Some graphic depictions of violence at the end of this chapter
Ash crossed his arms and leaned against the wall, waiting for his Pokémon to be healed. There was lingering epinephrine pounding through his bloodstream after the debacle from the gym.
The wounds in Styx's chest would take some healing, and he was sure the pain had driven her to her rampage, but it had still been terrifying. Styx had never had an injury that severe; pain was a good teacher, unfortunately.
Dragging a hand down his face, he sighed. Honestly, with being a Chaos Trainer, he expected so many more difficulties with his team; disobedience, violence, unwavering aggression (to name a few). He was unbelievably lucky to have avoided the pitfalls that caught most trainers.
It brought him some measure of comfort that Styx wouldn't hurt him. He could at least count on that.
Shaking his hands, he made his way to the counter to get his four Pokémon. Each had been pretty banged up in various ways, but medicine has come a long way over the years. Clipping the Pokéballs to his belt, Ash thought about what to do today. He had bought a ferry ticket to Virbank that leaves in the morning, but today he had nothing.
His skin was still itching with the paranoia from earlier. The notion that something slimy slunk through the city. It had Ash feeling so much more off-balance than normal.
He decided on a walk. His Unova journey so far had really just been a bunch of spontaneous last minute decisions and no actual planning, so he'd use this time to make a schedule, think about how long he'd actually stay in the western region.
That's how his hours passed. Ash's feet took him to the piers, then down Castelia Street, Central Plaza, then Mode Street. Grabbing a small casteliacone, he stopped to watch a few street performers dance with their Maractus and Mienfoo.
Ash moved to walk away when something pricked at his ears, something cold creeping up his spine. Turning slightly, he saw a dark and shadowed alleyway.
Narrow Street
A figure stood in the mouth of the alley, familiar dead eyes and wispy hair sending a shiver of familiarity rippling across his flesh.
Ash pushed through the crowds, earning glares and insults, but his eyes were locked on empty blue ones. The other boy- teenager, came into view the closer Ash got. By now, he had to admit to himself that this… ghost, was following him.
Kanto, Alola, and now Unova.
His curiosity had always been a weakness and so despite his better judgment, he approached.
When Ash was close, the teen's expression changed for the first time.
A sad smile.
Then he stepped back into the shadows, and Ash ran to catch up.
"Hey! Stop!" He saw the teen disappear around a corner, so Ash followed.
Turning the corner, he was almost sent sprawling when something plowed into him. Catching himself with a forearm on the grimy wall, he looked up in time to catch the eyes of someone new.
Vile eyes met his own, bedraggled hair hidden beneath a black cap. The last thing he processed before the man bolted was a large, glaring rainbow R on his chest.
Knees buckling, Ash barely caught his fall a second time. He rubbed his eyes with shaking hands.
No, no that… that wasn't what he saw.
Couldn't be.
Mind playing tricks.
It's been almost 16 years, there was no way.
They weren't back. Couldn't be.
He wasn't sure how long he stayed braced against the alleyway, breaths shallow and rapid and panicked. But he was eventually broken from his swirling thoughts by the sound of fighting. Dull thumps of boots hitting dead weight.
Eyes hardening, Ash fully turned the corner.
He couldn't see much at first due to the veritable wall of bodies surrounding what must have been their victim. The four figures, shady and filthy, were all kicking something on the ground.
Call him whatever, but he couldn't think of many things that deserved that.
So he did what he thought was right, and that was to release Libra.
The Hakamo-o landed heavily and didn't even need to be told to roar. The gasps and shrieks were music to Ash's oversensitive ears. The four assholes, two guys and two girls, didn't hesitate to flee deeper into the alley.
Libra harrumphed and relaxed her stance, head tilting to the side when she caught sight of the victim. Ash peered around her to look and paled.
'Fuck'
There, curled up and shivering pitifully with blood and bruises littering its body, was a Houndour.
The thing looked pathetic, whimpering with its eyes squeezed shut. A broken Pokéball was in pieces a few feet away. Libra leaned close and sniffed, eyes darting to Ash with expectation. She didn't truly understand what this meant. Didn't understand why Ash was hesitating to help.
Ash cursed again under his breath, shifting his feet in uncertainty. He really should just leave, forget about the tabooed Pokémon; act like he wouldn't see a dying puppy in his nightmares tonight.
He's never been good at doing as expected.
Groaning and looking to the sky, Ash mentally smacked himself, knowing this was going to end up biting him in the ass.
Libra was still watching the injured canine with interest when Ash walked over with a blanket he'd have to throw out after this. As gently as he could (which still elicited some whines), he wrapped the Pokémon up and lifted it into his arms. Glancing at the smashed Pokéball, he awkwardly stuffed the pieces in his pocket.
His Alolan Dragon eyed him with a satisfied air as he returned her. Looking down at the bundle, he pulled the blanket over the Houndour's head, trying to ignore the way it snuggled closer for warmth, nostrils flaring.
Ash looked around once more.
He was alone in a dead-end alley, and that boy was nowhere to be seen.
Huffing, he left the alley, leaving with only more questions and a risk.
There was a Pokémon center nearby, one he was unfamiliar with, but that was probably for the best. The lobby was graciously empty and he jogged up to the counter, Nurse Joy clacking away at a computer. She looked up and immediately her face scrunched up into one of concern.
"What happened, what is it?" Her hands lifted subconsciously toward the bundle.
Ash scowled. "Look, this isn't my Pokémon, I found it being attacked by people on Narrow Street. You'll understand why…" He trailed off and lifted the blanket enough to flash Houndour's armored skull and fiery orange muzzle.
Joy's face tightened almost imperceptibly, gesturing for Ash to follow her down a long hallway. "Stray?" She questioned as they entered a surgical suite, the woman immediately starting to set up equipment.
"No, I found the remains of a smashed Pokéball, I have them with me."
Joy nodded distractedly. "Good, that'll help us determine who it belonged to." She pointed to the sterile table and Ash hastily set the bundle down, wincing slightly at the whimper of pain. Ash watched as Joy gingerly unwrapped the blanket, and even she couldn't withhold her angered expression.
Ash couldn't tell if it was directed at the people who did this, or to the canine itself.
"What's going to happen to it?" The nurse's shoulders stiffened as she started disinfecting the gashes and flipping on a low-powered scanner.
"Well… Houndour and Houndoom have the highest rate of euthanasia in five of the eight regions…"
He couldn't stop his jaw from dropping at that insinuation. "It's going to be put down?"
Nurse Joy's flippant shrug was forced. "People are uncomfortable to see them in the wild and this," She gestured to the damaged canine, "isn't uncommon." Ash bit his lip and looked at the tiny Pokémon. His finger rose without his permission and gently ran a knuckle down the Pokémon's cheek. Houndour calmed slightly.
Shaking his head, Ash took a hasty step away and clasped his hands behind his back. Joy eyed him but went back to her work. "It'll recover here, then… we'll see." He nodded once and stood silently to wait. Once Houndour was set up with an IV sending desperately needed nutrients and medicine, Ash followed Joy back out to the front.
Ash fished out the Pokéball pieces and handed the pile to the nurse. Carding through them, she was able to find the engraved ID number and enter it into the computer. Ash was sometimes shocked at the clearance Joys had.
"Hm, well, can't say I didn't expect it." Ash perked up and frowned at her resigned tone. "Houndour belonged to an escaped convict. It's illegal to return a Pokémon to someone with a revoked license. I'll have to call the League."
Gritting his teeth, Ash nodded. "Do you need anything else from me?"
For the first time, Joy's gaze softened and she gave Ash a sad smile. "You did a good thing, young man. Let that be enough." Ash could feel his fingernails breaking skin with how hard he clenched his fists.
How could that possibly be enough? How was this justice?
All he could do was nod and spin on his heel. Walk away. Don't look back.
Don't think about the boy that led him to the injured pup in the first place.
The smooth glide of the ferry cutting through waves couldn't distract Ash from his self-loathing. He had gone back to that other Pokémon center this morning, just to check, honest, but Joy had merely given him a regretful look and said he shouldn't burden himself.
So he had left with no answers and feeling even worse.
Nettle cooed and tapped his cheek and Ash gave a small smile and scratched the fuschia scales that rested on his head. Mirae paused his game of tag with Sagitta to lightly bat at Ash's pant leg in sympathy. He reached down to run his fingers through the Eevee's mane and got a happy trill in response.
He's gotten too soft during his journey.
It hurt, but maybe it wasn't such a bad thing.
Ash rested his elbow on the railing of the ship and listened to the sounds of the waves and his Pokémon. He only had his three smallest Pokémon out to keep things calm. Or, as calm as any group involving Sagitta can be.
She was a menace.
He was still getting glares from other passengers, having lost their various snacks to the mischievous Togetic.
The ferry to Virbank only took half a day, and he was planning on staying for however long Roxie would have him. If she would have him. Nettle was an unknown, and he would love a Poison Master's perspective.
Shaking thoughts of Houndour out of his head (It was like Nettle all over again), he dedicated his attention to his Pokémon. Ignoring the other passengers, he dove into the game of tag, protesting Nettle and Sagitta's use of flight alongside Mirae. The two quickly adapted, Mirae using Ash as a launching pad to catch the two flyers.
Time passed, and by 4:00 the ferry docked in Virbank. It was very overcast when he stepped off the ferry. It was nice seeing a normal sized city, as opposed to Castelia and Nimbasa. This one reminded him more of Pewter or Malie.
Not wanting to waste any time, Ash headed for the gym. It was pretty obvious which building it was, seeing as it was a massive concert hall. There wasn't a concert until after the Vertress Conference, so he was in the clear for that.
Without the irritating crowds of Castelia, Ash was able to walk with his three Pokémon. Mirae was old enough now to watch where he was going, so Sagitta didn't need to play 'corral' to keep him close by.
Not that she ever really did in the first place. She was often the one encouraging Mirae to go off on his own.
The walk through the city was interesting, there were runners jogging past every couple minutes and street performers playing instruments around every corner. It was a very lively place.
The amphitheater was tucked against the woods that made up Route 20. A few restaurants and souvenir shops were scattered nearby to take advantage of the massive crowds that 'Koffing and the Toxics' drew in.
As he got closer, Ash returned Mirae and Sagitta, keeping Nettle out. The doors to the gym were tinted and stuck a bit when he tried to open them.
The lobby was decorated in blacks and purples, with band memorabilia plastered all over the walls. The girl at the front desk was tuning her guitar with her feet kicked up. Black hair was in a shaggy side Ponyta-tail.
"Yo, you're a little late for the Gym Circuit." She looked up and he saw something flash in her eyes at the sight of Nettle.
Ash rolled his eyes. "I know. Is Gym Leader Roxie free?"
The girl set her guitar down and crossed her arms. "Why ya asking?"
Sighing, Ash said, "I recently caught this Poison type and was looking for some pointers." He didn't want it to be common knowledge that Nettle was an undiscovered Pokémon.
The two held eye contact for a time, before the girl huffed and averted her eyes, causing Ash to internally smirk. She sent a quick text and a few seconds later there was an answering ping. She pushed air through pursed lips and pointed a thumb to the door. Ash outwardly smirked and dipped his head a little more sardonically than needed. She narrowed her eyes as he disappeared through the door.
He came to a room that could only be a recording studio. The amount of tech and instruments in the room was frankly insane. The single occupant was lounging on one of the many couches, white hair spiked up and makeup all deep purples.
She lifted her gaze from a notepad and eyed him for a moment. "Hey there, who're you? Billy Jo said you want some tips?" She had a distinct Galarian accent, interestingly enough.
Ash nodded and reached up to scratch Nettle's cheek from where it was hanging off his shoulder. "I'm Ash, and yeah, this here is Nettle, a Poipole. Undiscovered up until about a week ago."
Roxie's eyebrows shot to her forehead and she leaned forward. "That right? Alright, tell me what you know."
Ash reigned in his desire to make things difficult; she was helping him. "Nettle is from another dimension. Fell through a wormhole in Alola and decided to come with me. Pure Poison type, according to Professor Oak. Nettle's poison is extremely adhesive, but slow acting. Stored in its head. Can levitate through electromagnetism. Oak says Nettle might be able to evolve, but we have no clue how, when, or into what." He dug into his pack where he'd printed off Oak's assessment specifically for this purpose.
Roxie pushed herself to her feet and made her way over, taking the report but ignoring it in favor of Nettle. She lifted her hands before pausing and looking into the Poipole's glowing eyes. "May I?" Nettle nodded happily and the rock star grinned and started running her hands down the beast's scales.
He could respect someone who treated Pokémon as intelligent beings.
Stepping back so Roxie could fully take Nettle in her arms, he watched her lightly graze her hands around the Ultra Beast.
"What techniques does Nettle know?"
"Acid, Fury Attack, Toxic, Venoshock, Venom Drench, and Iron Tail."
"TMs work?"
"Yup."
She fell silent and he could tell she was thinking. A few minutes passed before she shook and looked at Ash. "There are a few different subdivisions of Poison attacks; air-based, water-based, oil-based, and infusion. As of right now, Nettle has water and oil-based attacks. I'm going to guess it doesn't have access to air-based, like Poison Gas or Smog."
Pausing for a moment to slide her gaze to Nettle, she continued. "Infusion attacks would be Poison Tail or Toxic Spikes. I'll tell you what, I'll give you a guest room for tonight, and we can train today and tomorrow. If Nettle can learn Infusion attacks, it'll give me, and you, a better idea for training. Non-Poison attacks will be all on you."
Mentally storing all the information Roxie just shared, Ash nodded. "Thank you."
Roxie grinned and waved him off. "Please, this'll be fascinating. It's been a long time since I was faced with a challenge like this. Follow me." The Master ushered him through a different door that opened up to the field. The edges were gated off to make room for a large audience. But the stand stood empty at this moment, just a few trainees hanging around.
The Poison master spun around and grinned wickedly. "Let's get to it. Nettle, front and center!" Crying out, the little beast patted Ash on the head and floated over, waving at the rock star. "We'll only work on a few moves, and if Nettle is able to get a grasp on them, it'll tell me what other moves it can or can't learn."
"Assurance!"
"Block with Poison Tail."
Nettle's tail took on a toxic glow, scales glinting as they blocked the torrent of Dark energy from its opponent. The young Koffing huffed and tried again, but Nettle's tail swung around and caught that Assurance too.
"Flamethrower!"
"Sludge Wave." Ash winced at the weak attack, but he was doing his best to follow the rules of the battle. Nettle was only allowed to use its new techniques. Even though most of them were practically nonfunctional.
The flames washed over Nettle, eliciting a cry from the beast. "Acid Spray." Nettle was quick to douse the other Poison type with the hyper-sensitizing wave. Koffing shivered and responded with Haze, easing the effects of Acid Spray.
"Rollout."
"Gastro Acid!" Ash's blood was pumping, not used to being at such a disadvantage. He was working with only brand new moves that Nettle had barely practiced. But this one, this one did its job. The Koffing unceremoniously fell to the ground, its Levitate suppressed, now rolling across the ground. Then it was easy for Nettle to float above the rolling Poison type.
"Thunderbolt!" He pressed his lips together when the beast spasmed midair, electricity coursing through its little body, scales offering only a little resistance. The Poipole's levitation faltered, dropping slightly.
But he watched with pride as Nettle shot a waterfall of poison from its needles that cascaded down its body, offering an electricity-resistant barrier. As soon as the Thunderbolt stopped, Nettle spun, globs of viscous poison flying.
One glob landed in front of the still rolling Koffing, and as it sped past, it was like a glob of gum on the street, stretching until the Koffing came to a stop.
Then it went shooting backwards, stuck to the glob.
"That's enough!" Nettle huffed and slumped, losing a couple more inches of elevation. Ash grinned and jogged out to his little beast.
"You were incredible. Nice job with coating yourself in poison and then launching it! That was genius." The UB perked up at that and started babbling its thought process, or at least that's what Ash assumed it was talking about.
He had to squint, the glow from Nettle's eyes and mouth searing his retinas when he stood this close.
Roxie returned her stuck Koffing and walked out to meet them. "Nicely done! My Koffing might be young, but she's a proper fighter. Nettle's a fast learner, I'm impressed."
"Thanks, Roxie, you've really helped us figure out Nettle's potential."
Nettle wove around the two of them, somehow having energy despite the last 24 hours being filled primarily with training and battles. There was a final ferry back to Castelia in a half hour that he was trying to catch.
"I was just chuffed you thought of me, punk." She punched his shoulder none-too-gently. "Your Poipole is one tough cookie. It'll be a powerhouse. Remember to work on everything we've done, don't go undoing all my hard work."
Ash rolled his eyes with a slight smile. "Yeah, yeah."
Roxie cocked her hip. "Remember to call if you get stuck. Oh, I put my buddy's number in your dex, Piers. He's a Dark Master in Galar. Reach out or not, up to you." Ash nodded in thanks and waved goodbye, Nettle grinning and floating backwards.
He didn't get much time in Virbank, but he was immensely satisfied with how that time was spent. Roxie, after they got past the awkwardness of their first meeting, was shockingly similar to Plumeria. Enough so, that he texted the Team Skull leader and caught up with her a little the previous night.
Now, as he headed back to Castelia under the light of the crescent moon, he was looking forward to leaving the southern peninsula of Unova. Nettle was well on its way to learning how to manipulate its poison, his Darks had proven themselves against Bugs, and he had grown even closer with his team. Libra especially was settling in, growing comfortable with the others and Ash.
So as he walked into the Pokémon center where he left Houndour, it was by complete coincidence. He got his room and fell into bed, ready to get back to traveling.
Upon the sun peaking between skyscrapers, Ash was up and ready to leave. His Pokémon eating outside ('Mirae, you're in charge!') he casually slid up to the counter to Nurse Joy's subdued amusement.
"She's not here."
He jolted. "They took her?" He just wanted to check on the Houndour, make sure she was healed… but he was too late.
But Nurse Joy shook her head. "She disappeared yesterday. Ran away, I think." Ash tried not to be relieved. The little, pitiful canine wouldn't be euthanized. Maybe she'd do well.
Thanking the nurse, he made his way back outside to collect the bowls. It was too early for his ragtag team to have too many admirers (wary or not) and he was delighted to see Mirae facing the rest of the team, back straight and chin lifted.
"Thank you for keeping them in line, Mirae." The Eevee grinned brightly, puffing up his chest even more. Chuckling, he patted the fox on his head. "Okay guys, we're heading back into the desert, and we'll be there a little longer this time. We're going to check out the Desert Resort." He got nods and grunts, drawing more laughter from him at their 'enthusiasm'. He returned them all and clipped all the colorful Pokéballs to his belt.
Lifting his arms above his head and groaning with the stretch, Ash deflated and looked around, hands on his hips. Castelia City was fine, but he was excited to be back on the road for a longer duration this time. So, he hiked his bag higher on his back, tugged his hat in place, and headed north, completely oblivious to the little black shadow he'd adopted.
It wouldn't be the first and it wouldn't be the last.
Ash couldn't say he missed the constant sandstorm, but he had a fond sort of exasperation for it, because it indicated adventure. His Pokémon were feeling the freedom, Styx had roared and fought against wind and gravity to effortlessly circle the skies. It brought Ash vicarious happiness to see her enjoying life.
Her chest only had faint scarring left, the scales and feathers mostly grown back. Her breathing had taken longer to even out, Escavalier's lances having hit her primary trachea.
The first three days back on Route 4 were practically dreamlike; an overarching sense of freedom sinking into every action and interaction. His team pushed harder, were more creative, and even more affectionate.
"Libra, Libra, no- ack!" The sand softened his fall, his breath knocked out of him. Ash squeezed his eyes shut from the rush of hot air against his face. Red eyes squinted open in a glare to look down at his Hakamo-o, scaly lips lifted in amusement. Her head was almost the size of his torso and was currently pinning him down, not unlike Styx had a few days prior.
"Is this a thing now? Manhandling me when you dislike what I'm saying?" Another puff of air against his face made him grimace. From the corner of his eye, he could see Bane and Hemlock snickering, shooting thumbs up to the large Totem. Nettle just thought they were playing, so the beast grinned and flopped down on Ash's face.
He could hear Sagitta and Mirae laughing as he tried to speak, Nettle's body muffling his words. He resigned himself to his fate and just laid there, waiting until they got bored.
All he had said was that there was no point in grooming while they were in the middle of a sandstorm. Bunch of spoiled brats.
Libra finally lifted her head and he winced when he heard his shirt tear as her scales pulled away. Nettle had shifted so it was hugging the side of his face, tail curled under his chin. He lifted a hand to keep the Poison type in place as he sat up, shooting a half-hearted glare at the amused Alolan Dragon.
He looked at the resting Hydreigon and pouted. "Thanks for having my back, there." All three heads snorted and closed their eyes again. "Traitor." He mumbled under his breath. Styx didn't deign to respond to that comment.
Shaking Nettle so the beast would start levitating, Ash uselessly brushed the sand off his clothes. The sun was starting to set and his Pokémon had ceased their training for the day. Everyone, minus Nettle of course, had finally gotten a new move to work on. But as the strength and difficulty increased, so did the duration it took to master the moves.
Bane and Hemlock had both gotten moves of a new type; Aerial Ace for Bane and Shadow Claw for Hemlock. It would take time to delve into the new energy, even with the use of TMs.
Sagitta could learn so many techniques he was finding it difficult to decide. He had settled on Swift, that way she and Mirae could continue to spend time together. And honestly, many of his Pokémon already had a dozen techniques, even with his memory he was finding it arduous to remember them all. But having coverage was important, and everyone had multiple strategies for their attacks.
Speaking of Mirae, he was learning Copycat from Bane. This would help immensely when (if) he evolved into the form Bill hypothesized. Would give him a headstart on feeling the energies of his two future types.
Nettle was working on the four moves it learned from Roxie; Gastro Acid, Poison Tail, Acid Spray, and Sludge Wave. All extremely useful, but difficult to differentiate and utilize. But Nettle was having a blast, and the beast had an almost endless supply of energy, which was technically true. Between the weird energy Ash apparently gave off and the meals it could eat, Nettle was charged.
Styx… she had finally started on Draco Meteor. The TM Olivia had given him had been gathering dust for a while, but he finally felt the Pseudo-Legend could handle the responsibility of such a devastating attack. Out in the middle of a desert was the perfect place for it: nothing around to destroy.
They had veered into Desert Resort a day ago, and it was vast. There were stories of people getting lost in the desert due to how sprawling it was. Bodies could be covered within hours with the ever changing sands. There had been a small building right at the entrance where he had to check in and give an article of clothing. If he didn't check back within nine days, a team of Slurpuff, Growlithe, and Arcanine would be released to scent out the body; dead or alive.
Ash figured if he was running low on time, he'd just fly out on Styx.
But for now, he was thriving. The wild Pokémon of the desert were strong; Darmanitan, Crustle, Maractus, even a few Scrafty and Hippowdon. Mirae had been able to take down a Maractus earlier that day, so they had all celebrated with a large dinner and some lava cookies he'd purchased from a traveling merchant.
His Pokémon were still grumbling from his refusal to groom them, but it just made Ash charmed. His big bad Chaos types were pouting.
With his attention on the group, he couldn't be blamed for missing the quirked lips of Libra when her red eyes locked on something behind him.
It wasn't until later that night, with everyone sleeping, that the shadow Ash had picked up gathered the courage to slink closer and curl up beside the sleeping trainer, relishing in the warmth of both the desert and the boy who saved her.
So when Ash blinked awake, his body protected by three black feathered wings, he furrowed his eyes and looked down. His mind still fuzzy with sleep, he tried to discern what the black blob was that had taken up residence on his chest. Blinking, the gray splotches sharpened into bony ridges nestled within short black fur.
With his decision-making capabilities heavily compromised, he poked the mass. A yelp had him scrambling back, falling over himself when his hand sunk into sand. The wings lifted and shifted, falling over three pairs of eyes that blinked back to sleep.
Houndour was standing on all fours, short tail wagging so hard that her entire body was shaking with the force of her excitement.
"Fucking Nether." The canine either didn't understand or didn't care, because she barked, tongue flopping out her mouth before she launched all 30 pounds of herself at Ash. Face quickly becoming drenched in tingling saliva, Ash spluttered and tried to escape the onslaught of practically smoldering drool.
By the time Ash had both hands wrapped around Houndour's chest and had her hovering above him, his Pokémon were awake and watching in barely concealed mirth. Houndour flailed her legs, ineffectively trying to wiggle her way back to his face.
"What-how-where… Were you following us?" The excited twitching increased, her mouth open wide, showcasing her needle-sharp teeth in her approximation of a grin. She fell limp, hindquarters getting caught in the natural force of gravity.
His Pokémon took in the sight of their trainer seated in sand, gritty remnants stuck to the drying saliva on his face, holding a happily panting Houndour under the armpits.
Hemlock cackled.
Ash was having an internal breakdown as he stared into the slate eyes of the tabooed Pokémon. What was he supposed to do? She had followed him since Castelia, and if that didn't show tenacity he didn't know what did.
But he couldn't keep her… his life would be 16x more problematic and he didn't need that. If he used her in any battle, he'd get the police called on him within seconds. Houndour and Houndoom were banned from tournaments, banned from contests, banned from all competitions except for Leagues sanctioned ones. And that was only because all Pokémon League Conference decisions needed a majority vote from Elite Four and Champions, and they had relatively unbiased heads on their shoulders. Not to mention there were three Dark masters and three Elite Four who trained Houndoom in the ULA.
Ash's hands were tied, and he let his fear distract him from the metaphorically slack knots that held his wrists.
"No." The canine froze, becoming even more of a dead weight in his hands. Ash forced himself to keep eye contact, pretending he had iron resolve with everything he had.
A few seconds passed before Houndour started wagging her tail again, ignoring his comment. Ash's jaw dropped. He disregarded the huffs of amusement that surrounded him and instead frowned at the canine. "No, you can't come with me." Houndour's ears flattened against her skull and she whined.
Shaking his head, he set her down in the sand. "I'm sorry, but I can't." He stood up and started packing up camp, ready to continue his desert journey.
Naturally, Houndour followed.
Ash stared into the midday sun, praying to Moltres to grant him strength. They had been walking and battling for a few hours now, with Nettle notably defeating a newly evolved Darmanitan.
What had Ash so exasperated was that his team was completely ignoring his decision. Mirae was currently play-fighting with the canine, and earlier Sagitta had let the excitable canine chase and pounce on her. Hemlock had played a prank that had Houndour happily trotting over to him, thinking that was his way of showing acceptance.
Even Libra and Styx hardly batted an eye when Houndour pounced on their tails! Bane had taken one look at the Dark and Fire type and patted her head. It was as maddening as it was endearing.
No respect.
Five days later, nothing had changed. Houndour was still trotting along, glued to Ash's side. He knew his resolve wasn't that strong to begin with, but the rate at which it was plummeting was frankly galling.
Randomly, he'd find his fingers scratching through short black fur, or throwing his wooden spoon for Houndour to fetch.
He was weak. It was embarrassing.
Ash had three more days in the desert, and then he'd have to face the issue that was Houndour. He rarely came across other humans within the Desert Resort with how sprawling it was, especially within the last few days, but out of it, his new cling-on would be in the spotlight. He would be forced to decide.
But right now as they walked, Ash was distracted by something else. Houndour had been leading the way, and now a shaded shape was gaining substance in the distance. His team silently agreed to walk towards it. Over the course of two hours, the shape solidified and gained distinction.
It was a temple.
An absolutely ancient temple, with crumbling sandstone walls falling victim to the relentless eroding storm. It spanned the range of his eyesight if he didn't move his head. He had never heard about something like this existing within one of the largest deserts in the world.
Anthropologists and archeologists would be crawling all over this place if it was well-known. Excitement was flooding his veins at the chance to explore. Even with his aching calves, he jogged the rest of the way to the structure, his Pokémon keeping a more sedate pace.
Dragging his hand along the wall, he felt the stone fragment slightly beneath his gentle touch. Drawing his hand back, he rolled the pieces to powder in his palm. How was this thing still standing?
For the next half hour, they searched for an opening. Something was niggling at the edge of his mind. Styx, Bane, and Hemlock grew progressively more confused as time wore on, and he couldn't figure out why…
Until he stopped and focused. Then a door appeared.
Psychic.
There was some sort of illusion protecting this place… how fascinating. But how had he seen through it to start?
To Houndour's endless joy, Ash scooped her up and held her in his arms and headed for the doorway. The darkness she exuded would keep the illusion from sneaking up on him once more.
The entire inside looked exactly like the rest of the desert; covered in sand. Sweeping his gaze around, he saw a few differences. There were dark patches scattered randomly throughout the temple, almost blending with the rest of the sand.
Shuffling closer, he looked around and saw a few stones that must have fallen from the ceiling. Grabbing one, he tossed it up and down once before throwing it at one of the dark patches.
It sunk beneath the surface within seconds.
A warning shiver shot down his spine. "Be careful, guys, that's quicksand. Keep your eyes sharp." Sagitta jeered at the others for their lack of flight. Styx hissed, the ceiling too low for her to fly comfortably. Poor Nettle drooped despondently in the air at the Togetic's taunting, seeming to not realize it flew as well.
Hemlock wrapped his pitchfork of hair around Sagitta and threatened to throw her in.
Ash sent them to opposite sides of the group.
When they were finally ready to go, they moved slowly, Ash keeping his free hand hovering over his belt, ready to return a teammate at a moment's notice.
Tiptoeing through the room, he caught sight of some moving shapes in his periphery.
Sigilyph.
Odd and uncanny, the birds were as still as statues, their single eyes watching him but not moving to engage.
The longest 10 minutes of his life ended upon seeing a small, easily missed staircase ahead. There was no way Styx would fit, so he temporarily returned his starter, eying the Sigilyph as he descended the stairs. He released his Dragon as soon as they were on the second level.
He expected it to be darker, but somehow the sunlight was piercing this level. There was still a layer of sand, but this time much thinner. He could feel the solid sandstone beneath his feet and they made their way through this level, still wary of possible pitfalls.
This layer had more Pokémon. Yamask and Sandshrew hid as soon as they were spotted. The few Sandile he saw made his heart rate spike, but they disappeared within the shifting sand.
'Dammit'. Sandile was one of two Pokémon he was hoping to catch in Unova. It was the whole reason he was in this Mew-forsaken desert in the first place. Instead he somehow found a Houndour of all things.
Pushing that thought away, he continued forward, keeping his eyes peeled. The next staircase led to another brightly lit level. He had no idea how he could still see, there were no torches or windows.
More Pokémon ran from him, less quicksand patches were seen, and the maze continued.
He had no idea what time it was, he had no idea how long he'd been inside the temple. When Houndour wanted to be put down, Hemlock would grab his hand. When Hemlock wanted to run off, Bane pressed against his arm.
Deeper and deeper they went into the maze.
He lost count of how many staircases they had descended. It had to be nighttime by now, yet each floor shone like it had its own personal sun. A few sarcophaguses caught the light, and the team gave the Cofagrigus wide berths. At one point, Hemlock disappeared, only to return with a smug superiority emanating from his thin frame.
An hour later, something shifted the sands behind the group, and Ash swore a pair of gleaming eyes peeked out.
When they got tired, they made camp; the shifting sands of the desert had long ago been thwarted, unable to reach the depths of the temple.
Something infiltrated the air, a certain tenseness that made his team surround him as they lay down to rest. Ash's heart was thumping in his chest, a visceral signal that something was going to happen.
Sleep was restless that night.
Uncertainty tainted his exploration with each staircase they came across. A gut feeling squeezed and reminded him of Castelia. The fatigue that threatened them grew heavier and heavier. He knew they'd have to turn around soon if he wanted enough time to get back to the check in, but something pushed him forward as another pushed him away.
His skin prickled and the back of his neck felt like a Ghost was passing over. Styx had a constant snarl on her maw and she jumped in front of Ash every time a Pokémon skittered across their path (which was happening less and less). The tail they'd picked up was still following them, eyes gleaming.
They were all so on edge and so distracted, it wasn't a surprise that they were caught off guard.
Ash had been walking, Houndour on his right, Mirae on his left, and Nettle on his head, when he heard a crack. Their heads whipped around to watch a large chunk of ceiling crash to the ground, sending a tremor through the temple.
Naturally, the next hurried step he took swallowed his leg.
His gasp was cut off when sand filled his mouth. His body felt like it was being pulled through molasses, and he couldn't breathe.
Just as he started feeling lightheaded, the pressure surrounding his body disappeared, and he dropped.
He had never been more relieved to be surrounded with sand.
An ooph was forced from his lungs when he landed on his back. Two other thuds followed him, and it took him a moment to open his eyes and look around.
The room he was in was enormous.
It was like the worship room in the Ruins of Conflict, a wide open chamber lined with pillars and carpeted with sand. Looking to his side, Mirae and Houndour were pushing themselves to their feet, shaking out their fur. Nettle floated above their heads, gazing around with childlike curiosity.
His heart sunk, realizing he was separated from the rest of his team. Truthfully he was a little surprised Styx didn't follow him through the sinkhole. He looked up and realized why. It was too narrow, the trickle of falling sand only slightly larger than Ash.
Sighing, he pushed himself to his feet.
"Everyone okay?" He got three quiet cries in response. Rolling his shoulders, Ash swiveled his head. "Well, Styx has a killer sense of smell, so I wouldn't be surprised if she's able to track me, but we should try to find our way back." Mirae trilled sadly, big red eyes staring up at him with trust; trust to get them out of here.
"Come on, let's start walking." The floor was uneven, and with the shifting sand balance was hard to keep. The group of four made their way up the incline, figuring that would take them up a floor.
His three youngest were obviously a little jittery, so Ash just started talking. He told the stories of him practicing his Dark and Dragon taming, and the injuries he accrued over the years when he got too arrogant. He had a scar on his ribs from a Grimmsnarl, bite marks on his shoulder from a Gible, a slash mark on his calf from a Kelfki, and a burn on his collarbone from a particularly irate Skuntank.
It was a learning curve for sure.
By the time they got to the end of the giant chamber, Ash was panting from the exertion. There was a slim doorway to one side, and Ash grinned at his three teammates.
"Fingers crossed!" Staying upbeat was exhausting, but he knew his young Pokémon needed reassurance. His ears picked at the sound of something. Ash was the first to slip through the confining walkway, but the other side wasn't what he expected.
The small room had four pillars stretching from floor to ceiling. Old pottery and relics were scattered on stone tables with shards of others collapsed on the floor. This space was much more preserved compared to the rest of the temple; it looked like only a thin layer of sand and dust tarnished the room.
Ash felt ice pierce his lungs at the sounds of footsteps and shouting that echoed through the opposite doorway. Flashes of light illuminated the archway. A scream. A curse. His hands trembled.
And then there was a person. Leaning against the doorway, breathing heavily and slouching over. Clothes tattered and smoking at some places.
But not slouching enough to block the rainbow R that was on her shirt.
"Quick Attack!" Mirae didn't hesitate, slamming into the Rocket scum, making her eyes bulge as she struck the wall she had been leaning against. A quick Iron Tail to the head made sure she wouldn't wake. He didn't know if that meant soon or ever.
Ash stumbled back against the doorway he entered through. His eyes were locked on the downed Team Rocket Member that had collapsed to the ground. Mirae slunk back over to him, ears pressed tight against his head. Houndour was cowering behind him and Nettle was floating close to his cheek.
'Oh Mew, what the fuck was happening. They're supposed to be gone.' His chest was heaving, and there was a roaring in his ears that felt all consuming. But then there was a soft tap against his cheek that brought him back.
Nettle's glowing cyan eyes were filled with concern. Ash raised a hand and set it against the beast's head, taking a deep breath.
Pulling out his Pokédex, the signal was nonexistent. But there was one thing he could do. Fiddling with it for a moment, the emergency beacon flared, forcing a unique wavelength signal from deep within the temple.
He didn't hold out hope they'd find him quickly.
Ash felt powerless without Styx. He hadn't realized how much he relied on her; she had made him feel invincible.
Now he was just a kid in way over his head.
The smart thing to do would be turn around and get the fuck out of here. And he was going to, he was pivoting, ready to make a break for it. But then he heard an ungodly shriek of pain from something big.
It reverberated through the ancient halls, agonized and enraged.
He couldn't push it aside. Team Rocket could only be here for one thing and that was something that would make a profit.
A powerful Pokémon.
He turned to his Pokémon, and yes, Houndour was his Pokémon, and looked into their eyes. They'd follow him. They'd protect each other.
"We stay together, and we run if it gets bad." Determined eyes bore into his own, a rumbling building in his ears.
His eyelids slid shut and it was like everything went silent.
Clenching his fists, he slapped his thighs once before running toward the opposite door. Charging through, his attention was drawn to the right, where the fight was happening. And, Mew, it was a fight.
Waves of flame were forcing the half dozen Rockets back, heavily burned and unconscious Pokémon littered the chamber. The glowing silhouette was emitting surge after surge of fire like it was the sun itself. Rockets were shouting and ducking behind pillars as the figure defended itself.
The entire room was shaking with the force of power, sandstone scraping and grinding to dust and falling to the floor, only to be caught in the heat that made it sparkle. Smoke and smog was thick and suffocating, the inferno drowning out any other sound with its intensity.
A blonde woman barked something at someone, making the other Rocket bare his teeth and grip a Pokéball, and in slow motion, Ash saw the release of a behemoth. Gigalith was towering, scarlet gemstones catching the light of the flames to reflect dangerously around the room.
Ash heard "Stone Edge!" like he was stuck beneath water.
The overwhelming assault suddenly ceased with a cry of agony, and he finally caught sight of the Pokémon.
Volcarona.
The Rockets started to regroup.
He wouldn't let them.
"Hyper Voice! Nettle, Houndour, take out the Rockets!"
The group of four ran straight into battle, the Rockets caught by surprise. Mirae released a debilitating shriek, and it gave them time. Nettle, in a shocking display of rage, slammed an Iron Tail into the temple of the male Rocket that sent out the Gigalith. He crumpled to the floor like a puppet with his strings cut. Houndour slammed into the stomach of another Rocket in a wild Feint Attack that knocked the wind out of her.
And then their advantage was shot to shit.
As the remaining three Rockets released the rest of their teams, Ash skidded across the floor to the downed Rocket, returning the Gigalith as it roared in defiance.
He whipped around just in time to dodge the kick aimed for his face. The Rocket snarled at him and the click of a safety being disengaged from behind him sent his adrenaline into overdrive. Ever since Aether Paradise, he'd been dedicating a half hour every night sparring with one of Bane's illusions.
He was thankful he had.
Diving through one of the Rocket's braced legs, he rolled and scrambled upright on the other side, striking the man's kidney with as much force as he could.
The blonde Rocket with the gun didn't hesitate to shoot her comrade if it meant getting Ash.
He felt the splatter of blood against his neck as the bullet struck the Rocket's shoulder. The warmth seeping into his shirt made bile rise in his throat as the injured Rocket screamed in pain.
The Rocket fell to the floor, gripping his shoulder. The female Rocket made to shoot, but Ash obviously wasn't thinking clearly, because he launched himself towards her and wrestled for the gun. As the two struggled, Ash glanced up to see the Volcarona fluttering weakly as it came to.
"Get out of here!" The Rocket stomped his foot and elbowed his diaphragm, sending him to the floor. His arms flailed and he managed to catch her wrist at the right angle to send the gun skidding across the floor. She definitely wasn't expecting him to fight back.
"Go!" He dove for the gun, kicking it towards the Sun Pokémon. A flash of fire, white hot and blinding, flared to life before it grew dark.
The gun melted, and Volcarona was gone.
Ash stumbled away, backing up from the last Rocket. He took this time to cautiously look around. Mirae had blood dripping from his foreleg, almost unconscious near a downed Arbok, Scraggy, and Golbat. Nettle had the other five Rockets glued to the ground or walls with its adhesive poison, a majority of the Pokémon trapped in the same way. The beast was weakly trying to shoot out more poison, but it was a trickle at this point.
Houndour was a surprise.
The normally carefree canine was braced over one of the male Rockets, teeth bared and snarling. The man's hair hung limply in his face, hiding his terrified eyes.
Oh. Her old trainer.
Turning back to the last Rocket, he swallowed thickly. Mirae was down for the count, Nettle was out of poison, and Houndour was distracted. The last Rocket stalked toward him. Blonde hair in ringlets and her outfit slightly different from the rest.
Higher rank, if he had to guess.
The worst part was that her eyes had black veins surrounding the iris.
"You fucker, you just had to find Relic Castle, didn't ya?" Her voice was high pitched and piercing, it was like she was trying to disarm him by sounding like a child. "It was one simple mission, no one around to fuck it up. Then you showed up." The sickly sweet voice didn't match her furious, twisted expression. "If we can't have Volcarona, we'll just make do with an Eevee."
Ash felt like there was frost in his blood. Despite his attempt, his voice was shaky when he said "You won't take him."
The girl laughed, and it sent shivers down his spine. "You might have gotten lucky with the rest of these imbeciles, but I'm an Admin, you have no chance." Lips spreading in a grin with too many teeth, she nabbed a Pokéball from her belt. "Come on out, sweetheart, and grab that Eevee."
Blood drained from his face when the canine was released. The Houndoom was of the rottweiler breed, stocky and muscular, and so, so dangerous. Lips pulled up in a snarl, smoldering saliva dripping to the ground and sizzling against the sand, turning to glass. Horns curved back, thick bones protruding from its forehead. Its pointed tail flicked back and forth in aggression. There was nothing but damnation in its glowing eyes.
He didn't have time to think before the hound bolted for Mirae and the Rocket Elite rushed Ash.
It was a fatal dance, one wrong misstep and he was dead.
"Nettle, Houndour, protect Mirae!" He couldn't grab Mirae's Pokéball, he was too busy trying to stay alive. The Rocket Elite was grinning wide, avoiding his punches and kicks with ease, Ash dodging by a hair's breadth. His heart was pounding in his ears and his movements were getting sluggish.
A strike to his rib cage had him falter, and then his whole defense fell apart. An elbow to his face, a kick to his knee, and a foot to his back sent him sprawling. He flipped around, backing up along the sandy ground as the Rocket advanced. Light flashed in his periphery and he felt more worry for his Pokémon than for himself.
"Oh you poor thing…" The Rocket cooed. From a hidden pocket she withdrew a… tulip? It was a deep purple, almost black. She stalked closer, dragging the petals along her cheeks almost like she was contemplating. When his back hit a pillar, her grin grew crazed.
Lunging, the tulip made contact with his torso, and all he knew was pain.
Electricity arced through his muscles, clenching them so tightly he felt he'd break. Ash screamed. Even as the source of the current was removed, the pain remained, pulling gasps from his lips as he twitched on the floor.
Peeling his eyes open, he blearily watched the Rocket Elite make her way behind her Pokémon. Nettle and Houndour were in a heap, directly in front of a passed-out Mirae; protecting him until they couldn't.
He fought. He fought harder than he ever had before to push himself to his knees. Shadows creeped along the floor. His muscles failed him a few times, but he finally got his hands and knees beneath him. Fire and gold flickered in the glassy remnants littering the ground. Ash lifted his head, body spasming, and saw the Rocket's attention was still on his teammates.
Flipping one perfectly coiled blonde ring, she smirked. "Houndoom, be a dear and burn the trash." Heart stuttering in his throat, Ash moved. Shadows flickered. His steps covered too much distance, much too quickly.
In another world, Ash would relate this to a blockbuster action movie, the hero rushing towards danger to save the day, stopping the bad guys in a truly spectacular fashion.
But instead all he could picture was a tragedy.
The fire burst from the Houndoom's maw, and Ash's form flickered.
And then he was in the line of fire.
He would have given anything to be electrocuted again instead of this. Because as he crossed his arms in front of his face and stood in front of his downed partners, the fire wrapped around his arms and torture wasn't a strong enough word.
A laugh, an earth-shattering roar, and then it all went dark.
Rainbow Rocket has entered the chat.
Could Ash have returned his Pokémon to their Pokéballs? Perhaps, but Houndour doesn't have one. We see a bit of canon-Ash in this with his reckless selflessness.
Houndour is a good girl.
Next Chapter: The fallout