Chapter 30
A few days later, it becomes apparent that we are embarking on another two-week School Trip in honor of the 20th anniversary of the Pokemon Trainer's School. Kukui announces, "We're heading to the Kanto Region!"
Amidst everyone's excitement, I can't help but feel deflated. I mutter under my breath, "Oh, Kanto, huh..."
"You're from the Kanto Region, aren't you, Ash, Trenor?" Kiawe inquires.
"Yep," I reply. "Traveled there twice for different reasons."
"Professor Oak's world-famous laboratory is there, right?" Sophocles chimes in.
"Yes, indeed! We'll visit my cousin Professor Oak and his laboratory, and you'll get to see lots of Kanto Pokémon too!" Samson Oak confirms.
"Right, and that's not all. I want you to tackle and experience something you can't have here, along with some very special guests," Professor Kukui announces. "And we already have one here."
It turns out to be my mom, who just strolls in and says, "Greetings, I'm the acting Champion Aurora. I'll be your guide to the Kanto Region."
"Of course, it has to be you, Mom," Trenor sighs. "Who else would have agreed to get us to Kanto?"
"My dear, I'm certain you'll find an experience worth your while, something unique that you can't encounter here, and with some exceptionally special guests I've personally chosen," my Mom remarks, noticing my deflated reaction.
Her words catch my attention, and suddenly, I feel a surge of anticipation. It seems my spirits are beginning to lift again.
When we finally arrive in Kanto, Snowy seems to be feeling unwell after the plane flight. Concerned, I remark, "This is bad... and since we were on the plane, we won't be able to bring some medical equipment..."
"Ash, is that you?" We turn around and are surprised to see Brock, the first gym leader I faced, and my good old friend. I gasp, "Brock! Long time no see! You've come at just the right time!"
"Surprised to see you here as well. Would you mind if I examine that Vulpix?" Brock asks. "See, I'm actually studying to become a Pokémon Doctor."
"That would be great! We got off the plane, and all of a sudden-" Lillie tries to explain, but I interject, "Just leave it to Brock."
After a quick examination, Brock concludes that it's just a case of airsickness. "Well, look who we have here!"
We turn around, equally shocked to see Misty, Insey, and Yellow. "Misty! Insey! Yellow!"
"Hey, Ash! How've you been? Long time no see!" Misty exclaims.
"Yeah, it's great to see you again, Lillie," Insey adds warmly.
"You too, Pikachu!" Yellow chimes in as Pikachu rushes to greet them.
As the others arrive, the four of them introduce themselves, and Trenor remarks, "Seriously? Mom asked you as a special guest too, Insey?"
"And what's the problem with that?" Insey responds. "Considering it's been a while. What's wrong with family asking family?"
"And we were surprised to hear that you're attending the Alola Trainer's School, Ash," Yellow says. "Serena also wanted to come, but she's busy in the Hoenn Region."
"I know, our Grandma suggested her to try Contests there," I mention.
Later, we head back to Pallet Town, where Professor Oak and Samson Oak greet each other warmly. As usual, Professor Oak decides to share a poem with us. My Mom interjects, "I asked these four to be your guides because they will be great."
"Well, since some of my Kanto Pokémon are with Serena and Alice, we won't be able to show off all of them. I'll be showing just a few," I explain, while tossing a Pokéball, summoning Rapidash. It offers Kiawe a ride, much to his delight.
Next, we release some Grass Types, such as Vileplume, Victreebel, and Venusaur. Mallow and Selene happily greet them, but Vileplume accidentally triggers its Effect Spore, causing us to dodge its effects for a brief while.
Pikachu is thrilled to reunite with its family, although Togedemaru keeps zipping around them, accidentally causing a few shocks. Snowy also gets to meet our Ninetales, whom we discovered as an infant. Our Ninetales take an immediate liking to Snowy, of course.
We also send out Dewgong to play with Popplio. "Coming to Kanto sure is a lot of fun," I remark, enjoying the interactions between the Pokémon.
As we begin to showcase the differences between Alolan Forms and Kantonian Forms, the first comparison is between Exeggutor and Alolan Exeggutor. My Exeggutor seems a bit down seeing how tall the Alolan Exeggutor is.
Brock steps in to demonstrate his Geodude alongside an Alolan Geodude, and they point out the difference in their eyebrows. However, things take a turn when Muk is up next. I pale a little because my Muk, true to its usual antics, decides to body slam me.
Dugtrio is the following comparison, but Kiawe is surprised that it lacks Tangling Hair and offers a wig. Lastly, it's Marowak's turn, and Kiawe presents Alolan Marowak. However, the two Marowaks get into a quarrel. Pikachu intervenes with Thunderbolt to stop them, leaving the Kanto Marowak surprised at how the Alolan Marowak reacts to the shock.
As we keep moving, we notice that Misty is still apprehensive around a Caterpie. Insey teases, "Come on, Misty? Still scared of Bug Types?"
"Bug types bug me more than I can say," Misty mutters under her breath.
"But this hasn't changed a bit. It brings back memories," I remark. "Well, if Serena were here, it'd be better."
"But you did travel with her in the Kalos Region," Yellow points out. "I also saw how she competed as a contestant for the Kalos Queen."
After rejoining the others, Kiawe asks, "So, is that Pokémon yours?"
I follow Kiawe's gaze and gasp in surprise—it's a Marshadow. "No... that's not my Pokémon."
"It's a Marshadow," Lillie gasps. "I've read about it in books before. Marshadow conceals itself in the shadows to observe its surroundings without being noticed, much like Gengar. While hidden in shadows, it can sense others' emotions and mimic their abilities."
"But why is it here in the first place?" Insey wonders aloud.
The Marshadow notices Ash and launches a Shadow Ball. As a Normal Type, the move has no effect on me. Confused, I ask, "Hey, what's that for?"
"Battle me," it mutters slowly, indicating that it wants to battle.
"So, you want a battle? Then I'll battle you," I respond confidently. "Mewtwo, I choose you!"
As Mewtwo materializes, everyone is stunned to see this powerful Pokémon. Mewtwo questions, "Why did you bring me here, Ash?"
"I want you to battle the Marshadow over here. It's a Mythical Pokémon, and I think it'll be a great opponent for you," I explain.
"Very well," Mewtwo acknowledges, and I decide to showcase Mega Evolution by activating the Key Stone on my glove. Mewtwo evolves into Mega Mewtwo Y.
"What Pokémon is that?" Selene asks in astonishment.
"That's Mewtwo. Ash caught it in the Cerulean Cave. But it came at a great cost..." Insey shares, shocking the others with the revelation.
"Cost his life?" Misty gasps, startled by Insey's statement.
Meanwhile, Marshadow tries to use Copycat to mimic Hypnosis on Mewtwo, but the Mega Evolved Mewtwo remains unaffected due to its ability, Insomnia.
"Use Psystrike!" I command Mewtwo, but Marshadow dodges into the shadows, evading the attack. It counterattacks with Shadow Punch, catching Mewtwo off guard. Mewtwo attempts to bolster its defenses with Barrier, but Marshadow emerges from its shadow, nullifying the stat boosts with Spectral Thief.
"Spectral Thief... a move that steals the opponent's stat changes," I explain. "Mewtwo, are you alright?"
"I'm fine," Mewtwo responds. "Finally, a worthy opponent to face."
Suddenly, to my surprise, Marshadow appears within Lillie's shadow. Lillie gasps, "Hey! My body... it's moving..."
"What?" The others are shocked as a Z Crystal materializes on Lillie's Z-Ring. I question, "Is that... Marashadium-Z?"
"Marshadow has its own Z Crystal?" Sophocles exclaims in surprise.
Lillie looks at me and Mewtwo apologetically. "It's fine, just assist Marshadow. I also want to see the Z Move," I reassure her.
Lillie nods and activates the Z Crystal. Marshadow enters its Zenith form, surrounded by a light-yellow aura. It shapes into a humanoid form and unleashes a Soul-Stealing 7-Star Strike—rapidly firing orbs of energy at Mewtwo and delivering powerful strikes.
Sensing its lowered health, Mewtwo uses Recover to heal and retaliates with a Shadow Ball, dealing damage to Marshadow. Marshadow suddenly ceases its attack, and Mewtwo reverts back to its normal form. Marshadow speaks, "You are strong. Now, I trust you to take good care of this."
It hands me a customized Pokéball before disappearing into the shadows. Mallow is bewildered, asking, "Did that just happen?"
"It's not surprising if it's Ash," Brock remarks, acknowledging the unexpected turn of events.
Marshadow: The Gloomdweller Pokemon: Fighting and Ghost Type. It slips into the shadows of others and mimics their powers and movements. As it improves, it becomes stronger than those it's imitating.
"Mark and Golly are going to be super jealous about you, Brother," Insey remarks.
"I agree," Trenor adds. Just then, my Mom approaches and invites us to have dinner at our house. As usual, Insey, Trenor, and I are asked to assist in cooking. It dawns on us that tomorrow, we're headed to the Cerulean Gym because our friends from Alola want to experience what a gym is like.
As we reach the gym, we're surprised to see Psyduck in the center of the battlefield. To our amazement, Misty isn't annoyed with Psyduck anymore; instead, she seems to be treating it as a proper Water Type.
"My dear friends, it's time for a formal introduction. Misty here is the Cerulean City Gym Leader, specializing in Water Types. Brock is a former Pewter Gym Leader and an expert in Rock-type Pokémon. These are the two you'll be battling," my mom introduces them.
"Since you're the Kanto Champion now, Ash, that means you must have battled them before, right?" Kiawe inquires.
"Of course, they were my first two gym battles," I reply, displaying my 8 gym badges from the Kanto Region. "Lillie also has her 8 badges, right?"
"Yeah," Lillie confirms, showing her own set of 8 badges. Mallow exclaims, "That's amazing!"
As Brock and Misty agree to battle our group, Trenor and Kiawe surprise everyone by opting for Mega Evolution with Steelix and Gyarados. Trenor manages a narrow victory against Misty, while Kiawe struggles and ends up losing to Brock.
After the battles, we explore other places, sharing amusing and embarrassing stories along the way. Time flies by, and before we know it, two weeks have passed, signifying our departure back to Alola. Grateful for our visit, Yellow expresses her appreciation by gifting homemade badges to our friends, which they all greatly appreciate and cherish.
On the plane, I turn to my Mom and ask, "Why did you agree to this Pokémon Field Trip?"
She responds, "It's something Professor Kukui wanted to organize. You'll find out eventually."
I'm not a fan of being kept in the dark, but I suppose I'll just have to wait for now.
And here is a new chapter, since Team Rocket is no more, I decide to change into a battle with Marshadow and Mewtwo. I hope you like it and we're going back into daily school life in the next chapter.
Ash and Lillie's Pokemon:
Charizard x2, Butterfree x2 (One Pink), Raticate (Alolan), Pikachu, Raichu (Alolan), Vulpix (Alolan), Meowth (Alolan), Grimer (Alolan), Cubone, Lapras, Meganium, Typhlosion (Hisuian), Steelix (Crystal), Mantine, Sceptile, Gardevoir (Shiny), Milotic, Absol, Infernape, Lucario, Togekiss, Gallade, Samurott, Audino, Zoroark, Hydreigon, Meowstic x2, Aegislash, Hawlucha, Dartrix, Torracat, Brionne, Trumbeak, Gumshoos, Charjabug, Crabrawler, Oricorio, Cutiefly, Lycanroc x3 (Midday/Midnight/Dusk), Wishiwashi, Mareanie, Mudbray, Araquanid, Fomantis, Morelull, Salandit, Stufful, Steenee, Comfey, Oranguru, Passimian, Wimpod, Sandygast, Pyukumuku, Magearna (Shiny), Marshadow, Kleavor