"So we're on the road to Mistralton now?" Rosa asked.
"Yep, the teams all healed up and ready to embark." Ash said, putting his Pokeballs away. "Unless anything happens suddenly we should be on our way."
"Nurse Joy come quick! They're at it again!" A boy said running in.
"Already, this is getting troublesome." Nurse Joy said, exiting her station with her Audino.
"And there's our anything happens." Rosa said, as the trio rushed after Nurse Joy to see what was going on.
Out near the bay
"We're telling you it's our season it's one of our Red Eggs!" A group of trainers in red jackets said angrily, with Pokemon in the water next to them.
"No, don't be ridiculous, none of yours claimed it so it's clearly a Blue Egg!" The other side in blue jackets with similar looking Pokemon said.
"What's going on?" Ash asked.
"It's these two groups of Basculin trainers, they used to mostly stay to themselves, but lately things have gotten worse and worse." Nurse Joy admitted.
"If they just admitted it's a Red Stripe Basculin egg we wouldn't have this much trouble!" A girl from the red side said.
"Oh yeah, but look at the egg, no red stripes so it ain't yours!" A guy from the blue group said.
"I mean it seems pretty straightforward to me." Rosa said.
"Exactly, no red, it has to be a blue Basculin's egg." Elliot said.
"What, they said it was the red Basculin's mating season, it has to be one of theirs." Rosa said.
"See she has it right!" One of the red jacketed said.
"No the brainiac is backing us up, clearly we're right!" One of the blue jacketed said.
"Fine, we fight for it at dawn." The red jacket leader said.
"For once we can agree." The blue jacket leader said.
"Hey, are you two going with them?" Ash asked.
"It's possible both are right in their ways, but perhaps we can keep the problem at a lesser result if we go with them." Elliot said.
"Alright, take care of yourselves." Ash said.
"You be careful Rosa." Elliot said.
"You too Elliot." Rosa said, leaving Ash and Pikachu alone at the egg's spot.
Later with the red Basculin gang
"Hey, that was pretty crazy, for you to stick up for us." The girl from earlier said, walking over to Rosa. "I'm Julia by the way."
"Yeah, I, I honestly don't know what came over me." Rosa admitted.
"Can I tell you something?" The girl asked.
"What is it?" Rosa asked.
"That egg, it's my Basculins." The girl admitted.
"So it is a Red Striped Egg, why didn't you just say that, it would save so much trouble." Rosa pointed out.
"It's not that easy." The girl admitted.
With the Blue Basculin group
"Hey Brainiac, how are you feeling?" The guy from earlier said.
"It's Elliot, and I'm doing alright, just trying to find proof that it's a blue stripe egg." Elliot said, looking at his computer.
"Well, I can tell you it is." The boy said. "My Basculin laid it herself."
"Then why didn't you say that back at the bay?" Elliot asked. "If you did that, I'm sure your Basculin would be more than enough proof."
"The problem is who the father Basculin is." The boy said.
Back at the bay with the egg
"You're kidding." Ash said, as Charles sat down next to him.
"Nope, that egg came from a Blue Stripe Mom and a Red Stripe Dad." Charles admitted. "They had me keep it a secret from both groups."
"Well we need to find out which stripes it has so we can avoid this fight." Ash said.
"Tried, but there aren't any stripes on it, no Blue or Red." Charles admitted.
"So what do we do?" Ash asked.
"Try and hold off both sides until the egg hatches on it's own." Charles said.
"This isn't going to be an easy fight." Ash said with a groan.
"No, it probably won't." Charles replied.
The next morning at dawn
"Here they come." Charles said.
"Yep, and we're ready." Ash said, seeing his Dewott and Charles's Tirtouga in the water, along with Braviary and Sigilyph in the skies ready to fight off any of the two groups Pokemon.
"Ash, we need to talk." Rosa said, running up.
"You too, good we both have something to say." Elliot said.
"Mine needs to be said first." Rosa said.
"No, I promise your news isn't as big as mine." Elliot said.
"The egg is from both kinds of Basculin!" The two said as once.
"I know!" Ash exclaimed.
"Wait seriously?" Rosa asked.
"Yes, you two need to get the two trainers to admit that the egg is split, Charles and I can only hold off so many Basculin." Ash said. "Dewott use Razor Shell!"
"Tirtouga use Wide Guard!"
Tirtouga created a wide barrier blocking a group of blue Basculin as Dewott slowed the progress of some Red Basculin even blocking a few of them with his scalchops.
"Braviary keep them away with Aerial Ace!"
"Sigilyph you do the same with Air Slash!"
Braviary and Sigilyph quickly joined in, keeping the two sides from reaching each other or the egg.
"Julia you have to come out and tell the truth!" Rosa said.
"But what if they're angry." Julia said.
"They already are, the only answer now is to admit it and move forward, trust me, you'll feel better." Rosa said.
"Roman, you have to admit that your Basculin laid the egg with a red stripe." Elliot said.
"Are you crazy, if we do that, I'll be kicked out." Roman argued.
"And if you don't your egg could be destroyed." Elliot said.
With words of encouragement, Roman and Juliet and their Basculin rushed forward to the center of the two groups.
"Stop the fighting!" Roman said. "I can confirm this egg came from my Basculin!"
"Ha!" A blue jacketed member exclaimed proudly. "The egg is ours!"
"No it's not, because my Basculin is the father." Julia said.
"Then it's a Red Stripe?" The same blue jacketed said.
"It shouldn't matter, we all train and care for our Basculin, shouldn't that be enough to unite us?" Roman said.
"I mean, I guess so, but it doesn't seem right, I mean how are we supposed to coexist?" A red jacketed member said.
"Uhh guys. The egg." Ash said, turning everyone's attention back to the object of the conflict.
The egg glowed, shimmered, and shook as it's parents swam next to it, one red, and one blue, as a small new Basculin emerged from it.
"Which color is it?" A blue jacketed member said as the three swam up. "Blue or Red?"
"Neither, it's, white?" Ash said in confusion.
"Then let this be the symbol of our idea!" Julia said. "Our Basculin were able to come together and create a new kind of Basculin, so must we join together to create a new future for all of us. Who's with me!"
Many of the groups members cheered, agreeing with the new plans.
"I gotta admit Ash, your friends must've been pretty convincing in order to get those two sides to see eye to eye." Charles pointed out.
"Yeah, they're something else, and who knows, maybe something great will come from this white striped Basculin." Ash said, as the baby Basculin swam happily with it's parents.
Authors note
Yeah, I know cheesy and pointless chapter, but as reference, I posted Chapter 54 went to a wedding ALL DAY and then came back and had the energy to write this up on the spot and get it ready so it could still be out today.