Author's Note:
The final chapter before the IPL Playoffs arrive in Lumiose City! However, that doesn't mean there's no action in this chapter. It's a bit of weird one for a couple moments, though, so hopefully it isn't too weird. Hope you enjoy!
Chapter 63: A Lesson in Z-Moves
Meowth winced as he tried to follow the activity up ahead, seeing the hunters moving around a couple of trucks as they tried to get things ready for another load of cages to be put in. His head was still bothering him from the fall from the base. Fortunately, he was able to move a little better after the few days of rest, but he still felt off. He just hoped he would have it in him to help with freeing whatever Pokemon they could.
"See anything up ahead, pal?" he asked Skiddo, as the Mount Pokemon shuffled through the bushes back to where he and Wobbuffet had been waiting.
Skiddo shook his head, not daring to open his mouth. He was still taking on the duty of doing the scouting for their trio, but he was clearly quite nervous being back among the hunters. Meowth couldn't blame him, not feeling so great about it either. Even if he wasn't still feeling off from their escape, he knew it was a risky idea to go near these people.
Fortunately, Skiddo's scouting did give them enough information for the current operation, however. It seemed only a couple truckloads of Pokemon were being transferred, potentially for some kind of sale based on what Meowth had heard a few hunters saying earlier. He was assuming that meant that the hunters were trying to get rid of some of their weaker Pokemon before they set out to try and steal the ones competing in the IPL.
"We'll have ta be ready when they bring the cages out," Meowth said after a few more moments of watching, seeing the hunters that were by the truck now just waiting around. "They don't seem ta be expecting any trouble, so we're gonna move fast."
"Wobba," Wobbuffet agreed, while Skiddo nodded nervously.
"Just in case, you're gonna need ta slash der tires, all right, pal?" Meowth said to Skiddo. "At least dey won't get away from us easily dat way." He paused, realizing that it might not be the hunters trying to get away. "And if we have ta run, we will, but dey won't catch us easy either."
They waited another moment, watching the hunters, and Meowth was about to add another couple of instructions about taking out the doors to the back of the trucks. However, in that moment, there was a commotion from further down the road as someone seemed to be calling out to the hunters by the trucks. Meowth tried to look, but was unable to see, only able to tell that there were probably about three more hunters on their way.
The new hunters came into view a moment later, though, and Meowth tensed up immediately when he saw them. It wasn't the hunters that gave him a chill as he stared ahead, mouth hanging open in surprise, it was what they had with them. He couldn't help but turn to look at Skiddo, who looked even more horrified than he felt.
"Don't worry, pal," Meowth then said, unsheathing and sheathing his claws as he stared back out at the hunters in agitation. "We're gonna free 'em, don't you worry."
"Wobba wobbuffet..." Wobbuffet agreed, sounding equally furious.
As they watched the scene in front of them, the hunters and what was with them became even clearer, the sun shining down on the road as they headed up towards the trucks. They had a group of about a dozen Rhyhorn struggling to pull a massive collection of carts. On the carts were a collection of cages, all stacked close together, each far too small to hold the Pokemon inside of them. Each cage appeared to hold the same Pokemon. Skiddo.
"Doo-oo-oo," Skiddo bleated very softly from Meowth's side, pawing nervously at the ground as he watched the Rhyhorn pulling the carts.
Meowth was a little worried about having to fight the Rhyhorn when he'd first noticed them, but he quickly realized they didn't seem to be doing any of this willingly. One of the new hunters arriving seemed to have the job of going around and poking them in the side with some kind of electric prod. If they didn't respond to that, another had a remote with him that seemed to be able to shock all of them at once with collars they were all wearing. We're gonna free them as well, Meowth vowed.
"Transferring a bunch of useless Skiddo, huh?" one of the hunters by the trucks said, laughing as the others arrived. "Can't be getting much out of this one. The boss must really want to clear things out for the school batch, huh?"
"Seems like it," the one with the prod said, jabbing one of the Rhyhorn for no reason and causing it to cry out in pain. He laughed as it backed away a step. "We're gonna be swimming in cash either way! We got so many Pokemon, we're golden! And we're only gonna get more, and they're gonna be even more valuable!"
"If those Mega Stones work, we don't even need to steal Pokemon anymore. We can do whatever we want with them," another added, laughing as he went over to the cages with the Skiddo, kicking one to cause a chorus of nervous bleating.
"The boss is hoping something even better than that comes along, the guy with the remote for the shock collars said. "Heard a rumour he wants to steal that weird Greninja. You know the one from the Kalos League that Mega Evolved without the stones?"
"What's he gonna do with that?" the one by the cages asked. "Guess it could go for a good price, but he's not gonna be able to copy it."
"That's what they said about Mega Stones, but those work well enough!"
"Not really. You saw that Tyranitar the other day. That was messed up."
"Eh, that guy was dumb. He took one of those old ones they were dumping by Shalour City."
"I don't think the new ones work much better."
"As long as they attack the university kids, who cares."
They all started laughing, and with that came another poke with the prod for a Rhyhorn, and a kick of a cage for the Skiddo. It had Meowth ready to attack right away, and he knew Skiddo and Wobbuffet wanted to charge in there as well. He was worried about the collars on the Rhyhorn, though. If they went in there, those Rhyhorn would be in trouble, and it wouldn't exactly be easy to get those Skiddo out if the hunters could compel the Rhyhorn to attack.
"What can we do..." Meowth muttered, glaring at the hunters. He'd been hoping they could get the jump on them and quickly free whatever Pokemon they had, but with five hunters to contend with, and Rhyhorn with collars, it was looking a lot more complicated. He thought they might be able to set a trap for the trucks further ahead, but then they wouldn't get the Rhyhorn out as well.
As he listened to the hunters laughing about the "pathetic" Skiddo shipment, he was supposing that saving them at least would be better than nothing. As much as he wanted to save them all, he knew that it was too risky charging in from here. He was about to suggest the idea to move ahead of the trucks and lay a trap, when suddenly, he heard the hunters crying out in surprise.
"What the...is it raining?!"
"Hey, it's only above the trucks!"
"What's going on?"
Meowth squinted at the scene in confusion, seeing the hunters looking around wildly, appearing completely confused. It didn't make much sense to him either as he noticed the large cloud above them. It truly did appear as though it was raining only above them and the trucks. Of course, if that was the case, there was only one thing that Meowth could think of being the cause.
"Do either of you know Rain Dance?" Meowth asked his companions, doubting it was the case. He'd never seen either use it, or try to learn it. Both Skiddo and Wobbuffet shook their heads, and he looked to the caged Skiddo and the Rhyhorn, wondering if it was them. They looked just as confused about it as him, though. "This doesn't make any sense."
"This is ridiculous! Some stupid Pokemon must be attacking us!"
"Who's out there?!" the guy with the electric prod then yelled, looking to either side of the road and holding his prod up like a sword. "What do you think you're doing?"
And then, Meowth heard something he could barely believe. He couldn't help but grin as he looked ahead of the trucks, seeing two people standing confidently, heads bowed as the hunters rushed around to see them.
"Prepare for trouble, we're here for a fight."
"And make it double, our motto's less than our bite."
"To protect the world from devastation!"
"To unite all peoples within our nation!"
"To denounce the evils of truth and love."
"To extend our reach to the stars above."
"Jessie!"
"James!"
"Team Rocket blasts off at the speed of light!"
"Surrender now or prepare to fight!"
There was no way Meowth was going to miss his chance, and he knew Wobbuffet wasn't going to either. Even Skiddo seemed to realize what was going on, the Mount Pokemon rushing out behind his companions as they burst out from the forest and onto the road, stunning the hunters as they noticed a second group.
"MEOWTH THAT'S RIGHT!"
"WOBBUFFET!"
"DOO-OO-OO!"
"Meowth?!"
"Wobbuffet?!"
The joy on his old friends' faces was enough for Meowth in that moment, and he knew it would have to be. The hunters were now on alert, two of them looking ahead to Jessie and James while three kept their eyes on Meowth, Wobbuffet and Skiddo. He could see that they each had a pokeball in their hands, and he didn't want to waste a single second to see what might emerge from them. Skiddo and Wobbuffet weren't interested in that either.
"Charge!" Meowth yelled, hoping that Jessie and James at least had something they could attack with, despite not having their Pokemon. He didn't focus on that at the moment, though, leaping forward, eyes on the hunter with the electric prod in his hands.
"Ah!"
It seemed enough of a surprise attack that the hunters Meowth, Skiddo and Wobbuffet targeted were unable to get their pokeballs out, but the one with the prod managed to strike Meowth in the chest as he jumped. Unfortunately for him, Meowth had taken more electric attacks from Pikachu than he could possibly remember, and it felt like nothing in comparison. He fought right through it, shoving the prod away and unsheathing his claws, which extended with a purple glow.
"Take dis! Night Slash!"
When Meowth dropped to the ground behind the hunter, he heard a small gasp behind him, followed by three thuds as each hunter collapsed. As he stood, he felt a little dizzy from his head, but he managed to recover quickly, grinning as he noticed that Wobbuffet and Skiddo had successfully taken out a hunter each as well. Skiddo had used Vine Whip and a kick with his hooves, while Wobbuffet seemed to have just tackled his man and sat on his head. Meowth was about to congratulate the two, when he suddenly heard a blast behind him, and heard a tremendous screeching sound.
"GooooDRA!"
"Wooper!"
"Swannaaa!"
Meowth's eyes widened yet again as he saw what he was sure was the twerp's Goodra standing just behind a smirking Jessie and James. It appeared he had just used a Dragon Pulse which had crashed into the trucks. Meowth could see one had flipped over from the blast, while the other looked to have a smoking hole in the front of it. Meanwhile, Wooper and the Swanna had taken care of the other two hunters and the Machoke and Kadabra they'd released, battering them with Water Gun attacks.
For a moment afterwards, there was just silence. Then, Meowth looked up, eyes locking with both Jessie and James, and he ran forward, Wobbuffet just behind him. He was flattened in a sandwich by Jessie and James and the Patient Pokemon, but he didn't care at all. When he'd first found himself in that cage, he'd thought he might never see them again. Now, Team Rocket, their Team Rocket, was back together.
Once their hug was done, Meowth was surprised to find himself plucked off the ground and in the arms of the twerp's Goodra, who also hugged him. "Goodra!" the dragon type said happily, setting Meowth back down, before smiling at him.
"Uh...yeah, good ta see you, too," Meowth said awkwardly, looking to Jessie and James for an explanation.
"It's a long story," James said, grinning.
"Guess we've both got one," Meowth muttered, grinning back. He then looked over to where Skiddo was standing, pulling off keys from one of the hunters and looking to the collared Rhyhorn and caged Skiddo. "We'll tell 'em when we've freed these guys."
"Agreed!" Jessie said, narrowing her eyes. "Prepare for trouble!"
"Make it double!" James added.
"Meowwwth, that's right!"
Ash was generally fidgety in most of his classes, part of him always wanting to get back to training. Agatha's classes often had him leaning forward in interest, though, as she seemed to have the ability to make it as though she was explaining something to him right on the battlefield. In her lessons on Pokemon types and type matchups, she always used Gengar or some other Pokemon to demonstrate certain things, and went over footage from Pokemo Leagues with intense battles for her examples. When watching those, Ash was as focused as he would be if he was battling.
Today was no different, with Agatha discussing dark types and their weakness to fighting, bug and fairy types. He was somewhat thinking part of the lesson was for his benefit, as Agatha used Greninja as an example many times, and pointed out certain moves like Fury Cutter and Vacuum Wave as attacks that could deal a lot of damage. The idea of fighting difficult matchups often excited him, though, and he knew Greninja wouldn't back down. He was glad for the lesson regardless, though, knowing that he could still make use of some of the things Agatha discussed.
"So, remember that a match can sometimes be decided before a Pokemon is even on the battlefield if the type matchup is severely out of one trainer and their Pokemon's favour," Agatha said, finishing up her lesson. "However, with hard training and some tricks up your sleeve, you and your Pokemon can still make up the difference. Don't ever forget that. Whether it's a Charizard against a Scizor, or a Greninja against a Scizor, being prepared is the recipe for success."
With that, the class was dismissed and students quickly began collecting their things and making their way out. Ash, Clemont and Trevor were in the process of gathering their things as well, planning to rush off to the training facilities, but before they set off, Agatha called out to them. They each stopped, turning to her as the rest of the students filed out of the room.
"I hope you three aren't heading off for the IPL training session without me," Agatha said, looking amused as Ash and his friends gave each other an embarrassed look. "As I thought. Well, it's a good thing I stopped you. Today's session is on the main battlefield. Professor Sycamore thought we'd need a little more room today."
Ash looked curiously to Pikachu at that, but instantly felt excited. "Are we trying some new moves or something?"
Agatha smirked at that, collecting her cane and making her way past the three trainers and to the door, gesturing for them to follow. "I suppose you could say that. I believe we'll be having some visitors with us as well. They may have something to do with it."
"Visitors?" Ash asked, looking to Clemont and Trevor in confusion. They didn't seem to have any idea what Agatha meant either, and simply shrugged as they all followed Agatha out of the room.
Despite Agatha walking with a cane, it was difficult to keep up with her. Ash wasn't sure if that was because he and Trevor were walking at Clemont's slow pace, or if it was because Agatha was excited for the training session. He supposed it was some combination of the two, seeing that the Elite Four member seemed to be tapping her cane excitedly when they came to a stop at a traffic light.
"What's going on with this lesson?" Ash asked her as they waited. "Why is it so special?"
"Well, aside from the visitors, I would think it would be obvious why this session is special, you silly boy," Agatha muttered, keeping her eyes straight ahead, apparently daring the traffic light to keep them still. It changed a second later and they continued walking.
"Ash, we did just qualify for the playoffs," Trevor pointed out with a laugh. "Are we getting new rules or something?" he then asked, looking to Agatha curiously.
"I haven't discussed exactly what we'll be going over with Professor Sycamore," Agatha admitted, shrugging as they turned a corner. "I expect we'll be going over some new rules, however. This will be nothing like the matchups you kids have had thus far. I hope you realize that."
That seemed to get Ash and his friends even more focused, and he found he was walking faster as Clemont picked up his pace. "How much different can it get, though?" Clemont then asked after a moment, looking uneasy about asking it as Agatha turned her gaze back to him briefly.
"Well one very simple reason will be that the teams you will be battling now have each performed as well as you or better over the season thus far," Agatha pointed out. "Yes, you've had your struggles, but you also matched up against teams that finished with few wins in the end. Every team you battle against now will have a winning record."
Ash hadn't considered that, but remembered now that since the top two teams in each group made it to the playoffs, they would be battling against the best of the best now. It made him even more psyched. "I can't wait!" he said excitedly, getting a chuckle out of Agatha.
"That's the spirit," Agatha murmured as she picked up her pace.
They continued on the rest of the way in excited silence, and before too long, the battlefield was in sight. For a moment, as they turned the corner and noticed a group standing at the sidelines of the battlefield, Ash just assumed the Performance Team was already there, or just some other students or teachers. However, he quickly realized that standing with Professor Sycamore and Flint, were people with no affiliation to Lumiose University.
"It's Hala and Professor Kukui!" he called out excitedly upon seeing them, running forward ahead of the others.
As he reached them, Hala chuckled, while Kukui grinned widely, both clearly happy to be there and excited about something themselves. "Hello Ash!" Hala greeted as Ash shook their hands. "Been awhile since Alola, hasn't it?"
"Yeah, it sure has!" Ash answered, thinking of all that had happened since then. "We've done a lot of training since then," he told his Alolan training partner. "And learning," he added, as Agatha and the others arrived, Pikachu giving him a warning tap on the shoulder with his tail.
"Professor Kukui," Agatha greeted him with a nod. "Been awhile since I've seen you."
"Not since I battled you and your Gengar! Fierce as a Blast Burn you were back then!" Kukui chuckled as he seemed to envision the battle before him. Ash suddenly had the urge to see them battle, but knew it wasn't the time right this moment. "And you two must be Clemont and Trevor!" he said, looking to the other Battle Team members. "Ash has spoken highly of you both."
"He has?" Clemont asked, laughing nervously. "Well...I guess I'm not a bad gym leader, but I'd like to be better."
"The first sign of a great gym leader is the one who wants to get better even when they're already strong!" Kukui pointed out, grinning to him. "And you, Trevor! I hear you've got a fierce Charizard that can Mega Evolve. I bet Kiawe back in Alola would love to match his fire Z-Moves against you."
Trevor looked nervous at that, but managed a small smile. "I'm sure my Charizard would love the challenge."
"Kiawe's pretty strong," Ash said, remembering the Z-Move Kiawe had demonstrated. "I bet it would be an awesome battle!" As he thought of his Alola trip, he glanced at Kukui, realizing there was someone who would likely want to see him. "Oh right! Rockruff, come out and say hello!"
"RRRUFF!" the Puppy Pokemon emerged with a loud bark, instantly locking on to Kukui and running up to him.
"Haha, hey Rockruff! Great to see you again!" Kukui laughed out, petting Rockruff as his tail wagged ferociously. "You're looking really strong and healthy!"
"He's been training really hard," Ash told Kukui confidently. "He's even keeping up with Pikachu sometimes!"
"Pika!" Pikachu confirmed, smiling as Rockruff barked happily.
Hala was watching Rockruff with interest. "Good to see that you've been training hard, Ash. How has it been going with Greninja? Professor Sycamore mentioned that his special Water Shuriken attack didn't work again in your last battle."
"It was a marvelous recovery, however," Sycamore pointed out, smiling sympathetically at Ash. "And you definitely appeared much more connected with Greninja than in your first match with Anton."
"I don't know what it is," Ash said, looking away in disappointment. "It feels so close every time we try it, but then it just...doesn't work."
"Well...I'm not sure how much it will help with training, but Professor Kukui and I have discovered a few potential secrets in Greninja's past that may interest you," Hala then said, looking to Professor Sycamore, who was watching in interest. Everyone was. "Lusamine of the Aether Foundation discovered some work her husband did in the past regarding the topic."
"The Bond Phenomenon was researched in the Alola region?" Clemont asked, sounding stunned. "So it's not just from Kalos?"
"It may have originated here," Kukui answered, shrugging as though that part didn't matter at the moment. "It seems as though there was a crossover with Alola at some point, however."
Ash frowned, looking to Professor Sycamore, who almost seemed more interested than he was. "Would this have to do with the Ninja Village Greninja Ash has discussed?"
Hala nodded, unable to hide a grin at Sycamore's excitement. "Indeed. Lusamine's husband, Mohn, found out that a rival village was set up in the Alola region, and there was a conflict between the two. The Alolan village rallied around Decidueye as their fierce fighter, while the Kalosian village rallied around Greninja."
"That was as much as Lusamine, her assistant and my wife were able to figure out," Kukui continued, pulling out some kind of notebook. "Although we continued going through Mohn's notes and looked at some other sources that discussed prominent trainers and stories of Greninja, Decidueye, Z-Moves and Mega Evolution. There's very little crossover, but..."
"There was one story of two trainers, rival trainers, who battled an enemy together. Something known as an Ultra Beast." Hala shivered as he said the name. Ash was curious to find out what that was, but he didn't ask, thinking he could find out later. He assumed it was some kind of powerful Pokemon, though.
"We think these must've been the rival ninja trainers," Kukui then said, before going on. "Anyway, the Alolan trainer used a Z-Move, while the Kalosian trainer enacted a strange power with his Greninja. Some kind of extreme version of Torrent."
"The Bond Phenomenon?" Sycamore asked, now looking confused for the first time.
"Perhaps," Hala answered, although he seemed unsure. "I'm thinking it might have been the beginnings, but perhaps not completed. This may have been how it began to change. You see, this Greninja would have been exposed to a great deal of Mega Evolution energy in Kalos, even if it hadn't been widely used. Now, many Pokemon would have been, and still are, but with its bond being so strong with its trainer, some of the energy may have been...drawn to it."
"So what Greninja does is Mega Evolution?" Trevor asked, looking at his own Key Stone curiously. "But they don't need the stones?"
"Yes...and no," Hala said slowly. "The energy was there, but it needed something more to...mutate in a sense. Ash, you and your Infernape had a very strong bond as well, didn't you? Its Blaze was unique?"
Ash was surprised by the question, but thought back to his battles with his old fire and fighting type, including his showdown with Paul at the Sinnoh League. "I guess so, but that's not related to this, is it?"
"It is somewhat similar," Flint murmured, looking curiously at Ash. "That Infernape of yours gained a power boost from Blaze that few Pokemon could." He then shrugged. "It's not quite like Greninja, though, so who can say."
"Well, it's not like Greninja," Hala admitted, "but there is something similar in what is happening. Ash is helping each to draw out power that is hidden deep within. In Greninja's case, there is a connection to Mega Evolution, but that bond is pulling something out of the initial ability that alters it somewhat. Infernape's Blaze was altered, I believe. And with Greninja, it is Torrent, but he doesn't need to be at the very limit of his endurance to enact it."
"Fascinating..." Sycamore seemed to be putting pieces together that Ash and the others didn't fully understand yet. "So Greninja...the one from Ninja Village...it had this Torrent ability altered as well? And because it was exposed to Mega Evolution, it further mutated?"
"That's the theory so far," Kukui said, chuckling. He seemed confused by it somewhat as well, despite having done a lot of the research. "But even then...it wasn't quite done."
"In Alola...in this battle with the Ultra Beast..." Hala scratched his chin thoughtfully as he paused. "It may have been exposed to something known as Totem Aura, which is seen in powerful Pokemon in the Alola region used in our trial system. It's also connected with Z-Moves. This power, combined with the other unique factors surrounding this Greninja and its trainer, appeared to mutate the Mega Evolution energy and its Torrent ability the rest of the way into what we now think of as the Bond Phenomenon."
"Greninja's almost like a fusion of a Pokemon with a super powerful ability, a strong trainer that cares deeply for it, Mega Evolution energy and Totem Aura," Kukui then summed up, grinning at how crazy it sounded.
"So what we think is happening," Hala continued, looking at Ash now, "is that you and Greninja have yet to tap into that full power. He must be a descendant of this Greninja that had this mutated ability, but everything hasn't come together yet. He can change form using the Mega Evolution energy, but the Totem Aura with that requires an almost impossible level of clarity and focus between you two to manifest into an attack."
"Totem Aura...manifest into an attack...?" Ash stared blankly at him, before looking to Pikachu in confusion. "I'm not sure I get it."
"Ash," Kukui said, now sounding a little more serious, "what we're saying is that Greninja's special Water Shuriken attack...is a Z-Move without a Z-Crystal, as much as his form change is a Mega Evolution without a Mega Stone and Key Stone."
"As much as your bond needs to be particularly strong to enact the change in form," Hala went on, "to perform the Z-Move, it needs to be stronger. You need to be so perfectly in tune that it may be near impossible."
"Of course," Kukui said, looking to the battlefield, "there's something we can do to see if we can help nudge you along. To channel that focus a bit..."
That's when Ash noticed Kukui holding something in his hand. It was a blue crystal, shining in the bright sun. He was holding it out to Ash, while he pulled a pokeball out of his pocket. Ash grinned, feeling Greninja's pokeball shake from his belt.
"You may need to borrow this," Hala said, holding something else out to Ash.
It was his Z-Ring.
Serena smiled as she watched Absol soar through the air, striking through Braixen's Fire Blast with his Giga Impact, before Popplio shot up between them with an Aqua Jet, twirling through the air in glee. Sylveon then slowed both their descents to the ground with Fairy Wind, while Pancham finished off with a Stone Edge for Braixen to leap on top of and bow from.
"That was great you guys!" Serena called out to her team. "You're all in perfect sync! If we keep performing like this, everyone will love it!"
"Cham!" Pancham said proudly, while Popplio happily began juggling bubbles in response.
"Serena, that was so amazing!" Shauna then called out from next to the practice field where Serena was training. "Popplio and Absol look like they could've fit right in with your Masterclass performance!"
"You've got perfect rhythm, Serena!" Tierno said excitedly as well. "I want to dance more after that!"
"I wish Appeals rounds were more like performances," Dawn added, looking quite impressed herself. "I'd love to try some of those routines out."
"I'm sure you can find a way to change it up a bit for a contest setting," Serena said, thinking it wasn't too different from what she'd learned of Appeals rounds in contests, although she supposed she hadn't had a true experience with the latter to compare.
"That's an impressive group of Pokemon you've got there."
Serena turned in surprise at the new voice, seeing a woman approaching where Dawn, Tierno and Shauna were standing. Fantina was with the woman, apparently having just arrived herself. She was looking surprised, but also excited, as though this woman was quite important. There was also a girl about Serena's age trailing the two women, looking around nervously with a white Vulpix in her arms.
"Um...thanks," Serena said awkwardly, looking back to the woman. She could see the similarity between her and the younger girl, and assumed it was a mother and daughter.
"Serena, Dawn, Shauna and Tierno," Fantina said as she and her mysterious companions stopped, "I would like you to meet some of our guests from ze Alola region! Zis is Lusamine, ze President of ze Aether Foundation, and her daughter, Lillie and her Vulpix, Snowy!"
"Aether Foundation...?" Serena remembered way back to her meeting with Hala, shortly after Professor Sycamore's tournament, when he had mentioned something called that. "The organization that helps hurt Pokemon?"
Lusamine smiled at that, her gaze still trained on Serena's Pokemon. She looked back to her a moment later, though. "It's one of our more rewarding operations, but we are involved in a variety of things. I see Hala must have told you a bit about us back when he was here?"
Serena nodded, smiling as she started to head down to join the group. "Yeah, he thought I would be interested after hearing about my Absol." As she reached the group, she formally greeted the visitors. "I'm Serena. I'm a performer, training to be Kalos Queen one day!"
At that, her friends also introduced themselves, Tierno finishing by performing a little twirl and bowing in front of Lillie before Shauna pulled him back quickly. Lillie didn't appear too bothered however, looking to Serena with shining eyes. "Ash talked a lot about you when he visited Alola! I was so excited to come and meet you and your Absol!" Her eyes then went to where Popplio was absentmindedly juggling bubbles. "Aww, and he did give you that Popplio!"
Serena felt her face heating up at that, and made sure to avoid the looks of her smirking friends. "Um...I'm...honoured."
"Speaking of Ash..." Lusamine said, smiling at the reaction of the others, "I believe your...team has been asked to meet his at the battlefield. Professor Kukui and Hala are with them and Professor Sycamore discussing what they've learned about Greninja."
"Lusamine wished to accompany us so she could speak with you on ze way, Serena," Fantina said, already turning in preparation to go. "Once we are zer, Professor Sycamore will be explaining ze rules for ze IPL Playoffs."
"Awesome!" Tierno said excitedly. "I can't wait to figure out what we've got to prepare for."
"It's only going to get harder from here," Dawn told him, although she sounded just as excited.
With that, the group set off, Serena recalling all her Pokemon except Absol, who Lillie and Lusamine were clearly very interested in. He didn't look too pleased about being fussed over by strangers, but Serena appreciated that he tolerated it as they walked. He seemed to at least relax a bit as Lusamine described some of the things the Aether Foundation did for hurt Pokemon.
"We've created a habitat for many of them to recover from various injuries," Lusamine explained as they headed out of the training facilities. "It's at the Aether Paradise where much of our work is done. They all live in peace there, and some simply choose to stay even when healed."
"It would be amazing if you could perform for them sometime, Serena," Lillie suggested excitedly. "I bet they'd love it, wouldn't they, Snowy?!"
"Vulpix!" the white Vulpix cried out excitedly. Lillie had mentioned it was an 'Alolan form' Vulpix and was actually an ice and fairy type Pokemon unlike the form Serena was familiar with, which was a fire type.
"I believe Hala might've hinted at that," Lusamine murmured with a laugh, looking to Serena. "Of course...it would definitely lift some of their spirits. Despite the habitat and the work our employees do, it can always improve. A trainer with your spirit and the experience of making people and Pokemon smile...I'm sure it would do wonders."
Serena blushed at that, realizing Lusamine seemed to know exactly what strings to pull, whether she realized it or not. It did sound like it would be fun to do. "So performing isn't that big in Alola?"
"We've had performers visit," Lille answered. "Some of the trials have a performing nature to them as well. But...I think there's much more of a battle focus with the trials. My mother hopes that some kind of performance-based system like the trials can be implemented at some point."
"It would help with the Pokemon we rescue," Lusamine said, nodding at her daughter's answer. "And perhaps it would give people more to look forward to and reduce the chances of them ending up in some kind of gang like Team Skull."
"It sounds like an amazing idea," Serena admitted, looking ahead suddenly as she heard a bang in the direction of the battlefield.
"Sounds like they must be training already!" Dawn said, laughing as she also looked ahead at the noise. "I guess Ash must be trying something out with Greninja."
"Hopefully you can give us some ideas...at a later date," Lusamine suggested, smiling as Serena looked back awkwardly. Serena knew what she was hinting at, but was glad she wasn't getting pushed for an answer. She simply nodded as they continued walking, the sounds of battle getting louder. "Oh my...sounds like quite the battle."
"Is Ash using...whoa!"
Serena smiled then, seeing Lillie's eyes widen excitedly as they rounded a corner and noticed the group ahead, standing beside the battlefield. Clemont, Trevor and Flint were all tensed up in excitement as they watched the battlefield, while Professor Sycamore and Agatha watched a little more calmly, although both appearing excited themselves. Serena also noticed the familiar form of Hala a little further ahead, taking the role of referee.
"Ash is battling Professor Kukui?" Lillie said in surprise as their group joined the others, giving a silent greeting before focusing on the battlefield. "With...Incineroar?!"
Serena looked to the trainer battling Ash, realizing he was the man Ash had described battling back in Kanto during the break and who had run some training sessions in Alola. "He defeated Ash's Charizard and Greninja before!" she said suddenly, remembering Ash excitedly talking about the match, despite his loss.
It seemed the battle going on now was much closer than the one Ash had described from back then, however. Greninja, in his special form, was locked in combat with a massive two-legged tiger-like Pokemon, his purple blades from Night Slash swinging up in defence of a Throat Chop attack. Incineroar's assault wasn't stopping there, however, a Flamethrower being shot forward just as he leaped back from Greninja's blades.
"Block with Water Shuriken!" Ash then yelled, looking like he was thoroughly enjoying the battle, moving in sync with Greninja and pulling an invisible Water Shuriken from his own back as Greninja performed the actual move. Serena blinked in surprise as Incineroar's attack struck, steam exploding outward as the flames hit the shuriken.
It only seemed to fire Greninja up even more, though, the Ninja Pokemon crying out in determination as he fought hard to hold off the attack. "Ninjaaa!" he yelled, Ash crying out as well, each straining hard as they bent their legs to hold their shuriken shield steady.
That was when Serena noticed what was on Ash's wrist, her eyes widening as she recognized the strange bracelet that Hala had worn back when he'd visited during the tournament. It was the same thing he'd used on Team Rocket. This time, however, there was a blue crystal in it, and Serena was sure it was glowing, and part of her was sure she saw some kind of black and red flashes as Ash and Greninja continued to strain against Incineroar's Flamethrower.
"It's happening..." Professor Sycamore whispered excitedly. "It's channeling the energy...it's helping their focus..."
Serena had no idea what that meant, but it had her heart beating excitedly. She was sure it had something to do with that special attack Greninja hadn't seemed able to pull off, though. If that was the case, Sycamore's tone implied something was close with that. She couldn't help but cheer as Ash and Greninja finally broke free of the Flamethrower, the Ninja Pokemon thrusting his shurkien forward and then leaping back.
"Nice one, cousin!" Kukui called out excitedly as he and Ash, along with their Pokemon, took a moment to breathe. "This is a battle that gets the blood pumping like a Hydro Pump!"
"You bet!" Ash said in response, holding up his fist confidently, the Z-Ring shining brightly. Ash didn't even seem to notice the crystal seemingly flashing blue, red and black. Serena could see Pikachu did, though, the electric type backing away quickly as Ash called his next order. "Let's do this Greninja! Double Team!"
"Gren!"
The copies seemed to shoot out at lightning speed. Serena and the others gasped as they watched, dozens of Greninja appearing in midair and across the field, surrounding Incineroar everywhere. The menacing fire type even looked nervous a moment. As Kukui called for a Flamethrower, Serena could hear it in his voice that it was a last ditch effort, and perhaps something to give Ash and Greninja that final push they needed.
"Now!" Ash shouted, the crystal flashing so bright now that even some of the copies were illuminated in the light. "Greninja! Z-BOND SHURIKEN!"
"GREEENNNINJA!"
Serena and the others gasped as the copies all seemed to merge at once, the light from the Z-Crystal enveloping the field as Ash raised his arm. Incineroar's massive Flamethrower looked almost pitiful as Greninja raised a giant shuriken above his head, the watery ninja star spinning in the shining light that connected Pokemon and trainer. As it spun, Serena could see the focus on Ash's and Greninja's faces. They were totally in sync. They truly looked to be one.
"Sol..." Absol murmured next to her, his Mega Stone glittering somewhat in the light. Serena could see Trevor's Key Stone reacting as well.
Sycamore seemed to notice, glancing to the two. "Amazing...the Mega Evolution energy...and the aura from the Z-Crystal...they're truly one."
At that, everyone's attention returned to the field, where Serena now noticed Kukui performing some kind of dance, he and Incineroar's movements in perfect sync. As they finished, Incineroar, glowing in a bright light of his own from Kukui's Z-Ring, Kukui then yelled out for their own attack. "Malicious Moonsault!"
None of it seemed to matter, though. Serena was sure it was probably one of the most powerful moves she'd ever seen, watching as Incineroar leaped into the air, completely covered in flames and a bright, yellow light. However, as he rushed to Greninja, the red and orange disk that was the Water Shuriken above the Ninja Pokemon's head was finally unleashed, Ash and Greninja crying out in unison as they thrust their arms forward.
BOOM!
The explosion rocked the field, knocking everyone off of their feet as wind buffeted them from the colliding attacks. Serena was a little disoriented by it, but she did her best to rise to her feet as quick as possible, looking out to see the result of the massive attack. When she saw the result, she couldn't help but grin, cheering as she saw Greninja drop down in front of Ash, looking exhausted, but proud of a successful move. Meanwhile, Incineroar was down, and not appearing like he'd rise anytime soon.
"Incineroar is unable to battle!" Hala then called out. "Greninja and Ash are the winners!"
As Ash and Greninja tiredly celebrated, and the others cheered from the sidelines, Serena noticed Lusamine looking to her, smiling as her gaze rested on Absol, who looked ahead in awe towards the battlefield. "Quite the bond those two share, isn't it?"
"It's...certainly special," Serena said, laughing a bit as she looked at the two, who were now heading over to check on Kukui and Incineroar at the other end of the field. "Every trainer dreams of it."
"I suppose you and Ash are the kind of people that help trainers learn to dream of it," Lusamine pointed out, now also looking out to the field, watching Ash petting Pikachu behind his ears. Another special bond he seemed to have. "That Mega Stone on your Absol's horn...have you been successful with that?"
"Not yet," Serena admitted, Absol glancing back to her with a determined look. "But...soon."
"I look forward to seeing it."
Raphael glared in disgust at the scene in front of him. The three hunters that had been taking the Skiddo to the trucks were still lying unconscious to the left side of the road. The drivers and their Pokemon were also knocked out, lying in front of the mangled trucks. Each was now wearing one of the collars that the Rhyhorn had been wearing, even if they were loose. Raphael suppposed it was simply to make a point.
"Should we cancel our plans, sir?" one of Raphael's subordinates asked as they moved forward to further inspect the scene. "If whoever did this knows where the base is..."
"Nothing changes," Raphael snapped, glaring at the unconscious hunters. "There are no police investigating here, so whatever this is, it's not worth changing anything. Vigilante justice from some fool trainers."
"Of course, sir," the man said nervously, before bowing and heading over to help and check inside the trucks for any clues.
Raphael continued to walk a little further down the road, moving away from the scene of the attack. His Medicham, who had been moving the trucks apart from each other, came to join him. As they walked, Raphael glanced to his fearsome fighter, looking at the armband it wore that held its Mega Stone. It was legitimate, unlike the ones he'd been developing for some of the Pokemon the hunters had captured.
He frowned as he thought of that project. It wasn't quite what he'd wanted in the first place. Some Pokemon could be compelled to Mega Evolve, but only those who were known to have the ability previously and using real Mega Stones that had been altered. They also seemed to go into some kind of rage if a real Key Stone was used rather than an altered one designed to keep them under control of the trainer. Only a few of Raphael's hunters appeared to have been successful thus far.
"They'll be enough," Raphael murmured to himself as he stopped a moment, finding himself at the top of a hill. He could see the cliff their base was built into behind him, knowing Laverre City lay beyond that.
He shifted a little uncomfortably as he thought of the city. He was certain that Valerie had come to suspect him. It wasn't anything she herself had done to let him know. But the girl...Gabby. The two talked often, and that girl's performing experience did little to hide her distrust of him.
"We'll see what she does when her Altaria turns against her...along with her brother's Scizor." His altered Mega Stones would be good enough for that at least. So long as he'd be able to switch the stones they had. That was where Valerie's distrust proved difficult. Switching the Mega Stones would need to be done in battle it seemed. For the girl at least.
His gaze drifted down to some of his gathered hunters. One of them was leading the cleanup, her Altaria monitoring the scene from above. Raphael summoned her with a quick wave.
"Sir!" the woman greeted, arriving in front of him and bowing slightly.
"Alice," Raphael said, turning and continuing his walk. She followed after he was ahead a few steps. "Do you have the altered Altarianite I gave to you?"
She tensed at that, and Raphael understood why. It had been a great honour to receive it, and she had done well with it. Now she knew she wasn't likely to keep it. At least for this mission. "I do, sir," she finally murmured, nodding as he glanced back at her. She showed her arm band with her altered Key Stone to show she had that as well, although Raphael wouldn't need that.
"Do you remember many years ago, when we had collected some Swablu and Altaria and were testing them near Shalour City?" Raphael asked, staring off in the direction of the Wetlands and stopping. "The testing that led to the development of your...'Altarianite'?"
Alice nodded, looking uncertain of what Raphael was getting at. "We had to leave fairly abruptly. Much like our last set up there."
"Indeed," Raphael said, shaking his head as he thought of the carelessness involved in both situations. "Are you aware that one of those Swablu escaped?"
Alice tensed. "I...wasn't aware, sir. Although, we've had escapes before. We do capture a lot of Pokemon."
Raphael ignored that for the moment. "Regardless...this one escaped. And this one is important."
"How so, sir?"
"It is now an Altaria. An Altaria that can Mega Evolve with the help of its trainer...a student at Laverre University." Raphael glared at Alice, seeing her watching him carefully, waiting for more. "I look forward to seeing you turn it against her."
Author's Note:
Okay, so a few things to get to. First, Meowth and Team Rocket. Not a huge battle, but the idea is that they needed a sneak attack to be successful at the time, and Jessie and James needed to be badass. They were badass. Now the gang is back together, and Skiddo should be a fine addition to the team, right?
As for Ash-Greninja...oh boy, I went crazy on that one. I wanted to leave a bit of mystery. Partly because there's only so much I could come up with, and because I think a bit of mystery works with it. Basically I went with a weird combination of Z-Move energy, Mega Evolution energy and the move Torrent all mutating together into Bond Phenomenon. I thought using Infernape's Blaze as a bit of a minor case worked, too. Anyway, if that was too much, I apologize. Maybe I can do more clarification as we go on.
With Serena, just a little more for...her future. We'll see how it works.
And Raphael...well, he's not happy. He's got his plans to attack, though, and it looks like Gabby and Anton will be in trouble when you know what hits the fan.
Anyway, that's that. Next chapter is the IPL Playoff opening, so it's the last one before it's essentially action to the end. Hope you're all looking forward to it. See you next time.