Greetings, everyone; Mgunnels3 here, and welcome back to Ash's Unova Journey, My Version. I hope that you are enjoying my story so far. When are we at the halfway mark? Around the Mistralliton gym battle or one of the two-parters before that. That said, let's get this chapter going, shall we?
Chapter 53: Enter Unova Champion Alder and Ash and Trips Past.
"Human Speech"
"Pokemon Speech"
We joined our heroes as they looked around the city, taking in the sights.
Zorua was in her new human form, a Black-haired female with more of a shorter hairstyle. Still, it looked to be a mix of Misty and Dawn but not to the point that she was related to either of them. Zorua had a device on her ear to protect her from any Pokedex readings.
"Ugh, I better get used to this body soon because I will be walking around in this form. How do you humans stay on two legs?" Zorua asked the group.
"Say's the one who was in Pikachu form the last two days," Misty told Zorua, who made a sweatdrop at this.
"Point taken," Zorua said as Ash sighed at this and turned to Misty.
"Give her a break Misty, she just had this form since this morning, and she is in her original body. I agreed to pretend to be her trainer," Ash was interrupted by Zorua.
"As long as I am not in battles, Ash. I know my moves, and I can train with the other team members of your team Ash, but that is all," Zorua said to Ash, who nodded at this.
"In return, you can play as my cousin who lived in Unova. Did you come up with a name yet?" Ash asked Zorua, who nodded at this.
"I was thinking Akela. I don't know what it is, but that sounded like a proper name, but I'm willing to any other names if you are asking," Zorua said to the group.
"I think that is a good name for you. I was thinking Midnight or Shadow, but the latter sounded like a male one," Misty said to Akela, who nodded.
"The former of the two do fit me, but I feel like this was a better choice," Akela said as the group noticed a gathering of trainers crowded around something.
"Wonder what is going on?" Brock asked as Akela sighed upon seeing this as she was still getting used to being around humans outside of Ash and the others.
"I don't want to be around too many people this early, so can we please move on," Akela asked her friends, who nodded and tried to move around the group, only for someone to call out Ash's name.
"Hey, Ash, is that you?" an older adult called out to Ash, who stopped in his tracks and looked down.
"I know that voice anywhere seem's like I know why the group is here," Ash turned around to see an older adult with orange-red hair with beads around his neck as the group dissipated. "Alder, it's been six years, if I remember correctly?" Ash said to the adult, who laughed at Ash remembering him.
"Can we talk away from the rest of the group here?" Alder asked Ash, who nodded. The group left to the middle of town where only a few trainers were as Ash also noticed someone else was their Trip.
"Trip, you still in Nimbasa city?" Ash asked Trip, who smirked at this.
"To see Alder? I am surprised you are here with him as well," Trip asked Ash, who noticed Akela and wondered who she was but let it go for now.
"I've invited you two here, given that I've met both of you in the past. Trip was there when I regained my champion's title here in Unova, and I remember that he looked up to me," Alder said to Trip, who nodded.
"It was six years ago, and I looked up to this wanting to be a strong trainer. After losing to Ash here three times and a draw, I know I can't just rely on power to win," Trip said to Alder, who smiled at this. Zorua was interested in who Trip was. She's looking at a trainer who wants to be strong but cares for his Pokemon. Ash, upon hearing this, felt like this sounds familiar.
"Wait a minute. The Trip was that in Udella town by any chance?" Ash asked Trip, who was shocked by this, and nodded.
"Why, yes, it was six years. It turned that during the battle club. Why do you ask Ash?" Trip asked Ash, who sighed at this.
"Well, my family visited Unova when I was a kid. It was six years ago when I last visited here," Ash explained to Trip, who was shocked by this.
"If I remember correctly, you two met each other back then, Ash, given that your father was about to start as one of my league workers a month after that event," Alder said to Ash and Trip, who were surprised by this.
"So you were that kid always around Alder a lot back then? I wasn't expecting it to be my rival now," Trip said to Ash, who nodded. "I took that this isn't why you asked us to be here, Alder?" Trip asked Alder, who sighed at this.
"The truth is, I've seen your battle in the battle club and instantly recognized you two, and I wondered if you two would join me in a battle," Alder asked Trip and Ash. Who looked at each other, surprised by this offer. "Not in an official league battle or anything, just a for-fun battle, given that you two are the two I have much interest in when it comes to the challenges of the upcoming league." Ash and Trip looked at each other and nodded at this.
"So it's a tag battle, or what will happen?" Trip asked Alder who thought about it.
"Why don't you use two Pokemon of my own, and you two use one Pokemon of your own?" Alder suggested.
"Is that possible? Or legal?" Trip asked both Ash and Alder, to which Ash nodded.
"It's legal as in Hoenn. That was a gym rule, but it was more of a double battle than this," Ash said. Trip nodded and turned to Alder, who smiled, and the group got into a battle position.
"So let's see what you two have for me? Bouffalant and Volcarona, come on out," Alder sent out his two Pokemon. Ash was surprised to see Alder had a Volcarona but looked up Bouffalant.
"Samurott, come on out," Ash sent out his water starter.
"Serperior, come on out," Trip sent out his Pokemon.
"Interesting choices, you two. Let's see how you two handle working with each other," Alder said as a group noticed this and gathered to see this battle. Alder sighed at this. "Ignore them, you two, and let's just have fun with this battle."
Ash and Trip nodded as Samurott and Serperior smiled at each other and knew they would work well together in this battle.
"Trip should've chosen a different Pokemon for this battle," Akela said as Servine nodded. Misty and Brock were curious about what she meant by this.
"Well, let this battle begin, you can say," Alder told them. "You two can make the first move," Alder said to the two boys, who nodded.
"Serperior, use Aerial Ace on Volcarona," Trip commanded his Pokemon, who charged at Volcarona.
"Samurott uses Aqua Jet on Bouffalant,' Ash commanded his Pokemon, and the two Pokemon were charging in at their retrospected targets.
"Volcarona uses Bug Buzz, and Bouffalant uses Wild Charge," Alder commanded his Pokemon, who used said attacks on Serperior and Samurott. Serperior got hit hard, but Samurott was in a clash of heads, only for Bouffalant to get the upper hand and send him back on top of Serperior. "I see you two did your homework on Bouffalant. I see why you two went for different targets," Alder said. Ash and Trip nodded at this as Misty and Brock wondered what Alder meant by this.
"Sap Sipper is what Alder means," Servine said as Akela translated what she said to Misty and Brock, who turned to her.
"Deerling has this ability as well. It boasts attack power when hit by a grass-type move given how reckless Bouffalant are known to be going head's on without a strategy or using grass-type moves will only lead to problems," Zorua said.
"I see, so that is why Trip didn't use a grass-type move but a flying-type move against another opponent," Misty said, but she was more worried about why he targeted Volcarona. Sadly, Ash hadn't battled with a Bouffalant and didn't know that a head-on battle against it was terrible.
"Ash snaps out of it," Trip said to Ash, who looked at Trip. "We need to think up a strategy against them without going in like that. We are working together, and it's not just about you," Trip said to Ash, who nodded.
"Sorry, I haven't faced one before. So, please don't be mad," Ash apologized to Trip, who sighed at this.
"Can't believe that I've lost to this guy if he couldn't think up a strategy for a regular battle, let alone against Alder," Trip thought.
"Well, if you two aren't going to do anything, I'll do so. Head Smash Bouffalant, Volcarona use Quiver dance and then Flamethrower," Alder commanded both of his Pokemon who used said attacks.
"Use Light screen Serperior," Trip commanded his Pokemon, who used the move to protect the two Pokemon.
"Now use Hydro Pump on Bouffalant," Ash commanded his Pokemon, who fired at Bouffalant, sending him back at Volcarona and sending them to the ground.
"I'll handle Volcarona's attacks, and you work around the rest of their attacks, Ash," Trip said to Ash, who nodded at this.
"Right, let's do this," Ash said to Trip as the two heard Alder laugh upon hearing this strategy.
"Ah, you two think you've figured out how to beat me. Well, I have more in store for you two. Use Hurricane Volcarona," Alder commanded his Pokemon, who launched its attack at the two Pokemon.
"Use Frenzy Plant," Trip commanded his Pokemon, who used the move to block the attack, only to be destroyed as the attack hit both starters. "What the?" Ash and Trip said as both Starters fell to the ground.
"End this with Head Smash," Alder commanded his Bouffalant, who quickly charged and slammed right into both starters, knocking them out simultaneously. Ash and Trip were stunned by this as Alder returned his Pokemon just as Ash and Trip ran to their Pokemon. "I hope this battle doesn't affect your friendship as rivals, you two?" Alder said to Ash and Trip, who looked at each other, sighed at this, and nodded.
"You had the right idea in this battle, but you've overlooked the move that Volcarona used Quiver dance that made the Hurricane stronger than your Frenzy Plant attack," Alder said to Trip and Ash. Trip looked down at this. He got onto Ash about him messing up that he did the same thing.
"I will be taking my leave, you two. But it would be best if you got stronger as trainers and with your Pokemon, but in the right way, with no shortcuts. Both of you already raised them right. Just need to develop a better strategy until then, I bid you adieu," Alder said before walking off.
Ash and Trip got their Pokemon healed at the Pokemon Center as Trip asked who their new friend was. Akela looked down.
"Names Akela. I'm Ash's cousin here in Unova. Nice to meet you," she said to Trip, who wasn't buying it but nodded at this.
"You never mentioned that you had a cousin here, Ash?" Trip asked Ash, who nodded at this.
"Yeah, she just joined our group recently, and she's not a trainer at the moment but wanted to see how it is," Ash said to Trip, who noticed that Ash wasn't telling him the whole thing.
"I know that is not true, given that it sounded like it was just made up," Trip said to Ash, who was taken aback, as did Zorua. "Would you explain what is going on? Come on, Ash, I wasn't born yesterday," Trip said, crossing his arms. Ash was taken aback by this as Akela sighed, knowing her cover was blown on her first day in a human form.
"It's okay, Ash. I trust him enough to tell him the truth of who I am but only the ones who are your rivals here," Akela said to Ash, who nodded at this.
"I think showing is better than telling," Ash said to Zorua, who nodded as she dropped her Illusion.
Trip was surprised and tried to scan her via his Pokedex, only to be blocked. "What, the? Is this a never before seen Pokemon?" Trip asked Ash, who sighed at this.
"A device is blocking the Pokedex on the back of Zorua's ear for a reason," Ash explained to Trip.
"Zorua, I've heard that name before in Unova lore. Just never thought I would meet one today, let alone one with your group?" Trip said.
"It's a long story, but she is disguised to keep her out of Team Rocket's reach. You may have heard about what happened at Losthorn Forest?" Ash asked Trip, who nodded at Ash.
"Yeah, it's a protected area because of an attack before I started my Journey. I take that she's from there?" Trip said Zorua nodded at this.
"A few days ago, there was another attack in the forest, but this time it was targeted at all of the Pokemon there," Ash said, explaining what happened entirely.
Trip was going to say something but said a massive line of trainers running into the Pokemon center with hurt Pokemon but not normal bruises. "Hey, that doesn't look like wounds from a gym or a normal Pokemon battle. What happened?" Trip asked the group of Trainers.
"We were in the Desert area to find Pokemon to join our team and train. Suddenly we were attacked by a Pokemon that wasn't from that area. One happens to be an Emolga," One of the trainers said.
Ash and the others were surprised by this. Misty noticed that Emolga was missing as of late and knew that this must be her handiwork as she ran out of the Pokemon center. The Trip saw this as he ran out the door with Ash, Brock, Zorua, Servine, and Pikachu.
That was a big surprise. What is going on, and what does Team Rocket have planned with the desert as the Journey continues?
Stay Tuned.
Another cliffhanger. Sorry about that, guys, but I wanted to do this to lead to the next chapter. I've changed the episode and Alder as a character, but don't worry. He is still a flirt with women and a laid-back guy, but how that battle ended in the anime was odd. That said next chapter is another double capture for Ash. One was requested, and the other is a Pokemon I always wanted Ash to catch. Let's say it was a Pokemon banned from Online play for a good reason. That is all I'm going to say. See you next time.