"That's going great, Grovyle!" Ash said, as Grovyle lowered his arm. "That looks a lot like a Night Slash to me."
"Yep, that's one all right," Absol agreed. "I knew you'd get it before we reached Mossdeep."
Pikachu snorted.
"Hey," Absol objected, extremely mildly. "I wasn't picking up anything going wrong. I'm still not, not really… just a vague kind of itch."
"What's that Pokémon of yours asking about?" asked the captain of their current boat. "Is there danger?"
"I don't think so?" Ash replied. "Or, if there is, he's not picking up it being very bad."
Absol scratched his coat. "Honestly, the bad thing could be that I have salt in my fur."
"Oh, how long is it going to be before we reach Mossdeep?" Max asked, checking the Pokénav. "If it's more than a couple of hours, I might ask Swablu if she wants to give a flight a go… Latias can catch her if she runs out of strength, and landing on the sea is soft, right?"
"I could give a flight a go even if it's less than a couple of hours," Swablu said.
"It sounds like Swablu's interested either way," Ash relayed, then wobbled a bit before sticking all four hooves to the deck. That just meant he swayed with the deck, instead, and May went a bit green.
"What's going on?" she asked.
"Something funny's going on with the currents," the captain explained. "Normally they're predictable, but now they're going south and that's not the way – whoaaaa!"
The whole boat rocked wildly to one side, then grounded out, and something massive surfaced around them.
A submarine. A red submarine, with the conning tower rising proud behind them and the sub itself swinging around slightly.
"Whoa…" Max gasped. "I didn't know submarines came this big!"
"Well, whoever it is who did this, they're irresponsible," the captain grumbled. "This is a shipping lane."
Up at the conning tower, a hatch opened.
"You must be joking," a voice said, then Tabitha leaned out over the edge of the hatch. "He wasn't joking. Ash, is that you?"
"Tabitha!" Ash called back. "Is this your submarine?"
"Team Magma's submarine, but yeah, basically," Tabitha agreed. "I'm going to have to tell off the guy who checked we weren't about to surface around anyone, he didn't even notice you… sorry about that."
"You know this guy?" the captain asked. "Then do you think you can ask him to not surface in a shipping lane?"
"I can hear you," Tabitha said. "And you have a point, kind of… but that kind of thing won't be a problem for much longer."
He looked away for a bit, talking with someone else, then nodded. "Okay, so… our base isn't far away, it's probably going to be easier for you to just stay on the hull while we go in. Then Maxie can talk with you."
Ash glanced back at the others. "That's okay, right?"
"So long as I get the boat back," the captain grumbled.
"He seemed okay last time we talked," Max said. "And we can ask how they're getting on with Team Aqua."
"Hmm," Absol frowned, tilting his head back and forth, then shook it.
"You are having problems?" Torkoal asked, sending himself out.
"Well, I can't pick up any disasters, if that's what you mean," Absol admitted.
"If luck is your middle name, you must always remember: your first name could be bad," Torkoal advised.
"I'm not sure what that meant, but it sounded wise," Latias marvelled.
"Well, Absol doesn't seem worried," Ash summarized. "Brock, May?"
"If we can get a lift to Mossdeep afterwards, that would be nice," May said. "I know it's your Gym Battle next, but I'm not sure where a good Contest site is and I'd like to ask."
Brock just nodded.
"Yeah, sure!" Ash answered, for all of them. "Any idea if we can head on to Mossdeep from there?"
"I… think that's up to Maxie," Tabitha said. "But he should say yes, I just mean that he's the boss."
Team Magma's base turned out to be in a nearby island.
Not on, but in, as in, inside. The submarine went gliding through a concealed entrance right at the water level, then slowed to a halt, and moved right up next to the dockside.
Several members of Team Magma were waiting for them, and Tabitha hopped off the sub himself.
"Make sure their boat's in good shape," he said. "Ash, I'll take you and your friends to Maxie."
"I'm staying down here," the captain insisted firmly. "I don't trust anyone with my boat but me, and I want to know who to shout at if it gets broken."
Tabitha looked slightly pained, but nodded. "All right… now, let's hurry. We don't want to keep Maxie waiting."
Maxie met them at the door to his office.
"Ash," he said. "It's… probably good luck that you're here. We have a bit of a crisis."
He adjusted his glasses. "A cover agent in Team Aqua has passed on critical information. Team Aqua has captured Groudon."
"They've done what?" Brock gasped. "Groudon's a Legendary Pokémon!"
"Yeah, and-" Ash cut himself off. "What are they planning to do?"
"Well, we know Team Aqua's rough plans," Maxie replied, standing back to let them into his office. "They want to use Kyogre to flood the world, a short sighted and foolish goal."
Ash winced. "Yeah, that would be pretty bad," he said. "Though – do you know how they're going to get Kyogre to do it? I could probably get Kyogre to stop, if they're not being mind-controlled or something, though I'm not certain."
Maxie's eyebrows rose. "You could? That's amazing news – how could you possibly do that?"
"I-" Ash began, then stopped.
He wasn't sure how to put it.
He wasn't sure what words to use.
Was Kyogre even a boy or a girl? Ash didn't know. And he flinched away from using the word brother or sister, because that was still something he didn't want to think about too hard and he hadn't even met them yet and-
"Rayquaza's their brother," he resumed. "And Rayquaza was okay talking to me. So… I guess the same thing would happen?"
"It's possible, but I wouldn't want to bet on it, so we can't rely on it," Maxie said. "Fortunately, we do know that freeing Groudon will give us an advantage, or at least result in a level playing field where you can help us take the advantage. And that way Groudon can defeat Kyogre, even before considering-"
"Hey!" Max interrupted, pointing at Maxie's desk. "Isn't that the Red Orb from the Oceanic Museum?"
"Yes, it is," Maxie concurred. "We acquired it from Captain Stern. It's supposed to be able to give Groudon extra powers."
"Then that's bad, because Team Aqua has the Blue Orb," Brock said. "If they give it to Kyogre, then Kyogre will have extra powers, right?"
Then the floor shook slightly.
"What was that?" May asked. "That felt like an earthquake!"
An alarm began to sound, and one of the Team Magma women ran in.
"Sir, there's a spy in the base!" she reported. "They just released Kyogre!"
"What?!" Maxie demanded.
"Did she just say-" Pikachu began, but Ash had got there as soon as he did.
If there was a spy in the base and they'd just released Kyogre, it had to mean that Team Magma had captured Kyogre.
Just like Team Aqua had captured Groudon.
Magma had the Red Orb, just like Aqua had taken the Blue Orb.
That guy at the weather institute had stopped Aqua from taking the data, sure, but that was also a good way to steal the data yourself.
And Ash had vaguely wondered what Aqua had wanted with Mount Chimney in the first place – but it was obvious why Magma would want it, if they wanted to do things too.
They'd been tricking him all along.
"Why?" Ash asked. "What do you want to do with Groudon that's so important?"
"We want more land for humans to live and work on," Maxie replied. "Aqua wants to flood the flat land near the coastline – we want to protect it, that's all. Storms do so much damage every year-"
"But it's because that land's near the sea that people live there!" Ash retorted. "That's the point, it's why there's both of them in the first place, it's about balance!"
"Ash, what's going on?" Brock asked.
"Team Magma's just Team Aqua but for Groudon," Ash said, as the base shook again.
Maxie sent out a Mightyena, and Max groaned. "Really? Who has one of those who isn't a bad guy?"
Ash was… really angry, or starting to become really angry, as he processed what had happened. But, at the same time, he knew that he'd done something wrong with Team Rocket. It had been satisfying, a bit, but it meant he couldn't actually do anything else, and it had been wrong.
He knew that now.
"Pikachu!" he said, firmly. "Thunderbolt! Latias, get Marshtomp ready."
"Corphish!" Brock said. "Crabhammer!"
May sent out her Torchic, who used his Feather Dance to block an attack from the Magma girl's own Mightyena, then evolved in a flash of light and kicked Mightyena back out of the room with a one-two Double Kick.
The base shook again, and the Red Orb fell off the table onto the floor. Maxie's Mightyena was better trained than the other one facing them, but between Corphish and Pikachu the Dark-type was driven back into a corner.
"Swablu, Round!" Max called, and his Flying-type sang out a loud, pure note which hammered Mightyena into the wall.
"Sir, sir!" another Magma agent called, running into the room. "Groudon's been spotted – Brodie must have broken him out!"
"Don't you see?" Maxie asked. "We have to help Groudon, or Kyogre will win!"
"Don't you get it?" May exploded. "You've done exactly the same thing as Team Aqua, just opposite! You even both stole the Orbs, you both released the Pokémon the other one had captured – it's ridiculous!"
"I wouldn't expect you to understand, but I hoped your friend would," Maxie said, returning his Mightyena and swapping out for a Weezing – which Latias promptly hit with a Confusion, not needing Ash's guidance for that one.
"Groudon and Kyogre aren't mindless," Ash insisted. "They're individuals! They might not even want to do what you want, even though I've heard they're a bit rude."
That was enough to confuse Maxie.
"...rude?" he repeated. "Do you mean… Kyogre, or… both of them?"
"Both of them!" Ash answered. "I heard that from Rayquaza, and he'd know, he's their brother!"
Maxie shook his head, then sent out a Camerupt. He stood back, getting a large ring with a gemstone on it out of his pocket, and slipped it on.
The gemstone began to glow, and Brock gasped.
"That's a Mega Stone!" he said.
"Latias, Heat Badge!" Ash asked. "Guys, get out of the room!"
He sent out Marshtomp, then took the Heat Badge, and his ring changed colour.
"Okay, Marshtomp, give it everything you've got!" he said, as Mega Camerupt finished Mega Evolving. "Water Gun and Mud Shot at the same time!"
Marshtomp used Muddy Water, and Ash himself used Dragon Pulse. The combined attacks sent Mega Camerupt sliding backwards, then Maxie called for a Heat Wave attack.
"Hide behind me!" Ash warned Pikachu, quickly, and Pikachu ducked behind his neck. Marshtomp grunted with the force of the attack, and Latias slid backwards in the air.
Ash didn't even feel anything. His bags came through completely unharmed, as well, and Pikachu twitched slightly as the blast went past them.
"I'm okay, Ash," he advised.
"What just-" Maxie asked.
Then there was a crash, and a Dragonite punched a hole in the wall.
"Lance of Blackthorn!" Lance's voice said. "I really hope these are the last Magma grunts, because Groudon and Kyogre are about to reach one another!"
"The Team Magma boss is in here!" Ash called back. "Have you got your Gyarados? We might need help!"
In reply, Lance threw the Pokéball through the hole. The shiny Red Gyarados from the Lake of Rage emerged, took one look at the situation, and used a Hydro Pump that launched Mega Camerupt out through the wall.
The hole also showed that Lance was out of date. Groudon and Kyogre weren't about to reach one another, they had reached one another, and Ash didn't even check to see if the battle was over.
"Come on!" he said, flicking the Heat Badge into the air with a deft hoof-flick, and Latias caught it before following as Ash went out through the hole.
"Ash!" Max called, from behind him, but Ash knew what he was doing.
...sort of.
The side of the base wasn't a sheer wall, and he'd have been ready anyway if it was. Instead it was steep at first, then shallower, and Ash cantered down the side with his hooves able to hold him in place with every step.
Then he was on flat ground, and he opened up into a gallop.
"Latias," he said, turning his head to see where the Psychic-type was flying alongside. "Make sure Koraidon and Miraidon are ready in case we need help getting those two to listen, okay? Miraidon can make Pikachu stronger, and Koraidon works best in sunlight, so no matter which one's winning we'll be good – they're faster, too, so you can send them out now?"
"Got it, Ash," Latias said, reaching for their Pokéballs. "The others can help, too, right?"
"Yeah," Ash admitted, glancing back. "But they shouldn't have to, not if they'll listen! And – and Unown, too, they can use attacks of any type…"
"You were responsible for this, weren't you?" Kyogre demanded, her voice like a rumble of sea storms. "The people who captured me were going on and on about you!"
"The people who captured me kept talking about you!" Groudon replied. "Why exactly do you think I'm the only one at fault here?"
"You mean you're admitting it?" Kyogre said.
"I'm not!" Groudon rumbled, his tones like an earthquake. "You're just not listening!"
"Hey!" Ash called. "Why are you two fighting?"
Both Groudon and Kyogre turned towards him, angry at first but then freezing in place when they saw him.
Ash was panting slightly from the sprint, but he did his best to hide it. Koraidon and Miraidon were either side of him, transitioning back from their high-speed modes, and overhead Unown switched to Alphabet Form to be ready to use Hidden Power.
"You're brother and sister!" Ash said, the earlier stress and throttled rage trying to break out even as he clamped down on it and kept it under control. "You should be helping each other out, not being – like this! Neither of you did anything wrong yet, but if you keep going that'll change, and – I'll stop you if I have to!"
Groudon and Kyogre looked at him.
At each other.
At him.
Then Groudon ran away from both him and Kyogre as fast as the Continent Pokémon could move, and Kyogre swam away from both him and Groudon as fast as the Sea Basin Pokémon could move.
"...uh," Ash blinked, hoof half-raised, and suddenly very confused. "...was it something I said?"
Pikachu started sniggering.
"What is it?" Koraidon asked. "Is something funny? I don't get the joke."
"I don't either," Miraidon admitted. "I don't too? Which is right?"
"Either," Pikachu said, then kept sniggering. "I just realized – I don't think they saw me, but – think about it from their perspective."
"Huh?" Ash asked.
"Well, I – I don't think they know you exist, Ash," Pikachu said. "So it was kind of like two kids who'd been fighting, and then Dad shows up and tells them off."
"...huh," Ash said, thinking about that.
That was probably right.
It would have been nice to actually talk to them, but right now he was more glad that they weren't fighting any more than anything else…
"They just… ran off," Ash finished. "I didn't fight them or anything, just shouted a bit. I guess maybe I scared them, though…"
He shrugged. "Pikachu thinks they thought I was Arceus."
"Who?" Lance said. "If Professor Oak should have told me, I'm sorry, but I've been undercover in Team Magma for months. I trained a Vibrava for it, so I wouldn't have to use any of my main Pokémon, but she might end up becoming one of my main Pokémon if she wants…"
"Arceus is the species name of what I am," Ash explained. "Rayquaza knew, uh… apparently there's only ever been one that he knows of, until me. And Arceus created them."
Lance nodded, absorbing that, then crouched down.
And scratched Koraidon's chin.
"I like him!" Koraidon said, happily.
"And these two are adorable," Lance told Ash. "I know this one's Koraidon, of course, they mentioned them in some Team Magma briefings, but I've never seen the other one."
"That's Miraidon," Ash explained. "You probably wouldn't have, they're only a few weeks old."
Lance switched his attention to Miraidon, and the Electric-type made a sort of pleased buzzing noise.
"Where did you get them?" Lance said. "They're Pokémon I'm unfamiliar with, but since you have a Latias – and I did know about that one – I'm not sure what I'm expecting your answer to be."
Ash paused for a moment.
"I created them," he said. "That's what Arceus is the Pokémon of, we're almost completely sure. Creating things, including Pokémon."
Another slight pause, then he followed that line of thought to the logical conclusion. "Which… I guess means that they're my children, in a lot of ways."
Now that he'd said the words, he couldn't un-say them – but Miraidon visibly lit up at the description, and Koraidon beamed, and he wasn't sorry at all.
"I see," was all that Lance said, at first, still petting Miraidon. "Well, if they're the first two that you created, then I think you did an excellent job. Especially since I'm fairly sure that they're Dragon-types, whatever else they are."
Lance had more to talk about, after that, about an organization called the G-men, and how Ash was probably going to get a reward for helping deal with Team Magma – and Team Aqua, sort of, since he'd defused their plot simply by getting Kyogre to leave – but, after that, the boat they'd been using was retrieved from the Magma base and they headed back on their way to Mossdeep.
"Are you okay, Ash?" Pikachu said, once the island was disappearing behind them.
"I don't really know," Ash admitted. "That's not the first time someone's mistaken me for – for Dad, but it's the first time they've just… run away like that. It's worrying."
Pikachu patted Ash on the back.
"I think I know what you mean," he said. "But, Ash – I think you did a great job today, okay?"
"I got tricked, though," Ash said.
"People who were deliberately trying to trick you did okay at it, and eventually you saw through it," Pikachu replied. "It's like losing a battle, right? Except you didn't, they just gave you trouble at first, and then you fixed it."
"If something goes wrong, you do your best to fix it," Ash agreed, repeating what Rayquaza had said.
What his brother had said.
"So," Pikachu said. "Are you okay, Ash?"
"...yeah," Ash nodded. "I think I am."
AN:
Sometimes it takes a while to come to terms with an unexpected shift in your family situation.