A/N: Hey, everyone! Here's another update for y'all while I figure out what to do next in regards to my writer's block. I know that you guys and gals would love to see an update to the current version of "The Way We Will Be" instead, but this is the best that I can do for now, unfortunately. You're just going to have to bear with it for the time being.
Alright, on with the chapter! ENJOY!
P.S. #1: For all FF users reading this who are unaware (and this is VERY IMPORTANT), there's a new account feature for this site called "Email Opt-in". It controls the site's ability to send out email notifications to you. It is disabled by default, so you need to go to your account settings and enable it by clicking "Yes". The site will disable the opt-in by default again after 90 days of activation; in other words, you'll need to return to your account settings about EVERY THREE MONTHS to manually reset it. Without the opt-in, you WILL NOT be getting email notifications on whether any of your favorite stories have been updated or not, or whether an author that you are following has posted a new story or not. Please heed these instructions! FictionPress announced this new feature on their Twitter account, but I doubt news of this has reached everyone!
P.S. #2: For any updates regarding progress on my writing and just life in general, please check out my profile! I try to update it as often as I possibly can with any status update!
P.S. #3: The coronavirus advisory that had been attached to my opening Author's Notes since 2020 is no longer posted there beginning May 11, 2023. The advisory's removal coincides with the lifting of federal emergency declarations in the U.S. on the aforementioned date. However, it will remain on my profile for as long as it needs to be there, and it can be reposted on my Author's Notes should the pandemic worsen again, which is still a possibility. In the meantime, please continue to stay healthy and stay safe!
Original A/N: Wow, this took longer than it really needed to. My apologies for the wait. I've been so busy with college, constructing the "Separation" sequel, and watching the new Fate/stay night anime as inspiration for said sequel (the tone and layout of the story I have planned is practically on par with that anime). But now, I've managed to get out of my recent forgetfulness and begin work on this update. Hopefully I didn't lose any devoted readers during the wait.
Oh, and before we begin, when I respond to reviews, I will start telling you guys to be more specific in your reviews, because I'm still getting small reviews of awfully few words, the ones I was complaining about a couple of chapters ago. I am STILL getting those kinds of reviews, and I notice it's usually from the same people. And as a reminder, the time it takes for the next chapter to come out is entirely dependent on how specific your reviews are, guys. I had only been planning to update this chapter sooner but personal issues got in the way and I nearly forgot about this chapter (and actually my entire account in general) altogether.
One last thing: PLEASE READ THE AUTHOR'S NOTES TOO. It's all pretty obvious at least some of you are not reading them, leading to a lot of rhetorical questions that could've been answered beforehand if the Author's Notes were read (and trust me, I'm getting them as much as I get the nonspecific reviews of few words). So, please, if any of you have any questions, there's a 50/50 chance that the Author's Notes already have them answered for you all. Seriously.
Alright, now that THAT'S out of the way, time to begin from where we all left off. ENJOY!
P.S.: A belated Happy Halloween, everyone! Hopefully everyone had a fun time! :D
P.P.S.: Nothing. Just trying to make this Author's Note as long as possible so then people can easily notice it more and then read it, 'cause my messages are urgent.
The Rhyhorn pen
Near the Rhyhorn Racing Track
Ash, Pikachu, Clemont, Bonnie, Foster, and the Rhyhorn designated Number 14 were all thrown backward by the tremendous explosion. Serena, Grace, Layla, Moose, Yusif, Charlotte, Joey, and Amala looked up toward that particular direction and gasped in shock, while the Rhyhorn began to panic and flee in different directions.
"ASH!" screamed Serena in concern as she watched the billowing cloud of smoke engulf her friend and crush. Then...
"PIKA!" There was no mistaking that fearful scream.
"PIKACHU!" Ash shouted, prompting Serena to run towards his direction, followed by the others.
They all watched as a robotic arm that they didn't notice earlier retract through the air, the Mouse Pokémon clutched in its rubbery grasp as it struggled with all of its might and tried without any success to destroy it with a Thunderbolt. At the same time, a number of gray, autonomous spheres suddenly appeared through the cloud of smoke and hovered directly over the herd of Rhyhorn, including Grace's own, before unfolding into iron cages that trapped amounts of Rhyhorn per device.
"RHYHORN!" Grace cried as her Rhyhorn tried slamming its head into the bars to break them, but failing to do so.
"W-What on earth is going on here?" asked Yusif, clearly confused at the unfolding situation.
"I have a feeling what..." Ash growled in annoyance as she stood up.
As if in response, a trio of familiar malicious laughs permeated through the air as a Meowth hot-air balloon came into clear view, the robotic arm dangling from under its occupied basket as it continued to hold Pikachu. Ash, Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie all growled; there was no way this was happening today.
"Prepare for trouble, you felt correctly!" said Jessie.
"And make it double, you're now in jeopardy!" James recited as he held a remote, apparently for the Rhyhorn cages.
"To protect the world from devastation!"
"To unite all people within our nation!"
"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"
"To extend our reach to the stars above!"
"Jessie!"
"And it's James!"
"Team Rocket races off at the speed of light!"
"Surrender now or be left with dust to bite!"
"Meowth, dat's right!" shouted Meowth triumphantly.
"WOBBUFFET!" The Patient Pokémon emerged from its Poké Ball and saluted.
"TEAM ROCKET!" Ash, Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie shouted simultaneously.
"Team what?" Grace asked, looking at her daughter.
"They're bad guys who keep getting in our way and stealing other Pokémon!" explained the honey-haired Trainer. "Mom, you have to get Rhyhorn back! All of them!"
"Let go of my Pikachu, Team Rocket!" Ash shouted at the villainous trio, only to receive another cackle as a response.
"Like we're ever gonna listen to that drivel," replied James as he set down the remote. Seconds later, the robotic hand holding Pikachu transformed into a plastic cage before its tether retracted completely inside the Team Rocket balloon basket. Jessie took the cage with a triumphant glee as Pikachu continued desperately shocking it with Thunderbolts, but to no avail. "And now, we shall make off with your Pikachu and all of your Rhyhorn as our own! TEAM ROCKET SHALL TRIUMPH!"
"You'll never get away with this, Team Rocket!" screamed Bonnie as loud as she could. "YOU'RE SUCH BAD PEOPLE!"
"DEDENNE!" Dedenne chirped in agreement.
"And proud of it!" replied the entire trio as they waved at her mockingly. "CIAO!"
More robotic arms emerged from the balloon basket and grabbed the iron cages containing the Rhyhorn, lifting them up in the air. Seconds later, the balloon began to float away at a high speed, causing all of the Rhyhorn to cry out in panic. Grace, Yusif, Amala, and Foster all gasped in concern and took pursuit, followed by the rest.
"RHYHORN!" called Grace. "Hang on in there, we're all coming for you! We'll get you out of there!" She looked at her Fletchling, who had taken to the air. "Fletchling!"
"Fletchling!" the Tiny Robin Pokémon chirped, nodding as it flew off in another direction.
"PIKACHU, I'M COMING!" shouted Ash as he took the lead.
From the safety of their basket, Team Rocket watched with disinterest as the group tried to catch up to their balloon.
"Such pathetic twerps they are..." Jessie remarked as she took out another gray sphere and pressed a button on it, causing it to blink a red light and emanate a loud beeping noise that was increasing in frequency. Then, she threw the device at their pursuers; Ash noticed it and took out a Poké Ball.
"Fletchinder, use Flame Charge on that thing!" he commanded as he threw it. "Stop it!"
The Ember Pokémon emerged from its Poké Ball, instantly engulfed its own body in flames, and charged towards the device. The two collided in midair, resulting in a premature explosion that knocked Fletchinder backward and a cloud of crimson smoke to billow through the air, obscuring vision of Team Rocket's balloon. Fletchinder managed to recover quickly and flew through the smoke, easily breaking it apart as it headed towards the Meowth hot-air balloon.
"Oh, no you don't!" snarled Jessie as she took out her Poké Ball and threw it. "Pumpkaboo, use Shadow Ball!"
Pumpkaboo emerged from the Poké Ball and immediately fired the attack at the Ember Pokémon.
"Dodge, Fletchinder!" ordered Ash. Fletchinder squawked as it easily maneuvered itself away from the Ghost-type attack.
"Oh, Rattata!" Jessie cried.
"Here, I'll handle this with care!" James shouted as he threw his own Poké Ball. "Inkay, take care of that Fletchinder!"
Inkay emerged and squirted large amounts of ink into Fletchinder's eyes before the latter could have enough time to react to the attack. Ash and Pikachu both gasped as he watched the Ember Pokémon fly around wildly, crying out in pain. Seeing his friend in trouble, Clemont immediately joined his side, his three Poké Balls in hand.
"I'll take care of this, Ash!" he exclaimed. "You take care of Fletchinder!"
"Yeah, thanks Clemont!" replied Ash, smiling at the aspiring inventor before the latter threw his Poké Balls, summoning Chespin, Luxio, and Bunnelby.
Spotting this newest development, Jessie and James began laughing out loud, while Meowth asked mockingly, "What are ya gonna do ta us, glasses twoip? Bore us so much wit a complex equation or some otha info till we just hand Pikachu and da Rhyhorn over? HAHAHAHAHA! Get 'em, boys! Show dat twoip who's boss!"
Pumpkaboo and Inkay charged for Chespin, Luxio, and Bunnelby. However, Clemont, expecting this coming, pointed at the two opposing Pokémon, a strategy in mind.
"Bunnelby, use Dig!" he ordered. "You know what to do! Chespin, use Pin Missile! Luxio, use Discharge!"
Bunnelby promptly dug into the ground before Pumpkaboo and Inkay could reach it. As the two were distracted, Chespin and Luxio took that time to fire their attacks, hitting Pumpkaboo and Inkay respectively and wounding both. Jessie and James gasped in shock and prepared to issue retaliatory commands, but were in for another surprise, as the ground right beneath their Pokémon exploded, showering them with particles of dust and forcing them to flinch. Bunnelby then quickly emerged from the cloud of dust, its long, furry ears coming together to form a bright golden sphere. Clemont's smile widened as he pointed confidently at Pumpkaboo and Inkay.
"Use Mud Shot, Bunnelby!" the inventor commanded.
The Digging Pokémon fired numerous blobs of mud at its opponents, knocking both of them down to the ground.
"Gah, Pumpkaboo!" Jessie shouted in despair.
"Inkay, no!" screamed James in terror.
"Yeah, that's right!" Clemont exclaimed triumphantly, enthralled that things were going in his favor. "Luxio, use Wild Charge on Pumpkaboo and Inkay!"
Luxio dashed towards Pumpkaboo and Inkay, its body becoming engulfed in yellow electricity, and seconds later, it slammed into both Pokémon. The two yelped out in pain as they were electrified and then sent backward into the Team Rocket balloon, colliding with Jessie, James, and Meowth, briefly shocking the trio both as well.
"Oh, wow..." groaned James as he got Inkay off of him. "At least it's not like being shocked by Pikachu..."
"Agreed..." replied Jessie in exhaustion.
"Come on, guys!" Meowth shouted angrily as he stood up, his paw raised. "We have ta do dis ting! We're Team Rocket, and we shall triumph for cryin' out loud!"
"Yeah, Meowth's right!" James stood up, his fist clenched. "Defeat shall no longer be an option! It's time to get rid of these twerps and make off with the Pokémon!"
"PIKA PIKA!"
The trio's blood grew cold as they glanced apprehensively toward the edge of the basket. Perched there were Pikachu and Fletchling, both of whom looked extremely and undoubtedly angry at them. Meowth glanced to the side and saw that the plastic cage that previously contained Pikachu had been broken open. He then noticed a piece of plastic hanging from Fletchling's beak. The trio's skins became increasingly pale as soon as volts of electricity sparkled out of Pikachu's cheeks.
"Piiiiikaaaaaaa..." the Mouse Pokémon began.
"Wait, hold on!" screamed James, instinctively grabbing the remote to the Rhyhorn cages and using it as a shield. "Must it get...personal?..."
Pikachu took this opportunity to hop onto the remote and try to pull it out of the blue-haired man's arms, although his grip was strong.
"Better not let go!" Jessie shouted in concern.
When the Mouse Pokémon was unsuccessful in its attempts, Fletchling flew towards James and pecked him once in the forehead, causing him to yelp out in pain and release both Pikachu and the remote. As a result, Pikachu accidentally fell out of the basket, remote in hand. From below, Ash gasped in shock.
"PIKACHU!" he yelled loudly.
"GO, FEAROW!" a female voice hollered.
A Fearow suddenly appeared in the sky and safely caught Pikachu in midair. The Mouse Pokémon quickly thanked his savior before operating randomly on the remote, eventually managing to manipulate the robotic arms holding the Rhyhorn cages into extending downward towards the ground and setting them down safely. With a loud caw, Fearow swooped down close to the ground, allowing Pikachu to hop off safely and land in his beloved Trainer's arms as he managed to catch up.
"Pikachu!" Ash exclaimed in relief. "Are you okay?"
"Pika!" replied Pikachu, nodding. Then, he hopped out of Ash's arms and faced the Rhyhorn cages.
"Fennekin, we need you!" Serena called as the Fox Pokémon trotted over to her side.
In the meantime, Ash pulled out another Poké Ball and threw it. "Froakie, you too!"
Froakie emerged from its Poké Ball and croaked coolly.
"Fennekin, use Flamethrower on those cages!" ordered Serena as she pointed at the Rhyhorn cages in emphasis.
Ash also pointed at the cages. "Froakie, use Bubble!" he commanded. "Pikachu, accompany that with Thunderbolt!"
The three Pokémon nodded simultaneously and fired their attacks at one of the cages. Clemont's glasses glinted in understanding.
"Oh yeah, that's right!" he exclaimed. "Electricity separates water into hydrogen and oxygen through electrolysis, and then recombined with fire, which results in an-"
He was suddenly cut off by a small explosion. However, it was powerful enough to leave a well-sized hole that the Rhyhorn stampeded through. Pikachu, Froakie, and Fennekin then repeated the same process with the other cages, until finally, all of the Rhyhorn were freed from their captivity. Ash and Serena cheered in triumph.
"Yeah, we did it, Ash!" the honey-haired Trainer cried happily. "I didn't even think of that!"
"It's a good thing that worked out well!" replied Ash, smiling jubilantly.
"Pika!" Pikachu added.
In their balloon, Team Rocket groaned loudly in disappointment as they watched their failure unfold.
"This ain't good..." Meowth remarked.
"Wobbuffet!" added Wobbuffet in emphasis.
"Uh...I think we have bigger problems to worry about..." James replied, trying to point off at another direction.
"Really?" asked Jessie sarcastically, her voice laced with a rage like none other. "What in the world could possibly be a bigger problem than losing Pikachu and all the Rhyhorn, who were our keys to special promotions?! Tell me, James! Do take your time! But while you're at it, we're gonna get all the Pokémon back-"
A caw and two chirps suddenly echoed in the air. The trio looked up and saw Fletchinder, Fletchling, and Fearow approaching their balloon, readying their beaks. After experiencing hundreds of these occurrences in the past, Team Rocket could easily see what was about to come from a mile away.
"GAH!" Jessie shouted before pointing frantically at James. "MEOWTH, DO SOMETHING RIGHT NOW!"
"Me?!" James pointed back at his comrade. "You're Meowth! ...Huh?"
"Déjà vu?" asked Meowth, shrugging dismissively.
Wobbuffet saluted as it shouted, "Wobbuffet!"
Split-seconds later, the three Flying-type Pokémon pierced their beaks into the balloon fabric, popping it and causing the hot-air balloon to fly around wildly.
"GAH!" screamed Jessie as Wobbuffet and Pumpkaboo hung onto her magenta hair. "Why must this always happen to us?!"
"I don't know," James replied, "but it's getting really tiresome! When will we ever gonna get our big breaks and special promotions?!"
"Well, if dere's one thing that's fa sure," Meowth groaned, "it's dat da future is pretty crystal-clear ta me. Failure after failure after failure."
"Wobbuffet!" Wobbuffet said calmly.
"LOOKS LIKE TEAM ROCKET'S BLASTING OFF AGAIN!" the trio recited, their cries fading as their balloon flew off towards Galope Mountain.
"Wobbuffet!" came the Patient Pokémon's distant voice.
Back at the ground, Bonnie went ahead of the group and waved at the direction to which Team Rocket had disappeared, her tongue sticking out.
"Bye bye, Team Rocket!" she called mockingly. "And good riddance to you!"
"Dede!" added Dedenne.
"Oh Rhyhorn, you're alright!" Grace cried in relief as she ran over to her Spikes Pokémon and put her face against its snout. "What a relief! I was so worried..."
"Now's not the time to be worried, Grace!" Layla shouted. "Watch out for the other Rhyhorn!"
Grace and her Rhyhorn immediately moved away as the other Rhyhorn began stampeding around in numerous directions, still panicking even after being released by Pikachu, Froakie, and Fennekin. Ash and Serena quickly moved away from their immediate vicinity, but Clemont spotted Bonnie, who was much closer to the herd.
"BONNIE!" the inventor screamed. "BONNIE, GET AWAY!"
"CLEMONT!" Bonnie screamed back as she tried to run, only to trip and fall down to the ground. Several of the Rhyhorn were stampeding towards her...
"BONNIE!"
"DEDENNE, USE THUNDERSHOCK!"
The Antenna Pokémon fired a bolt of electricity at the Rhyhorn, but as it was part-Ground-type, the Electric-type attack failed to affect any of them.
"BONNIE, NO!" Clemont screamed again.
"Fearow," the same female voice from before shouted, "use Hyper Beam, quickly!" The Fearow then swooped downward and fired a beam of energy between Bonnie and the Rhyhorn, stopping the latter in their tracks before they could trample the little girl. Then, the same voice yelled, "CAPTURE ON!"
A blur of light sped past Clemont and encircled itself around the Rhyhorn near Bonnie, forming a ring. Then, after the voice shouted "HA!" several times in an almost rhythmic succession, the ring enclosed itself upon the Rhyhorn, engulfing them in a brief flash of light. Once the light dissipated, the Rhyhorn didn't move anymore.
"Whoa, what was that?" Serena asked.
Then, the group watched as the Fearow continued to use its Hyper Beam attack to round up the remaining panicking Rhyhorn into one place. Once again, the strange light appeared, encircled itself around them, and enclosed on them after a few seconds, effectively calming them all down.
As soon as that was done, the voice cried, "Capture complete!"
"The-The Rhyhorn!" Bonnie exclaimed, completely awestruck by what she had just seen. "They've all come down, just because of that light!"
"But I wonder..." Clemont remarked as he looked up at the Fearow, who was circling around in the air with Fletchinder and Fletchling. "Where'd that Fearow-?"
"It's mine," the voice suddenly interrupted, responding to Clemont's question.
Everyone looked to their right and saw a young woman approaching them. She had orange hair and brown eyes and was wearing a red-and-white sleeveless shirt, a small light-blue waistcoat, red shorts, light-blue goggles with red lenses, and a yellow scarf. Strapped around her right wrist was a wristwatch-like Capture Styler.
"Good to see everything's been solved," she said. Then, the woman looked up at the Fearow and waved at it. "You did great, Fearow! Thank you for all your help!"
The Fearow cawed before flying away, out of sight. As the woman deactivated her Capture Styler, Ash noticed it for the first time.
"Hey, that's a Capture Styler!" he exclaimed.
"Wait, a Capture Styler?" Clemont asked, adjusting his glasses to look at the device more efficiently. "Wait, if you have a Capture Styler, then that means..."
"You're a Pokémon Ranger?!" Ash, Serena, and Clemont cried at once.
"Yep, that's right," the Ranger replied, smiling. Then, she gave the group a proud salute. "Pokémon Ranger Summer, at your assistance!"
Several minutes later
"Ah, good thing the Rhyhorn are all okay!" exclaimed Amala, relieved after inspecting all of the Spikes Pokémon. "The race might've been held off if they were hurt."
"Yeah, but they're not," Yusif replied, "if it weren't for Ash, Serena, and Clemont's quick actions. Thanks, you three. You saved the racing track from a nasty scenario."
"Ah, it was nothing," Ash said, rubbing the back of his head in slight embarrassment. "Team Rocket's always up to no good; we've beaten them many times before."
Yusif nodded, then looked at Summer, who was petting one of the Rhyhorn. "You too, Ranger Summer. You have no idea how relieved I am-"
"Oh, it's nothing, sir," Summer interrupted, smiling kindly. "Just happy to help out someone in need."
"Glad to hear you're here to help!" Ash said. "My name's-"
"Oh, no need to introduce yourselves. I've already done research on everyone living in this town, just in case it'd come in handy. I especially know about you, Ash."
Ash's eyes widened in surprise. "Y-Yo-You do?"
"Pika?" added Pikachu, equally surprised by this apparent revelation.
Summer nodded, still smiling. "I believe you've already met a friend of mine, helped him out in a sticky situation. His name's Ben."
"Ben... Ben..." Then, Ash remembered the Pokémon Ranger he met in Sinnoh. "Oh yeah, I remember him now! He was trying to capture the rare Heatran, right?"
"Yes, he was on that mission at the time. Man, he would NOT stop talking about the group of Trainers who helped him on that mission, including the one who had that Pikachu perched on his shoulder." Summer then smirked at Ash. "I probably should slap you in the face. If his optimism wasn't cutely annoying enough before, then it is now." When Ash blinked in surprise, the Ranger laughed and playfully nudged him in the shoulder. "Nah, just messin' with ya."
"So, uh Summer," said Clemont, beseeching the Pokémon Ranger, "what're you doing here in Galope Town?"
"Huh?" A serious expression then suddenly flooded Summer's face, which caught the group's interest. "There's been some strange occurrences going on in the area."
"Strange occurrences?" Yusif repeated. "No one in the town has seen anything out of the ordinary. I don't understand..."
"Well, a scientific facility that's located near Coumarine City has detected some pretty extraordinary anomalies, of which I am pretty sure you have been experiencing. Abnormal heat-waves, electronic devices being fried out-" Everyone's eyes widened in surprise at those descriptions. "-and, more recently, an unknown heat signature detected near Galope Mountain. It's much higher than the heat-waves, but it all seems to be restricted to one object, of which we cannot identify. I just arrived here a couple of hours ago to investigate the heat signature, since the facility believes it may be the cause of the heat-waves and electronics going haywire."
"An unknown heat signature..." Ash repeated. "That's weird..."
"Think it could be a Pokémon?" asked Bonnie curiously. "Like a Fire-type?"
Summer thought about it for a moment, then replied, "The only Pokémon I can think of that can cause heat-waves of such magnitude is Groudon. But it is not native over here in Kalos, and besides, even if Groudon was behind this, how would it account for the electronics? I read the reports made after inspection of the devices, and they all conclude that they were shorted out by something similar to an EMP. And EMPs definitely are not caused by heat-waves."
"Uh...what's an EMP?" Ash asked, looking completely dumbfounded by such an unfamiliar term.
"An acronym," explained Clemont, his glasses glinting as he gleefully expressed his knowledge of technology. "It's short for electromagnetic pulse. They're caused by solar flares, lightning strikes that happen close by, or massive short-circuits in power-lines. It would explain the disabling of the electronic devices in the area."
"Only there were no thunderstorms in the past couple of months," Yusif said. "And all of the power-lines we use are still in good condition, no short-circuits recently."
"And the facility didn't detect any solar flares reaching this area," added Summer. "Which leaves one last thing to consider..."
"What would that be?" Serena asked.
Before Summer could respond, however, something started to crackle. She looked around at her waist, searching for something.
"Oh, that must be the walkie-talkie I got. The facility must be trying to contact me..." She finally retrieved the device and pressed a button. "Hello, Dr. Brandt? Is that you?" However, all she received was static. "Hm, that's weird, the facility's reception is good. The caller must be someone else."
"Whoever it is," said Foster, "he or she might be in an area where the reception's bad. Probably out of town. It's really bad there."
Before Summer could respond, a voice suddenly emerged from the walkie-talkie. "...Name's Lane. ...On my way to Galo-...Town ...Saw this girl. ...Seems hurt, and..."
There was a brief pause. Everyone looked at each other, concerned; it sounded like a pretty tense situation.
"That doesn't sound good..." Bonnie commented.
Then, the voice continued, "If anyone...hear me...Officer Jenny... ...Approximately five minutes...near...eastern trail!"
"Eastern trail..." noted Yusif. "That's Route 12!"
"The trail we were taking?" Serena asked. "That's odd. We didn't see anyone in trouble while on our way to Galope Town, did we?"
"Nope, we didn't," Ash replied.
"Regardless, we must help these people," Summer said. Then, she looked at Yusif. "I know you don't have a local Officer Jenny, so contact the nearest one for help."
"Gotcha, Ranger Summer," the groundskeeper replied before running off, followed by Charlotte, Joey, and Amala.
In the meantime, Summer was about to speak into the walkie-talkie when the voice continued again.
"...Also...girl asks...her mother be with... Name's Serena Ketchum... Did anyone...?"
"S-S-Serena K-Ketchum?" stuttered Serena, surprised to hear such a name.
"That's weird," Ash replied, oblivious to the meaning of Serena's reaction. "You and I aren't related, Serena. Must be static."
"I-I guess..." However, Serena felt a twinge of disappointment within her, regardless. In that brief moment, it sounded as if she were the mother of her child with Ash.
"What's your full name, Serena?" asked Summer, looking at the Trainer.
"Serena Yates."
"Okay." Then, the Pokémon Ranger spoke into the walkie-talkie. "This is Pokémon Ranger Summer. Do you hear me, Lane?"
After a few seconds, the voice of Lane replied, "Yes...can hear you!"
"I've received your urgent message. Don't worry, Lane, I'm on my way. I don't have a Serena Ketchum, but I do have Serena Yates and her friends right now. Officer Jenny shouldn't be far behind us. I just want you to remain in your position with the girl, and we should be there in a few minutes. Don't make any attempt to move."
After several seconds, Lane replied, "Alright, thank you!"
Summer deactivated her walkie-talkie and then looked at Ash, Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie. "Okay, come on, Ash, Serena."
"Wait, we're coming?" asked Serena.
"Why?" Ash asked.
"Well," the Ranger replied, "it can't be a coincidence that this Lane person asked for you two."
"But we don't know any girl, or anyone named Lane!"
"Pika!"
"Regardless, I'm bringing you along, just in case." She then noticed the apprehensive expressions on both Trainers' faces. "Don't worry, if anything happens, I will be there to protect you guys, as a Pokémon Ranger." She put a clenched fist over her chest determinedly. "That you two can count on!"
"I'm coming too!" Everyone looked at Clemont, who was holding his ground boldly, although he obviously appeared to be nervous. "There is NO way I am letting Ash and Serena have all the experience while I stay behind! After all, friends stick together to the end, right? If so, then I'm coming too!"
"Me too!" Bonnie added, standing beside her brother. "We'll all help each other out if something happens!"
"Dedenne!"
Grace stepped forward as well. "Oh, I am not gonna miss out on this." She then glared at Serena with a strange look. "Especially if my daughter's involved."
Summer looked back at Clemont, Bonnie, and Grace. Knowing that she couldn't convince the siblings or the former jockey, the Pokémon Ranger merely sighed.
"Alright. You three can come too."
Route 12
Several minutes later
Ash, Serena, Clemont, Bonnie, and Grace all held on tight to the railings as Summer sped the olive-green jeep borrowed from the racing track down the rough trail of Route 12. They could feel themselves bouncing and trembling, but all were able to stabilize themselves as Summer continued driving at high speeds.
Eventually, Serena became intrigued by the new situation and looked at Ash. "Hey, Ash?" she asked.
The raven-haired Trainer looked back at her curiously. "Yeah, Serena?"
"Why do you think this girl asked for us?"
Ash shrugged. "Not sure." Then, he flashed an optimistic smile. "But hey, it'd be quite an adventure on its own, finding out the answer behind this little mystery, eh?"
The honey-haired Trainer smiled back in response but said nothing further. Seconds later, she flt the familiar piercing stare of her mother, who conveniently sat at her side as she was engaged in conversation with her friend. Huffing in embarrassment, Serena could only look away from Grace's direction as the jeep continued forward down Route 12, the many trees passing by them in blurs of light-green and brown. Fortunately, her attention was diverted when she caught something in the sky.
A beam of flames shooting upward into the air in a smooth, single direction...
"Summer!" Serena exclaimed.
"Yeah, I see it too," replied the Ranger, looking at the same direction. "Looks like a Flamethrower. Lane must be signaling us to his exact location."
"But isn't that in the middle of all these woods?" asked Clemont nervously, pointing off into the trees.
"Yep. It's a good thing this jeep's designed for off-road terrain!"
"Off-road te- AGH!"
At that moment, Summer drove off the trail and through the thick bushes. The passengers all shielded themselves as leaves and twigs flew about, hitting their faces. Fortunately, it didn't take long; the jeep burst through another set of bushes and into a small clearing, where Serena briefly spotted a Cyndaquil firing a Flamethrower into the sky. When the jeep skidded to a stop, she also saw a young man wearing a ridiculously large yellow backpack and a little girl wearing a pink dress nearby.
"MOMMY!" a young female voice cried. "OH MOMMY, I WAS SO SCARED! I THOUGHT I WAS-!"
Everyone dismounted the vehicle, after which Serena identified the owner of the voice: the little girl, who had just stood up. Upon seeing her full form, Serena's lower jaw dropped open in shock. She couldn't believe what she was exactly seeing. The honey-haired Trainer didn't know if this was a trick of the eye or some weird dream that she was having... But one thing was for sure: there was no way this seven-year-old girl that was before her looked exactly like her.
"M-Mommy?" the little girl asked in equal shock.
Original A/N: HA HA! ANOTHER CLIFFHANGER! Well, just because I said the meeting between Ash, Serena, and Sarah would happen in this chapter, it didn't mean the whole meeting would be depicted in full detail. Yes, I know, I'm being quite evil, aren't I? MWAHAHAHAHA! On the bright side, there's no more avoiding anything in the next chapter now. On another note, I've also introduced Pokémon Ranger Summer from Guardian Signs in my story! Just thought I'd include her because I like her design.
Anyway, I feel much prouder of this chapter compared to the last one. However, I still feel the pacing's a little fast. ...Eh, whatever. At least the meeting's over with.
I'd like to thank the following who so graciously reviewed:
I have a (guest reviewer): You should've read the Author's Notes in the last chapter. It was all there.
chablaven: I'm glad to hear you liked how I portrayed the dynamic between Serena, Clemont, and their (single) parents. I had that scenario written out in my head since day one of this story's production. :D
Guest reviewer #1: Thrilled to hear that you thought the last chapter was just fine, just like you said, especially the family dynamic with Serena, Grace, and Layla. I know there weren't enough Ash/Serena moments, obviously, but future chapters will obviously rectify that. And trust me, their reactions will be priceless. Hopefully to me, at least. As for your question, I want to leave it to interpretation, but in my personal opinion, I imagine young Ash, Serena, and Clemont to be 17, while young Bonnie is seven, same age as Sarah. If you want to base your interpretation on mine, feel free to do so. I won't argue with your logic. :D
King nintendo (guest reviewer): Please be more specific in your review.
Avatar Rikki: Sorry you feel that way. But don't worry; that opinion should change eventually as the story goes along. As for your question, I did change it up for the story, but I do kinda imagine Grace being somewhat disapproving of Pokémon Showcases in the anime. I mean, we haven't seen her in a while, so maybe.
SLIronLegion1012: Good to hear that you're impressed by the story's quality! And while I do not like to say one story of mine is better than another that I wrote, I do hope you enjoy this story as it goes along even more, because it sounds like you're very psyched for what's coming next! :D
MizarW: Don't fret about the lack of action. The meeting will officially unfold in the next chapter, while the action will definitely happen in another couple of chapters. Serena and Jenna's words being mirrored almost word-for-word, all of that was intentional for the plot's sake. You'll find out what "If only you knew..." meant for both Grace and future Serena as the story progresses. ;)
WiiFan2009: Oh, the parenting styles that'll ensue will be interesting and occasionally hilarious, I promise you that! :D
ShugoYuuki123: Please be more specific in your review.
Plasma57: Please be more specific in your review.
Guest reviewer #2: Glad to hear you like Team Rocket! They're very easy characters to write, what with their hilarity (although I feel that wasn't my best work with them in this chapter).
Aipom4: Please be more specific in your reviews.
Well, hope you enjoyed this dastardly late chapter! TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE!
New A/N: And that's the end of this chapter! As I'm sure you could tell, there are more characters and story cues in this version that were carried over to the current version, namely the Pokémon Ranger Summer and how the group finds Ash and Serena's future daughter, who is Sarah here. Once again, the main difference between the original version and the current one is how simplistic the former story is.
Anyway, it looks like no one reviewed the previous chapter, which is totally fine in all honesty. After all, this is just a re-post and I don't expect any additional feedback for this, at least feedback that's insightful for my present-day purposes.
Well, hope you enjoyed this quick and early chapter! TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE!