The Blue Suns Deluxe Hotel
Selene, Grace, Layla, Moose, Summer, Nurse Joy, and many other people continued to watch the live TV report in the hotel lobby. Some were gasping in shock; others were awed. Unbeknownst to everyone else, Jessie, James, and Meowth were all hiding behind a large plant in the corner, watching the TV screen as well.
Grace's gaze hardened with concern, and the jockey's grip on Selene tightened slightly. Her other hand went up to her chest, directly over her heart, just like her future granddaughter.
"Be careful, Serena..." she thought worriedly.
Room 30001
Amelia gasped in shock as she saw the live footage of Serena, Ash, and their Pokémon confronting Parker and Sceptile. Her Dragonair and Espeon looked at her with apprehensive expressions...which soon turned into ones of fear when their Trainer's face started to turn red. Her indigo eyes were literally blazing with fury as the pupils remained transfixed to the TV screen.
Adam, on the other hand, looked on with absolute amazement...but not at Serena and Ash.
The Laurier Maison
Aria, Foster, Palermo, Paris, Amara, and their Pokémon were in the living room watching a TV set of their own. They had been watching a report on tomorrow's Exhibition Showcase when it abruptly switched out to a live report of an intense battle near the Star Inn in downtown Kiloude. Aria and Palermo's eyes widened at the sight of Serena.
"Oh, my goodness," Palermo said with shock. "It's her!"
"Serena?!" Aria exclaimed, shooting up from her chair and startling her Delphox in the process.
A Pokémon Center
Between Vaniville Town and Kiloude City
Several Trainers and Pokémon, as well as the resident Nurse Joy and Wigglytuff, were intently watching the live report as well on the Pokémon Center's own TV. One of the Trainers, a certain brown-haired Trainer wearing a red tennis visor, stood up with a gasp upon recognizing Serena, Ash, Clemont, Bonnie, and Parker. Nurse Joy was the first to notice this.
"Is-Is everything alright there...?" the nurse asked.
But the Trainer didn't say anything. Instead, he ran out of the building as fast as he possibly could, followed closely by his Emboar.
In the skies of Kiloude City
Up in the skies, unknown to absolutely everyone down below, about a half-dozen Hoppip, Skiploom, and Jumpluff were in the air. Minuscule devices that seemed to be a combination of flashlights and cameras were strapped onto each of their bodies, being so lightweight that they didn't hinder their movements at all.
The Grass/Flying-type Pokémon floated across the sky, silently and methodically recording Parker's battle with the group of meddlesome Trainers at every possible angle.
Near the Star Inn
Downtown Kiloude City
"I should've known you of all people would stick your nose where it doesn't belong..." Parker snarled, "Ketchum."
Ash blinked. "So I guess we know each other in the future?" he asked curiously.
The poacher then sneered maliciously. "I see you're still not that bright." Then, he shrugged dismissively. "But then again, it is the past, after all. I wouldn't expect any less from you."
"Don't you dare insult Ash like that!" Serena screamed.
"Yeah, you tell him, Serena!" Bonnie cheered.
"Pikachu!" squeaked Pikachu defiantly.
"Pichu-pi!" Pichu cried.
"Dedenne!" Dedenne squeaked as well, while Squishy garbled angrily.
"I wouldn't expect less from any of you. After all..." Parker glared at all of the Pokémon Sceptile managed to defeat. "It's what makes you all weak."
Ash followed the poacher's gaze and instantly noticed the unconscious forms of Talonflame, Hawlucha, and Noivern. He then looked at Clemont, Tierno, Trevor, and Calem, who were all tending to their own fallen Pokémon.
"That bad, huh...?" the raven-haired Trainer asked.
"Yeah..." Trevor replied as he recalled his Charmeleon.
"You be careful with that guy, dude!" Tierno exclaimed. "He and Sceptile have some very crazy moves! And he managed to Mega Evolve Sceptile without a Mega Stone!"
"Without a Mega Stone?!" repeated Ash, startled by the newest information.
"Yeah!" Clemont replied. "But he had a Key Stone, so that Mega Stone's gotta be somewhere on Sceptile! So you gotta be careful, Ash!"
Ash looked at Parker and Sceptile, who were calmly standing still, waiting for them to make their first move. Parker was smirking at him and Serena tauntingly. The raven-haired Trainer narrowed his eyes; he was definitely going to be a tough opponent to face, especially since he was most likely equipped with technology from the future that would likely make Clemont squeal with pleasure.
"Pikapi!"
Ash felt something scurry onto his shoulder, and he looked there to see none other than Pikachu. The Mouse Pokémon was smiling at him with the utmost confidence. Then, he looked at his other side and saw Greninja, Serena, and Braixen also looking at him optimistically. At that moment, the Trainer smiled and looked at Parker and Sceptile.
"Never give up till the end," he declared.
"Right!" Serena exclaimed, the honey-blonde with agreement.
"As you wish, you two," Parker replied nonchalantly. "I shall make your defeats as quick and painless as possible-"
"They're not fighting alone!" Shauna interrupted, as she joined Serena's side. "Ivysaur and I are still in the game, remember?!"
"And I'm fighting beside you guys as well!" shouted Calem. The older Trainer recalled Empoleon, pulled out a new Poké Ball, and stepped beside Ash. "Your Sceptile took my Empoleon down so easily. Don't you expect to get away with it without a little payback on my part!"
"Alright," Ash said. He looked at Clemont and the others, who were still tending to their fallen Pokémon. "Clemont, you take the others back to the hotel! Make sure the Pokémon are alright!"
"Got it, Ash!" Clemont replied determinedly.
"Goodra, take care of them! Make sure there's no traps waiting for them!"
Goodra nodded loyally at its Trainer. As for Tierno and Trevor, they looked at Shauna and Calem with expressions of grave concern.
"You guys be careful," Trevor said.
"Got it, Trev!" Shauna replied, her smile brimming with confidence. Then, she looked at Calem. "I trust you and your Pokémon watch my back, Calem?"
"As keenly as a Fearow," responded Calem. Then, he threw his new Poké Ball into the air. "GO, GALLADE!"
The Poké Ball opened up and unleashed the Blade Pokémon, which made an intimidating pose.
Meanwhile, Pichu tried to hop out of Bonnie's arms and join the impending battle, but she held on to the Tiny Mouse Pokémon tightly.
"No, Pichu!" Bonnie exclaimed. "It's too dangerous! Ash, Serena, Shauna, and Calem can take care of that meanie!"
"Nenene!" Dedenne squeaked in agreement, while Squishy merely looked on with amazement.
Pichu looked up at Bonnie with reluctance, then back at the aforementioned Trainers as they faced down Parker and Sceptile. The Tiny Mouse Pokémon supposed Bonnie was right...
With that, Clemont, Tierno, and Trevor recalled all of their unconscious Pokémon. Next, the former two picked up Talonflame and Hawlucha, respectively, while Goodra picked up Noivern. Then, Goodra led the way as the others, as well as Bonnie, fled as fast as they could from the makeshift battlefield.
Meanwhile, Ash, Serena, Shauna, Calem, and their Pokémon continued to look at Parker and Sceptile, who were both staring back calmly and patiently, awaiting their first move.
"Shauna, Calem," Ash said, "you two keep Sceptile distracted. Serena and I will try to attack him from behind."
"Got it, Ash," replied Shauna, her eyes still transfixed on the Forest Pokémon. "Ivysaur, use Energy Ball!"
"Gallade, follow it up with Psycho Cut!" commanded Calem.
Ivysaur fired an Energy Ball at the direction of the Forest Pokémon, while Gallade dashed behind the Grass-type move, both of his forearms glowing light-blue and forming the shapes of crescent-shaped blades.
"COUNTER WITH LEAF BLADE!" Parker barked.
Sceptile dashed forward, glowing green blades protruding from both of its wrists. It dodged Ivysaur's Energy Ball with ease before locking its blades with Gallade's. The two Pokémon engaged in an extremely brief sword-fight before Gallade jumped away, barely avoiding Sceptile's latest swings in the process, and released crescent-shaped blades of energy at the Forest Pokémon. Sceptile didn't have enough time to react and was struck by the Psycho Cut.
"Now's our chance, Serena!" Ash exclaimed. "Pikachu, use Thunderbolt! Greninja, use Aerial Ace!"
"Braixen, use Fire Blast!" Serena ordered.
Pikachu and Braixen fired their attacks, while Greninja dashed towards Sceptile, its arms and legs glowing blue. Gallade stepped out of the way, allowing the Thunderbolt and Fire Blast to strike their intended target at once. This triggered a large, fiery explosion that knocked Sceptile backwards.
The undeterred Greninja jumped into the resulting cloud of dark, billowing smoke and found the Forest Pokémon's form using his enhanced senses. While Sceptile was still blinded by the smoke, Greninja appeared in front of it and struck it with an uppercut using his right arm. Then, he slashed it across the chest with his left arm. Finally, Greninja gave the Forest Pokémon a powerful kick using both of his legs. The Forest Pokémon was launched out of the cloud of smoke, and it smashed into the front wall of the Star Inn, creating a deep crater in the concrete.
Surprisingly, Parker didn't react to this stunning development at all. But it didn't take long for the reason behind that to make itself clear: Sceptile stood up, bruised and injured, but clearly ready to continue.
"This is gonna be a long night, isn't it...?" Calem remarked with some exasperation.
"Sceptile," Parker said calmly, "use Frenzy Plant. End this."
The Grass-type Pokémon slammed its fists into the ground again, and roots emerged from the ground and barreled towards Pikachu, Greninja, Braixen, Ivysaur, and Gallade. All but Ivysaur were able to dodge them, for the Seed Pokémon was too heavy and slow to make a maneuver that required a lot of agility. Ivysaur cried out as it was sent flying into the air.
"IVYSAUR!" Shauna cried with concern.
"Gallade, catch Ivysaur!" shouted Calem.
The Blade Pokémon was quick to respond; he abandoned his current position, leaped into the air, and caught the injured Ivysaur before it could land painfully on the ground. Shauna breathed out a sigh of relief and then looked at Calem with a faint blush.
"Thanks for that, Calem."
Calem smiled and gave the tan-skinned Performer a thumbs-up. "Don't mention it. Let's just get focused on defeating this prick and saving Celebi."
"Such heroic nonsense," Parker remarked with a look of disgust on his face. "Sceptile, use-"
"Greninja, use Water Shuriken!" Ash interrupted suddenly.
The Ninja Pokémon launched a shuriken-shaped disc of water at the Forest Pokémon. Sceptile attempted to retaliate, but the Water Shuriken was quicker, and the Grass-type was sent flying further down the street.
"As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted," Parker said with irritation, "Sceptile, use Leaf Blade!"
Recovering quickly, Sceptile charged towards Greninja with Leaf Blades on its wrists.
"Counter with Aerial Ace!" shouted Ash.
Greninja quickly knocked one of Sceptile's Leaf Blades away with its glowing right arm. But Sceptile anticipated his next move and slashed its opponent across the chest with its other Leaf Blade. Greninja winced in pain, giving Sceptile ample time to prepare its next move.
"Braixen, use Flamethrower, quickly!" Serena commanded, pointing at the Forest Pokémon.
The Fox Pokémon fired a stream of flames towards Sceptile's direction. It was a direct hit, and the Forest Pokémon let out a loud cry of anguish as its body was scorched with powerful fire.
"Don't let it deter you, Sceptile!" snapped Parker. "Use the fire to your advantage! Now, attack with Leaf Blade again!"
Sceptile slashed at Greninja again with its other Leaf Blade, knocking him backward. The damage Greninja took was amplified, but not by quite a lot, thanks to the fire that coated Sceptile's Leaf Blade. At the same time the Ninja Pokémon was staggering away, Ash did so as well, and the Trainer struggled to maintain his balance.
"Hang in there, Greninja!" Ash called, still wincing a little from the pain he indirectly received. "Use Water Shuriken again! Pikachu, use Electro Ball!"
"Gallade, help Greninja and Pikachu out with Psycho Cut!" cried Calem.
Greninja and Pikachu launched a large Water Shuriken and Electro Ball, respectively, at Sceptile. As for Gallade, it put Ivysaur down to the ground and then fired a Psycho Cut from its arms. Both Parker and Sceptile leaped out of the way to avoid the attacks, which both instead hit a nearby tree and cut it apart.
"Braixen, use Fire Blast!" Serena ordered.
"Ivysaur, use Energy Ball!" cried Shauna.
The two Pokémon fired their attacks; the Energy Ball missed, but the Fire Blast managed to find its target. Sceptile cried out in pain again, and its body looked scorched, but it was determined to keep itself focused on the goal at hand. Parker emerged from behind the fallen tree, looking just as focused. The Pokémon Poacher merely frowned disapprovingly at the quartet of Trainers.
"You just don't know when to give up, do you?" he snapped. "Always the righteous ones, even as kids."
"That's because you don't understand the fact that Pokémon are our friends and partners!" Ash called back defiantly. "Even if they don't belong to you, they have to be treated with kindness and respect regardless!"
"Yeah!" Serena cried angrily. "You brutally attack innocent Pokémon who do not have a chance to defend themselves, and then give them to the most awful people, and for what? A paycheck?!"
"Money is what keeps this world spinning, kids," Parker replied coldly. "Money and power. Not some stupid morals about love and friendship. Heh. How disgusting. Emotions in general are the root of all weakness in the world. The rules that bind me and others from doing simple business transactions only serve to put the planet in a compromised position. When we cannot use power at its maximum capacity to keep the world in check, then we are all eventually doomed as a species when in the face of an unprecedented disaster. That is why I'm so good at my job, kids. Me and my colleagues. We know better than to let emotions get in the way."
Ash gritted his teeth angrily at Parker's horrifying logic. For a moment, he was reminded of both his rival Paul ad Cyrus, the Team Galactic leader.
"So you pretty much see Pokémon as tools," Calem snarled. "Is that what I'm getting at?"
"Of course," replied Parker, as a sneer formed on his face. "All Pokémon are tools. My Sceptile, my Chesnaught, my Trevenant...they're all just means to an end. Even this Celebi." He raised the cage containing the Time Travel Pokémon, who was now fully conscious and staring at the poacher fearfully. "Legendary, rare, all-powerful...it matters not. Those are just words to classify certain Pokémon as forbidden fruit. Strip all of that away, and they're tools, just like all other Pokémon."
"That's horrible and cruel!" Shauna exclaimed. "What about your Sceptile?! What does he think of all this?!"
"It has accepted this undeniable fact. It's accepted it for its whole life. And I would know because I raised it. I'll give you an example..." Parker pointed at Greninja, Pikachu, Braixen, Gallade, and Ivysaur. "SCEPTILE, USE FRENZY PLANT! DO NOT FAIL ME THIS TIME!"
Sceptile roared angrily and punched the ground with its fists once again. More roots, larger and thicker than ever before, exploded from underneath the ground and headed towards the five Pokémon.
"DODGE!" Ash, Serena, Calem, and Shauna all cried at once.
But it was too late. The Frenzy Plant hit everyone, and even Ash screamed out in agony. Greninja, Pikachu, Braixen, Gallade, and Ivysaur were all sent tumbling in different directions, and by the time they all came to a stop, only Greninja and Pikachu remained conscious. When the smoke cleared, the Trainers saw Parker and Sceptile both making a run for it.
"Greninja, Pikachu!" Ash cried, clutching his side as he spoke. "Are you guys okay?!"
"Pika pika..." Pikachu replied in the affirmative, while Greninja nodded determinedly.
"What about you guys?!"
"No!" Calem cried. "They took out Gallade!"
"My Ivysaur's unable to battle too..." Shauna added as she sadly recalled her Seed Pokémon.
"What're we gonna do, Ash?!" exclaimed Serena as she cradled the unconscious form of her Fox Pokémon.
"You guys get back to the hotel," replied Ash. "Greninja, Pikachu, and I are going after this guy."
"Are you sure about that?" Calem asked, seconds after he recalled Gallade. "You, uh...you don't look so good, Ash-"
"I'm okay, Calem." Ash suddenly winced. "I...I can handle this."
"But you've taken too damage, Ash!" Serena cried with concern.
"Taken too much damage...?" repeated Calem, the Sinnohan Trainer shooting his cousin a look of confusion.
Ash began, "I said I'm okay, Serena- AGH!"
He was surprised when Serena ran up to him, grabbed his shoulders, and pulled him close to her. Their faces were a few centimeters apart; their noses were almost touching. For the quickest moment, Ash realized how much Serena's eyes resembled a sparkling, brilliant ocean right now. Then, he briefly questioned himself for making that realization.
"You can't fight him alone!" she cried. "You-You just can't! You're gonna get hurt so badly if you do! Or-Or worse!" Her voice broke at the last word. "I can't let you go!"
Ash looked over his shoulder, glancing down the direction where Parker was. "But...I can't let that guy get away with Celebi..." He looked back at Serena with determination gleaming in his auburn eyes. "I just can't! If he does, then Selene will cry. Despite being so young and little, she worked so hard to love Celebi and protect it..."
At that moment, Serena saw something else burning in Ash's eyes. She didn't know what it was...but it was unlike anything she had ever seen before in her crush.
He continued determinedly, "I can't let that be for nothing!"
Serena continued to gawk at Ash's strange, newfound determination before replying, "B-But-"
"You can count me in, Ash!" Calem cried, giving the raven-haired boy a thumbs-up. "You're not going into this alone!"
"But I need you to accompany Serena and Shauna-" Ash began.
"Those two can take good care of themselves, I'm sure of it! In the meantime, I still have four Pokémon on standby!" He reached into his pocket, pulled out another Poké Ball, and threw it. "GO, GOLEM!"
The Alolan Golem emerged from its Poké Ball and made a confident pose. Ash stared at it, then at Calem, and smiled weakly, all the while still feeling the effects of Greninja's injuries.
"Thank you, Calem," he said.
"No need to thank me. We can save all of that for the celebration later!"
Ash looked back at Serena. "I guess I'm not going alone, Serena."
"Yeah, that's good..." replied Serena as she let go of her crush's shoulders. "Well...good luck." Then, she raised an index finger and frowned a little at Ash, resembling a mother lecturing her child. "And don't exert yourself too much! I don't care what you say, Ash Ketchum; Greninja still suffered a lot and that means you did too!"
"Okay, okay! I'll be careful, I promise, Serena!" Then, he looked at Greninja and Pikachu. "You ready, guys?!"
"Pika!" Pikachu cried as he scurried up his Trainer's shoulder.
"Greninja!" exclaimed Greninja.
"Good." Finally, Ash looked at Calem and Golem. "Come on, guys, let's go!"
He and Greninja ran off after Parker and Sceptile, followed by Golem, but Calem stopped for a moment to look at Serena and Shauna.
"Hey, you girls stay safe," he said.
"Y-You too, Calem," Shauna replied, blushing slightly.
"Thank you so much for sticking with Ash, Calem," said Serena; the Performer looked immensely relieved. "I don't think he would've managed that guy and Sceptile on his own."
"You're welcome, cuz." Then, Calem winked teasingly at her. "Besides, I know how important Ash is to you. So I gotta protect my cousin-in-law to the best of my ability!"
Serena's face turned as red as a Tamato Berry at the implication her cousin made. But before she could give Calem a shouting or worse, the male Trainer had already made a run for it, leaving the Performers behind.
...
...
...
"Isn't Calem amazing...?" Shauna asked dreamily, her head slightly tilted.
"What?" Serena asked, looking at her friend and rival in confusion.
Shauna snapped out of her reverie. "What?"
The Star Inn
Inside one of the rooms on the inn's third floor, Clarice and her Fletchling had been watching the entire battle from her window. She immediately recognized Ash Ketchum, the boy who treated her and found her Fletchling, as one of the Trainers battling the man with the Sceptile. Apparently that man had stolen someone's Pokémon; she didn't know what, but she assumed it was a Sewaddle or something like that, judging by what she saw in the man's cage.
When the battle ended with nearly everyone defeated, Clarice noticed how Ash refused to give up and ran after the horrible man after composing himself. It made her heart flutter, seeing that boy's determination and selflessness again. It was something she had been thinking about ever since they first met.
Clarice reached into the pocket of her pajamas and pulled out the handkerchief Ash had given to her for her arm wound. Even after Nurse Joy easily treated that wound, she refused to throw it away. After all, it was Ash's! The way he gave it to her suggested it had some meaning to him...
Something suddenly clicked inside Clarice's head.
"That's right!" she exclaimed, startling Fletchling. "I need to return this to him!"
Without giving it a second thought, Clarice grabbed her backpack, unzipped it, and pulled out a set of fresh new clothes. Then, she ran into the bathroom to get dressed. All the while, she thought about how she was going to approach Ash after he was done with his affair. One thing was for sure, though: this was her only chance to get closer to him!
Kiloude Square
A few minutes later
Parker and Sceptile stopped running the moment the villainous duo reached the city square, which was illuminated with the golden light of ancient traditional lanterns that hung all around the area. Many civilians were still milling about there, celebrating another beautiful night at Kiloude, though a few of them appeared to have heard the battle nearby because they looked on edge. Some were examining Parker's Sceptile, curious about its Mega Evolved appearance. The Pokémon Poacher looked around to see if Ash or any of the others had given chase, then inspected the cage and found Celebi cowering at one of its tight corners.
"You're gonna help me find my boss," he snarled malevolently, "and once that's done, you're gonna take us back to our original timeline. And then I'm gonna sell you to Ms. Diable. And this time, there will be no mistakes. No failures. And most of all, no pathetic little kids to save you, Celebi." When Celebi prepared to cry out for help, Parker interrupted harshly, "By the way, if you make one little noise or movement, I'll make sure you regret it."
Sceptile growled quietly and menacingly; the Forest Pokémon had one of its Leaf Blades ready. Not willing to get hurt again, nor possibly risk the lives of all the other people around it, Celebi merely shivered and whimpered helplessly. Parker grinned slightly at the Time Travel Pokémon's obedience.
"That's more like it," he said. "Now, let's get-"
"HOLD IT!" a voice shouted, causing Parker to groan in annoyance.
"Oh no, not again!"
The poacher twirled around and saw Ash and Calem running up to him, accompanied by Greninja, Pikachu, and the Alolan Golem. Several civilians yelped in surprise or otherwise stepped out of the Trainers' paths as they confronted Parker.
"You're not gonna get rid of this that easily!" Ash hollered defiantly. "Now let Celebi go!"
"Don't test my patience, Ketchum," growled Parker, as Sceptile stood in front of him, its dual Leaf Blades ready for use.
In the background, many civilians began to run, having sensed the impending battle, while some remained behind to observe.
"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!"
"PIKA-CHUUUUU!"
Sceptile charged forward, just as the Mouse Pokémon launched a bolt of electricity at it. But the Forest Pokémon refused to dodge, and instead, it allowed the electricity to hit its body. Unsurprisingly to Parker, Sceptile shook off the electricity like it was nothing; the attack did nothing to impede its mad dash toward the Trainers.
"Now, Pikachu! Use Iron Tail!"
Pikachu leaped into the air, his tail gleaming silver. With a powerful cry, the Electric-type slammed his lightning bolt-shaped tail upon Sceptile's body. Sceptile cried out, then leaned forward and slashed at Pikachu with one of its Leaf Blades, knocking its opponent backward.
"Greninja, use Aerial Ace!" Ash commanded.
Greninja dashed forward, passing Pikachu as he deftly landed on his paws. The Ninja Pokémon leaped into the air and prepared to hit Sceptile with one of his glowing limbs.
"Block it!" Parker barked.
Sceptile blocked Greninja's intended attack with its other Leaf Blade. But Ash smiled, having anticipated this.
"NOW, CALEM!"
"Golem, use Heavy Slam!"
Golem's body became enveloped by a yellow aura, and it launched itself forward and tackled Sceptile with great force, while it was still preoccupied with blocking Greninja's Aerial Ace. With a cry of surprise, Sceptile flew backward, but Greninja was still quick enough to secure a hit with another of his Aerial Ace-powered limbs. The double-hit sent Sceptile barreling into a random food stand, with the poor vendor screaming girlishly as he barely avoided the collision.
"Sceptile!" Parker called.
The Forest Pokémon weakly stood up, its good eye glaring hatefully at Greninja, Pikachu, and Golem.
"I think we're getting somewhere, Ash," Calem remarked, smirking proudly at the badly injured Sceptile.
"I don't even know why the heck I'm trying," Parker grumbled. He swiped at the air halfheartedly. "Use Frenzy Plant again, Sceptile! And leave no room for mistakes this time!"
"Greninja, stop Sceptile with Water Shuriken!" Ash commanded. "We can't lose track of them again!"
Greninja launched a particularly massive Water Shuriken at the Forest Pokémon, who had just noticed it.
"DODGE NOW!" screamed Parker.
The Grass-type Pokémon rolled away just in the nick of time, allowing the Water Shuriken to destroy what remained of the totaled food stand. But Calem was prepared.
"Golem, use Heavy Slam again!"
Just like before, Sceptile was knocked back by Golem's powerful attack. It tumbled towards the middle of the square, nearly hitting the small crowd of onlookers. The Forest Pokémon stood up again, but it nearly fell over in the process; one of its arms was hanging loosely. In the distance, everyone could hear police sirens blaring in the air.
"Give it up, man!" Calem cried. "It's all over! Officer Jenny and the cops are coming for you!"
Parker clenched his unoccupied fist in anger, so tightly that he threatened to cut his palm. He couldn't believe he was actually losing to these kids! Granted, he didn't have any backup in the form of his colleagues, but still, this development was absolutely unacceptable to him. He simply could not allow this! All he had to do was get out of the city, force Celebi to help him find Kay, and then return to the timeline from which he came. It was supposed to be a simple plan...and yet, these kids kept throwing Mankey-wrenches from left and right. Even as kids, they would always somehow find a way to meddle in the affairs of the Eight-Headed Seviper!
Then, as he watched Sceptile recovering beside the crowd of onlookers, Parker suddenly had an idea. It was a terrible idea, plagued with the most unfavorable statistical odds and involving a tactic he hoped he'd never use in this timeline, but he had no other choice left.
"Sceptile, grab the closest person you can find!" he ordered.
Without hesitation, Sceptile lunged towards the onlookers and grabbed the nearest one, a teenage girl. Then, it held the girl in a chokehold and rejoined Parker's side. As it did so, Parker noticed Ash's eyes widen with horror.
"Clarice?!" the raven-haired Trainer shouted.
"Ash, help me!" the girl cried helplessly.
"Ah, so you know each other, huh...?" Parker asked, looking from Ash to the girl and back again. He was a little puzzled, since he absolutely didn't recognize the girl from his timeline, but he quickly shrugged it off. "Well then, I suppose you now know better than to follow me, Ketchum!"
Suddenly, Clarice's Fletchling finally caught up with Sceptile. The Tiny Robin Pokémon chirped angrily as it repeatedly tried to peck the Grass-type in the head in a desperate attempt to rescue its Trainer. Parker rolled his eyes at the futile effort, raised his arm, and fired a dart from his advanced wristwatch, which knocked Fletchling out cold.
"FLETCHLING!" bawled Clarice.
"Parker, let her go!" Ash shouted furiously.
"PIKA!" Pikachu cried.
"I thought I freaking made myself clear?" Then, the poacher shrugged dismissively. "Oh, whatever."
Parker reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, charcoal-gray marble. He pressed something on it and then threw it into the air. A second later, holographic images of grid-like patterns started to unfold outward from the marble and in all directions. Ash, Calem, and their Pokémon watched in shock and awe as these grid-like patterns started to form into a 3D model of something completely unknown to them.
Once the model was complete, solid material materialized in its place. Standing there now was a four-legged mecha, which was about a couple dozen feet tall; four tentacle-like arms with pincers for hands dangled from its underside.
"Whoa..." Calem said in awe. "So I guess these people really are from the future..."
Parker and Sceptile jumped on the mecha with Clarice in tow, and the former seized the controls. "I'd offer my thanks for you entertaining me in this short period of time," he said tauntingly, "but unfortunately, you two were too much of a thorn in my side for me to give you the benefit of the doubt. Now, without further ado, au revoir!"
And with that, the mecha stomped away, the seemingly autonomous, tentacle-like arms watching Ash and Calem's every move as it went. Ash gritted his teeth and clenched his fists.
"Calem, go check on Fletchling!" he cried. "Take it to Nurse Joy if you have to. Greninja, Pikachu, and I are going after him!"
"You got it, Ash!" Calem replied, sprinting forward with Golem to check on the unconscious Tiny Robin Pokémon. Then, as he was about to pull out some Awakening medicine that he had in his bag, Calem remembered Ash's state of condition that had concerned Serena. As a result, he yelled out, "NO, WAIT A MINUTE! ASH!"
But Ash didn't listen; instead, he dashed after the mecha, with Greninja and Pikachu by his sides. It took the trio a couple of minutes to catch up, and once they did, the tentacle-like arms were quick to notice them...as was Clarice.
"ASH!" she screamed. "Ash, help me! PLEASE!"
"Take care of him, Sceptile," Parker said nonchalantly, not even bothering to look over his shoulder.
Sceptile flung a Leaf Storm at the three pursuers, which briefly blinded them. As soon as Ash, Greninja, and Pikachu managed to get through the Grass-type attack, they saw one of the tentacle-like arms heading straight for them, its bladed pincers wide and open.
"GRENINJA!" Ash cried at the top of his lungs.
Greninja threw a large Water Shuriken at the arm, effectively cutting it in half. That was when Parker looked over his shoulder.
"For some reason, you're even more annoying as a kid, Ketchum," he remarked to himself. "But I guess it goes without saying..."
At around the same time, Ash's eyes widened when two smaller tentacle-like arms quickly sprouted from the tattered base of the original arm Greninja had just severed. As for the severed arm itself, it started slithering across the ground like a Seviper, its pincers snapping furiously.
"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!" he commanded. "Greninja, use Aerial Ace!"
Pikachu fired a Thunderbolt at the original arm, while Greninja attacked the mecha's five secondary arms with Aerial Ace. As soon as the Thunderbolt hit its target, the severed arm exploded violently, knocking both Pikachu and Ash to the ground.
As for Greninja, he wound up creating two new arms from every arm it destroyed. Realizing this, the Ninja Pokémon ceased his attacks and resorted to running as fast as he could. The newly-created army of secondary arms lunged at him, one by one, repeatedly striking concrete and other objects. Sceptile, in the meantime, attempted to fling as many Leaf Storms as it could in an effort to distract Greninja. The continuous, brutal attacks were so powerful that blocks of concrete were sent flying high into the air.
"AGH! Son of a!" Parker cried, flinching as a block of concrete hit the side of the mecha.
The Pokémon Poacher then examined his surroundings and realized he was surrounded by too many building structures. It was too risky to continue the battle in Kiloude City without dealing serious damage to the mecha. So, he pushed the controls forward, and the mecha started running down the street, its legs trampling everything in its path and sending civilians and Pokémon alike jumping for cover.
"You're not gonna get away with this!" Clarice shouted bravely, though her legs were quaking severely. She had never been in this kind of situation before, and she definitely had no willingness to be in it ever again...if she made it out okay, that is.
"Try me, little girl," Parker replied, refusing to look at the dark-haired Performer.
"DON'T CALL ME A LITTLE GIRL!"
She was suddenly silenced when Sceptile glared at her menacingly with its scarred eye. Then, she saw Parker finally looking over his shoulder, directly at her.
"What was that you were saying, little girl?"
Clarice refused to say anything out of fear that Parker would have Sceptile direct its attacks against her. But then, Parker stopped the mecha and turned around so he could look at her more directly. His literally sharp eyes pierced into her soul, and Sceptile grumbled aggressively at her. The Performer's eyes widened with fear.
"He really expects me to answer him?!" she thought. Despite this conclusion, she kept her lips sealed; she knew her latest words weren't exactly favorable and to repeat them would spell her doom.
"I said," Parker snarled, his voice slow and menacingly calm, "what was that you were saying, little girl?"
Clarice's eyes widened, and her hazel pupils trembled as she looked up in terror at the towering, muscular man. Her brain seemed to completely stop functioning while her heart pounded desperately against her sternum. She had never been so afraid in her entire life.
She needed Ash to save her-
"Let her go!"
Clarice gasped with immense relief when she saw Ash standing above the mecha controls, with Pikachu perched on his shoulder and Greninja standing by his side.
Sceptile didn't need to be told what to do. The Forest Pokémon simply lunged forward, its Leaf Blade ready, but Greninja was also prepared; the Ninja Pokémon blocked the attack with an Aerial Ace-powered arm. However, Parker smirked.
"Now use Wood Hammer!" the poacher commanded.
Ash and Greninja's eyes widened in shock when they saw Sceptile's unoccupied hand deploy a Wood Hammer. They had never heard of a Pokémon capable of using two moves at once, not even one in a Mega Evolved form. Perhaps that was what Tierno was talking about when he mentioned Sceptile having "crazy moves".
"Dodge it, Greninja!" ordered Ash.
Greninja jumped away in the nick of time, barely avoiding the range of Sceptile's Wood Hammer. Then, Sceptile lunged forward with Leaf Blade again.
"Pikachu, use Iron Tail, quick!"
Pikachu hopped off Ash's shoulder and knocked Sceptile's arm away with the Steel-type move. But the Mouse Pokémon was totally unprepared for the simultaneous Wood Hammer; Sceptile scored a direct hit with that move and knocked Pikachu off the mecha.
"Pikachu!" Ash cried. Then, he looked at Sceptile, which was now about to fire Leaf Storm. "Greninja, use Double Team!"
Greninja immediately created dozens of duplicates of himself and camouflaged his body among them. Not one to be trifled with like this, Parker immediately put on his high-tech sunglasses and activated the lenses' thermal version. Without a hitch, the thermal vision detected Greninja's position.
"There!" he shouted, pointing toward Ash's left. "Third to the right, Sceptile!"
Before Ash could react, Sceptile swung its Wood Hammer at the spot Parker pointed out. As expected, the poacher's observations were correct, and Greninja fell to the floor, his duplicates vanishing into thin air within a couple of seconds.
"Hey!" Ash shouted.
"You cheated!" exclaimed Clarice with outrage.
"Well, all's fair when you've got an itinerary planned out," Parker replied nonchalantly. Then, he swiped at the air. "Now, Sceptile! Use-"
"HALT!" a familiar voice called out, its volume amplified by a loudspeaker. Ash and Parker both looked over opposite sides of the mecha to see Officer Jenny standing beside her motorcycle, flanked by dozens of supporting police officers and their Pokémon. "Owner of this strange-looking machine, deactivate it and surrender at once! You're surrounded, and there's nowhere to go!"
"Nowhere, except probably forward." And with that, Parker knocked Ash aside, seized the controls again, and directed the mecha forward.
"Disable the mecha!" many of the officers ordered, prompting their Pokémon to fire various attacks at the advanced machine. But the attacks did very little to impede the device's progress, and it merely responded by retaliating with its many tentacle-like arms.
Ash could hear people screaming and Pokémon crying out in agony. At the corner of his eye, he saw Celebi in its cage, which was beside Parker's leg; the Time Travel Pokémon was whimpering fearfully and about to weep. He narrowed his auburn eyes.
"That does it..." he snarled angrily as he stood back up.
"Ash, no!" screamed Clarice, reaching out a hand to grab the raven-haired Trainer. "Stop!"
But it was too late. Ash had charged forward, grabbed one of the levers Parker was operating, and attempted moving it himself, causing the mecha to stumble around wildly. Clarice, Greninja, and Sceptile held on tightly to the edges of the cockpit, while Celebi squealed fearfully as its cage bounced around roughly on the floor.
"You little brat!" Parker snapped as he tried to pry Ash's hands off the lever. "Get off so I could get away with it!"
"You're not getting with ANYTHING!" Ash hollered.
"Tough luck, kid." At that moment, the Pokémon Poacher stomped on Ash's foot hard with his boot and started grinding into it with his heel, drawing out a restrained groan of pain from his adversary. "The Eight-Headed Seviper always gets away with what they want."
"NINJA!"
Greninja managed to hop right behind Parker and hit him with Aerial Ace, which knocked the poacher into the back of the cockpit.
"AGH!" Then, upon seeing his assailant, Parker gritted his teeth. "SCEPTILE!"
Sceptile let go and lunged forward with its Leaf Blade-Wood Hammer combo, but Ash used this opportunity to push one of the levers forward with all of his might. The mecha's front legs nearly collapsed on themselves, and it violently lurched forward, knocking Sceptile out of the cockpit. But Ash's eyes widened when he saw Clarice and Celebi's cage about to fall out as well.
"Greninja!" he cried.
The Ninja Pokémon reached one of his arms out and skillfully caught Clarice's hand. But since he still had to hold on to something in the cockpit, Greninja couldn't catch Celebi's cage. Ash's eyes bulged out in horror as he watched the cage fall out of the cockpit and plummet through the air.
"CELEBIIIIIIIIII!"
Without a second thought, he jumped out of the mecha.
"AAAAASSSSSHHHHH!" bawled Clarice, while Greninja croaked out loudly in terror.
The Blue Suns Deluxe Hotel
Grace, Layla, Moose, Summer, Nurse Joy, and all the other onlookers at the lobby all screamed or gasped in horror and surprise at Ash's sudden move. Everyone's hearts seemed to stop at that exact moment.
But Selene was completely beside her. She broke away from Grace's grasp and screeched, "DAAAAADYYYYY!"
Grace, Layla, Moose, and Summer all looked at her, completely flabbergasted.
"What?!"
The Laurier Maison
Aria, Foster, Palermo, Paris, and Amara also saw Ash diving out of the mecha's cockpit. Foster had jumped out of his seat in shock, Palermo was covering her mouth with worry, and Paris and Amara were squealing in terror.
But for some reason, Aria was totally, uncharacteristically silent. She merely stared at the screen, the color completely drained from her fair skin.
Near Kiloude Square
"I've got you, Celebi!" Ash called, the Trainer stretching his arms out wide towards the steel cage.
"BBBBBIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!" Celebi squealed in fear.
The Pallet Town native managed to grab the cage, and immediately after, he held it close to his chest, closed his eyes, and re-positioned himself so he would cushion the cage's landing. He didn't care what happened to him, as long as Celebi was safe and sound. He just wished he had the time to say goodbye to Pikachu and all of his other friends and Pokémon...
And he also wished he had the time to see Serena be happy and start a family...
Ash's eyelids flew open. Why'd he think of that last thought?
Also, why was he no longer falling?
Taking a second to recompose himself, Ash realized he had landed safely in the arms of a familiar-looking Pokémon. At first, he thought it was Alain's Mega Evolved Charizard, what with the magnificent blue fire and everything. But then, he realized that the Pokémon didn't have its signature wings, and seemed wider in size. In fact, it reminded him of...
"Emboar...?" the Trainer asked incredulously.
The Mega Fire Pig Pokémon gently put him down to the ground, allowing Ash to conduct a better examination of its physical features. It was definitely Emboar, alright, but it had a black-and-blue color scheme, much like Alain's Charizard. It also had an untidy mat of hair that matched its large, bushy, black eyebrows; and the usual patterns on its torso were now altered to resemble some sort of jacket.
"What kind of Pokémon are you...?"
"Emboar!" a voice called out mightily. "Use Blast Burn!"
Emboar became engulfed in crystal-blue flames and punched the ground with both of its fists, sending waves of energy into the earth. These waves moved underneath the mecha and bubbled violently, threatening to burst.
"Ninja!" Greninja croaked as he cradled Clarice in his arms and jumped off the mecha as powerfully as he could.
A second later, the ground finally exploded upward, engulfing the entire mecha in a ball of fire. Parker screamed as he was sent flying, but his Sceptile reappeared in the nick of time and caught him before he could suffer a painful landing.
"Where were you?!" Parker snarled harshly. "Actually, don't dawdle any further! Sceptile, use Frenzy Plant!"
"Emboar, use Heat Crash!" the same voice commanded.
Emboar jumped high into the air and surrounded its body in a sphere of whitish-blue flames. It then fell powerfully on top of Sceptile before it could even smash its fists into the ground. The force of the collision was powerful enough to knock Parker into a wall, incapacitating him.
"Sc-Sce-SCEPTILE!" Parker roared in outrage.
Sceptile staggered away from Emboar, badly burnt and injured. It prepared to use its strange Leaf Blade-Wood Hammer combo, but Ash took notice and decided to pitch in.
"Greninja, use Water Shuriken!" the Pallet Town Trainer ordered loudly.
Greninja threw the bladed disc of water at Sceptile, which hit it from behind and sent it tumbling towards Emboar.
"Emboar, use Hammer Arm!" the unidentified Trainer cried.
Emboar's right arm glowed, and the Mega Fire Pig Pokémon used it to punch Sceptile while it was still tumbling towards its spot. The poor, beaten Forest Pokémon tumbled back towards Greninja, though Ash could see it was still conscious.
"Finish it off with Aerial Ace, Greninja!" he shouted.
Greninja hit the Forest Pokémon with the aforementioned attack, which finally defeated it. Sceptile tumbled to a stop right in the middle of both Greninja and Emboar, and it reverted back into its normal form. Parker's lower jaw dropped open in disbelief as he stared through his cracked sunglasses.
"No..." he moaned. "No. This...This can't be..."
At that moment, both Greninja and Emboar reverted back to their normal forms as well, and they surrounded Parker and his fallen Sceptile. They were quickly joined by Ash, Clarice, and the Emboar's Trainer, who Parker gawked at in horror before narrowing his eyes hatefully.
"Nate Gray. I should've guessed..."
Ash and Clarice looked at the Trainer who assisted them in the battle's last moments. Nate Gray almost resembled Emboar in its strange Mega Evolution-like form: he had dark-brown hair arranged the same way, and brown eyes. He also wore clothing that resemble Emboar's in its alternate form; it consisted of a dark-blue-and-black-striped jacket, what appeared to be a black-and-turquoise wet-suit underneath, silver shorts, red-and-black sneakers, and a red tennis visor with a black-and-white Poké Ball insignia.
"Give it up, Parker," Nate said. "It's all over. You're not getting away with it this time."
Parker clenched his teeth together so tightly that Ash thought they might break somehow. Then, he and Greninja braced themselves for one last trick the poacher would have on his sleeve, one last move of defiance. He could see it in the horrible, awful poacher's eyes; he had no intention of giving up.
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...
He was utterly surprised when Parker raised his arms and said with exhaustion, "You got me. I surrender."
Room 30001
The Blue Suns Deluxe Hotel
Amelia, Espeon, Dragonair, and Adam all gawked at the TV as the live report depicted Parker's arrest. Earlier, they had witnessed the lengthy, destructive battle between the Pokémon Poacher and Ash and all of his friends. At first, Amelia rejoiced a little upon witnessing Serena's sudden defeat at the hands of Sceptile. But then, that private celebration went into a downwards spiral when Amelia saw Serena run up to Ash and hug him, clearly unfazed by her loss.
"Even when she loses disgracefully, that hillbilly takes it strangely well!" she thought enviously. "It's...It's...unacceptable! Freaky! Unhealthy! Now I'm even more determined to beat her in the Exhibition Showcase! I will see to it that she's utterly crushed in the competition, so hard and so unforgiving, to the point where she finally starts crying!"
Meanwhile, Adam's expression of shock turned into one of glee. He had just found the solution he desperately needed to solve his lifelong dilemma. It was perfect! It was a miracle that it fell onto his lap like that!
"Excuse me, my dear."
Ignoring his niece, Adam left the main room and entered the bathroom, where he pulled out a cellphone and dialed a number. He put the device to his ear and waited for the other end to respond.
It did after three rings.
"He...Hello...?" a voice groggily answered.
"It's me, Nick," Adam replied, sneering malevolently all the while. "Remember the time I helped cover up your, ahem, under-the-table dealings for your company?"
"Awwwww..." The person on the other end sounded like a whiny child, comically enough. "Don't tell me you want more money..."
Adam's yellow eyes widened. "What?! No! No, no, no! That's not what I wanted to talk to you about! ...Unless you have some extra cash that you don't need-"
"I'm hanging up..."
"WAIT, YOU IDIOT!"
...
"Alright, I'm..." Adam heard a yawn. "I'm listenin'..."
Near Kiloude Square
Several minutes later
Ash, Clarice, Greninja, and Pikachu, all watched as Officer Jenny hauled the calm and collected Parker into the backseat of a squad car. She then patted the car's trunk loudly, prompting the officer behind the wheel to drive off for the police station. Once the squad car was gone, Officer Jenny turned around and looked at Ash and Nate with an expression of utmost gratitude.
"Good job, kids," she said, nodding at them with approval. "If it weren't for your bravery and quick thinking, we would've had a whole lot of destruction and hurt people on our hands."
"Ah, don't mention it, Officer Jenny," Ash replied, the teenage boy rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "We were just helping people and Pokémon in need, that's all."
"Pika!" Pikachu squeaked in agreement. His torso and one of his ears were bandaged, having been hurt by the fall from the mecha.
"Well, just don't get yourselves into any further trouble tonight. Go get some rest." The head policewoman then examined Ash with a hint of concern. "All of that must've taken a whole lot of energy from you especially."
"I guess..."
Officer Jenny nodded one last time, then walked away to converse with some of her fellow officers, thus leaving Ash and the others alone. The raven-haired Trainer took this time to look at Clarice.
"Well," he said sheepishly, "I guess I helped you out again."
"Heh heh heh," chuckled the Performer. "It's funny how things work out like this, huh...?" Her cheeks turned to a light shade of pink, and she gently bit her lower lip. "Thank you, Ash, for rescuing me."
"You're welcome, Clarice. I'm always here to help."
"Pika!" added Pikachu.
Clarice's blush deepened even more, as she asked, "H-How's Fletchling...?"
"I don't know, but I had my friend Calem check on it. He can be trusted."
"I hope Fletchling's alright. After all, the Exhibition Showcase is tomorrow, and Fletchling and I have perfected and practiced so many new moves since the Master Class."
"I'm sure Fletchling's fine, Clarice. And if it isn't, then Nurse Joy can definitely work wonders on it! It'll be alright just in time for the Showcase!"
"That's true..." Clarice's smile widened, as the girl became impressed by Ash's immense, unrivaled optimism. "You always look on the bright side, don't you, Ash?"
"Well, there's always a bright side to everything! Even in losing a battle!"
"Pika, pikachu!" squeaked Pikachu, nodding his head in agreement.
"I suppose." Then, Clarice's hazel eyes widened. "Oh, I almost forgot!" She reached into the pocket of her skirt and pulled out something. "Here. I think this is yours..."
Ash's eyes widened in surprise. It was the blue handkerchief Serena gave back to him, the very same handkerchief he used to wrap around Clarice's arm earlier that day. Come to think of it, he realized Serena had returned the handkerchief to him in the exact same way as Clarice did. It was a pretty strange thought that dawned on him.
"My arm's all better now," Clarice continued, still blushing. "So...I thought you should have it back. That's why I was out here in the first place."
"Oh, Clarice!" Ash exclaimed with surprise. "You-You really didn't have to-"
"But I had to, Ash." The black-haired Performer held the handkerchief out towards him. "As thanks for not only saving me, but for helping me out earlier today. You've helped me twice in one day, without any regard for anything else. You were also prepared to sacrifice yourself for that green Pokémon. That...That, uh..."
The Performer strained to remember what kind of Pokémon the one in the cage was. During all of the chaos, she had been so preoccupied with her own safety, as well as the well-being of her Fletchling, that she never bothered to notice what species it was.
Upon seeing Clarice's struggle to remember Celebi's exact identity, Ash strained to think of something to say as well. Though he knew she was definitely a trustworthy person, he wasn't quite confident in having yet another person know all about the true circumstances behind Parker's attack. Things could get complicated. And besides...there was still one other poacher on the loose. He didn't want to endanger Clarice by having her associated with something potentially dangerous.
"Sewaddle," Ash blurted out, choosing the first Grass-type Pokémon that came to his head.
"Yeah, that's what I was thinking it was!" Clarice exclaimed, and Ash could literally sense a lightbulb popping up over her head. "You were about to risk yourself for that Sewaddle! That..." The Performer's eyes shone with admiration and...something else. "That's so admirable... I...I like a guy like that..."
Ash blinked. "Oh." Then, he smiled widely and brightly, having completely missed the true meaning of Clarice's last few words. "Well, thank you, Clarice!"
He took the blue handkerchief from the Performer's hand. As he did, he completely missed the deadpan look on Pikachu's face as the Mouse Pokémon glared at his oblivious Trainer.
Once Ash took the blue handkerchief, Clarice looked prepared to say something else, but her mouth just couldn't seem to formulate the right words. As a result, the Performer had to watch helplessly as Ash and Greninja left her to join the strange Trainer that intervened in the battle at the last minute, the one with the Emboar. The one called Nate Gray. Right now, he was proudly patting Emboar in the back as congratulations for the victory. In his arms was Celebi, who was wrapped in a beige blanket; the Time Travel Pokémon had managed to free it from its steel cage with a weak Flamethrower.
"Hey," Ash said, catching Nate's attention as he was proudly patting Emboar in the back, just several feet away from Clarice. "Did that Pokémon Poacher say your name was Nate?"
"Yeah, that's me," replied the brown-haired Trainer. Then, he recognized the look in Ash's eyes and asked with urgency, "Did you find any of my friends already, Ash?"
Ash quickly suppressed the feeling of uncomfortable shock at being recognized so easily by a strange. Then, he replied, "Yeah. Selene told us all about you."
Nate hung his head and exhaled a heavy sigh of relief. "Oh, thank goodness. Selene's safe. For a moment, I thought I lost all of them..." Then, he looked back up at Ash. "What about Yancy and Evelyn? Did you find them too?"
"Sorry, Nate. We haven't yet."
"Pika-pika, pikachu," Pikachu added, nodding apologetically.
"So, uh...who else knows about us?"
"Serena, Clemont, Bonnie," Ash began.
"I guess that much was to be expected," remarked Nate, who made a fleeting glance at Ash's clothes.
"Shauna, Tierno, Trevor, Calem, Miette, Grace, Layla, and Moose as well. Do...Do you know who any of them are...?"
"Not Layla and Moose. Well, actually I do; I know they're your aunt and uncle-in-law. I've just never met them in person. But the rest I definitely know personally."
"Oh, that's good to know-" Ash had fully processed Nate's sentence and became puzzled at a few certain words. "Wait a minute, aunt and uncle-in-"
"ASH!" a voice cried.
Ash and Nate turned to see Selene, Clemont, Bonnie, Tierno, Trevor, Calem, Grace, Layla, Moose, and Summer running up to them.
"NATEY!" Selene screamed.
"S-Selene!" Nate exclaimed in surprise as the little girl nearly tackled him to the ground while hugging his legs. "Oh, my goodness, Selene! I'm so glad to see that you're okay!"
"I'm okay, Natey. I really am." The girl then tightened her grip on the older boy's legs. "I missed you so much!"
Nate smiled softly and patted the top of Selene's head. "I missed you too, Selene."
Calem was the next one in the group to reach them, and as soon as he did, he punched Ash in the shoulder. Though there wasn't much force in the punch, Ash still reeled backward a little and clutched his shoulder in surprise.
"What was that for, Calem!" the Pallet Town native cried.
"For nearly giving me a heart attack!" Calem replied, his voice cracking a little as he shouted. "D'you have any idea what Serena could've done to me if you'd gotten yourself...you know!"
"What?"
"I saw what you did back there, falling out of that mecha to catch Cel-!"
Ash covered Calem's mouth. "Shhhhh!"
"Pika!" Pikachu squeaked.
"Wha- Why?!" Calem exclaimed as soon as Ash lowered his hand from his mouth.
"Clarice." Ash twitched his head towards the black-haired Performer, who smiled at being noticed by him and promptly waved. "She saw Celebi thought it was a Sewaddle."
"A Sewaddle?" Summer asked incredulously, the Pokémon Ranger raising an eyebrow.
"Yeah. I, uh...I'd prefer to keep it that way."
"That's true." The Ranger placed an index finger to her chin as she stared at Clarice. "She does look pretty shady to me anyway-"
"NO, NO, NO!" Ash interrupted, shocked at this conclusion. "She can be trusted, Summer, I promise!"
Summer looked back at him with surprise. "Really?"
"Yeah! It's just that...I don't want her involved in anything that could be dangerous."
"But isn't that poacher already behind bars?" Tierno asked.
"Yeah!" exclaimed Bonnie. "We shouldn't be worried about that meanie anymore!"
"Dedenne!" squeaked Dedenne in agreement.
"Pichu-pi!" Pichu added, while Squishy chirped.
"That was just Parker," Nate suddenly said, catching everyone's attention. His face was grim.
"Parker?" repeated Grace, confused.
"Yeah. That's the poacher's name. He's all about serving his clients and getting paychecks. To heck with the Pokémon he poaches and anyone who gets in his way. He'll do anything to accomplish his goal." The brown-haired Trainer took a glance at all of the destruction Parker's mecha caused. "Prison's just a pushover for him, and that's why he decided to surrender. He needs time to recuperate so he can escape and rethink his strategies."
"Not if I can help it!" exclaimed Summer determinedly as she raised her Capture Styler. "That guy's not getting out of his cell, or I'll eat my Capture Styler!"
Calem, Tierno, and Trevor sweat-dropped at Summer's enthusiasm for heroics. As for Nate, he still looked very concerned; he redirected his gaze back to the others.
"And then there's Kay."
"Kay," Ash repeated. "So that's the other poacher that could be here?"
"Yeah. I've been in this timeline for three days and I haven't seen one trace of her."
"And that's supposed to be bad news...?" asked Clemont.
"Definitely. She's ten times as worse as Parker." Nate's eyes narrowed, and he stared off towards the mountains that surrounded Kiloude City. "She's somewhere planning something devious. I just know it."
An awkwardly tense silence filled the atmosphere, and everyone felt extremely uncomfortable. Realizing this, Nate looked back at the others, having chosen to break the ice.
"Oh, by the way, my name's Nate. Nate Gray. I'm pretty sure Selene told you guys all about me already. It's, uh...it's nice to meet you all." He cleared his throat. "Again."
Before Ash and the others could get themselves properly acquainted with Nate, they heard another voice calling out, "ASH!"
Everyone turned and saw Serena and Shauna running up to them. Shauna sighed with relief as she ran up to Tierno and Trevor and gave them both high-fives. As for Serena, she unexpectedly embraced Ash in a tight hug, startling the male Trainer. Bonnie immediately put on a crafty, know-it-all face.
"Wh-Whoa, S-Serena!" Ash exclaimed.
"Nurse Joy told us everything was all clear now and to come here," Serena replied, her voice quaking. "But most of all..." She broke the hug and started slamming her fists into Ash's shoulders with moderate energy, causing them to ache already. "I SAW WHAT YOU DID ON THE TV! JUMPING OUT OF THAT MACHINE LIKE THAT! THAT'S RECKLESS OF YOU! I MEAN, YOU COULD'VE...could've..."
The honey-blonde suddenly sniffled, and Ash realized her sapphire-blue eyes were wet with tears. Concluding that he had terrified one of his closest friends, the Trainer smiled warmly and placed his hands on her shoulders.
"But I'm fine now, Serena," he replied. "And Celebi's safe." His smile widened slightly with understanding. "But I'm sorry if I scared you, Serena. I promise, I'll stop trying to be a hero for today."
Serena chuckled dryly. "Yeah, right. You never stop helping people in need."
"Well, of course!" Selene piped up suddenly. She released her grip from Nate's legs and latched herself onto Ash's next. "That's what makes Daddy so awesome!"
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"D-Daddy?" Ash and Serena both asked at the same time.
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A/N: Well, that was actually a fun chapter for me to write! I sincerely hope you all had fun reading this action-packed sequence of events!