I made some changes to the previous chapters, namely to make Cyclizar's knowledge of the humans less trusting and to clean up some of the details about who knows what.
It felt strange being back here, after so long. Zorua had thought she would have sooner been given an imperial appointment or made her own practice before she would have ever returned.
Within a ring of trees, Tanzanite Depths bore an unusual layout.
Divided into two distinct portions, New Tanzanite stood as a motley collection of wood and stone buildings not too dissimilar from what was the norm. In the middle of that, existed a central sinkhole that water that fell into the rim of the crater; it served as something of an oversized well or water reservoir.
Within and beyond the sinkhole, existed Old Tanzanite, an ancient city accessible only when the water level decreased between scheduled rain deliveries. Occasionally, treasure hunters and explorers would venture into the ruins and find something of value.
According to legend, at one point, all of Tanzanite was underground at the heart of a dead Volcano, hence the formal name Tanzanite Depths. It is unknown how exactly the mountain was removed, but most people assume that it was either mined away or the mountain was simply destroyed. Once rain started to pour in, Old Tanzanite, which was not designed to endure the rain, flooded, prompting the settlement to move towards the new surface.
"So, you lived here?" Psyduck voiced the question.
"Yes, I grew up here," Zorua answered as she led her friends down the central road.
"Did you like it?" Psyduck questioned again. "... You left it."
"Psyduck!" Misty shouted.
"It's alright, I don't mind." Zorua answered again. Her eyes flickered over to familiar buildings, as she imagined herself venturing into town on her own once she was of age.
They crossed over to a school occupied by the young, the same where Zorua received the start of her education. She vaguely remembered socializing with others her age, but they had never been close, nor had such ties been maintained ever since she had been apprenticed. Nearby was the museum, its collection of artifacts made of artifacts gathered from Old Tanzanite; she had frequently visited, it was also where she had met her master. "I… do have some fond memories," she admitted.
A part of her became desperate to show her friends what she admired of this place, yet she also wished to leave as soon as possible. She wanted to show them her favorite locations, her old hobbies… what was left of her collection. On the other paw, the longer they stayed here, the more they would have to negotiate around her father.
She debated on whether or not it would have been better if they rented an inn, like always. It might have been a waste of money… She supposed she would have to speak to her father eventually.
Resolving herself, Zorua came to a conclusion. "Come on, my father's house is this way."
"Is this a good idea?" Goldeen questioned as she hovered over her. "I… understand there is some tension between you and him."
"It shall be fine," Zorua brushed her concerns off. "We have to challenge his Dojo to earn his Emera and then we can leave the first thing in the morning."
She led them down the road and then made a sharp turn to their destination.
It stood on a hill, overlooking moves of the surrounding town with short stone walls encircling the construct. The building formed a U shape ahead, each room connecting to its adjacent, whilst maintaining easy access to the outside. In the middle of it all, a barely living tree remained at the center, with sparse rock rings marking the remains of once luscious gardens.
It seemed more depressing than Zorua was expecting…. Was there no one to take care of this?
The spirit fox walked to the largest room, the central room that linked both halves of the building together. She slid the door open and sat on her rear. "Is anyone home?" she shouted inside.
A familiar face walked over to her. A Haunter walked over and lowered her head slightly. "Zorua! I had been expecting you, ever since the Master returned."
"Haunter, it is good to see you," Zorua addressed the servant; she remembered her.
"As am I," Haunter said. She pointed her disembodied hand over to the others. "And who are these visitors with you?
"They are my friends and traveling companions," Zorua answered with no hesitation.
"Hey there!" Ash voiced. "I'm Ash."
"Misty," said the Buizel.
The rest introduced themselves, with the exception of Cyclizar who remained silent.
"We wish to stay here," Zorua spoke again. Technically, she was within her rights to simply state her intent and to lodge herself within. On the other hand, her father could deny that if he so chose. Besides, it was not like her father even regularly slept at home. And it wasn't like she planned on abiding by that anyways. "Is my father home?"
They had already met her father back in Malachite Mountain, but he had left without them.
"He is at the Dojo," Haunter shook her body.. "Do you wish for me to summon him?"
Zorua did not want to meet her father at this point in time. However, it was practically an inevitability. The best she could hope for is that he would simply refuse to show up or speak to her unless it was necessity. "If it is necessary Haunter," Zorua said simply. "Do I still have my room?"
"Untouched," said the spirit. She slid the door open. "For the guests, please use that large room at the side. It is normally reserved for guests and is large enough to accommodate you."
Zorua shivered. Had no one really been in her room since she had last entered? That… was worrisome.
"Thank you, Miss Haunter," Misty called out.
"Yeah, thanks!" said Pikachu.
Haunter waved one of her hands. "I will depart soon. Settle yourselves in for the meanwhile."
Nearly everyone moved into the guest room, placing their bags onto the floor and unpacking their sleeping mats.
Zorua joined them as well, though a part of her wondered if she was ready to go into her room once more.
"When I was but a hatchling," Cyclizar commented as he slipped off the sack on his bag. "I, like so many others, had dreamed of laying siege to Tanzanite, slaying Sensei Zoroark, and then becoming the leader of my clan. I have grown past them, but I never expected to arrive here as a mere guest." He almost sounded amused.
Zorua nodded her head. The group had mostly come to accept their newest member as simply another companion, though they hadn't trusted him with everything yet. They still had not told Cyclizar about how some of them were actually human "tamers". "How would you have slain my father?" she posed.
"Well, my initial thought when I was first told about him was that we'd take someone close to him and use them as bait. But… Carver told me that there was nothing in the world he cared about," Cyclizar made a low growl as he emphasized that. "We didn't even know he had a daughter."
"Father did not necessarily advertise it, though that could have just been a failure to research on your part," Zorua responded. "Besides, I haven't been home for dozens of Moons."
"It would have been a vulnerability, one that my former father and others would have exploited if they could," Cyclizar conceded. He set Zorua's bag down onto the floor. "... Did you live with your mother then? Your father perhaps kept you a secret."
Zorua shook her head, a dull pain lingered in her being. "I do not remember her. I don't know who she is. What she stood for. I wish I knew her." The only things she knew about her mother were distant memories that were formed when she had been exceedingly young.
"I… would wish to know my original parents as well, but that door is forever closed to me," Cyclizar nodded his head. "I hope that you will find success where I did not."
Zorua took a deep breath, letting the lizard's words find purchase within her. She… did want to know who she was. "Thank you."
She walked away and left the guest room.
She moved towards the dying tree in the central garden. When she was very young, she wondered who put it there. The tree itself stood quite tall and had to have been cared for or else it wouldn't have survived up to this point. Yet, these days, it was though it was slowly rotting away from the inside. It received plenty of water, so why was it rotting away?
… Did her mother plant it?
The fox distantly remembered, walking on its roots as she nibbled at them. Someone watched over her, laughing as she explored the world for the first time.
Togepi did the same as she did, running up the roots with her small body. She then slid off one of them and fell into Misty's arms.
The Buizel giggled. "Try to be careful, young lady."
"I will, Mommy!" cried the young Maiju.
Zorua admired the sight, happy for the child. Just because Misty had been… born human, that did not hinder her from being a good mother. The fox wondered if the same might have been true for her own.
"Hey, Misty?" Zorua called out.
The weasel turned her attention to the fox. "Huh? Do you need something, Zorua?"
"Do you mind accompanying me?" she admitted. Zorua concluded that she couldn't go to her room alone, but she knew that it'd be easier if someone were.
"Is it going to be dangerous?" Misty squinted an eye.
"Just… painful, for me." Zorua answered. "I could use someone to accompany me to my room."
Misty nodded her head as she waved over to two of the Maiju that served under her. "Staryu, Goldeen?"
Both hovered nearby.
"I overheard," Staryu stated, "I take this matter is… delicate?"
Zorua nodded.
Goldeen hovered over the fox. "We can offer you our support, if need be. Togepi, stay here and play with the tree."
"Okay!" the young Maiju answered.
"I …. Appreciate it. Thank you," Zorua told them as she walked over a door perpendicular to the tree.
The ghost fox stopped right in front and sucked in her breath, in an attempt to ready her mind. Though Zorua did not need to breathe, her body performed the motions out of an instinctive habit.
She slid the door open and saw… the remnants of her old life.
True to form, Haunter had not been lying when she had said no one had been Zorua's room in years.
As Zorua stepped into her room for the first time in so many Moons, she felt as though she trespassed upon the belongings of someone else.
A faint coating of dust settled on the room, not obscuring the wreckage that was the fox's personal chambers. A bookshelf on the side had been torn and reduced to splinters, its contents scattered beneath it. Her desk, which she had once used to learn writing, laid in a heap. Even the pile of pillows that had served as her bed had been torn open, their insides spilling out. The only thing that had been spared were the small collection of stuffed dolls she used to play with.
"What happened here?" Misty spoke.
"I had a fight with my father," Zorua answered, gloomily. "He and I used moves on the environment." She vaguely remembered that day, where the two of them shouted and raised their voices until they… lashed out at the world around them. She couldn't remember who lost control first, but soon after, she had been sent to live with Master Aspen.
"It sounds horrible," Misty said. "I can't imagine my father doing anything like that unless I made him very mad."
"Forgive me for asking, but… why? Why did you and your father come to blows?" Staryu said as he hovered over.
Zorua pointed with paw. In the center of the room was a hole in the floor, where the boards had been torn open.
She reached into the hole and pulled out the shattered remains of what was once a crystalline sphere that bore a small statuette of a human female in exquisite garb. All that remained now was the broke base and part of the figurine.
Another was a cylinder that served no describable purpose. There was also this doll that was in the human shape yet made entirely of metal with strange bug-like eyes. Staryu's attention had mostly fixated on the doll for some reason.
"When I was young, I created a small cavern for myself under the floor to keep it hidden. It was accessible by only phasing through, yet… Father found out. He told me to throw it away, but I refused." Zorua shook, a tremble in her body. "So, he-he destroyed my collection, reducing it to this. I confronted him and…" Her voice became hard.
Misty put a paw over her back. "I understand. You did something your father never approved of."
"I don't even know why anymore," Zorua answered. "I always wondered why. I had always assumed it was because humans were taboo, but no one minds if you collect their belongings. Yet, Father was strict on not pursuing the subject. I don't know why."
"Does your father care?" Staryu questioned, his light glittering. "Does he value you?"
"I don't know. Even before our fight, we barely saw each other. I was fed and sheltered, but he would always be busy, either on a mission or running the Dojo; he always said that he needed to stick to his duties," the fox stated. "...I remember wishing for him to spend more time at home, but I…. found hobbies. I started collecting, reading, learning."
"That's… like the exact opposite problem my sisters have," Misty commented. "They would always shirk their work. With your father, it sounds like he buried himself in it to avoid you."
The fox did not know how to take that. "About the only times I really got to spend any time with him, he would train me in… lessons. About how to fight, how to manipulate others into defeating them. I tried my best, though I never really found a use for them."
"When school taught us about humans, I asked my father about it and he forbade me from collecting or learning about them. But I was too curious, I wanted to know more." Zorua frowned. "He found my collection many, many Moons later… and then we fought. And things just… got worse. We constantly fought against each other.."
"And that's how you ended up at Scholar Aspens?" Staryu questioned.
"Father introduced me to my Master. I had worried that he was sending me away as punishment, so I did not like my Master initially. ….Thankfully, I was wrong, And I found… peace under his tutelage," the fox confirmed.
"And why humans?" Misty questioned. "I understand that you wanted to learn more about something, but why a topic that was… not seen favorably?"
"... I have a theory, though it might seem insane," Zorua answered.
"I traveled with Ash, I've seen insane regularly!" the Buizel smirked proudly.
"Do believe her, she has gone through quite a lot," Staryu exclaimed.
Zorua frowned, though she supposed she heard enough stories to know that Misty and her friends were very resilient. "I think my mother might be human," she admitted.
The three other Maiju stared at her.
"That's… certainly a claim," Goldeen stated for everyone else's benefit.
"I… don't remember much about my mother, but what little I do remember, she knew so much about your world, more than I knew," Zorua lowered her head, realizing just how ridiculous she was sounding. "I don't even know what happened to her, but… she told me many things about your lands, when I was young. She told me stories of it…"
"And those stories are the reason why you decided to make it something you valued," Misty answered, her voice low. It sounded like she was familiar with the idea.
"That's what I think," Zorua answered. She felt like vomiting, even though there was nothing inside of her. "I never stopped to think about why I did this, until recently. What if… I started because I remembered, somewhere deep down, it was something I did because my mother instructed me?"
"It sounds plausible," Goldeen spoke. "Can you confirm it?"
Zorua shook her head. "No, but I think father could. I want to ask him." Assuming he was even willing to answer her.
"That would be ironic." Misty chuckled. "You were so scared of humans, but what if you were one yourself? At last, partially."
Zorua had to admit, it would be very ironic. Then again, she did scare herself on more than one occasion.
"So, you constructed a small Ariel Cave? Staryu questioned as he hovered over to the hole and looked down..
"A what?" Zorua questioned, her head already spinning for… no reason at all. .
Misty gave her partner a stern look. "Really?"
"Mistress, we know you were thinking about it; we watched that movie with you for weeks," Staryu stated.
"I know, but this isn't the time for it!" Misty sounded cross.
"Uh…?" Zorua felt lost. "Should I know this?"
"It's a…literary reference, a story Misty loved when she was younger of a… creature who lived in the ocean was not human, but who sought to become one to live on dry land," Goldeen answered
… Become human. That was… not something she had ever considered. What if Zorua could do as Goldeen stated? Then again, if her mother had been human, it would have only been natural wouldn't it? Perhaps if she had ever left Citrine, she could use her illusions to pretend to be one?
Now if only she wasn't so suddenly ill.
Ash rolled out of the way as Pikachu's tail came right over his head.
He backhanded the electric mouse without even thinking about it, but had very little time to think things through.
Pikachu landed on his feet and threw a flurry of lightning bolts right at his trainer.
The Riolu ran forward under Pikachu's attacks, his feet skipping over the rough ground.
He threw his fist right at his friend. At the same time, his starter charged up his cheeks.
Both landed a blow at the other, striking their counterparts in the chest with as much force as they could.
They collapsed right onto the ground, landing on their bellies right next to the other.
And yet despite the mild aches that went up their bodies, neither could say that didn't like the result. A laugh erupted from them both.
"So, Pikachu, how much did you have to hold back this time?" Ash questioned, bringing up his starter's words when he had first turned into a Pokémon.
"Not as much as I used to." Pikachu pushed himself up. He smiled at his trainer. "You've gotten good at fighting, you can keep up with me now, before I use any of my really fast moves."
"You're still so much faster than me," Ash commented as he rolled onto his back to do as his partner did. A mild swarm of aches and pains covered him.
"But you're tougher and I think stronger on the physical side of things, because it's what your body is meant to do," Pikachu admitted.
My body. Ash thought. A mild discomfort range in his heart. He wasn't really sure about if he could call being a Riolu his body, yet at the same time, he didn't know the difference until someone pointed it out. He didn't think about clothing or feel awkward about it until he thought about wearing bathrobes. Everything about him just felt normal, natural. Why was that?
"Ash?" Pikachu called.
Ash shook his head, throwing away those thoughts. "Sorry, just thinking."
"You, thinking?" Pikachu giggled.
"I can think when I want to," Ash snorted. In fact, he had an idea.
He got up from where he laid.
Pikachu rose to meet him, but Ash gestured for the rodent to stay down.
"I'm going to heal you!" the former-trainer said.
"Ash! You could get yourself hurt!" Pikachu complained.
"I'll be careful."
Ash. Dexter's voice buzzed from nearby. You are not known for being careful.
Despite that, Ash was not going to let himself be deterred. He brought his paws over to Pikachu's chest and drew Aura from his being into his paws.
A warm flame ran down his arms and into his paws, yet there was also something fluid about it. The Riolu poured in that energy into Pikachu's body.
He envisioned the cuts in the fur and the bruises hidden under Pikachu's skin melting away, yet try as he might, Ash made no discernible progress. He drew more power from inside himself, hoping to changing something, anything, yet Pikachu's body did not mend.
"Ash!" Pikachu snapped.
The Fighting-type let go of the power he held and took his paws away from Pikachu. Ash panted heavily, his tongue lolling back and forth like that of many canines. Exhausting came upon him like a wave battering against the beach. He collapsed onto one knee. "... I might have overdid it."
"You think?" Pikachu groaned. "Every time you use Life Dew, you exhaust yourself."
"I can't help it!" Ash answered back. Unlike any of the moves his Pokémon used, this was a healing ability. And with it, he could do more than protect his friends by beating people up. Sure, he was nowhere near as good as Zorua's potions, but this was something he wanted to learn. Now, if only he could get over the roadblock that stopped him this time.
You should learn to be more restrained. Zorua and Misty have advised against harming yourself. Dexter chimed as he hovered over his owner.
"Well, what am I supposed to do then?"
Get a tutor instead of doing this on your own. Dexter answered. Medicine is a complicated field that takes several years of medical education to practice. While you have some sort of instinctive understanding on healing others, you overtax yourself currently.
"So, get someone to train me?" Ash wondered aloud.
Ideally, someone who knows Life Dew as well. Though I have been informed that the technique is rare in general. Perhaps there might be manuals in the healing arts.
"Fine, I get it." As much as Ash wanted to practice and learn this on his own, his Pokédex had a point. Unlike learning to punch or kick, Life Dew was fundamentally different. He already had problems using new moves in general; while he could use the move, it simply strained him too much. Maybe they could find another Riolu or Lucario who could teach him. "Do you know of any way Riolu or Lucario learn of Life Dew?"
I am led to understand Lucario can easily learn it as any other technique, but Riolu rarely learn the technique. It is assumed to be hereditary.
Huh, that might have been why Gogoat thought he was a noble. The Riolu leapt from his position, amazed about how nimble he was. "Hey, guys, why don't we go check on the others?"
"Right!" the mouse agreed as he flipped himself onto his belly, got up on his legs, and ran.
While the rest of the group had taken to settling in and exploring Zorua's home, Ash and his team had spent their free time training and preparing for either the Dojo and other challenges ahead.
It was around the back where the Riolu found the other half of his team in a race. Squirtle and Bulbasaur ran in a circle around a random set of rocks. Charizard, who was much larger than either of them, stood away and acted as the referee.
"And that's another win for Bulbasaur!" the Fire-type shouted as he brought his hands down on the finish line.
"Oh come on!" Squirtle complained.
"You keep tiring yourself out too early!" Bulbasaur reiterated.
"Hey guys!" Ash shouted to get their attention.
All of the other Pokémon turned, giving their greetings.
Charizard however instead spoke names. "Ash, Dexter." He deliberately left out Pikachu.
"Hello, Charizard," Pikachu murmured, narrowing his eyes at the lizard.
Sensing that his two Pokémon were agitated with each other, Ash stepped between them. "Hey, we're all friends here, right?"
Charizard and Pikachu inclined their heads slightly. "We are," both intoned, yet it was obvious even without his senses, they weren't very sincere.
Ash didn't know what to do, since while he felt he had made progress with Charizard, the issue now stood between Pikachu and Charizard's relationship with each other.
"How about we do something together?" Ash suggested.
"A race would be nice," Pikachu suggested.
Charizard grunted. While everyone else was around the same size, Charizard was simply too big for a race.
As much as Ash wanted to go racing, he did want to include Charizard in some way, rather than him being a spectator.
"How about making something to eat? I'm starved!" Ash told them. His near endless supply of stamina came at the cost of needing to eat about as much as he had as a human. He was far smaller, yet needed that much more food.
Plus, all of them had spent their time working out. They deserved something nice.
"Great idea, Boss!" Squirtle smirked, holding a thumbs up.
"It beats having another race," Bulbasaur agreed.
Pikachu and Charizard silently glared at each other, but they then turned their their heads to meet Ash.
That was probably as close as he was going to get.
"Alright, I think there's a kitchen in Zorua's place!" the Riolu said as he led the group back towards the house.
I should state that it is around noontime now. If no one else is providing lunch, we should make food for everyone else. Dexter stated.
Ash nodded.
When walked into the kitchen, they found Brock and Geodude working away in the kitchens. They seemed like they were preparing to make lunch.
"Hey, Brock!" Ash called out.
"Hey, Ash!" Brock answered before turning to the others. "Pikachu! Dexter!"
"What are you making?" Ash asked.
"I've been think it's time we moved onto something a bit harder than what we've done before," Brock provided as he walked over to the stove. Several blobs of dough sat on the counter behind him, whilst an array of vegetables were set on his flanks. "I'm going to show you how to make pizza."
Ash beamed. He loved pizza and Brock was going to show him to make one. What made him even more excited was the fact that he wasn't going to be making the exact same bowl of soup or pan of fried rice he had been making for the past few weeks. "Really?"
The large canine nodded his head. "I figure, we're making decent money to keep ourselves afloat, but I think we need to up our game if we want to make more money."
"Yeah, Boss," Squirtle whistled. "I've noticed that food in Citrine is fairly simple and what they do have tended to be based on Eastern cuisine. Pizzas would come off as exotic and marketable."
"Just be aware that this is much harder and more complicated than it looks," Brock sighed. "Geodude and I already spent an hour turning the flour we had into dough."
"Yeah, so, Ash, please do me a favor and not waste what you've made," Geodude grumbled. "I still remember how you nearly ended up cooking me!"
Ash twiddled his digits. "I'm not that bad!"
"Anymore," Pikachu clarified.
"Like you're one to talk. You put rawst berries into the fried rice," Ash grumbled.
"Berries are nice," Pikachu supplied.
"They made the rice watery," Ash said. "Fried rice, Pikachu, isn't soggy."
The Electric-type stuck his tongue out.
Charizard snaggered, drawing Pikachu's ire.
"Alright, look, making a good pizza is a complicated set of affairs and is mostly about setting up the ingredients and then assembling all to to be baked," Brock stated. "All of you here are good enough to do one of the steps of making the pizza."
That quieted everyone as they focused on the Lycanroc. Ash could barely contain himself.
"So, chopping the vegetables is the same as usual, but you have to make them smaller than normal." Brock said. "Same thing, you also have to shred the cheese, got all that?"
That seemed simple enough.
"I want Bulbasaur and Pikachu for that job," Brock told them. "Technically, everyone is going to learn how to make all of the different parts of the pizza, but today, I'm going to supervise you learning to make different parts first."
"You can count on us," Bulbasaur replied.
'Me too!" said Pikachu.
"Charizard, you already know how to do this part, so I'll have you and Squirtle will be boiling tomatoes to make the sauce."
"Wait, what?" Pikachu sounded incredulous. "Since when did you know how to make tomato sauce?"
Charizard ignored him and instead focused on Brock.
Ash really wondered if he should have told Pikachu about Charizard being the one who made the ketchup the other day, but that might have been a bad idea.
"Just know that how you prepare the sauce and what you put into it will affect the taste of the overall pizza. But right now, just make it simple, okay?" the Lycanroc told him.
Charizard nodded his head.
"Don't worry, I've got you!" Squirtle smirked.
That just left Ash and his Pokédex. Even Ash could see where this was going. "Does that mean I'll be making the pizza bread."
"Yes," Brock confirmed. "As a Fighting-type, you've got a natural strength that'll makes it easy smooth the dough."
Ash beamed as he jumped in place.
"As for Dexter, your job is simple to make sure Ash doesn't make a mess."
Ash stopped jumping. His friends did have a point, though it did hurt a little.
Do not worry, we'll manage, Dexter promised.
Ash's Pokémon all scattered to different portions of the room, each taking up the tasks Brock had assigned them. Geodude went between them to supervise, leaving Ash and Dexter to stay with Brock.
The Lycanroc stepped over to the blobs of dough Geodude had prepared beforehand. "Okay so, the first thing to do is to grab the rolling pin on the table and to flatten the dough repeatedly to force out the air bubbles.."
After washing his paws, Ash did so, grabbing the rolling pin and a blob of dough. He stepped onto a stool to reach onto the counter and did as Brock asked. He flattened the dough with only a single roll. "Like this?"
"Sort of, Ash. Just… don't be too hard on the dough," Brock commented. "Roll it back into a ball and repeatedly the beat the air out."
"... Huh, is that really all there is to making pizza?" Ash wondered aloud as he took the lump he flattened and rolled it back into a ball just to flatten it again.
"No. We're skipping the extra steps that improve flavor to teach the basics," Brock answered. "Now, this time when you flatten the bread, leave a border of thicker dough on the rim."
Ash understood that. He used his paws to flatten the center of the pizza, leaving a portion of it thicker than the rest.
"Now this is where we stretch it out over your hands and-"
"I know this step!" Ash exclaimed. He had seen this on TV.
Don't do that! Dexter exclaimed.
He put the pizza under his arms and spun it in the air, letting the dough stretch in every direction and… sent it flying.
"You spun it too fast," Brock grumbled.
Ash turned to where he launched the dough.
Charizard looked rather displeased with a half a glob of pizza dough dripping off his horns, with the other half burning over his flaming tail. An awful stink rose out from around him as the bread burned. "Ash…"
"Sorry!" the Riolu gave him an awkward grin.
Charizard grumbled as he walked away to dispose of the burning dough.
"I… don't think we can use that anymore," Brock sighed. "Do that again, this time, being more careful."
Ash did as he was instructed. He had almost gotten his part on making the pizza down on his first try and he…. Ruined it because he got too excited. Maybe he should learn to be more careful when cooking. That was a bad habit of his.
It only took a minute of shaping, but Ash was left with a large thin disk, almost as long as his arms. It looked cruder than what a professional would make, but it wasn't bad for a second try. His chest swelled with pride.
"Good," Brock congratulated. "Now, can you do that again with the rest of the dough?"
Ash smirked. And repeated the steps to making the pizza crusts. Each time, his attempts became slightly more refined. He still made mistakes, but nothing that was completely irrecoverable.
Everyone else had done their tasks with next to no complications.
In comparison to the arduous task of preparing all of the ingredients in advance, assembling together the pizzas took no time at all. They just slapped on the tomato sauce Charizard and Squirtle made, then layered with shredded cheese and toppings from Pikachu and Bulbasaur. Ash carved out the slices with his claws.
The last and final step involved putting them all in a hot oven, with Dexter acting as an alarm clock.
As the pizzas cooked, the only thing left for them to do was to wait. A satisfying aroma wafted up everyone's noses as the food cooked.
They chose that time to converse.
"You learned to make tomato sauce?" Pikachu gave an accusatory stare at Charizard. "Why?"
"Because I felt like it," Charizard crossed his arms.
Ash chose not to step in this time, since he could feel the two weren't willing to fight at the moment. Perhaps it had to do with the fact Bulbasaur and Squirtle were standing directly next to them? There was a strange sort of heartache that went between the four of them.
Meanwhile, he turned towards Brock who was glancing outside of the room, his gaze fixated over Vulpix. Ash felt … shame coming from the Lycanroc, though he didn't understand why.
Ding! Dexter chimed.
Geodude pulled the pizzas out of the oven without needing to wear set it on the counter. "Alright, get this on the table, stat! We'll get the next batch ready"
Charizard, being the only one resistant to burning, took the pizza tray and took it to the dining area of the building. He set it on the low hanging table.
Ash and some of his other friends took seats on the cushions.
Misty and Zorua walked by, their noses held high as they sniffed the air.
"I… what's that smell?" Zorua murmured in a trance.
"It's a pizza." Misty commented. "Wow, you guys seriously made a pizza?"
"This is from human lands, isn't it?" Cyclizar questioned.
"I did the crust!" Ash proudly told her.
Misty blinked. "You're not lying?"
"Hey, it's totally believable!" Ash protested. "And I've gotten better at cooking!"
"After losing one of the crusts," Brock provided.
"Hey!"
The Buizel chuckled as she took a seat. Togepi sat right next to her.
"Oh wow!" Zubat shrieked. "That smells potent!"
Vulpix nodded her head. "I think I only had pizza once, but it smells good…" she made an awkward glance towards Brock.
"Hey Vulpix…" the Lycanroc answered before turning his head away.
Ash still didn't know what was going on between them, but he could sense there was some hesitancy between them. Why were they so ashamed? Maybe it was an older teen thing for Brock?
Either way, the only one who couldn't enter the dining room was Onix, since he was just slightly too large for it. Most everyone had taken a cushioned seat around the table, eagerly awaiting for more pizza to finish cooking.
"So, how do you eat this?" Zorua questioned aloud. "I am unfamiliar with this food item."
"Oh, that's easy!" Ash smirked. He reached over to a single slice of pizza and separated it from its whole. He held it rigidly by angling the crust correctly. "All you have to do is bite it! Though maybe we just put it on a plate and let you eat it that way, since not everyone can hold onto a slice…"
"One should always wait for the host to signal to begin eating," a new voice spoke.
The Riolu turned his attention to the source, only to find a familiar Zoroark sitting at the head of the table. Everyone froze and stared as the tall Dark-type made himself known at that moment. How long he had been there, nobody knew.
"Are you so surprised? This is my house," the Zoroark replied.
Ash dropped his slice back where it was.
"Father," Zorua said in agitation. Though she was normally very timid, Ash could sense a bubbling frustration just underneath that overrode that. It was a stark contrast to all of the fear and uncertainty in the room. "These are my friends, I would like to stay for the night so that they may challenge your Dojo," she said in a restrained tone.
"How much do you know about them? Do you trust them?" the Zoroark spoke dispassionately. "I met them before the other day, but that was hardly sufficient to learn."
"Yes!" Zorua barked.
Zoroark narrowed his eyes. "And do they trust you?" He then pulled something from under the table and slammed them hard into the wood.
Four Pokéballs rolled into the center of the table. One of them had a familiar thunderbolt sticker above its button.
Ash blinked, recognizing them instantly. "Those are mine!" he shouted before it really sunk in. Zoroark, whoever he was, had somehow snuck into the house and raided their bags without anyone having noticed. A shiver went up the young jackal's spine, wondering just how long he had been around.
Zoroark narrowed his eyes and then turned to his daughter. "Did you know about this?"
"Yes, I did!" Zorua snapped.
"Then do you know what that means?" Zoroark spoke.
"Hey, we're over here! Stop talking to us like we're not even there?" Ash snapped..
"Yeah!" Pikachu backed him.
Brock gave a low growl, whilst Misty held onto Togepi. The others similarly braced themselves. Only Cyclizar was not ready to defend himself.
Zoroark stared at him. "Why did Aspen give my daughter to you?" his tone, ice cold.
"What does that have to do with anything?" Ash shouted.
"Because, Aspen had assured me that my daughter would be properly protected and not given out to random strangers," the Zoroark practical spat. "So, why are you here? Why do you have her?"
"They're outsiders, foreigners!" Zorua shouted. "Master Aspen felt that I was best served learning under them."
"And indulging the dangerous curiosity that I sent you away for in the first place?" Zoroark said again.
A moment passed.
"Was mother human!?" Zorua questioned, her voice ringing with anger.
The room held a stunned silence as everyone recovered from the outburst.
Misty brought a hand over and patted Zorua on the back.
"Who told you that?" Zoroark said simply, betraying no emotion. Ash couldn't tell what the bipedal fox felt about it, he couldn't feel… anything from him.
"... I am not saying!" Zorua responded.
"Wait, human?" Cyclizar grumbled as he staggered back. "But you don't….look like how they're described."
"I'm not, but my mother may have been," Zorua clarified. "It is an odd quirk that in Citrine, humans gain the bodies of Maiju."
Cyclizar looked stunned.
"Sir Cyclizar, we can explain this later," said Goldeen. "For now, this is not the right time."
"I… understand," muttered the lizard.
That reflected Ash's own thoughts. The Riolu hadn't heard anything about Zorua's mother being human, but from the sound of things, no one else did either.
Father and daughter stared at one another, neither backing down. They traded barbs.
"Tell me father… were you and mother from the outside world?" Zorua spoke once more. "If that's so, why do you insist on me not learning about it? I want to know!"
"The outside world is not a place you should want to know," Zoroark growled. "Obsessing over it will not bring you satisfaction."
"But why? Others study that world, even having vast collections!" Zorua spat.
"But none of them are you," the father emphasized.
Zorua huffed. "But what about mother?" she hissed. "Was she human!?"
"I will not answer these questions about your mother!" he shouted.
"Why won't you tell me!"
"That is not for you to find out!" Zoroark answered back in a growl.
"What's wrong with her asking about her mother?" Ash spat out. "What's… the problem, where is Zorua's Mom?" While he didn't know much about his father, it wasn't like his mother never refused to talk about him like this.
"That is none of your concern, outsider," Zoroark didn't answer that question. He glanced towards the Looplet on Ash's wrist. "But what concerns me is that. Why do you have that?"
"Because that's the way my friends are going home!" The Riolu shouted.
"Ash!" Misty called out.
Ash realized that maybe he should have been more secretive, but he felt like he needed to say something, especially with all of the nervous tension surrounding him.
"Aspen…." Zoroark muttered in a low tone. "So you intend to ask the gods to send you home?"
"That's right," Ash answered, surprised by how quickly he figured that out.
"How quaint," Zoroark sneered. He turned towards Zorua again. "So, is that it, you intend to go with these outsiders?"
Zorua raised her chin and made a grunt.
Misty stepped in between Zorua and her father. "If you're what passes for a father, maybe we're better taking her away!"
Zoroark glared at her.
Staryu flanked Misty's side, wordlessly preparing a defense, whilst Brock and some others leaned in. Onix from outside shivered and got ready to collapse the roof.
The only thing that stopped a fight from breaking out was the smell of burning bread that filled the room.
"The pizzas!" Squirtle dashed to the oven. He and Geodude quickly put out a smoldering crisis in the kitchen.
No one was listening to me! Dexter said to them.
Though Ash didn't let himself move away from Zorua and her father, he could tell the tension in the air receded slightly.
Zorua's father took a bowl and poured water into it. "I will not allow you to take my daughter," he reiterated. Though he was outnumbered, he didn't seem bothered. "She should be preparing to open a practice somewhere, far away from danger."
"You can't stop me father!" Zorua hissed.
"The price is too high."
"What price?"
Zoroark didn't answer. He turned to Ash. "Bearer, are you human?"
"Yes," Ash still couldn't get a read on him, but he saw no point in lying right now.
"Then, this makes this simple." The Zoroark brought the bowl of water to his face and drank it. "The gods may be able to take you out Citrine, but they will not restore your human form."
"What?" Ash blinked. This was not what he had been expecting.
"If you were to leave Citrine alone, you would simply be stuck as a Pokémon," Sensei Zoroark stated, using the word people outside used for well, Pokémon. "So my offer to you is this. Release my daughter into my custody and I will tell you how to find the secret to return to human form."
"You're lying!" Zorua spat.
"Why lie when the truth is much simpler? I taught you that lesson," Zoroark grumbled. "What I offer is simple. You may continue as you were, traveling to collect those Emeras in the hope that you may leave these lands. Simply do so without my daughter. Then, if you ever find yourselves outside, my assistance will allow you to return to your lives."
Ash, Misty, and Brock gave each other silent glances. This was the first any of them had ever heard of anything like this. Assuming that Zorua's father was not lying to them, they knew for sure that they could return home. This complication, however, was not expected. Would they really be stuck as Pokémon when they were sent home.
The Riolu had an answer ready. "No!"
Zoroark glared at him.
"Even if it means being stuck as a Pokémon, I'm not going to turn my back on my friends!" Ash continued.
"Ash?" Pikachu sounded concerned. "Are you sure?"
Both Misty and Brock looked hesitant for a moment, but both nodded their heads.
"We're with you," Brock spoke.
"Yeah, that is the right answer!" Misty agreed.
Sensei Zoroark grunted. "Respectable." Which was an odd thing to say.
"Ash, what are you thinking?" Zorua questioned. "You… can't make a sacrifice like that!"
"Why not?" the Riolu answered. "Don't you deserve it?"
"But what about you returning home and… being human?" Zorua bowed her head.
"Then, you shall accept the fate that befalls you," Zoroark said as he got out of his seat. "I shall take my leave and-."
"Wait, father!" Zorua answered.
The tall Zoroark stopped in his tracks.
"We want to challenge your Dojo. If we lose, I will come with you."
Zoroark turned to look at her daughter. He eyed her.
That stunned Ash. "Zorua?"
The fox ignored him. "If we win, you will tell me everything!"
Her father looked hesitant, but slowly nodded his head as he processed the terms.
"Wait, Zorua, are you sure about this?" Ash sputtered.
"Were you sure about what you said earlier?" Zorua answered with a question. "I'm doing what you'd do."
Ash did not know to take that.
"Then, we have an accord." Zoroark looked at everyone in the room. "You shall run through my Dojo's Gauntlet as so many others once did. The terms are simple, my child hangs in the balance."
Said child glared at her father.
Zoroark ignored that and flicked two of his claws together. He promptly turned into a shadow and… dissolved?
"What was that?" Ash shouted as he saw Zoroark disintegrate before his very eyes.
"He wasn't actually there. He never was." Zorua answered. "He used an illusion to serve as his proxy."
Ash stared. Was that why he couldn't sense him? Or was there some other reason? He turned to the Pokéballs that were left on the table. They seemed real enough.
"...You're all human?" Cyclizar murmured.
"I… tried to tell you," Ash said, turning a glance at Misty.
Misty grumbled. "It wasn't the right time back then."
"I… understand, it's just… you seemed so nice." Cyclizar shook his head. "The nicest people I have ever met, really…"
"Anyone can be nice, just as much as anyone can be bad," Ash supplied. "Humans and Pokémon, they're… both basically people."
"That's good to know," Cyclizar said as he bowed his head. "...but I think I need to rest."
"Take your time," Zorua sighed. "I… hope that is the right call."
"It's a big gamble," Misty agreed.
"I know." Zorua murmured. Her eyes turned towards the pizzas as Charizard and Squirtle hauled in several more plates. "So, how do you eat this?"
Ash took up the pizza slice he discarded. Though that meeting with Zorua's father might have been disconcerting, it didn't put a damper on his hunger. In fact, his stomach lightly grumbled. "Like this."
As they walked through the streets of Tanzanite to go to the Dojo, Brock distracted his mind from thinking about the various females that were looking at him.
He didn't want to have their looks overwhelming his mind, their stares burrowing into his attention.
He also didn't want to focus on anything about Zorua and the conversation she had with her father, because it not only brought up many of the issue that he had with his own father, it brought up the uncomfortable feelings he had about her.
"We're here," Vulpix said simply, fact-like.
Brock turned his head towards a nearby building. It resembled a large smeltery that had been repurposed. The remnants of large smoke stacks were situated at the side of the building, with dusty kilns sitting at the bottom. Leading down and into a hill, a large mineshaft laid nearby. On a flagpole, a purple flag billowed in the wind.
Dozens of Pokémon were waiting for them, Sensei Zoroark at the head. All of them were either Dark- or Ghost- type.
"Bearer, present your looplet," Zoroark said.
Ash walked up and raised his wrist.
"I… wish you luck," Vulpix managed to say.
"Thank you," Brock answered, though he couldn't bear to look at her. He was almost relieved to know that she wouldn't be part of this challenge.
In the pit of his heart, the Lycanroc wondered what it might mean, if Zorua's mother really was human.
"In the old days, before even Old Tanzanite beneath us, the Bearer stood against the Shadow Queen," the Sensei spoke in a practiced tone. "What she used to be is lost to time, but her influence is still felt throughout this island. As you passed by Hyacinth already, you know her as the one who desecrated the ancient tombs of the Dojo there."
Instead of focusing on the story, Brock turned to his teammates, the rest of the people who would be fighting within this challenge. Zorua seethed as she looked at her father, whilst Ash and Pikachu did their best to psyche themselves up. Misty rubbed polish into her mallet.
"That all ended when the First Bearer and his party snuck through the network of caves that run under Tanzanite and stole an object that was the source of her power. This afternoon, challengers, you will be doing as they did." Zoroark continued as he pointed to the mine. "Seven of you will brave the depths of that old mining tunnel, all to retrieve an item at the bottom, which in this case, is a rune inscribed stone. Then you must make your escape. Victory is determined not by the foes you defeat, but by retrieving the stone and bringing it to the surface."
Brock had to admit. That was a unique challenge. It sounded fun, but it would require numerous Pokémon with a long enough course to make it interesting… Maybe he could talk some of his brothers and sisters into trying that out when they got older.
"This is not like any challenge you have ever heard of, nor do I think it is like any challenge you'd conceive of. There is no fairness and little safety," Zoroark spoke again. "You will be outnumbered and under threat. Run, hide, or fight. Use guile to your advantage and take risks when necessary. You are free to act at your discretion, as long as you do not cause a cave in or murder your opponent in cold blood."
He then pointed towards an Audino who wore a bright orange medical gown and held a lantern by its side. "Further, I would advise that you do not attack the Audino present, as their task is to tend to the wounded. Simply ignore them. If you have a teammate that is defeated, do not aid them; let the Audino retrieve them."
The Audinio walked away.
"Now then, Tanzanite Dojo, enter the cave and begin," Sensei Zoroark ordered, prompting dozens of Pokémon to rush into the caves. Only a few, the biggest and strongest Pokémon in the Dojo, did not enter. He set an hourglass onto a post. "Challengers, as soon as the sands run out, you may begin."
He then walked away.
Zorua glared at him.
Brock stepped over to her. "Let it go. We'll beat him, okay?"
"Yes," Zorua agreed. "We will."
"It is a pity that we cannot watch over you," Goldeen said. "I would have loved to see my Mistress in battle once more."
'It's a shame, but it's not like there are cameras or anything that could show us what's inside," Misty agreed.
"Wish could fight. Want to side with Brock," Onix grumbled.
"We'll fight together in an official battle one day," the Lycanroc promised, a part of him salivating at that prospect. "It's just…."
"Too large. Too noisy," Onix technically, the large rock snake could have been useful in the Dojo, the fact of the matter was that his large size made stealth outright impossible. As powerful as they were, they couldn't hope to stand up to what was essentially a private army. It was such a shame too since Onix had an innate tremor sense.
"Hey, I'm sure we'll find a good match up for you, just one that isn't… this," the Lycanroc answered.
The large snake bobbed his head up and down. "Will feel you. No matter how deep. With you, always."
Brock held back tears. It felt reassuring to know that Onix might have been able to sense him even if he was deep underground.
"Don't worry, Onix!" Zubat cried out. "I'll take good care of our Lycanbrock!"
"Do that!" Onix urged.
Brock nodded at his two Pokémon. When they had learned about what the challenge would entail, Zubat was an obvious choice due to her kind naturally living in caves. She didn't see with light and was very compact.
"I wish I could go," Charizard grumbled.
"Well, it's a good thing you're not!" Pikachu laughed. "Besides, you're too big! The Pokémon will see you a mile away."
"I could take them!" That caused the large lizard to make a growl, though Pikachu ignored him. Charizard, while not as big as Onix, was also similarly impractical due to size. Additionally, he was far more aggressive and likely to get found out to due his recklessness.
"Well, maybe next time!" Pikachu stuck his tongue out.
"Hey, knock it off, Pikachu! We gotta get ready!" Ash called out as he did his stretches.
"You're right!" Pikachu agreed.
Ash and Pikachu came along because Pikachu had essentially called dibs way back when they made landfall. Everyone had more or less accepted it and it wasn't necessarily a bad choice. Ash as a Fighting-type had an edge versus Dark-types, while Pikachu had speed and power to back him up.
"Just remember, we have to stick together, Ash!" Misty shouted. Because Ash was going, she opted to also partake. In her case, she had plenty of water moves and raw speed.
"I know, Misty!" Ash grumbled.
"Fear, not! We'll get through this!" Staryu chimed in. As Misty's starter and with a good variety of elemental attacks, he brought flexibility to the table.
"Just as long we're careful," Brock stated. As both Ash and Misty wanted to fight in this Dojo, the Lycanroc opted to join them. It felt fitting in a way, for all of the former humans to partake in this challenge. He had biting moves and the ability to dig through terrain when needed. He felt confident in the power he possessed now.
"The sand is running out," Zorua said simply. "We're about to head inside."
"That means it's time for us to do the challenge!" Ash said. He gestured towards the mineshaft. "Let's go!"
Zorua nodded her head. As the one whose father was essentially the Gym Leader, she wanted to prove herself, especially since this was her wager. She had all of the powers expected of a Ghost-type including wall phasing, perfect for an underground fight.
As the largest and probably the strongest, Brock led the charge as he and his friends descended below.