Chapter 17: A Hunt Begins Poorly

Alright, back after almost a month. Well, got some good news. The story I'm currently focusing most of my time on is almost done. So, once that is completed I think I will start updating this story once a week from now on along with one other, and rotate my other two remaining fanfics every week.

Now, its time to begin the conflict with Team Magma and Aqua. Then we'll have… someone else.

Edit 10/5/23. I made the Grand Festival a few days away instead of a week as it would probably contradict the latest chapter 22.

Ash and May went to bed and awoke the next morning to a knock on their door. Ash heard the knock and slowly got up.

"Just a moment!" he said as he climbed out and threw on his jeans over his night boxers while keeping his night shirt on.

He then made his way to the door of his and May's bedroom. The princess stirred in bed, having not quite woken up completely. Pikachu and Glaceon jumped off of the nearby sofa in anticipation of the unexpected guest, in case it was someone not very friendly. The worse possible person Ash could think of was Duke Harley, had he escaped? Either way, Ash would have to answer the door. He walked over to it and opened it just enough to see the person outside, it was a middle aged man in a light brown coat. Ash didn't know him, but he quickly masked his surprise.

"Um, hello, is there something I can help you with?" Ash asked opening the door the rest of the way.

"Yes," the man said. "I'm Looker, a member of the International Police."

Ash sweat dropped. A member of the International Police? What could they possibly want? Had they found about May?

The princess suddenly woke with a yawn. "What's going on?" she asked, looking.

She saw Looker in the doorway and slowly got out of bed. Besides her own nightshirt she only had her underwear down low, so she felt a little exposed and couldn't help but blush.

"Good morning Princess May," Looker said before introducing himself to her as well. "I'm Looker."

"You know who she is?" Ash exclaimed.

"Afraid so," Looker said. "Officer Jenny asked me to investigate you both after the attack by that man named Harley, whom I presume is from your time Princess."

May nodded.

Looker smiled. "But rest assured I have not told anyone. I imagine that time travel would be something many would like but it would have disastrous consequences if exploited."

May felt a little ease at that. "Thank you, but is that all you came to see us about?"

"Not quite," Looker said. "You see, there is a bit of trouble brewing, I heard you both have had a couple run ins with Team Magma and Team Aqua?"

"Yes!" Ash confirmed. "I've encountered them a few times, at some ancient ruins in Oldale Town, Rustboro City, Slateport, Mt. Chimney, and the Weather Institute! May was with me during the last two times."

"Well, they're about to complete their plan," Looker said. "I wouldn't normally ask a civilian for help, but I'm aware of your past encounters with some of the criminal organizations around the world. You've helped stop Team Plasma, Flare, and Rocket. As someone experienced in dealing with them I felt it would be good. But I won't force you."

Ash hesitated only for a second. "You can count on me, if those guys are doing something bad then they have to be stopped."

He then looked at May. He knew she was capable of defending herself with her Pokemon, but he didn't want to ask her to knowingly step into danger. Still she had wanted to fight with him at the Weather Institute.

As if reading his mind, May nodded. "If you're going, so am I! We're a team, Sir Ash."

Ash nodded. "You're right, we're a team. Us and all our Pokemon."

He looked back at Looker who smiled in acceptance. "You two best get ready, I have a police boat that's scheduled to leave at noon. Reinforcements are on the way as well."

Ash and May nodded. Looker left them to get ready. They showered, dressed and had breakfast, then headed to the hospital for a visit to their new friend.

"Hey Morrison," Ash said as they entered the room. "Just thought we'd drop in to say goodbye real quick."

"Thanks," Morrison said. "If I don't make it to the Hoenn League Ash, you gotta win it!"

"I plan to," Ash said.

"I really hope you get better soon," May said.

"Thanks, it shouldn't be more then a few more days before I can grasp a Pokeball," Morrison said.

They headed out and passed a couple hours seeing the rest of the city until it was close to noon. Then they headed to the docks and found Looker there with a group of half a dozen policemen and a medium sized boat.

"Here they are," the Policemen said. "Right on time."

"Well, well, Ash," another man with white hair said.

"Steven?" Ash exclaimed. "Haven't seen you since Dewford Island!"

"Been a long time," the Hoenn League Champion said. "Good to see you are lending a hand against those awful villains."

"With Hoenn League Champion on our side as well as Lance of the Kanto Elite Four and a trainer that has come high in many tournaments around the world, I'm sure we can give both teams a good fight," Looker said.

"Lance is here?" Ash asked looking around.

"Not here on the boat," Looker elaborated. "He's in Team Magma's submarine working as a spy. He'll stand by for when we might need him. In any case, we better get moving!"

"This isn't gonna take too long though right?" Ash asked. "I have to get to Sootopolis city soon, its now just less then a month till the Hoenn League, and the Grand Festival is just a few days away!"

He wanted to be able to watch Serena perform at least. He'd also have to train.

"Team Magma has plans to intercept Groudon tomorrow. Hopefully we can stop them and Team Magma before that," Looker said. "Ready men?"

"Ready!" the men all said.

They all wore matching suits and had shaved heads, their eyes covered by shades.

"Are they some sort of agency?" Ash asked.

"The Hoenn Elite Force," Looker said. "A top-secret division of police that are assigned to the most serious matters. They're powerful trainers that have risen far in previous Leagues like yourself."

"Cool," Ash said.

"Time to go," Steven said.

"All aboard!" the boat driver said.

Ash and May sat on a coach in the boat which had a good amount of room. It wasn't as big as the ships they'd sailed on but still had enough space. The boats engine soon started and they drifted out to sea, their mission underway.

"Here we are, off to save the kingdo- or… Hoenn," May corrected herself from saying Kingdom. "From those bad people."

Ash nodded. "Quite an adventure, I guess this is more important then my final gym battle, but I do hope to be able to do both. This will probably be dangerous though. More so then Duke Harley for sure, maybe as dangerous as facing… Dialga."

May shuddered at the terrifying memories of when the Time Pokemon had been chasing them, trying to kill her or send her back to her own time. She'd managed to face him though with Sir Ash to protect her… for a while until they were finally cornered. Dialga had never given up, and Duke Harley hadn't either. May just hoped he would stay in prison.

Duke Harley sat in his cell, he had a view of the ocean from the window he climbed up to. In the distance a boat was making its way out.

"Oh who knows where my beloved princess is now with that awful thief who's brainwashed her!" Harley said to himself. "While I rot in this terrible prison!"

He gritted his teeth and shouted at the top of his lungs. He'd wanted to rely on only himself, but he couldn't get out on his own. His dagger and other equipment had been confiscated. He needed help if he was going to get out of this and get back the woman that was rightfully his.

"Celebei! I need you!" Harley shouted.

"Hey, what's going on in there?" a voice called as the present time blue haired law enforcing woman appeared.

Harley glared at her. A mere woman enforcing the law? That was almost enough to make him want to both laugh and vomit.

"Release me at once!"

"Shut up or the judge will come in and throw the book at you!" Officer Jenny said.

"He is not fit to judge me! I am a Duke of Hoenn!" Harley said.

"Yeah, and I'm queen," Jenny said sarcastically.

"You are not! But my darling May will be once I get her back and take her to the time where we both belong!" Harley said. "Then I shall be King of all Hoenn!"

"Yeah, yeah, you are certainly going to be receiving medication for you insanity," Jenny muttered.

Ash and May stayed on the boat with Steven, Looker, and the group of Pokemon Police.

"You sure we're on the right track?" Ash asked.

"Team Magma is heading to a volcanic island between here and Sootopolis!" Looker said. "Its rumored to be Groudon's resting place."

"Groudon?" May repeated.

"One of the Ancient Pokemon here in Hoenn?" Ash asked.

He knew that Magma and Aqua sought to capture the ancient Pokemon and use their power to do bad things. It seemed they were both getting close to their goals.

"Yes," Looker said. "Based on the stories of Groudon, we believe that it may possess a power to make the sun shine brighter. Team Magma hopes to use that power to evaporate part of the ocean and expand the landmass for people to live."

"Well, that might be good, accept for the fact that sea Pokemon need the Ocean too!" Ash said.

"Yes, and Team Aqua might be even worse," Steven said. "They are searching for Kyogre, the Ancient Pokemon that resides in the sea. They hope to make it even bigger. Maxie, the Leader of Team Aqua, at least has good intentions and wishes to build a better world for everyone based on what Lance has told us. But Archie, Team Aqua's leader, wishes to use the power of the sea to conquer the world for himself."

"Still, Magma's not that much better," Ash said.

"Yes, everything exists in a delicate balance," Steven agreed. "We need both the sea and the land to survive. Expanding one will have disastrous consequences either way. That is the not the right answer. We still have room on the land, so long as the human and Pokemon populations are not too much. But we can't resort to harnessing nature's powers and playing god. That will only spell disaster."

Ash nodded. "We'll stop them, and prevent any sort of disaster."

"Pika!" Pikachu confirmed.

"Gla!" Glaceon said.

May smiled and took her boyfriends hand. She was a little worried about the upcoming battle, as well as her and Ash's baby that was still growing inside her. A very small lump had formed in her stomach as she looked down. She hadn't thought of that before, but she couldn't leave Ash to fight. Plus, she wasn't sure she could get a ship to Sootopolis after the battle was done, or if something were to happen to Ash. No, she couldn't doubt herself. She belonged at Ash's side, this wasn't the old days where only the knight could be the one fighting while the princess remained in her castle safe. They'd faced Dialga before, and May was certain that these two teams couldn't be more dangerous then that, unless they the power of both ancient Pokemon.

No, she told herself. Each team only wants one Pokemon. Not both.

She took a breath to try and prepare herself for the battle that would likely be coming in a few hours.

Suddenly the boat was hit by something big, causing it to divert slightly off course.

"What the- Looker exclaimed.

They all made their way to the outside and saw a large red submarine with men in red outfits adorned with horns at the top. Team Magma! Tabitha stood at the front of the submarine with his comrades. Golbat flew above them in a swarm.

"Supersonic!" Tabitha ordered .

The Golbat began to emit waves of sound, Ash, May, their pokemon and other allies covered their ears to no avail. The waves left them confused as they hit, and as soon as they ended, Team Magma grunts boarded the ship and put them all in cuffs, then put shock collars around Glaceon and Pikachu as well. The heroes were put on board the submarine which soon went back down under.