"She's ready to see you now."
Ash hesitated a moment in the sterile hallway before centering himself and entering the hospital room.
Looking so much younger and smaller in the white sheets, Lillie gave him a small smile and gestured to the chair beside her bed. Her blonde hair, still streaked with black, had been pulled back into a messy bun and there was a permeating exhaustion to her frame. Snowy the Vulpix was curled up at her side.
She had woken up a few days ago, Gladion was practically crying at the news. Ash had been splitting his time between Kukui's lab and giving his testimonies until he was set to fly out. He was exceptionally baffled when Gladion told him his sister wanted to see him.
"Thanks for coming, Ash."
The trainer sat down cautiously, keeping his gaze on the bed-ridden girl. "Why'd you ask to see me?"
Lillie looked a bit uncomfortable when he got straight to the point but lifted her chin imperiously. "I wanted to thank you for saving me. For saving Nebby, for saving all those Ultra Beasts I heard about." Her chin wobbled a bit before she swallowed. "If it hadn't been for you, I'm not sure what would have happened. I have faith in my brother, but I don't think he could have hatched the plan you did, gather the people you did, and solve all the issues in one go."
Wow. High praise.
"We were lucky to have you during this whole… situation. From what I heard, it was you and your Zoroark that freed me, so I have a present for the two of you."
Blinking in surprise, Ash hesitated before releasing Bane. The fox shook out his loose mane and looked around the room, perplexed, before Lillie grabbed his attention.
"Bane, I wanted to thank you for saving me from UB-Symbiont. I managed to convince Gladion to get these for me." Snowy jumped down and grabbed a small bag's handles between her teeth before jumping back onto the bed. Lillie smiled at her Vulpix and dug around the bag, withdrawing two wrapped bundles. She handed the bigger one to Bane.
"Go on, open them." She had a tired smile on her face and Ash didn't want her to exert herself anymore than necessary, so he didn't waste time. He unwrapped the small gift and internally gasped. Grabbing the black chain, he held the necklace up to the light and saw a beautiful golden stone hanging from it.
His eyes strayed to Bane and saw the fox was holding up a band of the same stone carved to look like a bracelet. There were hinges on one side and a clasp on the other.
"What…?"
Lillie giggled. "It's golden beryl, a rare stone found primarily on Aurus Island. I thought it would look nice with Bane's fur. I also chose it because… it's meant to provide strength, courage, and protection." Understanding dawned on him and his mouth dropped open. It wasn't a bracelet, it was a hair ornament.
Bane lit up with a toothy grin, shoving the ornament into Ash's hands and turning around. He laughed, but dutifully gathered the mane into his hands, one hand grasping where red faded to black and faded back to red. Carefully, trying not to pull any fur, Ash shut the thick stone ornament around the bundle of fur and clasped it shut.
The fox turned over his shoulder to try and get a good look, but just kept going in circles. Ash and Lillie laughed for a moment before Ash took pity and snapped a picture with his Pokédex. Bane was delighted at the picture and grinned at Lillie. While her attention was on the fox, Ash clasped his own piece of jewelry around his neck and appreciated the beautiful stone.
He already had an idea of what else to add to the chain.
"Seriously, Lillie, thank you. How did you know about Zoroark's need to tie back their mane?"
The blonde's smile looked sad. "Our father had a Zoroark." Reading between the lines, Ash awkwardly patted her shoulder, which seemed to help because she shook her head and gave a more genuine smile.
"It's alright, we've made peace with it."
"So what happens to you now?"
The preteen sighed and played with her fingers. "Kukui and Burnet are taking me in. They offered the same to Gladion, but he's happy traveling with Hau."
The two were silent for a little, Ash admiring his new necklace and Lillie looking down at her clasped hands, her eyes hazy.
She spoke suddenly, "No one has really told me anything. About Aether. About the Ultra Beasts."
Biting the inside of his cheek, Ash sighed and sat back in his chair. "Lusamine has been admitted to a psychiatric hospital, location unknown. Faba and Wicke were sentenced, Faba for life, Wicke for 15 years. Those that partook in experimentation were sentenced to 34 years, no chance of parole. Those that were blackmailed got 500 hours of community service. This whole thing has been huge for Alola, especially for its first few years in the ULA. Luckily some other regions have sent their best Pokémon welfare lawyers to help."
He let Lillie absorb that, pretending not to see the tears fall.
"In better news, the Ultra Beasts got new names. Burnet has been the leading authority on it since she worked with them, plus a few other official researchers." He didn't mention how Burnet was serving her community service hours through research.
Ash rummaged around in his pocket, withdrawing the piece he had ripped out of the West Alolan Today newspaper. He handed it over to Lillie, having memorized it.
Ultra Beasts Classified and Renamed!
UB-01 Symbiont – Nihilego: The Parasite Pokémon (Rock/Poison)
UB-02 Absorption – Buzzwole: The Swollen Pokémon (Bug/Fighting)
UB-03 Beauty – Pheromosa: The Lissome Pokémon (Bug/Fighting)
UB-04 Lightning – Xurkitree: The Glowing Pokémon (Electric)
UB-05 Blaster – Celesteela: The Launch Pokémon (Steel/Flying)
UB-06 Blade – Kartana: The Drawn Sword Pokémon (Grass/Steel)
UB-07 Gluttony – Guzzlord: The Junkivore Pokémon (Dark/Dragon)
UB-08 Assembly – Stakataka: The Rampart Pokémon (Rock/Steel)
UB-09 Burst – Blacephalon: The Fireworks Pokémon (Fire/Ghost)
UB-10 Adhesive – Poipole: The Poison Pin Pokémon (Poison)
As Lillie read, Ash thought. Ultra Space must have distinct enough ecosystems to support so many different types of UBs. Though their similarities also made it seem as if their dimension was much less diverse than Earth.
Every one of them had much denser structure than most Pokémon, with harder skins or stronger exoskeletons. Even Blacephalon had a rigid, tough outer skin that encapsulated its inner gaseous form. Some floated above the ground, most likely using some form of electromagnetism, while others carried their own weight, even on Earth. Was gravity similar?
Ash stayed by Lillie's bedside for another half hour, Bane's chin propped on his knee, before she got too tired. A nurse shooed him out and they thanked each other one last time. He wasn't sure if he'd ever see her again.
He didn't bother calling out Styx to fly him back to the lab. The hospital was in Hau'oli City, so the walk would do him well. He released Mirae and Poipole to walk with him and Bane. Mirae was getting to the age where he didn't want to be cuddled as much, and although it was upsetting, Ash knew the value of independence.
Poipole on the other hand…
Ash released an oomph as he was gracelessly headbutted due to the beast's urgency to curl up in his arms. Honestly, the timing couldn't have worked out better. The week Mirae decides he wants to walk more was the week he caught his next cuddler.
It was nice.
Bane and Mirae rolled their eyes but didn't comment, instead taking point on their walk. Mirae chattered to Bane, eyes darting over to look at his teammate's new ornament. Bane was obviously proud of it from how he posed.
Poipole stayed in Ash's arms, cyan eyes darting all around to take in the sights. The Poison type was accepted into their family, but most could only handle it for a little while. Its curiosity got it into trouble.
It liked to spray sticky poison at anything that caught its attention.
That was a fun conversation. Ash was certain he had some still stuck in his hair.
Even-so, Poipole and Mirae got along well, being similar in age - at least mentally. The two often sparred, and Ash was elated to realize Poipole enjoyed battling, finding it fun. Along with Burnet and Kukui, the three figured out Poipole knew Acid, Fury Attack, Toxic, Venoshock, and Venom Drench. They tested out a TM, and found they worked through the Beast Ball, so now Poipole knew Iron Tail.
Poipole's poison worked… differently than other Pokémon. No one could yet pinpoint how, and the League was still combing through Aether's 'research'.
Ash grimaced and realized he hadn't called Oak yet. Even though Poipole technically belonged to him, the Beast Ball hasn't been registered under his name. So if anyone stole it, he wouldn't be able to prove Poipole was his.
Plus, he had seven Pokémon with him which was, practically speaking, illegal. There had been too many reports of neglect or injuries due to trainers taking on too many Pokémon.
He wondered if Oak was going to be called in as an expert for the Aether case. That would be hard to explain.
Even though many Aether employees had already been sentenced, the wider ramifications of the organization's actions needed a magnifying glass. It would take time. Lots of time.
As Kukui's lab came into view, Ash resigned himself to the fact that he had an uncomfortable conversation with Oak coming up. It's not like he could just say 'Hey, I got a Pokémon that isn't known on this Earth, funny right? Could you ignore that particular fact?'
Uh huh, very likely.
Ash also did not want to keep one of his teammates at the lab. He didn't know what keeping all his Pokémon with him at all times said about him, but he didn't particularly care. Maybe he was paranoid, or maybe he was sentimental.
The world may never know.
But Poipole had to stay with him. Burnet said other Poipole could last a week before their health started to deteriorate from being on Earth.
So he walked into the fenced-in property and released the rest of his Pokémon. Poipole was falling asleep in his arms, causing Libra to roll her eyes and jog over towards Styx for her daily goading.
Sagitta flew down to try and tug Bane's new ornament, and the Zoroark released the most vicious growl he's heard yet. The Togetic threw up her arms and floated backwards slowly. Bane huffed and slunk away, shooting glares at the Happiness Pokémon.
Ash made his way inside, shaking his head at his Pokémon's various personalities. He waved at Burnet and she offered him a brief smile before turning back to her phone. Shifting Poipole to one arm, he opened the door to the small office that had a videophone.
Taking a deep breath, Ash dialed the professor and waited a few moments before it connected.
"Ash, my boy, how are y-" Oak immediately cut off when he saw the sleeping beast in the trainer's arms.
"Ash." He withheld a grimace at the professor's tone.
"So, this is Poipole."
"I know what it is." Ah, he must have been contacted already.
"It's in my care."
"Explain, now." He actually fully grimaced this time. Oak has never used that tone with him. He debated fighting the order, but ruled against it. He decided to rip off the bandaid.
"I led a rescue mission on that organization that was experimenting on interdimensional Pokémon and ended up getting the president and employees arrested for various felonies."
"...Ashton Red Ketchum."
Ash sighed and dove into it. He's already repeated this story so many times to various people that he could do it in his sleep. Oak's stern expression softened once his voice wavered when he got to the part where he found the dead UBs. From then on he was unreadable.
"...Poipole wanted to come with me, and we're not sure how to send it back even if it wanted to be. For some reason Poipole can survive when its around me. But the Beast Ball hasn't been registered to me, we can't figure out how, and I have seven Pokémon with me."
For a long while, Oak was silent; thinking. Ash was feigning patience, lightly scratching the purple and fuschia scales that covered the Poison type. The scales somewhat mocked him, like Poipole could have been a Dragon, but then the universe decided 'nah'.
"I'm both proud and disappointed, Ash, and I'm not even sure how I can feel both. You entered an extremely dangerous situation, but you planned it well. You took on criminals, but you did it to save lives. You did trespass, but you didn't try to avoid responsibility and instead did what was needed of you. You now have another extremely rare Pokémon and I'm frankly worried for your safety. I'm not sure how I'm supposed to react to all this. You're a child." Oak's voice wavered.
His eyes drifted down to observe the sleeping creature, a bemused look on his wrinkled face.
"As for the Poipole, here's what we're going to do. You're going to let me study it for a few days- hold on, before you argue, let me finish. During this time I'll officially register it with the League, because otherwise you'd never be able to use it in any gym battle or tournament. The League is already in the process but I can speed it along for this one Pokémon. I will need to get full body scans, analyze blood samples, get an idea of what is considered healthy range, and figure out the cellular basis for its degeneration when away from a radiation source.
"After, let's say… four days, I will return it to you, ball registered to your account. I will give you an extension, allowing you to carry seven Pokémon, with 'assisting research' as the reasoning. Do we have a deal?"
Ash gritted his teeth, but he knew this was more than he could have asked for. He hated being separated from his Pokémon, no matter the circumstance. He worried about Poipole's health, but knew Oak would send it back the moment he needed to. Sighing heavily, Ash nodded.
"I'm going to send back another of my Pokémon so it's not alone. Can I call you tomorrow before my flight?"
Oak's eyes had lost their hard glint by then and he nodded. "What time is your flight?"
"Not until 2:00. I'll leave for Heahea City around noon."
Bushy eyebrows furrowed. "Will that be enough time? The ferries aren't exactly fast."
Oh
Ash swallowed his Mareepish expression. "Right, I haven't told you. Hold on." Ash managed to dig out his Pokédex without waking Poipole and found the video of Styx's evolution and battle. He sent it to Oak and waited. The professor frowned, pulling his phone from his pocket. Ash got a front row seat to the expressions of Kanto's professor.
It was glorious, and a wave of pride flooded Ash's veins.
Oak was honest-to-Mew sputtering by the end. "How-what-when-why didn't you tell me?!" Ash shrugged.
"Forgot."
Oak wrinkled his nose. "At least tell me how long ago this was."
Ash counted in his head. "About three weeks ago." Oak groaned and Ash couldn't withhold a laugh. He got an incredulous look from the professor, probably not used to hearing him laugh of all things, but thankfully he didn't point it out. But it was hard to ignore Oak's shimmering eyes.
"This is incredible, Ash. You're going to go down in history for this feat alone. No one except the most skilled will know how to counter a full blown Hydreigon. Did you get hurt?" His eyes spared a single glance to the scar on Ash's cheek, but the trainer shook his head.
"No. But she was very overwhelmed and took it out on the Kommo-o. She was hostile towards me at first, but she calmed down surprisingly easily. We got some help from Elite Four Kahili for her flying. Going from zero to six wings is quite difficult."
Oak snorted. "I would imagine. I know better than to request you send her here, but I humbly ask you to stop by Pallet once you're back in Kanto so I can take a look. If that's okay with Styx, and obviously I'd let you be there through it all."
"I'll think about it, professor." Oak shrugged, figuring that was as good as he was going to get.
"Now, I must comment on your choice of hairstyle. Is this the rebellious phase I've been hearing so much about?" Oak laughed uproariously at Ash's expression, waving a hand. "I'm teasing, I do like the pink and violet. Anyway, Have you named this little one, yet?"
Ash looked down at Poipole. "No, not yet. I didn't want to throw too many new experiences at it too soon. Poipole is a new name already, so I was unsure about suggesting another one."
Oak nodded solemnly. "Understandable. Well, it's been a few days, and it might have noticed everyone else has a unique name." That made Ash a bit worried, he didn't want Poipole to feel left out.
"I'll think about it."
"Wonderful. One last question before I let you go. What are your plans for Unova?"
Ash brought a hand to his chin. "There are only two Pokémon I'm looking for there. It was three, but I don't need a Scraggy anymore since I got Libra…"
"Who's Libra?"
Ash blinked. "You don't track my catches?"
Oak shook his head. "No, I like when my sponsored trainers tell me the stories."
Ash smirked. "That Kommo-o made its daughter come with me."
His eyes bulged and he choked on his spit. "You caught a Totem Hakamo-o?"
"Yup!"
Oak dragged a hand down his face. "You're going to give me a heart attack."
Smiling, Ash didn't respond, just waited. Eventually, Oak got his composure back and bid Ash a good night and that he'd be awaiting his call. Ash leaned back as the screen went black and looked sadly down at Poipole. He knew it was best for Oak to have it there while he got all the legal stuff completed, but it still made Ash uncomfortable. He didn't want Poipole too far away.
Not after the things he's seen.
But knowing one of his teammates would be with the beast made it a bit easier to stomach. Though he had to figure out who to send back along with it.
He pushed the chair back and rose carefully. Exiting the office, he came face to face with Kukui. Ash blinked in surprise.
"School's over already?"
Kukui chuckled and nodded. "You must have been on the phone a long time."
"Hashing out the details around this little one." The Alola Professor nodded his head and gestured to Ash to follow him back downstairs.
"Dinner is almost ready. We're having a little farewell get together for you."
Ash pursed his lips to hide his unease. "You don't have to do that."
"Oh I know. But we all wanted to." The two walked out the back door and saw a couple Skulls setting up the same tables from last week's celebration. He waved at Haru and Missy as he passed by.
Both Kukui's and his own Pokémon were farther back, and Ash wasn't entirely sure why Kukui was leading him to them, but once again, he'd be patient.
"Professor, can you tell me about your Venusaur?"
If Kukui was startled by the question, he didn't show it. "He just… showed up here over 15 years ago."
"What?"
"Yeah, out of nowhere. It's like he Teleported here or something. He was waiting for me. Nothing I had to do, just listened to me without complaint and was a beast of a battler. Strongest Venusaur I've ever met, and that's including Koga's and Erika's. Don't know his origins, but he's as much a part of this family as anyone else."
Ash was amazed that Kukui just accepted it and moved on. Ash would have been kept awake by the unknown for years. Maybe the professor had been, and had figured he'd never know. "Have you ever seen a Pokémon with similar markings?"
Kukui nodded slowly. "Once. Flint of the Sinnoh Elite Four has a Charizard that is covered with dark blotchy stripes all over its body. That thing is a monster. I reached out to him after I saw it on TV. Same story as me, just showed up one day. Same exact day as mine. He wasn't even part of the Elite Four yet, just a teenager at the time."
How incredible. "Have you ever wondered?"
"Every day." The two were silent for a couple long moments, just watching their teams, their families. "I have something for you." Ash turned to him with a frown. "I'm sure you know, but I'm Champion-"
"I know." Ash had outright stated he knew, but he'd give Kukui a pass just this once.
"...Right. Anyway, I wanted to personally thank you, on behalf of Alola, for doing us a great service." He stuck a hand in his pocket and withdrew a folded envelope. Gesturing towards it, Kukui waited for Ash to open it.
Confirmation of Professor Koa Kukui's Sponsorship of Ashton Ketchum
Ash gaped.
He understood the value of something like this. This was more than a token of appreciation. This was a symbol. Much like how Professor Oak's sponsorship protected him, Kukui's would do even more. While the general population might not be aware of his Champion Status, higher up ULA officials would.
This was Kukui putting his name behind Ash. This was Kukui standing up for him.
It was invaluable, especially for someone in his position.
Ash's fist clenched around the letter, keeping his head bowed momentarily to reign in his emotions. "Thank you." It was quiet, but it was forceful. He could almost feel Kukui's smile.
Once again, they stood in silence. Kukui didn't seem to be in any rush to get back to the lab. Ash felt shifting in his arms and looked down to see Poipole blearily blink awake.
"Hey sleepy head." The UB yawned and wiggled a little, waving its arms in little circles. It blinked a few more times before looking more awake. It sat up and then levitated, stretching a bit more. "I have a question for you." Poipole turned glowing eyes on its trainer and tilted its head. "Do you want a name of your own? Mirae is an Eevee, but I named him Mirae to set him apart. All of my Pokémon have a name. Do you want one?"
He shouldn't have worried. Poipole cried out and spun happily and drifted closer, now very much in Ash's personal bubble. Tapping Poipole's scaly cheek, the Poison type giggled, but didn't back up.
"How do you feel about Nettle?" Poipole giggled but nodded, causing Ash to grin. "Alright, Nettle it is." The newly named Nettle immediately flew over to his other Pokémon to tell them the good news.
Ash snorted at some of their less than enthused reactions, but Nettle didn't seem to notice. He almost jumped from the hand that clapped his shoulder. Kukui was grinning widely at him, then gestured with his chin over to the main area.
He was hailed like a hero, everyone had bittersweet smiles on their faces, but made sure to celebrate Ash's last night in Alola.
Hau and Gladion were there, along with Plumeria, Duncan, Jinx, and June who had fully recovered. Haru and Missy and Tia and Aiko. Priscilla, Chetan, Kartik, Rose, and Tahno. Gwen, Mako, and Kai rounded out the last of the Skulls. Burnet stood off to the side with Lillie's friends from school; Lana, Mallow, Kiawe, and Sophocles.
This was all for him, and Ash realized this was his first party. Wow, how sad was that? He was being celebrated.
He didn't let the thought get him down, instead making the most of having all his friends and acquaintances in one place for the last time.
Ash laughed and joked and reveled in his experiences. He showed off his flower crown weaving skills, and soon Rose, Hau, and Mallow all had new head ornaments. If people were taken off-guard by that particular talent, they didn't mention it.
When the pale moon rose into the sky, he led everyone through the Clefairy Lunar Worship Dance he had learned so many years ago from a tiny Cleffa on a Ranch.
He couldn't help but notice how bright the moon was. How bright it had been for days. Brighter than he'd ever seen it before.
The group ended the dance in a circle, arms extended and thumbs curved and fingers arched towards the night sky. Chests were heaving from exertion, but smiles were on every face. The chill of the night air made hair stand on end, heat brushed away with the quiet breeze.
"The Moon." Kukui's voice broke the silence, the Alolan Professor staring up at the pale light. He had a solemn but wistful expression on his face, his eyes reflecting the soft light. Only the rustling of the palms made any sound. "Many of you were too young to remember, too young to remember the nobility of The Moon. How it glowed in the sky like silver, how it shifted and spun and influenced the Earth. How it danced with The Sun. How it wrapped Gravity around its wings."
The many teens shared looks of confusion. Others seemed familiar with the story, unquestioning poetic exaggerations like 'wings' and 'gravity'. The moon was just… there. A faded disc that hung in the sky.
But it glowed brighter in recent days.
Kukui's eyes darted to Ash.
"The Lunar Worship Dance used to be sacred to the Clefairy. Theories of its existence were whispered, but it had never been witnessed. But then The Moon faded. All those years ago, The Moon faded and it was secret no more. Clefairy all over the world danced whenever The Moon could be seen, and whenever it was too weak to shine. They danced and they shared the dance, and it was said they were desperate for their worship to return The Moon to its former splendor.
"The Kahunas gathered with their Guardians the day The Moon faded. They gathered the day the Great Wave ravaged the world. They gathered the day they felt the veil between our world and another tear."
Ash's heart thudded in his ears, an echo of ozone and weightlessness wrapping around him like a caress.
"They gathered once, and only once."
He looked up at The Moon and the stars no longer outshone it.
Ash squeezed his eyes shut and forced himself to press the 'confirm' button on the screen, and he watched helplessly as Nettle and Bane's Pokéballs disappeared. Oak didn't say anything, merely held up the two colorful capsules and gave Ash a reassuring look. Pressing his lips into a thin line, Ash nodded and bid the professor goodbye.
He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He felt naked without a full team on his belt.
Bane, in his easy going manner, had been the one to volunteer to spend a few days at Oak's Ranch. The fox had rolled his eyes when Ash shakily threatened not to slack on his training, but had nodded all the same.
Ash had barely had the time to appreciate Bane's evolution, though Oak would have the time to check him over.
It felt wrong to enter Bane's home region without him.
He wasn't as excited for Unova, seeing as the judgemental glares will come back full force. He had been in Alola for almost two months, and he was trying to limit his 'world travels' to eight.
He was a lot more interested in Kalos and Galar, and he'd heard Unova was very… loud, so he might limit the western region to a month. His visit would overlap with the Vertress Conference, so he'd hopefully be able to watch a few League matches.
So here he was, down to five Pokémon, and standing across from Kukui and Burnet with Styx posted behind him. Burnet had tears in her eyes from her goodbye with Nettle and Kukui's face was too still, belying his sorrow.
"Don't be a stranger. You have our numbers, and you're more than welcome to visit whenever you want. Be safe, no more challenging illegal organizations, alright?" Ash gave a slightly choked laugh at the professor's words. Shifting from foot to foot, Ash grasped his necklace, a new nervous tick. The golden beryl stone and Styx's fang both hung from the black chain.
He held out his hand in goodbye, but wasn't expecting Kukui to pull him in for a hug that Burnet quickly trapped him in. The weird warmth in his stomach was unfamiliar, and he was relieved when the two adults didn't fight him when he started to detach himself. He blinked away the unfamiliar stinging sensation in his eyes and quickly plastered a determined expression on his face.
"I'll keep in touch." He got twin soft smiles, and he looked away, tugged his pack higher on his back, and turned to mount Styx. She rumbled curiously at him, his scent alerting her to his distress, but he gently caressed her feather to ease her worries.
"Thank you for everything, Ash. Safe travels." Ash swallowed and nodded, giving one last wave to the couple before Styx pushed off her powerful legs and forced her wings down in a cascade. She shot for Akala island, leaving Ash time to revel in the curious mixture of excitement and regret.
He went through the motions in a haze, finding himself seated on the airplane in what felt like minutes. Four of Pokéballs had temporary locks on them that would disengage in either an emergency, or once they landed. There was a simple override button, but that wasn't included until after Team Rocket had stolen the tech.
That had been very, very bad.
Mirae, however, was curled up in his arms, fluffy collar bunched around his neck as he looked out the window.
Ash was lost in thought for a majority of the nine hour flight, his fingernails slowly dragging through Mirae's fur. At one point, he was mentally mapping out his trek through Unova. He could either fly in and out of Nimbasa, or he could take more time to explore by flying out of either Vertress City or Mistralton City.
He definitely wouldn't be able to see everything Unova has to offer in just a month, but if needed Styx could fly. It was her home region too, after all.
The sun was just peeking over the horizon when he finally got off the plane. Alola was five hours behind Unova, so it was 4:00am here causing Ash to rub his eyes and yawn. Mirae was returned, the Eevee not even waking up in the process.
Walking out of the airport, he looked around and hailed a cab. He grunted, "Pokémon center" and tried his best not to fall asleep in his seat.
There was a young nurse at the counter, and they exchanged a series of exhausted grunts before he had a card key in hand. He remembered to set an alarm so he wouldn't sleep the day away, and fell on top of the bed, passing out in seconds.
He woke to the blaring alarm, his Pokédex reading 10:00am. Five and a half hours of sleep was doable for one night. Quickly jumping into the shower and washing the airplane scent off himself, he made a note to make a hair appointment. The long black strands were practically touching his shoulders and his two dyed streaks were growing out. He liked them, so he'd get the dye job touched up.
Thinking back to the mumbled conversation with the nurse, he remembered he'd booked a room for three nights. There was a jarring weather change, Ash now needing his warmer clothes, Nimbasa being pretty north. He didn't need a thick jacket yet, luckily, his vest and long sleeve shirt were enough.
Ash would miss the warm beaches and the salt-infused air.
Breakfast had ended at this point, but lunch was just about to begin, so he hung out in the lobby, scanning the many, many attractions that the entertainment hub of Unova offered. Musicals and sports stadiums and a permanent carnival all made home in Nimbasa City. One particular brochure caught his eye; Battle Institute. He grabbed it and browsed, thinking this was perfect for all his Pokémon to get some good matches.
He kept skimming the brochure as the cafeteria opened for lunch. He ate and read, then released Hemlock to assist him with bowls.
The Morgrem stretched and grumbled, eying Ash mutinously. He's rarely left his Pokémon in their capsules that long.
A quick flick to the long, pointed nose elicited a complaining whine from the Devious Pokémon.
When the two walked outside, both grimaced.
Nimbasa was just as bad as Saffron, people everywhere. The space behind the Pokémon center wasn't too bad, but there were plenty of trainers hanging around. Many were probably trying to get the last of the required eight badges before the league started in three weeks. Deadlines usually closed two weeks before, so time was running out.
He got some glances, but nothing obvious. Well, until he released his Pokémon. The gasps and single scream made him grit his teeth, but he ignored it. He ignored the people that backed away, the ones that eyed him distrustfully, the ones that ran inside.
Instead, he greeted Styx, Libra, Sagitta, and Mirae, and made sure to thank Hemlock for his help. Mirae pressed up against Sagitta as he ate, trilling happily at Ash. Styx's gigantic bowl was almost comical.
Ash and Hemlock entertained themselves by tossing pellets into the two smaller mouths of Styx's heads. It was good training for her still developing motor system. The Morgrem had much better aim, and Ash had to make the walk of shame to pick up the missed pellets and try again.
No one approached, and he tried to disregard how silent the area was now. Libra was visibly unsettled, this being her first time outside of Alola, and probably first time around so many people. Her rattling scales were deafening in the silent area, though no one seemed to realize it was nervousness. Styx, however, was amused and decided to stand to her full height and yawn with all three heads, flashing dagger-sharp teeth.
Ash couldn't find it in himself to be too stressed. He loved that his Pokémon had senses of humor. Even if it was a bit twisted.
As soon as they were done, he stacked their bowls and motioned them in close. "We're going to have some good battles today, guys. Take the next five to ten minutes to warm up, get loose, and then we'll head over."
Ash didn't jump, but he was sure everyone else did, when Styx released a battle hungry screech. Everyone started going through their warm up routines, but a bit accelerated with how excited they were. They haven't had a good battle in a while, not in the week since Aether.
Refusing to look anyone in the eye, he adjusted a few of his teammates' forms and requested they slow down their dynamic stretches in some cases. Mirae was practically vibrating with the chance to finally battle seriously. He's battled a few trainers, but nothing too difficult. This was his chance.
It wasn't until his Pokémon were safely returned to their capsules that anyone came up to him. So much for bravery.
A brunette teen walked up and Ash immediately hated his face. It was pinched in a way that was meant to look confident, but just came out arrogant and constipated.
"Those were some impressive Pokémon. Up for a trade?" Even if Ash had lightened up in Alola, found friendship and acceptance, it didn't change who he was. And he didn't care for shitheads like this. So he stared. He didn't blink, he didn't speak, he didn't twitch, just stared.
The guy was growing increasingly uncomfortable, his squad of friends behind him shifting. "Well-" He coughed, trying to hide the squeak in his voice "-fine, whatever." He turned and walked away a bit too quickly to be casual. Ash hid his smirk, but internally, he was laughing.
Sometimes creepy red eyes come in handy.
Pulling out his Pokédex, he followed the map to find the Battle Institute. The institute had a couple options, he read, and some people made it their living to challenge it. He could do the challenge, where he could have five 3-on-3 battles and if he won them all, he got a cash prize. Or he could just request battles, like the various Battle Clubs around the region.
The city was grating on his nerves by the time he reached the correct building. He missed Alola already. There was a calmness to the island region, a sense of peace and community that he had greatly appreciated.
The woman manning the front desk looked battle-ready, and she lifted her gaze and gave a wide grin. "Welcome to the Battle Institute! Are you registered with us?"
Ash shook his head. "Just flew in this morning."
"Wow, you don't waste time! Let me see your Pokédex… alright awesome. So what kind of battle are you looking for today? Are you interested in the challenge?"
"No, I'm just looking for some good battles. I have five Pokémon that range in experience. One is only two and half months old." The girl made an understanding hum and scrolled through her computer.
"How about… Here! I have a four-badge opponent looking for a three-on-three, each round both release a new Pokémon, that work?" Ash raised an eyebrow at her. Did she really think the average 3-month old Pokémon could hold its own against a four-badge trainer? Nevertheless, it would be a good experience for Mirae, so he nodded. "You're in field 4A, good luck!"
Four badges meant this trainer was strong and had to have passable strategies to get that far. Maybe someone could get 1-2 badges with dumb luck, but more than that? You had to have decent talent.
In most ULA regions, five badges meant you could be called in to help with nearby predicaments, be it poachers, Pokémon unrest, or general crime. Five badges meant you were strong enough to protect yourself from most threats. Four badges would be no joke.
Styx would still be overkill. He'd make sure his next battle was against a tougher opponent.
When he entered through the sliding doors, his opponent was already there, brandishing a Great Ball. The teen was in a red track suit with longish brown hair. He had an enthusiastic grin on his face.
"Hey, man, I'm Tyler! Let's have a good battle."
Ash raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, let's."
The timer on the clock counted down from 3, and both released their Pokémon. Mirae stood across from a hovering Swoobat, heart-shaped nose flaring. Alright, he could work with that.
"Light Screen and Reflect!"
"Clone, venom." Mirae split into six clones, and Ash was proud of how much progress he'd made with the move. Multiple Eevee darted around the field, the Swoobat's head swiveling around trying to pinpoint the correct one.
Swoobat had passable Psychic abilities, but it seemed unable to pick out the true Mirae in the hoard.
When Mirae jumped to deliver Toxic, the bat was much faster than he'd expected. A wave of Psychic launched the Eevee back, but he had been working with Bane, and so the Normal type righted himself midair and immediately dove back into the fray of his many clones.
This time, Mirae learned. Another Eevee launched itself at Swoobat, but when the wave of Psychic met it, it dissipated. The real Mirae jumped the moment the wave of energy ran its course, and a glob of poison was hacked up right into the Psychic and Flying type's face.
Swoobat shrieked and twitched midair, shaking its head. Mirae, without being told, fired off a few Swifts, but they battered harmlessly against the Light Screen.
Ash frowned. They could either waste precious energy on breaking the barriers down, or they could be patient.
"Hyper Voice, then Dig." Swoobat's sensitive ears were battered by the scream, as were Tyler's, so even when Mirae sank below the field, it would take them at least a little time to notice.
Swoobat was angry at this point, and started firing Air Cutters and Air Slashes at all the Eevees running around the field. 'Yes, please keep wasting your energy'.
Every time the target turned out to be a clone, Swoobat got angrier and Tyler got a little less amiable.
The timing couldn't have been more perfect. Just as Swoobat targeted the final clone, the barriers around it wavered.
"Now." Mirae burst from the ground, Shadow Ball ready and charged. Crying out, the Swoobat barely caught itself before slamming into the field.
Mirae didn't let up, black fangs bared as he ran towards his downed opponent.
But the Swoobat proved resilient.
Psyshock tore up the ground, throwing Mirae back. The Eevee skidded against the ground, his creamy fur caked in dirt and small patches torn out. Air Cutter carved into the ground around the small kit, Mirae having just enough awareness to release a smattering of Swift to give himself the chance to run with Quick Attack.
But he ran right towards the battered, bruised, and angry Swoobat.
"Use Heat Wave!"
"Dig!"
"Aim!"
Dammit. The Swoobat had more control than expected, and aimed the blast of heated air right into the hole, scorching Eevee before he could burst out. Mirae pulled himself out of the ground, fur singed, but he hung on.
Barely.
With a surprisingly feral growl, three Shadow Balls were released in quick succession, followed by a host of stars. Air Cutter tore through most, but one slipped through.
One Ghostly and unstable sphere of energy.
Swoobat was returned in a glow of red light. Mirae was shaking where he stood, but limped back over to Ash. Scooping up the Evolution Pokémon, he smiled.
"You were absolutely incredible. You just defeated an experienced opponent, I'm so proud of you." Mirae trilled softly, pushing his head up beneath Ash's chin. "Do you want to stay out and watch or be returned?" Mirae yawned and gestured to his Pokéball. Noting Tyler was ready, Ash swapped out for the Luxury ball.
"That is one strong Eevee! Now, let's go round two!" Tyler's good cheer was back, apparently.
Sagitta fluttered in the air, grinning madly, as she tends to do. Across from her, an Amoonguss. Ooh this would be a good one.
"Safeguard!"
"Aw man, use Seed Bomb!"
"Dodge, then Air Cutter." Sagitta zipped around the grassy projectiles, her flying improving leaps and bounds since she was caught. Her wings glowed an airy blue and soon blades of wind were slamming into Amoonguss' hide. Ash pursed his lips at its defenses when it barely flinched.
"Ingrain, Growth, Sunny Day!" Ash was impressed, he thought Tyler would have only had his status condition strategy, but he was mistaken.
"Yawn" The Amoonguss was well trained, able to finish two of the three commands simultaneously by the time Yawn's energy struck it. Even still, fighting heavy eyes and slices of air, Amoonguss released the artificial sun. Despite Tyler's shouts, eyes soon fell shut. Ingrain was still healing the damage from the Air Cutters, but Ash could work with that.
"Let's try Metronome." The Togetic trilled happily and started wiggling her fingers. Ash almost stumbled back when a huge flaming whip, made stronger with Sunny Day, slammed into the Grass and Poison type, wrapping around one mushroomed arm and dragging it in, straining the Ingrain.
That went better than he'd hoped.
"Sleep Talk!"
Sagitta took the full brunt of the Solar Beam, breast feathers smoking and blackened. Her pained eyes narrowed and she didn't hesitate to belch out a stream of flame, Incinerate (courtesy of Bane) leaving a layer of charred tissue behind and destroying the remaining Ingrain.
"Sleep Talk!"
Sagitta was ready this time. Protect blocked the potentially painful Sludge Bomb, another Air Cutter slashing at Amoonguss, causing it to flinch even in sleep.
"Air Cutter, Incinerate if needed." Grinning devilishly, Sagitta flung arcs of Flying energy at the slowly waking mushroom. Just as a swell of flames were heading for it, a Solar Beam tore through it and caught the Togetic by the wing.
Sagitta went careening towards the ground, and was immediately met with a Stomping Tantrum, only possible without Ingrain. Luckily, she was able to kick off the ground to throw herself a few inches up, but she still took the initial brunt of the Ground type attack.
"Double Team." The Togetic cheered, flying up and around, clones targeting the Grass and Poison type.
"Stop with the Double Team! Seed Bomb!"
"Spinning Air Cutter!" Sagitta hesitated for just a moment before she threw herself into a spiral, losing some altitude but the whirlwind forming an offensive cocoon around her. Her clones did not survive, but she did, Air Cutters destroying every Seed Bomb that neared her. The explosions threatened to destabilize the cocoon of wind, Sagitta's flight growing turbulent, but she made it through.
She didn't need him to tell her what to do. Sagitta didn't slow down, didn't change her trajectory, instead colliding in a blast of wind with Amoonguss.
A plume of spores and wind and dust exploded outward, and soon Sagitta was flung from the debris, catching herself mere feet from the ground, coughing. A purple tinge was crawling up her throat. The cloud was settling and Ash could see the Mushroom Pokémon shifting.
"Arrow! Finish it!" Sagitta cried out, short arms held aloft, rocky spines detaching from the ground. The spears struck Amoonguss dead on, and it finally stayed down. Like Mirae before her, Sagitta floated over weakly, head held high. Ash smiled and smoothed down a few of her charred feathers.
"We'll get you all cleaned up later." She chirped tiredly and Ash handed her a pecha berry to eat before returning her to the stasis her Luxury ball offered her. He looked up at Tyler, surprised to see him still in the trainer box.
"I know you won, but want to still get that last battle?" Ash smirked and readied Hemlock's ball. The Morgrem danced upon release, 'hair' swaying a little too unnaturally behind him. Ash clenched his fist in anticipation when the second fastest Bug type of all time materialized on the field. He wasn't sure how a Pokémon that looked like a mummy could be so damn speedy, but Accelgor was.
"Keep it still!" Hemlock's palms came together in a mighty clap that shocked the Accelgor enough to make it pause for a moment. Taking advantage, the Morgrem put his acting skills to use and started 'flattering' the Bug. Anything to keep it from utilizing its speed to the fullest.
Tyler was practically ripping his hair out when his Pokémon began swaying and almost tripped over itself.
Hemlock was a blur, his speed improving by leaps and bounds since he was a little Impidimp. But so has his smarts. Thunder Punch after Thunder Punch rained down, as many as he could, and when he saw Accelgor's clarity come back, Hemlock dashed back to Ash's side of the field.
They paused and watched, and when the Bug's movements seemed just a tad stiffer, they grinned with satisfaction. Slight paralysis was good enough.
"Toxic Spikes, Bug Buzz!"
Fuck Ash had to stop forgetting Tyler managed to get four badges. The trainer hadn't been all that impressive thus far, but it was Ash's fault for underestimating him.
The Accelgor wasn't nearly at its normal speed, but the poisoned traps spread across the field, and the horrific buzzing kept Hemlock from interfering.
"Double Team!"
Ash sighed, but with how much he utilized the cloning move of course he knew how to counter it.
"Feint, then Burn." Hemlock's foreboding chuckle faded into a pit of black. Ash didn't know how Feint Attack worked, but he was glad it did. Somehow Accelgor was found within its clones. The Bug type weathered the first attack well, but not the second. The blast of flame from Burning Jealousy did not do the Pokémon any favors.
"Rain Dance!"
"Stop them!" Accelgor endured the attacks, fighting the paralysis and the minute the first drops of water struck Accelgor, it disappeared.
Hydration heals status conditions.
Hemlock cried out when he was knocked into a poisonous spike.
Tick Tock Tick Tock.
"Protect." The Bug's speed could, sometimes, work against it. The thud from striking the barrier even made Ash wince in sympathy. Hemlock's eyes were burning as he suffused his limbs with Fairy energy and threw himself at the Bug with Play Rough. Bands of membrane were ripped off, leaving exposed thin flesh. Before it could get away, Burning Jealousy seared its exposed hide, despite the rain.
Hemlock flinched from the poison coursing through his body, giving Accelgor time to bowl him over with a particularly nasty Sludge Bomb. But his Devious Pokémon was nothing if not stubborn, and so he pulled himself to his shaking legs and darkness exploded.
Not even Accelgor could escape the overpowered Dark Pulse, and it went flying. The soaked membrane conducted electricity awfully well, it would be a shame not to exploit it. The two collided once more, Thunder Punch meeting Double Edge in a final all-out attack.
Both Accelgor and Hemlock were shaking uncontrollably from exhaustion at this point. The two stared each other down, neither wanting to give an inch. But then Accelgor shivered and Hemlock flinched and both collapsed.
Raising his painted Pokéball, Ash returned his teammate and whispered words of congratulations to the ball before pocketing it. The opponents walked around the side of the field to clasp hands.
"You're really good, man. Grace was my starter, and she doesn't lose easily. You took away her speed and that definitely tripped us up. Thanks for the great battle."
"You too." Tyler huffed a laugh at his less than excited response, but didn't look offended. Ash didn't bother waiting to see if they would walk together, instead turning on his heel and making his way out of the room. There was a quick healing machine, but Ash felt all three had pretty intense battles, so he held off.
Walking back to the counter, he unconsciously dragged his fingers over the Ultra and Dusk balls on his belt.
Time for something a little more destructive.
"How'd it go?" Ash gave a single nod and the woman laughed, not needing anything else. "That well? What are you looking for next?"
Ash tilted his head side to side as he thought. "I have two Pokémon that need a challenge. One is a Pseudo-Legend, the other is a pre-evolution of one."
The woman went silent and blinked. "Ah. Alright… uh how old did you say you were?" Ash glared, but he understood her shock.
Pseudo-Legends are rare. Extremely rare. If a trainer showed up at a League with a Pokémon from a Pseudo-Legend line, they gained the scrutiny of the audience immediately. A base-stage Pseudo-Legend proved a trainer was daring, clever, and persistent, because the Pokémon had to be caught from under their mother's watchful and protective gaze.
A first-stage was even more impressive, no matter if it was evolved or caught. Evolving a base-stage took lots of patience, and catching one took tenacity.
But a fully evolved Pseudo-Legend?
That's where the name comes in.
Their rarity and strength have been known to go toe-to-toe with the lesser Legends. There was an old Kantonian Legend that spoke of the first Pseudo-Legend.
A woman had been exiled from her village, a fishing town in the Sevii Islands, for she was too brash, too bold, too hungry. She fought every man, every soldier who dared come through her home and demand provisions like it was their right.
But she was forced away by order of the Lord of the village. Her father.
Braving the dangerous wilds, the tumultuous seas, the untamed storms of ancient Kanto, she stumbled upon a tiny serpent; weak and small but just as hungry as she.
They grew together, learning how to survive in a world that wanted them dead. A world that said they were too brash, too bold, too hungry. The serpent, lovingly called Nakama, grew in length, in strength, in ferocity.
And when news reached their ears of a living Heatwave raining down infernal fire on the woman's old home, they did not hesitate.
By her side, a magnificent golden winged beast clashed with the Heatwave, a phoenix, in a historical, mighty battle. Winds so heated, so dry, flesh threatened to flake from bone and muscle. Dragon fire so violent, it crackled with the force of lightning. So mighty it was, the phoenix was forced to plunge into the depths of Mt. Ember, where it is said to rest still, recovering from the conflict all these years later.
The woman and her companion were not welcome home by the village she saved, her father turning her away. For she was still too brash, too bold, too hungry. But she had Nakama. They were hungry together.
She knew her power, knew her companion had achieved the strength of the gods her people feared.
Thus Pseumma and Nakama discovered the potential of Dragonite, and the renown of Pseudo-Legends has spread far and wide. More Pokémon have been added, one of these terrifyingly capable creatures discovered in each region, as if they were the link between the gods and the mortals.
To train a Pokémon to the fully evolved Pseudo-Legend is said to be the highest accomplishment in a trainer's career. It took more than just battling, more than just time and dedication and tough battles.
It took a blessing of the Legends to achieve that power.
Of course that was just the existing superstition born of the story. There were many people that had fully evolved Pseudo-Legends, all of them holding a position of power in the world. But it took years for a second-stage Pokémon to build the energy required to evolve for the last time.
Cynthia Shirona still had a Gabite when she won the Sinnoh League. Lance had to venture into the depths of Mt Ember with his Dragonair, and he departed with his famed Dragonite a week before his attempt at the Champion title. Steven Stone's starter was Beldum and it took him nine years before he had his Metagross.
That's all to say, trainers were idolized if they had a fully evolved Pseudo-Legend.
Sure, it was possible to catch one in the wild, but only for those who already had one, or if they ganged up on the Pokémon but then you would never win their loyalty.
So yes, Ash understood the woman's astonishment.
"Geez no need to glare! Okay I have a seven-badger here, but four-on-four. Feeling confident?" Ash bared his teeth in an approximation of a grin. She hid her shiver well.
Walking to his new field, Ash was exhilarated. Libra would get the chance to showcase her strength.
The girl across the field had a haughty grin on her face. Berry-colored hair, teal eyes, she looked relatively normal. "Ready to get your ass kicked?" Ash merely raised an eyebrow, not responding to the jab. The girl harrumphed. "Just so you know, you're about to lose to Georgia, certified Dragon Buster and aspiring Luster Trainer!"
Oh this was too perfect.
"Really? I'm an aspiring Dragon trainer. Let's see how you live up to your… certification in practice." Her eyes blazed at his audacity, and he couldn't help but chuckle lowly.
"I'm going to make you eat your words! Come on out, Beartic!"
"Libra."
Ash reveled in her stunned step back, Libra's roar of challenge declaring her passion. Her scales made the Ice type bring two giant paws up to its ears in discomfort. Beartic was tall, and a normal Hakamo-o would hardly reach its stomach.
Libra could stare it dead in the eye.
"Dragon Dance."
"Icicle Crash!"
"Iron Defense." Ash was humble enough to appreciate Beartic's strength. The icicles were formed quickly and expertly, launched powerfully, and the aim was true. With steel-coated arms, Libra shattered the projectiles, giving her the time she needed to enact her new technique.
The violet energy surrounded her within milliseconds and ringing scales echoed as she moved gracefully, muscles becoming infused with energy to improve speed and power.
Libra released a barely audible grunt as the Icicle Crash came to an end, a few dented and cracked scales decorating her arms. Ash pursed his lips, realizing Libra needed a long range technique.
Georgia's jaw jumped with how hard she grit her teeth. "Aqua Jet!"
"Thunder Punch."
Beartic exploded from a wave of water, zigzagging across the field. Libra braced herself, eyes tracking her speedy opponent.
Until she couldn't.
Libra snarled as Beartic slammed into her back, knocking her forward before the Ice type darted away. Ash narrowed his eyes, counting down in his head until…
"Right!"
Spinning to the right, Thunder Punch slammed into the approaching opponent. Beartic roared as volts of electricity locked its muscles. Aqua Jet crashed to the ground with a splash, leaving a twitching but quickly recovering Freezing Pokémon. It jumped to its feet just as Libra closed the distance.
"Ice Slash!"
"Bide!" Libra roared her dissent, but did as he asked. Arms up to protect her face, the Hakamo-o weathered the ice-tipped claws that tore at her scales, cracking and tearing them. All the while, she glowed a faint white.
"Endure!" Beartic was launched. It struck the ground, bouncing and rolling until it came to a stop. Fur was shredded, bruises were forming, but still the Ice type pulled itself up.
Libra wasn't in much better shape, many of the protective scales covering her arms were useless at this point. But her eyes were glowing with the challenge, the Dragon side of her only urging her on.
"Avalanche!"
"Autotomize!" Libra roared to the ceiling as scales fell from her body like shattered glass, and then she moved.
Tonnes of snow and ice tried to trap her, falling in concussive heaps that she escaped by the skin of her teeth. Her motions were quiet, belying how many scales she truly lost, but her tail was more than enough.
Every clang and crash of her tail echoed around the battlefield, doing its best to disrupt Beartic's focus. When she got close enough, the cacophony made the Ice type flinch.
"Sky Uppercut!"
Even Ash winced when the Fighting technique wrenched the Freezing Pokémon's head back. Beartic stumbled, one large palm slapping the ground to catch itself.
Libra didn't stop there.
Eyes gleaming, face set in a snarl, her fists flew. Beartic's head was thrown right, left, then up, Sky Uppercut pummeling the mammal with vicious ferocity.
But Beartic was trained well.
Aqua Jet exploded around it, forcing Libra back. Darting away from the brutal Hakamo-o, Beartic banked, coming back around.
"Play!"
The water turned a dark pink and Ash paled.
"PROTECT!"
A green dome of energy appeared in front of her just as Beartic slammed into it. Libra roared as the dome cracked, eyes clenched in exertion, the Fairy energy inches away from her. The Aqua Jet kept Beartic in the air, forcing the Water and Fairy attack on the Hakamo-o.
"Divert and unleash!"
Red eyes burning with hostility flashed open, and the next sequence happened in slow motion. The Protect moved, forced to the left with Beartic going with it, then it flickered and faded. The Ice type slammed into Libra's forearm, eliciting an agonized roar.
But then orange flared to life.
The Beartic only had a moment for its eyes to widen before Counter slammed into it.
The already battered and bruised Beartic didn't stand a chance. The Freezing Pokémon was returned in a burst of red light, and Libra sagged, panting with exhaustion.
Georgia glared and Libra huffed. The arrogant teen wasn't so arrogant anymore. She was biting the inside of her cheek with undisguised uncertainty. But then her eyes hardened and she launched her next Pokéball.
Ash internally scowled at one of the more agreeable Fairy types.
Gardevoir tiptoed in place, eyeing the Totem with disdain. Libra was at a huge disadvantage. But when his Hakamo-o turned her head slightly to glance at him, he only let his trust and determination shine in his eyes.
She was on her last legs, but even still, she roared in challenge, not knowing the meaning of the word 'surrender'. Dragon Dance was still alight in her veins, but another one rushed over her body in preparation.
"Moonblast!"
"Drop." Ash had to block his eyes when the strongest Fairy attack flew over Libra's head, kicking up wind and debris.
His teammate had just gotten back to her feet when she froze.
Gardevoir's eyes were alight with psionic power, and Libra was trapped.
She was returned before the Moonblast could connect.
Ignoring Georgia's smirk of victory, Ash held the Ultra ball up to his lips to whisper his thanks. It was an unfavorable match up, but one they would overcome some day.
Exhaling slowly, he unclipped the singular Dusk ball on his belt. This would be risky, but he had full faith.
With a burst of light, Styx landed on the field, Gardevoir stumbling slightly from the tremor her entrance elicited.
The other teen's reaction was 10x more satisfying this time around. Her already pale complexion drained to white like a switch had been flipped. A scream looked to be lodged in her throat when she came face to face with three reptilian heads, glare zeroed in on her, rather than her Pokémon.
"Ready for some fun, Styx?" The Hydreigon's roar was worse than other Dragons. Most Dragons had a very basic roar; low, powerful, and rumbling like a crumbling cliffside.
But a Hydreigon? It was a piercing, demonic scream that targeted the amygdala with deadly precision, triggering the primitive, innate fear response that told the brain to run. Lungs seized and time slowed to take in every detail.
Ash watched as this basic response froze Georgia in place. It was almost unfair, because Styx didn't even have Intimidate as an official ability. Did this count as cheating? He didn't really care either way.
If she wouldn't attack, he would.
"Hyper Voice."
The thing about Teleport was that it took every ounce of focus to pull off and even more energy. It wasn't like Ghosts going intangible, they weren't truly part of this world, so intangibility to Ghosts was like swimming to a Water type. Teleport needed full concentration to take the user's entire being through space.
So when Hyper Voice attacked Gardevoir's auditory canals, she had some trouble dodging. Iron Tail slammed into the Psychic and Fairy type with bone-breaking force.
'Her arm shouldn't bend that way.' He thought idly.
But once again, Georgia proved why she earned her seven badges.
Psychic tore up the field and slammed huge chunks of stone into Styx, legitimately pushing her back, deep gouges left in the earth from her claws. Ash could see every muscle of her body was clenched to keep herself upright.
Getting her two extra heads under control was a work in progress, but eventually both got the memo to fire concentrated Dragon Pulses that destroyed the rocks mere feet from Styx's body.
When Georgia tried to slip a Moonblast in there, Ash was able to give ample warning.
"Slam!" Iron Tail struck the field with enough power to mimic a small Magnitude attack, but Gardevoir just Teleported before it could distract it.
Then, the volley began.
Moonblasts struck from every angle, until Styx was forced into the air and ignited Dragon Dance to dodge the Fairy attacks.
'We need to disrupt Teleport.' Ash nodded to himself.
"Dark Pulse, Crash, Radiate!" After two and half years together, Styx knew how to interpret his commands.
Tipping forward, she fell to the battlefield, glowing with inky blackness. Upon impact, the field crumpled as a wave of Darkness spread in a quick wave.
Gardevoir flickered for just a moment.
Hyper Voice dropped the Embrace Pokémon to its knees, giving Styx the opening she needed.
Crunch was just sinking into its frail body when Georgia returned it.
Try as he might, Ash released a disbelieving huff.
Styx, a Dark and Dragon just took down a seventh-badge level Fairy type.
One of her smaller heads turned and saw him beaming, and a second later Styx turned and smugly growled.
Georgia looked like she was about to have an aneurysm with how red her face was. Her nose was wrinkled with distaste, but she released her third Pokémon.
Alolan Sandslash sharpened its ice claws against each other, making Ash want to squirm with the noise.
"Tri Attack." Mew, he loved this move. Although it was classified as a Normal attack, it was technically Ice, Fire, and Electric. Not to mention it was incredibly hard to teach. Being able to simultaneously call upon three different types of energy? Not simple. But Styx had a head start.
The Sandslash rolled up into a Gyro Ball without its trainer's input, but the thing about Gyro Ball is that you can't see where you're going. The Fire energy struck it first, launching it back towards its trainer. Ice hit next, merely making it stumble. Electric connected last, taking hold of its muscles for a few seconds.
Long enough for Georgia to wrangle her anger to more manageable levels.
"Dig!"
Ash ignored the disappearing Alolan variant, instead… "Iron Tail." He'd eventually teach Styx Earthquake, but until then, this was a usable work around. Her strength was nothing to overlook, and every time her tail struck the field, it sent waves of vibration that eventually forced Sandslash to the surface. Styx didn't need his call to fire a dense Dragon Pulse at the airborne Pokémon. Ash frowned when a Swift destabilized the chaotic Dragon energy before it hit its target.
"Focus Blast!"
Styx snarled loudly when the quickly charged Fighting attack struck her chest. The Sandslash had its claws brandished in anticipation. The Hydreigon screamed and charged, the Hyper Voice doing its job and sending the Alolan variant to its knees. The Iron Tail that struck its back broke off some of the icy spines with a sharp crack.
His starter grimaced, her tail probably throbbing, but she didn't pause long before her easily accessible darkness threw Sandslash on to its somewhat flatter back.
"Steel Beam!"
Ash couldn't stop his jerk when the very powerful Steel attack slammed into Styx. She was propelled high into the air, but her six wings caught her before she had even started to descend. She was seething, he could tell from her twitching tail.
But she kept control.
"Good job, Sylvia! Blizzard!" Ash pursed his lips, not calling a command. Styx was so high up, the powerful Ice attack could be avoided or countered.
The Hydreigon waited, then dove beneath the wave, but then just kept falling. The Sandslash scrambled backwards, seeing the rapidly descending Dragon. Georgia called for another Steel Beam, another Blizzard, another Focus Blast, but the Dragon energy enveloping Styx was fueled by so much burning hostility that the attacks merely grazed her.
The resulting explosion made Ash give a small grin.
From the plume of dirt and debris, Styx shot up, wings projecting her vertically. Living up to her classification as the Brutal Pokémon, she charged one last Tri Attack just as the dust was settling. Not like she needed to see for her aim to be true.
Sylvia didn't get up.
Ash's eyebrows almost touched his hairline upon seeing the defeat written in Georgia's frame. He soon found himself smirking in approval when she braced her shoulders and released her last Pokémon, Styx waiting eagerly for her next opponent.
Vanilluxe materialized a few feet above the ground. "You're the last one, Aspen! Ice Beam!"
"Iron Tail, get close." Styx flipped, her tail slicing through the Ice attack, her wings beating furiously to close the distance.
"Blizzard!"
Ash didn't have to wait to see the result. Styx chose a nice triple Fire Fang that latched onto the ice cream cone, but she didn't have a plan for the Blizzard. His starter keened as the powerful attack dislodged her from her prey. Three forked tongues flicked out with agitation, feathers glistening with ice crystals that sent shivers through her bulky figure.
"Ice Beam, spin."
"Hyper Voice."
"Shit, Acid Armor!" Risky, but with the frigid air from multiple Ice attacks, Vanilluxe wouldn't have an issue reforming after literally liquifying itself.
The Hyper Voice was aborted immediately, Styx knew better than to waste energy on a useless endeavor. Instead, she fired Dragon Pulses at the puddle on the ground. Georgia's face scrunched up, unable to call for an attack while her Pokémon was like this.
The cold air finally kicked in and Vanilluxe reformed within a few seconds. Styx didn't give it much reprieve. The Tri Attack slammed into the newly solidified Snowstorm Pokémon. Ash grinned wickedly when the Ice type flinched with a burn. Its Ice Body ability would be at half power in the frigid air, so it would cancel out the lost energy, but it could still feel the pain.
"Frost Breath, then Weather Ball!" Styx seized up slightly on the fringes of the Ice attack, baring her teeth through the shivers and biting down on the Weather Ball with a mouth full of flame.
Huh, that's one way to do it.
Ash could tell his starter was getting fed up with the cold. He could also see it slowing her down.
"Distract, end it." Screaming in fear from Scary Face, Vanilluxe spasmed midair, heedless to Georgia's calls. Like a streaming torpedo, Styx allowed her bulk to fall to the field, using her downward momentum to amplify her attack. Iron Tail struck the Ice type at an angle, right where two heads fused.
Aspen was thrown into the ground from the force of the blow, a crater formed from its body. Georgia's eyes gazed dazedly at her last Pokémon.
Styx braced herself and released her wicked roar, victory written in every tired line of her body.
His face felt like it would split with the force of his smile as Styx stomped over to him.
When he had first gotten her as a moody Zweilous, Professor Oak had sat him down, expression serious, and showed him a video. The video displayed a Hydreigon, the only one to ever be in captivity, taking down a Steelix. But, even after the enormous snake was unable to fight any longer, the Hydreigon didn't stop. Didn't stop until the Steel snake would never rise again.
Oak had shown this to thirteen-year-old Ash, unsympathetic of his despair, for one reason: Hydreigon were dangerous, ruthless, unstoppable forces that could and would kill. Ash was now on the path to helping a Zweilous evolve into one of those monsters. He had to be ready. He had to be proactive. He had to be an immovable object to counter the unstoppable force.
And as Styx's heads 'lightly' bumped his chest and tousled his hair, he couldn't help but hold his arms around her neck tighter than necessary.
Took me until today to get WiFi.
We say goodbye to Alola and hello to Unova.
With Ash back in one of the main 5 regions, he's going to get more bias than in Alola.
Refresher:
Styx - Hydreigon
Hemlock - Morgrem
Bane - Zoroark
Mirae - Eevee
Sagitta - Togetic
Libra - Hakamo-o
Nettle - Poipole