Chapter Text
“FLETCHLING!”
The sudden yell made the Tiny Robin Pokémon fall from its little house, barely stopping itself from hitting the ground with its reflexes. Annoyed at such audacity, Fletchling flew up to the offender: its trainer’s daughter, who was equally angry.
“What the hell are you doing?! Is this how you plan to spend my last day here?! Just sleeping like that?!”
“Fletch! Fletch-Ling Fletchling!”
“No! No, I don’t want to hear it! I don’t want to hear it! Stop complaining and get out of bed!”
The girl and the Pokémon had their back-and-forth for a while. Some passersby glanced at the duo for a moment before going on their ways; it wasn’t uncommon for the two to argue. The family’s Rhyhorn woke up with the yell too, but immediately went back inside his house when he saw the argument, not wanting to deal with this so early in the morning. They continued for a minute or so, but another voice interrupted them.
“Hey! Serena! Fletchling!”
The pair turned to the front door, the source of the voice. It was Grace, the girl’s mother, yelling from inside the house.
“Are you two arguing again? Come on, it’s Serena’s last day here! Can you not argue just this once and come help me prepare breakfast?”
Serena froze on the spot.
“Ah— Sorry, mom! We’re going!”
She looked at the small creature that was still flying beside her.
“Alright… truce?”
It turned to her as well, made some noise, then flew inside. She obviously couldn’t understand it, but she knew what it meant. Just today. Serena was leaving for a journey soon. Traveling the Kalos region meant she wouldn’t be seeing her mother and Fletchling for a while, so she had to make the best of her time with them before leaving the next day.
Before going inside, Serena looked out at the houses of Vaniville Town. She’d called this small town home for ages, and now she would leave it to adventure on her own. The Kalos region was full of opportunities she wouldn’t ever find in her town, and she knew she could discover a passion on this journey. She’d been dreaming of this moment for a long time, but it still stung a bit. Ignoring the premature homesickness, she sighed.
“Hope this journey will be interesting.”
Hearing her name called by her mother again, Serena turned around and went back inside. She had to prepare for the long walk to Lumiose City tomorrow.
Lumiose City, the city of light. A bustling metropolis in the heart of Kalos, moved by the crowds coming from far and wide to see its beauty. Cozy and elegant cafés brim with life in every avenue. Cars, buses, taxis, and Gogoat cruise by the streets as roller skaters do tricks on the sidewalks. And, of course, the Prism Tower reigns over the city’s skyline.
A plane landed at Lumiose Airport, just like any other day, and the passengers left one by one. One of the last to leave was a young boy wearing a red cap and a blue shirt, with a Pikachu in his arms. He looked around the foreign airport with a mix of anticipation and fear. When he looked at the sky, the sunlight blinded him for a second, but he soon saw a flock of pink Pokémon with white beaks passing by and took a step back.
“W-Who’s that Pokémon…?”
“That’s Spritzee, Ash!”
Hearing the voice and feeling a hand on his shoulder, Ash turned around to see Alexa behind him. He met the journalist just some months ago in his hometown, Pallet Town, when she was on a business trip to Kanto to interview Professor Oak. She was part of the reason Ash chose Kalos for his first journey, as this was her home region, and she said a lot of good things about it. Alexa was looking at the flock of Spritzee with a smile. She had been away for far too long, and Kalos Pokémon are strangely rare in Kanto and its neighboring regions. But it was just for a moment before turning to face Ash.
"Are you alright?"
Ash held Pikachu a little tighter, who also looked up to comfort his trainer. "Yes, it's just... It's still strange seeing these new Pokémon. A little scary too..."
"I know how you feel. That sensation of seeing a new region... That fear of the unknown... It's something I always feel when I travel to a new region. But you become used to it eventually, and I’ll be here with you, so everything will be okay!"
Ash smiled at her. One of the first things that he noticed in Alexa was that she was shy and nervous like him at times, but the fact that she could be there for him made her an inspiration. That's what Ash wanted to be, too.
"Well, before anything, we'll have to get you a Pokédex so you can register in the Kalos League." Alexa climbed down the stairs, but Ash stayed behind for a little. The Spritzee had already flown away, so Ash turned to the ground to see white and hairy Pokémon walking with airport security, some tiny floating ones playing in a patch of flowers, and little gray ones walking with their trainers. It really drove home the fact he wasn’t home anymore. He took a deep breath, taking in the new region’s air.
Kalos.
Where dreams and adventures begin.
At least, he hoped so.
"Sigh... Well, Pikachu, are you ready?"
“Pika pika!”
Pikachu nodded eagerly. With that, Ash followed Alexa inside the airport.
Ash clung to Alexa as they walked down the streets. When he wasn’t moving out of the way for skaters, he was looking around at the buildings, the people, and the Pokémon. He’d never been in a city this big before. Celadon City was the biggest in Kanto and still had over 5 times less people than Lumiose. He’d heard somewhere that Lumiose was once the city with the most people in the entire world, but another city in Paldea outgrew it just some years ago. Despite all that, the streets had plenty of space to walk and were never crowded.
“What are you thinking of Lumiose City so far, Ash?”
“It’s big… Bigger than any city in Kanto… It’s, um, a little intimidating.”
“That’s alright. It’s usually like that the first time, but you get used to it.” Alexa pointed to the pathway with the number 5 they had just crossed. “See this path? There are five of them in Lumiose, connecting to five different routes. You’ll come here quite often in this journey.”
“Huh, so this is the path to Route 5?"
“That’s right. It’s the closest path to Cyllage City, too. There’s a Gym there, so it’s a possible starting path. But if I were you, I’d challenge the Lumiose one first, of course, then head to Santalune City through Route 4. My sister’s Gym is there, and the path is much shorter and safer.”
“Shorter and safer. That’s the way I’ll go.”
Suddenly, Alexa stopped and pointed to one of the buildings.
“That’s Professor Sycamore’s lab. It’s where we’ll get your Pokédex.”
Ash inspected the building from the distance. It was surrounded by metal fences and had many large windows, and the front yard was full of trees and bushes. It looked a bit like Professor Oak’s lab but more urban.
Ash thought he saw Alexa gulp before speaking. “Let’s go, Ash.”
“Alright…”
The pair headed through the half-open gates of the lab. Alexa ringed the doorbell, and a purple-haired woman in a lab coat answered the door.
“Oh, Alexa. Did you schedule another interview? Because the professor—”
“Uh— I’m not here for an interview, Cosette.” She moved out of the way to show Ash. “This kid is starting his journey today and needs a Pokédex.”
Cosette looked at Ash with surprise. “Huh. You didn’t seem the type to help random kids starting their journeys.”
“It’s a special case this time. May we come in?”
“Uhh… He’s not gonna be happy about you interrupting his research.” The scientist moved out of the way. “But he did say ‘new trainers can come at any time,’ didn’t he? Let’s go, I’ll take you to him.”
Alexa followed suit. As Ash was about to enter, he saw two figures looking at him from a distance. One was shorter, and the other wore a large pair of glasses. He froze for a moment, but Alexa’s voice calling his name snapped him out of it. Taking his eyes off the pair, Ash entered the lab.
The interior of the lab was very fancy. The walls were navy blue, the floor was a light shade of green, and the doors’ cyan surrounds were adorned in golden details. Ash stepped inside and noticed a soft red carpet showing the way to each door. Right in front of him was a staircase to the second floor, also covered by the carpet, and a set of bookshelves under the ceiling. To the left and the right were corridors, though Ash couldn’t see where they led to.
“This way, please.” Cosette walked through the right corridor. Following her, the two saw a door at the end, and presumed that it led to wherever the professor conducted his work.
“Professor Sycamore is doing research on Mega Evolution,” Alexa commented while they were walking. “It’s a newly discovered type of evolution that gives the Pokémon great power.”
“Not newly discovered,” Cosette interjected firmly. “Hoenn history speaks of Mega Evolution since ancient times, and some people in Kalos have mastered it for years. This is the first extensive scientific study of the phenomenon.”
“Alright… sorry…”
Ash quietly pondered on the subject. “Mega Evolution…”
The trio reached the door. Cosette opened it, and a bright light came from the other side. When his eyes adjusted, Ash found himself in a large, natural-looking area. There was lush grass on the ground, clear ponds and rivers with bridges, and a large glass casing surrounding the entire area. Many Pokémon were living there: a Psyduck, a group of Caterpie, some Weedle, and several others Ash knew nothing about.
“Woah… Is this a terrarium?”
“Yes,” Alexa responded, “this is where the professor conducts his research.”
As they were walking, Ash saw a something peeking at them from the bushes. Upon closer inspection, it seemed like a tiny, light blue creature. When Ash noticed it, he stepped back, and the Pokémon hid further inside the bush.
“What’s wrong?” Alexa turned towards where the boy was looking at. “Hey, is that a Froakie?”
“Froakie?”
“Yes, one of the Pokémon Professor Sycamore gives to new trainers.”
Ash and Froakie looked at each other for a while. Neither attempted approaching the other, opting instead to keep their safe distances. But as time passed, both started relaxing more. As Froakie slowly revealed himself, Ash could notice what looked like foam around its neck. The Pokémon’s hesitant eyes reminded him of his own.
“That Froakie…”
“Hey,” Cosette spoke, prompting Ash to turn his gaze away from the Pokémon, “I know the Pokémon here are nice and all, but do you mind coming along?”
“S-Sorry, miss!”
Ash turned his head back to the bush, but Froakie wasn’t there anymore. Maybe Cosette’s voice had scared him away. Still, he couldn’t get it off his mind.
“Miss Cosette, there was a Froakie there…”
“Oh, yeah. Real shy, that one, and it’s afraid of everything. It’s gone through a lot of trainers, but it couldn’t handle them and ended up back here.”
“All its trainers returned it?” Alexa chimed in. “How awful…”
“Not all of them. It sometimes ran away. Can’t help but wonder what those trainers did to it, though.”
“That’s even worse, Cosette.”
“Yeah, well, we don’t offer it to new trainers anymore. It just lives in the terrarium with the other Pokémon. For now, at least.”
Ash felt horrible for the Pokémon, pondering on the assistant’s last words. For now. What if it never found a trainer? Worse, what if it ended up with a horrible trainer? He felt a pit in his stomach when the thought crossed his mind. If nobody in Kalos wanted it, then maybe…
“We’re close,” Cosette interrupted his train of thought, “the Professor is over there.” She pointed to an area under a mighty-looking tree, and Ash saw what looked like machines. He decided to focus on what he was there for and ask about Froakie later.
Not too long later, they saw the professor more clearly, sitting on a chair and writing on a computer. Next to him was a tall, dark blue, fierce-looking Pokémon standing on a platform surrounded by a green force field, as if it was being analyzed. Cosette approached the professor quietly.
“Um… Professor? There’s someone here…”
“I’m busy, Cosette,” he replied without as much as looking away from the screen. “They should have made an appointment.”
“But… you were the one who said new trainers could come at any time.”
Hearing these words, he sprung up briefly before letting out a sigh. “I did say that, didn’t I?” Professor Sycamore stood up and turned to face the pair. Ash expected someone around Professor Oak’s age, but before him was a man that looked like he was still in his 30s. His black hair was a little messy, and he wore a blue shirt and grey pants under his white lab coat. From his expression, Ash could tell why Alexa had gulped before entering the lab.
“You’re starting your journey now, right, kid?”
Ash froze for a second. “Y-Yes…! My name is Ash.”
Sycamore’s eyes darted all over Ash and eventually landed on his Pikachu. He leaned closer, and Pikachu stuck out his tongue, prompting him to back out and glare at the pair.
“Are you from Aquacorde Town?”
“N-No, I’m… I came from Pallet Town, in Kanto.”
“Kanto?” He put his hand on his chin. “What are you doing all the way here, then? Did you hear about my research and come see it yourself?” He lowered his head with a prideful grin.
“I— uh—”
“I recommended Kalos to him, professor,” Alexa interjected. “It’s a beautiful region, and he wanted to start his journey in a new place.”
Sycamore lowered his hand again and looked at Alexa. “I remember you… You’re that journalist I gave an interview to the other week. Viola, right?”
Alexa’s eyes darted to the ground. “Um… no, professor, I’m Alexa. Viola is my sister, the Santalune Gym leader.”
“Oh, right. Of course. Well, enough chit-chat.” Sycamore turned to the blue Pokémon on the platform. “Garchomp, I’ll be back in a minute. Wait here.”
“Garr!” The Pokémon let out a roar, making Ash cower away.
“Don’t worry, she won’t hurt you if you don’t mess with her.” Sycamore said as he walked toward the door. “Follow me, Ash.”
Ash, Alexa, Cosette, and Sycamore returned to the inside of the building. When they approached the staircase, Sycamore stopped.
“Would you mind staying here? I’ll get your Pokédex and be right back.”
Sycamore and Cosette went up the stairs while Ash and Alexa stayed behind. Ash waited until he couldn’t see them anymore to speak.
“He’s…”
“Insufferable, I know. But he’s one of the best scholars in Kalos. There’s so much about Mega Evolution we know thanks to him.”
“Have you known him for long?”
“I’ve interviewed him a few times since he began his research some months ago. Wasn’t too pleasant.”
Between Oak and Sycamore, Ash thought, Alexa doesn’t have the best luck with professors to interview.
Suddenly, the two heard the doorbell ring. Another assistant, a blue-haired one, came through the right corridor to answer the door.
“Good morning, Alexa,” she said quickly while walking.
“Hey, Sophie.”
Sophie opened the front door, and Ash could hear what was being said. From the sound of the voices, it was a little girl and a boy around his age.
“Good morning, miss! My brother wishes to get a Pokédex from Professor Sycamore!”
“Oh, he just went upstairs to get one for this kid.” Ash looked away as she gestured to him. “But you can come in.”
“Oh my, but aren’t you the most beautiful woman in a lab coat to ever grace this— OW!”
“I apologize for my brother’s behavior, miss! I promise we will get the Pokédex and not bother you anymore!”
“Uhh… alright. I’ll… tell the professor.”
Ash heard footsteps and soon saw Sophie walking past them with an awkward look on her face. He turned around and saw the two siblings. The little girl wore a brown sleeveless shirt, a white skirt, and short black pants underneath, and had a yellow purse. The boy, on the other hand, wore a light blue jumpsuit and circle glasses, and carried a backpack with a cane. He recognized them immediately. They were the ones who were looking at him when he entered the lab.
“Hello, you two,” the girl spoke first. “You’ve come to get a Pokédex as well?”
“… yes…” Ash’s voice was barely audible.
“My name is Bonnie!”
“And,” the boy started to say as he took hold on one of Alexa’s hands, “you can call me Clemont, lady.” Alexa shied away from his grasp, turning her face away.
Bonnie grabbed Clemont’s shoulder and pulled him back with a fake smile. “Don’t make me elbow you again, brother dear.” She then turned to Alexa and Ash. “My apologies! Please don’t let this define how you perceive him! He’s a wonderful person!”
Alexa tried to mask her embarrassment with a smile. “I-It’s okay. I’m Alexa, and this is Ash.” Ash gave a small wave. “He’s from Pallet Town in Kanto.”
“Amazing! We live here in Lumiose.”
“For now,” Clemont interjected, “but I will start a journey, and we will travel the entire region forever!”
“Y-Yes, I suppose…” Bonnie’s smile faded a little.
Alexa was curious. “Why? Don’t you like this city?”
“Of course we do, but…”
Bonnie trailed off when she heard footsteps from upstairs. Quick footsteps, as if someone was running. The four turned to look and saw a man coming down the stairs, who was just as surprised as they were. He was wearing a strange red and yellow costume, complete with a cape and a mask with long beige hair coming from it. The man stopped on his tracks when he saw the group and kept staring with his mouth agape, but Alexa’s voice broke him out of it.
“W-Who are you?”
The costumed man turned his eyes to her, which were now fierce and dangerous-looking. Alexa gulped and took a step back.
“Great. I forgot he lets anyone enter the lab now.” He climbed down the rest of the stairs. “You four! If you don’t want to get hurt, get out of here!”
Ash froze on the spot. He’d been in a new region for about an hour now, and he was already being threatened by a masked man. I knew I shouldn’t have come, I knew I shouldn’t have come, I knew—
“Hey!” Clemont’s indignant yell interrupted his thoughts. “Who do you think you are?!” Bonnie tugged on his sleeves and whispered “Don’t…!”, but Clemont didn’t budge. The masked man looked at the siblings with anger.
“Listen to your sister, boy. I don’t make empty threats.” He reached in his pocket to grab a Poké Ball. “You don’t seem like you have any Pokémon to protect you now, so leave and spare yourself and your friends from burns.”
“You would be wrong.” Clemont uttered as he, too, grabbed a Poké Ball of his own. “It’s a battle you want? I’ll give you one. Go, Bunnelby!” He threw the ball, from which came a small Pokémon with large ears. The man’s eyes went a little wider, but he scoffed and held his Poké Ball in front of himself.
“Let me tell you something, boy. I am the Blaziken Mask. I’ve stolen from many places across Lumiose City, and if I was ever caught, I was never defeated in battle. So this is your last chance to back down.”
“You’re a lot of talk, old man. If you could beat me so easily, then you would have done it by now.”
Tightening his hold on his Poké Ball, the Blaziken Mask threw it with force, releasing a tall Pokémon that looked like his costume, or rather, that his costume was based on.
“Blaziken, Blaze Kick!” Without hesitation, the Pokémon swung its leg on fire towards Bunnelby.
“Dodge and counter with Mud Shot!” The small Pokémon followed suit, stepping back enough so the attack barely missed it. Then, it created a golden orb between its ears, which split into a row of mud balls that were thrown against the feathered Pokémon. With its still-flaming leg, it disposed of the mud attack in a single swift kick.
“Flamethrower!” Blaziken released a stream of fire from its mouth. Bunnelby tried jumping out of the way, but Blaziken followed it with the searing attack, hitting the small creature. Bunnelby fell to the ground, and when it got up, its body was reddened and surrounded by the flames of a burn.
“Ngh!” Clemont looked at the Blaziken Mask’s face, and the criminal returned a cold stare. His chances were slim, but he refused to back down. “Double Slap!” Bunnelby rushed to Blaziken and, using its ears, hit it several times, but the tall Pokémon blocked the attack with its arms with ease. Bunnelby was pushed away and landed on the ground, hurt by its burn.
“Finish this! Flamethrower!”
The small Pokémon could barely stand, badly injured and weakened by the burn, when it saw Blaziken ready another Flamethrower. Clemont tried to tell it to dodge, but it was too weak to move out of the way. Without option, Bunnelby closed its eyes, bracing for the impact… that never came. Peeking out, Bunnelby saw Blaziken stunned, the fire in its mouth snuffed out and water dripping from its face. A blast of water had been shot from somewhere. Everyone turned to the source of the attack and saw the tiny figure in the corner, face hidden by foam.
“F-Froakie?” Ash exclaimed. Froakie was meekly standing close to the wall, slowly crawling back. It had attacked out of instinct and fear of the flames, but the danger now had its gaze locked on it, and if it wasn’t angry, it certainly was now.
“A Froakie?” said the Blaziken Mask. “Is it one of the Professor’s starters?” He stepped closer to the Pokémon, who backed further into the corner. “It doesn’t matter. I don’t have time for this. Get out or you’ll get—”
“What’s going on here?!”
The criminal froze with the interruption. He turned around to see Professor Sycamore approaching the stairs with Sophie and Cosette, angrily grabbing the handrail.
“You can’t have battles in the laboratory! Stop right now or neither of you will—”
The Blaziken Mask and Sycamore locked eyes, and Sycamore stopped for what felt like an eternity. Then, without warning, the professor started running down the staircase, prompting the criminal to dash towards the entrance. So close to freedom, he was interrupted by Clemont blocking the entrance with his body. “Not so fast.” In a panic, he turned to take the next closest exit: the right corridor, towards the terrarium.
“Don’t let him get away!” the professor shouted, but the man ran past Ash and Alexa before either could react, and Sycamore and his assistants ran after him.
“Wait! Professor!” Clemont yelled. “My Bunnelby…! You’ve got to help!”
He stopped for only a brief moment to speak. “Sophie, take care of it!”
“M-Me?! But…” The professor was too far away to hear her protest. She had no choice but to be the doctor now. Running to the trainer and his Pokémon, Sophie picked the latter up.
“Don’t worry. I’ll do my best to help it.” She then turned to the four and pleaded, “Help the Professor while I’m here, please?”
“H-Huh?!” Ash stuttered out. “G-Go after a c-c-criminal?!”
“Yeah, come on, Sophie! They’re just kids, and—”
Alexa was interrupted by quick footsteps headed to the corridor, and when she looked around, Clemont was gone.
“Brother! Wait for us!” Bonnie followed him.
“Wait! Bonnie!” She reached out to her, but she had already left. She turned to Ash, then her eyes darted to the ground. Sophie had gone to the laboratory’s hospital with Bunnelby, so all that remained in the room with them was tense silence. Ash never expected his first trip far from Kanto to start with confronting a criminal, and he was terrified. But soon enough, he felt something gripping his leg. Froakie had crawled towards him and hugged his leg in fear. Froakie… Loud sounds of some kind of struggle came from the terrarium, and Froakie held him even tighter. He wondered what could be happening in there. Froakie lived there while he didn’t have a trainer, but so many other Pokémon had their homes there. What would be of them? Were they in danger? As much as he didn’t want to go after the Blaziken Mask, he couldn’t ignore his worry. He looked at Pikachu, who gave him a reassuring nod.
“I think… I think we should go after them.”
“Ash?”
“A-At least to take a look…”
It was then that Alexa noticed Froakie clinging to Ash and immediately understood. “Okay. We can stay at a safe distance.” She took a breath and walked to the corridor. “Let’s go.”
Ash and Alexa stopped at the door, peeking from the corner to see Sycamore, Cosette, Clemont, and Bonnie confronting the Blaziken Mask. Some Pokémon were curiously watching them from the sidelines. They were a bit far, but their voices were audible enough. Ash clung to Pikachu, and Froakie clung to Ash’s shoulder, listening closely.
“Are you sure you don’t know, Professor?” The Blaziken Mask asked as Blaziken’s hand started to glow blue. “If you do know and don’t want to tell me…”
“Like hell I’d tell you even if I knew!”
“Oh? Don’t you care about your precious Pokémon?”
They hadn’t noticed it before, but Blaziken had Garchomp in a chokehold. She flailed around in the attacker’s arm, clearly being threatened for some kind of information from the professor. Despite that, Sycamore was having none of it.
“Let me explain this in a language you understand. I don’t have a Blazikenite. I don’t know where to find a Blazikenite in Kalos. I know about Mega Blaziken because of trainers in Hoenn. And you’re not willing to go all the way to Hoenn just for this, are you?”
The professor and the criminal glared at each other for a while. Clemont, Bonnie, and Cosette had no Pokémon on hand to intervene, and Ash and Alexa were too scared to approach. It didn’t take too long for Sycamore to realize the Blaziken Mask wouldn’t let Garchomp go that easily.
“Hit its face! Dragon Claw!”
Without wasting any time, Garchomp struck Blaziken with green glowing claws square in the face. The injured Pokémon let go, and Garchomp went on full offensive with Sycamore’s guidance.
“Slash!”
“Block with Blaze Kick!”
Garchomp swung its right arm fin towards Blaziken, and it hit it with its fiery leg. Both Pokémon tried to keep going and pushed each other’s attacks with their own. The Blaziken Mask flinched, and Sycamore gave a smug grin. Blaziken was the one to succumb first and was pushed to its knees by Garchomp’s Slash. Then she struck again, and the Fire-type dodged with a backflip. As soon as his Pokémon landed, the Blaziken Mask gave a desperate-sounding command.
“Flamethrower!”
From the safe distance it created, the Pokémon launched the flames at Garchomp, who shielded herself with her left arm’s fin.
“Hyper Beam!”
From behind her barrier, she charged a black and pink stream of energy, then fired it and pierced through Flamethrower, snuffing out the fire. The beam cutting through the air and Garchomp’s mighty roar made a terrible noise that Ash was certain even Sophie and Bunnelby could hear, and the Pokémon in the terrarium ran and hid in surprise. While the four people and Garchomp looked at where the Hyper Beam was aimed, Ash and Alexa had a clear view of Blaziken leaping over the attack and Garchomp. The criminal followed it, and everyone realized they were running straight to the door. The door Ash and Alexa were peeking out from.
“A-Alexa!”
“Ah—” Alexa scrambled to find a Poké Ball in her belt, but her nerves got the better of her. Though she tried to hide her face, her trembling said all it needed to. The two didn’t even slow down; instead, they seemed determined to force their way past them.
“Blaziken! Flare Blitz!”
The running Pokémon surrounded itself in a bright orange flame and moved even faster, ready to hit the two at full force. Alexa found the Poké Ball she was looking for, but her shaky hands dropped it on the ground, and while she crouched to grab it, it was pretty clear her Pokémon wouldn’t come out on time. Pikachu jumped down from his trainer’s arms and landed in front of the journalist, preparing an electric attack in an effort to save them. Ash turned away while raising his arms in a futile attempt to protect himself, Froakie hid behind Ash, and Alexa simply closed her eyes hard, bracing for impact. Then, as if by a miracle, Blaziken tripped.
The Blaziken Mask looked bewildered at his downed Pokémon while trying to slow down, and, before he could stop, tripped too. Pikachu stopped charging in surprise, and Ash and Alexa opened their eyes. Ash looked at their feet. The Pokémon had tripped on a brown vine, and the man’s left leg was grabbed by another. Blaziken tried standing up, but one more vine sprouted from the ground and clung to its arm. It pulled and pulled, but the vine seemed to sap its strength while glowing. Leech Seed! Ash identified. But from where? As if to answer his question, two people appeared from behind the bush, joined by four Pokémon. He didn’t recognize two of the monsters, but the other two were impossible to forget: a Meowth and a Wobbuffet.
“Prepare for trouble, Blaziken Mask!”
“And make it double, you’re not up to the task!”
The boy gasped in recognition. He knew those voices, and he knew that speech. The group walked steadily with their heads turned while speaking to everyone in the room.
“To protect the world from devastation!” said one of the two people, a woman with magenta hair combed in a sideway arch.
“To unite the people of every nation!” continued the other one, a man with blue hair.
“To reveal the beauty of truth and love!”
“To extend their reach to the stars above!”
The woman turned to face the Blaziken Mask. “Jessie!” The man did the same. “James!”
“Team Rocket forever is compassion and right!”
“And goodness and caring with mercy and light!”
Three of the Pokémon simply made their sounds and posed, but Meowth actually spoke: “Heroes of Justice, that’s right!”
“Team Rocket?”
They didn’t realize, but Clemont had already arrived there, and Bonnie, Sycamore, and Cosette were catching up.
“You arrived here quick,” Sycamore said, slightly out of breath. “Did Sophie call you?”
“No, Professor,” Meowth responded, hands behind his back. “We came here on our own.” The perfectly coherent speech coming from the Pokémon left Clemont and Bonnie dumbfounded, but nobody else seemed surprised.
“This man has been on our radar for a while, now. Thank you for holding him here, Professor.” Jessie stepped closer, accompanied by a small brown and pink Pokémon. “Blaziken Mask, you’re caught in my Pumpkaboo’s Leech Seed. Don’t try to pull on it, or your energy will be drained even faster. In the name of Team Rocket, I declare you are under arrest.”
The Blaziken Mask quieted down and stopped struggling, and so did his Pokémon. His expression, however, didn’t falter, and he pierced Team Rocket with his eyes. Then he let out a chuckle.
“Leech Seed? Against a Blaziken? Surely you’re smarter than this, Rocket.”
Blaziken shifted into a squat, holding its tied arm up near its leg, ready to act.
“Blaze Kick!”
With a swift kick, Blaziken incinerated the vine holding it while balancing on its other leg. Standing up, it stomped on the vine that tied its trainer, burning it too. Despite the two being released, Team Rocket didn’t seem fazed at all.
“We knew you’d break free, Blaziken Mask,” James explained. “Leech Seed just had to weaken your Blaziken further. With Garchomp’s attacks and the drained energy, I doubt you have the strength to fight this time.” The other Pokémon, a blue and pink one with tentacles, flew in front of the hero. “Inkay, Psybeam!”
Inkay flipped upside down to fire a blue beam of psychic energy from its beak. Just as it was about to reach the Fire-type Pokémon, it held it back with a powerful Flamethrower, stronger than any other he’d used before, and pushed the beam back, causing a small explosion that pushed Inkay back. This finally made Team Rocket step back in surprise.
“I told you. I thought you were smarter than this.” Blaziken was surrounded in a fiery red aura, with a deep fury in its eyes.
“That’s…!”
“Blaze, yes. Blaziken’s ability. If it’s hurt enough, its Fire-type attacks will become even stronger.”
Jessie and James were worried but still determined. Inkay and Pumpkaboo prepared themselves to attack, while the Wobbuffet stood in front of the trio, ready to protect them. But the criminal and his Pokémon simply stood there, with no signs of being ready to battle.
“I’ll admit you’re right, Team Rocket. Blaziken is far too weak to battle right now. It’s not worth the risk.” They turned around, facing the terrarium. “I have no choice. We’ll retreat.” Blaziken took a deep breath, waiting for the command. Even though Ash, the siblings, Sycamore, Cosette, and Team Rocket had realized what was happening, they had no time to react.
“Flamethrower!”
Blaziken released his breath in the form of a powerful Blaze-boosted Flamethrower, torching the nearby grass and starting a fire. It then turned to a tree, burning it as well and spreading the flames.
“What are you doing?!” Sycamore grabbed his head in panic.
The criminal didn’t turn to look at the professor, and his voice was low. “Make your choice, Rocket. Catch me or save the terrarium.” Without hesitating, he ran towards the exit, straight past Ash and Alexa. James quickly started running as well.
“I’ll go after him! Jessie, Meowth, protect the Pokémon!”
As James left the room, the other two rushed into the fire to grab as many Pokémon as they could hold. Sycamore and Cosette rushed to the door, telling everyone to go with them. While they were going through the corridor, they came across Sophie and explained what was happening, and she took Bunnelby and followed them outside. Just as they were leaving, they heard sirens. The police arrived too late. They saw James return, slightly angry but more concerned than anything.
“I’m sorry, I lost him! Are you okay?!”
“We are! But the Pokémon…!” Bonnie’s voice trembled.
“Don’t you worry, child. My partners are very competent, and the Pokémon will be safe and sound.”
“They better be!” Sycamore interjected. “I spent a lot to build this terrarium!”
“Professor Sycamore, I’ll have to ask you a few questions later. For now, I’ll contact the fire department and speak to the police, so wait here.” He started moving before turning around again and pointing to the others. “The rest of you as well.” Before heading to the police cars waiting in the street, he spoke with a small grin.
“Nice to see you again, Ash.”
“Is everything ready, Serena?”
Grace walked into the living room to find her daughter on the sofa, watching TV. Fletchling was dozing off on the sofa’s backrest, and the TV was showing something called ‘Spectacular Sports from Unova’. Grace remembered Serena would sometimes watch this one, though they didn’t seem to have Rhyhorn Racing around those parts. Serena lowered the volume and turned around when she heard her voice.
“Yes, mom! I packed all the essential things!”
“Are you sure? Did you double check everything? What if you forget your map and get lost? Or, Sinnoh forbid, you forget your repels and get attacked by wild Pokémon? Or—”
“Hey, mom! It’s okay!” Serena got up and held her mother’s hands. “I already double checked and they’re all there! And even if I did, you know I’m tough! I can handle anything that comes!”
“Yes, about that…” Serena tilted her head while her mother looked at her in the eyes. “Serena, I think you should try… softening up a little.”
“Softening up?”
“Yes, you should meet new people and make friends in this journey. You know I’m worried about that.”
The girl lowered her eyes. She was never one for making friends, and people really didn’t like the rude girl from the house with the Rhyhorn. But her mother was putting her on the spot now, and she didn’t want to refuse. She sighed without looking back up.
“… I can’t promise anything about that.”
“Not even that you’ll try?”
She hesitated for a second. She tried to look at her mother again, but her pleading expression made her turn her eyes away again.
“I’ll try, then.”
Grace breathed a sigh of relief. It might be a monumental task, but if her daughter made even one good friend, she’d be really happy. Out of nowhere, the moment was interrupted by the TV Serena had left on. The news had started, and, from the low volume, they could only make out a few worrying words.
“… a massive fire…”
They turned to the device. The video showed a sky view of a fancy building with a glass dome, where an orange flame was clearly visible. The caption moved across the screen: ‘Professor Sycamore’s terrarium on fire.’
“What? Turn the volume up!”
The two sat down on the couch and paid attention to the TV. A short-haired brunette reporter was standing next to Professor Sycamore.
“We’re here with Professor Sycamore, the owner of the laboratory. Professor, can you tell us anything about the fire?” She put her microphone to his mouth.
“It was that Blaziken Mask! He almost burned my terrarium to the ground! It’s a miracle Team Rocket could save all the Pokémon there! But my machinery… all gone! This is a tragedy!”
“A fire in the Professor’s laboratory?” Grace turned to Serena. “Weren’t you going there to get you Pokédex?”
She furrowed her brows and leaned closer to the television. “Yeah, I am.”
The reporter started talking again. “Do you have any idea what the Blaziken Mask wanted in your laboratory?”
“I know exactly what it was. He was after my brilliant research on Mega Evolution! The criminal wants to use my knowledge for his own twisted goals! The nerve of that guy!”
“The Blaziken Mask is known for using a Blaziken. Are you saying Blaziken can undergo Mega Evolution?”
“I suppose I can tell you that. Yes, Blaziken can Mega Evolve. But you don’t need to worry, citizens, because he doesn’t have the key components to do it!”
“One last question, professor. Do you think the Blaziken Mask will come back?”
“He can try, but I’m already working to get some security measures up. I’ll make sure he won’t get anything he wants from this lab.”
“Damn,” Serena said. “Hope he gets that up before I’m there.” She turned to her mother to see what she thought, but she was fully focused on the report with worry in her eyes. “Mom?”
“Serena… are you sure you’re still going?”
“Wha— Yes, mom! Relax! I’m not gonna stay in Lumiose City, I’ll just get the Pokédex!”
“Are you sure? You don’t have a destination, do you? If you end up staying there and—”
“Mom. You don’t have to worry about me. I can take care of myself.”
“I know, sweetheart, I know.” She lowered her eyes and let out a breath she was holding. Suddenly, she looked at the clock showing 7:18 p.m.
“Oh! It’s late already! I’ll prepare dinner, okay?”
“Alright, mom. I’ll stay and watch the news.”
Grace left the room just as something caught Serena’s eye on the TV. The reporter was interviewing a blond woman who said she was a journalist, but her focus was on someone right next to her, a boy with a Pikachu and a Froakie. He was wearing a cap, but she could see part of his hair. The boy looked nervous, maybe about the fire, maybe about the reporter talking to them, and his eyes were a little wet. He wasn’t even fully in frame, but she couldn’t get her eyes off him. Something about him seemed awfully familiar.
Who’s that crybaby?