Chapter 64
On the next day, Alice and I are busy preparing our stuff in our respective rooms. It's been a month since we set foot on the Isle of Armor and started staying at the dojo. After completing Mustard's tasks, we celebrate our victory with a party. Even though Klara and Avery don't seem interested, Alice and I still invite them to join in the fun.
We decide to try out Restricted Sparring, a special training where we can only use three Pokémon of the same type. It reminds me a lot of the Battle Frontier. In the end, both Alice and I win many rounds and receive a special prize: T-shirts with Mustard's face on them.
Now, Alice and I are back in our original outfits as we stand at the station. Mustard, Honey, Hop, and even Klara and Avery are here too. Mustard speaks, 'I know it's hard to say goodbye after becoming a part of the Master Dojo family, but we hope you can come back anytime.'
I reply, 'We'll miss you guys too, Master Mustard, Ms. Honey.' Honey gives us each a final hug.
Klara and Avery start to look very sad upon learning that we're leaving. However, they promise that they'll become the new Gym Leaders and challenge the two of us to a rematch. Alice and I agree, promising to meet them again in the future.
Before we return home, we decide to explore the mysterious Forest of Okoya. As we journey deeper into the jungle, we encounter various wild Pokémon and stumble upon a group of scientists from the Biotope Company.
In the heart of the forest, we stumble upon a unique situation. A Zarude named Dada has taken in a human child named Koko, who believes he is a Pokémon. The forest becomes their home, and we can't help but feel drawn to their unusual bond. We cross paths when we encounter some wild Pokémon, and we decide to help him by taking him to Milyfa Town. Little did we know, this journey would reveal a fascinating secret about Koko's past.
In Milyfa Town, we learn about the town's plan to honor Celebi with a grand fireworks display, and we spend time with Koko, helping him adapt to the world of humans. It is during these moments that we realize there is more to Koko than meets the eye. Koko is determined to introduce me to Dada, but it leads to a shocking revelation about his true identity. Dr. Zed from the Biotope Company unveils that Koko is actually a human named Al Molybdenum, and his parents had tragically perished in an accident. Dr. Zed has plans for Koko to continue his parents' research, which leaves Koko torn between his two worlds.
As Koko flees into the jungle in confusion, we try to pursue him. Our journey brings us face to face with Dr. Zed, who exposes his sinister motives and dark past. A fierce battle ensues, with Zed pitted against us, the jungle Pokémon, and the Zarude tribe.
Tragedy strikes when Dada sacrifices himself to protect Koko, leaving us devastated. In that moment of despair, something incredible happens. Koko taps into his latent Zarude abilities, miraculously reviving Dada and defeating Zed once and for all. The forest is saved, and one of the Zarude decides to join our team.
Zarude: The Rough Monkey Pokemon: Dark and Grass Type. Within dense forests, this Pokémon lives in a pack with others of its kind. It's incredibly aggressive, and the other Pokémon of the forest fear it.
Returning to our Dragon Manor, we are surprised to find Elena and Dia waiting for us, in addition to Mom and Dad. "How was your journey in the Isle of Armor?" My Dad asks.
"Master Mustard really taught us a lot, and we even obtained our secret armor," I reply, with Alice nodding in agreement.
Elena chimes in, "That sounds wonderful, Ash, Alice. You both did a great job."
Curious, Alice asks, "So, what brings you here?"
Dia explains, "Elena is preparing to go to the Crown Tundra, a snowy place north of Postwick."
Alice's face lights up at the mention of snow. "Really?"
Elena elaborates, "The reason is simple. I'm going to visit Uncle Peony, a former Gym Leader who also became a Champion. He left when Papa became the Chairman, probably because of the attention our grandparents gave..."
"I see... so you're asking us to come with you?" I inquire.
Dia explains, "With Elena going, I have to take charge at Macro Cosmos. You do realize that I even resigned from my Gym Leader position in the Sevestar Region due to the workload."
"Yeah, we're aware of that. You also chose David as your successor," I mention.
Elena adds, "Then it's settled. I have something for you." She then hands each of us a Crown Pass, which can be used at the Train Station to travel to the Crown Tundra.
We decide to head there the next day, after bidding farewell to others, we arrive at Wedgehurst and use the Crown Pass and head to the Crown Tundra.
"I wonder what we can see in the Crown Tundra. This is going to be exciting," Alice exclaims.
"Yeah, I agree with you," I respond. "But remember, we need to find Elena's uncle; that's why we're here."
Elena reassures us, saying, "Yeah, but don't worry about it. I'm sure we will find him soon."
As we arrive at the location, we're in awe of the snow-covered landscape visible through the window. When we step outside the station, all we can see is the cold environment with Pokémon roaming around.
"Wow... it's a good thing we brought our own jackets," I remark. "This place is really cold, don't you all agree?"
Absol and Zoroark seem accustomed to the cold, but the other four Pokémon are shivering a little. Pikachu even tries to hide inside my hat, much to our amusement. Suddenly, we hear a voice, "Come on, Dad! Lay off and quit following me already!"
Turning around, we spot a man in a red outfit chasing a girl who appears to be a Lass trainer. She yells, "I'm gonna go on a Dynamax Adventure in the Max Lair, and I don't need you breathing down my neck! I'm here to battle loads and loads of rare Dynamax Pokémon!"
The man laughs heartily, saying, "Gahahaha! Don't you fret! I know somewhere way more fun than that musty old place! Get ready for loads of quality time with the coolest dad ever!"
The girl retorts, "What a generous and totally unwanted offer! 'Fraid I've got to say 'no, thanks'!"
We manage to catch a glimpse of the man's face, and we're surprised to notice that he bears a striking resemblance to former Chairman Rose. We can't be sure since his hair might be different under the cap, and his skin tone appears slightly darker.
"So, does that mean he's the one you're looking for?" I ask Elena.
"I'm not sure," Elena replies. "I only know that I have an uncle, but I don't know what he looks like."
The man grows a bit agitated, saying, "Come on, Nia! Be reasonable! Or get ready to be ultra-mega-embarrassed... as I unleash the Noble Roar of Dad!"
"Gah! I'll take a hard pass on that, thanks..." Nia says as she looks around and spots us.
"Excuse me! Hello? Yes, you—the boy and two girls over there! My dad is stubborn as steel, and he won't leave me alone! Back me up, would you?" Nia pleads.
"Us? What do you want us to do?" Elena asks, but Peony just strides toward them and says, "Now hold on, lad! Can't say I approve of you butting in so blindly... But if I just give you a trouncing, this young lady here ought to see reason! The name's Peony! Brace yourself—I'm pretty ferocious in battle!"
I step forward and say, "If a battle is what you want, then I'll give you one."
Peony sends out his first Pokémon, a Copperajah. Elena widens her eyes and says, "Wait, Copperajah is a Steel Type Pokémon...does that mean..."
As I send out my Charizard, Peony laughs, "Gahaha! Aren't you the brave one, picking a fight with a onetime Gym Leader!"
"Onetime gym leader, so that's your uncle? Elena?" Alice asks, clearly surprised.
"I never knew my uncle, but this is far from what I was expecting..." Elena says with a little frown.
The battle intensifies, and I sense that Peony might be holding back a bit as his Copperajah uses Heavy Slam on Charizard, followed by Play Rough. But in the end, Charizard's Heat Wave proves too much, and it knocks out Copperajah.
"Steel's tough as they come! The more hits it takes, the more ultra-mega-determined it gets!" Peony says as he sends out his last Pokémon, an Aggron.
"An Aggron, that wasn't in the main Galar before," Elena remarks.
"Nor in the Isle of Armor..." Alice adds. "And it's a Rock Type as well, Charizard is not good against it."
To their surprise, Charizard is knocked out by Aggron's Stone Edge attack. I quickly send out Pikachu as my final Pokémon. Pikachu lands a powerful Double Kick, dealing significant damage, and then finishes off Aggron with a Thunderbolt.
"Guess it's not my place to be braggin'!" Peony sighs as he recalls his Pokémon, then he laughs, "Gahahaaa! Look at me, takin' a thrashin' from a youngster like you!"
Just then, Elena notices something, and she asks, "Hey, where is the girl?"
This catches Peony's attention, and he yells, "My darlin' daughter's disappeared! Where've you gone, my sweet Nia?!"
"Darlin' Daughter, huh?" I ask, and Peony says, "Of course! My Nia's the sweetest, darlingest daughter a dad could ask for!"
Then he frowns, "I brought her out here so we could have a proper father-daughter trip. First one in ages! And now that we've got here, she grabs the first Trainer she finds, makes 'em a decoy, and legs it! That's my dear Nia for you! That's just her backward way of showing her papa she loves him! Gahaha!"
"Are you really sure about that?" Alice asks, and he says, "That's the type of girl she is! Ultra-mega-charmin', isn't it? Still, without her, I can't start this Adven-tour of legendary spots I've planned for us!"
"She did mention that she's going to have a look at someplace called the Max Lair, right?" Elena asks. Peony just laughs, "Sounds to me like she wants good old Papa to chase after her! Well, she needn't worry—I'm not one for wasting time! Which means it's time I got a move on. Cheers for a fine battle! I'll be seeing you, then, lad! Take care of those strong Pokémon of yours!"
After he runs away, I inquire, "So Elena..."
"He acts really different from my dad," Elena observes. "But I wonder if it's because of him that he becomes like this, or if there's something else..."
"That's why we need to go chase after him, so we can find out what's going on," Alice suggests, and Elena nods in agreement.
Once we pass the fence, we find ourselves in an area known as the Slippery Slope. As we make our way past Pokémon like Snom, Dubwool, Piloswine, and Mr. Mime, we finally spot Peony.
"Aha! This must be the Max Lair that Nia was talking about. Which means my darlin' daughter is in there right now, havin' a giggle with some rare Dynamax Pokémon!" Peony mutters as he notices us. "Hm? Oh, it's you again! Well, kids, maybe you ought to come as well! Right! Just you hold on, Nia, my dear! Here comes Papaaa!"
Peony rushes into the cave, and we follow suit. Once inside, we witness Peony engaged in a heated argument with a scientist in front of us.
"Please, sir! I can't let you-" The scientist pleads, but Peony isn't listening. "Oh, I think you can! My precious daughter's in there, and I'm going in after her!"
"I understand, sir, but-" "But what?! I'm here to have an adventure, and I want to kick it off right now!" Peony yells again.
"I simply can't allow it, sir!" The scientist manages to strengthen her resolve, causing Peony to groan.
Peony turns around and sees the three of us. He says, "Oh, there you are, lad! So you've come after all, have you?"
"Is everything all right?" Elena asks.
"Nothin's all right, and everythin's the matter! This ultra-mega-numpty of a scientist insists on gettin' in my way!"
""Numpty of a-" I beg your pardon, sir! If you'd be so good as to simply listen, I could let you through!" The scientist feels offended as she retorts back. "Dynamax Adventures are quite fraught with peril, I'm afraid, and -"
"Gaaah! I've got no patience for standin' here listenin' to you rattle off the fine print!" Peony cuts her off, causing her to groan, "We're just going round in circles."
The scientist turns to the three of us and says, "You seem to know this gentleman. Would you be willing to listen to my explanation? If you do, then I could allow the four of you to enter together."
"Sure," Alice replies.
"Aha! Now you're talkin'! Go on, then. Let's hear what the good lady's got to say! And then we'll go find my little Nia together! Right? Right!" Peony enthusiastically chimes in, and the three of us exchange bemused glances, not quite sure what to make of Peony's exuberance.
"Very well, then. I will proceed," the scientist continues. "The Max Lair is a labyrinthine underground cavern where rare Pokémon dwell—the likes of which are not typically found in the Galar Region. To enter, you need to form a team of four trainers, and then you can set off to explore the mysterious Max Lair."
As she describes this intriguing Dynamax Adventure, I can't help but feel a sense of excitement. The prospect of battling rare Dynamax Pokémon in a unique underground setting is undeniably cool, and I eagerly await further details about this new and captivating challenge.
"To avoid the risk of Galar particle overexposure, which can cause your own dear Pokémon to lose control...we have prepared Pokémon for you that are resistant to the particles' effects," the scientist explains.
"Right, right—I follow you! You're saying you don't want Galar losing control, so the Pokémon rent some particles, and we might see a rare overexposure!" Peony responds, clearly misunderstanding the explanation.
"That was stunningly incorrect, sir," the scientist sighs. "This is a dangerous place. Please make sure you have a firm grasp of the rules."
"I'm still a touch lost, but... that's the type of place this is, eh? Right! Sounds like this is all a bit beyond me, so I'll just go on in and get crackin'! Here comes Papa, my darling Niaaa!" Just then, Peony rushes into the den, and the scientist yells, "Sir! No! I've just told you it's too dangerous!"
But as Peony disappears from their sight, the scientist mutters, "What is going on with that man? He looks so much like former Chairman Rose, but his attitude doesn't match the former chairman's at all..."
"I can tell," Elena says as she shows her the badge, indicating that she is the current Chairwoman. Elena also offers her apologies for her uncle's behavior, and the scientist simply asks us to bring Peony back, to which we agree.
After resolving the situation, we decide to enter the Max Lair. We place all our Pokémon in the storage boxes, with Pikachu entrusted to look after them. Then, we each choose a Pokémon. I select Dedenne, Alice goes with Torkoal, and Elena chooses Persian.
"Okay, now that we're all set, let's go in," I say as we prepare to enter the Max Lair.
Now we're going to the Crown Tundra and now we also have the movie part done. I hope you like it and the next chapter will be the Max Lair and also some explanations.
Ash and Alice's Pokemon:
Venusaur x2, Charizard x2, Blastoise x2, Butterfree x2 (One Pink), Pikachu, Meowth, Machamp, Rapidash (Galarian), Slowbro (Galarian), Gengar, Kingler, Weezing (Galarian), Lapras, Eevee, Snorlax, Meganium, Typhlosion (Hisuian), Espeon, Slowking (Galarian), Mantine, Sceptile, Gardevoir (Shiny), Milotic, Absol, Infernape, Lucario, Abomasnow, Gallade, Samurott, Audino, Darmanitan (Galarian), Garbodor, Zoroark, Stunfisk (Galarian), Greninja, Meowstic x2, Aegislash, Hawlucha, Decidueye, Lycanroc (Dusk), Mimikyu (Shiny), Melmetal, Rillaboom, Cinderace, Inteleon, Greedent, Corviknight, Orbeetle, Thievul, Eldegoss, Dubwool, Drednaw, Boltund, Coalossal (Shiny), Flapple, Appletun, Sandaconda, Cramorant, Barraskewda, Toxtricity x2 (Amped, Low-Key), Centiskorch, Grapploct, Polteageist (Antique), Hatterene, Grimmsnarl, Obstagoon, Perrserker, Cursola, Sirfetch'd, Mr. Rime, Runerigus, Alcremie x9 (Each Flavor), Falinks, Pincurchin, Frosmoth, Stonjourner, Eiscue, Indeedee x2, Morpeko, Copperajah, Dracozolt, Arctozolt, Dracovish, Arctovish, Duraludon, Dragapult, Zacian, Eternatus, Urshifu x2 (Single Strike, Rapid Strike), Zarude, Kleavor
