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enderdragoncrafter · 18 days ago

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Chapter 1: Ryme City Welcomes You

https://archiveofourown.org/works/51584527/chapters/130383727

It was 1:30 a.m. in a small, quiet town. The night was cool, with clouds scattered across the sky. A lone Charizard moved stealthily through narrow alleys and hidden passageways, deliberately avoiding the presence of humans. Blood dripped from his back, leaving a crimson trail in his wake. His claws were stained as well, evidence of a recent struggle. Despite being a creature of flight, this Charizard was grounded—his left wing was marred with heavy scars, fresh scratches now oozing blood. A closer look revealed something more sinister: a Team Rocket symbol branded on his scales, with a serial number beneath it—MX-469.

The Charizard felt weak, his strength waning. Unfortunately, a human boy—about 15 years old—spotted him, accompanied by an alert Umbreon. The Umbreon tensed, ready to strike, but the boy raised a hand, signaling it to stand down. He could see the Charizard's weakened state and smirked. "This is going to be an easy catch," he said confidently, raising a Pokéball toward the wounded creature. The Charizard leaned against a nearby wall, lowly growling at the boy, who seemed indifferent to his suffering.

The boy approached the Charizard, inching closer—too close. In a sudden burst of strength, the Charizard seized him and hurled him to the ground. The Umbreon froze, stunned; he had never witnessed a Pokémon intentionally harm a human before. With a powerful stomp, the Charizard crushed the Pokéball underfoot. "Umbreon, do something!" the boy cried out, desperation creeping into his voice. The Umbreon readied itself to attack, but before it could react, the Charizard grabbed the boy again and flung him into the Umbreon. Both boy and Pokémon scrambled to their feet, wincing in pain as they retreated. "This isn’t the last you’ve seen of me," the boy shouted over his shoulder. "Next time, you’ll see—next time!”

The Charizard chuckled at the thought of the boy’s hasty retreat. Curious, he rummaged through the boy's bag and discovered it was filled with Pokéballs. Deciding to rid the world of potential captives, he made his way to a nearby bridge where a river flowed beneath. One by one, he opened each Pokéball, only to find them all empty. Undeterred, he tossed them into the river, watching as they floated away, never to be used again. Returning to the bag, he discovered a binder filled with papers—documents detailing major cities and a mysterious list.

As he scans the list, his eyes catch on Ryme City—completely crossed off. Flipping through the binder, he finds no information about Ryme City, only documents on other cities with large arenas and Pokémon Centers designed for battles. A surge of anger rises within him, and in frustration, he hurls the binder into the river. As it sinks, a crumpled piece of paper tumbles out of the bag, catching his eye. Curious, he smooths it out, expecting to see the familiar layout of an arena or a grand complex. But instead, the paper reveals something entirely different—a picture of a serene park, completely unlike the others.

The description detailed how Ryme City was unlike any other—a safe haven where Pokémon could live in peace, free from capture or battle. This caught his attention; he had never heard of such a place. Curious and perhaps hopeful, he carefully placed the paper back in the bag and slung it around his neck. With renewed purpose, he set off in a new direction, seeking something that could finally bring meaning to his life.

In the bustling heart of Ryme City, morning rays filtered through a window into a cluttered apartment. A woman stood beside a Snivy, meticulously organizing a chaotic spread of photos, papers, and sticky notes—each piece seemingly part of a larger conspiracy. As she worked, a man entered the room, balancing a cup holder with three out of four coffees, while a Goodra trailed behind him, cradling his own cup.

"Hey, Eclipsa, what’s all of… this?" Francisco asked as he stepped into the room, his eyes scanning the scattered papers and photos.

"Hi, Francisco," Eclipsa replied, offering a small smile as she reached for one of the coffees he brought. "Thanks for this."

She took a few sips, savoring the warmth before turning her attention back to the chaotic spread on the table. "These are all the pieces of information we’ve gathered over the past few months—or so, I think.”

She tied a few strings to a pin on the wall, then stretched them across the chaotic collage to connect with another pin, further linking the puzzle pieces together. Nearby, Francisco’s gaze fell on a newspaper detailing the deaths of a politician and his Pokémon at the airport. Intrigued, he reached out to pick it up, but before he could, Snivy snapped a vine at his hand, stopping him in his tracks.

"Don't touch anything," Eclipsa warned, her voice firm as she focused on the intricate web of connections she was creating.

Francisco winced, rubbing his hand where Snivy had struck him. "I won't," he muttered, still eyeing the cluttered wall. His gaze settled on a prominent Team Rocket logo at the center. "What's up with the Team Rocket logo in the middle?”

Eclipsa paused, her expression thoughtful. "I’m not sure yet, but somehow they’re tangled up in some big conspiracy.”

Just then, Eclipsa’s phone rang. She pulled it from her pocket, glancing at the notification. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she read the message. "We need to go somewhere," she said, slipping the phone back into her pocket.

Francisco shrugged, a small grin playing on his lips. "You're the boss.”

Meanwhile, in the shadowy backstreets of the city, two Pokémon clashed in a brutal battle within a secret fight club. The crowd roared with excitement, their cheers echoing off the grimy walls. A Charizard moved quietly behind the crowd, his attention focused not on the fight, but on something deeper within the building. He slipped into a dimly lit hallway, pausing at a small window. Inside, a group of humans huddled around four briefcases brimming with cash. He observed as two of them shook hands, their business concluded. After closing their briefcases, they exited the room. The Charizard waited a moment, then silently followed them into the alley

The gang boss leaned forward, his eyes narrowing with anticipation. "Let’s see it," he commanded.

One of the gang members moved swiftly, opening the back of the truck to reveal a Lugia encased in a cryo chamber. The creature lay motionless, its powerful form suspended in an eerie stillness.

A slow grin spread across the boss’s face. "Sweet. This is going to bring in a lot of money. How did you even manage to get your hands on one of these?”

The dealer, a man with a sly demeanor, shrugged casually. "It was sent in by Team Rocket.”

The boss’s grin faded, replaced by suspicion. He turned to the dealer, his eyes narrowing. "That still doesn’t explain the catch. Why would Team Rocket hand me 20 million dollars and a Lugia for free?”

The dealer’s expression remained calm, almost too calm. "Let’s just say that the mysterious death of a certain politician has attracted the attention of some of his… influential friends.”

With a smirk, the dealer pulled out a crisp envelope and handed it to the boss. "You’re invited to the memorial," he added, "which, by the way, is being held on a yacht.”

The Charizard’s eyes darted around the scene, quickly realizing he needed that invitation. But before he could make a move, pain shot through his tail—he turned sharply to see a Garchomp pinning it down. Reacting instinctively, the Charizard rammed his head into the Garchomp’s neck, attempting to push her to the ground. The impact staggered her, giving the Charizard just enough time to unleash a powerful Flamethrower, the flames engulfing the Garchomp. But before he could press the advantage, a blast of water struck him from the side—a Vaporeon, expertly timing its Water Gun attack. The sudden torrent doused the flames and weakened the Charizard, giving the Garchomp the upper hand. She quickly recovered and slammed him to the ground, pinning him beneath her.

The gang members quickly formed a tight circle around the Charizard, their guns trained on him. The men who had delivered the money and the Lugia had already slipped out of sight, leaving the Charizard surrounded.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here? A Charizard, huh? Where’s your trainer?" one of the men taunted, a smirk on his face. The Charizard responded with a low, menacing growl, his fiery eyes locked on the speaker. As his anger flared, the water on his scales began to evaporate, and the flame on the tip of his tail blazed brighter and more intense.

"Boss, get back!" one of the gang members shouted, yanking his leader out of the Charizard’s reach. The others moved quickly, one slamming the truck door shut, sealing away the Lugia.

With a powerful flick of his tail, the Charizard sent the Vaporeon crashing into the alleyway wall, leaving the Pokémon dazed and out of the fight. The Garchomp, feeling the searing heat radiating from Charizard’s body, instinctively released her grip, backing away as the temperature became unbearable. But before she could retreat further, the Charizard seized her, pulling her close and using her as a shield just as the gang members opened fire.

"Go now!" the gang boss yelled, his voice tinged with panic. The truck’s driver slammed on the gas, speeding away from the chaos. Meanwhile, another gang member scrambled into a van, the engine roaring to life as he prepared to follow. The Charizard sprang onto the roof of the van just as it began to speed away. The driver jerked the wheel sharply, careening out of the alleyway and nearly tipping the vehicle over. Claws digging into the metal roof, the Charizard held on tightly as the van swerved wildly through traffic, the city streets a blur around them.

Desperate, one of the gang members leaned out of the window, throwing a Pokéball with a shout. "Scyther, I choose you!" The Pokéball hit the asphalt with a clatter, releasing a Scyther that materialized in the street behind them, its blades gleaming in the morning light.

The Scyther soared above Charizard, its blades flashing as it unleashed a relentless Fury Cutter. Charizard dodged skillfully, but the Scyther’s speed was relentless. With a swift strike, the Scyther's blade sliced across Charizard’s hand, forcing him to release his grip on the van. Charizard tumbled onto the street, rolling to minimize the impact of the fall. He winced as he came to a stop, feeling the sting of the cut on his hand. Up ahead, the van screeched to a halt, and the Scyther landed behind Charizard, blocking his path. The air filled with the sound of cars screeching to a stop, narrowly avoiding the two Pokémon. Charizard struggled to his feet, pain coursing through his body, but his resolve remained unshaken. His tail flame burned brighter, its light intensifying as he braced himself for the next round of battle.

Before Charizard and Scyther could clash again, the blare of sirens filled the air as police vehicles screeched to a stop at both ends of the street. The flashing lights reflected off the buildings, casting an ominous glow over the scene. An Espeon, distinguished by a necklace with a gem embedded in it, dashed forward with swift grace. Without hesitation, the Espeon used Rest on the Scyther, causing the Pokémon to collapse into a peaceful slumber, its blades drooping.

Sensing the opportunity, Charizard bolted, sprinting down the street with the Espeon in hot pursuit. The Espeon’s eyes glowed with determination as it chased after him, refusing to let him escape. In a desperate move, Charizard spotted a fire escape on the side of a building. He leaped up, grabbing the metal ladder and pulling himself up as fast as his wounded body would allow. The Espeon skidded to a halt below, watching as the Charizard ascended, out of reach—for now.

In the heart of downtown, within the Ryme City Police Headquarters, Eclipsa sat across from a disheveled member of Team Skull in a stark interrogation room. The fluorescent lights buzzed softly, casting harsh shadows on the walls. Eclipsa placed a photo of a woman on the table, sliding it toward the man.

"Can you tell me anything about this woman?" Eclipsa asked, her tone firm but measured.

The man glanced at the photo and shrugged, leaning back in his chair. "Like I told the other detectives, I don’t know nothin’.”

Eclipsa’s eyes narrowed slightly. "Please, I need to know who this woman works for.”

He hesitated, scratching at the back of his neck. "All I know is she used to work for Howard Clifford.”

Eclipsa’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. "The Founder?”

"Yep," the man replied, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.

Eclipsa leaned in, her voice lowering to a near whisper. "But who does she work for now? That’s what I need to know.”

The door to the interrogation room creaked open, and an Ampharos peeked in, shaking his head slightly at Eclipsa. She sighed and rose from her chair.

"Excuse me for a moment," she said to the Team Skull member, her voice calm but tinged with frustration.

Eclipsa walked out of the room, and the Ampharos quietly shut the door behind them, leaving the suspect alone under the harsh fluorescent lights. Martin, his face tight with irritation, approached her.

"Who let you in here?" he demanded.

"Leo did," Eclipsa replied, her tone steady.

Martin’s frustration boiled over. "LEO, OFFICE NOW!”

Without another word, they made their way to Martin’s office. Inside, Martin took a seat behind his desk, his expression stern. Francisco and his Goodra were already there, waiting. Eclipsa and the Ampharos entered, with Leo trailing behind, his expression a mix of apprehension and defiance. Martin’s frustration was evident as he leaned forward, his voice firm. "How many times do I have to tell you guys to stay out of my station?”

Eclipsa remained calm, though her determination was clear. "I was told you have a suspect who made a deal with the Shadow Woman…”

Martin cut her off, his tone softening slightly. "Eclipsa, you're not a cop; you're a civilian. I don't want to see you get hurt. You have to leave this to the professionals.”

Eclipsa’s eyes flashed with conviction. "But what about the truth? People deserve to know what's going on.”

Leo spoke up, trying to bridge the gap. "She can help us in some ways.”

Martin shot Leo a look. "I'll get to you in a second." He then turned back to Eclipsa, his voice firm but not unkind. "Listen, you only have a PokTube channel.”

Eclipsa nodded, unflinching. "Yes, PokTube isn’t perfect, but it’s the best we’ve got.”

The radio crackled to life, a voice coming through urgently. "Mr. Rouge spotted in the area of Lebanon Avenue, Downtown. Be on the lookout. Over.”

Francisco glanced at Leo, curiosity evident in his eyes. "Who’s Mr. Rouge?”

Leo replied, his tone casual but with a hint of admiration. "He’s a wild Charizard that’s been loose in the city for about four months now. We know nothing about who the trainer is or where he came from.”

Eclipsa frowned, surprised. "How come I’ve never heard of this?”

Martin, his patience wearing thin, shot her a look. "Because you don’t need to." He then turned to Ampharos. "Ampharos, take them outside, please.”

Ampharos nodded and gestured for them to follow, leading them out of the office and down the hall. As they stepped outside, Snivy deftly unlocked the truck with a flick of her vine. Eclipsa turned to Francisco. "You’re driving.”

"On it," Francisco replied, sliding into the driver’s seat. Once they were all inside, the truck rumbled to life, and they pulled away from the station. Eclipsa immediately pulled out her phone, her fingers moving quickly as she searched for information on the Wild Charizard. Francisco glanced over at her, his eyes briefly leaving the road. "You’re looking up that Wild Charizard, aren’t you?”

"Yes, I am," Eclipsa replied, her eyes glued to her phone.

Francisco shot her a skeptical glance. "And what exactly is your plan here?”

Eclipsa didn’t look up, her focus still on the screen. "We’ll figure that out along the way.”

Francisco frowned, gripping the steering wheel a bit tighter. "I don’t think going after a Charizard without a plan is the smartest move. Can we at least have some sort of strategy?”

Eclipsa finally looked up, a thoughtful expression crossing her face. "Hmm. Actually, I might have an idea. But first, we need to grab some supplies.”

“Snivy,” the Pokémon called out, pointing with a vine toward a nearby pharmacy where a small crowd had gathered.

Eclipsa rolled down her window, leaning out slightly to ask a question. "What’s going on over there?”

A bystander, looking a bit puzzled, shrugged. "I’m not sure. They just kicked everyone out.”

As they exchanged words, Francisco’s eyes caught something unsettling—a trail of blood leading down an alley beside the building. Without a word, he pulled the truck over and parked next to the pharmacy, the engine idling quietly. Francisco gave a half-smile as he unbuckled his seatbelt. "Well, at least we’ve got a story for today.”

Eclipsa frowned slightly, her tone skeptical. "You know I don’t like covering short, cash-grab stories.”

Francisco shrugged. "You never know—it might turn into something bigger.”

Eclipsa sighed, conceding. "...Sure, why not. But it better be worth it.”

They stepped out of the truck, making their way toward the pharmacy. As they approached the building, they noticed the back door was ajar, the lock clearly broken. Without a word, they slipped inside, the tension in the air thickening with each step. They moved cautiously down the aisles, eyes scanning the shelves. When they reached the sixth aisle, stocked with bandages and first aid supplies, they froze. There, in the center, was a Charizard, surrounded by pharmacy employees who kept their distance, clearly unsure of what to do. The Charizard growled lowly, its eyes darting between the humans as it clumsily wrapped a bandage around its own arm with its mouth. But even from where they stood, Eclipsa could see that the creature was on the verge of collapsing, its movements sluggish and weak. As Eclipsa studied the Charizard more closely, her eyes widened in recognition. There, on its heavily scarred wing, was the unmistakable Team Rocket logo. Just below it, a serial number: MX-469. Eclipsa stepped forward, her voice firm but curious. "Who does this Charizard belong to?”

Lucario, standing nearby, shrugged its shoulders in response. One of the employees, a woman with a nervous expression, shook her head. "We don’t know.”

Another employee, a man, added, "He just kinda walked in here on his own.”

The woman turned to Lucario, frowning. "I thought you got everyone out?”

Francisco glanced at the Charizard, then back at the employees. "Did you call an ambulance?”

The man nodded, but his face tightened in worry. "We tried, but he doesn't want us to.”

The Charizard winced as he curled his tail around, trying to squeeze out a bullet lodged deep within. A whimper escaped him as the pain surged through his body. Noticing this, Snivy cautiously approached. The Charizard growled weakly, his instincts kicking in despite his exhausted state, but he was too drained to put up much of a fight. With careful precision, Snivy extended her vines, gently probing the wound. The Charizard flinched but didn't resist. After a tense moment, she located the bullet and, with a swift motion, pulled it free. The Charizard let out a sharp breath, more in relief than in pain. Snivy quickly cleaned the wound with the alcohol the Charizard had been using earlier, her small hands working efficiently as she bandaged him up. The Charizard, still trembling, attempted to stand, but his strength failed him. With a soft thud, he collapsed, unconscious.

Eclipsa glanced at the employees, her voice calm but concerned. "He hasn't hurt anyone, has he?”

The first employee shook her head. "No, he hasn't. Are you going to take him away?”

Francisco started to interject, but Eclipsa quickly responded, "Yes, we will take him.”

With that, Eclipsa and Goodra moved closer to the unconscious Charizard. Goodra gently positioned itself to support his weight, while Eclipsa carefully lifted his front half. Snivy extended her vines, offering what little help she could, her small form straining as she assisted in the effort. Francisco, seeing the struggle, stepped in to help lift the Charizard. "Why are we taking a rogue Charizard with us?" he asked, his voice tinged with concern.

Eclipsa glanced at him as they maneuvered the unconscious Pokémon. "Like you said, you never know," she replied, a hint of determination in her tone.

Francisco hesitated, his grip tightening. "But what if he's dangerous? What if he tries to kill us?”

Eclipsa shook her head slightly. "Someone shot him, Francisco. And we both know the police use Psychic-type Pokémon to put others to sleep when needed.”

"So, we're turning him in…right?" Francisco pressed, searching her face for reassurance.

Eclipsa’s eyes flickered with something unreadable. "Eventually.”

Francisco sighed, his doubt evident. "I hope you know what you're doing.”

#pokémon fanfiction #ao3 #pokémon #fanfic #charizard #story #action #adventure #fanfiction

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detective-bulbasaur · 8 months ago

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What If: Greninja stayed with Ash

Chapter 1: Combating the Neo Flame

[…] = Squishy’s mental dialogue

{…} = Greninja’s bond dialogue

After saying their goodbyes to Goodra at their wetland home, our heroes trekked through the Kalos forest towards Lumiose City. Serena had her Pokédex out and was looking up information about the Lumiose Airport.

“Say, the airport’s up and running again,” Serena stated.

“Yeah,” Ash mused, “Guess when we get back to Lumiose City, I’ll fly home.”

“I guess that means our journey’s almost over,” Clemont lamented, “it’s kinda sad you know.” Bonnie and Dedenne looked at each other solemnly. Clemont was wrong. It was not kinda sad. It was most definitely sad.

Greninja was resting within his Pokéball, listening to the conversation. Greninja was sad about leaving Kalos too. Afterall, Kalos was his first home. It was where he hatched, where he trained, where they evolved from a Froakie into a Greninja. Most of all, it was where he found his family. He was going to miss traveling around with Serena, Clemont, Bonnie, and their Pokémon. He would miss watching Serena practice for her performances, watching Clemont build his latest inventions, which would eventually blow up, and playing with Bonnie. However, Greninja was also excited to travel to Ash’s home region of Kanto with the rest of their family. Ash shared many stories about his travels through Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, and Unova. He loved hearing about Ash’s gym and league battles, the evil teams he and friends took on, and the many teams he trained with. Greninja leaned against the walls of his Pokéball, trying to get more comfortable. This chapter of his life was over, but that meant it was time to start a new one.

…

[-inja!] Greninja sat up with a start. He looked around the grey walls of His Pokéball, trying to find out where that noise came from. It sounded like someone calling for help. He sat silently to see if the noise came from Ash or the others, but the only sound they were making were their footsteps. Greninja shook his head and laid back down. It must’ve been his own imagination. He's probably still a bit antsy after everything that happened after the league. They all just saved the world after all. Greninja once again closed his eyes and tried to relax.

…

[Greninja!] Greninja shot up again. He definitely heard that. It seems that Ash heard it too, or at least felt it, as he felt Ash stop walking.

“Something wrong,” Serena asked.

“I’m not sure,” Ash shrugged. Greninja felt that they knew that voice. He released themselves from their Pokéball.

“Greninja,” Ash gasped, “What’s going on?” Greninja held up a hand, motioning for everyone to be quiet. He stood up and closed his eyes, focusing solely on his hearing.

…

[Greninja! Please, can hear me?] Greninja’s eyes shot open as he spun around to look at the others.

“Ninja,” Greninja exclaimed. Pikachu and Dedenne squeaked in shock. Pikachu had to communicate with the others about what Greninja just said. He leapt off of Ash’s shoulder and landed in front of the group.

“Pikapi,” Pikachu sputtered, “Pika pikachu pi!” Pikachu began to gesture wildly and changed his face to look more like Squishy’s. Bonnie gasped in worry.

“Squishy,” she shrieked, “did something happen to them?”

“You can hear Squishy,” Serena mused, “What are they saying?”

“I don’t know,” Ash breathed, “I can only sense them a little, but it looks like Greninja can hear them.” Ash looked up at Greninja and met his eyes. Greninja brought a fist to his chest, right where his heart was, and nodded to Ash. Ash nodded back; he read Greninja loud and clear.

“But soon, I’ll hear Squishy with Greninja. Greninja, let’s do this!” Ash and Greninja closed their eyes and reached their spirits out to each other. They could feel the power of their bond building within their hearts. The moisture in the air formed a torrent around Greninja as their bond energy reached its peak. The torrent formed a large water shuriken on Greninja’s back while his side fins turned black, his middle fin turned red, and his chest matched the pattern of Ash’s shirt. Their bond phenomenon was complete; they were now Ash-Greninja. Ash approached Greninja and stopped at his side. Greninja spoke to Ash through their minds to close his eyes and focus with him.

{Listen closely.} Ash and Greninja focused their energy and tried to connect to Squishy. Each second felt like hour as they reached out across the land to find Squishy.

{Squishy, are you there?}

“Can you hear us,” Ash thought with Greninja.

…

[Greninja! Ash!] Ash and Greninja straightened up when they heard Squishy’s voice. It was loud and dripping with worry.

In another part of the forest, Squishy and Zygarde were in their 10% forms sprinting between the trees. They were collecting their cells as they ran through the foliage. They stopped their pace once Squishy heard Ash’s voice along with Greninja’s

“We’ve got contact with Squishy,” Ash relayed.

“You do,” Bonnie shrieked as she rushed to their sides, “Are they okay? Are they hurt?”

[Wait! Is that Bonnie? Are the others with you?]

{Yes, they’re here. We were on our way to Lumiose City.}

[Hang on, I believe one of my cells are nearby. I’ll be able to see you soon.] Squishy focused his mind and reached out over the forest to their cells. They quickly checked the sight of each cell until it found the one near Ash and the others. The cell was resting on a nearby tree branch, camouflaging itself.

[I see you! Listen carefully, you must get out of the forest as quickly as you can!]

“Huh, why,” Ash probed, “What’s going on?”

[Ash, please, you need to get Clemont out of there! He’s coming!]

{He? Who’s he?} Suddenly, the ground beneath them began to violently shake. Everyone gasped in shock and worry.

“Now what’s going on,” Bonnie squeaked. Pikachu quickly glanced around the forest, trying to find the source of the sudden quake. Their eyes stopped at the path behind them and could see a large shadow quickly approaching them. Pikachu shrieked in shock, alerting the others to the unknown threat. The quake began to get stronger and faster. Suddenly, two large, bright lights emerged from the path, revealing a gigantic black and red truck. The strange vehicle barreled towards the group, as if it intended to flatten them.

“LOOK OUT,” Ash screamed. Ash grabbed Pikachu and Serena and dove out of the way of the truck while Greninja did the same to Clemont and Bonnie. The truck barely missed them as it screeched to a halt. The air was now polluted with kicked up dirt from the truck’s tires. The group picked themselves back up and stared at the truck. Squishy’s cell suddenly felt a strong psychic energy pull on it. A blue outline wrapped around it and lifted it off the tree branch and canceled out its camouflage. It flew above the group’s heads and headed towards the truck.

“Hey,” Ash exclaimed.

“It’s a cell.” Clemont declared.

“It’s one of Squishy’s friends,” Bonnie yelped. Two shadowy figures emerged from the truck’s roof, along with a strange cylindrical device. Squishy’s cell flew into the cylinder as the mysterious figure began to laugh with malicious glee. The two figures stepped forward and revealed themselves as Xerosic and his Malamar.

“It’s you,” Clemont growled.

“We meet again,” Xerosic boasted.

“Clemont,” Serena gulped, “who’s he?”

“Xerosic,” Clemont fumed, “Team Flare’s scientist! I battled him, but I thought I …” Clemont was swept up into a flashback where he confronted Team Flare at his gym alongside Clembot. He was able to eject Xerosic via a trap door.

“Yes, I lost to you back then,” Xerosic scoffed, “but I’m miraculously back, and I’m now in the process of creating Team Neo Flare!

“Team Neo Flare,” Serena shuddered.

“What are you going to do,” Ash challenged.

“Give back Squishy’s friend RIGHT NOW,” Bonnie demanded.

“Oh, I can’t do that,” Xerosic taunted, “I’m going to get every cell and obtain Zygarde Complete Form! Lysandre’s ambitions will then be able to come true!” Xerosic belted out a menacing laugh, imagining the immense power he would have with Zygarde under his full control.

“I’m never gonna let you get away with that,” Ash hissed, “Greninja, smash that thing! Water Shuriken!” Greninja grasped the giant shuriken on his back and threw it towards the glass cylinder.

“Stop them with Signal Beam,” Xerosic commanded. Malamar lunged forward and unleashed a quick signal beam that collided with Greninja’s water shuriken. The collision caused the water shuriken to evaporate and covered the group in a thick fog, blinding them.

“Clemont, they took it,” Bonnie cried.

“And I know that cell is Squishy’s friend,” Clemont fretted. Suddenly, a blue light enveloped Clemont and lifted him off the ground. Clemont yelped in horror as Malamar used Psychic on him and pulled him into their grasp.

“You’ll be coming with us too,” Xerosic grinned. Xerosic and Malamar pulled Clemont into the bowels of their truck and quickly sped off into the forest.

“Clemont, no,” Ash and Bonnie cried.

[Clemont!] Ash and Greninja gave a slight jolt. They almost forgot that they were in contact with Squishy.

[Ash, you must rescue Clemont and our cells at all costs! Xerosic is trying to revive the Kalos Crisis! I shudder to think of the horrors Xerosic will put them through!]

“We will,” Ash replied before turning to Greninja, “You can catch up to them. Do it!”

{I’m on it!} Greninja gave a quick nod before sprinting off in chase of the truck.

[I’ll try to pin point their location from the remaining free cells. I’ll collect as many as I can to keep them away from Xerosic.]

“Okay, I’ll send out my other Pokémon to search the skies,” Ash asserted, “We’ll catch up with Greninja. Good luck Squishy!”

[Good luck Ash!]

“Talonflame! Hawlucha! Noivern,” Ash called as he threw their Pokéballs into the air. With a quick gong, the three flying types landed in front of Ash.

“Listen guys,” Ash declared, “Xerosic kidnapped Clemont and is stealing Squishy’s cells. I need Talonflame and Hawlucha to fly after the truck and help Greninja. Noivern, I need you to scope out the forest and find Squishy. Help them collect and protect their cells.” Talonflame, Hawlucha, and Noivern all cried in determination before leaping off the ground and into the air. Talonflame and Hawlucha fled off in the same direction as Greninja while Noivern flew higher into the sky. After his Pokémon took off, ash turned to Serena and Bonnie.

“Come on,” he urged, “We need to catch up to them!” Serena and Bonnie quickly nodded and sprinted off.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Xerosic felt triumphant. He had already captured five of the Zygarde cells and now had the genius inventor, second only to himself, and Lumiose City gym leader in his clutches. He felt that he had all that he needed to pick back up where Lysandre started. The five cells were trapped within the glass cylinder while Malamar restrained Clemont with psychic. Clemont struggled against Malamar’s psychic grip, but any effort to move was fruitless.

“What are you planning to do with me,” Clemont demanded.

“Your scientific knowledge will be useful,” Xerosic grinned, “You will join us of course!”

“I’ll never help you!”

“Oh, I don’t need you to agree. If I use my control system on you, you’ll do as I say. Just like Zygarde did. You’ll be an enhanced human.” Clemont growled in anger. There was no way he would be Xerosic’s enhanced human. He wouldn’t let Team Neo Flare reshape the world. His angry thoughts were interrupted when Malamar stopped using psychic and dropped Clemont hard on the ground. Clemont groaned in pain as he tried to straighten up.

“Prepare to use the beam,” Xerosic bellowed.

“Wait,” Clemont pleaded, “Please don’t use the beam!” Clemont began to silently panic. He felt his heart begin to pound within his chest and his breath began to catch in his throat. He had to think fast. He had to find a way to resist the control system. If only he … Wait!

“I have one request,” Clemont shuddered, “May I clean my glasses first?”

“That’s all,” Xerosic snickered, “But of course,”

“Thanks very much.” Clemont pulled out his handkerchief and quickly wiped his right lens. He faked a sigh of defeat and acceptance as he placed his glasses back over his eyes. The control system began to whir as its nozzle pointed at Clemont.

“Now ready,” Xerosic taunted, “Let’s begin.” Clemont’s eyes were unreadable, and his jaw was tense. He didn’t know how the beam would feel, but he prayed that his last-minute defense would pay off. If not, he hoped that Ash and the others would find him soon. Clemont clenched his fists and prepared for the blast. The machine whirred louder as a ball of red energy formed at the tip of the nozzle. The energy ball grew larger and larger until it burst into a thin beam. The only sound that could be heard in the truck now was Clemont’s pain-filled screams.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“WHEN I SAY ‘NO’ I MEAN ‘NO’,” Jessie barked as she pointed at the laptop, “My close up should be right here!”

“It should be when I give Inkay my command,” James insisted.

“Please,” Jessie scoffed in response.

“Now hear this,” Meowth snapped, “It’s gonna be when I was flying the news copter, capiche!” Jessie, James, and Wobbuffet cried “what,” as they pounced on Meowth, trying to pry him off of the laptop.

“The point of editing this is so that it looks like we destroyed Team Flare and not the twerps, you twit,” James scolded.

“What will we do if the boss finds out,” Jessie screeched. Much like Ash, Team Rocket’s journey through Kalos was nearly finished. They too were set to return to Kanto and report back to Team Rocket Headquarters and present their Pokémon to Giovanni. However, they stopped in the exact same forest as our heroes to create a glowing video presentation on their involvement in stopping Lysandre from reaching Anistar City. Of course, the video was a clear fabrication of their events, painting them as the sole line of defense against Lysandre and his giant rock. The team was now bickering amongst themselves over who deserved the most screentime in the presentation. Their intensifying struggle was so deafening that they did not hear the nearby rustling of the bushes in front of their stump. Squishy and Zygarde lept out of the bushes and over the heads of Team Rocket. Team Rocket’s squabbles ceased as they noticed Squishy’s and Zygarde 2’s shadows soaring above them. Squishy skidded to a stop once they noticed Team Rocket.

“Why are you stopping,” Zygarde questioned. They got their answer as they noticed Squishy’s glare pointed at Team Rocket.

“Wait, is that,” James whispered.

“They’re the Pokémon that Team Flare used to create those crazy vines,” Meowth gasped.

“And you’re the band of crooks who are constantly targeting my family,” Squishy snarled.

“I take it you know these people,” Zygarde guessed.

“I do,” Squishy replied, “They call themselves Team Rocket. They’re a group of petty Pokémon thieves who have stalked my family all throughout Kalos! And here you are, no doubt trying your tricks to ambush them and steal their Pokémon again!”

“PETTY,” Jessie raged, “Our tricks take a lot of planning and have loads of class you slimy dog!”

“And we’re not up to any tricks,” James added, “We’re just video editing before we go back to Kanto!”

“… Actually,” Meowth snickered, “Yous two showing up is just the last hoorah we need before going home! Unlike those posers in Team Flare, the boss can actually rule the world with you two under his command!” Jessie and James grew a pair of wicked grins on their faces as Meowth’s idea set into their heads.

“Indeed,” James chuckled, “With you two under Giovanni, Team Rocket will finally take its rightful place as rulers of the world!”

“You’re not just petty, you’re stupid,” Zygarde growled, “We are two legendary Pokémon! Do you really think you have any power that can match ours?”

“You forget,” Jessie taunted, “You are not even close to your complete form! We also outnumber you six to two! Let’s get them Gourgeist! Use Shadow Ball!”

“You too Inkay,” James shouted, “Use Psybeam!” Jessie and James tossed their Pokéballs into the air and with two gongs, Gourgeist and Inkay were released. Gourgeist and Inkay quickly readied their attacks; Shadow Ball growing bigger with purple light while Psybeam glowed cyan blue. Squishy and Zygarde quickly charged up a dual Dragon Pulse to counter the attacks, but Gourgeist and Inkay quickly released their attacks before their charge could finish. Squishy and Zygarde 2 braced themselves for the impact, only for a powerful channel of sound to cut off the attacks midair. The channel caused both attacks to burst, kicking up loose dirt and temporarily blinding Team Rocket and their Pokémon. As the villains coughed away the clouds of dirt, Squishy and Zygarde looked to the sky to see where the mysterious sound blast came from. They soon got their answer as a large winged shadow ascended from the canopy. Zygarde stared at the figure in confusion while Squishy beamed.

“Noivern,” Squishy thrilled. Noivern happily screeched as they descended from the canopy and flapped their wings slowly, swishing more dust into Team Rocket. Team Rocket gasped and sputtered as they fanned away the curtain of dirt that cloaked them. Noivern landed in front of Squishy and knelt down to their level, gently headbutting them.

“I’m so glad you found us,” Squishy chuckled as Noivern playfully nudged their head.

“And not a moment too soon,” Zygarde exhaled, “These nuisances have wasted enough of our time. We have to find our cells before Xerosic does!”

“You’re right,” Squishy agreed, “Noivern. Please help us give Team Rocket one last blast off.” Noivern cheekily squeaked and the three dragon-types leapt back a few feet. Squishy and Zygarde once again charged up Dragon Pulse while Noivern prepared Boomburst. The tan dust cloud surrounding Team Rocket began to disperse as their coughing began to die out.

“That came out of nowhere,” James coughed.

“But what I’m asking is, just what was that,” Jessie gulped as she squinted her eyes open. Jessie received her answer as she and the others heard the whirring of energy being built up. Team Rocket peered into the thinning veil of dust to try and make out the source of the sound, only to be met with the red, blue, and violet hues of two Dragon Pules surrounding the channel of a Boomburst hurdling towards them. Team Rocket only had enough time to clump together in shock as the three attacks collided with them and thrusted them off the forest floor. Team Rocket shrieked in surprise as they and their gear flew into the sky.

“What I want to know is what was that,” Meowth squealed as he tensed from the impact of the moves.

“Wabba Wa,” Wobbuffet bubbled as they held up the video camera that was, surprisingly, untouched by the attacks.

“You recorded the whole thing,” Jessie gasped.

“Inkay Inkay,” Inkay chimed in as he and Gourgeist held up the team’s laptop.

“And you two saved the laptop,” James thrilled. Team Rocket quickly huddled together and clutched the technologies close.

“Yous guys are real troopers,” Meowth cheered, “Now hold onto those tight!”

“CAUSE WE’RE BLASTING OFF AGAIN,” they screamed as they rocketed through the air and disappeared into the horizion. Zygarde let out a ‘humph’ as the three watched Team Rocket’s blast off.

“Good riddance,” Zygarde grumbled. Noivern gave a quick grunt in response, agreeing with Zygarde 2.

“Now that that’s out of the way,” Squishy sighed, “Noivern, use your sonar to locate our cells from the air. We’ll follow you from the ground.” Noivern gave out a confident cry as they spread out their wings. Noivern lept up into the air and gave a mighty flap of their wings, soaring up to the canopy. Once above the trees, they closed their eyes and emitted a broad soundwave into their surroundings. Noivern held its breath as the high pitch ring of the soundwave drew quieter as it flowed out. After a few seconds, the ringing returned, along with an image of the forest ahead. A few hundred meters ahead of them sat one of the cells nestled within a tree’s branches. Noivern alerted Squishy and Zygarde towards the cell and flew in its direction.

“They found one already,” Zygarde praised, “quickly, after them!” Zygarde dashed off after Noivern, weaving through the tree trunks. Squishy bounded after them, leaping over roots and rocks.

“I hope Ash and the others have caught up to Xerosic,” Squishy hopefully thought as they caught up with Zygarde.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Xerosic’s truck continued to barrel through the forest, not caring when it pushed over trees or nearly ran over wild Pokémon. Greninja was able to keep himself hidden from view by hiding in the dust cloud that the truck continuously kicked up behind it. Greninja would occasionally update Ash on where Xerosic would turn in the forest so he and the others could catch up to them. Greninja could feel his blood boil after his last update to Ash. Xerosic was destroying parts of the forest and putting innocent Pokémon in danger! Greninja could feel his legs burn from the lactic acid, his heart beating fast and hard, and his lungs ached from overworking. He hissed to himself, wanting the truck to stop already, or at least slow down. He got his wish as the truck suddenly screeched to a halt. Greninja nearly tripped over his feet from the sudden stop but was able to regain his footing and dart behind a nearby tree. He crouched down along the tree’s trunk for a few seconds until he heard shaking leaves behind him. Greninja readied his Cut attack and spun around to meet his attacker, only to find that it was Talonflame and Hawlucha perched on lower branch. Greninja let out a sigh of relief and canceled out the Cut. Talonflame and Hawlucha quietly glided down to the forest floor and crouched next to Greninja. The three Pokémon couched lower once they heard the collection chamber being raised up to the truck’s roof. They dared not move a muscle as they watched the side door of the truck open, allowing Xerosic and his Malamar to stroll out of the truck.

“My dear cell,” Xerosic mused in a sing-song voice, “where are you?” Xerosic activated his goggles and began to scan his surroundings, looking for the nearby cell.

“Talon,” Talonflame mouthed, asking Greninja if they should get closer.

“Ninja,” Greninja nodded. He pointed to the large tires at the back of the truck, indicating that they can stay out of Xerosic’s sight from there. Greninja motioned for the two flying-types to follow his lead, followed by a quick nod between the three. Greninja, Hawlucha, and Talonflame carefully crept along the tire treads, staying as low to the ground as they could. The three stopped a few feet behind the large, grey tire just as Xerosic and Malamar began to stroll towards the forest. The three Pokémon leered at Xerosic, quietly growling under their breaths.

“Hawlucha,” Hawlucha whispered, saying that Greninja should contact Ash. Greninja nodded and focused his mind, reaching out to Ash. His vision began to cloud over for a few seconds until he finally managed to reach Ash.

{Ash, we found Xerosic!} Ash let out a soft gasp and stopped in his tracks once he heard Greninja again.

“Greninja just found them,” Ash declared and Serena and Bonne stopped beside him.

“How’s Clemont,” Serena worriedly asked.

“Well,” Ash lilted as he closed his eyes to help him focus on Greninja’s vision, “all I see are Xerosic and Malamar.” Pikachu gave a worried “Pika” from Ash’s shoulder.

“Think that you can sneak inside somehow Greninja,” Ash probed.

{Let’s see.}

“Talon,” Talonflame whispered as they pointed their wing towards Xerosic and Malamar. The two had their backs completely turned on the truck, giving the team a chance to search for an entrance. The three Pokémon crept closer to the truck, hoping to find a way in. Meanwhile, Xerosic and Malamar had entered a small clearing along the forest barrier, having followed a signal from Xerosic’s goggles.

“Oh, there you are,” Xerosic grinned as he finally located the camouflaged cell, “Malamar, use Psychic.” Malamar’s irises began to glow cyan blue as they initiated Psychic. A similar blue hue enveloped the cell as it was peeled off from the tree trunk it was hiding against. Xerocis watched with wicked glee as the cell was flown through the air and was deposited into the holding chamber with the other collected cells. Xerosic released a pleased and arrogant laugh, confident in his progress. All the while, Greninja, Hawlucha, and Talonflame inched closer to the back of the truck, looking to find a door to sneak in through.

Snap

Greninja froze in shock as he stepped on an obscured twig; the audible snap blowing their cover. Xerosic and Malamar jerked their heads towards the sound and growled at the sight of the three Pokémon. Ash, who was still seeing through Greninja’s eyes, felt a cold jolt run down his back once seeing Xerosic’s angered eyes fixated on his Pokémon.

“Oh no,” he cried as he and the others hastened their pace.

“Grah,” Xerosic raged, “What are you doing here? Malamar, use Signal Beam!” Malamar levitated up high into the air and charged its psychic energy into a powerful, large ball. With a loud cry, it trusted the energy towards the three Pokémon in a thick beam. Greninja, Hawlucha, and Talonflame leapt into the air themselves, barely missing being hit by the beam.

“Greninja,” Ash commanded through their bond, “Water Shuriken!” Greninja reached towards his back once again, grasped the giant water shuriken, and flung it towards Malamar. Talonflame began to unleash a barrage of Razor Winds, increasing the speed and power of the Water Shuriken. Malamar could only brace themselves as they were directly hit by the Water Shuriken and Razor Winds. At that time, Ash, Serena, and Bonnie had finally caught up to the Pokémon and had stopped on a ledge above them.

“There they are,” Bonnie exclaimed.

“You give both of them back,” Ash demanded.

“Hmph,” Xerosic grumbled, “Retreat for now. Alright Malamar, use Psycho Cut!” The tips of Malamar’s tentacles began to glow as they brought them together. With a quick thrust of the tentacles, a sharp wave of purple energy shot forward and towards the group. Hawlucha quickly leapt in front of Greninja and Talonflame and spread out his wings. His wings began to glow, and he swiftly brought them together in an x shape, unleashing an X-Scissor. The two moves collided and caused a mini explosion, kicking up the dust around the Pokémon and temporarily blinding them. The explosion gave Xerosic and Malamar enough time to retreat into the truck and begin to speed off. The trio coughed hard and tried to fan off the dust that enveloped them. Greninja was able to clear out the dust from his eyes first and noticed the truck barreling away. Greninja let out an enraged cry as he chased after the truck. There was no way he was letting that monster get away! Greninja unleashed a powerful leap and catapulted himself in front of the truck. However, the truck increased its speed and thundered straight at Greninja. Xerosic smirked in malicious glee while Ash and the others screamed in horror as the truck bulldozed through where Greninja landed.

“NO,” Serena cried as she covered her eyes, “It can’t be!” Bonnie hugged Dedenne close while Talonflame shook their head in denial of what they just saw. Hawlucha covered his eyes with one of his wings, trying to fight back the tears stinging his eyes. Hawlucha shuddered as he tried to lower his wing back down, afraid to see the fate of his sibling. With a hard swallow, Hawlucha forced his wing down and peered towards the tire tracks and saw … nothing?

“Ha-hawlu,” Hawlucha faltered, drawing everyone’s attention to the lack of Greninja.

“Wait,” Bonnie wondered, “Were’s Greninja?”

“They’re fine,” Ash revealed. Serena looked towards Ash in confusion, but then realization as she noticed his focused stare. Ash’s vision transitioned from the road ahead of him to an upside-down view of a truck’s underside racing through the forest. Ash could also see Greninja’s webbed hands clinging to the underside of the truck.

“Greninja’s fine,” Ash sighed in relief, “They’re hiding underneath!” Serena, Bonnie, and Pikachu let out their own sighs of relief while Talonflame and Hawlucha chirped in joy. Ash refocused his mind and reached out to Greninja.

“You are okay, right,” Ash probed.

{Yes, I’m fine. I’m sorry I scared you. I thought I had more time to …}

“No, no it’s okay. I’m just so glad you’re safe! Just … just hang on, we’ll catch up to you.” Greninja slightly snorted at the pun, but also felt a comforting warmth in his heart from their trainer’s joy in them being okay. He eased up on his link with Ash to focus on clinging to the truck as it continued to barrel through the forest.

“Okay,” Ash exclaimed, “Let’s go!” Ash, Serena, and Bonnie raced off to reach the forest path while Talonflame and Hawlucha took off into the sky to track the truck once again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Greninja felt like he had been under the truck for hours. Not once has it stopped after they nearly avoided being flattened. Greninja’s hands and feet began to cramp and the heat from the engine was nearly burning them. Greninja craned his neck to see the forest ahead of the truck, trying to find some clue as to where Xerosic was headed. He squinted his eyes to prevent any dirt from flying into his eyes. Through his squint, Greninja made out a large grey jet-like device in the distance. It looked like Xerosic was planning to fly out of the forest! Greninja quickly reached out again to Ash and updated him on Xerosic’s intentions. As the truck came closer to the device, it began to greatly decrease its speed and Greninja prepared himself to release his grip on the truck.

“One … Two … Three,” Greninja counted. Greninja’s finger and toe pads peeled off the underside of the truck. He turned his body so that he would land on his hands and feet. His hands and feet slightly stung as they planted onto the forest floor. Greninja crouched lower as the truck passed over him. Greninja snuck over to the right and crouched in the bushes as the truck drove onto a loading pad. At that same time, Talonflame and Hawlucha caught up to the truck and noticed Greninja’s release from its underside. The two flying types swooped towards the forest floor and approached Greninja’s hiding spot, quietly calling out to him to not spook him like last time. Greninja motioned for them to crouch beside him, only to be taken by surprise by a tight hug from Talonflame. Talonflame stepped back and began to look over Greninja, checking for any injuries. Greninja felt a twinge of guilt in his chest, they must’ve been terrified after the truck tried to run him over. Greninja turned over to Hawlucha and was immediately met with a swift Karate Chop to his forehead. That twinge of guilt was replaced by a throbbing pain.

“Haw! Haw! Hawlucha,” Hawlucha hissed, essentially warning Greninja to never do something like that again.

“Gre. Ninja-gre,” Greninja groaned while rubbing his forehead. He winced while the pain slowly faded and looked back towards Hawlucha. Hawlucha’s glare was intense, but it began to morph into a worried grimace. With an apologetic and relieved cry, he hugged Greninja with Talonflame. Greninja hugged them back, apologizing himself for frightening them. The three Pokémon were then jolted out of their hug by the sound of hydraulics. They turned towards the truck and noticed the strange contraption lowering onto the top of the truck and latching on. The four vents on the back of the device whirred to life and burned a bright orange glow. Xerosic was preparing for takeoff! Talonflame pointed towards the right wing, stating that they could hang on to the outside, so they don’t lose Xerosic. The three Pokémon charged out of the bushes and rushed towards the wing. Hawlucha and Talonflame dug their talons into the wing’s sheet metal while Greninja stuck his finger and toe pads to the surface, securing themselves onto the wing. The newly jet-powered truck blasted off of the ground and into the air, causing the trio to tense and flatten their bodies onto the wing to secure themselves more. Greninja reopened his eyes to keep track of where they were flying but was taken aback once he saw a forcefield of some kind envelope the truck. Greninja growled in anger once he realized that it was an invisibility shield. All the while, Xerosic engaged the autopilot of the truck.

“Alright,” Xerosic sighed, “it looks like I’ve gotten away. By now, that thing should be finished.” Xerosic sat up from his chair and strolled towards the center of the truck to check on Clemont’s progress. Realizing that Ash and the others would no longer be able to see them from their own perspectives, Greninja refocused on his bond with Ash to let him see through his eyes.

Meanwhile, Ash, Serena, and Bonnie continued to race through the foliage to keep up with Xerosic. All three were silent, each occupied with watching the area ahead and within their own thoughts. How does Xerosic plan to revive the Kalos Crisis? How many cells did he already capture? Where does Clemont fall into that plan?

“I - I just don’t get it,” Bonnie stammered, “Squishy got rid of all the vines and that big rock! How can Xerosic bring them back?” Serena had been pondering that too. She had been playing back her memories of Team Flare’s attack, trying to figure out what else Xerosic could be after in order to achieve his twisted goal. Her mind skipped between the scenes of the vines tearing through the streets, her fighting off Team Flare’s goons, and watching Ash fend off the giant rock to keep it from reaching Anistar City.

“… Anistar City,” Serena gasped. Ash and Bonnie snapped out of their thoughts and turned their attention to Serena.

“I think … I think I know what Xerosic plans to do. The Anistar City Sundial! It has the same power as that giant rock they used to control Squishy and Zygarde! Xerosic could actually restart the crisis if they take control of the sundial!”

“Then we’ll just have to catch him here,” Ash declared. The trio slowed their pace once they arrived at a large rock pillar. Ash came to a complete stop once he received Greninja’s vision.

“I can see them,” Ash began, “Up there!” Ash pointed towards the top of the pillar. Greninja’s field of view showed the truck soaring atop of it.

“Let’s go,” Ash stated as he dashed off.

“Right,” Serena and Bonnie replied as they followed close behind.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Back in the dim lit center chamber of the truck, Clemont stood with his back towards the glass cylinder containing the Zygarde cells. His composure rivaled a statue. His expression was unreadable, and there was bright light reflection in his glasses that hid his eyes. The door leading to the pilot’s chamber opened with a soft swish and Xerosic strolled through.

“So,” Xerosic probed as he stopped in front of Clemont, “how are you feeling now?”

“I feel great,” Clemont answered with monotone, “thanks to you Xerosic, leader of Team Neo Flare.” Xerosic let out a pleased squeal as he spun around.

“That has such a nice ring,” Xerosic sang.

Meanwhile, Ash, Serena, and Bonnie grunted and groaned as they climbed up the rocky side of the mountain towards the top. Ash gave out one last rough grunt as he pulled himself onto the top’s floor.

“We’re here,” Ash exhaustedly declared as they ran towards the center. They began to look around the sky surrounding the mountain, hoping to see the scene that Greninja saw in his last connection to Ash.

“I know Greninja, Hawlucha, and Talonflame are flying around here,” Ash breathed, “Though I can’t see just where.” Ash reconnected to Greninja and looked through his eyes. All that Greninja could see was the wing of the plane and the side of the mountain. He had to get a new view!

“Greninja,” Ash announced, “we’re here! Up at the top of the mountain!” Greninja lightly pushed himself up from the wing to help get a better view. He turned his head towards the mountain top and quickly located Ash, Serena, and Bonnie. Greninja quickly shared his view with Ash.

“I see them,” Ash notified, “I should be able to reach them if I jump! I’ll hop on that plane!” Serena and bonnie gasped in shock. That was absolutely crazy, even for Ash!

“Not from here,” Serena shrieked.

“What happens if you fall,” Bonnie stuttered.

“I can’t let them escape,” Ash avowed as he turned to get a running start, “I gotta do it! I’m going!” Ash knew that if he didn’t get on that plane, Xerosic would take Clemont, his Pokémon, and the Zygarde cells to who knows where. He wouldn’t be able to protect them if Xerosic got away! Ash adjusted his cap and turned towards Pikachu perched on his shoulder.

“Okay, are you with me,” he asked Pikachu.

“Pika pika,” Pikachu replied with a clutched fist, signaling that he was with Ash all the way. Serena joined Ash’s side, taking his hand into her own.

“I’m going too,” She declared.

“Me too,” Bonnie added as she took Ash’s other hand, “We’re always a team, right?” Ash smiled at them, glad to have them at his side.

“Alright,” Ash asserted, “make sure you do what I say.” The three tightened their grips on each other, anticipating the moment they needed to jump. Greninja kept a close watch on Ash and the others, relaying to Ash where the plane was flying. Hawlucha and Talonflame perched next to Greninja, ready to help him pull Ash and the others onto the plane’s wing. Ash braced himself as he sensed the plane coming closer and closer, until came the best moment.

“Now,” Ash ordered, “let’s go!” The trio took off towards the mountain’s edge, gradually picking up speed. The three pushed off from the edge and began to soar into the air. The three yelled in determination and worry as they began to fall along the mountainside. Ash forced himself to silence his scream as he pushed all of his focus to his bond with Greninja, letting his Pokémon know where they were falling. Greninja felt a pang of panic in his veins as he saw the trio pass the plane’s wing. Greninja quickly uncoiled his tongue from his neck and thrusted it towards them. It tightly wrapped around Serena’s wrist and began to pull them up back towards the plane. The three yelped in surprise as they seemed to disappear into thin air, all thanks to the invisibility shield. Greninja quickly yanked them onto the wing where Hawlucha and Talonflame caught them and helped them cling to the wing. Greninja re-wrapped his tongue around his neck and let out a “Ninja” of relief.

{Thank Arceus you’re alright!}

“You did it Greninja,” Ash thanked before turning to Hawlucha and Talonflame, “and thank you too for catching us!”

“Yeah, thank you,” Serena added.

“That was a close one,” Bonnie gasped, “but how do we get in and save Clemont

“Hawlucha,” Hawlucha answered. He was pointing to an emergeny escape hatch along the body of the plane.

“Great spot Hawlucha,” Ash praised, “Now let’s get inside!” The group began to crawl their way towards the latch with their Pokémon keeping them secure along the plane’s surface. Talonflame pulled ahead of the group and used their talons to pry open the door. Our heroes quickly pulled themselves into the walkway behind the door and shut it closed. They then began to trudge down the walkway until they reached the inner chamber of the plane. One by one, they climbed down the ladder that connected the exit way to the chamber.

“Clemont,” Ash pondered, “where could he be?” Ash began to step nimbly across the floor, not wanting to step on anything that would alert Xerosic. He and Pikachu scanned the room for any signs of Clemont, Xerosic, or the cells. Ash turned towards his right and came face to face with the stoic stance of Clemont. Pikachu gasped in surprise as Ash and Bonnie called out to Clemont. Bonnie began to approach Clemont to check on him but stopped in her tracks as a menacing chuckle entered her ears. The group turned towards the laughter and came face to face with Xerosic and his Malamar and Crobat.

“I welcome you all to the unveiling of the enhanced human,” Xerosic sickly greeted as he strolled over to the group.

“What did you do,” Ash growled.

“Give me back my brother and Squishy’s friends RIGHT NOW,” Bonnie demanded. Xerosic could only guffaw in evil glee at their demands.

“Your brother is currently being mind controlled,” Xerosic taunted, “and has become Team Neo Flare first enhanced human!” Bonnie gasped in horror upon hearing that her brother was under Xerosic’s control. She turned towards Clemont in disbelief, scared for her brother.

“Yes, Xerosic sir,” Clemont emotionlessly replied.

“CLEMONT,” Bonnie shrieked.

“It can’t be,” Serena shuddered.

“Clemont, snap out of it,” Ash blurted.

“Pika,” Pikachu cried.

Unit One,” Xerosic ordered, “your first job is to CAPTURE THEM ALL!”

“Right, as you wish,” Clemont complied. He raised his arms ahead of him and began to advance on the group, swaying like a zombie. Hawlucha and Talonflame leapt in front of the group and spread their wings, trying to block Clemont from coming any closer.

“This can’t be real,” Serena stammered.

“Clemont,” Bonnie faltered.

“Pika pika,” Pikachu squeaked.

“There’s no way Clemont could be that weak,” Ash spat. Ash knew Clemont; there was no way that he would’ve given in to Xerosic. They both knew how twisted and flat out crazy he was. He would’ve found a way to resist or fight back; use that big brain of his to outsmart him somehow. The group watched in tense anticipation as Clemont continued to sway towards them and Xerosic chortled in sinister victory.

“He’d never give in to your mind control,” Ash declared, still confident that Clemont did something to resist Xerosic. Clemont came to a halt just in front of the group, his head was hung low as he flatly laughed. Suddenly, Clemont raised his head in triumph and beamed at the gang!

“Thank you for having faith in me Ash,” Clemont grinned. Everyone within the room gasped; our heroes in joy and Xerosic in shock and disbelief. Xerosic felt a pang of panic in his chest as the group and their Pokémon turned their attention onto him.

“You know I’m an inventor,” Clemont smirked, “The future is now, thanks to science! CLEMONTIC GEAR ON!” Clemont pulled a small disk from his left temple.

“After what happened before,” he continued, “I invented this multi-electromagnetic wave blocker! I call it ‘Jamming Unit One!’ I inconspicuously attached it while pretending to wipe off my glasses!”

“UNBELIEVABLE,” Xerosic choked.

“That makes twice you failed against one of my inventions,” Clemont boasted, “This device and my Clembot should prove whose inventions are superior! Time to admit you’ve been defeated!”

“M-my inventions are inferior,” Xerosic quavered, “THIS IS NOT POSSIBLE! CROBAT, USE AIR SLASH! NOW!” Crobat fluttered above the group and prepared their attack; their top wings glowing bright as they crossed.

“Chespin,” Clemont called as he threw their Pokéball, “Pin Missile!” Just as Chespin was released, Corbat had thrusted its wings apart and fired three Air Slashes. Chespin unleashed a battle cry as their head quills began to glow. They ducked down as five Pin Missiles fired from the quills and collided with the Air Slashes. The collision of moves resulted in a mini explosion that gave Ash and Serena the chance to stand by Clemont.

“Clemont, Serena,” Ash asserted, “let’s get them together!”

“Alright,” Clemont conferred.

“Let’s do this,” Serena urged as she released Braixen from her Pokéball. Greninja, Hawlucha, Talonflame, Braixen, and Chespin formed a wall, separating Xerosic from their trainers. Each Pokémon cried in determination to defeat Malamar and Crobat and stop Xerosic here and now!

“Alright Malamar, Signal Beam,” Xerosic commanded, “and Crobat, Wing Attack!” Crobat flew up towards the ceiling while Malamar quickly shot out their Signal Beam.

“Braixen,” Serena ordered, “block it with Flamethrower!” Braixen grabbed her stick from her tail and lifted it towards Malamar. A thick stream of fire erupted from the end of the stick and collided with the Signal Beam, creating a thick cloud of smoke blinding Malamar and Crobat.

“Chespin, use Tackle,” Clemont shouted.

“Hawlucha,” Ash added, “use Flying Press!” Chespin released their vines and wrapped them around Greninja’s left arm. Greninja spun his body around and flung Chespin towards Crobat, hitting them point blank with their Tackle. This stunned Crobat and stopped them from unleashing their Wing Attack. Meanwhile, Hawlucha charged towards Talonflame who cupped their wings together. Hawlucha leapt onto the wing and Talonflame thrust Hawlucha into the air. Hawlucha spun their body and struck Crobat with a full force Flying Press. Hawlucha slammed Crobat into the ground and leapt back to rejoin the group.

“You pesky, little,” Xerosic growled, “I’m not going to let you annoying brats ruin my PLAN OF PERFECTION! Now Crobat, use Air Slash!” Crobat picked themselves off from the floor and shot back up into the air. They crossed all four of their wings as they glowed a bright white. They quickly uncrossed their wings and shot out four Air Slashes.

“Greninja, Water Shuriken,” Ash interjected, “and Talonflame, Razor Wind!” Greninja and Talonflame recreated their Water Shuriken-Razor Wind combo and unleashed the attacks at the Air Slashes, destroying them. The combo move powered through the collision and struck Crobat, knocking them out.

“Crobat, return,” Xerosic grumbled as he recalled Crobat to their Pokéball, “This is not acceptable! As long as I have my ideas and my genius mind, I’ll be able to recreate this world! Defeat is not an option!” Xerosic’s voice was panicked and his composure was crumbling. He believed that his plan should have been foolproof, but was outsmarted and overpowered by four children and their Pokémon! As much as it killed him, he had to admit that he was no match for the group when he only had Malamar left. If he was going to win this war, he was going to have to lose this battle. He and his Malamar made a beeline for the hatch on the truck’s side with Ash and Clemont giving chase.

“Come back,” Ash demanded. Xerosic slammed his fist against the touch panel; the side door opening with a swish.

“Malamar, return,” Xerosic stated as Malamar was pulled back into their Pokéball, “We must meet again sometime! I’m not finished yet! See you again!” Xerosic thrust himself from the truck door and into the air, freefalling towards the ground.

“YOU WON’T GET AWAY,” Clemont barked. Clemont planted himself at the base of the door and activated his Aipom Arm. The Aipom Arm quickly extended towards Xerosic and grasped his coat by its flare emblem, successfully catching him before he could activate any escape measures. Xerosic flailed aggressively, trying to break free from the grip of the robotic arm.

“L-let go,” Xerosic stammered.

“You’re gonna pay for all the awful things you did,” Clemont chastised, “And from now on, you need to invent things that help humanity!” Xerosic tried to fire back that his plans would help humanity, but instead turned away from the inventor and his friends. He tensed in the grip of the arm, stiff with shame and defeat.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After reigning Xerosic back into the truck and restraining him, Serena was able to contact Officer Jenny of Lumiose City. Serena informed Jenny of Team Neo Flare, Xerosic’s kidnapping and cell-napping escapade, and her theory about the Anistar City Sundial. Officer Jenny directed the group to a large clearing near Lumiose City where they could land and transfer Xerosic over to her and release the cells back into the forest. Within the hour, Clemont took control of the truck and piloted it over to the clearing. As Officer Jenny was directing Xerosic into the back of her patrol car, he stopped to turn towards Clemont. Before he was carted off to prison, he had to know Clemont’s secret. He had to know why he was so powerful with inventing and battling.

“Tell me something,” he pleaded, “You’ve got a lot of strength, but why?” Clemont grew a soft smirk on his face as he adjusted his glasses.

“Honestly,” Clemont disclosed, “I wasn’t that strong before. But my time with Ash and all my friends, and all that we’ve experienced, that’s given me the strength I have now!” Xerosic gasped; it was as if he just had an epiphany.

“Your friends,” he whispered.

“Now get in,” Jessie interrupted. She didn’t want to wait for his booking any longer; the sooner he faced justice for what he’d done, the better. As the group watched the patrol car cruise along the dirt path towards the station, its siren dissipating as it drove along, they wondered about Xerosic’s response to Clemont’s answer. Whether he realized that true strength and harmony comes from the bonds of love, trust, and friendship people make with each other, or if he twisted Clemont’s words to fit with Team Neo Flare’s haunting goals was uncertain.

“Glad that’s over with,” Serena sighed. Bonnie sighed as well, but quickly turned her attention away from the patrol car and towards one of the released calls that was by her feet.

“Hey,” she murmured, “you know Squishy, right? Squishy’s your friend.” The cell only laid flat on the ground in response. Bonnie looked on in worry, wondering if Squishy was safe, along with Zygarde 2 and Noivern. She was broken out of her thoughts when the cell she was watching, along with the other four cells, began to glow a bright green. The five cells floated off of the ground and then shot into the foliage behind the group. Everyone turned towards the foliage, ready to run after the cells, but stiffened when they noticed the bushes shaking. Their Pokémon stood in front of them, ready to fend off whatever was heading their way. They watched and waited for the threat to show themselves, when out from the bushes leapt out Squishy in their 10% form. Upon seeing Bonnie, Squishy stopped and reverted back to their core, their cells dispersing behind them in strands of green light.

“BONNIE,” Squishy cried. Serena and Clemont slightly jumped. They’ve never heard Squishy’s telepathy before. Ash and his Pokémon beamed upon seeing Squishy safe and sound. Bonnie stared at Squishy starry-eyed as a huge grin spread along her face.

“SQUISHY,” Bonnie squealed and she sprinted towards Squishy. Bonnie knelt down and scooped them up, gently nuzzling them against her cheek.

“I missed you,” she gushed, “Feeling better now, my little Squishy?” Squishy happily chirped in her arms as she hugged them again.

“I am so glad you’re all safe,” Squishy sighed as they cuddled closer to Bonnie, “I was so worried that Xerosic escaped with Clemont or that he captured all of you!”

“We’re fine,” Clemont chimed as he and the others gathered around Bonnie and Squishy, “Xerosic has been taken into custody and the cells he captured have been freed.”

“I can’t thank you all enough,” Squishy babbled, “You stopped Xerosic and saved our cells again! I … I couldn’t have asked for a better family!” The group beamed as they huddled around Bonnie and Squishy, enveloping them in a big hug. Squishy quietly sighed as they closed their eye, happy to be reunited with their family once again.

… Family.

“Oh, that’s right,” Squishy gasped as they wiggled out of Bonnie’s hug and turned towards the group, “I split off from Zygarde and Noivern to try and find you when we collected over half of our cells. They are waiting for us in a glade not too far from here. Follow me!” Squishy bounded into the foliage with our heroes trailing behind them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The sky transitioned from a light blue to a golden amber as the sun began to set over the horizon. The dense canopy was bathed in the golden sunlight that was able to beam through their gaps. Our heroes were mesmerized by the sight as they trekked along the forest foliage. The ground beneath them became more uneven with rocks and small hills until the group stopped in front of a small stream. The group gasped as they noticed Zygarde in their 50% form with Noivern at the other side of the stream.

“Zygarde! Noivern,” Ash gasped. Noivern turned towards Ash and chirped in joy as they flew towards them. Noivern wrapped their wings around Ash and his other Pokémon, ecstatic to see them.

“Ha ha, I’m glad to see you too,” Ash giggled as Noivern nuzzled his head. Pikachu, Greninja, Talonflame, and Hawlucha crooned as they embraced Noivern.

“My friends,” Zygarde began, “I am glad to see you again. I never got the chance to thank you for freeing us from Team Flare’s control. Before meeting you all, we believed that the world and its people were corrupt; that it was filled with selfish beings who cared only about power and control. However, Zygar- … Squishy’s time with you showed us that the world is also filled with kind people who care about others.”

“During my travels with you all,” Squishy continued as they thought back on their time with the group, “you displayed human kind’s potential for bravery, compassion, and unity. You all accepted me into your family after just meeting me. You took measures to keep me safe, healthy, and comfortable. You and many other humans risked your lives to save the people and Pokémon of Lumiose City when Team Flare managed to take control of us and when Lysandre tried to reach Anistar City.”

“And now,” Zygarde added, “You once again stopped Xerosic and rescued our cells. We are forever in your debts. I am glad that I was able to say my goodbyes.”

“Goodbyes,” Serena questioned.

“Yes,” Zygarde explained, “While Xerosic has been taken into custody, and we have collected our cells with Noivern’s help, there may be stragglers of Team Flare still hiding around. I plan to hide myself and our cells away for the time being.” A saddened shadow fell on Bonnie’s face as she knelt down towards Squishy.

“I … I guess this means you’re saying goodbye too,” Bonnie fretted.

“Bonnie,” Squishy comforted, “I’m not saying goodbye, I’m coming with you.”

“R-really,” Bonnie stuttered.

“After all the time we’ve been together, I wouldn’t want to be apart from you. You treated me with such kindness when you first found me in your bag. It was your love encouraged me to stay and travel with you all. It was that same love that helped me break free from Team Flare’s control. You never gave up on me, and I could never give up on you. I want to stay with you, travel with you, and be your partner with Dedenne when you start your own journey! So that’s why I’m transferring my cells to Zygarde so I can go with you!” Bonnie squealed in delight as she scooped Squishy up into her arms and hugged them tightly. Dedenne crawled out of their pouch to join in the cuddle. The rest of the group looked at the trio with large grins on their faces, succumbing to the bubbling warmth of the sight. Zygarde sighed in content and turned towards the sky, noticing the sun setting further.

“I’m afraid our time is running short,” Zygarde announced, “It’ll be dark soon, so I suggest we say our goodbyes before then.” Our heroes agreed and released their other Pokémon to say farewell to Zygarde. Squishy transferred their connected cells to Zygarde and shared a heartfelt goodbye to their other half.

“I will reach out to you often, my friend,” they declared, “and I hope to see you again soon.”

“Thank you Squishy,” Zygarde replied, “I will miss you.” Zygarde bowed towards the group and began to stroll deeper into the forest.

“Zygarde,” Bonnie called, “don’t worry about Squishy! I’ll take good care of them!”

“I know you will, Bonnie,” Zygarde chuckled, “Until we meet again, my friends.”

“Take care of yourself Zygarde,” Ash exclaimed.

“Hope to see you soon,” Serena gushed.

“You’ll always be welcomed at my lab,” Clemont chimed in. Our heroes’ Pokémon waved to Zygarde and offered their own goodbyes and best wishes as Zygarde disappeared into the foliage. Soon after, everyone turned back to the trail and headed to Lumiose City.

Our heroes’ trek back to Lumiose City may have taken an unexpected turn, but it allowed them to help Zygarde one last time and reunite them with Squishy. With their journey in Kalos almost at an end, what other adventures await our heroes before and after their departure? The answer lies ahead, as the journey continues.

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