(Ash's POV)
When I opened my eyes, I saw nothing but darkness.
"Wh... where am I?"
I checked my surroundings, but I couldn't see anything in this pitch black room, or wherever the hell I am.
"You're finally awake, Ash Ketchum."
I adjusted my eyes to the darkness and I see a person standing right before me, wearing a mask and a cloak. And next to him was a bipedal, humanoid creature who gave me an eye-piercing glare.
"Who are you?" I asked.
"I'm... an ally," he replied.
"I find that hard to believe since you're not telling me your name."
"I can't tell you who I am, but I need you to hear me out."
"I don't think I want to hear anything from a suspicious person like you."
"Fine, then I guess I'll have to show you this."
Using Telepathy, his Pokemon showed me an image of my friends, my family, and... Serena. But suddenly, I heard their screams and their image burned away in flames.
"Y-you asshole! You're going to harm them?!"
"No, but the mastermind controlling this entire island will bring harm to not only you and your friends, but to others as well."
"Wh-what are you talking about?!"
"What I'm saying is that if we don't do something, our loved ones will be placed in a dangerous situation."
I don't know if I should believe what he says, but I don't want anything to happen to my friends and family. And I especially don't want Serena to get hurt again.
"Alright, I'll hear you out, but what do you mean by we?" I raised my brow.
"I want you to help me get to the bottom of this mystery of Kizuna Academy and Shinrai Island," he stated.
When we arrived here, Gary was skeptical about the existence of Shinrai Island. Like how it wasn't stated in the school brochure or how it wasn't publicly announced by Pokemon Explorers. And now, this person is saying the same thing.
"By the way, did you come to this school because your acceptance letter claimed that a certain person is attending here?" he inquired.
My eyes widened in surprise. "H-how do you know that? I haven't told anyone about what was written in my letter."
He pulled out something from his cloak and presented it to me.
"Because I'm a student myself," he showed me his letter. "Just like you, I got an acceptance letter from Kizuna Academy and I decided to attend because of what was written specifically for me... a person to be exact."
So he's also looking for someone at this school. Could we be looking for the same person?
"Do you mind telling what your letter says?" I asked.
"I don't believe we're looking for the same person, but regardless, I will show you the contents of my letter," he said.
He opened his letter and showed me what was written in italics.
Your archenemy is planning to take over the Kalos region. As the trainer who had once disbanded his evil organization, you are the only one who can stop him again.
"Wh... What is this?!" I demanded.
"Years ago, I defeated Giovanni, the boss of Team Rocket, and as a result, he disbanded the organization," he explained. "But he eventually revived Team Rocket and resumed their operations of taking over the world."
Giovanni... I lost my battle against him when he tried to take over the Unova region, but he became possessed and almost destroyed everything.
He continued, "When I received this acceptance letter, I found it suspicious for a school to be sending me this kind of information because my actions against Team Rocket was supposed to be classified information."
"And that's why you want to investigate the school?" I asked.
"Yes... but I should've realized that this whole thing was a trap."
He looked at me with a grim expression.
"When I arrived to the island, I was drugged by someone and I woke up blindfolded and strapped to a table. I didn't know what happened to me, but this Pokemon helped me escape from my captors."
I glanced at his intimidating Pokemon, but why do I have a feeling that I met it before?
"Kizuna Academy was just a cover up for something big that will take place soon. However, I don't have all the details and I can't do this alone," he explained.
"So what do you want me to do?" I asked.
"Since I can't reveal myself to the public, I'll need your assistance to investigate the school while I'll continue to do my own investigation on the island. Will you accept this request, Ash Ketchum?"
I don't know if I should trust this person, especially his claims about his confinement. But it never crossed my mind that there was something strange about this place.
And I still haven't found that person.
"I'll accept your request, but why did you choose me to help you?" I inquired.
I couldn't get a good look of his face well, but his distinctive red eyes can be seen through his mask, pondering on how to reply to my question.
"Because... we're the same, Ash Ketchum," he answered and started walking away.
"Hey, wait a minute!" I shouted.
I chased after him, but his Pokemon stopped me by using Psychic.
"I have another thing to say to you," he stopped. "You should be careful around a Pokemon named Zygarde."
"Who's Zygarde?" I questioned.
"Zygarde is the overseer of the Kalos region. And he's part of a dangerous experiment for the mastermind's plan."
Before I could ask more about Zygarde, he vanished.
"Wait! I don't even know what Zygarde looks like!"
~~~~~~~~~~
"Wait!" I screamed.
I sit up and checked my surroundings, realizing that I was still at the beach. I noticed Serena was sitting beside me with a worried expression.
"Are you alright, Ash?! You were screaming," she said concernedly.
"Oh, it's just a bad dream," I scratched my head and it started to throb painfully. "Ugh... my head hurts... I really had it coming from Misty's paper fan."
"Maybe you'll feel better if you lay back down," Serena said.
"Yeah, sounds like a good idea."
I tried to lay down, but Serena stopped me.
"Not there," she giggled.
Serena turned me on my back and placed my head on her lap.
"Do you feel better now?" she smiled.
"Y-yeah..." I blushed.
I can feel the warmth of her lap beneath my head, which feels very comforting but makes my head spin from embarrassment.
"Umm... Ash? You... didn't see anything, right?" Serena asked anxiously.
"Huh? What are yo—"
Then I remembered what happened with Serena's swimsuit.
"O-oh, that... sorry, I may have seen something..." I blushed and looked away.
"W-well, at least you were honest with me," she blushed.
We sat in silence for a while.
"Hey, Serena? Did the other guys see you?" I asked worriedly.
"O-of course not!" Serena shook her head furiously. "When Noibat accidentally took my top off, they were standing behind me, so they only saw my back side. You're the only one who saw my— Geez, you're making me say embarrassing things again!"
Serena started squeezing my cheeks, but I have to admit, her pouting is very cute.
"So the pervert is finally awake?" Misty approached us.
When I saw Misty, I immediately got up, fearing that she would knocked me out again.
"Did they wake up yet?" Serena inquired.
"Nope, they're still sleeping like babies," Misty pointed with her fan.
I looked behind Misty and I realized that the guys were distressed or unconscious.
"What happened to them?!" I sweat dropped.
"After you were out cold, Misty told the girls to take countermeasures against the guys," Serena explained.
"They survived, but a few of them weren't so lucky with our attacks," Misty added.
Misty and Serena explained what the girls did to them.
Leafia poked Gary's eyes.
May knocked out Drew with a volleyball.
Dawn had Piplup and Buneary use Ice Beam to freeze Kenny, Barry, and Paul.
Iris kicked sand at Trip's eyes.
Shauna had Ivysaur use Sleep Powder on Calem, Tierno, and Trevor.
Bonnie covered Clemont's eyes and Dedenne shocked Max with Nuzzle.
Although I feel bad for them, I'm relieved that the girls prevented them from seeing Serena.
"Oh! They're coming this way!" Yellow pointed to the skies.
As Hawlucha and Fletchinder were descending to our spot, Noibat flew into my arms.
"Noibat, you finally flew!" I exclaimed.
"And it's all thanks to Hawlucha and Fletchinder!" Mairin said cheerfully.
I thanked my Pokemon for being good flying instructors to Noibat and I petted Noibat for not giving up.
"Aww, it really thinks of Ash as his parent," Shauna remarked.
"Yeah, I'm really jealous," Bonnie pouted.
That reminds me, I haven't officially captured Noibat since he hatched from his egg.
I spoke, "So Noibat, would you like to come with me?"
Noibat nodded and nuzzled against my chest affectionately.
"We'll have lots of fun together," I smiled.
I took out a Pokeball, and I lightly tapped the button against Noibat's snout, allowing himself to be captured.
"Yes! I caught a Noibat!" I raised my arm.
"Pi Pikachu!" Pikachu cheered.
Now, I have a full party and I can't wait to see what the future holds for us!
~~~~~~~~~~
A few days later, I stood at the entrance of the Battle Dome with my friends.
"I wish you luck, Ash!" Serena kisses my cheek.
"Thanks, Serena," I smiled.
"It sucks that we can't go inside to cheer you on," Max sighed disappointingly.
"You spoke too soon, Max," Clemont chuckled. "Because the future is now, thanks to science!"
Clemont took out two helmets and a huge screen from his backpack.
"This is the Broadcasting Helmet! I have installed a video camera inside the helmet that allows us to watch a live broadcast of any event from this screen!" Clemont said proudly.
"That still sounds like a description," Bonnie facepalmed.
"Okay, we need two members of the Battle Dome to wear them."
Everybody stared at Calem and Paul.
"Wh-why is everyone looking at us like that?" Calem sweat dropped.
"There's no way you're making us wear those ridiculous helmets!" Paul retorted.
"Then we'll just put them on for you!" Barry grinned.
Barry grabbed the helmets from Clemont and slammed them on Calem and Paul's heads.
"Clemontic Gear ON!" Clemont exclaimed.
Clemont turned on their Broadcasting Helmets, and from Calem's perspective, Pikachu and I were on the screen.
"Wow! Science is so amazing!" I said with sparkles in my eyes.
"Hilbert granted me permission to do this," Clemont informed. "Although I had to make adjustments after the helmet exploded on Hilbert. Hilda had to take him to the doctor's office afterwards."
After hearing him say that, Calem and Paul tried desperately to pull off their helmets.
"Come on, guys! It's almost time for my tryouts!"
I grabbed their arms and pulled them inside with me.
"CLEMONT!"
~~~~~~~~~~
In the Battle Dome, I separated from Calem and Paul and I saw an available seat next to Sawyer.
"Hey, Sawyer! Are you ready for this?" I pat his back.
"Well, I'm nervous because what if we don't pass again?" Sawyer asked concernedly.
"Like I always say, we don't give up!"
Just like last time, Alain and the vice-captains appeared and introduced themselves. Then they talked about the facilities and the membership requirements.
"Let's get started!" Remo raised his huge umbrella.
They started battling various applicants, with only a few chosen to be members. Sawyer and his Grovyle got approved after ending in a tie against Remo and his Granbull.
Now, Alain enters the battlefield with his Bisharp.
"Who wants to battle me?" Alain asked.
"I'll take you on, Alain!" I exclaimed.
I entered the battlefield and I send out Frogadier.
"I've always wanted to have a battle with you, Alain," I said.
"Is that so? Then let's make this battle worth your time," he replied.
The referee looked to both sides and commenced the battle.
I started, "Frogadier, use Cut!"
Just like unsheathing a sword, Frogadier rushed towards Bisharp with a white needle.
"Guillotine!" Alain commanded.
Bisharp's elbow blades turned blue and it counterattack Frogadier's Cut, overpowering him.
"I'm impressed," Alain commented. "Guillotine is a one-hit knockout move, but Frogadier was able to withstand it. Now, Thunder Wave!"
"Quick, use Double Team!" I ordered.
Frogadier created copies of himself to avoid Thunder Wave. Bisharp stopped and focused on Frogadier's copies.
"That one! Use Focus Blast!" Alain pointed to one of the copies.
Bisharp formed an orb of yellow energy and threw it at Frogadier, injuring him severely.
"Oh no!" I yelled.
"Let's finish this, Bisharp."
Once again, Bisharp used Guillotine and targeted Frogadier. But then, Frogadier grabbed onto Bisharp's blade and pushed it away. As he does this, Frogadier was covered in a familiar blue light, and surprisingly, he evolved into Greninja.
"You've evolved..." I said in awe. "Okay, Greninja, Water Shuriken!"
Greninja forms a shuriken of water from his hands and throws it at Bisharp, pushing him back onto the ground.
"Don't give up just yet! Guillotine, once more!"
"Not if we can help it because we're gonna get stronger! Let's use Cut, Greninja!"
Suddenly, I can feel a surge of power coursing through my veins. And at the same time, Greninja was receiving the same power and became covered by a veil of water. Greninja rushed towards Bisharp and overpowers Guillotine with Cut, immediately knocking out Bisharp. Then Greninja reverts back to his original state and looked back to me.
"What did Greninja just do?" I questioned.
Before I could say anything, the students erupted with cheers and applause for me and Greninja.
"Wow! This is the first time an unofficial member defeated one of Alain's Pokemon!" a boy exclaimed.
"Hey, isn't that guy Ash Ketchum?" another boy asked.
"Yep! He's the guy who stopped Garchomp in Lumiose City," Calem joined in their conversation.
"But he's still kind of pathetic," Paul said sarcastically.
"I can hear you, Paul!" I shouted.
"Ash Ketchum," Alain walked up to me and held out his hand. "You've met my expectations. Congratulations!"
"Thanks," I smiled and shook his hand.
~~~~~~~~~~
(Serena's POV)
After the tryouts ended, Ash and Sawyer, along with Calem and Paul, walked out of the Battle Dome. We approached them to congratulate them on becoming members.
"Congratulations, Ash!" I hugged him.
"Thanks, Serena!" he kisses my forehead. "And thanks for your support, guys!"
"And let's not forget about Sawyer!" Tierno wrapped his arm around Sawyer. "He did great out there against that umbrella-wielding dude!"
"Thanks, Tierno! But..." Sawyer paused.
"What's the matter, Sawyer? Aren't you happy that you're finally a member of the Battle Dome?" Ash inquired.
"Yes, I am! But I was wondering about Greninja's appearance during the climax of Ash's battle," Sawyer informed.
"You're right," Calem agreed. "I'm a little curious about what happened with Greninja, but it's hard to see him through that watery veil."
"I'll try to go back to that scene," Clemont checked the screen.
Clemont replayed the scene where Greninja changed his appearance, but suddenly, the screen went black and exploded, causing everyone to get puffy, humid hair.
"Ahhh! My hair!" Dawn cried.
"I'm fining you for this, Clemont!" Barry yelled.
"I'm sorry," Clemont sulked on the ground.
Everyone started fixing their hair and cleaning the soot off them until May spoke up.
"Hey, did you guys hear something?" May asked as she fixes the red bandana in her hair.
"Maybe your ears are ringing from the explosion," Drew said jokingly.
"No, it sounds like it's coming from back there."
We followed May behind the Battle Dome and Mairin was cornered by Amelia and her friends.
"Stop following Alain!" Amelia shouted.
"Yeah! You're being a total nuisance to him!" her friend added.
"She's like an abandoned Pokemon who couldn't handle being left behind by their Trainer," she taunted.
"That's not true!" Mairin retorted, holding back her tears. "Even though Alain is avoiding me, I can't leave him alone! He's my friend and I know he's still suffering from that incident!"
"Shut up!" Amelia snapped and pushed Mairin. "Don't talk as if you know him!"
We intervene into their argument after seeing what she did to Mairin.
"Hey! You shouldn't bully Mairin!" Bonnie shouted.
"This brat again?!" Amelia glared at Bonnie.
Then Amelia was surprised to see Ash and she angrily walked up to him.
"You! How dare you beat Alain!" Amelia yelled.
"Huh? What's wrong with him losing a battle?" Ash questioned.
"You obviously cheated because Alain had never lost a battle before!" Amelia argued.
"It was a fair battle, so Ash didn't do anything wrong!" I retorted.
"There's nothing fair about that battle!" she shouted.
"Really? I think it was a pretty fair battle," a voice interrupted.
We turned around and realized Alain was here.
"A-Alain, you should do something about that cheater!" Amelia pointed at Ash.
"Why? I don't see anything wrong with our battle earlier," Alain said. "And from what I saw just now, you were bullying this girl here."
Mairin was surprised that Alain realized she was being tormented.
"As a student assistant, I won't tolerate any bullying among our students," Alain stated.
"B-but Alain—" Amelia stuttered.
"No excuses! If I see you doing something like this again, you will be given punishment, or worse, expelled."
Amelia and her friends apologized to Alain and ran off, leaving us with him and Mairin.
"Th-thank you, Alain," Mairin looked down.
Alain noticed Mairin's bruised knee.
"You need to stand up for yourself, Mairin," Alain sighed. "You can't keep letting those girls push you around like that."
"I know, but I'm really helpless," Mairin mumbled.
"I can't always be there to save you, so I need you to be strong... for me at least."
After saying that, he leaves and Ash follows him.
"Where are you going, Ash?" I asked.
"I'll be right back! I need to ask Alain about something," Ash chased after him.
~~~~~~~~~~
(Ash's POV)
"Wait up, Alain!" I shouted.
Alain turned his attention to me.
"What do you need, Ash?" he asked.
"Well, I was just wondering, what do you know about those men in red suits?" I inquired.
He formed a scowl on his face.
I continued. "You were with them when you helped me and Serena. Are you friends with them? Because—"
"Let me give you a word of advice," Alain interrupted.
He grabbed my shirt collar and glared at me.
"Stay out of my business," Alain said coldly. "I may have accepted you as a member, but remember, I can revoke your membership. And I can do even worse if you push me the wrong way."
He lets go of my shirt collar and leaves.
"Let's forget we had this conversation, understood?" Alain glared back at me.
"U-understood," I stuttered.
Those eyes... it's like he became a different person.
~~~~~~~~~~
(Third Person View)
At the Rocket Lounge, Yellow talked about the situation with Squishy to her friends.
Silver spoke, "In that case, we need to get him back."
"But Bonnie is already too fond of him," Leafia informed.
"Yeah, it's not like we can take him away from her without a reason," Gary stated.
"Then how about this? Since Bonnie is my roommate, I can keep an eye on her and Squishy," Yellow said.
"Well... alright, we'll entrust you with watching over them," Silver agreed.
Then Silver noticed a strange girl sitting at a table across from them.
"Ooooo~ Did someone catch your eye, Silver?" Leafia teased.
"What? No!" Silver denied. "I'm just a bit suspicious about that girl. She's been coming here a lot lately."
"You think everyone is suspicious, Silver," Gary rolled his eyes.
All of the sudden, they heard yelling coming from the entrance, which turns out to be Team Rocket chasing out a Pokemon.
"What's with the ruckus, Jessie?" Silver asked.
"It's just a pesky Espurr, Master Silver," Jessie informed.
"An Espurr?" Yellow questioned.
"Yes, it keeps sneaking into our store lately," James explained.
"But I'll get my paws on them next time!" Meowth declared.
"Hmm... I wonder..." Leafia pondered.
"What's on your mind, Leafia?" Gary asked.
"It's nothing important," she shrugged. "I just remember seeing a girl with an Espurr from school, but it's probably just a coincidence."
~~~~~~~~~~
(Ash's POV)
In the end, I returned to my room after failing to get information about the red-suited people from Alain. I sat down at my desk and opened my drawers where I kept my acceptance letter.
I took out my letter and opened it, reading what ultimately lead to my decision for attending this school.
The former Champion of the Kanto region will be attending this academy. However, he became a wanted criminal after being involved with a powerful yet dangerous Pokemon. You are the only one who can stop him because...
And it ends there without telling me anything else.
Just what kind of person is the previous Champion?