I honestly have no idea why the cover image didn't work last week when I posted the first chapter of this saga. Hopefully, when I post this one, it will finally work. If not, then it could be an internal problem on FFN if other people have the same issue.
Disclaimer: I do not own any Pokémon characters! I only own my OCs!
Chapter 2: A Ruin with a View
Ash, May and I had been walking for several hours since we left Professor Birch's laboratory in Littleroot Town. We learned that May didn't have a good physique. She quickly got tired when Ash and I picked up the pace, so we had to slow down for her. She also used her destroyed bike as an excuse to guilty-trip us. My brother and I found out May had recently moved from Johto to Hoenn after her father was offered a new job. Her tenth birthday was actually last year in November around the Johto League, but since she had been busy preparing for the moving she couldn't get her Starter Pokémon, so it got postponed.
I first thought May was a couple of years older than me and Ash because her chest was quite developed despite being ten years old. I was one year, almost two years, older than her, but my chest was still flat compared to hers, so that made me a little jealous.
May spoke up after a moment of silence. "Hey, Ash, I'm just wondering… I thought Pokémon are supposed to stay inside their Poké Balls, so why is Pikachu outside?"
"Pikachu prefers being outside rather than staying inside his Poké Ball", Ash explained and rubbed his partner's head.
"Chaa…", Pikachu purred in delight.
"What Starter Pokémon did you two choose when you became Pokémon Trainers?" May asked.
"I picked Charmander and nicknamed him Firered", I replied. "My dream is to become a great dragon tamer and the Charmander evolution line belongs in the dragon egg group, just like Treecko."
"I wanted to pick Squirtle, but our rival Gary chose it first, so I went with Bulbasaur", Ash said. "But, to be honest, it didn't really matter for me which Pokémon I got as my very first. He's now an Ivysaur and lives in Professor Oak's laboratory."
"Wow… You two must have had lots of adventures", May said in slight awe.
"We've seen several Legendary Pokémon too", I pointed out. I almost said Ash and I even caught one Legendary Pokémon each. It was best to keep quiet about it for strangers. We didn't know May that much yet, but I did want to learn more about her.
May picked up Torchic's Poké Ball from her fanny pack. "Pokémon are really mysterious. Now that I think about it, I don't know much about my Torchic."
"You can look up Torchic's data in your Pokédex", I said. "It is an encyclopedia, after all."
"And you can always ask Ashley for more since she's a walking Pokémon encyclopedia", Ash laughed. "She's read every book in Professor Oak's laboratory and memorized them."
"Really? My brother's going to be so jealous when he hears you've read Professor Oak's books", May giggled.
"I assume he's a big fan of Professor Oak", I chuckled, finding her giggle somewhat nice to my ears. It didn't sound so forceful compared to other girls I've heard giggle before.
"Oh, he really is", May nodded. "Max listens to the Professor's radio show and records them so he can listen over and over again. He's got a whole collection of tape recorders, so it was hard bringing them to Hoenn."
"Oh boy…", I cold sweated. "He must be a hardcore fan."
"Just like how a hardcore fan you are to Champion Lance", Ash chuckled.
"Pikachu pika", Pikachu nodded. "Pii?"
Ash noticed Pikachu's change of behavior. "What's wrong, Pikachu?"
"Pika pika", Pikachu pointed at something up ahead.
We spotted something small that was white and had green hair covering its eyes and two red horns. "What's that Pokémon?" Ash asked as he picked up his Pokédex.
"That's a Ralts", I replied. "It's quite a rare Pokémon."
Ralts, the feeling Pokémon. Psychic and fairy-type. Ralts senses the emotions of people using the horns on its head. This Pokémon rarely appears before people. But when it does, it draws closer if it senses that the person has a positive disposition.
"Fairy-type? Why does it sound familiar…?" Ash commented.
"We met Valerie who had a fairy-type Pokémon back in Johto. Bill's sister", I replied. "Professor Oak recently mentioned that after analyzing the DNA of a couple of Pokémon, including mine, he found out some of them have completely different type than what the researchers first thought. The fairy-type is quite common in the Kalos region, so I guess they're studying Pokémon that could be this type in other regions."
"Whoa… That's amazing! A new type of Pokémon has evolved!" Ash exclaimed excitedly.
"It's so cute! I want to catch it!" May shrieked happily as she grabbed a Poké Ball from her fanny pack. "Poké Ball, go!"
"May, wait!" Ash and I called simultaneously.
The Poké Ball flew towards Ralts who didn't move out of the way. Just when we thought the device was going to hit it, its eyes hidden underneath its green hair glowed and it used its psychic powers to catch the Poké Ball. It floated in the air before Ralts threw it back at May and hit her straight in the face. The force caused May to fall down to the ground as she yelped in pain.
"Ow!" May hissed as she sat up with a red visible mark on her face. "What just happened?"
"Ralts used Confusion to throw the Poké Ball back at you", I explained.
"But why did it do that? I threw a Poké Ball just like what you do to catch Pokémon!" May whined.
"You need to weaken the wild Pokémon in a battle first before you can catch it", Ash explained. "What you did is a common error among new Trainers."
"Yes, right! I knew that!" May scrambled up on her feet with a cold sweat. "I just wanted…to check if Ralts was awake or not."
"Ralts ralts ralt!" Ralts shrieked while waving its arms, as if it was telling us to wait.
"Pii?" Pikachu responded curiously.
"What's wrong, Pikachu?" Ash asked.
May prepared to throw the Poké Ball with her Torchic to start a battle, but she also froze as the wild Pokémon approached us. None of us moved as we waited for Ralts' next choice of action. It tugged on my pants and looked up at me with its big red eyes.
"Huh? What is it doing?" May asked confusedly.
"Ralts ralts ralts."
I kneeled down so I could be in eye level with the wild Pokémon. "What do you want, Ralts?" I asked in a calm voice.
"I think Ralts wants you to catch it", Ash said with a small smile.
"Pika pika!" Pikachu nodded to verity my brother's guess.
"What?! No fair!" May whined. "I want to catch it!"
"I think Ralts senses something from Ashley and wants to be with her because of that", Ash suggested. "Maybe it senses your positive energy, sis."
"Ralts!" Ralts nodded.
I have read about Ralts and its evolution lines. This Pokémon family was able to sense other beings' feelings and comfort their Trainers if they felt sad or negative. However, they could also develop and become stronger as long as they sensed the Trainer's positive energy. Did this Ralts find my feelings intriguing because of my autism that could sometimes cause a chaotic storm within me, even though I didn't express it because I had learned to keep my emotions locked under a lid within my soul?
"Do you…really want to come with me, Ralts?" I asked.
"Raalts!" Ralts smiled.
I smiled softly in return before I turned to May with an apologetic expression. "I'm sorry, May, but Ralts seems to have chosen me as its new Trainer."
May was disappointed, but she shook her head to get over it. "It's okay. I'll catch the next Pokémon I find."
I checked the information of this Ralts on my Pokédex and learned it was a female, so I nicknamed her Ruby because of her ruby-colored eyes and tied a blue ribbon around her neck before I caught her.
"Welcome to the family, Ruby", I spoke to her Poké Ball before I put it away.
"I didn't know you could catch Pokémon like that", May commented.
"We've had several encounters with wild Pokémon before that chose us as their Trainers", Ash explained. "It's because we quickly form a bond with each other and we can sense something special between us."
"Wow… You two sure are experienced Trainers", May said astonished.
All of the sudden, a small blue Pokémon bounced out from some bushes and onto the road. "Azuriill!"
"Look! Another wild Pokémon!" Ash called.
"That's an Azurill, the baby Pokémon of Marill", I explained.
"Azurill, huh?" May said before she picked up her Pokédex to check its data.
Azurill, the polka dot Pokémon. Normal and fairy-type. Azurill spins its tail as if it were a lasso, then hurls it far. The tail is packed full of the nutrients this Pokémon needs to grow. On sunny day they gather at the edge of water and splash about for fun.
"This one's cute too", May said before she put away the Pokédex and pulled out a Poké Ball from her fanny pack. "Alright! I'm gonna catch it!"
"Good luck, May", I told her.
"Torchic, I choose you!" May shouted as she called out her partner.
"Torchic~!"
"Torchic, use…!" May hesitated and rubbed the back of her head. "What were Torchic's moves again?"
Azurill decided not to wait for May to tell Torchic what to do. The wild Pokémon bounced away with its bouncy tail, but Torchic gave chase after it. "Torchic, wait! I haven't told you what to do!" May shouted.
Torchic was so into attacking Azurill that he didn't see the wild Pokémon jump away before he ran into a tree. He recovered swiftly but got a bruise on his forehead. Azurill jumped into some tall grass and Torchic ran after it.
"Torchic, use Ember!" May shouted panicked now that the wild Pokémon was out of sight.
"TorCHIIIC!" Torchic spat small fire balls through the grass and we soon heard the cries of several Pokémon. I immediately got a bad feeling and it got worse when Torchic ran ahead to investigate.
May ran after her partner praising it. "You were great, Torchic! I… Huh?"
Ash and I reached her and saw a Pokémon family by a river. Azurill got a little hurt by Torchic's Ember, but its family of Marill and Azumarill also got hit by the fire move. Burn masks were visible on their bodies and they didn't look so pleased with us intruding on their territory. Of course, they were mainly angry at Torchic and returned the favor with a triple Water Gun.
"Tooorchiic!" Torchic shrieked as the Water Gun moves threw him back onto a tree and knocked him out.
"Torchic!" May shrieked worriedly and rushed toward her partner.
"Azumariill!" the wild Azumarill hadn't had enough and ran toward May.
"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!" Ash shouted.
"Pika pika!" Pikachu barked and jumped up from my brother's shoulders. He charged up his body and unleashed a Thunderbolt at the wild family.
Azumarill screamed as it got hit by the electric and was forced away from May before it could hurt her. Marill and Azurill panicked after seeing Pikachu defeating the adult Pokémon. Azumarill shouted something to them before the three wild Pokémon jumped into the river and swam away.
"Great job, Pikachu!" Ash praised his partner.
"Pika pikachu!"
I rushed to May who was down on her knees, worried sick about Torchic. "Are you okay, May?" I asked, making sure she didn't get hurt by the aggressive Azumarill.
"I-I'm fine", May replied, her body shaking a little by shock. "B-But Torchic's hurt!"
"We've gotta hurry to a Pokémon Center!" Ash responded. "Ashley, can you check the map in your PokéGear?"
"One sec", I replied before I picked up the device and activated the map. I scanned our area on the map and felt relief when I spotted the Oldale Town mark. "We're not far away from Oldale Town! If we run, we can make it in thirty minutes!"
"Great! We've had a good pace today, but we need to run to give Torchic treatment as soon as possible", Ash nodded. "May, call back Torchic to his Poké Ball. The Poké Ball can give him some comfort."
"R-Right", May nodded and grabbed the Poké Ball. "Torchic, return!"
"Tooor…"
XXXXXXXXXX
May didn't complain about running. She was more concerned about Torchic's health than her own fatigue. We stumbled upon some old ruins and a researcher called Professor Alden once we got out of the woods of Route 101. He told us he was studying those ruins and they were of the old Oldale Town. He showed us where the real town was and it was just less than a kilometer from the ruins.
May rushed straight to the front desk once we entered the Pokémon Center, holding Torchic's Poké Ball to Nurse Joy. "Nurse Joy, my Torchic got hurt! Can you heal him, please?" she asked, slightly choking on her sobs.
"Of course", Nurse Joy smiled before she took the Poké Ball and put it on a tray. "I'll make sure Torchic gets a nice long rest. It'll be in good health tomorrow morning."
May sighed in relief by the news. "Thank goodness!"
"You feel better now, May?" Ash asked.
"Yeah, now that I know Torchic's gonna be fine", May nodded, relief shining in her eyes.
"It's a Trainer's worst nightmare to get horrible news…", I mumbled. "I'm glad we haven't experienced that yet…"
Losing a Pokémon would be like losing a family member. I was aware most Pokémon had the same long lifespan as human beings, but there were a few that either lived a little shorter than us or even much longer like hundreds of years. I imagined Legendary Pokémon had long lifespans compared to the other Pokémon.
"Umm, Ash, Ashley?" May spoke up, snapping me out of my trance. "I know very little about Pokémon Centers, so could you two show me around?"
"Sure, we can do that, but first we need to call somebody", Ash replied.
"And sign up for the Hoenn League", I reminded my twin brother.
"Oh yeah, I almost forgot that in the hurry", Ash laughed sheepishly.
"Pika pi…", Pikachu mumbled, not looking so impressive by his Trainer forgetting one of the most important things.
XXXXXXXXXX
May was thrilled when she got the chance to talk to Professor Oak when we called him on one of the free payphones in the Pokémon Center. She said her little brother was a big fan of his and the brother was going to be jealous when he learns she has spoken to his idol. I took the opportunity to introduce Emerald and Ruby to Professor Oak. He finally revealed the Treecko I got from Professor Birch was the surprise he had told me about. When he asked Ash if he had caught any new Pokémon, my brother said no, which made Professor Oak tease him saying I was one step ahead of him.
We finished the call and asked Nurse Joy to get a room for the night after Ash and I signed up for the Hoenn League. She gave us the key and we guided May to our assigned room. "This is where Trainers rest for the night", Ash explained once he unlocked and opened the door to the room. Like in most Pokémon Centers, each room had two bunk beds for four people and we had a shared bathroom.
"Not bad", May commented as she looked around. "It's a little narrow, but I guess the main purpose is to rest and not live here."
Ash and I dropped our backpacks next to one bunk bed we were definitely going to share. "We can leave our bags here while we look around", I told May.
"Okay!" May nodded and dumped her backpack and fanny pack on the other bottom bunk bed.
Once we left the room, Ash and I led May to the lobby where Trainers and Pokémon were hanging out and relaxing after a long day. "And this is the lobby where Trainers can exchange information with each other or just hang out", my brother explained.
"Exchange information like where you can find the best malls to go shopping and the best restaurants?!" May asked excitedly.
"Um… Not really…", Ash sweat dropped with a sheepish smile. "It's mostly about Pokémon."
I got a little nervous now that May mentioned shopping. This showed she was probably one of the many girls who loved go shopping, which was another kind of my worst nightmares. "It could be information about the Gym Leaders' Pokémon for an example", I replied, noticing how May stiffened when I mentioned "Gym Leader". "Or even sightings of rare Pokémon."
We overheard a male Trainer talking to other Trainers. "Have you heard? There's a new Gym Leader in Petalburg City." May let out a very soft gasp, like she wanted to conceal it, but I heard it loud and clear. She looked even more nervous now that before.
"Huh? A new Gym Leader?" Ash mumbled out loud. "Let's check it out!"
"W-Wait, Ash!" May called, but my brother was already by the bench where those Trainers talked about the new Gym Leader.
"Hey, guys! Do you know who the new Gym Leader is?" Ash asked eagerly.
"No, I don't know their name", the male Trainer replied. "I only heard rumors about it. Apparently, their family recently moved to Hoenn from Johto after the former Gym Leader retired."
"Do you know what type of Pokémon the Gym Leader uses?" Ash asked.
"I think it was normal-type Pokémon", the Trainer replied.
"Cool! I can't wait to challenge them!" Ash exclaimed excitedly.
May looked like she was in shock. "You okay, May?" I asked, wondering why she was acting like it was a crime learning about the new Gym Leader.
"Y-Yeah, I'm fine!" May laughed sheepishly. She rushed to Ash and pulled him away from the Trainers. "Ash, I'm hungry! Let's go eat!"
"W-Whoa! Take it easy, May!" Ash yelped. "You don't have to pull me like that just 'cause you're hungry!"
"W-Well, we've been walking all day and I'm famished!" May retorted just as her stomach growled.
My stomach growled in response, making me blush in embarrassment. "May's got a point", I spoke up. "We had a small lunch of sandwiches, so we should get a nice warm dinner."
"Well, okay", Ash gave in just as his stomach joined the symphony. "I guess my stomach can never say no to dinner."
"Pi pikachu!" Pikachu purred happily, hungry after today's hardships.
We went to the cafeteria and ordered dinner for us and the Pokémon. Emerald, Ruby and Pikachu sat on the floor next to our booth eating their food. Ash got an omrice for dinner, May chose curry rice and I picked spaghetti with meat sauce.
"Yum! The food's tasty!" May hummed in delight after a few spoons of her meal. "The Pokémon Centers are like heaven! Good food and great service! It checks all off my list!"
Ash chuckled at May's enthusiasm. "But remember, they're only here for the Trainers and their Pokémon so they can rest between training and journey."
"I almost forgot to ask…", I spoke up after I wiped my lips clean with a napkin. "Do you plan to challenge the Gyms in Hoenn, May?"
"W-Well, I…", May trailed off, looking a little skittish. "I want to travel around, but I don't know if I want to challenge the Gyms yet."
"You want to do something entirely different?" I asked.
"I'm not sure…", May responded, looking down on her plate of food with a pondering expression.
"Well, if it isn't the weary travelers!" Professor Alden spoke up when he stopped by our booth. "Hi there! Did everything go well with your Torchic?"
"Professor Alden!" Ash smiled.
"Yeah, Torchic's getting a good rest right now", May answered the professor's question.
"Are you back from the ruins, sir?" I asked, feeling comfortable to ask a stranger some questions.
"Yep! I've come back after a nice long day of work", Professor Alden nodded. "May I take a seat here?"
"Sure!" Ash nodded and moved to the side to make space for the adult since I sat next to May. "What exactly are you studying, Professor?"
"Well, I can show you some of my research in my office after dinner if you're curious", Professor Alden replied before he took a forkful of spaghetti.
"I'd like to learn a little about the myths circling in Hoenn", I replied. "Especially if it's about dragon Pokémon."
"You're such a dragon fanatic, Ashley", Ash laughed amusingly.
"You like dragon Pokémon, Ashley?" May asked.
"Yep", I nodded. "It's my dream to become a great dragon tamer like Champion Lance."
"But back in the Johto League, you were using other Pokémon that weren't dragon type…", May commented.
"I love all kinds of Pokémon…except for ghost-types, but that doesn't mean I should focus on one type of Pokémon", I explained. "They're my friends and family and they all mean a lot to me."
"Pokémon…are family?" May mumbled softly. "I haven't really thought of that…"
May's comments felt a little odd, and the fact she acted so weird when Ash tried learning more about the new Gym Leader in Petalburg City… Was she hiding something from us?
XXXXXXXXXX
Professor Alden showed us the way to his office that was full of papers about his research and pictures of the ruins and more. He even had some artifacts stored safely inside locked glass shelves. I could tell they were really old and well preserved. Emerald sat on my shoulders while I carried Ruby so she could also see the artifacts.
"Professor, are you an archeologist?" Ash asked after he took a look around with Pikachu resting in his arms.
"That's right", Professor Alden replied. "The Pokémon Center has been generous to lend me this room while I continue my research on those old ruins on the hill. There's supposedly a stone chamber within the ruins and legends say it's some kind of bridge or portal between our world and the ancient Pokémon world."
"A bridge between our world and the ancient Pokémon world…?" I repeated to myself, instantly remembering Grandpa Canyon in Kanto where Ash and I both found and caught living ancient fossil Pokémon. Did this mean there were other living ancient Pokémon hiding in Hoenn and they could be right under our feet?
"Wow! That almost sounds so romantic…", May said in awe.
"It is, in an archeologist's view", Professor Alden chuckled. "But the ruins have a strange construction that if you try forcing yourself into them, they'll start crumbling so the insides remain unknown."
"So you can't just go inside the ruins however you want?" Ash wondered.
"No, but I've got a tablet that tells us how we can enter the chamber in the correct way", Professor Alden said and showed us said stone tablet. "All that's missing are four keys and that's what I'm looking for."
"That's still a good way to start looking", I nodded.
"By the way, what kind of ancient Pokémon do you think they are?" Ash asked.
"Well, it's not extinct ancient fossil Pokémon", Professor Alden explained. "I'm talking about Pokémon that's lived since ancient times without changing its appearance."
"So their appearance remained the same and never needed to adapt to the environment that's evolved throughout the years?" I asked.
"Exactly!" Professor Alden smiled. "You must've studied a lot, Ashley!"
"W-Well… I have read tons of books in Professor Oak's lab", I blushed embarrassingly and lightly scratched my face, feeling a little shy for receiving a compliment.
"Raalts!" Ruby chirped happily, probably sensing my positive feelings.
"Treecko ko!" Emerald chirped with a smile.
"Wow! There's a whole lot more to Pokémon than I thought", May commented.
"I'd sure would love to meet an ancient Pokémon", Ash smiled before he grew a little nervous. "One that won't eat me alive…"
I laughed nervously, remembering how Hunter my Aerodactyl tried eating my brother when we found the fossil Pokémon. Thank Arceus it never happened. And Hunter was quite tamed at this point, so he shouldn't try eating humans again.
The lamps suddenly turned off, leaving us in the dark office. "Hey! What gives?" Ash commented, surprised by the power outage.
"Pika?!" Pikachu shrieked in warning just before the door was kicked open by three Houndooms. Two women dressed in red and black uniforms marched inside before a man dressed in the same outfit stepped in, their eyes hidden by nontransparent visors. I noticed a red and black mark on the chest of their uniforms. It resembled an M which immediately gave me a terrible feeling.
They must be Hoenn's own version of Team Rocket's evil organization!
"What is going on here?!" Professor Alden yelled at the intruders. "Who are you people?!"
One of the men stepped forward, having the aura of authority. "Professor Alden, we need you to accompany us to the ruins outskirts of Oldale Town."
"And why should I go with you?" Professor Alden retorted.
"Professor Alden?" Nurse Joy called outside of the room. "Are you okay?"
I froze as Nurse Joy spotted us, flashing us with a flashlight. She then got ambushed by another man of the same team, holding her hands right which forced her to drop the flashlight.
"Nurse Joy!" Ash shouted worriedly.
May shrieked at the scene and I immediately brought her close to me to shield her in case things were going to escalate. Emerald growled from my shoulder, but I quickly shushed him, not wanting him to anger the Houndooms.
"I'll give you one last chance, Professor Alden", the leader of the red group said. "Come with us or these children and Nurse Joy will taste our fury."
Professor Alden held back a growl. He was in a sticky position, having to choose to either protect us or putting us in danger. "Alright… You win."
"Wise of you", the evil man hummed, his voice so deep it gave me shivers. "But to make sure none of the kids or Nurse Joy can call for help…"
"Don't you dare harm them!" Professor Alden yelled at the evil group.
"Oh no, on the contrary, Professor Alden. We do not harm people…unless they disobey us", the bad guy responded. "We're just gonna lock them in the storage."
"You heard the boss! Now move!" one of the female grunts ordered the rest of us, the Houndooms growling at us, baring the teeth.
"Pika…!" Pikachu hissed in response, ready to jump into action.
"No, Pikachu!" Ash told him. "We shouldn't get in a battle with them."
"Smart boy", the evil man complimented my brother.
We unwillingly were escorted to the storage in the back of the Pokémon Center along with Nurse Joy. We couldn't exactly run because the Houndooms were keeping their eyes on us, obviously trained well to harm us if we disobeyed the group's orders. We got rudely pushed into the storage before those guys locked the door.
"Hey! Let us out of here!" Ash yelled and banged the door as soon as it got locked.
"Pika pikaa!" Pikachu cried at the door, demanding the grunts to release us.
"Are you two okay, Emerald, Ruby?" I asked my Pokémon, relieved those guys didn't take our Pokémon. Perhaps they had a different goal compared to Team Rocket who only wanted the strongest Pokémon.
"Treecko", Emerald nodded.
"Aalts!" Ruby nodded, waving her arms.
"Who are those people?" May wondered. "Nurse Joy, have you seen them before?"
"No, never", Nurse Joy replied. "I'm sure they're the ones who cut the power and caused the blackout…" She released a loud gasp in realization. "Wait! That means all the Pokémon in the ICU are in danger!"
"Oh no!" I gasped, realizing the situation was worse than what I anticipated. If there were Pokémon in the intensive care unit with life-threatening injuries, they could… I didn't even want to finish that sentence in my head.
"Is my Torchic in danger?" May asked, her voice shaking.
"Yes. We need to switch to the backup generator as soon as possible!" Nurse Joy explained.
"But we can't do that! We're locked inside here!" Ash reminded us.
"Pika pikachu!"
"Treecko treecko!"
Pikachu and Emerald had found a way out for us. There was an air shaft connected to the storage and it was right on the ground and not up on the wall as it usually was.
"Great! An air shaft! We can crawl through that to get out! Thanks, guys!" Ash praised the Pokémon.
My brother and I hurried to the air shaft and worked together to remove the barricade. Ash peeked inside first to check how big the air shaft was while Pikachu and Emerald ran ahead inside of it. "It looks big enough for us to crawl through", he said. "You guys wait here! I'll go and switch to the backup generator and get the key to the storage!"
"I'm going too", I nodded and gently placed Ruby in Nurse Joy's arms. "Ruby, you'll stay here and protect May and Nurse Joy if those bad people come back."
"Raalts!" Ruby nodded determinedly.
"The key can be found on my desk in the lobby. And please be careful", Nurse Joy told us.
Ash had already crawled inside the shaft so I followed him immediately. "Hey, wait for me!" May shouted behind me.
I looked over my shoulder and saw her crawling after me. "May? What are you doing? You should stay with Nurse Joy. It could be dangerous."
"I don't want to miss all the action and I'm worried about Torchic!" May retorted.
"Okay…", I sighed, not really wanting to put May in danger. She was just a new Trainer and probably wasn't aware of the dangerous side. She hadn't experienced the same danger that Ash, I and our friends had back in Kanto and Johto.
It was a little dusty inside the air shaft which tickled my nose, but I did my best to hold back the sneeze, not wanting to give away to the evil group that we were escaping. Pikachu and Emerald directed us to the opening of the air shaft in the lobby and knocked the barricade down so we could crawl out. The lobby was dark and empty, not even the other visitors were out looking around to investigate.
"Great, we're out!" Ash exclaimed and brushed the dust off his clothes.
I could finally sneeze, so I buried my nose in my elbow and sneezed as low as I could. "I hope we don't have to do that again…", I muttered and blew my nose with a tissue.
"Quick! Find the key! I'll take care of the generator!" May shouted as she ran ahead.
"Okay!" Ash called, running to Nurse Joy's desk with Pikachu.
Emerald and I covered my brother's back with Pikachu in case those grunts were to come back. I checked the surroundings and realized those people must be professional in breaking into buildings. I saw no signs of them forcing themselves into the Pokémon Center. Whenever Team Rocket pulled such stunts, they always left behind some leads.
"Got it!" Ash exclaimed just as the lamps were switched back on. "This must be the key to the storage!"
"I've got the backup generator running!" May announced when she ran back to us.
"Good! Let's go and save Nurse Joy and Ruby", I nodded.
We ran back to the locked storage and used the key to unlock the doors. Nurse Joy was safe and unharmed with Ruby in her arms. "Raaalts!" Ruby shrieked in joy and jumped into my arms.
"You were a good girl, Ruby", I praised and caressed her green hair.
"Treecko treecko!" Emerald smiled, holding onto my shoulder.
"You okay, Nurse Joy?" Ash asked.
"Yes, I'm fine", the nurse nodded. "Thank you for switching the generator on. I'll go and check the Pokémon immediately!"
"And we'll go and save Professor Alden!" Ash announced determinedly.
"Please be careful, kids! Those people must be very strong!" Nurse Joy warned us.
"Pikachu will take care of them!" Ash said, smiling at his partner. "He's the strongest among our Pokémon!"
"Pika pika!"
We ran outside and headed toward the hill where the ruins were located. The night was still young with the stars covering the sky like a blanket. It was also new moon, so it was darker than usual. Those evil people must have picked this night to strike so they could hide their presence in the shadows.
The ruins were within our sight but so was also a military helicopter that took off to the sky. I couldn't see its markings because it was completely black and the only things visible on it were its blinking red and green lamps.
"That helicopter must belong to those people!" Ash shouted, watching the helicopter leave the area.
"You don't think they've kidnapped Professor Alden, do you?" May asked worriedly.
"Only one way to find out", I replied, carrying Ruby in my arms again.
"Ralts ralts raalts!" Ruby shrieked as she pointed at the ruins.
"What is Ruby doing?" Ash asked, noticing my Pokémon's frantic behavior.
"I think she's sensing somebody there", I replied.
And that turned out to be true. Professor Alden was still there outside of the ruins that were now open. He looked unharmed so those evil people must have gone mercy on him.
"Professor Alden! Are you okay?!" Ash yelled.
"Yeah, I'm fine", Professor Alden sighed in relief.
"Did those people hurt you?" May asked concernedly.
"They never laid a scratch on me", the adult replied. "The only people they attacked were those guys in white clothes with a red R on their chests."
"Team Rocket was here?!" Ash and I exclaimed, surprised to hear our common enemy had showed up.
"Yeah, but those red guys dealt with them and sent them far away", Professor Alden explained.
"Hey… The chamber's open", May said, pointing at the open ruins.
"Yeah, it turns out those guys had the keys needed for the chamber, so they forced me to open it", Professor Alden nodded and waved with his hand. "Come inside and take a look."
We followed the adult inside and I got astonished by the interior. The walls had carvings and paintings of extinct Pokémon and humans living together. It was a piece of history displayed right in front of my eyes.
Not only that, but there was another weird structure that had looked like you could insert some round orbs. "Professor, what's this?" I asked as I softly caressed the surface of the object.
"I think it's another door because it looks the same as the one that blocked the chamber", Professor Alden explained as he walked over to the object. "I still have the keys, so I'll insert them the same was as on the first door."
Ash, May and I moved back in case the adult would accidently activate a trap of some sort. He inserted those colorful marbles on the holes of the object, activating some kind of mechanism. The object, which did turn out to be a door, moved backwards, revealing a staircase going underground.
"A staircase here?" Ash commented.
"I wonder where it goes…", May mumbled.
"Let's go and investigate!" Professor Alden exclaimed.
I covered my mouth when I sensed an incoming yawn. It was quite late now, but my brain was still on full roll after tonight's drama. I followed everyone down the stairs and we found a large cave with a lake.
"This is an underground water supply", Professor Alden explained to us.
"Like this is where you get water from wells above the ground?" I asked, rubbing my tired eyelids.
"Raaalts…", Ruby yawned and cuddled further in my arms, ready to fall asleep.
May took a deep breath to smell the air. "It smells so fresh and clean."
"Do you think Pokémon live here?" Ash wondered.
The nature decided to answer his question. A Relicanth jumped up from the water, presenting itself to us, before it dived back to its territory. My eyes snapped open wide at the marvelous sight. "That was a Relicanth!"
"Relicanth?" Ash repeated and picked up his Pokédex to check the data.
Relicanth, the longevity Pokémon. Water and rock-type. Relicanth is a Pokémon species that existed for a hundred million years without ever changing its forms. This Pokémon's body withstands the enormous water pressure of the ocean depths. This ancient Pokémon feeds on microscopic organisms with its toothless mouth.
"Wow… So this is an ancient Pokémon and we just saw one!" Ash exclaimed in awe.
"What a miraculous discovery!" Professor Alden smiled widely. "These ruins are a portal between the present and the past! I can't wait to continue my research!"
"Treckooo…!" Emerald yawned loudly and settled his head on the nape of my neck.
"I think we should go back to the Pokémon Center and get some rest…", Ash said before he got infected by Emerald's yawn because he started yawning.
"I agree…", I mumbled, feeling my brain nodding on and off. "I can barely keep myself awake…"
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We returned to the Pokémon Center and went straight to bed. We got a few hours less to sleep compared to yesterday, but I still felt refreshed after a good night's rest. We washed ourselves and ate breakfast before May picked up Torchic from Nurse Joy.
"Oh, Torchic! I'm so glad to see you're okay!" the brunette smiled widely and cuddled with her Pokémon.
"Torchic toor!" Torchic chirped happily, nuzzling his head against May's cheek.
"I'm glad to see Torchic's all better now", Ash smiled.
"Pika pika!" Pikachu smiled, agreeing with his Trainer.
"Me too", I nodded, both my Pokémon inside their Poké Balls.
"Thanks, guys. It means a lot", May smiled at us. Her cute smile made me suddenly feel a little shy. My heart started speeding up a little as well. These were the same symptoms I felt around Ritchie and other people I met before. What was this strange feeling?
"Nurse Joy, have you reported last night's incident to the police?" Ash asked.
"Yes, I have, but Officer Jenny says she has no idea who those people could be, so she and the police will investigate", Nurse Joy replied.
"I have a bad feeling we haven't seen the last of them…", I mumbled loudly.
"Same here", Ash nodded.
"Hi, kids!" Professor Alden called when he approached us. "You ready to leave now?"
"Yep! We're gonna head to Petalburg City and challenge the Gym there", Ash nodded.
"Pika!"
"I see. I wish you three the best of luck", Professor Alden smiled.
"Um, Professor… Have you discovered something more about those ruins?" May asked curiously.
"Toorchic?" Torchic chirped confusedly.
"I sure have! So far, every indication has pointed to ancient Pokémon and man interacting peaceably!" the adult told us enthusiastically. "With every discovery, I can hardly stop and go to sleep! There's so much to learn and discover in the world of Pokémon. I'm sure that's the same feeling for Trainers aiming to become the top Trainers of the world."
"You bet that's right!" Ash exclaimed cheerfully. "You do your best with your research and we'll do our best in the Hoenn League!"
"Pi pikachu!"
We wished goodbye and good luck to the professor before we finally left Oldale Town. According to Nurse Joy, it would take a couple of hours to reach Petalburg City by foot. The towns and cities have been quite close to each other so far. Then again, the Hoenn region was a little smaller compared to Kanto and Johto.
"Shoot! I forgot to ask more about Petalburg City's new Gym Leader!" Ash cursed softly. "I wonder who it could be."
"W-Well, I don't know…", May stuttered and looked away, hiding her face.
Her behavior had been quite odd whenever we mentioned the Petalburg City Gym Leader. If I didn't know it better, I'd say she knew more than what she told us. Professor Birch mentioned May's father was a great Trainer, so that and Petalburg City's new Gym Leader…
I didn't ponder about it for too long. I was certain the truth would come out soon.
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Ashley's party:
Emerald the Treecko (male)
Ruby the Ralts (female)
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Ash's party:
Pikachu (male)
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May's party:
Torchic (male)