Ash's Team
Styx - Hydreigon
Hemlock - Morgrem
Bane - Zoroark
Mirae - Mytheon
Sagitta - Togekiss
Libra - Hakamo-o
Nettle - Poipole
Castor - Krokorok
Polaris - Frogadier
Artemis - Houndoom
Orion - Alolan Ninetales
Ladon - Applin
Day 1
Ash dove and rolled, his shoulder slamming uncomfortably into a stray stone. He quickly popped back up to his feet in time to dodge the thick tail that was attempting to crush him. He heard Hop yelp as the teen gracelessly ducked under a flying rock.
The Rhydon roared in territorial fury, doing her best to squash the humans that invaded her home.
They'd only been in the Wild Area for 40 minutes.
"Any minute now, Polaris!" Ash yelled, even as he was smiling and breathless. He leapt to the side, feeling completely alive. If he'd try to do this a month and a half ago, the pain in his arms would have been debilitating. Polaris was feeling the urgency from his voice though. They had been working on Hydro Cannon since they got to the Wild Area and it had gotten to the point where the Frogadier was so incredibly drained after its use, he needed a few moments to recover.
They had the unfortunate luck of hitting the ground near a sleeping Rhydon with the unmastered attack. Naturally, she wasn't happy.
Now, Ash could release any of his other Pokémon to take down the Rock and Ground type, but where's the challenge in that? Hop was obviously having a rough time, but hey, it was a good experience. Ash's heart was pounding, but his focus was honed and he was dodging every strike with practiced efficiency.
The months after the incident at Relic Castle had taught him if you can't block, dodge.
Finally, after a solid amount of time, Polaris had recovered enough and shot off a perfect Hydro Pump that sent the Rhydon sprawling. The Drill Pokémon groaned and weakly pushed herself to her feet, glaring at the frog but stomping back to her napping spot. Apparently they weren't worth the hassle.
He didn't know if he should be offended.
Shrugging, Ash sighed and shot a grin at his Kalos starter.
"Bloody Nether, Ash!" Hop was huffing from his bent-over position, hands on his knees. His once pristine clothes were now scuffed and covered in dirt, his pants having a significant tear by the knee. The younger teen glared half-heartedly at the older trainer.
Red eyes were bright with amusement and adrenaline. "What? I thought that went well."
Hop stood and waved his hands erratically as he spoke. "Well?! You could have released any of your other Pokémon at any time!"
"But where's the fun in that?"
Hop abruptly went silent, mouthing 'fun' slowly and just stared for a moment. "...You're crazy."
Ash shrugged. "Jury's out." He turned away and patted Polaris on the head. So far, Rolling Fields has stayed sunny and warm, and for that he was grateful. It was still morning at this point, they had the whole day ahead of them.
They were currently tracking a Tyrogue Hop had seen as soon as they got out of the taxi, his little Yamper doing her best to follow its scent. Ash figured Polaris could get some practice along the way.
Hop shook his head and closed his eyes, taking a fortifying breath to deal with his insane companion. "Let's just… keep tracking Tyrogue." Ash shot a sarcastic thumbs up while Polaris stuck out his tongue. Hop just sighed.
Ash and his teammate shared a grin before following behind Hop and Joule, the little Electric type sticking her nose to the ground.
There was something about the wilderness and inherent danger that got Ash's blood pumping and made him forget his problems.
Deciding to give Hop some peace of mind, Ash released Libra. The towering Totem Pokémon offered an extra deterrent to aggressive Pokémon. The Hakamo-o's scales had grown back, Ash shelling out a significant chunk of money on her supplements. The Dragon had been ready to spit fire (and she had) once she was healed, absolutely pissed at her loss to Tyrantrum.
She was going to end up goading plenty of wild Pokémon into battle.
It was maybe an hour later when Hop perked up and suddenly released Flint and Alloy, his Raboot and Corvisquire. The group of three ran - or flew - forward to engage the visible Fighting type.
Ash stood off to the side with Polaris, watching the ensuing battle with a critical eye. Hop kept Joule and Alloy on the sidelines, their only job to keep Tyrogue from escaping. Flint was the only one to fight the Fighting type.
Good, Hop would never gain an honorable Pokémon's loyalty by ganging up on it.
The Raboot was well trained, agile and quick with strong jabs that sent the Tyrogue stumbling. The battle only lasted a few more minutes, devolving into a fist fight between the two. Eventually, Flint landed a well-timed Blaze Kick that knocked the Fighting type onto its back. A shiny Pokéball went flying and sucked the Pokémon inside. It wiggled furiously for a few moments, Tyrogue still putting up a fight, until it dinged successfully.
"Yes!" Hop threw a fist in the air, quickly turning to high five his teammate and thanked his other two Pokémon. Ash whistled to get the teen's attention and tossed a super potion at him. Hop caught it and sent a grateful smile, turning back to heal his newest capture.
Ash's mouth tugged down at the corners, watching the tried and true, traditional capture with an unnamed emotion in his chest. It was such a common sight, challenging a wild Pokémon to a battle, wearing them down, then throwing a Pokéball. Steps one, two, and three.
It's never been like that for Ash.
He wasn't complaining, but there was something so ordinary about it that Ash felt like he was missing some milestone that other trainers hit on their first or second day.
Made him feel like more of an outlier.
Shaking the thoughts from his head, Ash focused on the present. Knowing they wouldn't be moving any time soon, Ash turned to Polaris and pointed towards Lake Axewell. "Come on, Hydro Cannon again." The frog turned determined eyes on the water and started building the incredible energy needed for the high powered attack.
When it was released and struck the lake surface, the detonation caused a surge of water skyward and sent violent ripples spreading out as droplets rained down. Ash lifted his eyebrows. "Wow, much better." Polaris grinned widely.
Then a frantic beeping came from his pocket and a roar interrupted them.
"Oh for Mew's sake."
The shape that rose from the water was much, much larger than it should have been.
Ash chanced a brief glance at the sky and saw the red tint and clouds circling above and internally cursed.
Dynamax Den.
A Gastrodon, almost looking like a Wailord with how large it was, slithered to shore, its massive body leaving a legitimate wake behind it.
"ASH!" He managed to withhold his wince, but only just. Hop was evenly split between angry and terrified.
"We'll be fine!" Ash pressed the release on Sagitta's Pokéball to join Libra and Polaris. The Hakamo-o was practically chomping at the bit for a good fight. Gastrodon finally made it to shore and cried out; a weird sticky slurping sound that made Ash want to vomit.
He wished he'd found a Tart Apple for Ladon before this, or at least started teaching Solar Beam to Artemis.
Whatever, he'd be fine.
"Sagitta, you're on distraction duty. Libra, go crazy. Polaris, stay back with me and fire off Toxic Spikes, then Ice Beams and Scalds. Let's go!" His Pokémon didn't hesitate to dive in. Gastrodon rumbled and the Max Geyser it fired off slammed into Libra. The sky grew dark, the massive rainstorm rolling in and soaking everyone and everything within seconds.
The slug slithered over a load of Toxic Spikes, but paid them no mind.
Libra bellowed her challenge, her Rock Slide doing little to slow down the - already slow - Pokémon. Red eyes alighting with anger, the subsequent Screech and Sky Uppercut was a different story. Gastrodon flinched, its head swaying with the force of the punch that slammed into its chest.
Sagitta dove in front of Max Ooze, the Gastrodon turning its attention to her. As the wave of poison loomed over her, a sudden burst of Extreme Speed launched the Togekiss into the sky and away from the hazardous attack.
While Gastrodon glared at the Flying Pokémon, Libra slashed a Dragon Claw down its chest, gaining its attention back.
Compared to Sagitta and Libra, Polaris wasn't adding much to the battle. Ice Beam and Scald were sliding right off the Ground and Water type.
A Mud Bomb exploded against Gastrodon's side, and Ash turned to see Hop and Terra had entered the fray. The little Mudbray was standing fearlessly in the face of such a huge foe, not faltering in the slightest. Bulldoze destabilized the ground beneath the slug, making it work for its forward procession.
Sagitta swooped in front of another Max Geyser and Libra distracted the Dynamax Pokémon with another Screech before rushing in and landing a surprisingly powerful Drain Punch that made Gastrodon flinch.
She was unfortunately caught off guard by the Max Hailstorm.
Ash adjusted his hat when the Hail came down, hearing the plink plink as it bounced off Libra's scales.
But the Hakamo-o recovered quickly and ran back in, the air vibrating with the clanging of her scales. When Gastrodon turned its next attack on Terra, Sagitta flew down and a Protect flared to life just in time to block the Max Geyser.
Rain once again fell.
While Ash's attention was on his two older teammates, Polaris was getting fed up. Yes, his Toxic Spikes had gotten a bit of poison into the super-sized Pokémon, but his Scalds and Ice Beams were doing jack shit.
So he decided to go bigger.
The sound of a roaring ocean made Ash pause.
Ash actually froze and gaped when the Gastrodon was suddenly knocked over by a massive blast of energy. He whipped around, finding Polaris passed out cold on the ground, chest heaving even in his knocked out state.
That was a Hydro Cannon.
Libra and Sagitta quickly took advantage of the soft underbelly presented to them, Air Slashes and Drain Punches sapping the last of the Dynamax Pokémon's strength, a cursory Mud Bomb thrown in by Terra, finishing the job.
The Gastrodon shrunk, shrunk, shrunk until it was no bigger than Mirae. It looked more like a blue and green puddle at this point than a Pokémon.
Libra stomped over and wrapped bulky hands around the slug's middle, chucking it back into the water. She dusted her hands off just to be dramatic and lumbered back over to Ash, practically glowing with a good victory.
Sagitta flew down and landed on Libra's back, hitching a ride. Ash returned his exhausted Kalos starter, chuckling at the Lure ball with fond exasperation before clipping it onto his belt. He looked up at his Hakamo-o and Togekiss to give them a thumbs up. "Wonderful job, you two. Feeling okay?" The two nodded with simultaneous rolls of their eyes.
'All my Pokémon are sass masters.' He huffed and walked over to Hop.
"Sorry about that."
The purple-haired teen had a hand on Terra's snout and heaved a huge sigh. "You're a trouble magnet." Ash shrugged, not disputing the statement. "Well, at least it's not boring!" His good cheer was back and he beamed at Ash. "I can't believe Polaris did that! Was that a mastered Hydro Cannon?"
"It was as good as. He's probably one of the only middle-stage Pokémon to successfully fire off one of the Elemental Exclusives."
Hop gaped. "Wow, you have crazy Pokémon, Ash."
Libra snorted beside Ash, prompting him to playfully glare at her. Obviously the almost seven foot tall Dragon wasn't intimidated by her 5'9" trainer. Both he and his Pokémon were still growing.
Hop wasn't wrong, though. Each and every one of his Pokémon were rare or unique in some way. The least of which was probably Artemis, and no one would call a happy-go-lucky Houndoom common or normal. Hemlock and Castor were relatively normal.
The rainstorm from Max Geyser finally petered out and the sun started shining again. Speaking of his friendly canine, Ash released Artemis and after a moment of thought released Ladon as well. Artemis barked excitedly and jumped around, happy to be out and about. Her leg had healed beautifully and she took advantage of her returned mobility. Sagitta rolled her eyes again and launched herself into the air to fly overhead.
Ladon shimmied in the sunlight and visibly relaxed, closing his eyes to start absorbing the rays.
For now, Ash started on an early lunch while Hop, once again, tried to get to know his newest teammate. The Tyrogue was a little shorter than average, but he might have just been young. His leathery skin was more olive green than the more common purple.
Hop was gesticulating with a big smile on his face and Ash could see that Tyrogue looked completely invested.
Chuckling to himself, Ash set a large pot over a self-starter log and had Artemis shoot a weak Flamethrower at it. He glanced over at Ladon and wished the Apple Core Pokémon could eat real food. Once he evolved he'd be able to, but until then he had to rely on sunlight.
Neither Hop nor Ash had come across any vendors or merchants yet, but Ash wasn't too worried. Sweet and Tart Apples weren't rare, and many people tended to buy them for cooking purposes rather than evolution. Even though Applin were the easiest going Dragons, their evolutions got trickier.
Ladon was going to be huge as a Flapple.
Tearing open a large packet of diced potatoes, Ash threw them into the curry alongside some sweet and bitter berries. Once that pot of curry was done, Ash heaved it off the fire and set a second one on to get started. Libra and Styx could finish the first pot all on their own if they didn't hunt periodically.
His omnivorous and herbivorous teammates were called over and released alongside Hop's and lunch was dished out. Artemis would hunt once in a while, but she didn't care for meat much, surprisingly.
The second pot got some sausages, spicy berries, and other spices and was poured into bowls for Styx, Libra, Castor, and Bane. Orion hated anything spicy so he made do with the potato curry.
None of Hop's Pokémon were carnivorous, which was probably a good thing for the young trainer. Predator Pokémon were typically much more aggressive. Just look at Styx and Castor.
Another reason a majority of Dragons were hard to handle.
Polaris needed a little help eating, the poor frog absolutely drained after his full-powered Hydro Cannon. Ash hid him from the rest of the team knowing he'd be viewed as weak for needing assistance. Yes, his team had grown closer and acted more like a pack, but that didn't negate instinct and the pride that suffused the Chaos Types.
Once Polaris was fed and had some energy back, the frog hopped away and joined Hemlock in his scheme against Hop's Raboot.
Ash shook his head and prematurely apologized to Hop. Mentally.
Letting his gaze drift, he looked over his teammates and noted small changes. Mirae's wings were moving much more smoothly and the muscles at the base looked more defined. He had bulked up a bit more since he evolved as well. Sagitta was the opposite, her form became more streamlined after dropping the baby fat from being a Togetic.
Polaris was actually starting to lose some of his frubbles, which meant he was a few weeks away from evolving for the final time. He had filed away some small changes in both Hemlock and Castor, but they were still two, maybe three months out by his estimate.
The timeline of Libra's evolution was completely up in the air. She was a force of nature now, what would she be like as a Totem Kommo-o?
But it was Nettle that gave him pause.
Small spiky nubs were protruding from the beast's back, shoulders, and mouth. Its tail was losing its mobility, instead gaining a metallic sheen that made it appear much stiffer. Ash had to blink at the rapid changes he hadn't noticed even a few days ago in the UB's battle against Diantha.
When did that happen?
Something was triggering the change and Ash couldn't figure out what it was. But he was ecstatic. Nettle was going to evolve.
He collected everyone's bowls, Polaris offering up weak Water Pulses that cleaned the dishes. The spare water was collected in a large canteen that he'd use again. There were disposal sites in a few of the zones.
Packing everything away, he glanced around to see some wild Pokémon watching hungrily from the edges but not stupid enough to challenge such a large group. The loud stomping and the vibrations running up his legs alerted Ash to his starter's approach.
The familiar, low humming suffused his bones and made him lean back against the massive Hydreigon. Styx rumbled, her two smaller heads coming down to rest on Ash's shoulders. Tongues flicked against his cheeks and hair, bringing a smile to his face.
Styx had been extremely lethargic the past week after absorbing such a large amount of Fae energy. Her body viewed it as poison, trying to reject it and failing. Her organs had started to shut down.
It took some extra time for her to recover, never having experienced an overload before. When they battled Georgia's Gardevoir, the Embrace Pokémon wasn't nearly strong enough to cause such a reaction in Styx.
Ash was reckless this time around. He put his starter in a life-threatening situation and now he'd have to live with that knowledge. All they could do now was think of possible counters.
Scratching scaly and feathery jawlines, Ash soaked up the closeness with his first Pokémon. She must have been feeling the separation too if she was willing to show affection in front of the rest of the group.
Then, like a Persian's fickle attitude, she decided she was done with attentiveness and moved away, leaving Ash to catch himself lest he fall over. Shaking his head, Ash clapped his hands and turned towards everyone.
"Let's pack up and keep exploring. Who wants to stay out?" Everyone besides Polaris and Ladon elected to stay out. At least, Ash assumed so. The Applin had fallen asleep and so Ash figured he didn't want to use Rollout continuously to get around.
"Thanks for lunch, Ash!" Hop jogged over and held up his hand. Ash stared at it bemusedly for a moment before realizing he was waiting for a high five. Ash tapped his palm against Hop's before the younger teen grinned and rushed back over to his team.
How he had so much energy, Ash didn't know. It kinda reminded him of a trainer he saw battle in the Lily of the Valley Conference a few years back. Brandon? Bobby? Barry? Barry sounded right. That teen had never walked, only ran.
Ash slid his backpack on and whistled to let his distracted teammates know they were moving out. Sagitta, Styx, and Mirae all took to the air for a family fly while Hemlock stared at Flint with a mischievous glint in his eye.
He prayed to Mew for patience.
"Hey Ash?" He turned to Hop with an inquisitive eyebrow lifted. The other trainer was walking with his hands linked behind his head and looking forward. "You're new to Galar, so I'm guessing you don't really know our Legends?"
Ash internally perked up. "Professor Oak didn't have any books or research articles about Galar Legends, he thought Galar didn't have any."
Hop shook his head. "For a long while, our only region-wide legend was about two heroes who ended The Darkest Day thousands of years ago. A monstrous Pokémon attempted to ravage the region and in the process caused thunderous black and red storms to cover Galar." Hop's mouth twisted and he was quiet for a few moments. "The region was overrun with Dynamax Pokémon for the first time. They were mindless and violent and the region suffered.
"But then, two heroes of the King came forth; one wielding a sword and the other a shield. They defeated the monstrous Pokémon and locked it in an eternal slumber. Its defeat caused Galar Particles to saturate the region. Then the two heroes vanished."
There was an odd tone to Hop's retelling that gave Ash pause. "It doesn't sound like you believe it."
Hop closed his eyes and pursed his lips. "I had an internship with Professor Magnolia's granddaughter, Sonia, before I started my journey. Her area of study was that legend. I helped her with her explorations and findings, which was really cool!" Some of Hop's normal optimism came back and he was grinning excitedly. But the smile faded again and he looked down at his feet.
"We found proof that the two heroes might not have been humans, but Pokémon. We found that the monstrous Pokémon wasn't violent for no reason, but that it was dying and needed energy to survive. Everything ties back to those particles, and we hypothesize the monstrous Pokémon can both consume and create them."
Ash blinked. "Wow, has this been published?"
Hop shook his head. "Not yet. Sonia's writing a book though. I started my journey before she finished all her scouting expeditions. I was actually a little bummed to leave before we finished the puzzle."
Eying Hop for a moment, Ash kept his inquiries to himself. It seemed Hop liked research more than being a trainer. But the younger brother to the strongest Master in the world had to be a trainer, of course. But Ash kept quiet.
"Thanks for sharing that with me. Professor Oak has always been fascinated with Galar particles and why they're only found here when Galar is so close to Kalos and Paldea."
Hop lifted his hands up and scrunched his shoulders, tilting his head. "No clue. We didn't dive into that. But it's wicked that Galar might have Legendary Pokémon after all! I know we're relatively new to the League and all that, but it's super amazing that we're still learning about our region and culture!"
Ash laughed to himself. "It's good you're so passionate about it. Maybe you'll get to meet the heroes."
Hop sighed. "Man, I hope so. That'd be incredible. We found some illustrations on Route 6 of two canine Pokémon that we couldn't place so maybe that's what they look like." The teen grinned as he remembered something else. "There might have been some equine Legends too! Or, that's what we think, they could just be different colored Rapidash."
Hop continued to talk about Galar's possible history, excited at the prospect his home region would have Legends looking out for it.
At one point, they crossed over into East Lake Axewell and a light powdery snow started falling, coating the area in a thin layer. A herd of Piloswine eyed the group and looked like they wanted to charge. Well, they did until Styx and Libra stepped forward and roared. The swine snorted and moved away.
They had been walking for hours when night started to fall, so they stopped to make camp. Ash pulled out the directions for his new tent and quickly got the shelter set up. He noticed Hop had a similar tent but in blue and smothered his surprise. Maybe a gift from his brother.
Hop was on dinner duty, giving Ash time to train. He was keeping it light, knowing as soon as Hop returned to Motostoke tomorrow they'd be diving deeper into the Wild Area. The Pokémon would be stronger, more aggressive and the weather conditions deadlier.
He split his team into two groups and had them do another free for all. Anything goes and if you were hit, you were out for 20 seconds. Five strikes and you were out permanently. Group 1 was made up of all the Darks; Styx, Hemlock, Bane, Artemis, Castor, and Polaris. Group 2 consisted of everyone else; Mirae, Sagitta, Libra, Nettle, Orion, and Ladon.
After getting the ETA on food from Hop, Ash set a countdown timer for 20 minutes and let his team go.
Immediate mayhem.
Group 1 was much quieter than Group 2 but no less violent. Group 2 was a bit more chaotic, and at one point Ash choked when he saw Orion get run over by Ladon.
He didn't understand that Applin whatsoever. One minute he was unresponsive and motionless, the next he was diving into a battle and seemed to understand what was happening. He didn't necessarily stop for 20 seconds after getting hit, but his slow blink of confusion took enough time that Ash let it go.
He called it when the timer went off. His team groaned and he had to step between Hemlock and Castor when they wouldn't stop. When they did a free for all like his, he would name a winner once in a while, but he didn't want his team to be too competitive all the time. Though that might be wishful thinking.
Hop ladled out instant-noodle curry for most of the Pokémon. Styx, Libra, Bane, Castor, and Orion eyed the distant herd of Piloswine and took off in their direction. Mirae and Artemis stayed for the curry.
Once Ladon evolved he'd hunt Bug types, so maybe he and Polaris could do that together.
While the rest of his team were herbivores, Hemlock still fed off frustration and Nettle could survive off the Beast ball and Ash's presence.
Artemis settled down beside her trainer with Mirae pressed up on Ash's other side. Ladon rolled over until the Houndoom's warmth seeped into him. Artemis still looked a little uncertain how to deal with the Applin's attachment to her. Ash found it adorable, not that he'd tell her that.
Ash watched Hemlock disappear into the nearby grasses, probably hoping to find some poor Pokémon he could annoy. Sagitta pushed her bowl away and settled closer to the fire to keep frost from building up on her feathers. The last two, Polaris and Nettle, darted into Ash's tent to escape the cold.
Nettle had been slow during the free for all, looking lethargic and stiff. He wondered if its evolution was similar to Bugs or larvae turning into pupae.
He'd also noticed that Nettle wasn't spending as much time around him and not looking any worse for wear. Maybe it was adapting to this world? The Beast ball kept Nettle 'fed' when they were within it, but the UB had been out for hours. Ash wasn't going to pretend he understood the weird energy he gave off that Nettle was drawn to, but he did know Nettle just wasn't around as much.
Hop was cuddling Flint with Lulu, his Wooloo, behind him so he could rest against her. Alloy, Terra, Joule, and the newly named Rocky preferred to sleep in their Pokéballs.
"Ash?" He grunted to show Hop he was listening. "How'd you know you wanted to be a trainer?"
Well, that was an interesting question. Ash was silent for a few beats, his fingers carding through Mirae's rose fur. "Well… I always knew. I grew up staying with Professor Oak and he used to be Champion. I watched his battles and I knew I wanted to do that. I loved Pokémon and I had so many ideas on how to train them. Everything I learned in school I would mentally apply to training and caring for Pokémon." He shrugged and scratched at the base of Mirae's horns. "Pokémon also just… they make more sense than people."
He thought for a second more and continued. "Now that I am a trainer, I can't see myself doing anything else. I don't want to be a coordinator, a researcher, a breeder, a doctor, none of those things. I want to battle." His Pokémon shifted around him, various challenging growls feeding off his own passionate declaration.
Hop was wide eyed as he stared at Ash and his teammates. Ash didn't want to read too much into it, but there was a palpable aura of awe around the teen. "Does having a rival help?"
Ash shrugged. "I don't really have one. I have people who's level I want to reach, though. Do you have a rival?"
Hop shrugged. "Yeah, I started my journey on the same day as Gloria and Victor and we all have a competition going on. I've tried to battle Gym Leaders Marnie and Bede, but lost to both."
"What types do they use?"
Hop smiled crookedly at him, "Dark and Fairy."
Ash laughed. "I can help you out tomorrow with that."
"Thanks Ash." Hop went quiet after that, adopting an air of introspection as he looked into the fire.
The topic of rivals had Ash thinking. If he had to choose one immediately, he would say it was Gary, but they've never even battled. Plus, Ash had grown past Gary a long time ago, past his taunts and his vitriol and his boasting.
There were trainers he'd like to defeat, but they probably didn't view him as a rival. Lance, Grimsley, Diantha… all Champions he wanted to take down.
Then there was Giselle.
She had torn his team to shreds with her odd Pokémon, and he hadn't taken it well. Since her first message after Omen, they had become… penpals of sorts. There was an undercurrent of scorn and entitlement from both ends, but it was somewhat cordial.
Didn't mean he still didn't want to wipe her smug grin off her face next time they battled.
Ash sighed and shook Artemis and Mirae, getting them to shift so he could stand up. "Artemis, can you take the first watch?" The canine grinned and nodded. Her sense of smell would be helpful. "Hop, will you be up much longer?"
"Huh? Oh, yeah, I will."
"Once my Pokémon get back from hunting, can you spray the repels?" Hop nodded seriously before going back to his thoughts.
Hemlock soon meandered back to the campsite, slipping into the tent when Ash held the flap open. "Artemis, tell Styx she's on the next watch after you. Anyone want to be returned?" Mirae answered by running into the tent, but Sagitta nodded and was returned to her Luxury ball. Ladon just blinked blearily before rolling over the entryway of the tent.
Ash smiled and followed the Applin, seeing him curled up closest to the heater, eye flaps once again down to sleep.
Polaris and Nettle were curled up beside each other in the middle of his sleeping bag. Ash closed his eyes and sighed, questioning whether he should put these two up for adoption. As gently as possible, he moved the two over enough so he could slip inside the bag. Mirae and Hemlock bracketed him on either side, and soon Ash was fast asleep.
He was only woken twice during the night, which he thought was a win. The first time, it was Bane and Castor scratching at the door to be let inside with Libra moaning in the background to be returned. The second time was to the sound of Styx demolishing a Sneasel who thought it could steal something from them.
Ash was woken early so he could take the final watch. He shook a sleeping Artemis to head into the tent, leaving Orion to happily snore in a growing snowbank. As he settled beside Styx, the Brutal Pokémon hummed and lowered her heads to surround him. Double eyelids audibly closed as she settled down to get a few hours of sleep. Ash ran gentle fingernails through feathers as he looked out across the dark snowy landscape.
His last few hours with Hop tomorrow would be dedicated to training him to fight Darks and Fae. But after that… he'd be flying to Motostoke Riverbank and traveling deeper into the more hazardous parts of the Wild Area. It'd take his entire team to keep each other safe.
Good for building teamwork.
Ash sighed, settling in for the next few hours of monotony, eyes closed and focusing on the pinpricks of light surrounding him.
Day 3
Eying the stomping Snorlax just over the bridge, Ash decided it was time to get started on the specialized training he'd been planning since he got on the plane to Galar.
Ash had finally made it to Motostoke Riverbank, having left Hop at the entrance to Motostoke a day ago. It had actually been a bittersweet event, the young trainer had grown on him.
But Hop had felt confident after his training session with Ash and would be challenging Gym Leader Marnie again in Spikemuth.
But now it was time for his own training.
His team had built upon their foundations to the best of their abilities, and even past that. Their strength and conditioning gave them the physical power and stamina of high level battlers. Their energy output training gave them vast reservoirs to pull upon, and combat training had borne the reflexes, agility, and maneuverability to withstand an offensive onslaught.
Now it was time to develop their specialties.
He released Styx first.
The Hydreigon flared her wings, three heads undulating and taking in their surroundings. They were far enough from the Snorlax to have ample reaction time if it decided to attack. The Liepard and Skuntank that loitered around had fled the moment Styx was released.
Styx's tail thrashed with restless energy but she had learned some patience over the years and awaited Ash's words.
"You will be filling the role of the Juggernaut. Overwhelming force meets a well-rounded battler. You will be shaped into a Pokémon that can take on any obstacle. You will utilize any and all resources at your disposal; fear inducement, auditory impairment, brute force, terrain manipulation, stat enhancement, type coverage, and more. You will be the rest of the team's milestone, you will be the pedestal they try to topple."
Styx's growls had been building in intensity during his speech, snapping at the air and exhaling sparks of violet energy.
"You'll be working with Castor for the next week to work on terrain manipulation and to get you started on Earth Power." Ash gestured to a far off area with his chin, and soon Styx was stomping over to her temporary training grounds.
Hemlock was next.
The Morgrem bowed theatrically to Ash, then collapsed onto his knees in mock subjection. Ash returned the bow, feeling his hat fall off and knowing before it happened that Hemlock would snatch it.
Ash hid his smile at Hemlock's taunting grin as the Pokémon set the hat on his own head.
"You will be filling the role of the Cage, a physical trapper. You already have incredible control over your hair, but when you evolve, I want you to be just as dextrous with it as a Tangrowth with its vines. You might not have the range, but you will have the strength. Anything that gets too close gets ensnared and trapped. I want all of your attacks to be channeled through your hair. Bulk Up will act as a volume enhancer. You'll have trouble with any ranged opponents, so I'll have you eventually work with Sagitta. Start channeling Drain Punch through your fork."
Hemlock looked starstruck as he meandered over to a tree, his forked hair twitching in excitement. Ash let him keep the hat.
Bane appeared as a Teddiursa with the biggest faux Babydoll Eyes. Ash 'awe'd' and leaned forward, but smirked as he caught the Zoroark's disillusioned claws. Bane dropped the illusion and whined, half-heartedly tugging his paw back. Ash just held onto it as he started speaking.
"Your role will be the Ghost. We've only scratched the surface of what your illusions can accomplish. We're going to make you disappear, untraceable, practically impossible to hit. You have speed and evasiveness on your side, and if the opponent can't hit you, your attacks will add up. Toxic, Aerial Ace, Feint Attack bundled with illusions that stall the opponents in their tracks. Become their trainer. Become their worst fear. Become nothing. Make them question if you're even there or if they're haunted by the Nether."
Bane's claws tightened around Ash's hand unconsciously, eyes glazed and far away. Ash knew if he gave this type of power to Hemlock the world would end due to pure annoyance. But Bane would only somewhat abuse his first objective.
"First test, become me. My face, how I walk, my mannerisms, even my voice. Go." Bane faded from view.
Mirae appeared with an echoing cry, gliding circles a few inches above Ash's head. Tucking his wings, Ash was prepared to catch the Mytheon dropping from the air. He was heavy, and Ash almost toppled, but he refused to drop the baby.
Mirae would always be his baby.
Even through his gloves and coat Ash could feel the energy that suffused Mirae's scales and fur, cutting through the fabric and crackling against his skin like a livewire. A wavy haze hovered just over Mirae's body like a mirage.
"You're going to be the Trickster. With Magic Guard, many low powered attacks slide right off you, and you're immune to most status conditions. I want you unpredictable, I want you to infuriate your opponents. Your energy manipulation is off the charts, and your control will only improve. Mystical Fire, Swift, Twister, all being able to shift and change and redirect. I want layers of defenses; Light Screen, Reflect, Wish, Endure, Calm Mind, and then when the time is right, Stored Power. I want you attacking from the air, from beneath the ground, darting across the field. You are the Special Tank, and you will be excruciating to fight."
Mirae was vibrating and whining, unable to hold in his want. He was still one of the youngest of the family, and he wanted to be great.
"And if anyone tries to take your strength or take your power? Make them regret it." Mirae launched himself from Ash's arms, landing braced on the ground and baring his saber-like fangs.
"Go practice redirecting Mystical Fire." Mirae was off before Ash even finished speaking.
Sagitta darted up into the sky the moment she was released, circling high above but begrudgingly descending when Ash looked up. The Togekiss planted sharp talons on his unprotected head and tucked her wings, making Ash's neck take the bulk of her weight.
Her downy feathers were silky to the touch and he didn't push his luck by petting her too long.
"You're going to be the Star; beautiful, fast, and unleashing enough energy to burn. I want you fast and blinding like a comet. We're going to make it so even if someone can spot you, they'll need to look away or risk getting blinded. Dazzling Gleam, Flamethrower, Shockwave, and Flash when not relying on Extremespeed. Stars are self-sustaining, so Life-Dew, Heal Bell, Morning Sun when I find a tutor. Stars have objects in orbit, so Ancient Power and Aura Spheres circling you as protection. If Pokémon don't rely on sight battling you, you're just too fast to matter."
Ash winced when Sagitta shrieked to the sky, her talons digging into his scalp. Her wings sent two Air Cutters into the ground, carving deep into the earth's flesh. Ash took that as agreement with his plans.
"Go work on Extremespeed and how long you can keep it up. Then work on holding Dazzling Gleam as you fly."
Sagitta was so high in the air now that Ash could barely make out a speck. Touching his scalp, he grimaced as his fingers came back slightly bloody.
The ground shook when Libra landed, her scales clanging so loudly that Rookidee scattered from all the trees in a half mile radius. The massive Hakamo-o shoved her snout into Ash's chest, almost knocking him onto his ass. But Ash was used to this affectionate greeting by now, and held onto her jaw.
He tried to smother his grin when Libra's sharp eyes kept darting over to Styx, wanting to challenge her after taking so long to heal.
"Soon. For now, I know the role you are meant to fill; the Fortress. You'll have the outward appearance of being a solitarily defensive Pokémon, slow but practically impenetrable. Iron Defense, Protect, and your ability Soundproof to make the opponent waste energy trying to crack your defenses. Then your own use of sound to disorient; Screech, Noble Roar, and soon Clanging Scales and Boomburst. Then, when they think they've finally broken through or finally wasted enough energy, you unleash the arsenal. Earthquake to disrupt the speedsters, Rock Slide to reduce mobility, Draco Meteor and eventually Scale Shot to make escape impossible."
Libra slammed her fists together, sending out a minor soundwave that kicked up dirt and dead grasses. Her scales jangled, sounding like chainmail.
Ash held up a finger. "But, you need to learn patience." Libra planted her large palms and growled, towering over Ash. He didn't budge. "You're too headstrong, and you leave yourself open far too often. You need to be reactive, let the enemy embarrass themselves trying to get through and then embarrass them further when you destroy them."
Libra settled, grumbling in thought. The small uptick of her maw gave her away. Ash nodded, "Good. Go work with Styx for now. Your goal is to not rise to her taunts. Keep a cool head. I know you're calm, but Styx brings out the Dragon in you. Don't let her win."
The Hakamo-o turned towards Styx and roared, staking her challenge. Styx screeched in response. The air vibrated as Libra closed the distance.
Ash ran a finger along the Beast Ball before releasing Nettle. The little Poipole yawned, cyan mouth glowing, and drooped in the air slightly. Ash held out his arms, and it hurt something deep inside when Nettle hesitated for a long moment before settling down in the cradle.
"Hey buddy, I wanted to know how you were feeling." Nettle yawned again, eyes half-lidded. The new spines along its back dug into Ash's arms as it shifted. "Okay, if you're not feeling well, we can hold off on your training-" Nettle shook its large head, needles catching the sunlight. Ash exhaled.
"If you want to, okay, but we're going to take it easy. I wanted to go over the plans I have for your training." Ash waited for Nettle to nod before continuing. "I want your role to be the Virus. Slow acting poison that shuts down body function that works faster the more the opponent panics. You'll be a long-range trapper, creating pockets of adhesive sludge that immobilizes and enters through the skin. Then, if they get close, any physical contact can also transfer the poison since you'll have a thin layer coating your scales. How does that sound?"
He got a weak cry from Nettle, and the UB focused on its electromagnetism to pull itself from Ash's arms. "Okay." Ash said quietly, helping the beast stabilize midair. "Go work on different consistencies for your poison, sticky and thin."
Ash watched Nettle float away for a long while before sighing and releasing Artemis.
The Houndoom waited for a moment, and when Ash gave her a nod, she bounded forward and pressed against his side. Chuckling, Ash knelt down and scratched around her horns, Artemis's tongue lolling out and her tail wagging a mile a minute.
"Ready to hear about the new direction of your training?" Artemis boofed and headbutted his face gently. "Alright, you're going to be the Furnace. I want the heat you give off to be so overwhelming, it saps the opponent's stamina. I want heat exhaustion to be a legitimate risk. I want your flames to be practically liquid with how hot and how dense they are. I want you to be able to be your own Sunny Day. I want the air to waver around you. I want you to be so attuned to heat, you can sense enemies with or without sight. I want anything that isn't a live person or Pokémon melting."
Ash knew he hadn't been great with training Artemis's Fire attacks, focusing more on her Dark techniques since he was more comfortable with that. He'd try to fix that mistake, though his own fears might make themselves known.
Rubbing her horns one more time, Ash patted her and stood up, though she got one last lick in. "Go work on upping your body heat, keep your stamina in mind." Artemis barked once and ran over an area free of grasses.
They'd continue to work on Mega Evolution, obviously, but… nothing was working.
Ash pushed it from his mind.
Castor materialized with a hiss, foreclaws flexing and maw snapping. Sand fell to the ground as he shook out his body. The Krokorok met Ash's eyes and bared his teeth in anticipation.
Ash smirked at the croc and held out his knuckles, getting a fist bump from the determined Pokémon. "You will be the Pitfall. Terrain manipulation will be your specialty, make every opponent question if they can even move safely. Earth, rock, and sand will be your weapons, neither the ground or the sky will be safe. I want every step to be unstable, every movement fraught with anxiety and risk. I want Stealth Rocks, Sand Pits, and Stone Edges hounding every step. I want splinters hidden with Sandstorms. I want Earthquakes and aftershocks, I want the earth to swallow your opponents while saving your allies, I want your hold over the weather and terrain to be iron. Can you do it?"
Castor planted his forelegs on the ground, his tail thrashing as he bellowed. The ground cracked beneath his body, fractures spreading far from where he stood.
But Ash saw the narrowed glance he sent towards Hemlock. "His role is the Cage. He won't be able to trap you if he can't get to you." Castor hissed in vengeful delight and skittered away. "I want you to help Styx with Earth Power in an hour!" All he got was a flick of the croc's tail in response.
Rubbing his hands together, Ash released Polaris next. The Frogadier had even fewer frubbles than a few days ago. The Water type waited patiently, some of his seriousness shining through.
"You're going to be the Shuriken. Fast, sharp, and accurate. You're the knife between ribs, the arrow between armor, the concealed blade. Mist, Smokescreen, Double Team, and Substitute to keep you hidden, Quick Attack, Aerial Ace, and Aqua Jet to outspeed. Smack Down, Toxic Spikes, and Lick to slow them down. Then finally when you evolve, Hydro Cannon, Water Shuriken, and Ice Beam to strike. You're going to be a hazard to fight and agonizing to find."
Polaris's eyes sparked, and Ash felt an answering determination in his chest. "Your work with Hydro Cannon has significantly increased your water stores, now we need to work on shaping it." Ash pointed towards Lake Miloch, and Polaris hopped off. Eventually, he'd have the Frogadier work with Bane in an… intense game of hide and seek.
Ash stretched his arms overhead for a moment, before sighing and nodding to himself. Orion landed with a snarl, tails flared and teeth bared. Ash crossed his arms and waited.
The Ninetales had really opened up the last few weeks, and with that came his aggression and semi-cruel streak. He liked seeing his opponents squirm in pain, but he also liked diving into snow banks like a kit. He liked his alone time, but he also liked Bane and Artemis and Sagitta, oddly enough.
But he loved to battle.
But he loved to battle his way. Full on frontal assault, which was all well and good with weaker opponents, but Ninetales were not known for their durability. Ash had to figure out a blend of styles.
For now, Orion was still working on the fundamentals, but Ash could get him started on the foundations for the specialization down the line. By then, Ash would have hopefully built a stronger rapport with the fox.
"You've been improving." Orion growled, but this one sounded pleased. Ash was still learning the different emotions Orion conveyed with his growls. "Your stamina has a ways to go." Ears pulled back, always a good sign. Ash held back the eye roll at his sarcastic thoughts. "Stop, you were in a bad place for a long time during critical development. Evolution has helped, but you still have to put in the work. You are not at fault for what happened to you, but you decide how you move forward." Ash's words were harsh, but he knew Orion would get there.
The Ninetales growled, but sat back on his haunches. Ash dipped his head. "I want you doing something similar to Artemis; radiating enough cold that it stops weaker opponents and attacks. I want you so cold, some Pokémon would avoid even hitting you. For now, I want you to work with Polaris, radiating cold and dodging his attacks for as long as possible. Eventually I want you trying to freeze his Water attacks. But you need to get that stamina up."
Orion's lips pulled back, but he acquiesced and went to join Polaris by the water. The two hadn't spent too much time together, but Polaris was fast enough to dodge Orion's more vicious attacks.
Ash knew it was a bit cheesy, but he liked giving each of his teammate's a moniker, something to use as a focus for their training. Ash needed more time with Orion before he decided on one.
Last, but certainly not least, Ladon appeared.
The Applin reached above his knee, so much bigger than the rest of his species. His eye flaps lifted, then fluttered a bit in apparent happiness. Ash knelt down and ran his hands over the body of the apple, feeling the light pattern of scales carved into the waxy flesh of skin. Ladon let his eyes fall back down and Ash could feel the slight rumbling of contentment under his hands.
Ash just sat with his newest teammate for a while, not truly having the chance for one-on-one time. The sunshine was nice for once, and Ladon was happily absorbing energy and Ash decided to start talking.
"What do you enjoy?" One of his eyes lifted and regarded Ash blankly. Smiling, Ash elaborated. "What do you like to do? What do you want out of life? You like the sun," Eye flaps fluttered, "you like Artemis, you like games?" Ash thought back to the free for all the team did back in the woods after finding Ladon. "What else? Do you… do you even want to battle?" Ash hadn't really thought about it. Ladon wanted to come with them, so Ash automatically assumed it meant he wanted to battle.
There was a pause, a thoughtfulness, and then Ladon tucked his eyes and entered a rather fast Rollout, darting around the area and slamming into a tree. A few cheri berries fell to the ground, followed by a chittering Skwovet.
The rodent squealed angrily, cheeks puffed up in preparation to fire off a Bullet Seed. Ladon swiveled one eye back at his trainer and Ash felt a slow grin spread across his face.
"Withdraw!" Ladon hunkered down, a misty sheen taking over his body. Bullet Seeds were fired, they bounced harmlessly off his shell, pushing the Applin back just a little. Skwovet did not like that at all, and rushed forward, slamming a Tackle into Ladon before he could react to Ash's call. Ladon was sent rolling away, but righted himself.
Ash hummed, calling for Rollout, as he thought about how Ladon's reaction time needed work. Rollout was fast, but he couldn't aim or turn well. A straight shot was the best course.
Skwovet was dodging, though was hit once or twice just due to clumsiness. In a surprising twist of ingenuity from a wild Normal type, it allowed itself to be hit before striking back with Counter.
Landing upside down with his eyes pinned beneath his bulk, Ladon's tail wiggled, unable to right himself. Skwovet huffed, shoving the Cheri berries in its cheeks before climbing the tree once more.
Ash shook his head and approached the still struggling Applin. "Hold on, buddy." Ash softly righted the Dragon, brushing off his eyes. Ladon's eyes were lowered, his entire demeanor drooping.
Looking at Ladon, Ash took in this entire display of determination, grit, and now disappointment in the face of loss, and already knew he had an incredible teammate.
Ash grinned, Ladon's eye flaps lifting in surprise. "Let's get started."
Day 4
Blinking a few times, Ash squinted just to be sure.
Yup, that was a vendor.
It was hard to tell through the fog, but the man had a softly glowing Morelull beside him that acted as a beacon and a pop up stand. As Ash got closer, he saw the official patch that indicated this man was a registered merchant.
It had actually been an interesting lesson from Ranger Solana. Vendors had to go through an even more rigorous training course and a significant background check to work in the Wild Area. They had to have at least four 8-badge level Pokémon, 6 years of travel experience, and a letter of endorsement from a high-ranking League official.
It might sound like a lot just to be a vendor, but the benefits were outstanding. 401k, free medical care, and a nice paycheck along with commission. They had access to incredible training materials and equipment for their Pokémon as well.
Most vendors were definitely adrenaline junkies. Who else would want to spend 4 or more days a week in the Wild Area as their job?
The sunshine of yesterday was long gone, fog rolling in and Ash had to creep even more carefully through the wilderness. Psychics and Fae came out in the fog, and they had a tendency to enchant and hypnotize trespassing into leaving or… well. Something a bit more painful.
Contrary to popular belief, blizzards, sandstorms, and even heat waves weren't the most dangerous of the weather patterns here. Fog was. More documented deaths and disappearances.
That being said, Hemlock, Artemis, Nettle, Styx, and Orion were on protection duty, strategically placed around Ash to shield him from Hypnosis, Sweet Kiss, and Charm. He'd already been targeted by hoards of Beheeyem, Espurr, Hypno, and Orbeetle until they got close enough to sense the Darkness of he and his team. The Fairies, for the most part, have been leaving him alone or harmlessly coming closer.
Or so he thought at one particular happenstance when a Hattrem dazzled her way through with bashful innocence only to try and throw a Brutal Swing at him.
That was fun.
He wondered what emotion was blaring out of him to alert the Hattrem. He was tempted to catch it, but he needed more time with Ladon.
His protection detail was exhausted after over 24 hours of being on high-alert. Ash was exhausted after 24 hours of being on high alert. He could feel his fingers prickling beneath his gloves, the fight or flight triggering Yveltal's 'gift'.
His team could still do their jobs, but Ash saw a notable delay in their reflexes. Their training yesterday didn't help matters either.
But now, with his guard still up, he jogged over to the vendor. The man only gave a single shiver when Styx stomped out of the mist before putting on a professional smile. "Howdy! How's the Wild Area treatin' ya?"
Ash stopped in front of the table full of items and shrugged as he perused. "Not terribly. Haven't gotten maimed yet so I count that as fantastic hospitality."
The man laughed, a big belly rumble that threatened to draw attention to them. "I'd say so! Now, whatcha lookin' for?"
Scanning the table, Ash pursed his lips. "Any Applin apples?"
Grinning wide, the man quickly shucked his backpack and went rummaging for something. "Sure do! You got good timing, only got one left of each!" He stood up with a dark container clasped in his hands.
Something in the air shifted before he opened it up and pulled out the two apples; one a bright ruby red and the other red on top and sour green on the bottom. The wind started picking up, causing Ash to clasp the bill of his hat.
Pulling out his Pokédex he asked, "How much?" Orion nudged his side as something gritty hit his face.
"Only $315." Ash scanned the QR code printed on the table to get the man's account so he could send the funds.
The single ding from the man's pocket was the last calm sound before Ash was shoved to the side and the ground exploded.
Ash went flying, items went flying, the table went flying. Hunks of dirt and grass covered him from head to toe. Coughing to rid his lungs of the debris, he groaned when his shoulder throbbed. Pushing himself up on his arms, Ash whipped his head up to figure out what in the Nether just happened.
Where there was fog before, there was now a raging sandstorm, red clouds, and an enormous hole right where he'd been standing.
Oh. That was a Dynamax Steelix.
The massive Iron Snake roared and swiped its bus-sized tail around, Artemis and Hemlock leaping over it while Styx fired off a particularly irritated Dark Pulse.
In the thick of battle, his team's exhaustion was even more evident.
A tug at his neck had him standing up and Orion giving him a glare of epic proportions. Ash grimaced in apology. "Yes, I won't ever ignore you again." The fox sniffed before turning to enter the fray as Nettle's Hidden Power landed. There was a tiny dent from the attack but the Steelix looked like it didn't even feel it.
The little UB wasn't fast enough to dodge the Max Steelspike that sent it into the ground. Ash winced every time his team was struck.
"Kid!" Ash turned to the vendor who was readying his own Pokéballs. "Take the apple and skedaddle!" Ash looked to see the apple resting upright a few feet away. He swiped it but frowned when he realized the man wanted him to run.
But when a rather colossal Torterra and Dhelmise were released, Ash figured this guy had it covered. Especially when Styx was sent flying from a well-timed Max Wyrmwind.
Whistling, his Pokémon were quick to return to him, even if he got a few disgruntled expressions. Ash grimaced as he returned them, silently apologizing. Styx flew like a bullet back to him, grabbing the collar of his jacket in her teeth and lifting up just in time to avoid a spire of stone that would have skewered him.
He gulped as they flew above the clouds to escape the Steelix's range.
The sandstorm was certainly infuriating, pelting against Ash's face. Styx was used to relying on sound and smell for direction, but her fatigue had her fighting the winds continuously. Ash buried his head in her feathers, swallowing down bile and hung on until the raging winds lessened.
Blinking quickly to clear the sand from his eyelashes, Ash looked around, recognizing the rocky ground below as Stony Wilderness.
Guess they're skipping right over Bridge Field.
Ash directed his starter down to the open fields that looked barren of any strong Pokémon. Six wings worked in tandem to land with a shaking thud. Ash quickly hopped down, quiet as he furrowed his brows.
"Well that was a whirlwind." Styx huffed and rolled her six eyes and plopped down on the ground, her muscles slightly trembling. Brushing some stray sand from her feathers, Ash turned around to survey their surroundings. There were no tall grasses to be seen, only a few Diglett popping up randomly and Baltoy spinning around. He was pretty sure he could see a Ferrothorn slowly stomping around in the distance.
But all in all, pretty safe for the time being.
One by one, he released his entire team, the ones taken from the fight still grumbling unhappily but not challenging his decision. Those who hadn't been out shook their fur, scales, feathers, etc. to create a cacophony of sounds and looked around.
He let them stretch and look around before he got their attention.
"Everyone, our newest teammate is about to evolve." Eyes immediately darted to the oblivious Applin who was blinking slowly at the group.
After their battle yesterday, Ash and Ladon had gone over where to start after evolution. As an Applin, Ladon was extremely limited in moveset and ability, and he had probably been an Applin for two or more years, and most were ready to evolve after four months.
He was ready.
Walking forward, Ash suddenly froze as a thought occurred to him.
How will Ladon eat this?
"Uh…" The Grass and Dragon type had his eyes locked on the apple. He then tucked his eyes and barely-seen tail in and rolled over, knocking into Ash's knee. With a single oomph, Ash dropped the apple onto Ladon's leaf-like eyes.
Ash and his team watched with visible confusion as Ladon flattened his giant eyes as tiny, tiny roots extended from his body to dig into the apple.
It wasn't until he started glowing and growing that something niggled at Ash's brain. That something blared like an alarm as he watched Ladon change shape.
And then the glow dissipated.
Oh.
Huh.
Well shit.
Hemlock stifled a cackle from somewhere behind him. Orion snorted and Mirae rumbled with deep seated amusement.
The newly evolved Ladon yawned and rested his head on his forelegs, quickly beginning to snore.
Ash slapped his forehead.
The last of their restraint flew out the window, his team erupting into snorts and howls of laughter. Hemlock, Polaris, and Castor were leaning against each other with their heads thrown back. Styx looked away to hide her mirth while Libra didn't bother to hold in her growls of delight. Sagitta and Mirae couldn't even attempt to take to the air with how much they were shaking with laughter. Orion and Bane were snickering while Artemis and Nettle grinned, not understanding what was funny but wanting to be involved.
Ash knew he shouldn't have shown them Applin's evolutions.
The newly evolved Appletun didn't stir from the noise, his deep snores continuing on.
Rubbing his temples, Ash breathed in for a long count, and out for an even longer count. So he grabbed the wrong apple. So what Appletun was the laziest Dragon type there is. So what if it was one of the slowest fully evolved Chaos Types.
This is fine. Ladon proved his determination yesterday, and would continue to do so.
Shaking his head clear of the all encompassing 'Legends above, I can't believe this just happened', he flipped open his Pokédex.
Appletun: The Apple Nectar Pokémon. Grass and Dragon Type. Eating a sweet apple caused its evolution. A nectarous scent wafts from its body, luring in the Bug Pokémon it preys on. A slow Pokémon, Appletun is able to withstand powerful attacks before depleting its target's energy. This Pokémon gains energy through both photosynthesis and Bug Pokémon consumption.
This Appletun is Male and has the ability Thick Fat.
Known Moves: Withdraw, Astonish, Sweet Scent, Headbutt, Leech Seed, Apple Acid, and Dragon Rage
This Pokémon has the egg move(s) Rollout
This Pokémon stands at 4'09" and weighs 361.6lbs.
Okay that could be so much worse.
Ash groaned and fell back, splayed out on the dusty ground and staring at the cloudy sky. The raucous laughter around him suddenly fell silent and he was just about to lift his head when he felt scratchy scales against his side and a heavy weight pressed against him.
A lump formed in his throat when a cloyingly sweet fruity scent entered his nose and he lifted his head to see Ladon pressed against his side, head resting on his arm, and snoring, the picture of absolute contentment.
Yes, Ash decided with a small smile. This was fine.
Day 5
Something happened that Ash hadn't expected. Whatsoever.
See, Ash had been found by a rather intimidating teen named Zula who had challenged him to a battle. She was obviously experienced, with her calm confidence and even smirk that had some buried part of him bristling. Black hair was neatly held in a bun and gold eyes were analytical and intense.
But his Pokémon were in good health after a long night's sleep and hadn't had a good battle in a while. Zula was also ranked 585th to Ash's 1790th. Newly registered trainers started at the bottom of rankings, so this battle - if he won - would help elevate him since he's only battled a few trainers. He had started in the high 11,000s.
The first battle ended in a draw. Her rather feral Manectric was pitted against Orion in a savage clash that left both covered in dripping cuts and electrical burns. If Zula had been taken aback by the Alolan Ninetales's ferocity, she didn't show it. A single twitch of her eyebrow was the only change in her expression.
Battle two was, to both their surprise, another draw. Her incredibly rare blue-flame Rapidash almost had the upper hand against Hemlock with its Poison Jab and Smart Strike. But then the Morgrem caught the Steel attack in a Thunder Punch grip, sending volts upon volts into the equine's body that seized its muscles long enough for Hemlock to hook his hair around its legs and heave. The final collision of Wild Charge and Sucker Punch took both out.
It was during the last battle that it happened.
It was Bane against a towering, snarling Typhlosion. His other teammates (the ones not unconscious) were on the edges watching with rapt attention (in most cases). Bane was slipping around the field, dodging explosive attacks left and right. His illusions had grown to the point where Typhlosion was targeting an 'Umbreon' that appeared to fire off its own attacks. The 'Umbreon' was also on the other side of the field compared to where Bane truly hid.
When the inevitable Eruption was released from a livid Fire type, it of course missed Bane. Unfortunately, the Zoroark didn't check who was behind his Umbreon illusion.
The white-hot ball of liquid fire caused the illusion to flicker out, and proceeded to barrel into Ladon, who had been resting in the intense sunlight with one eye lifted to watch the battle. The plume of smoke and dirt and wind threatened to burn off eyelashes and fur with its severity.
Ash froze with terror seizing his muscles. Thick Fat could only do so much…
Yet when the smoke cleared, the grasses still smoldering with embers, the Appletun heaved himself over from his spot on his side, scales a little blackened. He shook, he yawned, and he settled back down.
Ash blinked.
Ladon had been amenable to training yesterday, but nowhere near the intensity of the others. His physiology didn't allow vigorous exercise or else he'd lose his ability to produce the scent he needed to hunt. His attacks were strong, and his response time decent, but the Dragon could barely move.
He didn't expect the Pokémon to be able to brush off a full-powered Eruption.
Shaking his head, Ash pushed the incredible discovery away and directed Bane to land a potent Toxic that turned the tides. The Zoroark's stamina was still pushed to the limits trying to outlast the behemoth of a Typhlosion.
But he did.
Zula's perfect countenance finally cracked and an expression of pure fury overtook her face. But then Styx took a menacing step forward that had the woman second guessing her previous decision, whatever it might have been.
Grinding her teeth, Zula - noticeably struggling - regained her composure and stalked away, the Rotom-Drone buzzing behind her. Ash shivered, the madness that shone through the gaze chilling his bones.
The ping from his Pokédex snapped him from the daze.
Wow.
$10,000 and now ranked in the high 500s.
Remembering what happened, Ash shoved the dex in his pocket and spun around. Bane was seated in the torn up field trying to catch his breath while Ladon slumbered on. Ash and his Zoroark shared an incredulous wide-eyed look. The scorch mark on the Apple Nectar Pokémon was already healing, the Dragon well on his way to naturally learning Synthesis.
Well. This opened up many opportunities.
I've only had Ladon the Appletun for a chapter now, but if anything happened to him I'd kill everyone reading this fic and then myself.
Appletun had always been the plan. Flapple is cool and all, but I've loved Appletun since Gen 8 came out.
Hop, you poor sweet summer child, those Ash-shenanigans are nothing.
Do I have any idea how the WCS rankings work? No.
Next chapter: Wild Area pt 2, and a change.