This story is possible because the awesome Rotoscare allowed me to use his Horizons AU characters as well as his OC Jack in it. Diana on the other hand is my OC.

Here you can find Rotoscare: /Rotoscare

I hope you'll enjoy this story as much as I already do!

12 PM, in the middle of the Wild Area in the Galarian Region …

Diana kneeled down to the ground as she stopped at the Lake of Outrage alongside her Pokémon to take a little break from her journey through the Galarian Region. While washing her hands in the icy cold water of the lake, her team was standing around her, ready to alarm her when they saw something or someone approaching them.

Especially Pikachu and Greninja were the keys of Diana' communication with her Pokémon. Diana Blackwing, a young woman with a wild mane of black hair and blue eyes was not only deaf, but also voiceless. When she was busy with something, she was completely unable to register what was going on behind her. In order to protect her from being taken by surprise, her Pokémon had to be her ears. In order to communicate with her Pokémon, Pikachu and Greninja had learned sign language.

As Diana finished cleaning herself, she turned around to her team: it consisted of her shiny Pikachu, her Greninja, a rare Hisuian Arcanine, Alolan Ninetales, a dusk-form Lycanroc and a Swellow. While Arcanine kneeled down to let Diana climb onto his back, the young woman called back all her Pokémon except Pikachu, then the two of them took place on Arcanine's back.

With two soft claps on his neck, Diana symbolized her team member to start running off. With a single rush, Arcanine started running through the Wild Area, leaving deep footprints on the ground while the three of them felt the soft wind on their faces.

It had been half a year now since Diana, who was born and raised in the Alolan Region, started her journey around the world to find the answers she was desperately looking for. The reason for all her questions was Greninja. When she participated in the Kalos League eight months ago, her Greninja had suddenly transformed itself during the semi-finale battle into the legendary Ash-Form which was only known to be the ability of the Greninja the world champion and monarch, Ash Ketchum, had trained when he traveled through the Kalos Region. Due to all scientific knowledge, no other Greninja on the planet could have this ability, and because of that, Diana was accused of having an unfair advantage and ended up being disqualified.

Ever since then, she had decided to find out how her Greninja, which was definitely not the one Ash Ketchum trained years ago, had the Battle Bond ability. She had already traveled through the Alolan and Kalos Region; now she was currently in the Galarian Region since the other two journeys didn't bring any new information for her.

»Pikachu, you don't appear to have any idea where we could look next, do you?« Diana asked her partner in sign language as they ran up to the Hammerlocke Hills which would lead them to Hammerlocke. She had already gotten skilled enough to use gestures while riding on Arcanine's back.

»Not really,« Pikachu admitted, also in sign language. »I'm afraid we'll just have to continue traveling through the Region until we …«

Suddenly, Arcanine bumped into something right in front of them, and Diana fell to the ground.

At the same time, in the air above the Wild Area …

»Flying with you really is the best, Corviknight,« Jack said to her Pokémon while enjoying the view from high up. The tall, white-haired pilot had just decided to take a little flight with her shiny Corviknight as she couldn't wait to explore the Wild Area again. She was currently traveling alongside the Rising Volt Tacklers, looking for a new adventure after the other members of the team had an encounter with Pecharunt and the Loyal Three in Kitakami.

As Corviknight started to fly down, Jack was able to see more details of the Wild Area: all the wild and untamed Pokémon wandering around in all kinds of terrains, the wonderful weather which was perfect for a picnic with the entire squad and the possibility for some training battles.

As Corviknight started to fly only a little bit above the ground, Jack looked around, trying to find a perfect spot for the picnic. Her stomach growled as she started thinking about the delicious food Murdock would serve again. Since the Brave Olivine would need a few more minutes to land, she would have enough time for that.

As Jack looked to her left side, she saw a perfect little spot at the Lake of Outrage, which was at the north-western end of the Wild Area. This place would be perfect in terms of atmosphere and comfortability.

»Hey Corviknight, let's land at the …« Jack said, but then was suddenly interrupted as she saw a big shadow running straight towards the two of them. Before either of them could react, Corviknight and the Pokémon bumped into each other, causing Jack to fall off his back and landing hard on the ground.

»Ouch … that was one fall …« Jack mumbled while standing up again. As she looked for her Corviknight, she spotted the Pokémon they just bumped into: It was the Hisuian form of Arcanine, a rather rare Pokémon and definitely not at home in the Wild Area. So there had to be a trainer.

As Jack looked around, she finally spotted the person who must had been sitting on the Arcanine's back. It seemed like it was a young woman with wild black hair. Jack couldn't see much from her clothes due to her wearing a long black hooded cape.

As the stranger stood up and dusted herself off, Jack got back on her feet again, checking if her Corviknight was alright. Thanks to its solid armor, the only thing the Flying and Steel-Type Pokémon got was a little shock.

»Hey, are you alright?« Jack asked loudly as the woman stopped dusting herself off. While she did that, Jack saw that she had a shiny Pikachu with her as well who was shaking off its fur.

To her surprise, the woman did not react to Jack's question and looked out if her Arcanine was alright. »Hey there, I asked if you're alright,« Jack repeated, going a few steps forward to the woman.

She still didn't react; instead Pikachu and Arcanine nudged their trainer to get her attention.

The trainer turned around and finally noticed Jack. Now that they were looking at one another, Jack was finally able to see her properly: under her cape she wore a black leather jacket over a blue buttoned shirt, knee-length dark cargo jeans with several ribbons, blue leggings and red shoes. She also had goggles on her forehead.

Now that they were standing in front of each other, Jack realized that the woman was even taller than her, although Jack was already a giant with her 1,88 meters.

»Hey, didn't you hear my question?« Jack asked, confused about what was going on and crossed her arms.

The woman stood there for a moment, it seemed like she was unsure how to reply to that. Then she reached in one of her jeans pockets and took out a neatly folded piece of paper and gave it to Jack.

Even more confused, Jack unfolded the paper and read it:

»Hello, my name is Diana Blackwing. I am deaf and cannot speak either. So if you want to communicate with me, please use sign language or make sure not to speak too fast so I can read your lips properly. My Pikachu and my Greninja can use the sign language as well, and if you want, we can exchange numbers so I can text you what I'm saying.«

Jack who now experienced a moment of realization returned the paper to the woman called Diana and gave her a friendly look. »Now that explains a lot, girl. Sorry by the way that we flew right into you and your Arcanine.«

Diana waved off as a sign of not worrying about it. Then the two trainers exchanged numbers with each other, and the black-haired woman started texting her: »I rather think we all didn't pay attention to what was going on in front of us. So I guess we're even in that point.«

Jack looked up from her Smart Rotom and smiled. »Glad to hear we can agree on that. By the way, what are you doing out here, Diana?«

The text appeared quickly: »I am currently on a journey to find some answers on the questions I am facing. Maybe you've heard of the scandal during the last Kalos League.«

Jack thought for a moment. She was quite sure she heard something about a case of cheating during the Kalos League, but she couldn't remember what exactly it had been.

»You know what, you can tell that to me and the rest of the team when they're here and we started our picnic, alright?«

»The team?« Diana asked in chat.

Instead of an answer, Jack just pointed out in the sky, and as Diana turned around, her eyes widened when she saw the Brave Olivine.

»You're about to meet the Rising Volt Tacklers, Diana Blackwing,« Jack announced to the black-haired woman who didn't seem to be too happy about it.

As the Brave Olivine landed, Jack and Diana walked towards the giant airship Jack had been traveling in for a while now.

Liko and Roy were the first ones who left the airship. Liko, a young teenager with black hair and blue highlights, a white shirt and blue shorts already looked excited for the picnic. She was still wearing the belt from the legendary adventurer Lucius around her waist. Her Pokémon Meowscarada, Hatterene and Sableye walked next to their trainer.

On her other side, Liko's best friend Roy seemed even more happy about the spot Jack had found for their picnic. His clothes consisted of a black jacket above his favorite red shirt, dark jeans and his beloved cap; a few red hairs sneaked through it.

Liko and Roy startled as they spotted Diana standing next to Jack, looking at them with a gaze Jack couldn't really define. It seemed friendly, yet unsure how to behave.

»Hey Jack, who's this?« Liko asked right away as they stood in front of each other.

»Liko, Roy, this is Diana Blackwing,« Jack introduced the black-haired woman who waved with both hands towards them. »We bumped into each other just now. So you know, she is deaf and can't speak, so you shouldn't talk too fast to her if she shall understand you.«

Liko and Roy examined Diana closely. They seemed surprised to see someone taller than Jack.

»Well, the more people, the more fun awaits us!« they suddenly heard Friede's voice from the airship. Everyone except Diana turned around and watched the leader of the Rising Volt Tacklers as he walked down to them, as always with Captain Pikachu on his shoulder and Charizard on his side. His white hair shone in the sunlight, and as always he wore his jacket with the Rising Volt Tackler's logo over a simple black shirt.

A few minutes later, all of the Rising Volt Tacklers had been introduced to Diana; then they started to build up their picnic. While Murdock cooked the meal, Diana and Jack put together the chairs and tables and laid them carefully. Jack noticed that Diana paid an almost razor sharp attention to the placements and order of the dishes, as if she had a clear schedule in mind she used every time, without any exception.

Finally, the meal was ready, and the Rising Volt Tacklers sat down to eat. They also called out all of their Pokémon to let them have their food as well. Liko, Roy and Dot were quite impressed by Diana's team and looked at all of them carefully.

»That's a strong team you got there, Diana,« Friede said to her after getting her attention. »You seem to be a strong trainer. I wonder why Jack hasn't challenged you yet.«

Jack raised an eyebrow, yet smiling. »You know, Friede, after crashing with her and learning that she can only communicate with me via chat messages was quite something new for me.«

»I would love to see the two of you battle!« Roy said motivated and raised his arms up in excitement. »This would be awesome!«

Jack looked across the table towards Diana who was quickly looking around in order to keep up with the conversation. »What do you think, Diana? I would definitely be down for a fight!«

Diana seemed to think about the offering for a moment, then she nodded and stood up from her chair.

Jack's different-colored eyes started to shine as she quickly ran to her side of the field, taking one of her Poké Balls into her hand. »Alright then, I'm not gonna hold back!«

»Hey Roy, if Diana cannot speak, then how is she gonna give her Pokémon orders in battle?« Liko asked when she looked at Diana's team; she had chosen Greninja for the fight against Jack.

»Honestly, I have no idea,« Roy replied and shrugged his shoulders.

»I don't know how this is supposed to work either,« Dot added, who had been calm as always.

»As far as I can tell, Diana surely knows how to battle, with or without a voice,« Friede says with a grin on his face. While saying that, he watched Captain Pikachu interacting with Diana's shiny Pikachu. It seemed like Captain Pikachu was making clear who was the leader here as Diana's Pikachu saluted before him.

With a nervous feeling in her stomach, Diana approached the battlefield to have a one-versus-one fight with Jack. Her shiny Corviknight could give her a hell of a fight with its strong defense and physical strength. Since Arcanine was not at full power, she had decided to choose her Greninja. This would also be a chance for her to trigger the Battle Bond ability, trying to find out more about it.

As Diana stood at her side of the field, she watched Jack closely. The tall, white-haired woman with the different-colored eyes had a Tera-Orb on her belt and a Dynamax Band on her wrist. She wouldn't be able to use Dynamax, but the Terastal phenomenon.

»Greninja, let's believe in each other and show those Rising Volt Tacklers what we're made of,« she told her team member in sign language.

The Water- and Dark-Type Pokémon gave a short nod before getting in battle position. Jack's Corviknight was ready as well, spreading its wings and giving a loud battle cry - at least that's what Diana suggested by its movements.

»I'm gonna be the judge in this battle,« Friede said and walked to the edge of the field, looking at the two trainers. »There will be no time limit and no switching out. So, ready, set, fight!«

»Diana, I'm not gonna hold back! Now Corviknight, Steel Wing!« Jack gave her first order as her Pokémon let its wings shine bright and rushed towards Greninja.

Diana on the other hand made herself ready for her special way of communicating in battles; since it was impossible for Greninja to keep an eye on its opponent and Diana, she had developed several combinations of sounds to tell her Pokémon what to do.

Two hand claps, one fist in the other hand, stomping on the ground twice - »Dodge it, and then Night Slash!«

In a fluent movement, Greninja got away from Steel Wing and created a dark blade of energy in one hand to strike Corviknight with it.

»What just happened?« Jack asked in pure confusion.

Diana was more than used to this reaction from her opponents. Most people had no idea how she gave her Pokémon orders until they found out the hard way that Diana was more than capable of telling her team what to do.

Diana didn't stop. Loudly flicking her goggles once, stomping three times, clapping once - »Hydro Pump!«

Greninja gathered water in front of his body and shot a beam like a high-pressure wave that caused a direct hit on Corviknight.

»Now if that isn't interesting!« Jack said with a bright smile on her face. »So you trained your Pokémon to follow orders with a series of sounds! You really are one unique opponent, Diana!«

Diana gave a slight smile as she read that compliment from Jack's lips. Over the past few months, she had already forgotten how much fun a battle could be; Greninja seemed to be hooked as well.

But now was not the time to fall too deep into her thoughts. She had to continue the battle.

Clapping once, knocking on the metal parts of her glove twice - »Dark Pulse!« Greninja fired a beam of negative energy towards Corviknight, but this time it dodged the attack easily and flew back to the ground.

»So, as far as I can tell, your Greninja can use Night Slash, Dark Pulse and Hydro Pump, huh?« Jack summed up and smiled. »Now this is something we can work with! Corviknight, use Roost!«

As Jack gave another order to her Pokémon, Corviknight healed itself and also lost its Flying-Type for a while.

»Now, grab Greninja and fly high up!« Jack shouted as her partner rushed towards Greninja again, grabbing it with its massive claws.

Greninja struggled, trying to break free from Corviknight's grip, but the Raven-Pokémon soared up higher and higher.

Then, Corviknight suddenly dropped Greninja from high up, causing the Ninja-Pokémon to fall to the ground at an extremely high speed.

»This is your chance, Corviknight! Strike Greninja with Brave Bird!«

Corviknight gave a loud battle roar, then it started a super-fast nosedive and surrounded itself with a red energy which quickly turned blue.

Diana grinned her teeth. Greninja was helpless in the air without any platforms to use its ninja skills.

»Night Slash!« Diana ordered through her sound triggers, and as Greninja fell down, it created the dark blade once more.

A few meters above the ground, Corviknight hit Greninja with Brave Bird while it tried to counter with Night Slash, causing a wave of dust to appear and taking the sight from both trainers.

Diana on the other hand suddenly felt a rush of adrenaline rushing through her veins. She could feel the pain Greninja felt; its emotions; its determination to win this battle.

»This is it!« Roy suddenly shouted over the field. »This must have been a perfect hit from Corviknight!«

Diana, who had looked over to the other Rising Volt Tacklers, knew that the boy was wrong. Greninja wasn't defeated yet.

As the dust vanished, a tornado of water appeared right at the place where Greninja was standing. Diana could feel the sensation even more than before. She could hear the voice, the feelings and the wishes of her Pokémon without being able to hear. Nothing else was important anymore.

»Greninja … let's rev it up!« she told her partner through her bond, and as the tornado of water turned into a giant shuriken on its back, Greninja used the power of Battle Bond to become the one who was known as Ash-Greninja for a long time. The middle of its head became red. His gaze became even more fierce. Its heartbeat was synchronized with Diana's.

Jack and the other Rising Volt Tacklers were completely stunned as they saw Greninja's transformation. Diana could understand them. The only other Greninja with this ability was the one the world champion Ash Ketchum had in his team during his journey through Kalos.

»Hey, that's Ash Greninja!« Roy shouted after he stopped standing around with an open mouth. »I thought only the monarch's Greninja had the ability to transform into this!«

Diana on the other Hand tried Not to panic. She could still clearly remember the day when the entire crowd in the Kalos Stadium yelled at her, calling her a cheater and thief - even though Ash Ketchum had released his Greninja before he left Kalos. Plus, Diana had her Greninja since it was a little Froakie.

But now Diana had to focus on the battle again. Clinching the metal parts on her gloves against each other three times - »Water Shuriken!« Greninja grabbed the giant shuriken on its back and threw it right at Corviknight three times in a row. The Raven-Pokémon got hit by the shuriken and flinched back.

»Diana, you really don't fail to surprise me!« Jack said impressed. »I never had the chance to fight against Ash Greninja; that makes this battle even more exciting! Now Corviknight, use Steel Wing!«

»Night Slash!«

The two Pokémon attacked each other several times with their attacks, but it didn't seem like either of them could deal the last attack. Corviknight healed itself up with Roost over and over again while Greninja was starting to gasp for air. Diana could feel its exhaustion and pain through their bond. She had to end this quickly, even with a high risk like that.

She quickly reached inside her bag and took out the Waterium Z, a Z crystal that would give her Greninja the power to use a Z move.

Diana stomped once, then loudly put the crystal in her Z-Power ring. Then she performed the moves to canalize the power, causing it to fill up Greninja's body with pure power.

Greninja unleashed all of its power at once and performed the Z-Move Hydro Vortex, striking Corviknight directly and catching it in a giant tornado of water that swirled it through the air, dealing extremely high damage.

As the tornado faded away again, Corviknight was gasping for air, but not defeated yet.

»The battle is over!« Friede suddenly said, raising both arms and looking at the trainers and their Pokémon. »This was a great demonstration of both of your powers, Jack and Diana. But for now, I think we all have some questions to our latest member.«

Diana blinked multiple times, wondering if she read his lips correctly. »Now that I saw your Ash Greninja, an inner voice is telling me that we're gonna have an all-new adventure with you and your Pokémon on our side. Of course only if you agree, Diana.«

Diana thought for a moment, looking from the Rising Volt Tacklers to her Pokémon. She had never been a sociable person at all, she preferred to be on her own with her team.

But since she hadn't had any success in finding the answers about Greninja at all, it couldn't be too bad to join a group to continue her journey.

She looked at her team, knowing she would be outvoted by them. Pikachu seemed like it had already become friends with the Captain, and the others had always been more sociable than their trainer. And after they saw her battling Jack, they would all want to fight the white-haired woman from time to time.

Diana looked over towards Friede who patiently waited for her response.

Then she nodded.

Friede grinned. »Awesome, Diana. Then I hereby officially welcome you as the latest member of the Rising Volt Tacklers! We're always happy about new faces in our team!«

Diana looked around at the other members who all seemed happy to have them on board.

»Hey, battle me and my Skeledirge next!« Roy suddenly said and held up his Poké Ball.

»Now now, Roy, let Diana take a little break for now,« Friede said, placing one hand on Roy's shoulder. »Using a Z-Move drains your energy like participating in a marathon. And I don't think using the Battle Bond ability is less exhausting. We'll have more than enough time to talk about Diana and her Pokémon on our way.«

»And where exactly are we heading to?« Jack asked curiously.

Friede smiled. »I'll tell you soon enough!«