Chapter Six
"We're going to be rich!" Jessie exclaimed, clasping her hands together.
The crown of crystals sprouted out of the ground, gleaming in the sunlight as Team Rocket approached. It was an impressive structure, nearly as tall as Team Rocket was, made of shining brown gems. Immediately the trio surrounded the mound of gems, the humans happily examining them, while Meowth slowly extended a claw, hissing as he touched the crystals.
"The question is how do we harvest these lovely gems," James mused. "If we could sell them we'd be set for the rest of our Paldea mission– we wouldn't have to worry about a thing!"
"What's got you all worked up, Meowth?" Jessie snapped as she noticed the fur raised on his back.
"Rock type," Meowth spat at the crystals.
"Uh, what?" Jessie asked, trying to tug at one of the smaller crystals near the base of the formation, but it did not budge.
"These crystals are rock type!" Meowth cried, clearly unsettled– while Jessie let out a loud laugh at this declaration.
"Of course they'd be rock types, they're literal rocks!" James said with a chuckle, turning back to focus on the collection of crystals. He tapped a few of them, which let out a soft ring, like chimes. He grinned, trying to pry at a larger one, and Jessie appeared at his side, attempting to help him.
Meowth's ears fell back. "You humans," he muttered. "I respect a lot about ya, but your all blind when it comes to energy. Rocks ain't supposed to have rock type energy, only Pokemon do! Something ain't right here."
"Look at this!" Jessie said, squatting down near the base. "There's a hole down here."
"Not a hole," James mused as he joined her. "It angles down– it's a whole tunnel."
"The crystal cave!" Jessie exclaimed in realization. "This must be one of the crystal caves that was mentioned in our mission report!" She clapped her hands together. "Yes, it must extend underground, just think of how many more crystals there will be!"
"Kinda tight squeeze..." James remarked, examining the entrance. The human could possibly fit in, but only if he crawled in on his belly.
"Not for Meowth!" Jessie declared, grabbing Meowth by the scruff before he realized what was happening. He extended his claws, which dug into the grass as she shoved him towards the hole. "Oh, knock it off, Meowth. Go see what's down there!"
"Keep me away from those creepy crystals!" Meowth yowled, claws latching onto the side of the gems as he was stuffed into the cave– which made a horrible high pitched sound as they slid against the crystals. Unfortunately for him the sleek rock provided next to no traction for him, and the Pokemon found himself sliding down the tunnel. "No!"
Meowth landed in a decent size cavern, made of the same brown jewels that had been sprouting above the ground. It was now that he could clearly see that the rocks were actually glowing, as the entire room was well lit even with no sunlight. Meowth slowly pushed himself to his feet, shivering slightly– rock type energy surrounding him. It felt as if he had been swallowed by some giant Pokemon, and he hated every moment of it.
He found that he wasn't alone down here, however, a Pokemon rolling around the edges of the room. It looked like a simple thing, made of small brown branching segments that surrounded a pair of ghostly eyes in the center. The whole Pokemon, however, appeared to be made of crystal. Not just looking like a rock– but its whole form resembled the crystals that surrounded them. Meowth's maw opened slightly, trying to take this all in, when the Pokemon took notice of him.
"What are you doing down here?" Meowth asked as it rolled towards him– when the foreign Pokemon snapped the same question back at him. "Me?" He asked, blinking. "I was shoved down here by my friends!"
"Brambram!" The Pokemon called, voice echoing. She rolled around Meowth's feet angrily, snapping out more calls of frustration.
"You were just swallowed up in this cave?" Meowth repeated. "It just came out of nowhere?"
The Pokemon gave no clarification– just rolling away from Meowth. Her calls became simpler, expressions of anger and complaints of too much energy. Meowth frowned as he watched the Pokemon ram into the crystal walls, hating this place more and more by the second. It didn't feel natural, this cavern being far too large. He may have been underground– but a room this big should have been extended beyond the surface!
"Well!" A voice called from the tunnel Meowth had entered from– the passageway much too smooth for the rolling Pokemon to be able to escape from. "What's down there, Meowth?"
"A crystal cave and a crystal Pokemon!" He hollered back. This seemed to be exactly what they were supposed to investigate, but now that he was in one he just wanted out. According to the crystal Pokemon it had come out of nowhere, and had been trapped here for who knew how long.
"Crystal Pokemon?" Jessie's voice exclaimed from above. "I want it!"
The next thing Meowth knew, Jessie's laugh was echoing through the crystal cave as she came sliding down the tunnel, landing not far from where Meowth stood. James came down right behind her, crashing into his companion, who immediately snapped at them. Meowth could have cared less, more concerned about how they were going to get out of this place.
"It's not my fault that you didn't move away," James said stiffly.
"Because I didn't even get a second to do so!" Jessie snarled.
Meowth sighed, but spotted their phone on the ground– it must have slid out while James slid down here. He grabbed it, the machine buzzing in his paws as he pulled up the Pokedex app. He pointed it towards the crystal Pokemon, which had stopped rolling about to examine the two new intruders.
"Br-bramblin," the phone declared, speakers crackling. "The tumbleweed Pokemon– grass and grass and ghost type. Not even Bramblin knows– knows where it is headed as it tumbles across the wil-wilderness, blown by the wind. It loathes getting wet."
"Huh," Meowth said, not sure what good this information did him, but at least it gave him a name.
"Crystal Pokemon!" Jessie cried as soon as she spotted the gleaming Bramblin, shoving James away and scurrying up towards the Pokemon. "Oh look at you– aren't you just gorgeous! You are going to be coming with me, yes you are!"
"We need to report the crystal Pokemon back to base!" James said, pushing himself to his feet.
"Yes," Jessie said, pulling out a Pokeball. "So I'll catch it and study this gleaming beauty, so we have something to re– gah!"
Meowth winced as the Bramblin charged straight at Jessie– rolling straight into her gut. The breath was knocked out of her, falling to her back as the Bramblin rolled away, letting out angry cries. The anger of the Pokemon though was nothing compared to the rage on Jessie's face as she sat straight up.
"You dare?!" She snarled at the Bramblin, pulling two Pokeballs from her belt. "Get that thing, boys!"
Two bright flashes filled the room, Wobbuffet and Tarountula appearing from the spheres. The two looked around as they tried to take in where they were at, but were immediately on guard with a shout from their trainer. Wobbuffet braced himself as he watched the Bramblin rolling across the cave, changing course to come charging once more.
Tarountula didn't waste a moment, however, the small spider immediately ran forward with a Tackle to face the new foe. Meowth opened his mouth to warn the Pokemon that it would be an ineffective attack– and watched in surprise as the Tarountula slammed straight into the ghost type with a normal type move– when he should have phased straight through the Bramblin.
"What's Tarountula's ability?" Meowth demanded of the phone.
"In-insomnia," the phone reported.
"The Bramblin?" Meowth asked.
"Wind Rider."
Neither of those abilities could explain how a normal type move hit a ghost type, however. Meowth racked his brains as he stood there, watching Jessie's two Pokemon take on the crystal Bramblin. Some moves could allow for such an effect, but he was sure Tarountula didn't know of such a move. A powerful Rollout hit straight into Wobuffet, who returned the damage with a Counter– another move that shouldn't be able to hit a ghost– flinging it right towards Tarountula, who crunched down on it with a Bug Bite.
The next thing Meowth knew the Bramblin had changed direction– no longer engaging Jessie's Pokemon, but instead she had changed course and was coming straight at Meowth with a Rollout. He didn't have time to dodge, only to react on instinct– a Fury Swipes forming around one of his paws as he slashed at the incoming Pokemon, veering it away from him and back towards Tarountula.
Meowth winced, flexing his claws, the attack having hurt. It hadn't been very effective, feeling like he had slashed at the cave wall instead of a Pokemon. Still... Fury Swipes shouldn't have been able to touch it at all. This Bramblin was acting less like a ghost, and more like a...
"Rock type!" Meowth suddenly exclaimed, the realization hitting him. He didn't understand how it was possible, but it was the only thing that made sense. The Bramblin appeared to be made of crystal, the same crystal that radiated this strange rock type energy. Somehow this Pokemon was a rock type despite what the Pokedex said!
No one was paying attention to him, however, James having released Morpeko to join the fight. The hamster was firing a Bullet Seed at the Bramblin, keeping its Rollout at bay as it kept barreling forward. His human companions were fully focused on giving commands, and their Pokemon were only trying to battle. Meowth huffed, looking down at the phone in his paws, trying to see if there was any information about Bramblin being able to change type.
Severely outnumbered, and with nowhere to flee, the Bramblin didn't last long in the fight against Team Rocket's Pokemon. Soon it came to a stop, no more energy to summon another Rollout, its ghostly red eyes looking faint.
"Heh, you're mine now!" Jessie declared, holding a Pokeball overhead– when the crystals that seemed to encase Bramblin suddenly cracked. "Huh?"
The crystals then seemed to shatter, turning into pure energy as they vanished from around the Bramblin. She now more clearly resembles the image from within the Pokedex, though exhausted. The energy surrounding the Bramblin wasn't the only thing to start cracking, however– the crystals lining the cave they stood in started to do the same.
"Uh-oh," Meowth muttered– and scurried straight for the tunnel that had led him here. The rest of Team Rocket did the same, humans and Pokemon darting towards the small entrance. Meowth reached it first, attempting to run back to the surface as the whole cave shook, but it was like trying to run up a slide. The floor was too slick and too angled, and he slid right back down into his companions, who were fighting over trying to fit in the entrance.
None of them got another chance, however– and the whole cave rumbled, the gems surrounding them shattering, turning into pure light. Meowth closed his eyes, bracing himself for what would come next. For the tunnel to collapse in on him, for shards of gems to go flying in every direction... but it was all only followed by silence.
Meowth cracked an eye open, and was startled to see that they were back on the surface, right where they had started. There was no sign of the cave they had been in, or even the tunnel entrance. The crystal crown they had first investigated was no longer there, only a few shards of the rock laying scattered at their feet– which Jessie immediately knelt down to start gathering.
"What... just happened?" James asked uncertainly, eyes flickering about. Morpeko sat at his feet, clinging to his leg. Jessie's Pokemon looked about in confusion leaving the fainted Bramblin laying not far from them, out cold on the grass.
"I don't know, but I ain't doing that again," Meowth muttered.
"Crystals!" Jessie said happily, showing the three shards in her hands. "We actually got some crystals– we're going to be rich!"
"Er, weren't you going to catch that Pokemon?" James asked, pointing at the Bramblin– unconscious and primed for catching.
Jessie sneered at the Pokemon. "Why would I want that nasty thing? It attacked me! Besides, it isn't crystal anymore."
"Shouldn't we send it to the Boss since it was crystal though?" Meowth asked.
"Of course not, what if he doesn't believe us?" Jessie said, stuffing her collected gem shards into her pockets. "We need to find a crystal Pokemon that stays crystal, thank you very much."
Suddenly Morpeko started to glow, switching to her hangry mode– instantly causing all of them to stiffen up in fear. James reacted quickly, however– aiming a Pokeball straight at the Pokemon, trapping it within the sphere before it could attack. Meowth let out a small sigh of relief, holding out the phone in his paws to Jessie, who put it in the pocket with her gems.
"Well in that case I'll catch it," James said, pulling out a Pokeball and tapping it to the Bramblin's form. It too was sucked up into the ball, which shook a few times in his hand, before it clicked and went still– the newest member of Team Rocket joining their crew.
"Agh, just keep it away from me," Jessie said dismissively, holding up her Pokeballs. "Alright boys, get back inside now."
Wobbuffet and Tarountula were too returned to their Pokeballs, leaving Meowth the only Pokemon left. He crossed his paws, still not sure what to make of the situation they had found themselves in. While he had no interest in going near another crystal cave, the Boss still asked them to learn about them. Maybe they could send in a camera next time...
James pulled a potion out of his pack, sitting cross legged on the ground as he sent out his newly caught Bramblin, healing her up. Meowth eyed the tumbleweed warily, as she had been nothing but a speeding ball of rage before. Bramblin didn't attack, however, glowing red gaze glancing around.
"Bram? Blin?" She asked.
"Um, hello there," James said to Pokemon.
"Bramblin wants to know if she's outta the cave or if this is just a dream," Meowth called as the Bramblin let out another series of calls.
"Yes we are, I caught you," James said, holding up the Pokeball to show her.
Bramblin's glowing eyes widened. "Bramblin blin?"
"Meowth?" James asked when he saw that the Pokemon was expecting an answer.
"She's asking ya if you saved her from the cave."
"Well, I suppose we did get out of it togeth– ow!"
Meowth winced, as the Bramblin had rammed right into his stomach, knowing the wind out of James. However it did not seem to be out of aggression as it had with Jessie, but instead the Bramblin was rubbing up against James. It couldn't be comfortable, the Pokemon being made out of what looked like dried woody branches, but she was letting out happy calls.
"She likes ya," Meowth said, seeing no point in translating the Pokemon's repeating chants of 'thank you'.
"Lovely," James replied, wincing as branches dug into his skin.
"Ash Ketchum!"
Ash paused as he heard his name being shouted, no, screamed out, looking over his shoulder. He wasn't the only one who had paused, a few others looking to see who sounded so desperate in the school halls. It was easy to spot who was calling to him, seeing Nemona at the top of some stairs, wide eyes locked directly on him.
"Hey Nemona!" Ash called.
"Don't you dare 'Hey Nemona' me!" She cried as she made her way down the steps, her words making him blink– yet she didn't look angry.
"Everything okay?"
"Okay– I dunno, you tell me!" Soon she was right in front of him, hands planted on her hips. "Do you think there's something you should tell me, as your rival?!"
"Uh..." Ash trailed off slightly, not sure what she was getting at. "No. What?"
"I don't know Mr. Champion– what do you think?!"
Ash blinked. "Oh."
"'Oh', he says! 'Oh'!" Nemona tossed her hands in the air, turning. "Don't you think that might be something to mention when you're traveling with someone? Or when someone asks for you to be your rival? But no, leave me to find out in my history class that you're the literal champion of the literal Alola region!"
Ash perked up. "They talked about me in a history class?"
She grabbed him by the shoulders, like she was ready to throttle him. "You're the first champion of the newest region in the League Alliance– of course you're being talked about in a history class!"
Ash had a forming grin on his face, turning towards Pikachu. "Here that bud, we've officially made history!"
"Pikapika!" Pikachu agreed, holding out a paw, which Ash fist bumped.
"Why didn't you tell me you were a champion?" Nemona demanded.
"You didn't ask?" Ash offered, and Nemona let out a slight groan. "Wait, you still want to be my rival, right?"
"What? Of course!" She leaned forward, eyes practically gleaming. "I mean how many people can say their rival is a champion! How many can say they beat a champion in a match?" Her eyes widened slightly. "Oh by the Ruined Treasures– I beat a champion in a battle!"
"Against a brand new Pokemon of mine!" Ash said defensively.
"Yes, but I still beat a champion," she squealed. "And me and Pawmot weren't too shabby against your Pikachu either." She paused. "Wait, you said he was your first Pokemon, right? Does that make Pikachu your strongest?"
"He's one of my best," Ash said proudly. While he had been fully absorbed in his conversation with Nemona, the two of them hadn't been quiet in their talk– people starting to gather around at the mention of a champion, listening in.
"No wonder he was able to hold off a whole Houndour pack like that!" Nemona said, leaning closer to examine Pikachu. "But still, he's just a Pikachu– not even fully evolved! And even if he were a Raichu they're not exactly defensive Pokemon." She now seemed to be musing quietly to herself. "Probably why me and Pawmot were able to wear him down, that and having a wider range of moves, including a super effective one. Looking back now the battle was probably only that close because we managed to get a burn from Fire Punch..."
"Chu," Pikachu said, placing a paw against Nemona's nose as she came closer.
"Yeah, he's very hardy, but at the end of the day he's no Bastiodon," Ash said, scratching Pikachu behind the ear.
Pikachu was a powerful Pokemon, and the strongest of his evolutionary line that Ash had ever met. However defense was Pikachu's one Achilles heel. The mouse could fight for ages as long as he avoided hits, and had downed very powerful Pokemon before, he had even defeated legendaries. This power didn't make the electric type invincible, however, and if one were able to land the right moves they could down Pikachu themselves– even if the rodent out powered them.
"Dude, look at this– only half of his champion team was fully evolved for that fight!"
"What on earth is that purple thing?"
"Is that one of the Alola aliens I heard about? He trained one?"
It was at this point that Ash realized that they were far from alone standing in the middle of the hall, and that their loud conversation had been overheard. He glanced about, and found quite a few pairs of eyes set right on him, watching with fascination. Others were on their phones, a few taking pictures, others scrolling through their screens. Nemona reached out towards the nearest person without thought, angling the screen down so she could see, and Ash flushed slightly as he realized it was a picture of him with his Alolan team.
"Of course you have the rare Lycanroc," Nemona muttered, shaking her head, while the person pulled their phone away from Nemona. "But what on earth is that team, Ash Ketchum? I don't even recognize some of those Pokemon!"
"Melmetal, I'm guessing?" Ash asked, having pulled Rotom-dex out from his backpack– who let out a protesting yelp– pulling out of his hands and hovering in front of them, screen showing a picture of Melmetal. "Yeah, they were pretty awesome, though they'd eat anything metal that they could get their hands on. Then here's Naganadel, she was from a whole different dimension!"
A lot more people seemed interested in his champion title than Ash had honestly expected.
He wasn't quite sure how to react to it all, to be honest. It had been one thing back in Alola, among those who had been watching the League Conference with faces he had become very familiar with. But here he was on the other side of the world, in a completely different region, yet everyone seemed just as amazed and interested. The attention was a bit weird at times, especially when people stared at him during class, and even a few people had asked him for an autograph. He had also had one fellow student who had flat out demanded to know why he was in a battling class if he was a champion– as if there weren't more for him to learn!
It was strange, but pretty cool as well. But it seemed it impressed more people than he had expected– including one of the last people he had thought would care.
There was a knock on his dorm room late at night, about a week after Nemona had announced his champion status aloud to the school– he was completely ready for bed, just wanting to crawl under the covers with Pikachu and Sprigatito and crash for the night– homework and classes being tomorrow's problem. But he found himself sitting up as the knocking continued, frowning as he rolled out of bed to answer it, not sure who would be there.
"Arven?" Ash said in surprise, blinking– and the boy stepped right in as if it were his own dorm room, shutting the door behind him. "Er, everything okay?"
Arven hesitated, not quite meeting his eyes. Instead his eyes fiddled with a Pokeball, constantly turning it over in his hands. "So, um– a champion then?"
"Yeah?" Ash said, Pikachu trotting over and landing on his shoulder.
Arven took in a deep breath, before looking up at him. "Okay, look, I was doing some research. You've... you've trained some powerful Pokemon. Dragonite, Goodra, Charizard, Noivern, Sceptile, Dracovish, that alien thing from Alola... you've worked with strong Pokemon. Draconic ones."
"Uh, yep," he wasn't quite sure where Arven was taking this.
"Okay, so," Arven held out the Pokeball that was in his hands. "I was thinking that maybe you'd like to, well, take on another one?"
Ash blinked at him.
"Gah!" Arven cried, before shoving the Pokeball into Ash's hand. "Look, will you just take Koraidon off my hands for me?"
Ash fumbled for Koraidon's Pokeball, startled at this declaration. He looked down at it, then back at Arven– who was turning to leave. "Wait just one second," Ash said before he could open the door. "Are you just abandoning your Pokemon?!"
"Can you please stop with the abandoning accusations!" Arven snapped, wheeling back around. "Look, Koraidon likes you, you like him– so why don't you just take him?"
Ash ran a hand over the Pokeball. "I have no problem with having a new Pokemon– but I do have one with a trainer just passing him off without a thought. What is Koraidon going to think when he sees you're gone?"
"I did think about this!" Arven said. "I– I went and looked up some of your league battles, looked at teams you used– who better to be with Koraidon than a trainer that both actually likes him and can actually handle him!"
"What about you?" Ash pressed.
He closed his eyes. "You want to talk about abandonment? I'm not Koraidon's real trainer– my mom caught him then dumped him on me. Told me to keep it fed and out of sight then vanished back into her stupid research in her stupid crater." He gritted his teeth. "Nevermind– what I mean is Koraidon deserves more than being stuffed in some lighthouse or some dorm room with some random trainer that doesn't know what he's doing. He'd be better off with you and we both know it."
Again Ash ran his hand over the Pokeball. It seemed slightly misshapen– two lumps on the top, like what you might see on a heavy ball– yet it was the classic red and white of a normal Pokeball. He considered Arven's words– once more not sure what to think of the boy and his dragon. Caring yet strangely detached all the same.
"I'll take him," Ash said at last, and Arven's shoulders relaxed in relief. "But you need to explain to Koraidon what's going on and see if this is what he wants to do."
He pressed the bumpy Pokeball back into Arven's hands, who started down at it like he had been handed a ball of slime rather than a Pokeball. He let out a sigh, before rolling his eyes. "It's your dorm room he'll be wrecking."
With that a bright flash of light filled the room, the dorm room quickly became a lot more crowded as the giant lizard took form. Koraidon looked about, eyes lighting up as he saw who was there, but Arven pressed a finger to the Pokemon's chest before he could react.
"Listen here you," Arven said, and Koraidon looked back at him with a slightly startled expression. "You have a choice you get to make. Either you can go with Ash here and go traveling or whatever– or you can stay with me and go back to the lighthouse. What will it be?"
Koraidon feathers ruffled up in excitement, turning to look back at Ash and Pikachu with wide eyes. As he smiled at the Pokemon its tail began to thump, a rumble in his throat. He was quick to turn back towards Arven though, giant tongue ran across his face. Arven let out a gag as he was covered in saliva, trying to wipe the liquid away from him.
"I told you not to do that!" Arven grumbled.
"I think he's going to miss you," Ash said, coming up alongside Koraidon and laying a hand on one of his spikes. Arven held out Koraidon's Pokeball, which Ash took.
"Can't say the same, he's your problem now," Arven replied, turning to go. Koraidon let out another low rumble, and Arven let out a sigh. "Try not to be a pest for him, will you?"
Koraidon thumped his tail in what seemed to be agreement– knocking a lamp table over in the process with a loud crash.
"Yep. Your problem," Arven declared, turning and heading out the door.
"He did not trade the Pokeball to you," Rotom remarked as Ash hooked all his Pokeballs to his belt the next day– first Pikachu's worn down one, followed by Sprigatito's shining brand new one. Houndoom's was third, now joined by the misshapen ball of Koraidon.
"No trades, he just gave me Koraidon," Ash replied.
"That means Koraidon is technically not registered to your trainer account," Rotom said, flying around Ash as he gathered up everything– backpack slung over an arm, Pikachu on his shoulder, plucking Sprigatito's sleeping form off of a pillow. "If it was properly transferred then I'd have information regarding Koraidon like I do the rest of your Pokemon!"
"Didn't Arven make a big deal about no one having data about Koraidon?" Ash asked.
"What I am saying is that legally you only have three caught Pokemon said to be on you– when you really have four!" Rotom whirled.
Ash shrugged. "We'll figure it out later."
"We don't have later to worry about Ash! This is the law we're talking about!"
"Yep– and right now I have class to get to!" Ash said, hurrying out the door– leaving Rotom no choice but to follow. The Rotomdex beeped and whirled to itself as it drifted down the hallway, trying to figure out what to do.
Sure it wasn't like a police officer was going to show up and throw handcuffs on Ash, it wasn't against the law to hold someone else's Pokeball– but if Ash was going to be officially training this rare Pokemon then an official transfer of ownership should have been made. There were only a few exceptions to the six-Pokemon limit (a Rotom inhabiting an electronic device being one of them, because his job was just that important), but this was not one of them!
But on with his day Ash went– going to his classes, eating meals like he had been starving, trying to focus on reading a textbook as his leg bounced up and down, his mind clearly wishing it could think about any other topic rather than what Ash saw as boring school assignments. It was all in all a normal day despite the newest member of the Pokemon crew.
At least until Ash's name was called over the intercom.
"Will Ash Ketchum please come to the director's office?" The voice requested, blaring out so the whole school could hear it (and of course the humans bothered paying attention now that Ash's name was becoming known among the student body!) "Ash Ketchum to the director's office."
"I told you we shouldn't have put this off!" Rotom hissed as Ash changed course.
But the boy just chuckled– brushing off his concerns. "You really think this is about Koraidon? You're worrying too much, Rotom."
Like always though, Rotom turned out to be completely right.
"Thank you for coming, Ash,"
"Hi Director Clavell," Ash said cheerfully, smiling at the headmaster of the school as he entered the office. "Is everything okay?"
"Yes, everything is well," Clavell replied, pushing himself to his feet. "I called you down here because a friend of mine wishes to talk to you. Said there is a very serious matter they need to discuss with you as soon as possible."
"Okay," Ash said, eyes flickering about the office– there was no sign of anyone here but them. "Um, where are they though?"
"Ah, no, they are not presently here," Clavell said with a chuckle, picking up a remote from his desk, aiming it towards a large screen. "Just give me a moment to connect us if you would..."
The screen flickered to life, showing a video call was playing. Ash looked up towards the woman on screen, who smiled instantly. She raised a hand on greeting, speaking swiftly. "Greetings, Ash, it's nice to finally meet you."
The woman was clearly a professor, the background being that of a lab, and of course she was wearing a bright white lab coat. Her appearance from there however was different from most regional professors Ash had met, the lab coat being the only remotely formal thing she wore. A scruff of gray fur lined the collar, and clothes she wore had a rugged look to them, not old or unkempt, but a spark that almost seemed wild. Her hair mimicked this style, windswept and free.
"My name is Professor Sada," she continued without pause. "I carry out Pokemon research within the Great Crater of Paldea, at a site known as Area Zero."
A lot of thoughts ran through Ash's head as he took this in. Both Area Zero and the Great Crater had come up in Ash's time in Paldea, both in his classes and also in general life. A giant crater that made up the center of the region: a place considered highly dangerous, and banned from visitors. The fact that she was studying within such a place sparked a million questions, but it was her name that caught his interest the most.
"Sada Cypress?" Ash asked. "So you're Arven's mom?"
"I am."
Ash frowned, as this woman seemed nice enough, but he had heard conflicting things about her. Nemona had seemed awed by the mere mention of the professors, but Arven had been the one to say that this was the woman that had left Koraidon behind in the first place. Ash's fingers traced the newest Pokeball on his belt, thinking.
"The professor and her husband are amazing researchers," Director Clavell said, placing a hand on Ash's shoulder. "And graduates of our school too. She seemed quite eager to talk to you."
"Yes, you are quite the fascinating trainer," Sada replied. "Ash Ketchum, winner of the Orange League and the Battle Frontier. Runner up of the Lumiose and Wyndon Conferences, and of course Champion of the Alola League."
"Uh… thanks?" Ash scratched the back of his head.
"Allow me to get straight to the point. Ash Ketchum, trainer from Pallet Town, Kanto; you are the student in procession of the Pokemon known as Koraidon, correct?"
"Well–"
Ash didn't even get the chance to consider how to reply, as a bright flash filled the room as a Pokeball from his belt opened up. Koraidon materialized between Ash and the director, causing the man to pull back, while Pikachu happily hopped onto the dragon's back. Koraidon looked about for the one that had said his name, feathers fluffing up when he saw Professor Sada on screen.
"Agia!" He called.
"Ah, good you see that you are doing well," Sada said, nodding to the Pokemon, who sat up at the sound of her voice. "It has been quite awhile since we last met."
"Gias!"
Director Clavell was looking at Koraidon in shock, seemingly not knowing how to react. "I… I have never seen such a Pokemon before!"
"Koraidon was originally my Pokemon," Sada replied. "Caught in my very own Pokeball, which I assume Ash here received directly from Arven."
"Yes," Ash said.
"You see, I had originally made plans for Koraidon to spend the school year with me," Sada explained. "It was arranged for the Pokemon to travel to Area Zero to meet me, but it appears it was attacked and forced to return back to Arven."
"You took such a risk?" Clavell cried, sounding startled. "You know first hand how dangerous the Pokemon are in the crater!"
"I found him injured on the beach," Ash said, a defensive edge in his tone. "He never even made it back to Arven on his own. Why didn't you just have the Pokeball transferred straight to you?"
"All such means of electronically transferring Pokemon are disabled down here," Sada replied. "Turo and I have strictly forbidden it, the risks of any Pokemon leaving or entering the crater are too great."
"That puts you in danger," Clavell said, frowning. "What if there was an emergency situation? Transferring Pokemon is the swiftest way to have help reach you."
"That is a risk Turo and I will take."
"If no Pokemon can come or go, why is this Koraidon allowed through?" Clavell asked, not ready to drop the topic, but Sada ignored him. She simply turned to Ash, gaze focused.
"Ash, I wish to ask a favor of you," she said. "It is much too risky to send Koraidon on the journey through the crater again, especially when he has no access to his battle form. However, it seems that he is quite content around you. So, this is my proposal: would you consider keeping him in your care for the time being?"
"Sada, what are you doing?" A harsh voice asked through the screen, another figure stepping into view.
The man wore a lab coat just like Sada, and while the outfit under it looked just as out of place as Sada's clothes, it had a much more sleek look to it. His hair and beard were neatly trimmed, sharp and angular, and he stood taller than Sada– staring down at her.
"Managing my lot of this burden, Turo," she replied, unphased.
"There is risk enough leaving the Koraidon alone with Arven, let alone a stranger," Turo's voice was neutral, yet clearly unhappy. "Have it returned at once."
"It will not be safe, we must consider the fact that he might become a flight risk and attempt to leave once more. A trainer is much easier to track and locate than Koraidon traveling on its own."
"This Pokemon is too powerful to be in the hands of a trainer."
"You weren't listening to the transmission? How unlike you," Sada replied.
"Because I was monitoring the system in your stead."
"The call needed to be made now, when it would not interfere with the student's classes. Education is important for this age."
Ash shifted, feeling like he shouldn't be privy to this conversation, and he glanced away from the screen. Koraidon was watching the strange argument with interest, head tilted. Pikachu was sliding down the dragon's tail, not even listening to the screen. Director Clavell had his hand pressed to his forehead, looking somewhere between embarrassed and exasperated, suggesting this was not the first time these two acted this way.
"A student, you intend to leave the Koraidon with a child?"
"You had no issues with Arven doing such."
"An unoptimal situation, but at least he had experience with the Pokemon in question. We need to bring it back."
"She won't let him back in."
Clavell cleared his throat, loudly. Immediately both professors looked towards the camera in perfect unison, taking in their audience. Turo looked straight at Ash, the light catching his eyes as he studied him.
"Ash Ketchum," he stated.
"Hi?"
"I was not aware you were in the region," Turo frowned. "Your battles have been the most interesting to observe, little pattern within the way you fight," he turned back towards Sada. "Interesting selection."
"Arven's choice, actually," she replied. "But I deduce a well chosen one."
"I see the logic in such a child looking after Koraidon," Turo concluded.
"If Ash will accept such an arrangement," Sada replied, turning her attention towards Ash once more. "What do you say to my proposal, Ash Ketchum?"
"I've already agreed to take Koraidon," Ash said, running a hand through the dragon's feathers. "And I haven't changed my mind."
"Fantastic," Sada said. "I will make arrangements for him to be transferred to your care. Perhaps you can have him registered as a mount, that way he will not count towards your limit of six battling Pokemon."
"Koraidon should not see battle in his current form," Turo agreed. "This state is built for mobility and agility, power turned dormant in exchange for stamina."
"Is the Pokemon trained to be a mount?" Clavell asked, watching Koraidon, who had lost focus on the TV screen. Instead now he was playfully pouncing after Pikachu, making the room shake.
"Would you be willing to make arrangements for a trainer?" Sada asked. "Any Cyclizar trainer should do just fine, very similar build."
"Very similar indeed," Clavell muttered quietly, voice barely heard.
Whatever the man was thinking, however, was interrupted by a sudden blaring of an alarm. It did not come from the school though, rather it was an echo through the screen from the laboratory. Both professors were on alert, the lights on their side flashing red.
"Breach," they said in unison.
"Engage the security barrier on the outer edge," Turo commanded. "I will work from within."
"Is everything okay?" Ash asked worryingly.
"I will contact you at a later date," Sada said simply, before ending the call.
Ash looked at the director, not sure what to say. Still processing this strange conversation with the professors he felt like he hadn't been truly part of, and wondering what dangers they might be facing within the crater they had isolated themselves in. He wondered what danger Koraidon had faced that had left him so weakened at the beach.
Director Clavell wasn't looking at Ash though, his eyes locked on Koraidon as he pawed at Pikachu, who was playfully pinned under his claws.
"Could this Pokemon have its origins from within Area Zero?" Clavell spoke so quietly that Ash could barely make out his words. "Sada… Turo… Don't tell me that you actually did it…"
"Sir?" Ash asked.
"Ah, Mr. Ketchum," Clavell snapped his head up, smiling warmly. "Well, it seems the professors are placing a lot of trust in you. I of course will be here to help in any way I can, perhaps starting by arranging those lessons."
Ash had many questions, but he had a feeling they weren't going to be answered now. So he just looked down at his Pokemon. "As long as Koraidon wants to."
"Wonderful," Director Clavell said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Now why don't you run along, I don't want you late for any classes."
It was interesting writing Sada and Turo interactions, seeing as we never get their dynamics in canon. While this story does lean more towards Pokemon Scarlet, I do want to try to blend both stories, so both professors are present.