about to start hurting people if you don't hand over the Miltank right now. Mightyena, use-"

Ash jumped at the door handle and ripped it open, throwing Sceptile's Pokeball inside. The two men whipped around, but before either of them could blink, Sceptile zipped behind them and delivered a kick to their behinds that sent them flying outside. "What in the-?!" One of them cried. The two turned back to their attackers, only to have the bodies of their Pokemon flung right into their faces.

"You guys check on the people inside," Ash told his friends as he made his way toward the two punks. Without taking his eyes off either of them, he reached down to his belt and threw the four remaining Pokeballs. Just as the men were regaining their bearings, they soon found themselves surrounded by a Charizard, Greninja, Hydreigon and Noivern. And they did not look happy.

"The hell is this?!" One of them demanded. He kicked off his Mightyena to stand up, earning a pained yelp from the wolf Pokemon as well as darker glares from the four that surrounded them. Ignoring the surrounding Pokemon, he pointed at his aggressor and ordered, "Mightyena, use-" But then he saw exactly who he was dealing with. A very angry Ash marched toward him brazenly. At his sides were Pikachu and Sceptile, poised to strike.

Both of the men's eyes went wide with fear. "H-holy mother of…"

"It's Ash!"

Ash couldn't help but to smirk. Finally, a part of his new fame that was useful. "Say," He said, glaring into their eyes. Though he knew he couldn't currently use his Aura properly, he activated it enough to turn his eyes a silvery-white. "You two wouldn't happen to know about a group of poachers nearby, would you?"

They turned to run in the opposite direction, but Sceptile sped past them and blocked their path. The leaves on his wrists became sharper and glowed upon the activation of Leaf Blade. "Nice try," Said Ash, turning their attention back on him, "But you're not getting away. Before I put you two behind bars, why don't you answer my question?"

"D-damn!" Cursed one of the men. He was shorter than the one with the Mightyena, and slimmer as well. "We can't fight Ash! We'll be crushed!"

The larger of the two looked past Ash to the woods behind the barn. "We gotta make a run for it and find the boss!"

"The boss?" Questioned an intrigued Ash. "So you are with the poachers. Sorry, but I'm not letting either of you get away."

In response to that, the smaller of the two men threw out a Krokorok. "I ain't going to jail!" He declared with a fiery spit. "Krokorok, use Stone Edge!"

The crocodile Pokemon nodded to its master. It arched its back, crying out its name as a multitude of jagged stones manifested around itself. However, before it could launch the attack, Greninja leapt at it and pinned it to the ground. When it attempted to squirm out of the frog Pokemon's grasp, Greninja summoned a makeshift kunai using cut and brought it down beside Krokorok's face. It immediately ceased its movements.

"Hey, get it off of you!" Ordered the shrimpy poacher. "Use Stone Edge again!" The Krokorok's only response was a wimpy groan, infuriating its master. "Worthless-!" He went to kick it, but Greninja swiped at his legs, making him second guess that decision.

Ash said, "You shouldn't resist. I won't hurt your Pokemon because I know they're only obeying you out of fear." The glint in his eye made the poachers recoil. "I don't want to hurt you either," He said, "But if you try to attack me or my Pokemon, then I wouldn't mind them shoving your faces into the ground until Officer Jenny gets here."

While the smaller of the two poachers went white and reconsidered his life choices, the larger of the two still glared at him defiantly. "Mightyena, use Crunch on the trainer!" The wolf Pokemon snarled at Ash ferociously. Though, even while his Aura was weakened, he could still sense that it was terrified. Dark energy solidified around its teeth to form an extra, sharper jaw. It lunged at Ash, only to be swiftly tackled by Noivern and fiercely slammed to the ground by his powerful wing.

It leered down at the Mightyena, hissing into its ear. Though it quickly stopped upon Ash's command. "Don't be too rough with it," Ash told Noivern. "It probably had no choice but to obey. We can't fault it for that." He smiled to Hydreigon, who was waiting patiently on the sidelines. It looked down to the two Pokemon with pity. "That's something Hydreigon knows all too well."

His attention was caught by the sound of rapid footsteps. The larger poacher used his Mightyena as a distraction and was now making a beeline towards the woods. Sceptile crouched down, preparing to give chase, but Ash stopped him and turned to the remaining poacher. "We only need one." The poacher instinctively backed away, only to bump into something. He let out a raspy, choked shriek when he turned and was met with a grinning Charizard.

"So," Said Ash, "Why did you even become a poacher?"

Serena and the others exited the barn just in time to see the escaping poacher. "Hey Ash!" She called. "He's getting away!"

"He knows," Said Paul as he followed her. When she gave him a questioning look, he sighed and continued. "He's probably letting the guy get away because he knows that one will come back with the others. That'll save us the trouble of looking for 'em. I didn't think Ash was the type to come up with a plan like this."

Simply nodding in understanding, Serena glanced away from the poacher back to Ash and noticed that he'd left behind something as he ran away. "Hey, that guy dropped a Pokeball!" Her brow creased with anger at the sight. "He seriously just left it behind? How despicable can these people get?" She began running to it in an effort to pick it up and release it.

Ash's Aura flickered of its own accord suddenly, staggering him and cutting him off as he was speaking to the poacher. His Pokemon instinctively went to his side with worry. Realizing that all eyes were now off of him, the remaining poacher took off after the other one. "Hey!" Cried Serena, reaching for a Pokeball. "Where do you think you're goi-"

She let out a gasp as Ash suddenly tackled her to the ground. Right where she'd just been standing, a bolt of lightning struck down from the cloudless sky. "Sorry," Ash apologized, quickly helping her to her feet and turning around to where the bolt struck. Atop a black spot of singed grass was a yellow Pokemon. It had yellow fur adorning most of its body, and the parts that weren't yellow were a stark jet black. It quickly stood up on two feet and took a low, feral-looking battle stance, glaring at Ash furiously.

In the blink of an eye, it disappeared from sight. Before anyone could react, Ash, his Pokemon and Serena suddenly felt a searing shock wrack their bodies. They collectively screamed in pain as the electric waves coursed through their very veins. When it finally wore off, they fell to their hands and knees. "S-Serena!" Coughed Ash as his first instinct. "Are you alright?!"

She was heaved over much like him, coughing black smoke and heaving for air. "I...I'm fine!" Her answer was unconvincing. Nevertheless, she turned her gaze up to her initial target. "But what about the Pokeball…?" To her shock, she found that it was gone. A roar from Sceptile caught their attention. It was trying unsuccessfully to land a Leaf Blade on their attacker, who appeared to be disappearing and reappearing somewhere else to dodge each attack.

"What in the world is that?" Asked Ash aloud. To his surprise, he received an answer in the form of his Secretary Bot. It blinked to life, emitting a blue light and summoning the form of Holo-Alice.

Bowing to Ash as per the usual, the hologram answered, "It is speculated that this Pokemon may be Zeraora." She disappeared, pulling up the blurry image shown to Ash and the others previously. "And now that I have direct sight of it, I can confirm that this was the Pokemon the poachers are after."

"Zeraora?" Asked Serena. "What's that?"

Holo-Alice appeared once again. "It is a Pokemon of myth," She explained. "Most rumors of its appearances surface from Fula City, a city here in Johto far west of Olivine City and residing north of the Whirlpool Islands." A series of odd beeping noises arose from the machine suddenly, distorting Holo-Alice for a moment. "Compiling new information: It can be derived, from the attack you just sustained, that it is Electric-Type in nature and as fast as the lightning it produces."

Ash was awed by the description. "You got all that from that one attack?" He blinked, realizing something. "Wait, how come you still work? Shouldn't the lightning have short-circuited you or something?"

Bowing yet again, the hologram answered, "Mr. Star created each model of the Secretary Bot with the utmost care. If it were to be destroyed on a mission, the collected information could not be relayed. To that end, I was programmed to be able to withstand much damage."

A cry of pain from Sceptile snapped Ash and Serena's attention over to it. Zeraora had grabbed the Grass Type by the wrist and was now pumping electricity directly onto it. Though Sceptile's typing naturally resisted electricity, the lightning was apparently so powerful that it negated the resistance entirely. "Sceptile!" Shouted Ash, rushing to his friend's aid.

"Wha-?! Ash!" Cried a surprised Serena. "Don't get near it!"

Ash reached for Sceptile's Pokeball and held it out to return it. Seeing this, Zeraora turned a fearsome glare upon the trainer and tossed Sceptile aside, swatting away the Pokeball's red beam. "Begone with you!" It hissed, much to Ash's surprise. "You will enslave them no longer!"

'It can talk?!'

His gaze naturally shifted down from his apparent foe to his fallen friend. Thus, he changed course, turning his heel and sprinting instead toward Sceptile. "Sceptile!" He cried, pumping Aura to his hand. "Hang in there! I'll-"

To the horror of Ash's friends, he was kicked aside by the mysterious yellow Pokemon before he could make it to Sceptile's aid. "Ash!" They cried unanimously. As Gary, Paul and Serena tried to run to his aid, Tobias pulled out a leaf from his pocket and prepared to whistle. Yet, before he could even bring it to his mouth, it sizzled and burnt to a crisp in the wind.

A flabbergasted Tobias staggered backwards in shock. "Wh-what in the-?!" Then, the yellow Pokemon appeared beside him and grabbed hold of his arm firmly.

"What was that supposed to be?" It asked, glaring into Tobias's eyes. "Some kind of curse? Or a hypnosis? No doubt a trick by you humans to capture me and add me to your repertoire of slaves." Lightning coursed from its fur and down its arms while a helpless Tobias could only watch in horror. "Well, I won't give you the chance!"

From the trainer's jacket, the small Poipole emerged and spat out a tiny glob of some purple substance at Zeraora. Instinctively, the yellow Pokemon nimbly evaded the attack and backed away from Tobias and Poipole. It narrowed its eyes as it saw the purple substance melt away at the grass that it touched and turned that glare upon the two.

"I recognize that thing," It hissed. "One of the beings that invaded our world." It pointed an accusing finger at Tobias. "You protected one of them?! Even after all they've done?! Just how far does the demented nature of you humans go?!"

At that, Tobias returned the glare. "Where exactly do you get off acting high and mighty? Do you even know what we're doing here?"

Zeraora knelt down, planting its right paw into the ground. On contact, small bolts of electricity seeped out from its fur and onto the ground from proximity. "I've known for years. You humans exist for the sole purpose of kidnapping and enslaving Pokemon! In the past five months, while the world is rotting away, you've shown your true nature as clear as day!"

"You must be kidding!" Cried Ash, in utter disbelief at what he was hearing. "Don't you know how hard we fought to stop Necrozma?! It wasn't just Pokemon that sacrificed themselves!"

The yellow Pokemon glared at him with a fiery ferocity. "Don't make me laugh. You? Fought? It was always Pokemon that fought your battles for you! You based your entire society around that notion!"

To Zeraora's surprise, Pikachu hopped atop Ash's shoulder. The rest of his Pokemon pushed themselves off the ground and joined him by his side. The yellow mouse Pokemon repeatedly chirped its name at Zeraora, telling it about its bond with Ash and the trials they had overcome together. The rest of his Pokemon eagerly joined in, including the typically-angsty Charizard.

"You…" Started Zeraora, its mouth agape, "Mean to tell me that you enjoy being enslaved to this human?! That you believe him to a friend to you?!" It planted its face into its paw and shook its head. "Unbelievable! To think that most Pokemon have been brainwashed like this! It's disgusting!" It looked to the two Pokemon that had belonged to the poachers. "Leave now! I don't want you getting caught in this mess!"

Zeraora tossed the Pokeball that the poachers left behind at the two Pokemon, letting loose a Deino. When it looked back at Zeraora, the yellow Pokemon simply nudged its head upward to tell it to run, which the three soon did. Zeraora let out a sigh of relief as it saw the three disappear into the forest, then turned back to Ash and the others.

"Your hostages are gone," It hissed. Sparks of lightning coursed down its arms and onto its paws. "Now I no longer have to hold back."

Serena was taken aback by the accusation. "Hostage..? Do you even know why we're here?! We're trying to fight the poachers and rescue their Pokemon!"

Zeraora reared its head back and laughed. "You claim you were trying to rescue them, yet you wear your own slaves on your hip as if they were decorations! No, what you're really doing is competing with those other cretins over the Pokemon here."

"They are not slaves!" Asserted Serena. "They're my friends! We've risked our lives for each other! Why would a poacher do that for a Pokemon?!"

Shaking his head, Zeraora merely pointed at the Pokeballs adorning her belt. "If they're really not slaves, then they will emerge from those balls on their own accord to stop me from-"

In a flash of white, Braixen, Pangoro, Clefable and Sylveon shot out from their Pokeballs without Serena's order or action. Taking a defensive stance in front of her, they glared fire at Zeraora. "See?" Asked Serena. "They're my friends through and through, and I'm theirs! If they believed I was enslaving them, they would have just come out of their Pokeballs on their own a long time ago."

Taken aback by this, Zeraora's brow furled with rage. "What is this?!" It hissed, baring its knife-sharp fangs. With a spit that carried more venom than a Poison-Type Pokemon, Zeraora growled at them. "You poor brainwashed fools! If you stand in my way, I will have no choice but to take you down! I will not kill you, but you may not leave here unscathed!"

Serena's Pokemon stood firm, earning an irritated growl from the yellow Pokemon. With a chuckle, Gary entered the fray with Paul in tow. "Talk about tunnel vision." He threw down his Pokeballs, summoning forth Blastoise, Nidoking, Arcanine, Nidoqueen, Scizor and Dodrio. "Listen, pal, you're talking a lotta trash for a Pokemon that had its life saved by him." He jabbed his thumb toward Ash. "He's the one that beat Necrozma, after all."

"You expect me to believe the frail boy who can barely stand is the one that killed that demon?" Demanded Zeraora. "I pegged you humans as crafty in spite of your weakness, but apparently you lack intelligence as well to think such an inane lie."

Merely shaking his head, Paul let out his own Pokemon as well. Torterra, Electivire, Ursaring, Drapion, Ninjask and Gastrodon were the ones he had apparently chosen to accompany him in the fight against Team Rocket. "It's no use trying to reason with it, and with that speed, we won't be able to run." He sent a piercing glare at Zeraora to match the one it was giving them. "Regardless of it being the one we were sent here to save, if it's trying to kill us, we have to fight back."

Zeraora prepared to strike, but stopped for a reason it didn't understand when Ash raised his arm. "Actually," He said, a faint white glow surrounding him, "I think I might have a way to put a stop to this." He turned to Greninja, smiled and nodded. No words needed to be said between the two for Greninja to return the nod. Through their bond, they knew exactly what the other was thinking.

The yellow Pokemon found itself entranced and in utter disbelief as it witnessed Ash and his Greninja moving in complete sync with one another. Suddenly, Greninja's form became surrounded by a vortex of water, and when that water faded away, unveiled it in a completely new form. "This," Said Ash as he and Greninja continued to move in complete sync with one another, "Is a form that can only appear through a human's bond with a Pokemon. No poacher would be able to do this."

"...Unbelievable…" A flabbergasted Zeraora looked upon the form of Ash-Greninja with eyes as wide as dinner plates. "This isn't...it can't!" It appeared to struggle with the realization that it was wrong. It was obvious that it saw anything a human did as a farce. But with the addition of Ash's Aura, albeit a weak signal, was amplified by Greninja's bond and shut down every denial Zeraora could come up with.

"Do you finally understand?" Ash asked gently. "It's impossible for someone's Aura to lie. We, and most humans, are not evil. We're here to help."

Zeraora slowly raised its head to meet Ash's eyes. Mostly gone was its piercing glare, leaving only confusion in its place. "You...aren't lying?"

Ash smiled at Zeraora and offered his hand to it. The yellow Pokemon's arm twitched, but Ash and the others would never know if Zeraora would have taken his hand. A net suddenly shot out from the bushes toward Zeraora, who swiftly regained his senses and dodged it as quickly as lightning. Ash and the others whirled around to face the perpetrator. The all too familiar laughter of a certain trio rang out from the forest.

"Prepare for trouble!"

"And make it double!"

The Team Rocket Trio bolted out of the leaves, smirking at Ash's group with an infuriating tenor.

"To protect the world from-"

"Th-there he is, boss!"

Team Rocket fell flat on their faces as their signature introduction was interrupted. From behind the barn came a small legion of grisled-looking men. The two grunts Ash had defeated pointed at him. They stood by a bald muscular man with a scar crossing his nose.

"That's him!" The smaller one cried. "It's Ash Ketchum himself!"

"Yeah!" Cried the other. "And there's…" With wide eyes, he scanned the pasture and the veritable army of Pokemon that now stood in it. Then, his eyes landed upon Zeraora and nearly popped out of his head. "HOLY MOTHER OF AURA! IT'S THE LEGENDARY POKEMON!"

Crossing his arms, the large man reared his head back and let out a hearty laugh. "Well, would ya look at that?! The savior of the world and a Legendary Pokemon in the same spot just lined up for me to take! It's my lucky day!"

The apparent poacher boss took out a Dusk Ball. "We've been second fiddle to the Hell Hunters for too long! If we bag Ash Ketchum and a Legendary, Team Rocket will have no choice but to give us their position!" He raised his meaty arm skyward to rally his men. "Then we, the Terror Titans, will be making big bucks!"

Zeraora was trembling with utter fury. Its vision was becoming red as its eyes became more bloodshot with each passing moment. "You mean to tell me...that it was all a lie?!"

Frantically, Ash tried to defuse that idea. "No! We had nothing to do with-"

"LIES!"

Ash winced at the volume of its roar.

Zeraora leapt into the air, drenching itself with raw lightning that caused the nearby air to pop and burn. "I HAVE HAD ENOUGH…" Then, it descended upon them all. Ash sensed no more room for mercy within its heart. "OF YOUR LIIIIES!"

The room was nearly pitch black. The Man sat at his desk, facing the wall. A large holographic screen detailed the sites of his recent failures, being the outskirts of the Tree of Life where the abandoned vehicles of the Hell Hunters stood unmoving from their positions as a final testament to the doomed poachers' existence and the now empty Unstable Zone. The Man lamented the setbacks, but they were ultimately inconsequential.

"You still do not know what caused the Unstable Zone disaster?" Asked The Man to Ryder, who was kneeling at his side.

Ryder answered, "No, but we have apprehended the director of the operation, who we found wandering near New Goldenrod."

"So there was a survivor," Mused The Man as he stared at the image of the empty Unstable Zone. "It seems odd that there were no bodies found. Have him contained before interrogation."

Bowing his head, Ryder said, "It will be done. He has expressed a desire to speak...to you about it personally, but that request was obviously denied."

The Man turned his chair back around. "That is odd," He remarked. "Our men know better than to take their issues directly to me unless I order it necessary."

"Perhaps whatever event transpired there made him believe speaking with you was necessary?" Suggested Ryder. "Though, I will decline him regardless."

Holding up his hand to keep Ryder in place, he said, "Hold off on that actually. I have a new mission for you."

Ryder nodded his head without question. "It will be done."

The Man turned back around to the large screen behind him, pulling up an image of a small village. At its center was a statue of Zekrom and Reshiram atop a fountain. "This," He said, "Is the Village of Dragons in Unova. While it is known for its recluse position, you should be able to access it from Opelucid City." The image zoomed in toward a group of people within the village handing out baskets of fruit and other commodities to people and Pokemon."

"This village," Started The Man with a dangerous tone to his voice Ryder recognized well, "Is known for readily giving food and shelter to those who lost much in the war. I want you and your team to take some of our Pokemon and have them burn it to the ground." He turned back around, taking out a video camera from a drawer in his desk and handing it to Ryder. "Since these Pokemon in particular have been tempered to be as violent as possible, it is only their fear of you and your men that will keep them in line."

"As you wish," Answered Ryder, bowing his head to his master before standing. "Am I to assume this means that the mission to hunt Zeraora will be postponed?"

The Man nodded. "For now, yes. You've already managed to rile it up and...someone else will be handling it."

Not needing to be told twice, Ryder gave a small bow of his head before turning and exiting through the door at the room's front. The Man turned back around to scroll over the images presented before him once more and contemplate what he should do to mitigate the effects of the two setbacks. Though the information regarding the Tree of Life's interior may not be required, it certainly would have served to put his mind at ease. As for the Unstable Zone…

He was alerted by the sound of the door to his office opening once more. Turning around, he came face to face with none other than the Unstable Zone Project Director. Under the cover of his desk, he slowly reached for the gun with a Necrozma crystal shard. "What are you doing here?" Demanded The Man. "You know damn well you cannot enter this room without explicit permission! Or do I need to tell you exactly what happens when you go directly against my orders?"

The director did not respond. His head was hung, obscuring his face. The way his body swayed ever so slightly put The Man on edge. There was definitely something wrong with him. Though he wasn't sure because of the room's lack of lighting, he could have swore he saw something dripping from his arms and fingers.

"Answer me!" Roared The Man. There was still no response. Now, he was fully alarmed. Pressing his hand upon the trigger, he prepared to fire upon the director and erase every inch of his body. Yet, before he could pull it, the director suddenly flopped to the ground. The Man pushed his chair to the side to aim at him. He did not hesitate to fire. The director's body twitched, but made no further movements before it faded away to a purple dust entirely.

He glared at where the director's body once was for a good ten seconds before turning away. "Damn fool," He spat. Returning to his original position, he pocketed the firearm and faced the lit screen to continue scrolling through the images upon it.

Amidst the near-complete darkness of the room, a shadow stalked its prey. Here, it was completely invisible. It made nary a sound as it slowly crept along the walls, making sure to avoid the screen's light. From inside the shadow's black ooze, two crimson eyes appeared to leer down upon The Man lecherously. His hands were not on his weapon, and his stature was lax. He was helpless. Nothing more than cattle like the rest, yet clearly held a vast array of knowledge that was even more enticing than the meal.

The shadow seeped back into the wall for a moment, then jumped off of the wall to descend upon its prey. As it fell, it let loose a hungry hiss through the air. Knowledge. Power. Authority. And food. From all the memories of the Nova Branch members it had gathered, this mysterious man stood at the pinnacle among them. That weapon he held only proved it, and soon, that weapon would be his. He could sense that the energy in it completely dwarfed what it had been feeding on in the tunnels. Marshadow had won.

Or so it believed.

A barrier appeared around The Man, making the shadow's form splatter as intense waves of energy wracked its body. An agonized shriek arose from Marshadow. It managed to glare down at The Man, finding that he was already smirking up at it. It managed to escape the barrier's grasp, only to find itself under assail by a greater pain when The Man snapped his fingers and turned on the lights. Marshadow made a mad dash across the floor toward the door, only for another barrier to project itself in front of it.

Marshadow sprung up to its natural impish form and frantically scanned the walls and ceiling for any possible escape point. But there were none. Every inch of the room was sealed. Every corner rounded and layered with a thick metal it didn't recognize. Nor could it phase through the walls because of the light. When its gaze finally turned to the back of the room, it was met with the sight of The Man's smirk, and his gun pointed in prime position to fire right at the shadow.

"Ah," Said The Man, "I presume you're the one responsible for the Unstable Zone disaster?"

The shadow did not answer, merely glaring at The Man. The two stared one another down until, to break the deafening silence, The Man's smirk fell and he spoke once more. "Fine then. I'll make this clear so you can understand, if you even have that level of mental capacity." His finger hovered dangerously over the trigger, pulling back and then away at the last second repeatedly to put the shadow on edge. "You've already seen what I'm capable of. If you move, I shoot. If you refuse to speak, I shoot. So go on now. Your life depends on it."

Turning toward him, Marshadow simply nodded slowly. It opened its mouth, letting loose a series of raspy breaths as it attempted to speak with its own voice for the first time in ages. "I...f-fed on...th-that energy," It managed to say, "To r-revitalize...myself. I t-take their b-bodies for m-my own...and c-consume th-them...t-to survive…"

Without taking his finger off the trigger, The Man leaned his head to the side and gazed upon the shadow with a newfound interest. "I assume that means you did it to my men?"

Marshadow let out a raspy, shaky breath, but soon nodded. Then, it asked, "H-how did you...stop...my attack? Th-the energy...in the mine...w-was the same…" It raised a finger to point at The Man's weapon. "...As that…"

The Man fired a warning shot that bounced off the floor by Marshadow's side. With all the tampering he'd done to the crystal shards, he managed to configure the destructive nature of the bullets to only affect living things so that it did not jeopardize the world at large. He only needed it to work on the living, after all.

"I ask the questions," The Man told it. "Not you. If you value your life, you will take care to remember that." Marshadow let out a visceral groan under its breath. Its arms shook with rage, but it ultimately adhered to The Man's command and nodded, earning a grin from him. "You're a good listener. I like that. It's a trait you'll need in the future."

Looking at him curiously, Marshadow asked, "Wh-what do you…?" It stopped itself as it realized that it had defied The Man's order.

But The Man was not too perturbed by this. Marshadow recognized a certain gleam in his eyes. It was the gleam of someone that had an idea. The gleam of ambition. "I've never seen a Pokemon like you before. Something that can take over the bodies of people would be useful to me. You can do this with other Pokemon too, yes?" Marshadow nodded, earning an unsuppressable grin from The Man. "Excellent. Then, I have an offer for you."

The Man offered a hand to the shadow mockingly, knowing it couldn't actually accept it. "We can work together, you and I. Your abilities would prove to be irreplaceable among my ranks, and you will have no shortage of bodies to control."

"...Am I...t-to assume...the alt-alt-ternative…" Marshadow glanced up at The Man's gun, no fear present in its eyes. "...Is d-death?"

The Man merely replied, "The choice is yours."

Marshadow soon dissolved into a fit of mad, scratchy giggling. "Wh-when did...humans...be-become s-so clever?"

"I'll take that as a yes."

It nodded in response; something The Man admittedly did not expect. "I can...hardly turn down...an endless buffet, can I?" The black liquid comprising its body leaked down to the floor from its mouth. It was drooling over the idea of that much food at the ready for it. "M-my services...f-for protection f-from your-your forces. Th-that seems like…" Marshadow held out its own stubby hand to The Man, an eager grin upon both of their faces.

"...A wonderful idea…"

Author's Note

Pokextinction fact of the day: The way Ash was able to handle Regice was a fluke. He used all of his power in that one strike on a reflex and Regice's defensive capabilities was decreased because of Necrozma's death. It was also a surprise attack on Ash's part, and Regice was the least defensive of the trio anyways. He would not be able to replicate this feat...yet.

Creator: I'm glad this chapter came out much quicker than the last one. Thank you, Covid-19! Of course, we have some more bad news because online classes will be starting soon for us, meaning we won't have as much time to work on this again. It should be marginally easier to work on it than before though since I'll be home most of the time either way and I'll no longer have to wake up at 5.

In this chapter, we were re-introduced to the mysterious Legend that took on Necrozma, though in this story, it may be an unofficial one like Mewtwo and the Genesects. Of course, there's the matter of Marshadow as well. Magearna may make an appearance, but we don't know yet.

We hope that you like this iteration of Zeraora and its drive as a character. We saw a glimpse of why it acts the way it does when The Man spoke with Ryder, and we'll certainly be seeing it more.

Hydra: Oh boy things just got a heck of a lot worse for our heroes. First they had to deal with Necrozma, and now they have to deal with The Man and Marshadow working together. Things are not looking good at the moment.

The government would cancel the reviews because of Covid-19, but we ain't no punk bitches. So with the reviews, we have…

Amourshipper35: "Wow it looks like things are going down."

Creator: LITERALLY! Haha! You get it? Cuz those guys were literally going down- nevermind. I applaud you if that was meant to be a pun.

Hydra: I just noticed that pun as well XD

British-Vulture: "Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! I'm staying alive! Staying alive!

In all seriousness, I'm having to cut down on eating because the stores keep getting the shelves empty, but I'm otherwise good.

You two had me guessing pretty heavily about who the Ghost-Type was. Up until it said Marshadow, I thought it was someone else. Granted, I did forget about Marshadow. I got some neat The Thing vibes from this, and I honestly wonder how it'll play out. Seems Mew and Lee will have to take a backseat, for it is time for Marshadow to make like Vortiger and show them TRUE DARHKNESS!

I really enjoyed this, stay safe lads."

Creator: Always good to hear from you, my friend. Glad to see you're keeping yourself together in this trying time. We're actually doing alright right now, believe it or not. Online classes will make it all the more easy to cheat haha. But don't tell anyone. Stay safe, my guy. Also, out of curiosity, who did you think was the Ghost-Type?

Hydra: I honestly did not think people would get the references to The Thing. I literally got so much of my inspiration for Marshadows abilities from that movie because I loved the whole idea of paranoia. Marshadow certainly is another threat, but is he the main threat you have to wonder? Guess you'll eventually find out hehe.

Creator: That's all for the reviews. Much less than normal, so I hope you all aren't being impacted by the virus too badly. In any case, next chapter will shift focus from Ash to focus on Ryder's orders. Iris will be rolling in her grave. We'll also see the return of a certain five individuals. Perhaps they could save the Dragon Village? (Also an interesting note as I read through the wiki of the Dragon Village was that, in the games, it was said to be in a region far from Unova in a remote location whereas the anime says it is very close to Opelucid City. The Manga says that the Dragon Village is actually Blackthorn City in Johto).

Hydra: Well that's all she wrote for today folks! I hope you enjoyed this chapter and hopefully we can get the next one done fairly soon, but who knows. It seems the villains are starting to work together now, but you just gotta wonder if this "partnership" will end just like Necrozma's did with The Man. Anyways stay safe guys and I hope you all have an amazing weekend peace out.