Chapter 3: Link's Bazaar World

Link, Ash and Pikachu saw the thunderous cloud, Vah Naboris inside. Having left the Gerudo Canyon Stables and Epona, the group marched through the sands of the desert. "The storm cloud," Ash muttered.

("We can't get close to it,") Pikachu squeaked. Link nodded, knowing what awaits in that thunderous cloud. They moved on while Ash's dream with Zelda occupied his thoughts.

"Princess Zelda brought up champions you were with," he addressed Link. The Hylian turned to Ash, rather curious. "Were they a big help?" Link nodded to the question. Suddenly, he stopped and looked. "Did you see something?" Link looked harder and harder. Quickly, he shook his head.

("False alarm.") That's when Link brought out a light blue sword with a triangle on the tip and a star near the hilt. He offered it to Ash. He looked surprised.

"Is this real?" He grabbed the blade, only to reel back a little. "That's cold!" He dangled and wiggled his fingers to make sure there wasn't any blisters. Link giggled while Pikachu shared the same concern.

("Are you okay?") Ash calmed down, seemingly okay about it.

"I'm fine, Pikachu." He picked up the sword again. "Did you give this to me for when more of those Lizalfos come our way?" Link nodded. "Gotcha… but Pikachu isn't my only Pokémon." Link wove a hand to Ash, refusing to see what else he had. "You want to wait until we get to Gerudo Town?" Link nodded, an interest still present.

("I can understand.") Ash just smiled, knowing that Link wanted to see them. They continued onward, finding rock formations that made Ash and Pikachu wonder how some were standing as manmade structures were destroyed, but still standing regardless. Soon enough, they found a town with a silhouette of waterfalls from towering structures. It was walled in from all sides. As they approached, they spotted two tall and heavily tanned women in brassieres and white baggy trousers were watching the sands with masks over their noses and mouths Their crimson red hair were tied in a plume ponytail each. As the travelers neared the door, the women lowered spears, forming an "X" to Link and Ash.

"Halt!" the woman on the right ordered. "No voe can enter Gerudo Town."

"Turn back at once," the woman on the left ordered. Link, Ash and Pikachu seemed surprised to have their way blocked.

"Voe?" repeated Ash. The woman on the left noticed Ash's ears and clothing, something amiss.

"This voe…" she pointed. "Not often do we see voe as human."

"Perhaps," the woman on the right scoffed. "But human, Hylian or Rito, we Gerudo will not allow a voe to enter this sovereign town." Link sighed while Ash and Pikachu looked rather dumbfounded.

"Did you know we'd be denied?" asked Ash. Link shook his head. "Your memories must still be a little fuzzy." The Gerudo on the left noticed Pikachu and wondered.

"Is that one of Calamity Ganon's fiends!?" she warned. Seeing where the Gerudo pointed to, Ash shook his head.

"Pikachu isn't a fiend," he corrected. "He's a Pokémon." He pulled out a red/white ball from his belt. "Like this one as well!" He opened it to reveal a green gecko with leaves on its wrists and a vine protruding out of its head. He also had a pink abdomen.

"A summoner?" the Gerudo on the right believed as the gecko put a twig into its beak-like mouth. "This is strangely blessed." The Gerudo on the left wasn't as convinced.

"Blessed or not, a voe is still a voe," she returned. Suddenly, ears from Pikachu perked up.

("Trouble!") he warned as he leaped from Ash's shoulder. He faced the sands, a warning oncoming.

"Something tells us we have company!" warned the Gerudo on the right. Out of nowhere, figures appeared in all red and a white mask that had a decorative red eye on it emerged. One "looked" to Link, scoffing at who it was.

"Heh, who would've thought we find Link returning to us?" one of the red suit men laughed. The Gerudo came to Ash's and Link's sides.

"Yiga Clan!" the Gerudo on the right identified. The Gerudo trained their spears at the named Yiga.

"Guess they're not here for negotiations, huh?" wondered Ash.

"They're responsible for taking the Thunder Helm!" the Gerudo from the left briefed. Link realized the task.

"Master Kohga will know that we found Link after he embarrassed him 100 years ago!" another Yiga mentioned as he brought out a bow that had two arches held by the handle and drawstring. Other Yiga brought out meat hooks while Ash brought out his newly acquired sword.

"The Frostblade!" the right Gerudo noticed. Link brought out a silver sword similar to the Frostblade.

"For Master Kohga!" the Yiga roared before charging. Two of them flipped toward the opposing group.

"Grovyle, Leaf Blade on the sand!" ordered Ash. The gecko's leaves on its arms began to glow and morph into blades before slashing the ground, kicking up sand that blinded the Yiga. As they tried to clear out, Link charged in and slashed at one of the Yiga, but he leaped clear before he fired a pair of arrows. Link had a shield that looked crooked and made of the hide of an animal. The arrows struck the shield as Link charged at the enemy. Link slashed a few times, cutting and spilling blood onto the sand and knocking the Yiga to the ground. Another Yiga came at Ash with the hooks. "Grovyle, Bullet Seed!" Seeing the Yiga, the gecko spat a volley of seeds at the ground. The seeds clipped the Yiga and he tripped, flipping uncontrollably at Ash and one of the Gerudo.

"Get down!" she called. Ash ducked as the Gerudo used her spear to strike the mask of the Yiga. He reeled as his mask was cracked. Ash followed it up with a lunging jab to the Yiga's chest before firing a right hook, catching the Yiga's chin under his broken mask. He fell in a heap. "Impressive strike, voe!" The other Gerudo struggled with the Yiga as his leaping made the Gerudo paralyzed in thought. Ash saw and had an answer.

"Pikachu, Thunderbolt!" ordered Ash. Pikachu unleashed Thunderbolt, striking the Yiga and stopping him. The Gerudo took the opportunity to nail a few thrusts into the Yiga's body. He fell from the attacks. He got up before he and the rest of the Yiga vanished, leaving behind bananas and green and blue rectangular gems. Ash came over and picked up the gems.

"As if stealing the chieftan's Thunder Helm wasn't enough," one Gerudo mentioned.

"We cannot falter our guard if more of those Yiga voe come back for another crack at the town," the other Gerudo summarized.

"What's so special about that Thunder Helm?" wondered Ash. Link didn't hear Ash. He approached Grovyle. Not a word was said. Link nodded and offered a hand for Grovyle to shake. Grovyle accepted and shook Link's hand. Ash turned back to one of the Gerudo ready to head back to their post. "Anyway, I'm actually surprised to see Gerudo after I had that dream with Princess Zelda."

"Oh, then that must mean you've heard about the legendary champion, Lady Urbosa," the first Gerudo addressed. "However, you'll not receive anything else about the legend. It's best that you leave." The Gerudo left for their post. Link patted Ash on the shoulder.

"Don't get us wrong, young voe!" the other Gerudo advised. "We did appreciate the help with those vile Yiga!" Ash nodded before he and Pikachu joined Link. They journeyed southwest from the town.

"I don't get it," Ash muttered. "Just being called voe… Was it always like that?" Link mulled to the thought.

("They wouldn't let me in,") Pikachu whined. Before long, they reached what appeared to be a pond with palm trees and tents. Ash couldn't believe what he saw.

"Is that… an oasis?" With Pikachu on his shoulder, Ash sprinted to see if it was real. It soon became clear that it was real. The pond was crystal clear, the tents were large. Ash and Pikachu awed the oasis. They scooped some water and splashed their faces. They had a sudden chill.

("So cool!")

"Oh man, that feels so good!" All Link did was giggle.

"Hey!" a man voiced. Ash and Pikachu heard the voice and turned, finding a large brown rock-like humanoid creature wearing a braided headband and light blue shorts. They gasped at who they faced. "Oh, I've never seen something like that mouse before. Is that from Lanryu?"

"No, Pikachu and I've been together from Pallet Town," Ash corrected. "We're not exactly from around Hyrule."

"You're not?" the rocky man gawked. "Oh… boy, you'd be a mere snack compared to the boulder steaks we Gorons eat." The now-named Goron stood about twice as tall as Ash and Pikachu standing on Ash's head.

"I can only imagine… I'm Ash."

"I'm Strade." Despite his hands being almost three times as big as Ash's own, Strade and Ash shook.

"A Goron… Does this mean you know of Daruk?"

"A legend… His strength was that of ten Gorons combined. Not a lot of creatures could stand up to one of his palms… except for Calamity Ganon." Ash nodded to the added claim. "Anyway, what brings you to the Kara Kara Bazaar?"

"We just came from Gerudo Town after we stopped members of the Yiga Clan."

"And they don't let you in because you're voe, huh?" The reply made Ash and Pikachu sigh. "I figured as much… Gerudo's language is vague, but we do understand some of what they refer to. Males are referred to as voe while females are referred to as vai."

"So, nothing that can be done about it."

"Well, that's not all. Legend has it that every 100 years, a male Gerudo is born. I don't recall what else is said about that." Ash and Pikachu looked to each other, confused about the ordeal. Then, there was a gasp. All turned to Link. Something made him gasp. They ran over to him.

"Link, what's wrong?" asked Ash. Strade looked confused. That's when Link showed a picture of him with a large sword with a blue hilt and guard protecting what looked like Zelda in blue and black trousers lying while admiring him. "Is that Zelda? She looks different." Link nodded to the guess.

("Yeah, but she's still cute,") awed Pikachu. Link smiled to Pikachu's word. That's when Link pointed to Ash's belt.

"Oh, you want to see the other Pokémon?" guessed Ash. Link nodded to the guess.

"Other… what?" wondered Strade. Ash had four red/white balls.

"Come on out, everyone!" he summoned. The balls opened. Out came lights before it became creatures: a red tortiose with a charcoal shell, a red crayfish with horns and large pincers and a large black swallow with some red feathers around the eyes and a white midsection. Grovyle leaped into the pond before swimming in it. The crayfish followed and they both swam, enjoying the water.

"Whoa, these creatures are something else!" awed Strade. The swallow flew to Ash's arm.

"These are my Pokémon," Ash identified. "This is Swellow." They turned to the tortiose who lounged by the pond. "That's Torkoal." Finally, those in the pond. "Grovyle and Corphish." The Pokémon greeted those new to them.

"They're rather cute," Strade mentioned. Link gave Ash a bag with a decal of the shape of the gems he picked up. He pointed Ash to the shops by there. Soon enough, Link came to Ash with a silky brassier and trousers in blue.

"Hold on," Ash started to realize. "These are women's clothes. Are you saying…" Link nodded somberly. Ash sighed to the outcome. "It's going to feel like Celadon City again."

("You dressing as a girl?") guessed Pikachu. After finding a changing tent, Ash looked to be wearing a veil, the brassier and trousers like Link. ("Deja vu…") Ash didn't want to wear from his pained expression. Having masks over their noses and mouths, they decided to make their way back to Gerudo Town…

TO BE CONTINUED…
(We're at the homestretch of 2023, and thus AshMas All-Stars is close. Get those votes in since I'll start in a few weeks.)