Chapter Two
Everyone in the clearing awoke to the sound of a scream.
High pitched and shrieking: Fletchlings scattered from the trees, Lechonk scampered for the underbrush, an Azurill hopping for the water; all fleeing from the horrible wailing.
"What happened to needing your beauty sleep, Jessie," James groaned to himself as he sat up, hands slapped over his ears as she screamed. Claws dug into his leg, Meowth's fur standing on end, having been sleeping on James' sleeping bag.
"Get it off!" Jessie screeched. "My hair! I can't move! It's on me!"
Jessie has chosen to set up camp under a tree, head resting near the trunk. Unfortunately she hadn't been the only one who had decided to sleep there, a Pokemon proudly perched up on her head, long spindly legs curled into magenta hair, the long strands having been hooked to the tree by the silky threads of a spider web.
"Oh my," James said as he stared at his partner, and the spider that had settled on her head, the Pokemon seeming unfazed despite her thrashing.
"Don't just sit there, do something!" Jessie snarled at him. So he grabbed the closest thing, Meowth by the scruff, and threw him straight at Jessie's head.
Fury Swipes formed in Meowth's panic, slashing through the spider webs, setting Jessie free. She was on her feet, running around the camp, but the Pokemon still remained firmly latched onto her head.
"What was that for?" Meowth snarled at James.
"You're the Pokemon," he protested. "Do something!"
Jessie was still running about them, hands clawing at her head, the Pokemon refusing to let go. Meowth looked around frantically before picking up a Pokeball and chucking it at Jessie just as he had been thrown. The red sphere landed true, hitting the Pokemon, drawing it within it with a flash of red light.
Quiet fell across their camp, the Pokeball shaking back and forth. Jessie fell to her knees, clawing at her hair, pulling out the webbing that remained in it. The Pokeball went still, before clicking, sealing the Pokemon inside. Meowth went over, picking it up with a frown.
"Don't you dare let that monster out!" Jessie snarled, scampering back. "Keep it in there, it ruined my hair!"
"What even was it?" James asked, walking over.
"Aren't you the one with the fancy tech?" Meowth asked.
James swiftly pulled out the phone his team had received for the mission, looking down at it. An alert for the newly captured Pokemon flashed on screen, which he clicked on.
"Tarountula," the phone reported in a crackly voice. "Th-the thread it secretes is as strong as wire. They wrap the elastic webbing around– around– around its body to deflect attacks."
"I don't care what it is, get rid of it!" Jessie cried. "Ship it off!"
"Bug type, native to Paldea, common…" James muttered, reading over the screen. "Eh, I don't think this would be the best Pokemon to send off to the boss. Especially for our first capture on our Paldea mission."
"Yeah, we were sent here to learn about the strange Pokemon!" Meowth snapped. "The boss is expecting results, not foreign Caterpie!"
"Whatever," Jessie said stiffly, pulling a brush from her bag, working on fixing her hair. "Just keep it away from me if it's going to be on your team."
James gave an uncertain smile. "About that, Jess, Meowth didn't use one of my Pokeballs, he used yours. Um, Tarountula is kind of your Pokemon now?"
"What?!"
"Oh, since when do you have a problem with bug types?" Meowth asked, holding up the Pokeball– which Jessie knocked away instead of taking it.
"I don't care what type it is– I care that it tried to make a nest out of my hair! Release the stupid thing if you want, but I'm not having it on my team."
Meowth and James looked at each other as Jessie turned away with a huff, the two sighing. James wasn't the one to try to argue with Jessie in the morning, however, and instead opted for getting breakfast ready. There was nothing like the start of a new mission– when they had all the supplies they could ever need, along with the funding to keep everything stocked up. The smell of coffee and breakfast wafted through the air. It didn't take long for his team to gather around, Wobbuffet popping out of his Pokeball to join them as they settled around a large tree stump to eat. Wobbuffet's Pokeball wasn't the only one that opened up, one from James' belt snapping open as well.
The Morpeko looked up at them as she formed, fur black and purple as her eyes laid on the feast before them. Jessie and Meowth's eyes widened in horror as the starving Pokemon stepped towards the meal. James was unconcerned, pulling two bags out of his backpack. The bag of chips was tossed at the Morpeko, who immediately began ripping it open and devouring what was inside.
"That won't last her long!" Meowth cried.
"Yes, but this will," James said, holding up a bag of Pokemon food, which the others knew still wouldn't be enough for the ravenous Pokemon. He dumped it into a bowl as Morpeko finished off the chips, head whipping about in search of more food.
"Pek!" Morpeko screamed as James held up the food bowl, before he dumped an entire water bottle on it. He set it on the ground just as Morpeko lunged for the soggy food, who began stuffing it into her mouth.
They watched as the food absorbed the water, rapidly expanding into a much larger serving. Soon the Pokemon food was spilling out of the bowl, leaving plenty for the electric type to feast upon.
"What is that stuff?" Meowth asked.
"SnaxLax," James said proudly, holding up the empty bag. "A brand of Pokemon did especially for those traveling with 'mons of a large appetite. Originally designed for Snorlax trainers, this state of the art Pokemon food is made with special formula, then dehydrated and compressed for light traveling while taking up little space."
"Fancy," Jessie said.
"Just simply add water before serving, and ta-da! A meal to fill up the most hungry of Pokemon!" James said, before pulling out several more bags of the food. "SnaxLax comes in many varieties as well, guaranteeing that you will find the right kind and flavor for your favorite little glutton!"
"Why are you talking like you're in an ad?" Meowth muttered.
James rubbed the back of his head. "Um… I may have gotten a bunch of free samples from SnaxLax on the promise that I'd promote the brand?"
"We ain't your customers!" Meowth snapped.
"Well, you are eating the food I made."
"Made for the team, not to sell," Jessie replied.
"Ah, it is nice to have some good grub," Meowth purred happily, using his claws to spear himself some pancakes.
Morpeko had finished off her meal, having turned yellow once more with her belly full. She curled up at James' feet, falling asleep as they ate their own breakfast, for once having not devoured it for herself.
"If we keep up good results for the mission, we'll be eating like this everyday!" Jessie said with a laugh. "James, read our mission report for us!"
James held up his phone. "Mission report, please!"
"M-m-mission report: scout out Paldea. Task one of three: three: investigate strange Pokemon reports. T-task two of three: find potential rivaling t-teams or threats to the spread of Team Rocket. Task three of three of three of three: capture Pokemon to strengthen the glory of Team– Team Rocket."
Meowth frowned. "What's wrong with that thing? Ain't it brand new?"
"Yes," James said, turning over the phone with a frown. It looked brand new, not a crack or a scratch anywhere on it. The device was getting a good signal, was running quickly, and working just fine– the only issue seemed to be repeating words.
"Oh, whatever," Jessie said, leaning over and yanking the phone from his hands. "It's not the end of the world if it's skipping over some words. "Tell us more about these strange Pokemon for the mission!"
"Paldea has reported several strange phenom-phenomenons regarding Pokemon. Sightings of crystal Pokemon within the w-wilds and among trainer battles." The phone said. "Multiple witnesses claim that they have been attacked by Pokemon of staggering-ing s-size, while others claim to have seen undocumented species."
"What, like those weirdos who think MissingNo is real?" Jessie said with a snort.
"It is!" Meowth cried. "I've seen one with my own two eyes!"
"Areas of interest for s-such reports: crystal caves, Aera Zero," the phone finished.
"Where's the crystal cave?" James asked.
"No single location recorded."
"What, then how are we supposed to find it!" Meowth cried.
"Find the location of one," the phone said unhelpfully.
"Fine, what's Aera Zero then?" Jessie asked, crossing her arms.
"Aera– Aera Zero is located within the Great. The Great. The Great Crater of Paldea. Off limits to the general public and– and visitors. Sources indicate that powerful Pokemon may live within it."
"Okay," Meowth said with a smirk. "Simple enough– who cares who says who goes where– we go wherever we please!"
"It's settled then," James said with a nod. "We're heading straight for this crater, finding these powerful Pokemon and reporting it all to the boss!"
"I'm more interested in these crystal Pokemon," Jessie said with a sigh. "They must be absolutely beautiful, imagine one of them fighting by our side."
"Well right now you got a Pokemon ready to actually fight by ya side," Meowth said, pointing to the abandoned Pokeball, and she turned her head away with a huff.
"We do need more Pokemon to battle with while we're here in Paldea," James said, holding out his hands. "We can't have any Pokemon delivered to us to use since there's no Team Rocket base in Paldea yet, Wobbuffet can't attack on his own, Morpeko isn't going to battle when she's hungry, and well, Meowth... since when can we trust him to handle a battle?"
"Hey!" Meowth snarled. "I can battle just fine if I wanna!"
"Yeah, but you never 'wanna'," Jessie said with a yawn, eyes flickering over towards the fallen Pokeball.
"I ain't here to do your dirty work!"
Jessie leaned down scooping up the falling Pokeball. She turned it over once in her hand, considering, before sending out the newly captured Pokemon from within. The Tarountula formed on the stump, looking around, before Jessie towered over it.
"Now I don't know who you think you are," Jessie snapped. "But you had the nerve to ruin my beautiful hair with your sticky webs. You have one chance to apologize, because I just don't let any Pokemon into my team!"
"Tulatula!" The Tarountula said, waving his front legs in the air. "Taroun, tartar!
"He says your hair is the most amazing shade of red," Meowth translated. "And he couldn't resist building his web in it."
"Tula!"
"You're forgiven!" Jessie said upon hearing this, running her hands through her magenta hair, and the Tarountula beamed. "My hair is the most amazing!"
"Really?" James muttered.
"If you're running with us though, you're running with Team Rocket," Jessie told the Tarountula.
"Tula?" Tarountula asked.
"'What's Team Rocket?'!" Meowth cried. "Why, it's only the most amazing group in the world! Led by the great and noble Giovanni!"
"Tar!"
"You will join us on our noble quest!"
"Lu!" Tarountula called happily, throwing more of his legs up.
"We will conquer Paldea!"
"We're going to catch the strongest Pokemon out there!"
"The Boss is going to–"
This speech, however, was interrupted by a thunderous roar of what had to be from a powerful Pokemon, just what they were looking for, what they had come here seeking.
"Guh-GYAOHHH!"
The Team Rocket trio didn't hesitate as they heard this cry, turning as they fled in terror.
It didn't take much for Nemona to convince her mother, Lena, to let her take a small journey to the Academy of Paldea rather than just driving there– Lena could clearly see that the spark of new adventure was in Nemona's eyes, and she wasn't going to back down. However Lena insisted that they didn't leave until tomorrow, inviting Ash to stay in an extra guest room until then. She had also treated Ash to a meal, while Nemona had locked herself in her room to start packing.
Lena seemed a bit worried at first, as if she had thought that Ash had been dragged into this rivalry by Nemona– but after one meal together it was clear that she was dealing with a clone of her daughter. Both Ash's and Nemona's eyes lit up and the thought of a battle, the driving force for their thirst of adventure.
Lena was a nice woman, though she didn't have the same vigor as her daughter. Ash was able to learn more about Nemona's family– a father who worked at a Rotom-phone company, a sister who had recently moved out, and of course about Nemona's past Pokemon journeys. Lena didn't seem to care much for battling herself, but seemed very happy for her daughter's accomplishments.
He was also able to meet a few of Nemona's other Pokemon– a powerful midday Lycanroc who loved bellyrubs, an awesome looking bug type that Rotom reported as a Lokix, and a Pangoro who was sunbathing in the garden.
It turned out that Ash wasn't able to escape his jet lag as easily as he thought he could– he and Pikachu ending up turning in very early once their weariness fully hit them. And despite a whole night of being out cold, morning came far too soon– Nemona banging on the guest room door, ready to leave.
After breakfast and taking a delicious lunch Lena had packed for them, Ash and Nemona took their first steps together on their new adventure.
"That's a Tarountula, pure bug type, their silk is used to make destiny knots–"
"It's my job to tell Ash about Pokemon!" Rotom protested.
"I grew up here, I know this place like the back of my hand," Nemona replied.
Ash's eyes swept across Poco Path, looking at all the sprawling land in front of them. The trail they were taking was worn, having been traveled by many trainers before, but the land surrounding it did look untouched. Cliffs that staggered down one side, roped off so you could safely see the ocean below, and trees and hills sprawling off in the distance. Pokemon flew through the air, and scampered across the ground. There were familiar ones: Hoppip drifting in the wind, Scatterbugs climbing across bushes, Fletchlings perched in the trees. With Kalos to the northeast he wasn't surprised to see Pokemon he had known from there, but he was more interested in the creatures he hadn't seen before.
"So cute," Ash said, squatting down to watch a small Pokemon root in the mud. "Reminds me of Tepig."
"Lechonk!" Rotom cried, the Rotomdex zipping forward before Nemona could answer. "The hog Pokemon, normal type. It possesses a keen sense of smell that they use for foraging."
"Lechonk was the first Pokemon I ever caught," Nemona chimed in. "You should try catching this one– they're fun to train."
Ash considered this, but didn't get the chance to decide as the Lechonk seemed to have enough of having its photo taken– running off into the underbrush.
"Guess not," Ash said with a laugh, scratching the back of his head.
"Sorry," Rotom whirled apologetically.
"Don't sweat it– we have plenty of other chances to catch a Pokemon!" Ash said, leaping to his feet. "We got a whole region to explore– and we're going to catch the strongest Pokemon out there!"
"Pika!" Pikachu cheered.
"Ooo! New Pokemon!" Rotom said, zipping off towards an orange Pokemon, snapping pictures. The little thing stiffening up, sparks coming from its cheeks.
"Oh, is that part of Pawmot's evolutionary line?" Ash asked– as the little creature did look a lot like the Pawmot he had battled yesterday.
"Yep, that's a Pawmi," Nemona replied, and they watched as the Pawmi released a Thunder Shock onto Rotom, which didn't have too much of an effect.
"Okay, look out Rotom, me and Pikachu are going to catch that!" Ash said, and Pikachu leapt off of his shoulder.
"But you already have two electric types with you right now! That would be poor type balance!" Rotom protested.
"Types don't determine the battle!" Ash replied, pulling out a Pokeball. "Besides, didn't you see how strong Pawmot is– I want to have one on the team."
"Pikapika!"
"So your Paldea team is going to be a mono electric type?"
"You're not on my team, Rotom!"
"Um, Ash?" Nemona began, watching as the Pawmi began to slink away as human and Rotomdex argued.
"I am just expressing basic concerns–"
"I literally don't have any other electric types but Pikachu!"
"Pika!" Pikachu cried, tugging on Ash's pant legs, and he looked up in time to see Pawmi bolting off into the tall grass. Panic crossed his face, and he immediately ran after it.
"Wait– can I try catching you?" Ash cried, holding up a Pokeball as he darted into the field, but it was clear that he had lost track of the Pawmi. He and Pikachu began circling around, as if hoping they'd be able to flush it out.
"So you don't want him having any more electric types, hmm?" Nemona asked Rotom, raising an eyebrow with a humored expression.
"I am just concerned," Rotom insisted, crossing his appendages.
"You and Pikachu are the only ones allowed then," she teased.
"Well if you want to be technical, then Pikachu is his only electric type, as I have technically never been caught," Rotom replied. "Of course I would have to exit my Pokedex form in order for that to be possible–"
"So you want to be the first electric type Ash catches," Nemona said, nodding. "Well, besides Pikachu."
"I didn't say that!" He protested. "Besides, he never caught Pikachu, he was given Pikachu, so if that technically were to happen then I would be the first– not that's important to this conversation–"
"It got away," Ash said as he came jogging back, panting. "That little guy was crazy fast..."
"Just be glad it didn't have a Pawmo with it– they attack anyone who tries to capture a Pawmi from their colony," Nemona said. "But if you're so desperate to catch something, then why don't you capture–"
"That Pokemon right over there!" Rotom blurted out, hovering in front of Ash suddenly, pointing in a random direction without thought. Ash looked where he was gesturing, and saw a group of Fletchling hopping about.
"I already have caught Fletchling before– you know that," Ash said with a laugh.
"Er, I didn't mean Fletchling!" Rotom said. "I meant–"
"Guh-GYAOHHH!"
The loud and bellowing roar echoing about them, causing all of them to fall silent in surprise. Nemona and Ash looked at each other in pure confusion as the cry fell silent– having clearly belonged to something much bigger than what they had seen on the route about them so far– and it sounded like it was close.
"Uh, what Pokemon was that?" Ash asked.
"I've never heard anything like that around here before," Nemona said.
"One moment, give me a minute to analyze the call," Rotom said, zipping up, as a loading animation appeared on his screen. "I will compare it to all the vocal information I have on all Pokemon in my database and find a match–" He paused, a red 'X' flashing on his screen. "No... no match?"
"An unknown Pokemon?" Ash asked, eyes growing wide.
"Well, that it an unlikely possibility–"
"A never before seen one?" Nemona added, a grin spreading across her face.
"It is more likely my recording wasn't the best audio, leading it to unable to find a match–" Rotom continued, but the two teenagers were not listening to him.
"I'm going to catch it!" Ash and Nemona cried out together– and an unhappy emoji appeared on Rotom's screen as he continued to be ignored.
"Not if I manage to catch it first," Ash said, taking a step towards Nemona.
"You wanna bet?" She asked with a grin, pulling out Nemona's Pokeball. "Because you're so on! First one to find the Pokemon gets to catch it!"
"You heard her, Pikachu, let's go!"
"Pika-pika!"
The two humans bolted in opposite directions, ready to seek out the source of the roar. Several ellipses flashed on Rotom's screen as he hovered there in thought, before drifting in the direction that Ash and Pikachu had gone.
"Ash!" Rotom cried.
"No time, Rotom, I gotta find that Pokemon!"
"Well you're going the wrong way," Rotom said, watching as Ash and Pikachu came to a stop, looking back at him. "It came from that direction."
He pointed off towards the cliffs that were a ways off the trail, and Ash immediately changed direction, racing off towards it. Rotom's eyes widened, and he didn't even know why he was surprised that the human was running straight there without hesitation. He zipped after Ash, barely managing to get in front of him to slow him down.
"Oh Pokemon!" Ash called, stepping around him, but at least waking this time. "Where are you?"
"Ash, it is dangerous to run towards cliffs," Rotom whirled. "It is dangerous to run towards many different things, in fact. Like an unknown powerful Pokemon. In situations like these it is best to examine the situation first and– what in the Tapu's sweet name are you doing?!"
"Oh, don't be such a worry wart," Ash said as he slipped under the rope fencing meant to keep people away from the cliff's edge, Pikachu on his shoulder like it was perfectly safe. "There's plenty of room on this side."
"The fence is there for a reason!"
"Oh, why are you so worried, you're the one that can fly–" Ash said, walking over to peer over the edge– when the mysterious roar sounded again, even louder than before. Ash jerked in surprise, stumbling forward towards the edge. His feet hit the loose dirt, the ground beginning to give out under him as he fell over the cliff's side.
"Aaaahhhh!" He cried, and Rotom bolted after him.
Ash instantly grabbed Rotom's red form as it was in reach, desperately clinging to him as they fell towards the ground. The Rotomdex fought and pulled to stay in the air, straining his Levitate ability to the maximum. And while he was strong enough to carry the Pokedex around with ease, the weight of an entire human was another matter.
Rotom hadn't been able to pull Ash out of his fall completely, but managed to slow his momentum enough that as they crashed into the sandy beach below he would be walking away with only bruises. Ash, Rotom, and Pikachu all laid there in the sand for a moment, groaning as they sat up.
"Thanks for the save, Rotom..." Ash muttered, rubbing his head.
"Pikapika," Pikachu said, grabbing Ash's fallen hat, before putting it on his own head. "Cha!"
"Now how on earth are you two going to get back up?" Rotom asked, looking up the cliff.
"We can climb!"
"And have you fall again– no way!" Rotom snapped.
"Grrrrrrroah..." A low growl seemed to hum across the entire beach, and they stiffened up. Ash turned, looking over to see what had made the noise– and saw a large figure laying stiff by the water's edge. Surrounding it were multiple Houndours, all growling and advancing, Embers forming in their mouths as they prepared to attack the POkemon
"Hey!" Ash cried, instantly leaping to his feet. "Five on one isn't fair!"
The Houndours looked in his direction, and the fallen Pokemon used the moment to push itself up on one leg, letting out a loud bellowing roar– the same one he and Nemona had heard earlier. Several of the Houndours retreated at the deafening cry, while others launched their Ember attacks in retaliation.
"Pikachu– Thunderbolt!" Ash snapped. "Rotom, go tell Nemona where we are, hurry."
"Right," Rotom said, flying up the cliff face, while Pikachu charged forward, cheeks sparking. He released the powerful Thunderbolt out at the attacking Houndours, who immediately whimpered upon being hit, before scattering.
Ash watched them as they bolted off to an open cave in the cliffside, swiftly retreating from the new threat. He then turned, hurrying up to the injured Pokemon, who immediately tensed at their presence. It bared its teeth, snarling at him and Pikachu, causing both of them to halt in their tracks.
"Hey there, it's okay," Ash said quietly, holding out his hands placatingly. "I just want to help you, that's all."
Fiery eyes watched him, flickering between him and Pikachu. The Pokemon was reptilian in shape, with bright rust-red scales. Feathers adorned its head and back, white with purple and blue flared across them. The feathers were spread open, as if trying to intimidate them, a wide gaping maw opened to flash its sharp teeth. It was a Pokemon that he had never seen before, but in that moment it didn't matter– burns and bruises covering its form.
"You're hurt," Ash said softly, and the Pokemon bristled. "I have some potions in my bag, if you'd just let me–"
Ash stepped forward, and the Pokemon let out a snarl. He quickly stepped back, giving it the space it wanted, before sinking down to sit in the sand. The Pokemon eyed him, wary, but seemed grateful for the distance. Pikachu crawled into Ash's lap, staying low to the ground, watching the Pokemon worryingly.
"I'm not going to hurt you," Ash said quietly, pulling his backpack in front of him. Again the Pokemon tensed, so Ash stopped moving, waiting for it to relax again. "I'm your friend, okay? I just want to help, okay?"
The Pokemon let out a deep rumble, not friendly, but not quite a growl– which Ash considered a good sign. He smiled at the Pokemon, while Pikachu climbed up onto Ash's shoulder, patting him as if to reassure the giant lizard that the human was friendly. Ash took his hat back from Pikachu, placing it on his head, before looking at the injured Pokemon.
Every muscle was tense, watching with unblinking eyes, as if waiting to strike. Or perhaps waiting for him to strike.
"I'm going to open up my bag now," Ash said, opening the top of his backpack. "Look, I'm just reaching inside to get something to help you." He pulled out a few potions, setting it to the side, the lizard's gaze watching as his arm moved. "I know I got a burn heal in here too, let's see..."
Ash was pulling things out one by one, the Pokemon following his hand's every movement, watching as he pulled out things from his backpack. A shirt, a compass, his toothbrush, his lunch–
The Pokemon stopped following his hand as Ash set the sandwich down, its gaze remaining on the sandwich as Ash reached into his back again. He took notice of this, smiling as he at last found his burn heals. He sat that down, before picking up the sandwich again, the lizard's eyes still locked right on it.
"Are you hungry?" Ash asked, unwrapping it from the plastic. "I bet you are, who knows how long you have been here."
The sandwich had been one he had been looking forward to eating– he hadn't just been a small sandwich meant for a quick lunch, but a masterpiece on bread. It was stuffed with layers of meat and cheese, lettuce and tomatoes, big enough to feed a few people– or perhaps one hungry dragon.
He scooted forward in the sand, causing the Pokemon to tense once again. That didn't stop Ash from moving closer, however, holding the sandwich out in front of him. The dragon sniffed at the food, eyes lighting up– but still it hesitated. Then slowly it pushed itself forward, grabbing the sandwich in one swift bite, chewing it with loud and gnashing teeth.
Ash was grinning as the Pokemon swallowed it practically whole, beaming up at the lizard. The Pokemon watched him for a moment longer, stretching out its neck to sniff Ash himself. Then it snorted, a puff of warm air washing over Ash and Pikachu, before it let its head collapse down onto the sand. Apparently it had decided that Ash was not a threat– or maybe it was too exhausted to push itself any further.
"There we go," Ash said quietly, slowly holding out his hand, pressing it to the beast's head. Its eyes slid open, watching Ash, before closing them again. Taking this as a sign that his presence was okay, Ash scooted closer, bringing the potions and the burn heals with him.
He didn't stand up, not wanting to startle it further, but just scooted down next to its side until he reached the first wound on the neck, a burn.
"This is going to help it heal," Ash promised, silently praying the Pokemon understood him– before spraying the formula on the burnt wound. The Pokemon tensed, eyes snapping open once more– but didn't react further. Its eyes just shifted to look back at Ash as he continued down the Pokemon's side, bringing out a potion to spray on some shallow slashes.
Ash continued his work, moving slowly around the Pokemon. His pants got wet as he sprayed more potion on the tail, the ocean water washing up around them, but he didn't care. By the time he was on the other side of the Pokemon he had used all of his potions he had on him, along with a good chunk of his burn heals. The Pokemon was beginning to look a bit better now that he had gotten medicine, though still clearly exhausted.
The Pokemon leaned its head into Ash's hand as he finished, letting him pet it. The Pokemon gave out another low rumble, this one more akin to a purr than a growl. Ash smiled softly, running a hand through its now relaxed feathers.
"There you go," Ash said quietly. "We need to get you to a Pokemon Center, but hopefully this will have taken care of the worst of it."
The Pokemon let out another rumble, before shifting its legs. Ash watched as the Pokemon pushed itself to its feet, breathing heavily, but didn't seem to be in any pain. He rose alongside it, truly getting an appreciation for just how large this creature was. Large claws dug in the sand, two blue spikes jutted out from its shoulders, it had along a black tail and dewlap of the same color under its throat.
Ash decided that it was most certainly a dragon type, and a powerful one at that. Even in this worn state he couldn't help but watch it in awe as it took several steps. The dragon seemed to grow more sure of itself as it walked, moving up alongside the beach, in the direction of the cave that the Houndour had retreated into.
"Wait," Ash said, holding out a hand, and it looked back at him and Pikachu. "The Pokemon that attacked you went in there, shouldn't we...?"
He trailed off, because there really was nowhere else to go. The Pokemon couldn't plan on swimming away or climbing the cliffs, they didn't have the strength to do so. The only way out seemed to be straight through the cave, but even if the Pokemon could walk that didn't mean it would have the strength to fight the Houndours if it ran into them again.
But the dragon continued its way up towards the cave entrance, crawling up onto the rocky threshold. It looked back at Ash one more time, watching him with an intelligent gaze. Ash gave a small nod, understanding what it was trying to say. The cave could be dangerous, but together perhaps they would have a fair chance. He jogged after the Pokemon, who continued into the cave as they drew near.
The cave was more narrow as they first entered, but thankfully it wasn't pitch black. Light from the cave entrance shone in, and as they stepped out into the main cavern they found it illuminated enough to see. There were other entrances within the large cavern, far above which provided more light. Stalactites and stalagmites grew from the ceiling and floor, with columns forming where they met. Most beautiful of all, however, was the plants that grew along the floor and wall, which gleamed with a faint glow.
"Wow," Ash muttered softly as he trailed after the dragon, turning to get a better look at the cave. The whole cavern was pretty wide open, with ledges jutting out at different levels, tall pillars of stone looking as if they were holding up the ceiling.
There were Pokemon in here as well, Diglett that hid their head in the ground as they walked by, and Yungoos who snarled at the intruders– before retreating after sizing the Pokemon up. They made their way up one of the paths, which seemed to narrow again into a more tunnel-like cave– which had mostly become blocked by a large boulder, perhaps having fallen from the higher levels. The dragon was continuing on its way towards it though, rearing up as its front claws glowed orange with Rock Smash– instantly shattering the rock with a powerful blow. Ash raised a hand to cover his eyes from the debris flying through the air, looking up to see the dragon standing at the top of the tunnel, letting out a low growl.
Ash ran to catch up, and saw a few Houndour fleeing from the dragon's presence. He hoped that they were fleeing so they didn't have another fight. The dragon was breathing heavily– looking pained as it continued forward.
"Don't push yourself," Ash said, laying a hand on its side. "Me and Pikachu can battle if it comes down to it, don't worry."
The dragon let out a snort, before continuing forward, Ash in its wake.
"Oyeee! Ash!" A loud voice echoed through the cave, and Ash looked about. "Over here!"
It took a moment to spot Nemona, who was far above at one of the higher entrances. She was standing on a ledge, waving her hands over head.
"Are you okay? Are you hurt?" She called down. "Your Rotom told me what happened, but when we looked down at where you fell you weren't there! I figured you must have gone into the Inlet Grotto, so we made our way to one of the exits!"
"Don't worry, we're fine!" Ash called back. "We're just trying to make our way up!"
"Pika!"
"Just be careful!" She said. "The Inlet Grotto is home to a marked Pokemon!"
Ash had no idea what she meant by marked Pokemon, but he was prepared for anything, so he continued his way forward, where the dragon was waiting for him up ahead. It seemed more on edge upon hearing Nemona, but not as hostile as it had been when he had first approached it. Nemona was out of sight for a minute as they continued onwards, but soon both Ash and Pokemon were in view of her once more.
"Whoa– who's that Pokemon?" Nemona cried.
"I thought you might know," Ash replied. "It was what was making the cry– I found it injured on the beach."
"I've never seen anything like it before!"
They continued their climb up the rocky path, the dragon seeming to grow tenser by the minute. Ash ran his hand through the glowing moss, which felt warm to the touch. He noticed that the dragon didn't stray too far from him, even though it had taken the lead. Every now and then it would pause, sniffing the air, before moving forward again.
"Huh, it does kinda look like a Cyclizar now that you're closer," Nemona noted after a few minutes. "But like, not really? Maybe it's... shiny?"
She didn't sound too sure about this, and Ash watched the dragon again. He didn't know what a Cyclizar looked like, but the Pokemon hadn't seemed like it was shiny to him– having lacked the reflective sheen the rare alternate colored Pokemon seemed to have, like his Noctowl.
The dragon had paused again– and Pikachu stiffened up as well, ears twitching. Soon Ash heard it as well, the sound of claws tapping against stone. Nemona called out in warning, and they turned to see over a half dozen Houndour running towards them, snarling and barking. Pikachu sparked his cheeks, and the dragon let out a growl. The Houndoom fanned out, circling around them.
"Guh-GYAOHHH!" The dragon roared, lunging forward, and the feint seemed to work, the dogs pulling back at the display– before turning and running.
"Yeah, you show them who's boss," Ash said with a grin. "They're not going to mess with you again."
The dragon shook its head, snorting, and together they continued forward. The path narrowed into the tunnel again, but the upwards slope let them know they were going the right way. They wound up the path together in silence, and Ash couldn't help but let out a small sigh of relief once they were back in the main cavern once more. He looked up, spotting Nemona, who waved, urging them on.
But as they continued on her smile quickly fell. "Ash– behind you!"
Ash turned, looking at a mass of shadows moving out from the darkness of the tunnels they had just come through. Houndours, even more than before, were racing right at them. "Thunderbolt!"
Pikachu sprang into action, releasing the powerful blast of electricity. The bright flash illuminated the whole tunnel, revealing how severely outnumbered they were. As the attack faded several of the Houndour retreated– but a long eerie howl seemed to urge the rest forward– rushing forward like a wave.
Pikachu sprang into a Quick Attack, running to meet them head on. The dragon hesitated for a moment, before their front claws glowed with Rock Smash, and they joined the fray. Several were knocked away by the powerful dragon, who swung their tail around with a Breaking Swipe– which crashed into a half dozen of the dogs, knocking them back.
Bursts from Embers and Thunderbolts lit up the cave– giving Ash brief flashes of the fight. While numbers were against them, sheer power was on their side, Pikachu able to weave among the pack, having knocked out several of the Houndour. Quick Attack to move among them, an Iron Tail to block their Bites, Thunderbolt to shock them all when he was surrounded. The dragon took a more head on approach, slashing with their claws and swiping with their tail right into the mass. And while each strike hit true, it was clear they were quickly being drained from their limited energy, staggering as they were pelted with attacks where wounds were already healing.
"Stay back!" Ash yelled, picking up a rock and throwing it at a Houndour that was circling around back the dragon. It didn't hit the Pokemon, but rather it streaked past its face, making it pull back. Its eyes locked right onto Ash.
The Houndour charged at him, along with several others. Ash grabbed the straps of his backpack, swinging it around to knock away the incoming dogs. His first several swings worked, and Pikachu noticed that he was being targeted.
"Chi-pika!" Pikachu snarled, leaping away from his current fight. A Thunderbolt streaked past Ash, hitting several of the dark types. Two fell, and a third he pounced on with a Play Rough, thrashing it to the ground.
"Thanks bud," Ash said, as Pikachu rejoined the fight with a Quick Attack.
Ash knew he had to do something, but he didn't know what. He saw a flash of light, Nemona having sent out Pawmot down into the midst of the fight, who struck out at the nearest Houndours with two Brick Breaks.
Ash's eyes were constantly scanning the fight, looking for any openings he could use to help, but that meant he hadn't been paying attention to his surroundings, or what was lurking. This meant he didn't notice the large figure moving within the shadows behind him, at least not until it was leaping upon him.
He let out a groan of pain as he was hit in his side, slamming him into the cave floor. Ash looked up, and found the red eyes of a Houndoom glaring down at him. Paws were on his shoulders, pinning him in place, saliva dripping from sharp teeth.
The Houndoom looked ferocious, and it wasn't just from its dark form or the bony protrusions on its body. There was pure bitterness in its eyes, faint scars under its fur, and one of the curved horns on its head had been snapped off. This was a Pokemon who had seen many battles, and it was angry.
A dark aura surrounded the Houndoom's fangs as it opened its jaws, ready to strike with a Crunch. Ash lifted up his backpack as it crunched down, the Houndoom whipping the bag away from him, several items rolled out from within it. He jerked his knee up, hitting the Houndoom in the chest to make it stagger back, before rolling away.
"Pikapi!"
"Ash!"
He could hear his name being called amidst the battle, along with the snarl of the Houndoom, right on his heels– but all were already fighting another foe. He would be facing this one alone. He crawled behind a rock as it sprang at him, barely missing. Houndoom snarled as he crept around in search of him, and Ash knew he couldn't outpace the Houndoom for much longer. Ash looked about desperately, and saw a glint of red out of the corner of his eye. It was his only plan, and he lunged for it the same moment the Houndoom came at him again.
Ash's hand closed around the Pokeball that had rolled from his bag the same moment the Houndoom's crashed into him. A paw pressed his back against the cold cave floor, a snarl hissing in his ear. He twisted as much as he could, slamming the Pokeball into the Pokemon's ankle, a flash of light engulfing it as it was drawn within the sphere, which shook vigorously.
Silence seemed to fall upon the cave at the sudden disappearance of the pack leader. Ash could feel all eyes on him as the Pokeball shook. He braced himself as he retreated, waiting for the Houndoom to burst it and attack again. But instead the Pokeball went still, before it let out a final click, sealing the beast within. Ash looked out, Pikachu having been fighting his way towards him. The dragon was farther back, looking like he was struggling to stand, panting at the sudden pause in the chaos.
Which was broken with a snarl of fury, all the Houndours rushing straight for Ash with vengeance in their eyes.
Pikachu's Thunderbolt lit up the cavern, desperately trying to keep the dogs away from his trainer. The wounded dragon finally found themself without any foes, but instead they were all bearing down on the human that had so tenderly healed his wounds, who shared his food. It only needed a moment to consider, before turning towards him.
The dragon sprang with fury, using the last of their energy to leap over the Houndour pack, placing themself between Ash and the canines. Teeth sank into their side, Embers pelting them as they had on the beach, and through the pain and the barks they could hear Ash cry out in worry.
Energy coursed through the dragon, a power they had not felt in so long. Golden light spiraled about them, being fed by an unseen aura that was not their own. The dragon rose up into the air as they began to change, power coursing through them.
Ash watched as the dragon landed in front of him, now standing on two legs. For a moment he thought the Pokemon had evolved, feathers flared out, claws curled and sharp, pure power radiating through it. The dragon lashed its tail out with a Breaking Swipe at the Pokemon who had been mobbing it. The attack had knocked away Pokemon before, but now in this new form it carried a raw power that hadn't been there before.
A wave of purple energy surged out from the attack, not only knocking away the Pokemon the tail had struck, but the energy it radiated rushing through the pack, forcing them all back. The dragon stomped forward as the Houndours struggled to their feet, the whole cave shaking as the dragon lashed out at the closest Pokemon.
Pikachu was at Ash's side, pawing at him in worry. He smiled, having only been knocked about by the Houndoom, not hurt. Pawmot was dragging Ash's thrown bag towards him, picking up the things that had fallen out of it.
"Gah!" The dragon roared back at Pikachu, who nodded.
The mouse clung to his shoulder, while Pawmot clutched Ash's leg. He didn't get the chance to ask them what they were doing, as the dragon gave a final roar, before springing right at them, scooping up Ash in one of its giant arms.
"Up here!" Nemona shouted, waving her arms. "This way!"
The dragon leapt into the air again, landing on one of the ledges above. The electric types clung on tightly as the dragon sprang again, easily making their way up the cave, landing next to Nemona at the upper entrance.
They didn't hesitate, all scrambling out of the cave as the howls of the Hourdours echoed behind them.
The dragon set Ash and the Pokemon on the ground, before wheeling around to face the cave entrance. Its front claws glowed with Rock Smash as it sprang at the cave. The two powerful strikes instantly crumbled the rocky entrance, the rubble falling down and blocking off the passage– sealing them away from the Houndour.
"Whoa," Nemona said, looking up at the creature with wide eyes. "That was absolutely amazing– look at how strong you are!"
The dragon looked at her, before taking a staggering step forward– before it collapsed to the ground completely. Golden light seemed to seep from it, the Pokemon turning back to its original form, looking more worn than ever.
"No!" Ash cried, leaping to his feet and rushing over to the Pokemon. Nemona was right behind him as he knelt down, the lizard cracking one eye open as it looked at Ash, before slumping down in pure exhaustion.
"Oh no," Nemona muttered quietly. "It took quite the beating in there. Poor thing."
"Not just that, it was hurt before that fight with the Houndour pack," Ash said, reaching for his bag– which he didn't have. Desperation set in for a moment, before Pawmot hurried forward and dropped the bag at Ash's feet, along with the Pokeball the Houndoom had been captured in.
Ash immediately dug for potions– but he had used them all up the first time he had tried to heal the Pokemon. Instead he looked at the Pokeball the Houndoom had been in, before pulling out an empty one from his bag.
"We need to get it to a Pokemon Center," Ash said, hurrying to press the sphere against the dragon's side. "We'll have to move quickly, it's in really bad shape–"
Ash trailed off as the Pokeball opened up– but no light came from it. The injured Pokemon remained outside the Pokeball, breathing heavily. Fear clutched Ash as he realized that he couldn't capture the Pokemon– he couldn't get it out of here!
"It already has a trainer?" Nemona whispered in shock.
"Then where are they!" Ash snarled, and Nemona seemed surprised at the sudden anger in his voice. Pikachu laid a paw on Ash's knee, looking worried. "Their Pokemon needs them right now– it needs a Pokeball, it needs a Pokemon Center! We– its too big for us to carry, even if we both tried, and we can't just leave it here–"
"The Professors' lab!" Nemona suddenly said, and Ash looked up at her. "There's a lighthouse not far down the road– it belongs to the local professors! There has to be someone there that can help."
Ash pushed himself to his feet. "I'll go," he said, adjusting his hat, and Pikachu climbed onto his shoulder. "You stay here, try healing the dragon up with potions to hold it over until we can get medical help."
Nemona nodded, kneeling down next to the dragon, pulling its head into her lap. "Be careful, and be quick."
"I'll be back before you know it," Ash promised, before breaking into a run down the road.
To answer some questions I got last chapter: Yes, Ash is still the Alola Champion in this AU, and there will be no shipping with Ash in this fic.