A week later, Ash finally left Melemele. His residual time with the two professors and one student was stilted at best and downright frigid at worst. Burnet and Kukui had obviously spoken, and the Aether researcher had proceeded to spend much more time at work. Kukui had been silent and preoccupied with his thoughts. Lillie was just quiet.
He made sure to leave early and come back late from his exploration of the island. Two more wormholes opened up near him during his explorations.
UB-Assembly had been massive, a veritable tower of sentient stone that stared down at him with over a hundred glowing blue eyes. Every step was clumsy and thunderous, almost like the being was unused to Earth's gravity.
There was a moment of uncertainty when the Ultra Beast stomped over towards Ash until its hollow body was hovering over him. Then it slowly lowered itself. If Ash was anyone else, he would have assumed the beast was trapping him. But…
Ash just felt safe.
Four walls of solid stone surrounded him, glowing eyes turning inward and locking on his person. When Ash reached out to gently pat one, all the eyes slid shut, the remaining light being the glaring sun overhead. A rumble like an avalanche bounced off the four walls and settled in Ash's bones.
UB-Beauty was otherworldly but no less lovely, sprinting and dancing around Ash and his team with blatant curiosity. At no point did it release the pheromones Burnet alluded to, instead keeping its distance and eying Ash and his team with interest.
Aether was never far behind.
Ash tried not to worry about the analyzing stares he's been receiving from the employees as they carted the Beast Balls away.
He focused on integrating his newest teammate. Sagitta had found her place within the team dynamic, acting like a nagging mother one moment, then the crazy aunt the next.
She and Styx had the oddest relationship. It was like they were co-parenting Mirae. Which, to be honest, was the best case scenario. Bill was delighted by the development.
Melemele was filled with captivating spots; the Hau'oli Cemetery, Sandy Cave, Verdant Cavern, Ten Carat Hill, Melemele Meadow, Seaward Cave, Kala'e Bay, and of course the city. The views were beautiful and he understood why so many people moved here to settle down.
Even with the Ultra Beasts weighing on his mind, there was a sense of peace here.
A sense of belonging.
While the days were filled with sightseeing and trainer battles, the evenings were dedicated to training. Sagitta, though flighty, was an impressive battler. Her distance attacks handled most opponents and her status moves incapacitated the rest. Plus, she looked to be having the time of her life. Once he saw her moves he got her started on Protect for some extra defense while Hemlock taught her Double Team. Even if she was able to evolve into a Togekiss, a few hits would be enough to knock her out. Her evolutionary line weren't meant to be tanks.
Speaking of Hemlock, his battle with Sagitta brought out a glaring weakness of his. He couldn't counter Fairies. It was just this luck that a move tutor from Galar was at Big Wave Beach that week. Forking over a big chunk of cash and three hours of lessons, a few of his Pokémon got some wonderful moves.
Hemlock got a terrifying move called Burning Jealousy that can burn the opponent if they have powered up during the battle.
Bane, in a surprising revelation, could learn a Bug move called Skitter Smack. While a horrible name, it did have the chance of interrupting and blocking the opponent's energy output.
Styx was tricky, and the move she could learn as a Hydreigon required her wings to be fully developed. So instead, Move Tutor Elizabeth gave Ash the download for a virtual lesson at a discounted price. Styx would get Dual Wingbeat. Normally it only struck twice, but Styx would have six wings as a Hydreigon. Ash had to withhold his sharp grin.
Sagitta and Mirae didn't get a rare Galarian attack, but that was because Styx could teach Sagitta Dual Wingbeat when they were ready, and Mirae already had a lot on his plate.
The little Eevee that wasn't so little anymore had taken to training like a Pidgey to air. His speed, strength, and endurance were all coming along nicely and his reflexes were being honed. Shadow Ball was getting stronger and stronger, and soon he and Styx would be the first to learn Iron Tail from Ash's TM.
During his week of sightseeing on Melemele, he had noticed Bane's tuft of fur was getting longer. The whole thing wasn't turning red yet, but it showed he was getting closer to evolution. He'd have to find something for the Zorua to use to tie back his future mane. Usually, a bangle was passed down in packs, but since that wasn't an option, it was up to Ash as his trainer to gift him something.
It was still the early stages, but Ash wouldn't be surprised if he had a Zoroark before leaving Alola.
On his last day in Melemele, he had run into the single Trial Captain situated on this island. Ilima, like Liam, trained Normal types. He was an interesting kid, a bit of a goody two-shoes, but otherwise a good person. Ash had fun picking his brain about Kalos.
But by the time a week had passed, Ash was sure he overstayed his welcome at Kukui's. The professor hadn't cornered him again, and Ash was cautiously hopeful he had taken his words seriously and was looking into Aether, but he wouldn't hold his breath.
He knew better than to rely on others.
So with stilted goodbyes and polite niceties Ash was free of the oppressing environment and off to Akala.
There were a few reasons he was heading to Akala. One, check out the volcano for a Turtonator. He really didn't expect to find one, but it was worth a shot. Two, get some good battles at Battle Royal. And three, there was a tournament.
His first tournament. He needed to start bringing in the big bucks, feeding a team of five was one thing, once he had a team of around 15, he'd really need to have the cash. Plus, tournaments were broadcasted all over the eight regions under the ULA. This would be a small step in getting people exposed to his Dark types.
The tournament wasn't until the last day of July, so he had about a week. The 45 minute ferry ride passed by deep in thought. His Pokémon were away in their Pokéballs, still sore from a rather intense bout of training last night.
He waited on the bow once they docked to allow the impatient passengers to crowd around the exit.
Soon Ash disembarked to look around Heahea City. This city was much grander than Hau'oli or Malie. There were enormous hotels and upscale boutiques. The people here look like they stepped out of salon commercials. He saw a woman walking a groomed Furfrou and the two had the same exact braided hairstyle, big floppy sun hat and all.
Ash flipped open his Pokédex to see how far he was from Wela Volcano Park. It was on the other side of the island, but Royal Avenue was on the way there. He could stop by tomorrow night and continue on to the volcano the next day. He had worked a full day at the Berry Fields earlier in the week, helping out the old farmer, and got a large sack of the fruits for his help.
He planned to spend the night here. Ilima had let slip that the Hano Grand Resort would pay $20,000 to chuck Pyukumuku back into the ocean. He was curious about the odd Water types and this was the perfect opportunity to check them out.
Walking past high-end establishments and salons, his eyes kept darting to the hotels. The Tide Song Hotel looked way too pretentious for his tastes, and the Hano Grand Resort even more so. He side-eyed the Dimensional Research Lab and thought about secrecy and idiocy.
Taking his time, he didn't release his team just yet, wanting to think for a little while more. His chest felt tight ever since leaving Ula'ula, and his time on Melemele didn't help. He rubbed it subconsciously and frowned. He usually didn't care what other people thought of him, so he didn't know why his forceful, yet truthful, words to Kukui made him guilty.
Was it because it would reflect badly on Oak? Was Ash embarrassed by his too-intense words? Was he starting to care about people's perception of him?
He walked through the streets, offhandedly glancing at the displays in the windows, and scowling at the pavement. He noticed the shoes nearby giving him a wide berth. His grip on his backpack straps tightened and he ground his teeth together. He hated this feeling.
Had there been a better way to go about it? He wasn't always the gentlest with his words, but how else was he supposed to get his point through people's thick skulls? ...Maybe he'd call Oak later.
He tried not to think about UB-Adhesive, or UB-Assembly or UB-Blade or UB-Beauty or UB-Symbiont. Or the vision of too-still Ultra Beasts.
He finally got to the Pokémon center, the last rays of light disappearing behind the ocean. He got a room and his Pokémon looked over quickly. Once he had some food in him, he released Hemlock to help him out with the rest of his team's dishes (since, you know, he had opposable thumbs).
With bursts of light, his team materialized around him, in much better spirits after resting in their capsules. Sagitta immediately flew down to hug Mirae, the affectionate Normal type purring even as Styx huffed.
The group of five dug into their dinners with gusto while Ash took the time to shower off the sweat that had accumulated after his day picking berries. Looking in the fogged mirror, he noticed his hair was getting long. He'd either have to get a haircut soon, or a hair tie.
They all turned in early with the hope they'd be the first to Hano Beach. He was somewhat saddened when Mirae chose to curl up between Styx and Sagitta. But Bane and Hemlock were more than happy to steal most of the bed space from him.
Waking with his arm uncomfortably pressed against the wall, Bane was kicking his ribs as the fox dreamt. Hemlock was starfished at the end, resulting in Ash being curled into a tiny ball. He slowly unrolled, his muscles protesting the stretch. He lightly kicked his two space-indifferent teammates to twin grumbles.
He precariously crawled out of bed, smiling in amusement at the heap of Pokémon on the floor. Grinning devilishly, he grabbed his Pokédex and snapped a picture. Styx had her soon-to-be wing draped over both Mirae and Sagitta, with the Togetic's stubby arms wrapped around the feathered/furred appendage.
Oh Styx would hate this.
He tiptoed over them and headed to the bathroom, starting his morning routine to the background noise of his family getting up. He heard a sharp smack and a yelp. Ah, Styx was embarrassed, how cute.
With his face washed, hair and teeth brushed, he entered the main room and chuckled at the scene. Sagitta was rubbing her cheek, glaring at the Dragon. Mirae looked adorably rumpled and confused. Styx was definitely not pouting to the tune of Bane and Hemlock's snickering.
His stupid sentimentality made itself known when the tightness in his chest eased.
"Alright you heathens, come on, we have some Pyukumuku to catch. Whoever finds the most gets an extra 30 minutes of grooming." They all perked up and ran to the door. Rolling his eyes in fond exasperation, Ash gathered up the rest of his belongings and followed them all to the lobby. He left his card key on the counter and ignored the looks he got from his odd assortment of teammates.
The walk to Hano Beach was quick; the hotel literally being around the corner. There was a security guard at the entrance to the private beach that gave Ash and his team a once-over.
"I heard I can make a quick buck catching Pyukumuku, that true?"
Understanding entered the woman's eyes. "Ya, kid, just let me check your Pokédex and I'll give you the rundown." Ash handed over the device and the guard quickly looked it over and nodded. "Alright, so there'll be between 12 and 20 Pyukumuku washed up on shore. You were smart getting here early, it'll make the staff real happy. Let me know when you're done, I'll have someone double check."
Ash nodded and waited for the guard to unlock the door and let him through. His Pokémon immediately dispersed, each shooting to win that extra grooming time.
The next hour passed with a few frolics in the shallows sprinkled between the scavenger hunt.
Sagitta definitely had the advantage with an aerial view, but Hemlock was a surprisingly good finder.
Ultimately, in a dark-Ponyta win, Bane had used a clever combination of Agility and wide-area Taunt to bring the Pyukumuku to him. He got an astonishing 9 out of 15. Mirae had been happy with his one, feeling proud.
There was a rather amusing moment of Sagitta getting Pyukumuku guts all over her, much to her disgust.
After a second pair of eyes scanned the beach and gave Ash an approving nod, he was handed his promised $20,000. It just solidified his initial assessment that this place was pretentious to be handing out $20,000 a day just to pick up some Pokémon.
But who was he to complain? He could get enough calcium and protein supplements to last months with this.
He was tucking his Pokédex into his pocket after confirming the money transfer when he bumped into someone. He lifted his eyes, words of either apology or annoyance (even he didn't know) on his lips when he stopped.
"Oh, you're Kahili." ...Perhaps not his best moment, but this was the first Elite Four member he's met. Her bluish silver hair was pulled back and a visor was perched on her head. She had a gleaming golf club resting on her shoulder.
She didn't smile but she nodded. "That'd be me. Let me guess, you want a battle."
Ash shook his head even though she was right. Even he could tell she was busy. "No, I just wasn't expecting to run into an Elite Four member. Although, if you have a few minutes, I'd love to get a suggestion on training Sagitta here." Her sharp silver eyes slid over to his team and he thought he saw something flash in their depths.
"Hmm. Well, the best thing to do for a Togetic is train maneuverability. Togekiss have much stronger flight capabilities, but the chances you ever get a Shiny Stone are low, so make sure she's comfortable in the air. Build flight endurance, because Togetic aren't meant to be airborne long."
Her no nonsense tone tapered off as her eyes slid over to his starter. "If you ever manage to get a Hydreigon, you're going to have to work on wing coordination. Going from zero to six is going to get confusing."
Damn, Ash had assumed flying would come naturally to a Hydreigon. Guess not. "She's about a month or two away from evolution, so I'll keep that in mind."
He saw a spark of interest melt her platinum eyes. "Truly? You know what, here, give me a call once they evolve. I'd love to help." Ash didn't immediately take her card, instead looked to the Pokémon in question.
"That alright with you, Styx?" The left head scoffed, but the right huffed and nodded. He turned back and saw the Flying Master's stern expression soften a bit. He took the card and slid it into his pocket.
"Thanks for your time, and sorry for bumping into you and keeping you from your sport."
Kahili shrugged a shoulder. "No worries, kid. I'll see you around." She tugged her visor down a bit and spun on her heel, heading into the resort.
Ash finally allowed a whoosh of air out of his lungs, ignoring Hemlock's sniggers of amusement. "Shut up." He grumbled. His eyes caught a drooping Sagitta and his frown turned concerned.
"Hey, I'll do whatever I can to find a Shiny Stone, okay?" The Happiness Pokémon suddenly turned bashful, ducking her head but smiling, pleased.
"Okay you lot, we got a full day of travel to get to Royal Avenue. We'll hopefully make it before Battle Royal closes. Let's go."
Heahea City faded into Route 6. Ash had his hands in his pockets, head tilted back. His sunglasses blocked the worst of the tropical sun, and he felt his skin grow pleasantly warm. He heard some Pikipek and Trumbreak singing and the odd braying Mudbray, but for the most part, Route 6 was calm.
His eyes peaked open to see P'au style Oricorio dance across the road. He was always fascinated by Pokémon whose appearances changed based on certain stimuli or environments. Oricorio, Burmy, Deerling, and Castform being the leading examples.
The time passed, only a single battle breaking the group's steady pace. Bane easily wiped the floor with the girl's Steenee and Fomantis. His Swift had been mastered, and his new Skitter Smack was getting some reps in. He was progressing much faster with the move than he'd expected. He wondered if he could combine Bug energy, or any energy, with Swift and keep the lock-on mechanism…
They stopped for lunch, Sagitta grimacing when Styx and Bane disappeared into the trees to hunt. While she had quite the dual personality, Sagitta had been a wonderful addition to the team. She was listening to him without much issue. He had Mirae to thank, he assumed. Mirae loved Ash, and Sagitta loved Mirae, so it simplified things.
He wondered when he'd have his next challenge from training Chaos types. He'd only had the one incident with Hemlock, which was about a dozen less than he'd expected. It would probably be his next Dark type. Or maybe, he was a good enough trainer who understood the types he was training enough to be able to skip the aggression and dangerous unpredictability entirely.
Scoffing, he rolled his eyes. Yeah right.
Ash was startled from his thoughts when Hemlock tugged on his pants and he saw Royal Avenue a few hundred meters before him. If there was one thing he loved most about Alola, it was the lack of police outposts.
Royal Avenue was pretty small, but wonderfully cultivated with fountains and gardens. It couldn't really be called a town, yet it had a large megamart, a Pokémon center, and some shops. Making his way to the Pokémon center, he figured he should get his Pokémon checked over just in case. It's been a little bit since he's gotten a full check up for his team.
The Nurse Joy and her Audino and Comfey greeted him cheerfully.
"Welcome to Royal Avenue! How can I help you?"
Ash returned his Pokémon and set the balls in a tray. "A full check up for my Pokémon. Can I also get a room for the night?" He slid over his Pokédex and the Nurse smiled, flashing pearly teeth.
"Of course! Should only take an hour or so. Here's your room key. The Battle Royal prize of the day is a pack of vitamins!" Ash was getting pretty uncomfortable with the nonstop pep in her voice, so he nodded and slid away and headed for his room.
A storm had been moving in, so with the cooler temperatures he decided to throw on his Kanto clothes and utilize the laundry services of the center. He played around on his dex until his clothes were ready to be transferred to the dryer before deciding it would be better to wait in the lobby.
The video-phone booths were mocking him, and he finally conceded and sat down, dialing Pallet's lab. The screen turned black and then connected, showing a tired Oak. It was already the next day in Kanto with the time difference.
"Ash! Long time no see. How's Alola treating you?" It was then Ash realized how much had happened while he'd been in the foreign islands. He dragged a hand down his face, drawing furrowed brows from the elder.
"Alola's great, just a lot has happened."
Oak hummed. "How about you tell me the good things first, then the not-so-good, and we can go from there."
Ash smiled despite himself. "Well, I landed in Ula'ula and met Kukui and his students and sat in on a lesson from your cousin about Alolan history and its Island Challenge. I got lost in a blizzard on Mt. Lanakila but a Ninetales and her kits led me out. I got sick, but it only lasted a few days. Met Kahuna Nanu, who was a prick and he seemed to know me somehow, but after a… not-so-good event, he told me about some rare Fairy types that would be on Melemele."
Oak's face had cycled through a kaleidoscope of feelings as he listened to Ash's brief summary.
"Ran into Tapu Koko at the Ruins of Conflict, showed me a not-so-good vision, caught a Togetic who was obsessed with Mirae, er, Eevee. Got into a disagreement with Kukui and his fiance, explored and trained on Melemele for a week, and now I'm on Akala."
The Professor held a hand to his forehead and groaned. "What'd you say to Kukui?"
Ash sucked his teeth. "That's part of the not-so-good side of everything." Oak gestured to continue. The trainer, seeing the center empty, still leaned towards the microphone.
"There's a weird organization here called Aether that has been capturing interdimensional Pokémon and studying them. I have a really, really horrible gut feeling about them. Kukui's fiance works with them."
"That's a lot to digest." Ash barked out a laugh at his blunt delivery. "Ash, that is a very serious claim, are you saying they're not under the purview of the League?"
He shook his head. "No, and I know that means they're not beholden to the Pokémon Welfare Act. This has abuse of power and resources written all over it."
Oak's face had taken on his Champion severity. "I'll ask around, Ash. I don't want you getting involved with this."
Something inside him burned at the idea he wouldn't protect these creatures. He… he had to.
Ash grimaced. "Might be a bit too late. I've already run into five of the creatures, called Ultra Beasts, while I was on Ula'ula. The third one was giggling with me and my Pokémon and Aether just attacked it." He was sure his distress was showing on his face.
Oak made an empathetic sound. "I know that must have been hard to witness, Ash. But this organization couldn't have stayed hidden this long unless they had some sort of power or sway. I just want you to be careful, okay?"
Ash slowly breathed out through his nose and nodded. "I'll try, professor."
"That's all I ask. Now, tell me about your team's progress." He dove full heartedly into the subject change, and the two spoke for another half hour before the elder had to hop off. They bid each other good bye and good luck before hanging up.
Looking at the time, he had an hour before Battle Royal closed for the day, so he quickly grabbed his dried clothes and threw them into his room, picked up his Pokémon, and left the center. He turned to head to the large stadium, but his attention was drawn to the sound of a battle.
Around the side of the center, two teens were facing off. One had long green hair tied up into a small bun with some pieces hanging loose. His clothing was very baggy, orange tropical shorts and a black t-shirt. He was smiling widely and was directing his Dartrix against an imposing Golbat.
The Golbat's trainer was the opposite of the first teen. Platinum blonde hair hanging in front of one eye with the other half pulled back, he had a severe look on his face. All black clothing and a full belt of Pokéballs made the dude look exceedingly… metal.
Ash had the offhand thought that with all that black he must be boiling.
Just from watching for a few minutes, he knew the serious trainer would win. His Golbat was fast, clever, and precise. The Dartrix would pause and cry out in distress any time some dirt got into its plumage.
Ash walked close and when a pause came around in the battle, he called out, "I got the winner." Both trainers glanced at him from the side. For some reason, his words seemed to have rejuvenated the green-haired teen and he pumped his fist.
"Ominous Wind!"
"Cancel it out with your own." The two ghostly winds clashed, but Ash was impressed when the Dartrix dove through the dissipating fog to land a harsh Steel Wing. The Steel Wing blocked a Poison Fang, but couldn't prevent the Supersonic and Air Cutter.
The Alolan starter collapsed onto the small battlefield. The Golbat was only panting slightly, with a bruise or two to show for the fight. Ash eyed the winner and knew he would be a good challenge.
The green-haired guy walked forward after returning his Pokémon, a big smile on his face. "That was a great battle! You're really strong, Gladion. Hopefully we'll be able to battle again sometime!" If this Gladion guy was anything like Ash, he was probably exhausted in the face of such enthusiasm.
Gladion shuffled and shook his hand. "You as well, Hau."
Hau turned and looked at Ash. "Mind if I stick around to watch?" Ash shrugged, not really caring either way. He patted Ash's shoulder as they swapped spots. "Good luck!" Blinking and nodding in thanks, Ash took his spot across from Gladion.
The blonde stared him down, eyes narrowed.
"How do you want to do this?"
"How many healthy Pokémon you got?"
"I have five, but one is still a little young."
"Four on four, then."
Ash brushed his hand over his Pokéballs, trying to decide who would be his best opener. Hau raised his arms from the sidelines. "Release in 3-2-1 go!"
From Ash's side, he was slightly surprised to see Bane under the guise of a Nidorino. Gladion sent out a Leavanny of all things. The Grass and Bug type spun in place and brandished its sharp blades. Bane had his illusion brace its legs and lower its head to brandish the horn.
"Double Team." 'Nidorino' was surrounded, but Ash was prepared to counter Hemlock's favorite attack.
"Swift, burst." Stars gathered around Bane's tail, swirling for half a second before being flicked into every direction, destroying a few clones before honing in on one Leavanny.
Gladion frowned. "Light Screen."
"Hone Claws." Ash's ears twitched from the piercing sound of nails sharpening.
"Razor Leaf!" A torrent of leaves was directed at Bane, who quickly dove underground to avoid the sharp projectiles. The Leavanny didn't need to be directed when it sent a storm of leaves into the hole.
But the first thing you teach a Pokémon using Dig is that you never stay underground long.
Bane erupted from the ground behind the Bug and Grass type, knocking it forward and causing it to trip from the hole in the ground. It recovered quickly, and sent an Energy Ball straight at Bane. It detonated a few inches from his face when a Shadow Ball struck it. The Nidorino illusion flickered slightly.
"Leia, String Shot and X-Scissor!" Shit, he figured it out. The illusion fell away with a cry of pain from Bane after the super effective attack hit. The Zorua snarled and coughed out some embers to burn the silk tying him down.
"Taunt." The Leavanny's pupils constricted and she dashed at the Dark type in agitation, despite her trainer's words. She jumped in the air and slashed down, but a face full of flames greeted her. A shriek of agony grated on Ash's ears.
"Don't let up, charge Dark Pulse, and use Swift." Bane looked confused but did as told. The result showed a few gray stars scattered within the gold and impacting the burned Leavanny.
"Leia, Aerial Ace!"
"Protect!" The still unmastered attack shattered under the power of the Flying attack. Bane was sent flying, and Ash thought that was it. But the tenacious little fox growled, throwing the last of his energy into an Agility and Incerate-powered Tackle. The Leavanny braced itself, but the flames were too effective, and when the smoke cleared, both were down for the count.
Ash returned his tricky fox and smiled at the Heal ball. "Thank you Bane, that was incredible." He swapped the ball out for Hemlock's and waited until Gladion was ready. With a nod, both released their second Pokémon.
The Morgrem grinned and chuckled upon release. He bared his fangs at the Umbreon that appeared. Ash took a second to be shocked, not expecting to see another trainer with a member of the Eevee line. Umbreon were difficult Pokémon to work with if you didn't raise them yourself. Ash was starting to see a pattern with Gladion's Pokémon.
"Hemlock, many of your tricks won't work on Umbreon, it's a Dark type too. You're going to have to be on the offensive. Use Double Team."
"Swift." Ash couldn't help rolling his eyes. Gladion's expression changed for the first time, humor lighting up his features.
"Dark Pulse to destroy it, then Hide and Smooch." Ash felt a little stupid with that name, but it definitely threw off opponents. Hemlock disappeared into the dark of Feint Attack, and Umbreon braced itself, but didn't expect the Draining Kiss. The Dark type yowled, and through the discomfort charged and landed an Iron Tail too fast for Hemlock to dodge.
Close-quarters battle it is.
Hemlock snarled and threw Drain Punch after Drain Punch. A few landed, but Umbreon gave as good as it got. Double Kicks and Paybacks causing the Morgrem to grit his teeth. It was a savage battle, Dark type versus Dark type.
Ash and Gladion had given up trying to order attacks, instead letting their Pokémon duke it out. The two were pretty evenly matched, Umbreon had high defenses and more experience, but Hemlock had better maneuverability and was gaining back energy every time a Drain Punch or Draining Kiss landed.
The conflict came to a head when Umbreon launched an Iron Tail at Hemlock's head. He threw up a Protect that deflected the attack. The Protect dropped, his mobile hair struck out, hooking around Umbreon's neck, and dragged it straight into a powered up Drain Punch. Umbreon was knocked away, but to the shock of everyone, shakily got to its feet and released a Hyper Voice that dropped Hemlock to his knees. A final Take Down took Hemlock out of the fight.
Returning his Devious Pokémon, Ash thanked him and then sent the Luxury ball flying. Sagitta grinned at the shaking Umbreon, and was already firing off a Fairy Wind as the order left Ash's lips.
Umbreon was 100% out of commission after that. Gladion swapped out his own Luxury ball for a Net ball. The Pokémon that landed on the field was one Ash wasn't too familiar with.
Frosmoth was beautiful, gently fluttering its wings that sent delicate snowflakes to the ground. This would be a tough battle.
"Icy Wind!"
"Fairy Wind, cancel it out!" The two sparkling gales clashed, but neither waited for them to clear.
"Double Team."
"Hail." Ash grimaced. Damn, that'd be annoying. Frosmoth had created a hailstorm shockingly fast. See, Hail, like all of the weather-creating attacks, were devastatingly tiring, taking energy to create and sustain. It was also an art to get them up quickly, and this Frosmoth must have been trained specifically in that.
"Sagitta, play it smart." The Togetic grinned, even as heavy ice began to pelt against her feathers. Even if the hail didn't dissipate the clones, it still made it obvious which was the real deal. So, she decided to make the Frosmoth work for it.
A half dozen Togetic darted all around, the Ice and Bug type unable to lock onto the right one. Circling the Galar native and tightening the ring, Sagitta sent out a Shock Wave that caused her opponent to lose altitude.
"Aurora Veil, then Bug Buzz." Ash hated Aurora Veil.
The Frosmoth glowed with the colors of the aurora borealis, creating a mystic shield that protected it from most damage. Its wings shook, vibrating erratically.
"Shock Wave!" He smiled when he heard Gladion curse. The powerful Bug attack fizzled out against the thin wave of electricity. Sagitta still flinched slightly from the noise, but it could have been worse.
The Togetic quickly followed up with Yawn that distracted the moth enough to land another Fairy Wind.
The two winged Pokémon exchanged long-ranged attacks for a few more minutes, but Sagitta was losing the battle with the mixture of Hail and Aurora Veil.
When Gladion called for Stun Spore, he had to make a split second decision. He crossed his fingers and hoped the risk was worth it.
The spores collected on Sagitta's feathers, and her movements became twitchy. "Psycho Shift!" Ash grinned wickedly when she fought through the paralysis and struck Frosmoth with the twisted Psychic energy.
Until she truly mastered the technique, Sagitta would only be able to share the status condition with her foe. But luckily, they had a workaround.
"Heal Bell!" Gladion paled when the Togetic was suddenly cured, though it took two tries for her to fight through the paralysis.
"Blizzard, Luna!"
"Protect, and arrow." Sagitta's laughter sounded misplaced, but it was soon understood when arrows of stone shot towards the still recovering Frosmoth. Gladion didn't even wait to see before he returned his third Pokémon.
Ash congratulated Sagitta and assessed her condition. She had a light layer of frost sticking to her feathers that was weighing her down a little, forcing her wings to pump faster than optimal. She had taken some damage from a single Icicle Spear and a half-powered Acrobatics. She looked battered and bruised, but ready for more.
But that was before he saw the blonde's last Pokémon. It was… something he had never seen before.
Ash's eyes widened and he took an aborted step back. A sudden feeling of misplaced nausea filled him, like it was instinct. This thing… it screamed predator to him.
This was a monster. It was over six feet tall, all tensed lean muscle. It looked like different Pokémon were glued together. Back paws with scales trailing up and scattered through fur. Front legs were insect-like with a green exoskeleton. A mane of silver fell down its breast, but the rest was covered with sleek black fur. Its tail was a vertical fin that would be better suited on a water dwelling Pokémon.
But the most striking aspect was the heavy wooden mask that covered its face and what must have been some plume on its head. It looked like the mask was screwed into its face. It was barbaric.
Ash felt anger course through his veins. "What is wrong with you? That mask has to be hurting it!" Gladion had the nerve to look surprised. The unknown Pokémon looked back at its trainer and shifted.
"It is. I'm trying to figure out how to get it off." That made Ash pull up short. Ah, so he rescued it from somewhere.
"Is someone looking for it?" Gladion scowled and looked away. That was a yes. "Is it really the best idea to battle with it?"
Gladion's defiant gaze met his own. "He loves to battle, so I'm going to let him battle." Ash paused, then conceded.
"Fair enough. Then let's not waste anymore time." The blonde nodded, and the creature braced himself.
"Life Dew."
But the Fairy and Flying type never got the chance. The unknown Pokémon leapt the enormous distance, slamming into the frail Pokémon with an earth-shattering Iron Head.
Sagitta didn't get up.
Ash whistled and returned his Togetic. She wouldn't be happy with that ending. He unclipped the Dusk ball from his belt and released his ace.
Styx came out in all her hostile glory, tail swishing with anticipation.
"Styx, test the waters."
"Silvally, slow it down." Ash was somewhat disappointed when the newly named Silvally used Scary Face. Styx wasn't afraid of anything, it was written in her identity. So she brushed it off and charged.
Gladion's eyes widened.
What came next was a feral dance. Even with the bulky mask, Silvally was fluid and graceful, able to weave around attacks or knock them away with his seemingly impenetrable mask. But Styx had mountains of stamina and pure unadulterated rage on her side. That counted for a lot.
Silvally was obviously a close-ranged fighter. Styx could handle that. When the creature got too close or landed a Dragon Claw or X-Scissor, she fell back and utilized her strong arsenal of long-ranged attacks.
Dragon Pulse, Dark Pulse, and Hyper Voice kept Silvally on the defensive, unable to get closer. The downside to this, was that Styx was using up a lot of energy. Her stamina was one of her strengths, but even she had a limit.
So she would get in close again, land an Aqua Tail here, a Fire Fang there, but would take massive damage from the various attacks Silvally had.
"Hyper Voice!" Gladion and Silvally had fallen into the trap of only expecting long ranged attacks from… well, long range. The Hyper Voice caused the towering Pokémon to stumble back, and Styx took advantage. Her one head latched onto a foreleg with Fire Fang while the other dug a newly mastered Ice Fang into its other.
Styx pulled.
Silvally howled, the sound muffled from the mask, and his forelegs gave out. Ash was ready for Styx to land the finishing touch, but Gladion proved to be a vindictive bastard.
"Rock Slide!"
The two disappeared beneath an avalanche of stone. Ash grimaced and narrowed his eyes at Gladion. "Cheap shot."
The blonde shrugged. "Officially ended in a tie. A perfect tie. Interesting." The Kanto native rolled his eyes and pursed his lips, trying not to smile. He couldn't fault the other teen, it was something he'd do as well.
"Yeah yeah, do you have a Pokémon that can clear the rocks away? I'd like to get my squishy partner out from under there." Gladion huffed a laugh and released a Lycanroc. The Rock type looked at the pile of stone and looked at Gladion with an expression that clearly said, 'Again?'
The Lycanroc latched onto the stones and with noticeable strain, lifted the pile and shifted it away, setting it into the hole from which it was excavated.
"That was wicked!" Honestly, Ash had forgotten about Hau. The smiley teen trotted over just as the two others returned their downed Pokémon. "That was so cool, honestly. A perfect battle tie! I have a bunch of questions, you guys wanna drop off our Pokémon and go get some malasada?"
Ash shared a glance with Gladion. It seemed they were both averse to it, and normally Ash wouldn't care to cater to someone's feelings… but Hau was so genuine.
"Uh, sure."
"Fine."
Hau grinned and clapped. He wrapped his arms through Ash and Gladion's elbows and pulled them towards the center. The two introverts shared a look behind him.
Not too much happens this chapter
Bonus points to whoever can tell me what links all of Gladion's Pokémon (minus Lycanroc)