Chapter 101 – Recaptured

Ashachu skidded to a halt in the sand, just as the light from the egg faded. Charizard, in spite of his condition, flipped himself over onto his stomach and pushed himself up. He had one eye closed and was breathing heavily, as he fought against the pain. All the other Pokémon and their trainers were gathering round as well.

He approached the egg tentatively, sniffing at it. The egg smelled of earth and ashes and seemed to radiate warmth. He felt a hot breath on the back of his neck and looked up to see Charizard's right above the egg.

"Zarrddd."

"Why did the light go out," Ashachu breathed. "I thought it was supposed to..."

No sooner had he started speaking, the egg started to glow again. Ashachu had to squint in order to be able to see, it was slow bright. He back away a little to give the egg some space, backing into another Pokémon behind him. His heart started to race in his chest, and his breathing sped up. This was it. The egg was going to hatch, and he, Ashachu was going to be a parent.

"Hey careful," said a voice behind him.

Ashachu looked over his shoulder and his eyes met those of a mouse like Pokémon, about the same size as him, but with a narrow face and long nose. A Cyndaquil.

"Nova. Where did you come from."

"Pokéball, where-else would I have come from," Nova replied in that smug yet seductive tone of his that made Ashachu tail twitch and sent a tingle up his spine. "Need a fire lit to keep a Pokémon warm. Use a Cyndaquil." Nova held out his arms in a little tah-dah moment, then continued, "Seems like a lot's been happening in your life since the last time I saw you."

"Yeah," Ashachu breathed. "You could say that again."

Nova snorted. "I mean. Seriously mousy...An egg. Not just a new boyfriend, but an egg too."

"You don't know the half of it," Ashachu replied.

The light from the egg died out again, leaving the beach once more in darkness.

"I don't get it," Ash said, watching on from somewhere above Ashachu. "Shouldn't it have hatched by now."

"Not necessarily," said Jimmy. Ashachu flicked his ear, hearing a note of concern. "I've heard that it can take a while sometimes. Especially if there's something wrong with the egg."

"Something wrong with the egg!"

Ash and Ashachu had said it at the same time.

"Not necessarily. I don't know," Jimmy replied hastily. "But you did say that the egg got. You know. With Shadow." Ash nodded in the darkness but nobody else said anything. Jimmy put a hand on his shoulder, and Cameron tapped him on the back. "There's a possibility, that the egg might be..."

"A runt."

It was Charizard who finished Jimmy's sentence with a grunt. He scooped the little egg up in his claws and cradled it to his chest, staring down at it. It was hard to make out his expression in the dim light of the fires and his tail, but Ashachu thought he saw a single tear, trailing down his cheek.

"I had a feeling this would happen ever since that worthless piece of shit Darkrai cut the poor little egg out of me. The egg didn't have time to mature or develop as it should have. I feared that it would never actually hatch. But now that it will, it'll be a runt." He sighed, then continued, "Normally when Charizard breed we produce one egg per breeding season. But occasionally a Char will bare multiples. Usually, two or three eggs. The more eggs there are, the more likely will be a runt. The runt of a Charizard clutch is always the smallest of its siblings. And the weakest."

There was a murmur from the Pokémon gathered around.

Ash grimaced and said, "Charizard..." But wasn't sure how to finish the sentence.

"Charizard parents take special care of their runt off-spring. But sometimes they don't survive, even with the best of care." Charizard finally looked away from the egg, and over to Ash. Then his eyes swept his onlookers. "We won't know until the egg hatches."

Hearing this, Ashachu wanted to climb up onto Charizard's shoulder. To be with his mate and get a better look at the egg...his egg. But something held him back. Although an invisible leech seed attach was rooting him to the spot.

Dragonite climbed up these feet and patted Charizard on the back. "Hey, I'm sorry bud. I'm sure it'll be okay though. We'll help you protect your Charmander baby." He trailed his claw down Charizard's back and started drawing circles with his claw between his wings.

This caused Charizard turn to him and snap, "Stop that!"

Dragonite gave him a look that was too hard to make out in the dark, before scooping up his own egg. "Hmm mine hasn't started to glow yet."

"Probably not ready to hatch, you dolt," Charizard growled softly. Dragonite either couldn't hear him or ignored him.

"You alright," Nova whispered to Ashachu. The Cyndaquil placed his two forepaws on Ashachu's shoulder and squeezed. Ashachu shivered with pleasure. "Just so you know, my dad Typhlosion was the runt of his litter of kits. He said that Professor Elm didn't want to give to a trainer, because he was too small and weak. Now he's the reasons my human dad has not many badges and championships."

Ashachu's heart was still beating very fast, and his stomach felt unsettled. As though he were being hollowed out from within. Nova was massaging his shoulders, his claws pressing into his skin. He was unable to utter any response, other than a muffled, "Pii."

He heard a shuffle of paw steps in the sand behind him and glanced over his shoulder to see Geyser pressing himself in between Lucario and Koraidon. He looked back at Charizard without saying a word to him.

"If this egg hatches soon, he could starve," growled Charizard, looking back down at his egg. He then glanced at Ash. "You lot don't have any food. You lost all your provision. And I'm too weak to fly. Poor Charmander could die in my arms."

"Are you strong enough to go back in your Pokéball," asked Ash. "We could get to Olivine City..."

And then a bright light suddenly lit up the beach. But this time it wasn't coming from Charizard and Ashachu's egg. All the Pokémon and humans gathered there became visible. Ash, Cameron, and Jimmy. Pikachu, Ashachu, Hunter, Geyser, Dragonite, Flygon, Nova, Typhlosion, Lucario, Zoroark, Zacian, Koraidon, Charizard and Axew. The light was coming from somewhere further up the beach.

"No," Ash gasped, as he saw where the light was coming from. "Not again. Not here. Not now."

"Pika," Pikachu and Ashachu cried in unison.

It was yet another ultra-wormhole. It had appeared on the beach just a few meters away of them. A spinning web light structure that seemed to be made of white light...only the wormhole itself wasn't the source of the light. No, that was the creature that had emerged from the wormhole and was standing before them, its eyes fixed on Koraidon.

The Pokémon…or whatever it was, as Ash nor any of the others had ever seen a Pokémon like this before…had a long serpentine body. Almost like a giant Snivy or Servine except with large forearms and claws and thick legs as opposed to Snivy petite ones. Most of its body was violent in colour, excepts its face, claws, abdomen, and tail which were silver. Its face was pointed and looked very familiar.

Only Ash couldn't put his finger on until, until Koraidon strode out from the rest of the ground and walked up the creature.

"Miraidon," he announced, a surprised look on his face. "What are you doing here!"

"Intelligence report the D-Team has failed to carry out its primary objective," the serpentine Pokémon replied. Its voice was strange. Androgynous with an electronic quality to it. As though they were hearing a computer speak. "The extract Necrozma and the objective was to extract and return subject to the guild. Humans have Necrozma. Conclusion, you have failed."

"There were unforeseen consequences," Koraidon replied. "Necrozma wasn't where we thought it would be. The humans..."

"Report status. Where is the rest of your team," Miraidon continued, interrupting Koraidon.

"Ummm." Koraidon raised a claw to scratch the back of his head. "There were complications."

Miraidon coxed its head, an almost mocking grin crossing its face. "Your team is compromised by hostile human elements. Confirm or deny."

"Umm, it's not that..."

"Confirm or deny," Miraidon repeated a little more forcefully.

Koraidon sighed. "Confirm. Team Rocket has them."

"Ummm...Pardon me, but what the hell is going on here," Charizard growled from behind. "Koraidon, or what is this...Is it a Pokémon."

Koraidon turned around. "Umm, everybody this is Miraidon. The leader of the mechanised guild."

It was as turned around, and he and Miraidon were standing beside each other, both their faces clearly visible in the light generated from Miraidon's body that it became clear. Ash took a deep breath and muttered, "wow," as Pikachu whispered in his ear, "Is it just me, or do those two-look alike."

It was in the faces. Their heads were very different; Koraidon with his feathery plumes and antenna on top of his head. And Miraidon with a long forehead and what seemed to be bolts of white lighting coming from above its eyes. But their muzzles were the same shape.

"Yeah," Ash agreed. "That's...weird."

There was something very weird about Miraidon. Its skin was almost metallic as though it were not made of flesh or scales, but something synthetic. And its chest and legs were transparent, containing a sort of energy. It was difficult to describe.

"Once again Koraidon," Miraidon continued. "You have failed to complete your assignment and you failed your team. You are to return to the guild with us."

As it spoke, more Pokémon emerged from the Ultra Wormhole. A small humanoid shaped doll like creature whose body was comprised of three metal spheres and gears. And a much taller alien like Pokémon, with four long spindly arms.

"That's a," Ash heard Hunter whisper.

"Deoxys," Nova finished his sentence for him.

Ash knew what Deoxys, having encountered it before. But the metallic doll like creature, he had not, and he didn't have his Pokédex on him in order to look up its species.

Koraidon let out a great sigh as the newcomers stepped out of the wormhole and onto the beach. "Does it really have to be this way? I've got friends. We can track down Team Rocket."

"Negative," replied Miraidon. "Your objective was to extract Necrozma. You have failed that objective. Now you must return to the guild to face judgement. Genesect."

As if on Miraidon's word, a fourth Pokémon emerged from the wormhole. A large insectoid Pokémon encased in a metallic armour. Ash and Pikachu recognised this Pokémon too.

"A Genesect?"

"Pika!"

No sooner had Genesect set a foot on the sand of the beach, than it attacked. It shot a web of sticky rope like silk at Koraidon, which wrapped around the dragon's middle and bound his paws together.

"Ahh," Koraidon gasped, his jaw falling over. "Hey, what are you!"

At once, everyone was on alert. A chorus of Pokémon growls and snarls filled the air, and Ash protested, "Hey, is that really necessary."

"Yeah, just what's going on here," snapped Cameron.

"I'm sure whatever he had done," Jimmy started.

But he was interrupted by a high feminine voice saying loudly, "Humans will not involve themselves. This is a matter for the guild."

Ash blinked a couple of time, his eyes falling on the doll like Pokémon that had moved to stand in front of the group, confronting them. Despite having a face made of metal with few distinguishing features, it seemed to be glaring at them. It's eyes, like two diodes in its head, had turned a bright red colour. A ticking sound, rather like a clock, seemed to emit from it, and it had two large rabbit like ears that moved up and down. Not twitching the way Pikachu or Ashachu's ears did, but a fluid mechanical motion.

"Wait, what the hell is that" cried Cameron, as though he had only just noticed the Pokémon there."

"Seems like introductions are in order," said Koraidon. "This is the Mecha-squad. It's another adventure team. Or at least it's supposed to be when they aren't being hired goons for the guild. All of its members are Pokémon who have been made or augmented by human technology. This is Miraidon, he's the leader." Unable to use his paws, he flicked his head at the Snivy like Pokémon, and then to each of the others in turn. "Then there's Magearna, Deoxys and Genesect."

Miraidon eyes narrowed at Koraidon. "You know that I am not a boy, Koraidon. You did not make that statemen tin error."

Koraidon didn't reply.

"Miraidon, what shall we do with these other Pokémon, and their humans," asked Magearna, spinning back around to face the serpentine Pokémon. One fluid, mechanical movement.

"The Charizard and the others were sent back with Koraidon," said Deoxys. In contrast to Magearna, its voice was deep and masculine sounding. "They should return to the tower."

Ash started to feel unnerved. "We're not going anywhere with you. Not unless you tell us who you are, and what on earth is going on here."

"Pika-chu." He felt Pikachu's body tense on his shoulder, his little claws digging into his bare flesh.

"Ash. Be careful." For the first time Koraidon sounded worried. "Don't antagonise them."

Miraidon considered for a moment. "Negative Deoxys. These humans are not required. They are part of this world and should remain. I fear only negative consequences if they were to set foot in Ultra Megalopolis. Let us go."

What happened next happened incredibly fast. Genesect tugged on the thread as it stepped back inside the ultra-wormhole. Koraidon stumbled as he was pulled towards. He dug his claws into the sand to stop himself.

"Wait. You're making a mistake."

"NOOOO," shouted Ash.

From there it was pure chaos. Flygon and Dragonite charged out from behind him, and Typhlosion release a torrent of flame from his jaws. The Mecha team took immediate defensive action. Miraidon opened its jaw wide and fired a purple beam of energy at the crowd. At the same time, the egg clutched in Charizard's arms lit up once again, engulfing the beach in a blinding light.

Ash didn't see what happened after that...