"Alright, Finizen use Aqua Tail!" Finizen surrounded its tail with water and slammed into Capsakid.
"Capsakid block it!" Goh ordered. Capsakid was able to brace for the Aqua Tail and avoid getting blown back.
"Capsakid use Razor Leaf!" Capsakid fired a flurry of leaves that struck Finizen.
"Now Finizen use Double Hit!" Finizen struck Capsakid twice with his tail.
Without being told Capsakid grabbed Finizen's tail with Bite and flung him to the ground.
Finizen chirped his disapproval pinning Capsakid to the ground.
"Alright then let's try training with Wattrel instead" Ash returned Finizen and sent out Wattrel in his place.
"Alright now Wattrel use Pluck!"
"Capsakid use Bite!" Capsakid bit down right on Wattrel's beak slamming her to the ground.
Capsakid liked to fight dirty although how much of that was her fighting style and just being upset about being captured by Finizen was hard to tell.
The ringing of Ash's phone interrupted the training session.
"Professor Oak wonder what he's calling about?"
"Hello Professor how can I help you?"
"Hello, Ash how are things going for you in Paldea?"
"Things are going great how about you things alright in Pallet Town?"
"Yes everything going well in Pallet Town I called to inform you that Gary will be on his way there"
"That's awesome did he say why he's coming to Paldea?"
"Well, he left in quite a rush but he said that the Galarian legendary birds will be landing in Paldea on their migration before they cross the Medatrainian I'm assuming it had something to do with his field research"
"He was quite eager to get out there he was on the first flight out from Fushia to Paldea"
"Well alright then I'll make sure to meet him once he gets here" Ash replied cheerfully ending the call.
Goh had been doing so well the last week.
Ever since the running of the Tauros Goh had been doing so well he had felt so happy just being with his friends and having a good time.
He was having such a good time he completely blew over discussing anything with his parents or Ash Hassel would defiantly be disappointed in him.
All of that invigoration he had from the past week had vanished replaced with that same underlying sense of regret and lack of closure that had been swirling around in his head for months.
It was only because Ash and Chloe had asked him that he agreed to meet with them, Iris and Gary in the courtyard after dinner.
It was nice to see Gary again and how he was doing with his research but it was still making him wish he just stayed in his dorm.
"So Professor Oak told me that you came here because of the Galarian legendary birds?" Ash asked.
"Yes that's why I wanted to talk to you all out here," Gary said. Gary had a serious look on his face like the one from his battle with Ash in Jhoto, Goh could tell something intense was on his mind.
"The thing is I looked through all the research that Magnolia and Sonia have on them and it seems like they aren't a regional variant like Zigzagoon or Corsola"
"Wait then what are they then!" everyone asked in confession.
"I believe that they're Paradox Pokémon like the ones mentioned in Goh's books. All the information on them says that they were named after the legendary birds but there's no solid evidence that there related and like Paradox Pokémon they all have one of their original types replaced. In recent years its become the excepted theory that their Paradox Pokémon misidentified as the only ones not restricted to Paldea"
"Wow, that's so cool" Ash exclaimed "Is that why you came out here?"
"Unfortunately no" Gary remarked "I've gotten wind of Team Galactic's recent involvement in the region and I believe that they want to take control of the Legendary Birds"
"But why would they want to do that?" Iris asked thinking about Roaring Moon.
"I'm not sure but with the recent rise in Paradox Pokémon sightings outside of area zero I think they want to use something involving them"
"Well I caught a Paradox Salamence called Roaring Moon do you think that's why she was outside of the crater?"
"That's defiantly possible that could also be why there was a Slither Wing sighted above ground to"
"Wait a Slither Wing was sighted above ground!" Iris asked in shock "We think that Roaring Moon came up to the surface with a Slither Wing"
"That could be the case the Slither Wing was spotted trying to attack small pets around Cascarrafa"
"Anyway I'm getting sidetracked what I'm getting at is that we need to stop Team Galactic before they go threw with any of their plans you all remember what happened with them and Heatran"
"But how are we going to stop them if it's just the five of us?" Chloe asked concerned "And I'm not even that good at battling"
"Not there's not just going to be five of us," Iris remarked "I and Ash could talk to Geeta about this I'm sure she'd be willing to help us with this"
"Ya, most of the league and teachers know us two I'm sure that they would help us too" Ash added.
"Alright, then Gary will talk to them first thing tomorrow!"
"Alright move the crystal a little to the left"
"Inteleon are sure this is necessary?" Abomasnow asked as he helped Darmanitan move the dark Tera Crystal to a more visible spot.
"Of course, it's important we need to make sure Moltres can easily see it"
"Inteleon I do think this is all a tad unnecessary," Flygon remarked from beside him.
"Well, do you want the evil Cormorant to miss the Tera Crystal?" Inteleon asked offended.
"Sandile, Lokix, and Absol can both feel its aura I think that Moltres can find it"
"Speaking of Moltres!" Misdreavus screeched cowing behind Stantler as a dark burning aura of feathers appeared in the sky.
"I told you that was unnecessary!" Abomasnow yelled as he and Darmanitan ran behind Iron Thorns and Great Tusk.
With a guttural throaty call, Moltres burned the glass roof with Feiry Wrath.
"Oh great that's gonna take forever to fix" Francois sighed.
"That's what your thinking about right now!" Maushold yelled from behind Walking Wake.
Moltres perched on the dark tera crystal making laugh-like calls as its fiery aura burned around it.
Another loud crash came from the side as Calyrex burst into view on top of Glastrier Spectrier tagging along behind.
"Everyone stop messing up our walls we're going to have to fix this all later" Francois yelled again seemingly more concerned with the property damage than the multiple legendaries.
Calyrex looked up at Moltres eyes glowing a light blue, with a disgruntled shrill Moltres flew down from its perch to meet Calyrex. From out of the forest Regieleki zipped over to face Calyrex as well.
"I must give you my gratitude for being able to protect Moltres from Team Galactic" Moltres turned and gave them a nod as a thank you.
"Unfortunately they have already captured Articuno and Zapdos we must hurry and retrieve them"
"Quick question but where are we going to retrieve them from?" Iron Valiant asked.
"My psychic ability tells me that they are locked in the deepest sections of The Great Crater of Paldea" Inteleon grimaced at the thought of returning to the crater where almost everything wanted to kill him.
"Now everyone follows me" Calyrex reared up on Glastrier and started running for the crater Spectrier, Moltres, and Regieleki at his feels and everyone else following behind them.
Goh felt like he was going to be sick.
But he didn't know why. He had faced down Team Galactic before and that was just the three of them and Cynthia vs a supercharged Heatran and they came out on top then why wouldn't they come out on top now?
Mabay it was that he and Ash were on separate teams this time around.
After talking it over, Geeta, and Clavell they had managed to get everyone from the league and academy involved. To Goh's surprise, even Team Rocket had agreed to help in the effort to stop Team Galactic.
Legendary Bird Team in charge of recovering the Legendary birds (Katy, Iono, Kofu, Larry, Rika, Miriam, Raifort, Tyme, Clavell, James, Chloe, Gary, and Ash,)
Galactic Team in charge of stopping Team Galactic (Brassius, Ryme, Tulip, Grusha, Poppy, Hassel, Saguaro, Salvator, Jacq, Dendra, Geeta, Jessie, Iris, and Goh)
That's what he chalked it up to. With the last Team Galactic incident they had fought as a group here they would be separate and once they reached the fork in the trail down into Aera Zero they would have no contact aside from Radio.
Ash's team was in charge of finding and capturing the legendary birds and getting them to the surface well Goh and Iris's team was tasked with fighting threw Team Galactic and its admins.
As they descended into the entrance to Area Zero everybody sent out their Pokémon.
In the likely event that he had to fight the Legendary Birds Ash had brought Charizard to back up Dragonite in aerial combat and Lycanroc who could help Pikachu and Gengar hit with super effective range attacks.
"Do you think that those paradoxes Pokémon will attack us?" Iono asked nervously hiding behind Kofu.
"Not likely with such a large group of people traveling together they won't risk starting a confrontation" Geeta replied sending out her Glimmora.
"Goh I know what your thinking don't worry I'm going to be fine" Ash reassured him petting Charizard's snout.
"I know I know it's just going to be weird not fighting with you and Chloe on the same battlefield"
"Come Goh do really have that little faith in me you think the legendary birds are going to stop me Charizard has already beaten an Articuno before"
"Brrarrr!" Charizard stretched out his wings at the mention of his fight with Articuno in Hoenn.
"You I guess that your and Salvator is running the radio on our end so you can always call us over the radio"
"Definitely once things are cleared out I'll get Iono to tell you how things are going"
Goh and Ash walked in silence until they came to the waterfall that marked where each group's path differed. Geeta would lead her group down a faster route along a river well Ash's team stayed on the path down to Professor Sada's lab.
"Alright good luck you guys"
"Will see you on the other side" Ash and Goh disappeared with Gary down the trail leaving Goh to stick close to Iris as they followed the path of the river.
"What if that's the last time I ever see them?"
"What if something bad happens to them?"
"Goh stop overthinking this" Iris reassured from beside him.
"What?"
"I can see it on your face you are overthinking this it's not a big deal Ash and Chloe is more than capable of handling himself"
"Yes but what if she's wrong what if something goes wrong you can't be sure if you were there then you would know"
"Okay I'll do my best"
"That's I'll you need to do"
The group continued down the river fields of ferns and forests of mushrooms the size of trees unlike anything that go had ever seen.
"Urrghh this place is creepy" Jessy squealed gripping Meowth in her arms.
"Ya, it feels like something out of a video game!" Meowth agreed letting Jessie carry him.
Area Zero did make Goh feel super uncomfortable. With the knowledge of the Paradox Pokémon roaming the area, it made every call and every shadow he caught moving in the forest feel like it could be some nightmare creature ready to strike them down.
They didn't run into any Paradox Pokémon but Goh could see glimpses of them in the distance. Robotic Tyranitars and Hydreigon roaming in the distance strange-looking Jigglypuff and Donphan battling packs of bizarre Amoongus.
It felt like he had been transported into an altered reality one that was almost the same as normal but something was obviously wrong and he couldn't tell what.
"This reminds me of the movie Annihilation you remember that one right Hassel?" Brassius asked as they stepped threw a bed of roses standing along the river like reeds.
"Yes I do remember that one it was a very bold artistic kind of movie"
"Oh yeesh I watched that with Tulip and Katy once we stopped after that Ursaring scene ugh that was creepy" Dendra squealed as they left the reeds.
"What did you think the odds of us running into some sort of Ursaring forum lives down here?" Tulip asked.
"Ugh don't mention that not when we're down here!" Dendra grabbed onto Tulip.
"That's highly unlikely the Scarlet and Violet book doesn't mention any Paradox Ursaring" Jacq responded holding out a combined copy of both books.
Above them, a flock of Flamigo flew ahead flying into a dark cavern illuminated by the glow of purple-blue crystals.
"Alright now the map says that this is the entrance into the depths of Area Zero" Geeta announced letting Glimmora lead the way "After this point sunlight no longer reaches the caves"
"Don't we need flashlights then?" Grusha asked.
"These parts of the caverns are illuminated by bioluminescence and will have plenty of light to illuminate are path" Geeta replied stepping into the cavern.
"Wow, it's so pretty!" Poppy exclaimed in awe at the sight that waited for them on the other side.
Like Geeta had said the entire biome glowed with shades of cyan, blue, and purple bizarre trees that looked like weeping willows littered the ground with their purple leaves, and giant agave-like shrubs illuminated the trail in shades of blue even the river glowed a bright cyan as the path snaked down a waterfall and the river turned into a large lake.
"Now this really is like something from a Video game," Jessie remarked.
"I didn't know a place like this could even exist I thought it was only something you saw as a computer background" Grusha stated as a flock of Rufflet and Braviary flew above them.
"Wait did those Braviary look weird to you?" Goh thought internally "No, no Goh don't be silly it's probably just a trick of the light"
"It really is a sight to behold," Ryme remarked.
Despite everybody remarking on the beauty of Area Zero Goh couldn't help but see the strange Pokémon hidden in the shadows.
Herds of white Stantler roaming through the weeping willows impossibly large Basculin swimming through the lake.
"What was that weird shadowy thing in the trees? Calm down Goh it was probably just your mind"
"Alright, Mr. Saturn they've split into two groups" The grunt yelled over the radio "What do you want us to do?"
"Take the Legendary Birds to Ash's group as planned it will keep him distracted and take the Paradox Pokémon and the past Pokémon to Iris's group we want them to be overpowered easily" Saturn heard shuffling from the radio as the grunt handed it over to someone else
"Hello, Saturn this is Mars can I ask why take the Legendary Birds to the stronger team?"
"Even if we lose Articuno and Zapdos we can still force a draw if we take something from them"
"Explain?" Jupiter cut in from the side.
"He's very close with Goh and Chloe and they're not the best at fighting, If we can get even one of those two separated from the rest of the group we can easily get the birds back"
"I see," Mars remarked "Hand over the Legendary birds and will hand over Chloe/Goh I'm I understanding correctly?"
"You absolutely understand that correctly" Saturn confirmed as a pair of Flamigo and Pidgeot flew down in front of him.
"Did Rinto bring Iron Leaves?"
"Yes he did"
"Good"
"Also beware of Goh's Inteleon I don't know how he does it but he always messes with our plans. If what Goh's Flamigo recorded from its leg camera they should be coming from behind so make sure your Espathra and some of the other Paradox Pokémon are standing guard"
"You got it" Jupiter hung up leaving Saturn to stand guard overlooking the region bioluminescent region.
"Zoroark follow Iris's Team"
One of the Flamigo transformed into a ball of shadowy energy revealing Hisuian Zoroark the Baneful Fox Pokémon leaped into the glowing forest and darted into the shadows.
End Credit Song-The Nights by Avicii
Boom the Hisuian Pokémon reveal.
That's really all I have to say about this chapter all the major stuff goes down in the next chapter so look forward to that.