Ash and Anabel stepped through the doorway and out of the tunnel to the battlefield to see a sight they expected. The Kanto Brains and Scott were waiting on them to get ready for the meeting. All of them were giving amused looks at the pair, and judging from earlier, it clearly had to do with their battle.
"There you two are. Just out of curiosity, did you have to be that harsh?" Scott asked with a chuckle.
"Yes." Ash and Anabel spoke simultaneously, causing the others to raise an eyebrow.
"I swear, you two are growing more alike each day." Noland stated as some of the others followed his lead.
"You think?" They said at the same time again, causing them to look at each other before the whole group erupted in laughter.
Once it died down, Brandon took over. "I guess now we need to get the meeting over with. My battle is coming up and I would rather not miss it."
"He's right. We better go." Spenser added.
Everyone trailed along to the meeting room nearby so they could finally get through it all in a hurry. Scott got his laptop out and fired up the projector. It took a moment, but he managed to get to an email that was listed as 'Battle Tree Offer,' letting the others take in the information that was listed before summarizing it himself.
"Alright, so we got a request to take part in a Battle Tree event that goes on for about three days. It's supposed to celebrate the Battle Tree's one year anniversary. It starts two days after the tournament, so you all do get rest in between. Everyone has an invite, so if you don't want to go or you have urgent matters, then tell me so I can book the hotel rooms early. So who is sure they can't?"
Brandon, Tucker, Spenser, and Lucy spoke up, each voicing reasons that they were unable to attend. Lucy had a challenger to prepare for, Tucker had to have a meeting with a fashion designer and Brandon and Spenser planned to look through a new passage in the Ruins of Alph. Scott understood and preferred that his brains dealt with more important matters first before they did side duties for the Battle Frontier. After spending an extra ten minutes ironing out some details, Scott nodded with content after looking over the roster.
"That's perfect. Just the amount we need to face all the types of battles. And since we have our Sinnoh Frontier dealing with the Festival Plaza Battle Agency that Sophocles, the Plaza creator, made, then we are covering all ends perfectly." Scott inferred.
"So what battling types are there in the Battle Tree?" Greta asked.
"I was just getting to that. They have Singles, Doubles, and Multi Battles. We are doing the higher ranked versions as per request, which means you have to win fifty battles. So who wants to do what? I don't care who as long as they think they can win all the battles." He informed them.
"I can take Doubles. I've been working on that with Tucker recently, so I'm good with it." Noland stated, which elicited a nod from Scott.
"Ash, you and Anabel have unmatched teamwork. If both of you can run through Multi, then I can take Singles." Greta stated.
"You sure Greta?" Ash asked. "Of course. It'll be a great challenge for my Pokémon. Yoish!" She yelled, which made everyone sweatdrop.
Ash and Anabel shared a glance before Anabel spoke for them. "We'll do it."
Scott grinned at the answers. "Alright! Looks like we have a game plan! And that's the most of what I needed you all for. Now I recommend you all go watch Spenser and Brandon's match or just enjoy the rest of the day. You can all go, except for Ash. Someone wants to visit with you."
"Alright." Ash said as he sat back down.
Everyone else started piling out of the meeting room, wanting to leave Ash and Scott to their own devices. Anabel was going to be the last one out, but Scott stopped her.
"Anabel, you can stay too. They did mainly want to talk with Ash, but they also mentioned you briefly."
Anabel was hesitant, but she finally closed the door and sat down next to Ash again.
"So who requested to speak with me?" Ash wondered. Upon thinking about it, nobody could have made a request to meet with him unless it had been made during or just before his match, which made no sense how that could have happened.
"Well, you already know who he is." Scott told him. "He caught me while I had to grab my laptop during your battle and asked me to set this up. He said that he had a very important thing to tell you." He added.
"Ok... well bring them in." Ash stated as he leaned back in his chair a bit.
Scott moved towards the door and beckoned someone through. When they stepped in, both Ash and Anabel recoiled back, knocking the chairs over, and grabbed Poke Balls from their belts, glares launching quickly at the person.
"What do you want?" Ash growled angrily.
. . . . . . . . . . . . .
"I hope you're ready. There's no backing out from this now."
"I should be asking you that."
The Galarian duo of Callum and Gloria laughed lightly at each other as they prepared to do their first tag team battle of the tournament. They were well equipped to fight Morty and Pryce, but that did not mean that they wouldn't take this battle seriously like they did with all their other battles. As gym leaders that are usually fought near the middle and end of the Johto Gym Circuit, these two gym leaders were considered fierce and skilled in numerous ways.
Gloria looked at Callum briefly. "So we have our battle strategy laid out. Now what do we do about Hop and Marnie?"
Callum crossed his arms. "You still don't want to talk to them I take it?"
Gloria looked down. "It's not exactly that." She admitted. "It's... every time I look at them, my memories resurface from when I lost to Leon." She then noticed the look on Callum's face. "I'm not afraid of losing to Leon, Callum. I can take a loss." Gloria added before hugging herself almost protectively. "I want to forgive them, but every time they get close, that memory... that feeling... it resurfaces. It's almost like PTSD."
Callum shrugged before pulling her close. "I understand. But you have to promise me that you'll try to work through it. It's rough... feeling like all the friends that you made seemingly abandoned you. But if you want to forgive them, then you have to tell them face to face. Do you think you can do that at some point?" She nodded in return. "Good." He finished.
Their platform started to move, indicating that it was their turn on the battlefield.
"Alright, now let's show those two gym leaders what for." He grinned, Gloria sharing his enthusiasm as she grinned alongside him.
Upon reaching the top of the platform, they caught the eyes of both Johto Gym leaders, immediately shifting into battle mode almost like a shift in gears. Morty and Pryce are considered two of the stronger gym leaders in Johto due to both their experiences and their mastery of their specific types. However, they knew that while this would come down to a fight of skill and strategy, the chosen types that the duo had would ultimately be their downfall.
Pryce spoke out loud, talking directly to the duo in front of them. "I've heard a few things about you two. Namely, you." He pointed directly at Gloria. "Rumor has it that you made a complete disappearing act after losing your battle against Champion Leon."
That made Gloria frown. "The rumor mill already has information on me?" She questioned aloud, glancing at Callum. "I would think there would be more time in between my return to battling and the rumor mill starting than just two days."
"Well don't look at me. This is the first I've heard of it coming up too." He promised her.
"Actually..." Morty interrupted sheepishly. "A few of us may have overheard some people discussing this last night."
After a comment like that, they knew what he meant. The duo had planned at eating at a local diner last night, but many different representatives from different regions were eating there too. This also included Hop and Marnie, which prompted Gloria and Callum to reschedule for tonight.
"So that's where you heard it." Callum muttered. "Fair enough I guess. But why bring it up?"
"Some things are best verified at the source." Pryce explained. "Though I understand if you'd rather not talk about it."
Gloria and Callum looked at each other, shrugging in unison. Gloria looked at them. "For time sake, I'll make this quick. The short version is that after I lost, I needed to go take care of something important, so I left the stadium early. Then I decided to go on a training journey with Callum, and before long, here I am. Will that suffice?"
Pryce nodded. "That will do. But now, I think we have a battle to get to, don't you?" He quizzed, prompting a grin from both trainers.
. . . . . . . . . . . . .
"What?"
"She didn't tell them? Why?"
Leon frowned as well, hearing the voices from Hop and Marnie. He recently left the Champions Box so he could watch this match with them both. He was currently with the pair and a few of the other gym leaders in the Galar representatives box when he managed to hear what Gloria had told Pryce and Morty. If he was being honest, he expected her to reveal exactly what happened, and apparently so were his brother and Marnie.
"I can't believe she didn't say it. She had no reason to hide it." He stated in mild shock.
"Well then you can consider yourself lucky."
Leon turned his head towards his left, viewing Bea, who was sitting a few chairs away from them. Bea was one of several who were livid about what happened with Gloria back then, and while she did end up forgiving Leon, she doesn't forget easily, and promised that until Gloria forgave him, he wouldn't live this failure down.
Not that he planned to let himself do so either.
She turned her head to face him, a neutral gaze being shot his way. "It seems that even after what happened, she has enough care for you to keep this little affair private." She exclaimed. "I'd count your blessings now Leon, because if I were Gloria, I wouldn't have lied like that."
"Believe me, I know." He muttered, looking down. "But to still go so far as to hide from us? Why?"
"Privacy for the tournament, maybe. Or maybe she is still upset about what happened." Raihan, who was in between the pair mentioned. He forgave Leon for what he did too, but he never really spent time reminding him about what happened, unlike Bea. He had too much of a bond with his rival to do that to him. "Either way, it comes down to her being willing to talk to you, not you making her talk."
"Agreed." Bea nodded. "Now that we have a second, can we talk about who this Callum person is? From what it sounded like, he offered to take Gloria out on a training trip, probably to the Isle of Armor. Gloria wouldn't have gone with him if she didn't trust him. So what's with him?"
"Well he's a Pokémon Ranger, that much is for sure. You see that jacket?" Raihan pointed out, which made a few of the people there look at him and widen their eyes in surprise.
"Oh wow, he is." Milo, who was a row below them, stated. He didn't really care all too much about the Gloria and Leon situation, like a number of the other Galar gym leaders. It wasn't his business anyhow, so he never bothered with going on about it. "Imagine that. An actual Pokémon Ranger in a battling tournament. Who would've guessed?"
"Actually, I know him too." Leon said, drawing everyone's eyes. "He used to live in Postwick with us but he moved to Unova several years ago. Heck, he even went deep in the Champion Challenge in Unova, only losing to Alder himself if I remember right. He was friends with Hop and I, but him and Gloria used to be inseparable. Gloria was crying for days after he left."
"And from the sound of it, I guess he was watching Gloria's match with Leon in Wyndon at the time." Hop guessed. "Cause she left pretty much the following day. Which means that they met around that time and Gloria decided to go with him."
"So we have two trainers who are as strong as Elite 4 members, if not stronger?" Milo asked. "That's kinda terrifying if you ask me."
"Yeah no kidding." Marnie agreed. "They're some of the best, that's for sure. I wouldn't be surprised if they pass right through Pryce and Morty. They're good, but against Gloria and Callum, I'm not so sure."
"It's too early to make calls. The battle just started. Now let's watch." Leon hushed them as their attention turned back to the battlefield.
. . . . . . . . . . . . .
"The tag team battle between Gym Leaders Pryce and Morty and the duo of Gloria and Callum is about to begin. Now, Trainers. Send out your Pokémon!"
Morty and Pryce both pulled out Poke Balls and tossed them in an instant. "Go, Glalie!" "Dusclops, come on out!"
Out came the two Pokémon of the gym leaders, appearing with loud cries before settling in front of their trainers. Gloria exchanged looks with Callum and both of them nodded. This lead was one that they were prepared for.
"Blaziken, let's begin!" "Spiritomb, double time!"
Within a few seconds, two Pokémon that not many people had expected to see come out onto the field appeared. Especially when it came to the Spiritomb. Most of the crowd was driven into a small silence, unnerved by having a Spiritomb in their presence.
. . . . . . . . . . . . .
"What in the world...?" Hop muttered, eyes widened while looking at the strange Pokémon in front of him. "A Spiritomb of all things? That gives me the creeps."
"You better be lucky Allister is busy prepping with Gordie, or otherwise he might not have liked to hear that." Bea mentioned, making Hop wince and mumble an apology. "Though I can see what you mean. Spiritomb, despite it's rarity, isn't exactly a well-liked Pokémon, even by some Ghost enthusiasts. Even they get creeped out talking about it." She added. "To think Gloria actually found one and caught it too..."
"It just speaks volumes of her commitment." Raihan stated, drawing a couple odd looks. "What?"
"I'm with Raihan on this one." Leon agreed, drawing a few gazes as well. "Spiritomb is not only notoriously rare, but also incredibly difficult to train and take care of. The only trainer I've heard of that has actually trained one to a high level is Cynthia. If Gloria is confident using it in battle, it would mean that she has raised it well."
"We'll see about that." Marnie muttered, still not shaking the eerie vibe she got from the Forbidden Pokémon.
. . . . . . . . . . . . .
"Both sides are ready. In that case, let the battle... begin!" The ref threw his flags downward.The moment the flags were lowered, both sides were off like a race.
"Glalie, use Water Pulse!" "Dusclops, use Shadow Ball."
"Smokescreen!" "Dive into the smoke too!"
Spiritomb let out a purple and black smoke that seemed to coat the entire battlefield, hiding itself and Blaziken from view. When the Shadow Ball and Water Pulse flew near where the pair were, no sound was made, meaning that they moved out of the way.
"So that's how they want to play it." Pryce muttered. "Glalie, use Spikes!" "Dusclops, use Calm Mind and try to find them!"
Glalie started taking in ground energy as little brown spikes formed on it's body, preparing to shoot out from it. Meanwhile, Dusclops started to calm itself down and hone it's senses, it's body taking on a small glow as it signified a stat raise.
Gloria and Callum however, only appeared unfazed. But nobody notice the barely seeable traces of knowing looks upon their faces. "Burning Jealousy!" "Fire Spin!"
The moment that Calm Mind had ended, Dusclops had turned to face towards his right, but was immediately faced with a wave of Fire Type energy, which struck it head on. The force of the blast had immediately knocked it over, but Dusclops was already getting to it's feet. However, the moment it got up, a wave of fire engulfed it again, except that this was from no attack.
Meanwhile, Glalie had just launched it's spikes outward, but before they could get far, Fire Spin had engulfed him, taking the spikes and charring them, making them useless. Meanwhile, Glalie was trapped and was taking continuous damage straight from the Fire Spin.
The smokescreen was finally fading, letting both parties see their Pokémon in front of them. However, Pryce and Morty were slightly baffled to see one of their Pokémon trapped while another one was suffering from a burn.
"Glalie, reverse Gyro Ball! Try to stuff out the flames!"
"Dusclops, keep them off with a Shadow Punch!"
"Sucker Punch, then use Dark Pulse!"
"Blaziken, use Fire Pledge and keep those flames going!"
Immediately, Dusclops was stopped in his tracks by a quick hit from Sucker Punch, stopping the Shadow Punch from forming and allowing Spiritomb to shoot a Dark Pulse into Dusclops, knocking it towards Glalie, who was managing to stuff out most of the flames. They collided as the Fire Pledge formed around the two Pokémon, engulfing them again in a geyser of heat and adding onto the damage.
Both Pokémon tried to stand up, hoping to get back into the fight, but Gloria and Callum had other plans. "Now-" They stated in sync. "-use Dark Flamethrower!"
Both Blaziken and Spiritomb appeared near each other, forming their respective attacks of Flamethrower and Dark Pulse before launching them. As they fired them, the beams of energy circled each other before fusing, turning the Flamethrower into an eerie violet as it collided with the two opposing Pokémon in a brief explosion.
As the smoke died down, Dusclops and Glalie were down for the count, prompting the ref to raise his flags. "Dusclops and Glalie are unable to battle. Blaziken and Spiritomb win."
The crowd, now forgetting their eerie thoughts of Spiritomb from before, let out a thunderous roar at the display that they had witnessed, finding it remarkably similar to the battle that they had witnessed earlier.
. . . . . . . . . . . . .
"Woah. That was mental!" Hop exclaimed.
"Talk about a commanding lead. That Dark Flamethrower just shows how comfortable they are as partners." Marnie said. "It's rare to see move combinations like that outside of contests."
"Not to mention their strategy was on point. It's almost like they knew what Pryce and Morty were going to do before they did it." Raihan muttered.
"Well Gloria has always been good at strategy, and Callum didn't make it all the way to Alder on sheer luck. Those two are master strategists. It's hard to trump people like them." Leon stated. "And it's not over quite yet." He said, making the others look back at the field."
. . . . . . . . . . . . .
After Pryce and Morty recalled their Pokémon, Morty took a moment to look at the pair. "You're both good. No doubt about that. Raising a Spiritomb of all Pokémon so well says a lot about you as a trainer. Not to mention that Blaziken is pretty strong too. One of the strongest I've seen in a long time."
"Thank you for the kind words." Callum responded, Gloria nodding with him.
Morty smirked. "However, don't think we plan to sit down and let you run all over us! Gengar, come on out!" "Dewgong, go!"
The two fully evolved Pokémon appeared on the field, landing with resounding thuds. Callum and Gloria nodded to each other, both content to keep their Pokémon on the field. They signaled the ref to continue, who nodded and rose his flags. "Dewgong and Gengar vs Spiritomb and Blaziken. Let the battle... begin!"
"Blaziken, use Protect!" "Spiritomb, Shock Wave."
Blaziken formed a barrier around itself as Spiritomb started charging electricity before releasing it all across the battlefield. Blaziken protected itself from part of it, but the rest was coming straight to Dewgong and Gengar."
"Gengar, phase through the floor." "Dewgong, use Aqua Ring."
Gengar's entire body flattened as it went onto the floor, the Shock Wave going right past it. Meanwhile, several rings of water formed around Dewgong, the electricity hitting the rings and seemingly doing nothing to the Sea Lion Pokémon.
"Well someone's learned from Skyla. That's her trick that she uses on Swanna." Callum muttered. "And that phasing through the floor is a thing Agatha's Gengar does too."
"Well they are gym leaders after all. They're bound to have a few tricks up their sleeves too." Gloria admitted calmly before her eyes narrowed. "That Aqua Ring will only help with long range electric and fire attacks. It'll go away soon, but we'll have to shift our approach."
"It seems you aren't attacking. I hope you haven't given up." Morty asked calmly. "Gengar, use Sludge Bomb on Spiritomb." "Dewgong, Water Pulse."
Gengar came off of the ground and flew up into the air. The ghost formed a large amount of poison energy from it's hands, shooting it off in a ball that was aimed straight at Spiritomb. Meanwhile, Dewgong, shot off a Water Pulse from it's mouth and into the ground, forming a wave of water to attack the pair with."
"Blaziken, dodge it!" "Spiritomb, use Double Team!"
Blaziken shot off in a blaze of speed, surprising a majority of the people in the arena as it seemingly teleported away. Spiritomb, meanwhile, transformed into a large amount of copies, filling up their side of the arena. Sludge Bomb slammed into one of the Spiritombs, but it phased out, confirming it as a copy. However, the wave of water from Water Pulse came and managed to strike the Spiritomb, washing him into the center of the field while also coating the field, turning it into one giant puddle.
"Shrug it off Spiritomb. We can do this!" Gloria commanded as Spiritomb got off the ground, Blaziken appearing next to him while panting. It was clear that the raging battles were taking their toll on them, so they needed to finish this off before they got hit again.
"Now use Ice Beam on the water!" Pryce ordered his Dewgong.
"Oh no you don't! Blaziken, High Jump Kick!" Callum and Gloria knew that if he turned the field icy, he lost his advantage that he had with Speed Boost, as Blaziken wouldn't have a firm stance on a slippery floor. Their priority now would be to stop them from doing it.
"Gengar, stop him with Psychic!"
"Ally Switch into Shadow Ball!"
Gengar's eyes changed blue as it attempted to form a Psychic hold on Blaziken, who had started rushing in the direction of Dewgong. However, at the last second, Blaziken was gone and replaced with it was Spiritomb, who took the Psychic, completely shrugging it off thanks to it's Dark typing. Immediately, it formed the ominous ball of ghost energy, launching it straight into Gengar, who took it full force, still caught off guard by Ally Switch.
As for Blaziken, he had appeared near the middle of the field, closer to Dewgong than before. Before the Ice Beam could be shot, Dewgong was kicked straight in the side knocking it over with a splash from the puddle and making the ice attack shoot off into the sky.
"Dewgong, Aqua Jet!" Pryce called out, hoping to take advantage of the close environment.
"Gengar, fire your own Shadow Ball!" Morty commanded, noticing the spot Spiritomb was in.
Gloria and Callum nodded to each other. They knew what to do next, but their timing had to be perfect. "Blaziken, backpedal then hold your position until I say." "Spiritomb, substitute."
Blaziken flipped backwards several yards before standing still, watching with a keen eye as Dewgong shot at him like a torpedo. Spiritomb managed to divide his health into another copy, both of them splitting off and avoiding the Shadow Ball. Both copies stood at different sides of Gengar.
Morty looked for a brief instant before seeing one copy looked more tired than the other. "Quick, Shadow Ball on the left!"
Gengar shot a rapid Shadow Ball, striking at the Spiritomb on the left, which after being struck, disappeared. Morty cried out in shock! "No way!"
"Psychic!"
In a heartbeat, Gengar was caught in a Psychic hold by a grinning Spiritomb. Gengar was tossed around a bit, splashing up some water from the puddle before Gloria called out to him. "Now do it!"
Spiritomb threw Gengar with his Psychic hold straight towards Blaziken. However, Blaziken was not paying attention to Gengar, instead watching Dewgong for a brief second. Callum then smirked. "Now jump, then Fire Spin!"
At the last second, Blaziken jumped narrowly avoiding the Gengar rocketing right past them.
And right towards Dewgong.
Pryce balked. "What!? Dewgong, get out of there!"
It was too late for Dewgong to change directions as it collided with Gengar. Both of the Pokémon struck one another, falling right onto the ground. Just as they hit the ground, they were surrounded by a tornado of fire with no way out, taking extra damage as the attack proceeded and forming steam as nearby water proceeded to evaporate.
Gloria and Callum then threw their hands out together. "Time to end this!" They spoke. "Shadow Burn!"
Spiritomb formed a large amount of Shadow Balls while Blaziken was consumed by a red aura. Blaziken stepped onto the ground, fire energy erupting, tossing up the ground and forming steam from the water before it was about to collide with the opposing Pokémon. At the same time, Spiritomb launched a barrage of Shadow Balls straight at the opposing Pokémon too. Both attacks collided and a large explosion overtook the battlefield.
When the smoke and steam died down, Gengar and Dewgong had swirls in their eyes while Blaziken and Spiritomb looked noticeably tired.
"Gengar and Dewgong are unable to battle! Spiritomb and Blaziken win!" The ref declared. "The match goes to Gloria and Callum!"
The crowd erupted in excitement, cheering all the way for the heated battle. Gloria and Callum smiled to each other, not giving the crowd another thought. They returned their Pokémon and looked as Pryce and Morty walked up to them, returning their Pokémon and thanking them as they went.
"That was an excellent battle. Both of you were wonderful." Pryce exclaimed, Morty nodding in agreement.
"Thanks. But our Pokémon did a lot of the heavy lifting." Callum answered modestly.
"You are being too modest." Morty told him with a smile. "Sure, your Pokemon were the ones shooting attacks, but it's a two way street. As trainers, we're out there battling with them no matter what." He explained.
"Your strategy was impeccable and you were both incredibly in sync with not only your Pokémon, but with each other." Pryce added. "It reminds me of my youth when my Piloswine and I were at the top of our game. You all did wonderfully out there."
"Now make sure you win this thing for us." Morty finished.
"We'll do our best. Thanks." They both smiled in return, shaking hands with the gym leaders and walking off the field with a wonderful feeling after the conclusion of that battle.
. . . . . . . . . . . . .
The entire Galar box was in silence after witnessing that match. The amount of skill showcased in that match had stunned them, making words harder than ever to form. It took a moment, but finally, they were able to talk again.
"That was... insane." Milo mumbled.
"No kidding." Bea agreed. "That battle just shows the level of skill that those two have. I almost want to fight them too."
"Gloria's gotten a lot better. Even though Spiritomb took a hit, she kept damage taken to a minimal. And Callum's Blaziken seems to have Speed Boost. Never thought I would see one in person." Leon commented.
"Yeah. And their strategy and synergy was off the charts. That almost reminded me of those two Frontier Brains from earlier." Raihan exclaimed.
"Well what are we waiting for? Let's go talk to them!" Hop exclaimed, rushing off.
"Hop, hold on!" Marnie got up and raced after him.
Bea sighed. "Well... that might end poorly." She mumbled.
Leon got up. "I'll go with them. Just to make sure that they don't do anything reckless."
"Don't." Raihan protested.
"What? But why?" Leon asked. "I'm not going to try and be rash if that's what you think."
"I'm not saying that." He claimed.
"Then what is it?"
"It's because you'll get lost on the way there."
"..."
"..."
"...you have a point." Leon relented, sitting down the next moment. "Fine, I'll stay."
That got a chuckle out of all of them. "Just go with them next time Leon. They should be fine."
Leon inwardly sighed. 'I'm afraid of not having a next time.' He thought silently. 'I've already lost one opportunity after all.'
. . . . . . . . . . . . .
Meanwhile, our favorite infamous group was telling off Serena and Clemont for losing as bad as they did. And from an eyewitness standpoint, it does not look pretty. The pair were sitting in seats out somewhere in the plateau while the entire group glared at them.
"You two are pathetic! How could you lose to Ketchum!" Paul fumed.
"We can't keep up with that pace. Those Fighting types moved like they were on caffeine or something." Serena protested weakly.
May rolled her eyes. "So what? Ash is weak, and Anabel is not that much better without her empathy skill."
"Well then we need to learn what they did to their Pokémon. Cause that was not normal speed." Clemont stated in an assured tone.
Max then looked around quickly. "Wait, where's Brock?"
"He said he was getting extra supplies for cooking lunch later. But he never said how long it will take." Cilan informed them.
"Well alright. We can go hunt down Ash without him." Misty shrugged, standing up along with the others and walking away.
However, as they said that, two people noticed what had just happened and nodded to each other, following behind the group at a distance.
. . . . . . . . . . . .
"I'm only asking one more time. What are you doing here?" Ash demanded.
"Scott, why did you let him in!" Anabel snapped at the older man.
Scott held his hands up. "Sorry! I made sure he was checked before entering anyways. You can kick him out if you want, but he came in here without his Pokémon."
"Ash, let me explain-" The guy started.
"No, Brock. You explained everything two years ago! I'm not the same trusting person I once was." Ash sneered.
The Pokémon Doctor chuckled nervously. "Yeah, I can see."
If he was trying to make them laugh a bit, then they weren't buying it. "Just say it and get it over with before we lose our patience." Anabel growled.
Brock sighed. "Ok. Ash... I'm sorry. Trip and Iris forced me into it."
Silence followed right after. Ash stood there for a second, thinking that Brock would actually come up with a better response than that, but he just stood there. "That's it?! That's your response?! That's such a good reason to betray my trust!" Ash snapped with sarcasm.
Brock faltered as he lowered his head down. "..."
"If that was your piss poor show of a reason, then you can just leave right now." Ash inferred angrily.
"...he took our gym." Brock mumbled just loud enough to hear.
Ash and Anabel paused briefly, then frowned. "Wait, what?"
"Just as I said. I got my bachelors from the college I was attending at the time. But after I came back, I saw Trip and Iris in the gym with Forrest beaten up badly, and all his Poke Balls were on the floor next to him. They said that they had the gym deed and said they would give me back the deed and Forrest if I stopped supporting you."
Now it seemed like this was getting somewhere. Ash crossed his arms. "What about your dad and mom?" He questioned.
"They, along with my brothers and sisters were on a family vacation to the Orange Islands. Forrest didn't want to go, and I had to complete my finals, so we were the only ones still around. I knew I couldn't beat them two against one, and I couldn't risk Forrest. I'm sorry." Brock finished.
"What do you think?" Ash asked Anabel. He couldn't completely tell, but something was nagging him in the back of the mind that Brock may actually be dead truthful.
"Umm... it's tough to say, actually. I can feel that he told the truth, but it feels... kind of like there is something else. There is a lot of mixed emotions. He might be holding something back." Anabel concluded.
Ash turned back to Brock. "Is there anything else we should know?"
Brock hesitated, but finally relented. "After you left, we went to the gym to get everything back... but Trip beat me there and set it on fire with Forrest in it."
The other three gasped. "That was what caused the fire I saw on the news three days later?" Scott questioned.
Brock nodded grimly. "Yeah. Forrest survived, but he was in a coma for a month and had Physical Therapy for 3 months after that." He exclaimed. "We're lucky he even made a full enough recovery to run the gym again."
"Oh my Arceus, Brock." Anabel brought her hand to her mouth.
"And you still hang around them?!" Ash asked like Brock was crazy.
"I have to. Otherwise, Trip and the others will start something again. I'm playing a risk just by talking to you." Brock exclaimed.
Anabel looked on the verge of tears while Ash finally released his pent up anger. He slammed his hand down on the desk, causing everyone to look at him. "First they threaten Bonnie's Dedenne, then they threaten an entire family?" He growled. "Something needs to be done about this."
Ash tossed a look to Scott. "Can you call in a favor from Lance?"
"G-men?"
"Yes."
Scott gave a wry smile as he walked to the door. "Give me five minutes."
As he left, Ash sighed as he sat his head on the table, stress building within him like he wanted to scream. "They have gone too far this time!"
Anabel came close and wrapped her arms around him, saying soothing words in his ears as he slowly began to relax a bit more. This went on for a few minutes until he finally relaxed entirely and felt his troubles melt away.
'I'm so glad to have a girlfriend with empathy abilities.' Ash thought to himself, then caught his sentence. 'Wait, what am I thinking? Anabel wouldn't like me like that. Right?'
He didn't know how wrong he was.
Brock looked down in silence, not sure what else to say other than a few simple but powerful words. "Thank you, Ash. I appreciate this more than you'll ever know."
"It's alright Brock. I'm just glad you found the guts to come tell me when you did." Ash reassured him as Anabel held him close.
Then Brock finally noticed just how close Ash and Anabel were sitting and smirked. "Wait. Are you two..."
"Don't say it." Ash warned him.
"Dating?!" Brock said louder than was necessary.
The pair started blushing while Brock started laughing. "Oh my Arceus. Someone finally broke through! Oh if Bonnie heard about this one..." He stopped as he saw Ash's expression.
"...she already knows, doesn't she?" He asked.
"Long story." They stated together.
Brock thought for a second. "You said something about her earlier too. Is she on your side too?" He questioned.
Ash groaned. "Yeah, but I'm not sure how much the good outweighs the bad. And no! We aren't dating, but she wants us to."
"Well she's a good battler, but your love life will probably get a lot more interesting." Brock joked.
Ash groaned again as he felt his head fall to the table. "Why can't people just stop assuming things? First Lillie, then Bonnie, and now Brock. Who's next, Lance?" He mused mainly to himself.
He heard the door open. "Well thanks for the warning. If I had not heard that, I would've assumed the same as Brock considering the display of pure teamwork I saw on the battlefield."
Everyone looked up to see the red haired dragon trainer walking through the door with Scott following suit. He had a look of slight amusement plastered on his face aimed at Ash, which was a far cry from the normally neutral gaze he always wore in public.
"Been a while Lance." Ash said.
"I could say the same. Frontier Brain, huh? I had never heard that you took part in it." Lance inferred.
"Well times have changed a lot recently. But I need a favor." Ash stated.
"And that would be?" Lance rose an eyebrow.
Ash explained everything that led up to the moment they were in, excluding a few minor in between details. After the explanation, Lance nodded, seemingly understanding their concerns entirely. He crossed his arms as his fingertips on his right hand drilled rhythmically on the side of his other arm.
"I knew that Pewter Gym fire seemed fishy. And I can't press charges without evidence, so you need me to keep G-Men in Pewter, namely near Brock's family home, in case something happens like before? And have someone watching Forrest during the tournament?" He asked.
"If it isn't too much to ask." Ash elaborated.
"I owe you for all your help back in the day. This isn't too much to ask at all." Lance smiled, which invoked a sigh of relief. "But on one condition."
"And that is?" Ash frowned.
His arms uncrossed as he caught Ash's eyes with his own. "I want to battle you. Full strength. If it isn't during the tournament, then I ask that we battle after the tournament." Lance stated with a serious look.
Ash almost couldn't believe what he just heard, but he knows that his ears weren't playing tricks on him. But to think that a champion had asked to have a battle with him just hit him differently for some odd reason.
But as his ten year old self would have been knowingly ecstatic, his more controlled nature as the Castle Guardian took over. He calmed his thoughts as he asked a question. "Full battle or 3 on 3?"
"I would enjoy full if you don't mind. Normal rules as well." Lance elaborated.
Ash seemed satisfied with the conditions and smiled at the Dragon Tamer. "I accept."
Lance smiled in return. "I'm glad you did. I'm eager to see just how far you've come."
He then glanced at Brock with a slightly more serious expression. "I'll get ten of my G-men over to Pewter to stake observation on your house for a while, and I'll have a stealth operative keep an eye on you and your brother. I hope that sated your fear of being around your best friend again."
Brock nodded. "It does. Thank you so much Lance."
The Johto Champion nodded. "No problem. Now I have to go prepare. Steven and I are preparing for our match in an hour. I wish you luck in the tournament Ash, Anabel."
Lance then walked to the door and opened it before pausing. "And don't think I'm the only champion eager to face you. Or the Salon Maiden."
He walked out, leaving the group dumbfounded as they tried to decipher the code Lance just left them. What did Lance mean when he meant that champions were eager to face them? It couldn't mean...
Ash finally spoke, looking at Scott. "You don't think they all saw mine and Anabel's match, do you?"
Scott frowned in thought. "Well a lot of higher ups were watching. Mainly cause you had yet to make an appearance as our newest Brain for an entire year. So I can only assume all the Champions saw it."
Anabel widened her eyes. "Then could that mean-"
"Maybe. Any one of them could definitely could want to tag battle against you two or even do single battles. It's a bold call, but your skill is some of the best seen in your generation, not to mention your teamwork together outpaces Liza and Tate by miles, and they're twin psychics. I think you two are going to have an interesting tournament on your hands." Scott inferred.
Ash sighed, looking up at the ceiling for a moment. "I have champions wanting to face me, traitors that probably want me dead for a stupid reason, and it's only been about three days. Sounds like my life in a nutshell."
. . . . . . . . . . . .
"Is he going to show up any time soon?" Lillie heard Hau wonder.
Lillie had begun to wonder that too. After all, once the match was over with, they had been sitting in the common room for at least half an hour, waiting to see if they would show. Ash had promised her when he talked to them before their battle that as long as he was done with Frontier business quickly enough, then he would try to make it to the Pokémon Center. But so far, he has yet to show.
"I'm not sure. Neither of their Pokémon looked remotely worn out, so they may not need to come to speak with Nurse Joy. They are also really busy-"
"We're talking about Ash here. What does the girl have to do with this?"
"Gladion! That's rude!" Lillie snapped. "Besides, Anabel is really nice. You haven't met her yet, but that's no reason to act like that." She chided him, making him look away.
"Is that them walking through the door now?" Acerola asked suddenly.
Lillie turned, and sure enough, both were just coming through the door with Brock in tow. And what shocked Lillie is they were being nice to him. The Alolans all charged towards the Frontier Brain quickly.
"-and then he ran all over with Quick Attack trying to get away with the Ketchup so he could eat it in peace. Luckily Espeon stopped him and scolded him for doing that. And that was the last time he tried it." Ash finished, Brock and Anabel laughing lightly at the story.
"I think Pikachu is obsessed." Brock he said after he cut off his laughing.
Ash rolled his eyes as he playfully glared at the mouse on his shoulder who had the decency to look sheepish. "Tell me about it. How does Espeon put up with that, Anabel?"
Anabel smiled and resumed petting the Psychic cat on her shoulder. "Simple. Psychic types are naturally patient."
"Well then I need a Psychic type for when you aren't visiting at Mt. Silver." Ash mused.
"Which is what? Every other week?" Anabel thought aloud.
"Yeah, when Mike is in town to ref. I know he is taking night classes in Saffron for his Pokémon Therapy degree, but having to rely on you to ref is too much trouble. I don't like bothering you."
"It doesn't bother me. I live an hour away by flight, so I enjoy when I can visit." Anabel smiled at him, making him smile back.
"Well if you enjoy it-"
"Ash!"
Ash turned slowly. "Huh? Who said my- AH!"
He was cut off by a hug from Lana, Acerola and Mallow as they practically suffocated the Castle Guardian. Pikachu hopped off quickly and climbed atop Anabel's free shoulder. Ash almost collapsed from the weight of the three Alolans, but he held his ground. But one could tell his air was running dreadfully low.
"Anabel... if I don't... survive... tell Noland... you get the... fifty bucks he owes me." Ash managed to say.
Anabel giggled. "Alright. Can you three stop death hugging him? He's losing air."
As the two girls eventually let him go, Hau ran up to him with his signature grin while Gladion simply walked up to him, a tinge of annoyance evident in his expression, but a small smile curled in his lips.
Hau looked him over for a second before finally speaking. "It really is you!"
Ash chuckled. "Yeah, it is me. How have you been Mr. Alolan Champ? Congrats by the way." Him and Hau grasped hands before giving each other a friendly hug, breaking apart soon after.
"Thanks. And I'm great, but the real question is what about you? We thought you died." Hau exclaimed.
"Yeah you can blame my former mom for that." Ash sighed in mild annoyance.
"Miss Ketchum? Why would she do it?" Lana asked from the side.
"Long story. You see-" Anabel started.
"Ash can speak for himself you know." Gladion crossed his arms.
"Gladion!" Lillie snapped.
"What? I'd rather hear it from him." The blonde said casually.
"That doesn't excuse you being rude Gladion." Ash stated, crossing his arms with a frown. "Apologize."
A couple of the Alolans off to the side frowned. Since when did Ash get so defensive of someone?
"Alright, fine. I'm sorry." He said to Anabel, who smiled and nodded in assurance that all was well. "Now we have a lot of questions we need answers to Ketchum. So let's start talking." Gladion demanded.
"Ok fine emo boy. I'll talk." Ash joked mildly.
After a quick explanation of the events leading to his being added to the Frontier, a few details being excluded for private reasons that Ash and Anabel refused to crack on (as said reasons featured a number of legendary Pokémon matters and private Frontier business), which kind of upset a few of them. However, Gladion tried to pry more, but the pair still didn't budge.
"-and so I went and became a Frontier Brain under mainly Anabel and Spenser's guidance. It was more Anabel, but they both helped me a lot."
"I know there is something else Ash." Gladion claimed, trying to pry more. "You've been dodging some of my questions most of this conversation."
Ash rolled his eyes. "Look Gladion, it's private Frontier business. Even if I wanted to, I can't say."
"Alright fine." He muttered.
"Wait, so what about those people that went against you. You said a few of them are here, right?" Acerola asked.
"Yeah, a few of them are here. But they aren't worth it. I already dealt with them some during my battle, so I'm not going to worry about it." He told them, which drew nods from them. "Now, we were planning on going to lunch. I assume you guys just waited for me here, so I guess we can all go." Ash concluded.
Everyone spoke a resounding "yeah" as everyone prepared to get moving. But before they even could leave, they heard a familiar, yet unwanted sound of an annoying redhead.
"Hey Ketchum!"
"Oh Arceus, and it was going so well." Ash groaned as he turned to Anabel. "Please be ready to calm me down. I already feel like mauling them like an Ursaring after what happened with Brock."
Anabel smiled reassuringly. "I've got you." She promised.
As they all turned, they saw all of them standing there with malicious looks on their faces. They aimed their looks at Ash as they prepared to speak, but then they saw Brock.
"Brock, what are you doing there? Get over here and help us." Misty demanded.
"Not on your life." He said, crossing his arms. "I'm out of your little gang. Now get out of here
"Are you sure about that?" Trip smirked knowingly. "Or are you forgetting something?"
"I I already got that covered, Trip. You can't touch him." Ash stated nonchalantly, drawing heated glares from his former friends.
"Shut it weakling, we weren't talking to you!" Serena snapped.
Anabel rolled her eyes. "We kicked your butts without trying. So I would watch who you call weak."
Max scoffed. "This coming from the girl who relies on her telepathic abili-"
"Empathetic, you idiot. You were there when she told us. And she didn't need it to beat you two." Ash cut him off. "Now leave before I have to call the cops. Harassing a league official or a Frontier official is liable for jail time."
"Get it through your head! You aren't strong, you aren't special, and we deserve what you have much more than you cause of all the crap you put us through! So give up or we'll make you!" Paul yelled, drawing a Poke Ball.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you."
Everyone turned their heads to see a heated glare coming from a blonde guy. He was wearing a Pokémon Ranger uniform while a girl wearing a training outfit was standing behind him. Both of them looked visibly annoyed.
"I suggest you take back what you said. I have the authority to bring you in for threats to tournament participants and private officials." The guy said.
"Callum! Gloria!" Ash called out to him, drawing a wink from the duo.
"We were trying to get him to stop participating because he drugs his Pokémon! His Lucario shouldn't have been able to move so fast in his match." Iris tried to lie.
Callum crossed his arms. "Funny that. I've known Ash for a while now, so I would know if he drugged his Pokémon. So I'm gonna have to say... well, you're just wrong." He answered casually.
As the words were being exchanged, two people had arrived on the scene and were watching it from afar. Hop and Marnie were thoroughly confused as to what they had stumbled upon, but decided that they should try to sit back and understand before jumping in.
"And what gives you that right to decide like that!" Max glared before his sister hit him on the head.
"Idiot! That's a Pokémon Ranger!" She exclaimed while Max rubbed the bump forming on his head.
"Not just any Pokémon Ranger." Callum drew their eyes again. "I'm the best healer in the Ranger Corps. If any of you are familiar with the rangers, you might know me as Callum Bale."
A few of them frowned before Dawn's eyes widened. "Wait, the Miracle Maker!? You're that guy that goes around several regions healing Pokémon injured in different accidents! Some say you even helped heal a really dangerous Moltres when it's wounds were fatal!" Several of them widened their eyes.
Callum frowned and glanced at Gloria. "I thought everyone was going to keep quiet about that." He muttered quietly while Gloria shrugged, clearly just as confused about hearing that story again.
Trip's eyes narrowed quickly, his mind trying to remember where he heard that name before he looked panic struck. "Wait, I know you! You're that guy that almost beat Alder several years ago!" The rest all suddenly looked scared of Callum.
He tilted his head. "Oh you saw that match? That was quite a while ago." He exclaimed. "But whatever. That's besides the point. If you've heard of me, then you know my healing skills are verified. Ash and Anabel are clean of drugs. Your claim has no merit." That made a few of them flinch.
"Quite honestly, you lot are all disappointments among Pokémon Trainers." Gloria fired back. "What is the point of even coming after Ash in the first place? Because frankly, all you seem to be doing is making fools of yourselves." She reprimanded them.
"And who asked you!?" Paul countered.
"Enough!" Callum barked. "I won't have this happen in the middle of the Pokémon Center. Leave now or we're placing you under arrest for disorderly conduct against a private official."
The traitors widened their eyes in fear, finally deciding that now would be a good idea to get out of here while they still had some room to. Within a few seconds, they had left, leaving the Alolan crew, Ash, Anabel and the Galar duo standing together.
"I knew they were annoying, but this trumps my expectations." Callum muttered.
"They're just so desperate over nothing that important. It's painful to watch." Gloria agreed.
Ash released a pent up sigh as he looked down. "I'm glad that's over with in any regard. Thanks for helping us Callum. Gloria."
"Any time Ash. They honestly need to be knocked down a few pegs as it is." Gloria exclaimed, Callum nodding with her.
Anabel pulled Ash into a hug. "Are you alright?"
"Yeah. I almost lost my cool there. I can't wait to obliterate Paul and Trip." Ash stated, looking at the door in annoyance.
"Alright. But that's if we face them in the tag rounds. We only have one left before Top 256 singles kick off." Anabel mentioned.
"Yeah... I know we will win against them, but I'm still curious about Lance's little statement."
Callum frowned at that. "What are you on about?"
Ash shrugged. "It's nothing too important."
Anabel took over. "Lance challenged him to a 6 on 6 battle for the near future." She exclaimed, which prompted an elbow from Ash and a pointed look. She took on an innocent expression, which made Ash roll his eyes.
"A champion challenged you!?" Lillie asked in surprise as some of the other Alolans shared her surprise.
"Not so loud." He told her, which made her wince. "Yeah, he challenged me. And he said something about the other champions looking to battle me or Anabel in the future."
"Well he's not exactly wrong." Hau admitted. "I'm kind of on that wavelength too."
Ash flashed a grin. "Whenever you want, Hau. I'm for it."
Hau smirked back. "You can bet on that!"
Callum cleared his throat, garnering their attention. "That might have something to do with just how much growing you shown since you joined the Battle Frontier. Honestly, I can say from what you told me about the past, you've gotten a lot better. So the Champions are probably just curious."
"Leon was like that too with some challengers in Galar. Myself included." Gloria admitted. "Then again, he was endorsing me at the time and I was childhood friends with his brother, so I can kind of see why."
"So yeah, I wouldn't dwell on it until it happens. No use worrying, eh?" Callum asked with a small smirk.
Ash chuckled. "You got a point." He said, smiling.
"Anyways, I believe you said something about lunch, correct?" Gloria asked, which prompted a nod from the others. "Do you perchance have room for two more?"
"Of course! You're always welcome." Anabel told them.
"Nice! Just give us a minute to leave our Pokémon with Nurse Joy." The duo ran up to the nurse, who was still behind her desk with her Chansey.
Meanwhile, Hop and Marnie looked at each other. "Seems like they know each other." He told her.
"That much is obvious." Marnie rolled her eyes before looking at Gloria. "Still though. She looks really happy right now. I don't think I can bring myself to tear that mood down by bothering her."
"Callum has that effect on her. She's usually happy whenever he's around." Hop explained. "But you're right. We can do this another day. Now let's go back. My brother's probably wondering where we are, init?" He wondered, walking away with Marnie hot on his heels.
. . . . . . . . . . . .
Man I really amped up the word count on this one. Decided I wanted to add more to the story, so I started by placing another battle scene and a bit more content. Plus I want to have more characters involved in the story. Still though, I can say that this is probably my longest chapter ever with how much I added. So there's that.
Also, stop trying to get me to update all the time. I'll admit that I'm not exactly on the ball anymore, but college is a very important thing. I've been very busy these past few months, even with Covid. I would appreciate if you all could respect that. Thanks.
With that said, hope you enjoyed. Don't know when I'll get my next update out, but I'll try to get to work on it. See ya.
-Bl0t0rch