Ash and Anabel were sitting on the couch in their room as they waited for the Plateau officials to release the next matchup announcements. Both of them were also curious about who all was in their group of battlers, as that part was never disclosed to anyone except the officials.
"So we had my two old Kalos friends. Who else do you think?" Ash asked.
"Supposedly they said that each pool had certain trainers that balanced around unknown trainers and prevalent trainers, like champions."
"So we may have to face an elite team?" Ash wondered aloud.
"There's always a chance."
*diiing*
Ash pulled out his phone. "Here are the matchups."
Anabel pet Espeon lightly. "What are they?"
"Bonnie and Sawyer got nobody important, Lillie and Hau... oh this will be fun. It's Brycen and Drayden. We got... oh we got the twins from last month. Remember them?"
"Yeah. Daniel and Jake. The ones that finish each others sentences." Anabel inferred, her attention not diverted.
"None of the Brains got anyone important. Oh wow. Can't believe I'm saying this, but I feel bad for Cilan. Him and Chili got Sydney and Phoebe from the Hoenn Elites. They need all the luck they can get." Ash chuckled.
"Well you can knock him off your hit list." Anabel smiled.
"I guess. And... that's it. Looks like none of us got many interesting matches. And ours is in two days at three o'clock. So what do we do tomorrow?"
Anabel thought for a second. "Maybe we could try the new extension of the Battle Buffet that opened here."
Ash grinned. "Oh that will be fun."
Anabel giggled at the reaction. "Yeah. But let's make sure to go in disguise. I'll also speak to Tucker and Lucy and see if they want to go. Anyways, what time is it?"
"About six. Why?"
"Then we have time before dinner." Anabel flashed her watch and released a little yellow lizard.
"Your shiny Charmander? Why?" Ash asked.
Anabel pulled out a candle. "Use a light Ember on this candle, Charmander."
The fire starter nodded and released an Ember on the candle. Anabel grabbed the now lit up candle and placed it on the coffee table across from Ash. Anabel then grabbed the office chair that they had in their room and sat across from him.
"It's the thing I told you about before our battle today. Trust me, you'll like it." She smiled.
Ash rose an eyebrow, but relented as he sat up. "Alright. What do I do?"
"Form an Aura Sphere real quick."
Ash formed the aura based attack with little trouble with his right hand. "Ok, now what?"
Anabel then pushed her hand forward and closed her eyes. Suddenly, the sphere took on a purple outline.
"Espeon, cut it in half with Iron Tail."
The Psychic cat's tail took on a metallic sheen as Espeon split the sphere. It didn't explode though, like it would in battle. Instead, two Aura Spheres floated there right in front of them, holding the same purple outline as before.
"Now you absorb the first one." Anabel told him.
Ash did so while Anabel absorbed the other one, much to Ash's surprise. When they did, the candle turned Violet. Espeon and Pikachu let out a light gasp at the sight of the candle change while Ash rose an eyebrow at it.
Anabel opened her eyes. "So it looks like it worked."
Ash frowned. "What was that?"
"It's an empathy link. Kinda like you and Azelf. I can feel if you are being attacked and locate you. Same goes for you towards me."
"But how?" Ash asked, clearly confused.
"I infused some psychic energy that I inherited from my mother's side into the Aura Sphere. So due to that, you and I are linked by the transfusion between the energies. A book I read explained how the powers behaved similar enough for them to mix with little or no risk. And it alerts one of us if the other is in danger."
"So it's in case they try something." Ash surmised.
"Yeah. I can't bare to lose you to them. So I'd rather play it safe. Besides, it helps us feel closer."
Ash thought for a second and chuckled. "I guess it does."
. . . . . . . . . . . .
"Ugh. Tomorrow is gonna be so boring!" A twelve year old complained loudly.
"Max, that is the eighth time! One more time and you sleep on the floor." Trip threatened.
Max gulped as he finally shut up. The group had been sitting and looking through the battle list as they prepped their next move out for the following days. Now that Ash had appeared to them again, their whole plan took a slight detour.
"Well we didn't really get anyone notable. Except for Cilan, who is basically a goner at this point. He and Chili got Hoenn Elites." Trip said as he looked through the list.
"Better him than us. So you and I have our match tomorrow along with Cilan. And they are both early. So what should we do for the rest of the day?" Paul questioned.
"Well they did release the Battle Buffet extension from Alola just last week. We could try that." Max suggested.
"For once, the kid has an idea. Could be good practice and we get lunch." Trip agreed.
"Alright then. I'll ask Dawn to tell the others and see what they think. Though knowing them, they probably want to go." Paul stated.
. . . . . . . . . . .
"The Battle Buffet, huh? Sounds like a marvelous idea." Tucker stated as they sat in the Frontier Booth above stadium 3 watching Cilan and Chili get clobbered by Sydney and Phoebe.
"So I guess you're in. Lucy?" Anabel turned to the Pike Queen.
"Hmm. Sure. I'll go." Lucy answered simply.
"Am I hearing Battle Buffet back there?" The four brains turned to see the Arena Tycoon staring back as she sat one row below them. "Mind if I tag along?"
"The more the merrier." Ash smiled.
Noland sighed. "Man. I wanted to go too, but Thorton and I have to battle someone at that time."
"I have a few things to take care of myself. Spenser, I could use your help." Brandon inferred.
"Of course."
"So then that makes five of us. What about the Sinnoh Brains? Besides Thorton that is." Anabel wondered.
"We plan to do it tomorrow since all of us have battles today. And Noland, you can come with us." Thorton called out from the bottom row of the box
"Alright." Noland answered.
"So if that's it, then we should head out here in a minute."
"Not yet. I want to see how bad Cilan loses this match." Ash exclaimed.
They all turned their heads to see Cilan's Simisage get blasted by a full power Fire Blast from Sydney's Houndoom and Chili's Simisear get knocked by a Shadow Ball from Phoebe's Mismagius.
"Simisage and Simisear are unable to battle. Gym Leaders Cilan and Chili have no more Pokémon, so therefore the match goes to the team of Hoenn Elites Sydney and Phoebe." The ref concluded.
"Alright. Now we can go." Ash piped.
. . . . . . . . . .
After Cilan came out of the tunnel and into the lobby, the whole group of betrayers were standing there waiting for him. Cilan noticed this and ushered his brother to continue on while handing him Crustle and Simisage's Poke Balls.
"Well Cilan, not really much we can blame you for. They were Hoenn Elites after all." Iris relented.
Cilan shrugged. "I can't be too upset. This just means that my brothers and I have so many more ingredients we can add to our recipe before the dish is complete."
"Again with the food talk? You're just making me hungry." Max whined.
"Well then go. I already said I can't go with you all cause I want to support Cress. He's the only one left in and he's teamed with Lenora." Cilan exclaimed.
"Lenora? I thought she retired." Iris stated.
"She will next month. She waited until the tournament so she could go out with a bang." Cilan inferred.
"Well tell us how it went when we get back. We'll probably bring you and your brothers something." Dawn stated.
"Sounds great. Now go enjoy your food." Cilan waved them to leave as he walked to the Pokémon Center.
. . . . . . . . . .
As the group of five Frontier Brains continued on to the Battle Buffet, they all made sure their disguises seemed legitimate. They weren't sure if it would be safe to go out in public as in their Frontier attire, so they grabbed a change of clothes before they left to the restaurant.
Ash was dawning a blue hoodie with a normal red cap that had no logo and a pair of light blue jeans and black sneakers. Anabel was wearing leggings with a purple hoodie and a beanie. She was wearing purple tennis shoes and had sunglasses on her face. Greta had a white T-shirt with blue jeans and had a red jacket on over her shirt. Lucy was wearing skinny jeans with a black pull over. And Tucker, clearly the most inconspicuous one, was wearing a flashy white suit with a top hat and walking cane.
Anabel made a mental note to tell him to wear casual clothes on these outings next time.
"You sure you want to wear your suit to a buffet, Tucker? What if you drop something on it?" Ash questioned.
"Oh it will be fine. This suit is easy to wash." Tucker assured.
"If you say so." Ash mumbled.
"So the rumor from Scott is that the Champions are out to get you." Lucy said to Ash.
"If you had to put it bluntly, then yeah. Brock came looking for my help, so I called in a favor from Lance and then he challenged me to a battle at some point." Ash inferred.
"And then he left Ash and I with this: 'Just so you know, I'm not the only Champion eager to fight you or the Salon Maiden.'" Anabel paraphrased.
"Strange. The Champions have never been interested in any of us before. Except for that one time Brandon had a show battle for the Silver Wing Tournament with Will a few years back." Tucker thought aloud.
"Yeah. What could they want with you two?" Greta asked.
"Well let's just say at some point, I've met about all the regional Champions in their perspective regions before I joined you all."
"And have you faced any of them?" Lucy asked.
Ash thought for a second before responding. "Well I fought Alder, but I would hardly call that a match, cause he wasn't paying attention and fell asleep mid battle," The others sweatdropped at that. "and I faced Diantha a few times and I almost beat her Gardevoir with my Greninja one of those times, but that was before we could control our bond perfectly."
"Wow. And if I remember, Gardevoir is her partner. To almost defeat it is rare for normal trainers, but then again, you aren't exactly a normal trainer." Noland said as everyone chuckled at that statement.
"Now that is an understatement. The best word would be 'Abnormal'." Anabel commented as everyone laughed.
They continued laughing like that until suddenly, the trees gusted around heavily, which caught Ash's and Lucy's attention. "Wait, isn't the weather today supposed to have virtually no wind?"
"That's what I saw too." Lucy added.
The trees gusted once again, but this time, more ferociously than the last. It was blowing so badly that it seemed as though the trees would blow over and almost collapse. This time, everyone was concerned. Not only was there not supposed to be wind, but it was common knowledge that Indigo Plateau was founded here for it's few weather mishaps. Everyone was on their guard all of the sudden.
"Something's causing it, and I seriously doubt it's a storm or Pokémon battle." Tucker inferred suspiciously.
Greta frowned. "We should check that out. If it's something dangerous, Scott would want us to stop it."
"Yeah. Everyone grab a Poke Ball and be ready." Ash encouraged as he pulled out one of his own.
The others followed suit as they began to move stealthily into the tree line and through the forest before them. They made sure not to make any noise for fear that whatever or whoever was there would attack with no reason, or attempt to run before they could all figure out the puzzle that was missing its pieces.
As they approached a clearing, they kept hearing the same noise and seeing the same large wind blowing into the trees as earlier. They finally decided that after a minute of waiting for something to appear, they stepped out cautiously and moved towards the center of the clearing to try and scan around for probable causes. Most people wouldn't even grow curious about such occurrences, but the Frontier Brains knew nothing uncommon would happen without a proper reasoning. And learning to trust their intuition comes with the job of being in the Frontier.
Ash looked around before noticing a streak of red just above the canopy flash through the corner of his eye. And just as he saw that, he saw a blue one with his proferal vision once again. Ash was growing tired of the speed and flashed on his Aura Sense in time to feel two strong Psychic Auras in the area that Ash would dare to say could be Legendary level. Then he sensed a bit of familiarity within the pair, which made Ash smile.
"Hey Anabel. I think I found our little troublemakers." Ash said, making everyone stare in shock.
Ash chuckled before staring up at the sky slightly. "Alright, I know it's you. You might want to come out before I make you. And don't forget what happened last time."
'Aww, that's not fun!'
The sound of a light feminine tone made the others widen their eyes in surprise. But that wasn't the only surprise to occur to them.
'Oh calm down. At least he didn't sick Azelf on us. And Arceus knows that could've been painful.'
A more masculine tone spoke out, making the others jump slightly, but also making Anabel widen her eyes with familiarity. 'Is it... but why here?'
Then she felt a light wind at her shoulder. 'Of course it's me Anabel. Who else would it be?'
All eyes fell on Anabel after the sound of the masculine tone spoke again. Tucker, Greta and Lucy frowned in complete confusion while Ash was just chuckling. Then two small ripples appeared several feet in the air in front of all of them. After the ripple effect that brought the figures into light, you could see a red Pokémon with a blue triangle on it's chest. It had the wings of a biplane, however slanted, and it was staring at the group with yellowish eyes. The other one was a carbon copy of the red Pokémon, except it was blue with a red triangle with a larger body and red eyes.
Ash laughed at the comment while Anabel walked up to the pair, her eyes currently mystified at the two Pokémon in front of them. "Latios. Why are you here right now? And with a Latias?"
"I think I can answer the Latias." Ash smiled and turned to the dragoness. "How are Lorenzo and Bianca doing these days?"
'They're doing great. Bianca has been selling her art more recently and Lorenzo is still the same as ever. They are expecting another visit from you soon.' Latias stated before ramming into Ash with a hug. 'It's so good to see you again.'
Ash patted her back lightly as he returned her embrace. "Likewise. And you can tell them I plan to take a few vacation days after I do a promotional thing in Alola. Now tell me, why did you come visit me this time?"
'Well, it's just a little something I wanted to do.' Latias stated cryptically with a light grin.
"*Ahem*. Could someone explain what is going on?" Ash turned around to see that the other three Frontier Brains were losing their heads at the moment trying to piece the puzzle.
Anabel quickly apologized. "Sorry guys. You see I know Latios from rescuing it on my vacation trip to Hoenn last year. It was injured just outside Slateport City and I helped fix him up. We've been friends ever since." She turned to Ash. "Now explain the Latias. Cause I've never met one before."
"Right. Well anyways, Latias is from Alto Mare in Johto. Back then, I went to compete in the Tour de Alto Mare race, where she kinda messed with us a little bit. Then one crazy adventure later, we became really great friends. She visited me in the middle of some journeys and even after I became Castle Guardian, but none of my old friends ever knew about her visits."
"And you two need to tell us how you know each other." Anabel looked at Latios questioningly.
'Long story short, she's my cousin. I met up with her in Alto Mare on my way to visit you. I took a rest there with her permission, where we learned that we apparently were going to the same place. So we left and the rest is history.' Latios summarized.
Ash turned to Latias. "Why visit now? Usually I get a message from Bianca if you're coming over."
'Well I wanted to make this one a surprise. For a special reason.' Latias said with a grin.
Ash folded his arms. "Special reason, huh? Well I'm all ears."
'Well...' Latias took in a breath. 'I want you to capture me.'
The Brains all gasped at the words they heard through their minds. Ash gave a confused glance for a second before snapping out of it. "I'm sorry. It sounded like you said I could capture you."
Latias nodded. 'That's exactly what I said.'
Then Ash nodded. "Oh ok."
Then about three seconds later...
"WAIT, WHAT?!" A flock of Pidgeys flew into the sky from the trees.
Latias giggled. 'I knew your reaction would be funny.'
"Latias, you're actually serious? But why?" Ash questioned. "You even told me you would never like to be caught back when you visited after I received my frontier title."
Latias gave a mareepish look. 'Well that was only half true. I did say that, but I excluded one part.'
"Excluded a part?" Ash frowned at this.
'Yeah. The full truth is I would never like to be caught by anyone... except the one trainer I trust with my life. And... that would be you.' Latias stated solemnly.
Ash stood dumbfounded for a second. The former ten year old in him was jumping in joy at what he just heard, but the Frontier Brain in him was flashing warning lights. Ash knew the risks of catching a legend, just like when he caught Azelf back then. He was always wary of letting anyone see him. If this was real, then Latias would be no different.
"But Latias-"
'Don't even say it. I know the risks. And I don't care if you use me in battle at all.' Latias cut him off.
"Stop reading my mind!" Ash scowled. "It's rude."
'I read your thoughts. There is a difference. I still know the risks and I know I'll be in danger, but I think it's worth it.'
"But Latias, I know I'm not the greatest with Dragon types. I know others would be better for you." Ash said.
'And I'm telling you that you are the best for me!' Latias argued. Everyone widened their eyes and froze from her tone. 'I know others can train me well, but I don't trust anyone else to be my trainer. Your heart is so pure that I know you wouldn't make me do something wrong. Almost nobody else in the world has a heart like you. I want you to catch me and that is final!'
Ash had no more words. He stood frozen for a brief moment with all eyes on him until he reached into his bag and pulled out a Poke Ball and looked at it. He stared into his own reflection on the shiny red surface of the capturing device. "Are you absolutely sure?"
'I am. I want to become stronger than I am now, and if anyone can do it, I know it would be you.' Latias assured.
Ash gave a smile. "Alright. Are Lorenzo and Bianca ok with it?"
'Yes. It took a week of begging, but they agreed eventually.'
"Then I have no more to say other than welcome to the team. We will do great things together Latias." Ash held the Poke Ball out.
The red dragoness happily tapped the Poke Ball with her face, being pulled into it and disappearing. There was a few rolls before a flash happened that signified the complete capture of the Psychic Dragon Pokémon. He smiled at the Poke Ball before releasing Latias from it and pocketing the Poke Ball.
"I know you probably got dizzy, but that's just how it goes at first when you are in a Poke Ball. It will pass with time." Ash explained.
'Ok. I believe you.' Latias said as she attempted to shake off some brief nausea from the Poke Ball.
"Anyone else feel like we're being left out?" Greta looked at her two colleagues right beside her, who both nodded as they looked at Ash and Anabel.
"Sorry. I think we're done. But that leaves Anabel and Latios to catch up." Ash stated as Latias transformed into a girl with brunette hair, a green shirt, and a white skirt while standing at his side.
Anabel got over her shock of witnessing what happened to Ash and turned to Latios. "So I assume you came for just a routine visit? It's about that time this year."
'Actually, I came for the same reason Latias did. I wish to join you.' He inferred.
Anabel froze up. "You... wish to..."
Then the others saw her fall backwards as she seemingly fainted onto the soft green grass. Ash facepalmed at this while chuckling lightly. He turned to Latias for a moment.
"I think the three of us broke her." Ash stated bluntly.
'You're lucky I know Water Pulse.' Latias said as she walked over to Anabel and changed into her true form briefly. She formed a sphere of water and let it fall lightly onto Anabel's face, which woke her instantly as she bolted upright. She then relaxed after she realized what happened while Latias reverted back and stood next to Ash again.
"Sorry. Guess that overwhelmed me." Anabel said mareepishly as she calmed down.
Anabel turned to Latios. "Alright. I have no problems with it, but just like what Ash was about to say. It's risky. Are you up for it?"
'Of course I am.' Latios stated with determination. Anabel tapped him with the Poke Ball, which caught him instantly. Like Ash, she let him out instantly.
'Ugh. How do Pokémon deal with those things?' He muttered as he shook off the dizziness.
"Well I guess our little sidetracked adventure is over. Now who's ready for the buffet?" Ash questioned with his fist in the air.
. . . . . . . . . . . .
The Battle Buffet of Alola. Now with an extension in Kanto, this place has been picking up in popularity, being able to couple the essentials of food, and let trainers come to battle to their hearts content. With the catch that trainers have to battle for their food, this place has become a one of a kind competitive place for people to come and attempt to snag high-class meals through battles.
The tables were all clustered to the northeastern side of the restaurant while the buffet was reserved for the other side, which had an incredibly large battlefield style ground to hold up certain attacks, where people were slightly clustered up already. The brown walls and yellow lights with a chandelier in the air left the atmosphere of a classy five-star restaurant.
And that is where everyone wants to eat at this tournament, if only once.
And here we find our Frontier group entering the buffet for their own attempt at obtaining a decent take of food. They all made sure that they brought the Pokémon that wanted to fight in this area. They know the battles will be fierce, so they made sure that the Pokémon were ready for the fierce challenge. But knowing Ash's luck, something always has to go wrong.
And that's just what he expects.
As they walk into the door, Ash was getting a funny feeling as he turned to Anabel. "I have a bad feeling right now. Something feels extremely off."
Anabel frowned. "Like what?"
"I don't know, but I've learned to trust my gut after so long. And right now it's telling me something is here. Or about to be."
Greta leaned in for a second. "Or maybe you're just hungry."
Everyone else laughed to Ash's expense while he sighed inwardly. 'Looks like I'm the only one afraid of them showing up.'
'If it makes you feel less anxious, they are actually here. Or, at least a few of them.'
Ash blinked before realizing that it was Latias in his head again. And for once, he was actually happy she read his mind. 'Is that so? Well then this is probably going to get ugly.'
'You sound more at ease all of the sudden. Why?' Latias asked.
'Cause if they do cause a scene, they get tossed out instead of us. And it humiliates them in the public eye, so it's a win win for us.'
'Hmm. You know, I would like to fight one of them. Namely, Misty.' Latias inferred.
'Not now. I'd rather make it more interesting in later rounds. Since there are only two tag rounds left, then I'll probably wait until we face one of them in singles. Besides, most of my Pokémon are itching to go, and I feel like I need to understand your style before I rush into battle.' Ash stated.
'Looks like that Frontier training paid off. While I hate to admit it, you're right. For once.' Latias teased.
Ash rolled his eyes. 'Whatever. Just try to keep your invisibility on in here. Cause Misty might recognize you if you change into Bianca again.'
'Alright.'
Ash turned his attention back to the others as they began to prepare for battle. Ash still felt slightly uneasy, but decided to keep that to himself since there was a chance that he won't even face any of them in battle regardless. Ash doesn't want to cause more trouble than necessary, since this is supposed to be a friendly outing.
"Ash, you ready?" Ash snapped out of his stupor as he turned to his tag partner, who was giving him a small smile. The others seemed ready to go at it as well.
Ash nodded as he pulled out a Poke Ball. "Yes I am. Let's do this."
The attendant at the front nodded at the Frontier group. "If anyone is eyeing your plate, you have to battle. Maximum amount of food plates per person is six."
"Too bad for Ash." Greta cracked as the others let out stifled laughs.
Ash smirked. "You sure I should be concerned? Remind me what happened to the buffet at the Frontier Christmas Party last month."
Greta flushed. "Hey! I didn't eat anything all day. I was hungry."
The other three laughed at the light exchange before turning back to the attendant again. "Your table of five is already placed back in the corner over there," She gestured a large round table at the easternmost side of the restaurant. "and the food is constantly being replaced as people take it. So do your best and good luck."
And in that instant, the Frontier Brains took off in a hurry.
. . . . . . . . . . .
"Hmm. Is that Tamato Berry soup? Don't mind if I do." The Dome Ace said as he grabbed the bowl and began to walk away. However, a kid in mainly red with some green hair got in front with a Pokémon.
"Sorry, but if you want that, you have to go through me."
Tucker smirked as he pulled out a Poke Ball. "So it seems. Salamence, let's battle."
. . . . . . . . . . .
"Yoish! A perfect Caezar Salad for the body and soul." Greta mused a bit as she snagged the salad and attempted to walk to the table.
"Hey! I saw that first!"
She turned to her left to see an office worker glaring at her. "You're going to have to battle me if you want this." The Arena Tycoon dared.
The office worker glared. "You asked for it."
Greta smirked before pulling out a Poke Ball. "Medicham, battle time!"
. . . . . . . . . . .
"What to find, what to find... oh here we are." Anabel said aloud as she eyed a dessert plate off to the side. She attempted to run for it, but an elderly woman grabbed it first.
Anabel sighed slightly which made the lady turn and smirk. "I apologize, but I can assure you that you won't win the battle. That is, unless you want to try."
Anabel growled as she pulled out a Poke Ball. "You're mocking me? You asked for it grandma. Gardevoir, come on out my friend!"
. . . . . . . . . . .
"Wow, that sushi looks good. I think I'll try it." Lucy decided as she grabbed the plate of Whirlpool Sushi.
"Oh no you don't." Lucy saw a fisherman try to place his hand on the plate before Lucy moved it off the table.
"Instead of trying to steal it, why not battle for it?" Lucy offered, much to the Fisherman's annoyance.
"Fine, but let's make this quick." He pulled out a Poke Ball.
"If you ask. Seviper, time to strike." Lucy tossed a Poke Ball.
. . . . . . . . . . .
"Alright! Chicken Alfredo with some spices added. Perfect!" Ash stated aloud as he grabbed the plate.
"Hey!" Ash turned to see a hiker in his thirties scowling at him. "I've been waiting for some of that for so long."
"You snooze, you lose pal. Unless you want to battle for it." Ash stated.
The man pulled out a Poke Ball. "You're on!"
Ash pulled out a Poke Ball as well. "Your funeral. Donphan, I choose you!"
. . . . . . . . . .
As the ceaseless battling was occurring, a fair distance away from the buffet area, an infamous group was tending to their own lunch as well. It was visibly apparent that each of them were eating different plates of gourmet food, enjoying it fully to the very last bite. One dark purple haired girl finally set it down as she sighed in content.
"I've never had such good spaghetti before." She inferred happily.
A kid put down his plate as well. "The lasagna here is great too."
The blunette contest performer stood up. "I'm going to go grab a dessert plate. I saw some good Vanillite Parfaits over there."
"I'll come too. I want another slice of the Miltank Cheese Pizza." Max stated as he got out of his seat.
The two rushed up to the buffet tables to search for their respective dishes. Dawn managed to find hers quickly and snag it with nobody opposing her. Max however, was not so lucky. There was a plate of pizza, but it was already being fought over. And, much to his annoyance, he suddenly recognized who had won the battle.
"Looks like all that time with your family paid off in terms of strength. Thanks for the battle Lapras. Return." The Castle Guardian recalled his Lapras as the opponent recalled his Dusclops.
"You've got some skills. Looks like I'll have to wait for the next batch after all. Later." The youngster ran off.
Ash claimed his prize and began to walk off, but not before Max found the audacity to call him out. "Hey half pint!"
Ash turned his head to see the son of the Petalburg Gym Leader and rolled his eyes. 'So much for not running into them. And half pint?'
"That pizza there should go to real battlers. So how about you just hand it over." Max demanded.
"Unless you missed it, I just finished a battle and won it. Fair is fair, so go get your own." Ash brushed him off.
Max fumed. "So you're just that scared to lose?"
Ash scoffed. "Considering I kicked your butt in three moves the day before prelims, I don't have anything to worry about. Now leave me alone."
Max frowned in confusion before he remembered his loss out near the woods a few days ago. His eyes widened before glaring in anger. "That was you who was trying to lecture me!"
"You're damn right it was. Now leave me alone so I can eat my pizza." Ash walked away.
Max ran back to Dawn, who had gotten away unscathed and grabbed her arm. She turned around to face him. "What?"
"Ash just walked away with the only slice left! And he refused to give it to me."
Dawn rolled her eyes. "Really Max? Even I saw that the place you went to had a battle going on. He had a Lapras, right?"
Max nodded which made Dawn glare down on him. "Then he earned it. Let it go."
"But he doesn't deserve it!" Max tried to justify.
"If he won, then yes he does. Now just go find another one, cause I'm not getting involved in your personal problems regardless of how little I care for Ash." Dawn walked back to the table, leaving an angry kid all by himself.
. . . . . . . . . .
Ash sighed heavily as he sat back in his seat across from the other Frontier Brains. 'Well this is just great.'
'So what will you do?' Ash heard Latias in his head once more.
'I'll try to stick solo when I go out for more plates. I'm not ruining their outing by bringing them up.' Ash took a bite out of his pizza. 'I can handle this alone for once.'
'Wouldn't it be better for Anabel to know at least? She has you in an empathy link, right?'
'I know, but if I understand the concept, which I probably don't anyways, then it most likely alerts if my immediate person is in danger. Not if I'm in a battle with someone. So unless the others are just that stupid, then I can keep it secret without them worrying.'
Latias sighed. 'You worry for the others far too much. But if that is your intention, then the most I can do is put up a psychic layer around you to block out the link just to be safe. But if it drops mid fight, then she will likely be notified if something is wrong.'
'I would appreciate that. Thanks Latias. You're a huge help.'
Latias giggled in his head. 'Why do you think I wanted to join you?'
Ash chuckled in his head before finishing off his pizza and preparing to go for a Chansy Omelette for his fourth plate. But he was stopped for a second, as someone grabbed his arm. He traced it back to a Lilac haired girl with a concerned face.
"You ok? You look worried about something." She asked.
Ash gave a smile. "Nah, I'm fine. I'm just worried they ran out of Chansy Omlettes."
"I saw some on my way back. If you're quick, you might grab one." Tucker informed him.
"Thanks Tucker. I'll be back." Ash walked away from the table.
Anabel stared at Ash until she was sure he was out of earshot. "He's not telling us something."
Lucy looked up from her Hoenn Pasta. "What are you implying?"
"I can read Ash like a book. Something is bothering him." Anabel said as she took another bite out of her salad.
"Knowing him, it's whether he can get enough food to fill him up or not." Greta joked as the others started laughing, making Anabel forget her previous worries.
. . . . . . . . . .
"So he's going for an omelette. Payback time." Max smirked as he watched Ash walk up to a table uncontested.
As Ash picked it up, he heard a familiar loud and obnoxious voice call out behind him. "Hey! I was going to grab that!"
Ash groaned again. "Max, could you just screw off? I'm not going to deal with you hunting me down for revenge over your stupid pizza."
"Well let's just say I didn't come alone this time."
Ash frowned as he turned and saw May standing there alongside of Max with a hand on her hip. "I don't really care that you beat him or anything, but I kinda wanted the chance to pummel you so you would learn your place."
Ash rolled his eyes. "Learn my place? Right now, my place should be at my table digging into this omelette."
"And mine should be back at my table eating my slice of chocolate cake. But life isn't that fair. So I guess we will just take the omelette as payment."
"Stop trying to use complicated sentences. It really doesn't fit you." Ash commented, making May glare.
"Alright Ketchum. You asked for it. Glaceon, come on out!" May tossed out the Fresh Snow Pokémon, who came out with a light cry of its name.
"Gallade, let's go." Max called out his Fighting and Psychic type.
"Two on one?" Ash scowled as he grabbed a Poke Ball. "That's cheap, but whatever. Jolteon, I choose you!"
Ash tossed out the Electric type Eevee evolution, who came out with a glare as he stared down his opponents. He tensed up, ready for any action that may take place before him.
"That thing is your choice? Let us show you who the better Eevee evolution is. Use Ice Beam."
"Gallade, use Psycho Cut."
"Jolteon, dodge it quickly then fire off a Pin Missle at Gallade followed by a Thunderbolt at Glaceon!"
Jolteon avoided the impact from the attacks while firing off his attacks one at a time. Glaceon managed to avoid the Electric attack, but the same couldn't be said for Gallade, who caught the full impact of the Pin Missile.
"Gallade, run up and use Drain Punch."
"Clash with Iron Tail!" Ash called quickly.
Gallade formed a green fist as he ran full pace to Jolteon. The Electric Pokemon ran up to meet it, a metallic sheen occurring on his tail. The attacks clashed hard, neither one of them wanting to give ground.
"Shadow Ball."
Suddenly, Jolteon was blindsided by Glaceon's Shadow Ball, making him lose the clash as Gallade struck with another Drain Punch, sending Jolteon to Ash's feet.
"You ok bud?" Ash knelt down by his Jolteon.
The Jolteon pulled himself, shaking off the last attack, eyeing the two Pokemon once more. Ceaseless growling could be heard from the Electric type. Ash glared at his opponents with disgust.
"A two on one proves nothing. So why do it?"
May smirked. "It really shows. You're useless without Anabel to back you up. Looks like Serena and Clemont's loss was all Anabel after all."
"If you both actually respected one-on-one battles, then I'd beat you both individually. Can't you at least do that?"
They scowled. "We don't respect weaklings. Glaceon, Ice Beam."
"Gallade, Leaf Blade."
Ash grit his teeth as he eyed Jolteon, who gave a nod. "Guess it's time to switch tactics. Jolteon, Protect!"
A blue barrier formed in front of Jolteon, who blocked both attacks easily.
"Thunderbolt on Gallade."
The moment the Protect barrier disappeared, a bolt of electricity connected with Gallade, making him flinch in pain.
"Shadow Ball."
"Return it with Iron Tail."
Glaceon sent another Shadow Ball, but it was quickly denied as Jolteon sent it back with Iron Tail. It hit Glaceon square in the side.
"Shadow Sneak."
Ash could only watch as Jolteon was struck into the air by Gallade through the shadows. And to make matters worse, Glaceon recovered.
"Use Blizzard."
Jolteon cried in pain as he was struck with the freezing attack, making Ash grit his teeth.
"Rush him with Feint!"
Ash heard the attack. "Dodge with Quick Attack."
As Jolteon hit the ground, he disappeared into a white flash, just avoiding the Feint.
"Discharge!"
Jolteon disappeared in between the Pokemon, releasing a wave of electricity that connected to both Pokemon easily. But Jolteon was panting heavily, which made Ash concerned.
'We can't take another attack. I need to end this quick.' He thought. "Shadow Ball on Gallade."
"Glaceon, use your Shadow ball."
Glaceon and Jolteon both fired their ghost attacks, making a small explosion. It was silent for a second... until Ash heard another command.
"Quick Attack Glaceon."
"Protect." Ash barked.
"Use Feint!" Max yelled.
Jolteon put up the barrier, but it was shattered by the Feint as Glaceon connected with Quick Attack, sending Jolteon back to Ash again.
Jolteon tried to stand, but Ash called out. "It's ok Jolteon. I regret not training your endurance more. You don't have to keep this up. I'm proud of you." Jolteon slacked over after hearing the words, smiling that his trainer praised him even though he still lost. Ash pulled out a Poke Ball, prepared to return him.
"Shadow Sneak."
Gallade came from the shadows and hit Jolteon making him cry out in pure pain, sending him in the middle of the two Pokemon and blocking Ash off. Now Jolteon wasn't moving at all and Ash knew his breathing was shallow.
"Hey! I said we're done!"
They didn't listen to his protests. "We never said you were done. Ice Beam full power."
"Psycho Cut max power."
Ash widened his eyes. "Are you two trying to kill him?!"
Max and May smirked. "You don't deserve that Jolteon. So we are doing it a favor and putting it out of its misery. Say goodbye."
Ash immediately saw red. "THAT'S IT! I'm done playing nice! Garchomp, I choose you!"
Ash released the Land Shark, who came out with a terrifying roar, making Max and May gulp. Half of the restaurant was driven into silence as the Dragon type finished his roar, drawing almost everyone's attention. Garchomp looked at Jolteon, then saw the opposing Pokemon starting to fire their attacks. Garchomp rushed ahead and formed a Protect, stopping the attacks with ease.
Ash glared. "You're done. Garchomp, Dragon Rush!"
The pseudo legend jumped into the air and surrounded himself in a glow of blue draconic energy as he flew towards Gallade quickly.
The siblings panicked. "Glaceon, use Ice Beam."
"Evasive maneuvers. Don't stop attacking." Ash ordered coldly.
Garchomp dodged around the Ice Beam easily and struck Gallade full force, who hit the ground hard, stirring up dust around the battlefield-like area. Ash wasn't skipping a beat though.
"Stone Edge on Glaceon!"
Through the smoke, Garchomp launched the stone shards at Glaceon at a pace faster than May could comprehend. Glaceon was hit and sent flying up in the air.
"Time to end this. Outrage!"
Garchomp's eyes turned red as he let out a roar before disappearing in a blur, appearing behind Gallade, who was slowly attempting to get up due to previous injuries, striking constantly before sending him to the floor. In another blur, Garchimp was striking Glaceon, making it cry out from the ferocious blows to its small body before Garchomp finished with a hard strike down, sending Glaceon into Gallade. They could hear cries of pain, but both trainer and Pokemon were too angry to care.
Garchomp flew back in front of Ash, glaring at the downed Pokemon in case they were stupid enough to get back up. Ash, finally given the opportunity, returned Jolteon, making sure to rush to the Pokemon Center after he speaks with the other Brains.
"Ash!"
Speak of the devil, the Salon Maiden spoke out as the four other Brains ran up to him. Ash sighed in disappointment.
'I didn't want them to know.'
Anabel ran up first. "What happened? Why did you pull out Garchomp?"
Ash turned his back to her and climbed atop Garchomp's back. "Sorry, but I need to get to the Pokemon Center. You guys just keep eating. Garchomp, let's go."
"Ash, hold on!" Anabel protested, though it did no good.
Ash flew fast out the door, leaving the Brains to themselves, wondering what happened until they saw Max and May holding their Pokemon. Anabel, her face plastered in anger, stormed over like she was about to slap them.
"What did you do?" She demanded.
May glared. "What do you mean 'What did we do?'"
Greta ran up next to her. "Don't play dumb. Ash never uses Garchomp unless the battle is tough, or, if the circumstances are right, someone royally pisses him off."
Lucy folded her arms as she walked up, followed by Tucker. "So now let's try this again."
The Dome Ace formed a harsh glare. "What. Did. You. Do!?"
"Ash just got salty that Jolteon couldn't beat us and pulled out Garchomp and brutalized our Pokemon." Max stated, boasting slightly.
"You know that isn't true. It takes a lot to send Ash over the edge. Unless it comes to..." Anabel stopped halfway through until her eyes widened in fear.
She looked around and saw the small crowd observing the argument. "Did anyone see the full battle?"
An elderly man rose his hand. "I did."
"What provoked the Garchomp?" Anabel questioned.
"After Jolteon hit the floor, the guy deemed Jolteon unable to continue, though Jolteon tried to stand back up. Then the kid had Gallade use Shadow Sneak to hit Jolteon before the guy could recall him. Then they had their Pokemon attempt to use max power moves to... end him. The guy lost it and out came the Garchomp." The old man explained.
Anabel growled as she turned back around. "So it was a two on one and you tried to end his Jolteon? Did you know he just caught it as an Eevee two months ago and it was abandoned by another trainer! How heartless are you!?"
"Death would've been better than being with that weakling." May muttered.
"You're calling him weak? Even after his Garchomp obliterated you!?" Lucy yelled.
"We were just tired from fighting the Jolteon. That Garchomp would've been toast otherwise." Max boasted.
Greta tried to lunge, but Tucker held her back. "I'd like to see you say that after I clean your clock, shorty!"
"Am I hearing this all correctly?"
A man in a suit walked up to the group, anger on his face. "They teamed in a two vs one, and they tried to end a Pokemon?"
"Just what is it to you, huh?" Max mocked.
May glared at her brother. "Max, shut up!"
The old man folded his arms. "I own the Battle Buffet chain. I was simply overseeing the results of our new edition until this happened. This type of behavior is highly frowned upon and goes against our etiquette in the Battle Buffet. You two are banned from here! Jackson!"
A tall man with evident muscle and an intimidating sailor look walked up. "Yes sir?"
"Get them out of here." He demanded.
"On it." He picked them up and dragged them screaming and kicking all the way to the exit.
The owner turned to the Frontier group. "And where is this trainer?"
"Pokemon Center. He should be there by now." Anabel informed.
"Good." He pulled out two cards and handed it to Anabel. "The first is my number. Give him the second and tell him his next meal is free. And I would like to meet him if he can make time."
"Well he is a Frontier Brain, so he may be busy." Tucker inferred.
"Well that explains the strength of that Garchomp I heard about. Well tell him for me anyways. I would like to voice my appreciation."
They nodded as the Battle Buffet owner walked away, grumbling about informal imbeciles.
. . . . . . . . . . .
Well that just got serious. Who would've guessed they would be that heartless...(thinks about question).. actually, nevermind.
Also new Personal Best. Almost 8K words. This set me back a bit in terms of writing ahead, but I couldn't divide the two without it being awkward. So here you go. If you ask, I could make the later chapters all this long, but it would take a bit longer. Let me know what you think about that and tell me if you enjoyed. I'm open to creative criticizm.
-Bl0t0rch