"Where is Ash, don't tell me he's moping about his loss from yesterday still?" Rosa asked impatiently.
"No, I don't think he even moped much. Just worked on strategies and ideas." Elliot admitted.
"Oh hey guys, were you waiting for me?" Ash asked walking in with a strange harness around his chest.
"Yes, but more importantly, what are you wearing?" Rosa asked.
"Oh well, you told me yesterday after my battle that you didn't want to keep carrying the egg, since I was the one who decided to keep it." Ash reminded. "Thanks for holding it again by the way." Ash added grabbing the egg. "So I thought I'd find a hands free way of holding the egg, hence the harness."
"Aren't those designed to hold babies though?" Elliot asked.
"A Pokemon egg is like a baby." Ash responded, getting the egg secured into the harness. "So what's on todays schedule?"
"The Battle Subway." Elliot reminded.
"Really?" Rosa asked.
"We did the Medal Society thing, remember?" Ash reminded.
"Yeah, you're right, okay Elliot, let's check it out." Rosa said with a sigh.
"Ah, Ash, Rosie, Elliot, I am ever so glad I caught you." Stu Deeoh said, waltzing into the Pokemon center.
"It's, ahh forget it." Rosa sighed.
"Mr Deeoh is everything alright, do you need me back at the shoot?" Ash asked.
"Oh no, nothing like that, no in fact I wanted to give you something." Stu Deeoh said, holding out three boxes. "One for you and each of your friends."
"What are they?" Ash asked, opening up the center box to see a dark blue watch.
"They are the newest Cross Transceiver, or X-Ceiver for short." Stu Deeoh said. "They work as a map, a phone, and a friend list of sorts."
"Cool, but why are we getting them?" Rosa asked.
"Ahh yes, well we are still unsure of where the next thrilling Riolu Kid movie will be filmed, so my team and I will be hunting for a location, and once we find it, we obviously will want our star there, so this is the most efficient way to get ahold of him, and since we were giving him one, it only seemed fair." Stu Deeoh said. "Now I must be off, there are plenty of locations to check, until then, goodbye!"
"Every interaction I have with him, it leaves me with more questions than answers." Rosa admitted.
"Well, either way, free gifts, and now we're off to the Battle Subway, care to tell us what its about Elliot?" Ash asked, leading the group.
"So despite the fact that there are ten trains stationed in Anville Town, Unova's train yard, there are actually only eight tracks that actively run through Unova." Elliot explained.
"Really, that's interesting." Rosa said.
"It is, in fact despite there being two trains not in constant use, the oldest train is always in use daily for the single battle train, it even wraps around the center of the region." Elliot said excitedly.
"Elliot, it's… great that you're this excited about trains, but Rosa was being sarcastic." Ash admitted.
"So when you were saying it was interesting, what you were actually saying was it was weird." Elliot said.
"I mean it's great you have a hobby." Rosa said.
"But it is a bit weird you were telling us that much unprompted." Ash pointed out. "Look I'll take the single battle train and you can collect all sorts of battle data and then we can go to Anville Town for all the other trains."
"Yeah, I guess." Elliot sighed. "Have fun."
"We'll be back before you know it." Ash said hopping onto the train.
A few minutes later a train pulled in as two men in tail coats walked out.
"Umm, excuse me our friend was on that train, is he also there?" Rosa asked.
"We just brought this train back from repairs, the line hasn't even opened yet." The man in the white coat said.
"No, we saw our friend get on a train here." Rosa assured. "Ash, please tell me you turned this on." Rosa said, tapping the X-Ciever.
"Rosa, what are you missing me already?" Ash asked.
"Ash where are you?!" Rosa asked.
"On the train, I told you, I'll get some battles and then we'll go to Anville Town, I've been gone all of like ten minutes." Ash pointed out.
"Ash, we're here with the, sorry who are you two?" Rosa asked.
"Ingo." The man in the black coat said.
"And Emmet." The man in the white coat said. "We run the battle subway."
"We're here with the guys that run all these trains, and the single battle train is right here." Rosa said.
"So what, do you honestly expect me to believe that I'm on some secret train part of a huge conspiracy to undermine the region." Ash said, with a laugh as he entered the next car looking for a trainer. "Never mind, I'm on a secret train thats part of a huge conspiracy."
"Wait what?" Rosa asked, as Ash flipped the camera around to show a train car full of captured Pokemon and Pokeballs.
"Look, I'm going to find out what's going on, you guys figure out how to find me." Ash said, running through the car, seeing two people in the next. "Team Plasma." Ash said angrily. "Pikachu, Riolu, get ready for a fight."
Back at the station
"Team Plasma, here?" Rosa asked.
"If they're using our railways we'll be able to track them." Ingo said, "Follow us."
As the group ran off Emmet flipped a switch, grabbing a microphone from the wall. "The Battle Subway is now shut down for repairs, all trains return to the station until further notice."
"Won't they know we're onto them then?" Elliot questioned.
"At this point we're trying to keep the majority of the population safe, and that means focusing on as few trains as possible." Ingo reminded.
"So now that there's only one train not heading to here, you'll be able to find it." Rosa realized.
"In theory yes, but there are plenty of places that they could still be and without using one of our trains, we have no way of being positive on which way they're going." Emmet added. "We will do everything we can to help though."
Back on the train
"Team Plasma! Stop whatever it is you're doing!" Ash exclaimed as he, Pikachu and Riolu rushed into the car.
"It's that brat!" The female grunt said.
"Relax Bon, it's just him, and there's nowhere he can go!" The male grunt said. "Boldore come out!"
"Right Clyde, let's go Gurdurr!"
"Riolu use Force Palm! Pikachu use Iron Tail!"
"Boldore use Headbutt!"
"Gurdurr use Chip Away!"
Riolu rolled and dove forward, striking Gurdurr with an open palm as Pikachu countered Boldore's progression with an Iron Tail.
"Boldore use Rock Smash!"
"Gurdurr use Wake Up Slap!"
"Jump!" Ash called out.
Pikachu and Riolu leapt into the air, causing the two opposing Pokemon to strike each other instead.
"Gah! Boldore use Flash Cannon!" Clyde exclaimed.
"No don't!" Bonnie argued as Boldore's attack ripped the car in two.
"Back back back!" Ash exclaimed, rushing Pikachu, himself and Darumaka back inside the car with the other Pokemon. "Any update on where I am?" Ash asked into his X-Ciever.
"Bad news you're not on a registered car, good news, you're not moving from what we can tell." Rosa replied.
"Yeah, Team Plasma tore apart the car we were in and they left with the rest of it." Ash said. "Any ideas from the Subway bosses?"
"Finding you won't be easy, we can't send out trains without risk of collision." Emmet responded. "And some of those tunnels are older than we are."
"Elliot, you know about these tunnels, right!" Ash said.
"You said that was weird though." Elliot reminded.
"Who cares if it's weird! I shrink my badges every night and my Pokeballs before every league! I have a lucky fishing lure and cutlery set, I own half a ribbon! Don't be afraid of the weird because right now the weird is what I need." Ash responded.
"Okay, can you get outside?" Elliot asked.
"I'm not leaving these Pokemon." Ash countered.
"I'm not asking you to, just get outside and see if you can see anything." Elliot responded.
"Okay, the tunnel has a Red A on it." Ash said.
"The old A line, he's way off track." Emmet commented.
"Yes, but the A Line still does lead to Anville Town as long as we direct him correctly." Elliot commented. "I saw the train when you got on, it was a two engine line, meaning both the first and last cars could move the entire train together."
"But I'm missing the front." Ash said.
"So you're going to need to move you and all the Pokemon as far up the train as you can and then dislodge the excess carts." Elliot said. "Do that and we'll work on setting you to get to Anville."
"Alright." Ash said, heading back in the train. "Snivy, Darumaka, let's free everyone and move them up!"
Back in Nimbasa
"This is a great idea but maneuvering him and the rails at the same time would take more than the controls can handle now." Emmet said. "All the lines we use run on their own for the most part."
"But the old lines are still hooked up, you just need someone, or something smart enough to get access." Elliot said. "Porygon let's go!"
Porygon appeared floating between Elliot and the controls.
"Alright Porygon, we're going to work as a team here, once we start we can't afford many mistakes, find Ash and Pikachu." Elliot said.
"Porygon." Porygon replied downloading itself into the controls.
"Elliot I'm all set over here, just two cars." Ash said, over the X-ciever seeing the Pokemon gathered in the car behind him.
"Good, now you're going to need to jump start the car to get it going." Elliot said.
"Copy that. Pikachu use Charge Beam!"
"Pi!" Pikachu exclaimed starting up the train as it began going.
"Okay hang on you're going to make a right." Elliot said as Porygon switched the tracks. "Ash how's it looking?"
"We need more power. Pikachu use another Charge Beam!" Ash said, noticing several heavier Pokemon in the car.
"Ash remember to be careful Charge Beam gets stronger the more you use it." Elliot reminded. "Wait I'm seeing something else, maybe we can get both ends."
"Elliot, I need you focusing on this one please!" Ash said.
"Right, it's just who knows how many other Pokemon they had and with just a bit more power to Porygon I could redirect both of you back to Anville Town." Elliot said.
"Porygon's a program though, it can't evolve, it would need something like an update." Rosa said.
"Or maybe, an Upgrade!" Elliot said, pulling out the flashdrive Colress had given him. "Heads up Porygon, it's time for an Upgrade!"
"Elliot, wall!" Ash shouted as his train lurched left.
"You're welcome." Emmet commented. "How are the Pokemon?"
"A bit shaken up, but good for the most part." Ash said.
"Alright, I'll be walking you through from here while Elliot works on the tracks." Emmet said.
"Sounds like a good plan, let's get everyone home in one piece." Ash said.