[Pokémon] The Finnx Archipelago - Ash's New Quest

[targetedandfiring]

Hello, everyone! My name is Targetedandfiring. Today I am here with a not so brand new story (always in the works xD but I take a bit to update). For those who have read PrincessStella's discontinued The Eclipse Islands on Fanfiction, I have been given permission to do my own take on that story, as she no longer has an interest in continuing it. To those who haven't read it, well read on from here. Anyways, the timeline for this game takes place roughly 2 months after the Kalos league. Some Pokemon that Ash may have left behind in Kalos (Greninja and Goodra for example) Ash now has. Also, things that happened in Kalos might not have happened in my story, this is my interpretation of Ash so he might not be acting as childish as in the anime. For the sake of the story, Ash is 18 in my fanfic. Also, this takes place before Alola officially has a League, so while there will be Z-Moves and Alolan Pokemon, Alola does not officially have a Pokemon League and as such is not referenced by the characters in this Chapters.

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Chapter 1: Realizing a Dream Anew

It'd been two months since Ash had arrived in Pallet Town. Two months since his journey in Kalos had ended. Even now, as the sun rose up to signal the start of a new day, Ash stood staring at the ceiling. He'd failed and now he had nowhere else to go. Currently, Ash lay on his bed, with his starter and best friend, Pikachu, occupying the foot of the bed. They both looked rather bored.

To Ash, going on another journey seemed pointless and bland. What good would it do it him anyway? He'd already ventured to all the regions and journeying to the Battle Frontier in Johto and Sinnoh would be boring considering all the facilities were in one place. Besides, it wouldn't be the same. Ash missed his friends. He missed Misty, her tomboyish attitude and the ability to always get into fights with Ash. He missed Brock, who had been with Ash since the start of his journey, only to drop out at the end of his adventures in Sinnoh and go into training to become a Doctor. Ash missed Max, who had always had the knack for giving Ash advice with typings and had been a great a help as Brock had when venturing through Hoen. Ash missed May, whose love for contests and ability to quickly learn to make amazing meals from Brock had always been one of Ash's more favorable traits.

As Ash thought about all his friends, his thoughts drifted to his latest adventures in Sinnoh, Unova, Kalos. Dawn and her no need to worry attitude, was in the middle of a contest circuit at the moment in Unova and wouldn't have time. Cilan's constant connoisseur evaluations were always helpful in figuring out how best to train with his Pokemon and was very decent advice. Iris, who had recently taken over the Opelucid City gym, was always calling him a kid had actually led Ash to start acting more his age. Then there was Bonnie, who's comedic sense and attempts at trying to get Clemont a girlfriend. Clemont's wacky scientific inventions were always super cool, even if they did end up exploding more often than not. Finally, there was Serena. who had left Ash quite confused. He still wasn't sure how he felt about her.

Before Ash could stress himself out on his thoughts on Serena. he heard his mother. Delia, stomping up the stairs. He let out a sigh as he curled up tighter into his bed sheets.

"Ash Ketchum you get out of that bed this instant and go out on an adventure right now!" Delia Ketchum yelled as she threw open Ash's door. Ash let out a groan of protest. It was still far too early for his liking to get up.

"Mom I've already told you, there isn't anywhere else to challenge!" Ash complained. "I've already gone to every region and done every league!"

"Then why can't you go back and do them again. Maybe you could place higher at the leagues or even beat them?" Delia questioned Ash. Ash let out a loud sigh in response.

"Mom it wouldn't feel right. Besides I don't have my friends to go with me," Ash countered.

"Well have you asked any of them? I'm sure Dawn, Clemont, Bonnie, Iris, and Cilan would love to go," Delia suggested, making sure to not mention Serena's name.

"Mom; Clemont, Iris, and Cilan are all gym leaders again. Bonnie is too young to journey with me without Clemont. Dawn's in the middle of a contest circuit. Besides, as I've stated before there are no more challenges for me to part take in," Ash told Delia with a sigh.

"Well how about the Battle Frontiers in Johto and Sinnoh. I've heard they have wonderful Battle Frontiers there," Delia once again suggested to her moping son.

"No mom it just doesn't seem right," Ash explained with a sigh.

"Ash have you even talked to Professor Oak about this? He's always been a great source of knowledge to you when it comes down to choosing your next challenge," Delia told Ash.

"But mom I know that there aren't any left! There aren't anymore regions for me to journey to!" Ash groaned in frustration.

"Ash Ketchum get out of bed and go ask Professor Oak right now! Go on, get!" Delia yelled, finally too frustrated with her son to go on letting him mope more than he was already. She grabbed Ash, who frantically struggled to get away before dragging him off his bed.

"Ash if you don't hurry and get changed, I'm dragging you to Professor Oak's lab, pajamas and all," Delia warned. Knowing his mother's threats were true, Ash got up and quickly got changed into his latest clothes from Kalos before rushing out the door with Pikachu on his shoulder.

All it took was a quick run down the road to Professor Oak's house. As Ash ran between the large fields between his home and the professor's, he took notice of some of his Pokemon roaming Professor Oak's fields. His Tauros were eagerly on the run, while Sceptile and Servine were sparring with Greninja and Dewott, helping both of the water types train up. Snorlax, apparently having had a big meal, now lay lazily on his back as Goodra snored happily against the large Pokemon's side.

The Professor's Lab quickly came into view. Thankfully for Ash, Professor Oak was outside with a very familiar face standing next to him.

"Ash my boy! Good to see you! I was wondering when you were going to decide to visit. Many of your Pokemon have been very worried. You haven't visited in over a week," Professor Oak said, a worried expression on his face. However, Ash didn't respond to Professor Oak immediately, more interested in who he had by his side.

"Gary! Long time no see!" Ash said as he walked up to his old rival, a grin on his face.

"Ash! I was beginning to wonder if you'd ever leave your room," Gary told his old rival with a playful grin,"I've been here at least a week." Ash, however, merely looked down. The guilt of secluding himself for so long was finally coming to him. Shaking it off for a second, he turned to Professor Oak.

"Good morning Professor. The reason I came over today was to ask if there was a challenge for me to take on? Another league? Or maybe another region?" Ash questioned the Professor.

"I'm sorry to say Ash, but you've already competed in all 6 regions, the Orange Islands, and the Battle Frontier. The only new challenges would be the Frontiers in Johto and Sinnoh," the Professor explained.

"So then the only challenges I would have would be re-doing leagues again?" Ash asked, feeling defeated.

"Ash I'm pretty sure it wouldn't be too bad. Each league has an average of around 60 gyms in it. Sinnoh itself has 67. Usually, you've just jumped from nearest gym to nearest gym. That or you've done the most popular gyms. You could go back through the region without having to face the same gym leaders. It'd be a brand new experience," Gary told Ash after seeing his defeated look.

"You could become a Frontier Brain if you'd like Ash. You were offered the position once, remember?" Professor Oak reminded Ash, who merely shook his head at the suggestion.

"Maybe one day, but not yet," Ash told the Professor.

"Well you could - actually never mind," Gary finished nervously,"I'm out of ideas."

"What do you mean by that Gary," Ash said looking at Gary suspiciously.

"Gary you might as well tell him. He'll find out if we don't," Professor Oak advised.

"Tell me what!?" Ash asked, starting to get excited.

"Ash have to ever heard of the Finnx Archipelago?" Gary asked nervously. Ash merely gave Gary a confused look to which Gary sighed.

"The Finnx Archipelago is a chain of 18 Islands," Gary began to explain.

"Well, where are they at?" Ash asked, practically ready to zoom back to his house to start packing.

"The Finnx Archipelago is, well, in the middle of nowhere. About 300 miles south of Hoen. The Finnx Archipelago...houses the strongest league in the world," Gary explained.

"The strongest league in the world?" Ash asked, the tone of amazement clearly heard in his voice.

"Yep. It's run by a group of trainers, 12 girls and 6 boys, each stronger than most gym leaders and each specializing in their own type. However, it's set up a bit differently than other leagues since they don't have their own Champion and Elite Four due to it being so small and the trainers there so tough. They make up for that with a top 5 though. To make up for their difficulty, the league also has something pretty special. If you win all the 18 badges, then you can automatically qualify to take on any Elite Four and Champion of any leagues in the world," Gary finished.

"No way, are they really that good?" Ash asked surprised. Ash was pretty sure he knew how it worked to get to challenge the Elite Four of a region. First, the challenger had to collect 8 badges and then partake in the regional tournament and place 1st, something Ash had never had the honor of achieving.

"More than that good. Before the League was established, some of them were members of the Elite Four and I think one or two were even Champion. I heard a rumor about not getting a challenge from the one yearly challenges they had so they set up the league," Gary responded but noticed that Ash was already in a thinking mood. All the despair of not getting a challenge was finally leaving Ash and a child-like grin was quickly growing on the teen's face.

"Alright, Pikachu! Looks like we'll be hitting the Finnx Archipelago next!" Ash told the small electric type, who had been conversing with Bayleef. The grass type had run up when Ash had first arrived.

"Let's head home so we can pack!" Ash told Pikachu.

"Wait, Ash! You'll have to be careful. To challenge the Finnx League you'll need your strongest Pokemon," Professor Oak advised.

"What Gramps is trying to say, Ash is that you can't go around catching and training Pokemon as you've done in the past. Anything less than your best is what it's going to take for you to beat the Finnx League. Also, you can't keep using the same ones over and over again. You'll fall into a pattern and they'll catch you out," Gary warned Ash.

"What do you mean by that?" Ash asked Gary, a tad bit confused.

"The gym leaders are all really close. If they think you might beat them, they'll take close attention to your battling style and the type of Pokemon you use. They'll focus in on you, and then they'll warn the next trainer you're going at to prepare them. They'll use what they know to defeat you," Gary advised.

Ash frowned. He'd never had that kind of problem with gym leaders in the past. Usually, gym leaders he'd battle against had never heard of Ash before their battle. Feeling worried, Ash finally asked one question."How many trainers have beaten the league?"

Gary let out a sigh.

"Ash, that's the reason I didn't want to tell you about the league. Since the League was opened, one-thousand six-hundred and seventy-four have challenged the league. Only forty-seven have made it to the final five. Out of those forty-seven, only five people have actually beaten the leagues. Three of those lost extremely close battles to the champions they went up against. Cynthia and Alder were the only ones to win who actually beat their challenge," Gary responded, feeling rather nervous towards Ash's reaction.

"Only five?" Ash asked, astounded beyond belief," Are you sure?"

"Positive," Gary responded as he looked Ash right in the eye,"Do you still think you can do this Ash?"

Ash looked at the ground, frowning. He'd had high hopes, but now...it was obvious. Only the best of the best would win. Ash wasn't feeling too sure. Especially after what happened in Kalos.

"Pi-Pikachu!" Pikachu cried as he walked up to Ash, a determined look on his face. Pokemon and partner locked eyes before Ash finally decided to look back up.

"I'm in," Ash told Gary with a determined look in his eye.

"Ash you and your Pokemon are going to have to be at their finest if you hope to beat the Finnx League," Professor Oak told Ash.

"In thank case, I'm going to need to get the old group back together. This is something I can't pull off on my own, especially Brock and Max. I feel that if I'd have anyone of them along for Kalos and Unova, I would have done way better. If Brock can't come, then I'll try to see if Misty, Max, and May can. I want to do this challenge with them at my side," Ash told the small group listening. A spark of intrigue suddenly rose up in Ash's head as he looked over to Gary.

"Gary, how did you know about this league anyway? I've must've talked to Cynthia and Alder at least a dozen times in the last few years that I journeyed through Sinnoh and Unova," Ash stated as he looked Gary quizzically.

"Well um, the Finnx Archipelago has always been a source of knowledge for researchers like me and Professor Oak. They're a pretty weird region. Pokemon from every other region can all be found there," Gary said, looking a bit nervous at the question but quickly changed the subject,"anyways Ash. You should really be wondering about your plan to gather up your friends."

"Well, I'll start in Cerulean City since it's the closest. From there, I'll see if Misty can come and if not I'll probably see if I can find out where Brock is. As for Max, all I've got to do is tell May it'll be good learning experience for him. I heard about how the Pokemon League raised the starting trainer's age up to 12 so, if I hurry, I can tell May to ask him before he starts his journey. As for May, last I heard she was in Sinnoh, I'll get in contact with her," Ash said, beaming at his plan.

"Ash you know the Sinnoh Grand Festival is today right?" Gary asked Ash. Ash gave him a puzzled look.

"Wow, really? I had no idea," Ash said to himself. So much for keeping up with everything his friends were going through.

"If I were you, Ash, you should talk to them as soon as possible. Slateport will be the easiest way to get to the Islands but it isn't the only way. Make sure to tell them that, if they decide to go then they should take the first boat there. It'll be a long trip," Professor Oak advised. Ash nodded.

"Thanks, both of you. Come on Pikachu let's get home," Ash told the small electric mouse.

"Pika!" Pikachu responded as it hopped up onto Ash's shoulder. Ash turned to look at Bayleef who had also been listening in to the conversation.

"Bayleef, make sure to tell everyone to start training super hard! In a few weeks, we're off to the Finnx League and everyone will need to be in tip top shape, especially if we want to stand a chance against the leaders there," Ash explained to the grass type.

"Bay!" Bayleef cried out, a happy cry as she hurried off to Swellow and Staraptor who were flying in the distance but were also the closest ones around.

As Ash began his walk back to his house, a thousand questions were running through his mind. Ultimately, however, he realized that he would need every member of his team if he hoped to stand a chance against the Finnx League. Even those whom he'd had for only a while or never officially caught.

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Well, that's it for Chapter 1. To those who have read the Eclipse Islands by PrincessSelina then this chapter was probably very similar to her first chapter. I did my best to incorporate everything that was on a need-to-know basis for this chapter as well as show off my own style. Well, I hope you like and feel free to review.

 

[targetedandfiring]

Hello everyone, welcome to Chapter 2. This is being brought in from a different perspective. While the last chapter catered to Ash, this one belongs to someone else's.

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Chapter 2: Shock and Hope for a New Future

"And it looks like it'll be Mystique going on to the final round to face off against Drew in the Grand Festival," Marian announced as the crowd erupted into cheers. May was in shock. She wasn't quite sure how it had happened, she'd been doing so well!

"Good job May. That was a great round, you had me worried for a second there," Mystique said with a cheery smile. May only managed to give the other coordinator a half-hearted smile as she returned her Blastoise and Blaziken. Her mind was still going over the recent events of her loss. To say she was angry at herself was an understatement. Angry at losing but not sure how. As May left the arena, she came face to face with Drew. He gave her a sympathetic look.

"You did your best out there May," Drew comforted as he moved forward and gave May a hug. It was a well-known fact that May and Drew were dating. Both of the two contests stars and had been extremely public about their relationship to the point that it wasn't a surprise to see a member of the media snapping a picture while May and Drew were at dinner. They had learned to ignore it.

"I'm so confused. I was doing so well and then...then…," May stopped as she suddenly started bawling onto Drew's shoulder. Once again she had missed a Cup Win because she hadn't been as educated as she had thought.

"Hey, how were you supposed to know her Pokemon could use those moves? She'd never even used those Pokemon in battle before, she must've been saving them for you," Drew muttered as he took May's hand and led her towards the Pokemon Center.

"Won't my Pokemon see me as failures now? I promised them we would win the festival and here I am, nothing but bad news once again," May spoke. Tears still streamed down her face but she wasn't sobbing like she had been before. Drew looked down at May, with an almost angry expression on his face. He wasn't angry May had lost, she was one of the best in the contest world, he was angry at himself for not comforting her better in her time of need.

"May, I promised you I would forfeit if I didn't see you in the finals. However, as your boyfriend, I'm not going to let this pain you how it is. I promise you May, I'll do everything I can to beat Mystique. I'm going to win for the both of us," Drew said as he wiped away May's tears. During May's journey in Sinnoh, May had quickly become rivals with a girl who went by the name Mystique. She had always been mysterious and was well known for keeping her Pokemon's moves a mystery. Usually, she'd win from dodging all the time. However, when she did use moves, they were usually brutally devastating and took advantage of her Pokemon's natural abilities and how skillfully they could combo their moves together, which cost May points a lot of the time.

Drew led May back to their room. While they were dating and were sharing a room, nothing had been happening sexually between Drew and May. They would usually keep to their own beds when going to sleep.

"Drew, can you take my Pokemon to get healed for me. I want some time alone," May told Drew. Drew nodded in response and grabbed the two Pokeballs handed to him by May. He left her lying in bed and walked out of the room and into the current Pokemon Center's lobby. A Nurse Joy was present by the front desk and Drew left the Pokeballs with the Nurse with a room number so that they could be delivered there when they were healed.

"May, I promise you I'm not going to lose," Drew muttered as he left the Pokemon Center to go train with his Pokemon before the next round.

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Fireworks lit up the sky as May and Drew sat next to each other on the edge of Lake Valor. It was late and slightly chilly. A gold trophy stood between the couple. They were quiet, probably enjoy the lake view and the full moon while they could. The sky was cloudless and every star was visible in the sky.

"Drew, I'm so proud of you," May said.

"I'm not one to disappoint," Drew informed May, neither looking at each other, their eyes focused on the lake.

"You know, I got a call from Ash today just before your battle. Apparently, there's a new region that opened up, the Finnx Archipelago. It's supposed to be a super advanced region with big stakes and bigger rewards for any who can beat it. Ash wants to gather the group and get us all together, and he thinks it might be a good idea to bring Max since he just started as a trainer. I was wondering, maybe we can take a break from contests for a while and go enjoy a new adventure in the Finnx Archipelago," May said, resting her head on Drew's shoulder, a small content smile on her face.

Drew was quiet for a moment. A long time ago, the green haired boy had been rather jealous of Ash, who had spent close to two years traveling with May initially through Hoen and then Kanto. He'd heard some amazing rumors about the Finnx Archipelago being home to many new Pokemon and, quite honestly, he was a bit excited at the prospect.

"Sure, when do we leave?" Drew asked his girlfriend.

"Well, Ash says a boat leaves from Slateport in three weeks. That gives us enough time to get back to Hoen, and unwind for a bit before taking off right away again," May responded, yawning a bit.

Taking note of his girl's yawn, Drew stood up. May was surprised by his sudden movements but was greeted by Drew holding out his outstretched hand to May, who took it with a smile.

"C'mon, you're getting tired," Drew said with a smile,"let's get you to bed." May wanted to argue but decided against it, once Drew made up his mind he was set. Letting out another yawn, she gave a drowsy nod and the two lovers walked, arm in arm, back to the Pokemon Center to prepare for the upcoming events.

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And that's it for Chapter 2. I realize it might be a bit short, but it was only meant to let you experience the story from someone else's eyes, as well as showing off what exactly transpired at the Sinnoh Grand Festival. The next chapter will be coming soon. Hopefully, you all are enjoying the progression so far.

 

[targetedandfiring]

Hello, fellow readers. Hopefully, you enjoyed the last chapter. This chapter will be focusing back on Ash. Since we've last seen Ash, it's been three days. Much of these earlier chapters will be in time skips because the main focus isn't traveling around the known regions, it's grabbing Ash's friends and getting to The Archipelago.

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Chapter 3: A Splashing Reunion

Ash gripped onto the feathers of the Pokemon he was riding on, his Staraptor, as the wind bit his face. Gripping tightly onto his shoulder, Pikachu stared right on ahead. Below Ash was the sprawling city of Cerulean.

"There Staraptor, land by that Pokemon Center!" Ash called out as he spotted the familiar red roof. The Predator Pokemon let out a cry as it began its descent, landing on the empty battlefield behind the Pokemon Center. Ash hopped off the large flying type's back and gave a long stretch. He'd been in search everywhere these last few days, running small errands and trying to find out where Brock and Misty had been lying around since Ash's return from Kalos. Apparently, while Ash had been journeying, Misty had become a rather gifted gym leader, there were even rumors of her being the strongest Kanto gym leader. Ash wasn't surprised if what he'd heard was true.

"Thank you Staraptor! You deserve a long rest bud," Ash told the Pokemon he'd been traversing with the last few days. Staraptor was the Pokemon Ash had been riding straight for the past three days, going from place to place with only short breaks between stops. The Predator Pokemon, though exhausted, was not one to quit on his trainer and had pushed through the entire time, making sure to take advantage of updrafts so that he could glide a lot more often and conserve energy, as well as ensuring his trainer didn't fall off while he rested. He gave a tired chirp as Ash raised the Pokeball and returned him to rest.

Ash walked into the Pokemon Center. The Nurse Joy inside didn't seem all too surprised about how Ash had arrived. Ash quickly handed her Staraptor's Pokeball.

"Hey Nurse Joy, can you check up on my Staraptor? He's been flying a few days straight and I want to make sure he's alright," Ash told the Nurse.

"Not a problem, he should be ready to go in a few hours, come back then and we'll have him ready," the Nurse said in a cheery tone as she took Staraptor's Pokeball and handed it to Chansey.

Ash nodded. A few hours gave him enough time to go visit Misty.and ask her to come with him to the Finnx Archipelago.

"C'mon Pikachu let's go find Misty!" Ash said as he waved a farewell to Nurse Joy and went running off towards the Cerulean Gym. The gym had undergone some remodeling since Ash had last visited, and, thus, Ash was unable to spot it immediately. A quick tug at Ash's pants by Pikachu let Ash know that Pikachu knew the way so he followed his starter through the crowds of people and was utterly surprised by what he found.

Gone was the performance hall that had previously dominated the Cerulean Gym. Instead, in its place, was a large aquarium joint with a stadium.

"Wow, Misty's certainly spent some time renovating," Ash whistled in amazement as he strode through the front doors. The receptionist to the aquarium looked up from polishing her nails and it only took her a moment to realize who had arrived.

"Like, oh my gosh, it's Ash! Wow, long time no see. Misty's been pretty peeved that you haven't visited sooner," the girl said as she got up, it only took Ash a moment before he realized he was talking to Daisy, one of Misty's older sisters. The mere thought of Misty being mad at Ash made Ash shiver, but he tried not to dwell on it too much.

"Yeah, sorry about that, I've had a lot on my mind these last few months," Ash said with a nervous laugh," anyways, I was hoping I could talk to Misty?"

"Oh, of course!" Daisy said with a smile as she grabbed Ash's arm and started leading him down a hall. Away from the main aquarium, the hall led them down several hundred feet, past many doors and, finally, came out to what appeared to be a large pool, around which several trainers congregated. Each was either training their Pokemon or swimming and each had a water Pokemon by their side.

Currently, there was a battle going on at the center of the pool at a safe distance from the other trainers, a male trainer with a speedo was giving commands to his Sharpedo while a female trainer was giving orders to a Gyarados. The two Pokemon were battling fiercely and Ash was quite impressed. A familiar sounding voice rang in Ash's ear and he couldn't help but grin when he heard it.

"Alright Gyarados, let's finish this up with Hyper Beam!" the voice called out. The large water snake in the pool let out a roar as it unleashed a beam of pure energy at the Sharpedo, the Sharpedo's trainer called for a dodge but the Hyper Beam the Gyarados used was launched too fast and there was an explosion as it hit its mark. When the bubbles cleared, Sharpedo was found floating on its side, too tired to continue battling.

"Looks like that's the match, good try though Ben! You've gotten a lot better since when you first arrived with a Carvanha at my gym!" the girl praised as she climbed onto her Pokemon's back and let it lead her to shore. It was obvious now to Ash who she was, Misty. She had changed since the last time Ash had seen her, almost two years ago. No longer was she lean and scrawny. She had the body of a woman now, her hair had grown longer, no longer held up in a ponytail, but not long enough to go past her shoulders. She wore a light blue swim suit over which she had a jacket over, it appeared to be dry, despite Misty having been swimming in the water just moments earlier.

"Thank you Master, but I still have a while to go before any of my Pokemon are as strong as yours," Ben said, having released a Wartortle that was helping him guide him back to shore. Misty looked to respond but was cut off before she could speak.

"Master huh? Didn't realize you'd gotten a new nickname," Ash called out from the pool, Misty turned to look at the trainer on the pool deck before giving out a battle cry.

"Ketchum I'm going to kill you!" she shouted in a rage as she jumped from her Gyarados and started swimming at an amazing pace. Ash was shell-shocked, unsure of what to do, as he turned to make a run for it down the hallway he was tackled to the ground by a soaked Misty.

"Ash Ketchum how dare you leave for two years, hardly bothering to keep in contact with me! Give me one good reason why I shouldn't feed you to my Gyarados right now?!" Misty said as she held Ash down. While she had certainly grown into a woman, her familiar attitude didn't seem to have left at all.

"Well, if you feed me to Gyarados you can't come on an adventure with me to the Finnx Archipelago," Ash groaned, struggling to speak with his face buried in the dirt as Pikachu chuckled off to the side.

"Hmm,...I don't believe you, challenge me to a battle and maybe I'll consider your proposal," Misty said as she let Ash stand up. Ash was about to protest but decided against it.

"Alright, then I'll use Pi-" Ash turned to his partner and almost face planted upon seeing the electric rodent relaxing on a pool chair with some sunglasses on, obviously in no way wanting to battle.

"Fine then, I'll be using Dewott!" Ash said, as he pulled out a Pokeball and released the water type starter. It gave a confident cry as it emerged, looking eager to battle.

"Cool a Dewott, fine then, I'll use Kingdra!" Misty called out as she returned her Gyarados and released her Kingdra into the pool. Ash was surprised.

"So I'm guessing your Horsea ended up turning into a Kingdra huh?" Ash asked as Dewott entered the water and got ready for battle.

"That's right! Alright, Ash, I'll be generous and let you have the first move," Misty said, Ash nodded in response.

"In that case, Dewott let's start things off with Aqua Jet!" Ash called out. Dewott quickly enveloped itself in a veil of water before charging toward Kingdra at a rapid pace.

"Kingdra use Smokescreen!" Misty said confidently. Kingdra didn't waste a second and quickly dipped into the water and released a dark ink, covering the pool and hiding Kingdra from sight.

"Now use Double Team," Misty said. At that call, 12 different Kingdra's came dashing out of the Smokescreen, that had stopped the Dewott in its tracks, and began circling him,

"Dewott, careful! Use Aqua Jets on the replicas until you hit the real one!" Ash told the water Pokemon who dashed forward and started attacking the fake Kingdra, moving fast only to hit fakes, as Dewott came to take out the last Kingdra, Misty gave out an order.

"Trap that Dewott in its Aqua Jet and use Ice Beam Kingdra!" Misty shouted as Dewott rammed an Aqua Jet into the final Kingdra, revealing it to be fake while the real Kindra emerged from the Smokescreen to fire a beam of ice at the water type.

"Quick, raise your scallops forward and use Razor Shell, but keep that Aqua Jet going and spin!" Ash called out as Dewott did a quick turn into the incoming Ice Beam and moving at high velocity straight through it and toward Kingdra. Misty, who was shocked by the attack, had no time to respond and could only watch as Dewott attacked Kingdra, landing the spinning glowing turmoil onto Kingdra and dealing a lot of damage.

"Wow, what was that!" Misty asked in shock.

"A special technique I developed with my Buizel in Sinnoh, figured I might as well teach it to my Pokemon that knew Aqua Jet, the Razor Shell was something Dewott developed as an Oshawott. I've decided to call it Razor Ice Aqua Jet," Ash said with a grin.

"Well, you're going to have to work a lot harder than that to beat me, Ash!" Misty said,"Alright Kingdra, let's finish this up! Use Twister!" Upon hearing the command, Kingdra dashed forward and started glowing purple as it started swimming fast circles around Dewott, before causing a large twister to form, hitting Dewott with both water and dragon energy and launching it out of the pool.

"Dewott are you okay?" Ash called, it looked like Dewott had taken a lot of damage, which meant that Kingdra had to have the Sniper ability and landed a critical hit. Dewott emerged from the water, having fallen back into it after Kingdra's attack. He looked bruised and was breathing hard, but he gave a thumbs up.

"Alright Dewott, let's finish up this battle! Use Revenge!" Ash called out, to which Misty's eyes widened at the attack that Dewott would use.

"Quick Kingdra, you've got to dodge!" Misty cried as Dewott raced forward, and managed to grab Kingdra's tail as it tried to flee. A red glow in his eyes, Dewott swung Kingdra around and threw it straight to the bottom of the pool with enough force that there was a crack of concrete breaking. Kingdra, with Dewott's help, floated up to the surface, obviously defeated.

"Looks like you win Ash," Misty said with a sigh of defeat as she returned her Pokemon.

"Great job Dewott!" Ash praised the water type. It had come a long way since its time in Unova and training with Greninja obviously seemed to have been a worthwhile investment. He returned Dewott to its Pokeball as Misty approached.

"Alright Ash, it seems you've won. I'll let you explain yourself now," Misty said as she crossed her arms and waited. Ash quickly explained everything Gary and Professor Oak had told him, Misty looked surprised, obviously, she hadn't heard of the Finnx Archipelago before.

"So what do you say? Want to come along?" Ash asked," these last few years, journeying without you and Brock, it...it hasn't felt right. I want things to be how they used to be. All of us journeying together, I've even asked Max and May to come along."

Misty closed her eyes and began thinking. What Ash didn't know was how Misty was actually trying to become a member of the Kanto Elite Four and had come pretty close to finishing all the steps necessary with Agatha finally retiring soon, However, the thought of adventuring with Ash again made her heart beat faster. She had enjoyed those times in which she had fought and laughed and adventures far too long ago. The idea of experiencing something like that again…

"Fine, I'm in!" Misty said with a determined look," give me an hour to get everything ready to go." The gym leader turned to the trainer with the Sharpedo she'd been battling earlier.

"Ben, I'm counting on you to man the gym until I return," Misty told the trainer.

"I won't let you down master!" Ben replied, a few other trainers called out their support for Ash and some even walked up to Misty to wish her safe journeys.

Ash smiled. It seemed all he had left to do was to find Brock and get to Slateport.

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And there we go for Chapter 3. For those wondering, Misty now has the look of her Heart Gold/Soul Silver counterpart if you need to see an image of what I was trying to envision her as. I hope you all enjoy this chapter, the next one will be released as soon as I've finished it. My friend has agreed to be my second set of eyes as I suck at proofreading my own work, and another friend has actually encouraged me to continue with my writing of the story so I think I will. Hope you've enjoyed so far, leave some reviews, I'd love to hear your thoughts on the story so far.

 

[targetedandfiring]

I hope you're enjoying the story so far. Please remember to drop reviews/comments, it lets me know how interested you are in the story! ( It also inspires me to write more).

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Chapter 4: The New and The Old

A few Wingull let out cries as they floated on the breeze up above. The sky was clear and the sun let off a warming sensation. Two trainers walked side by side along a well-worn path, one was a young man that looked to be in his late teens, A Pikachu rested on his shoulder as he conversed with a young woman who walked beside him.

"Where did you end up venturing off while we were at Saffron City Ash?" the girl asked the trainer walking next to him.

"Oh-um I was just doing a bit of shopping really," Ash replied The woman, Misty, gave Ash a suspicious look but said nothing. While Ash had disappeared for a couple hours in Saffron, Misty could not see a reason for questioning him further as he did seem to have gotten outfitted in new clothes.

Ash had returned with something completely different than what he had worn. He wore some durable traveling sneakers that he had been guaranteed would last him a good year of harsh travel over any conditions. He still wore blue jeans but had swapped out his old cap for a red and white one that had a half Pokeball design on the front. He had also opted for a red and white t-shirt that had a cool looking stylized 96 design on it. A yellow, one shouldered backpack had replaced Ash's old bag.

Misty had to admit, Ash's new style give him a slightly more mature look. And along with his new look came a new attitude, he had certainly started training upon hearing about the Finnx Region. He had trained his Pokemon harder than ever, but, ever since Saffron, must have decided to give them a rest as he no longer released his Pokemon from their balls to train. They certainly deserved it. Misty was sure any of Ash's Pokemon were easily prepared to deal with tough opponents and could easily go toe to toe with even her strongest Pokemon.

While Ash's look had gone with one of a more mature appearance, Misty, on the other hand, had finally embraced her sister's love for fashion. It wasn't anything too extravagant, but she wore blue jeans with traveling sneakers and a sky blue blouse, along with her old traveling pack she had used when she used to travel with Ash, surprisingly it had still fit her. Seeing it brought back happy memories of her old Togepi.

The road from Cerulean City to Vermillion had been a quaint adventure. They had taken a bus halfway to Saffron and then decided to walk the rest of the way to Vermillion since it was only half a day's walk. They walked fast, eager to arrive in Vermillion and see their old friend, Brock.

Misty had made sure to keep tabs on her old traveling partner. They usually met once a month to chat and laugh about the old times but other than that, they almost never talked to each other. With Misty training for the Elite Four and Brock trying to become a doctor, they didn't really have much time for anything else but their monthly talks.

"Looks like Vermillion City is just up ahead!" Ash told Misty, spotting a couple skyscrapers in the distance. Vermillion City sure has grown since the last time Ash had visited.

"Oh yeah! C'mon I'll beat you there!" Misty cried out as she sprinted off without warning. It felt so nice being free from the constraints of her gym. Being out on an adventure with Ash felt great and soon she'd get to see Brock too.

"Hey, no fair!" Ash yelled as he hurried to catch up. Misty's head start had mattered as she arrived and waited for Ash to catch up. Years of training and swimming had made her a great athlete. Ash, on the other hand, had only just begun walking again after doing practically nothing for the past month. He felt a bit out of shape as he arrived, panting slightly.

"No fair! Y-You had a h-head start!" Ash panted feebly, as he glared at Pikachu who was rolling over laughing his head off.

"C'mon Ash, you'll have time to catch your breath later!" Misty laughed as she began walking away, heading towards the center of the city. Ash scrambled to catch up as Misty led them towards an unusually large Pokemon Center.

"Wow, Brock works here?" Ash said out loud in amazement. With a start, he realized this was the same Pokemon Center his Pikachu had been brought to after losing to Raichu all those years ago. It had certainly changed. In its place stood a large 6 story tall Pokemon Center, Red roof and all.

"Yes, he just started his internship here earlier this spring," Misty said as she walked through the automatic center doors. The Center was a buzzing Beedrill nest, people and their Pokemon rushed wildly about, as they hurried to pick up hurt Pokemon, Nurse Joys and other unrecognizable Doctors rushed around calmly attending to the trainers.

"Surge's gym is as tough as ever nowadays!" Ash heard a trainer complain as he held an electrified Vulpix in his arms, The comment made Ash chuckle, he remembered the struggle he'd had back then as well. He went to give the young trainer some advice but felt someone tug on his arm and turned to find Misty pointing to a tall, tanned man in the back returning Pokemon to a young trainer, a Chansey by the man's side.

"Thank you Doctor!" the boy called out as he took his Pokemon and rushed off to who knows where.

"Doctor huh?" Ash said as he walked up to the man. The man, surprised, turned and let out an audible gasp.

"Ash! My goodness! It's been a while!" Brock said as he quickly gave Ash a hug, slightly surprised that the small kid he had traveled with when he was younger was now only a few inches shorter than him.

"Yeah, it has!" Ash said with a grin, while Pikachu rushed up and rubbed on Brock's leg. A happy greeting from an old friend to an old friend.

"Listen, guys, I'd love to chat some more but you got me at a bad time. How about we meet up at this tea house a couple blocks from here in about thirty minutes. Just need to run a quick errand for the floor manager and then I'm good to clock out," Brock told his friends as a Nurse Joy gave him a stern look from across the room.

He quickly said his goodbyes and rushed away toward the Joy, his Chansey hurrying behind.

"Wow being a Doctor is busy work. Did you notice something...odd about the way he was acting Misty?" Ash asked his friend as they turned to exit the Pokemon Center, with Misty leading the way out of the building.

She was silent at first but then replied.

"Yes. I didn't want to bring it up before, but...I don't think he enjoys being a Doctor, something tells me...I don't know..." Misty sighed. Ash nodded, understanding what she meant.

The Brock he knew had always been interested in breeding and he enjoyed helping Pokemon, but there something about Brock's entire posture while in the Pokemon Center that had unnerved him.

His stance had been rigged and tired. He didn't walk over to the Nurse when he was called enthusiastically. It almost seemed like being a Doctor had bored Brock, which was strange. What had happened?

The trip to the tea shop had been quiet. Both friends had been too busy thinking to bring up a conversation about anything decent. Upon arriving they both ordered fresh iced-tea, it was too warm out for some hot tea and sat outside under some shade as they enjoyed their tea, but were still too lost in thought. Every now and then they'd mention something about their surroundings, all in an attempt to start a conversation but it was hard.

"Hey, Ash! Misty!" a voice called and both trainers looked up with a start. Pikachu snored lazily by Ash's side, fast asleep. A waiter quickly got Brock's order as he sat with Misty and Ash at their table.

Brock had sure grown up considerably, always being the oldest of the group, but had to be in at least his mid to early twenties. His face was very similar to before, although it appeared to have been awhile since he'd last shaved as a scruff of a light beard was beginning to appear.

It seemed he had left the Pokemon Center without changing clothes, as he still wore his work scrubs.

"Brock, it's nice to see you!" Ash said as is friend sat down at the table. Brock gave a happy smile.

"I'm sorry about Kalos, I didn't get to watch your match live but I heard you made it to the finals!" Brock said happily.

"Yeah, I did," Ash replied, his voice getting silent. The battle against Alan was still fresh in his mind. Alongside the events that happened afterward. Brock must have noticed Ash's change in demeanor as he quickly changed the subject.

"So, Ash and Misty. What'd you guys want to meet up and talk about?" Brock asked this questioned seemed to brighten Ash up a bit.

"In about two weeks, I'll be traveling to the Finnx Archipelago with Misty to challenge their league. It's only supposed to be for the most elite of trainers. I want you to come with us," Ash said.

Brock looked surprised.

"Ash, this sounds like an incredible offer but...I'm currently just starting my internship -" Brock began before he was cut off my Misty.

"Cut the crap, Brock. Look, I know helping Pokemon has always been something you've done, but it doesn't mean you have to be a Doctor because of it. I remember the Brock that would spend hours grooming his Pokemon after a long day of travel, making sure they always had the best diets and always talking about wanting to be a Breeder. This is your chance to fulfill that dream. The Finnx Archipelago is filled with new Pokemon, evolutions, and moves according to what Gary told Ash. This is your chance to complete the dream you've always wanted. Are you really ready to give all that up to be bossed around in a place where people hardly give you a second glance?!" Misty said as she stood up angrily, having had enough of holding back against Brock these past few months.

Both. Brock and Ash were silent, Misty's temper as evident as ever as she stared Brock down.

"Look...you're right. I spent these past two years thinking a Doctor would help me better understand Pokemon and how to help them, and it's worked, but being cooped up in a building all day, wasn't what I had expected. I think I want to be a Breeder again," Brock finally said.

Misty smiled and hugged Brock.

" I just want you to be happy Brock, I hope you understand why I went all Misty on you," Misty said as she begged forgiveness of Brock, while Ash said.

"Does that mean you'll be coming to the Finnx Archipelago with us then?" Ash asked.

"Finnx Archipelago?" said a voice, and the group turned to see a beautiful dirty blonde haired woman, around Brock's age, she wore a red sundress and had red earrings, with an official looking binder at her side. Brock was immediately smitten.

"Oh my what gracious beauty who sets my heart soaring with wonder and passion!" Brock said as he took a knee and held the woman's hand while he looked into her eyes.

Some things never change, Ash thought to himself as he chuckled at the scene.

Misty was already getting up from her seat, hand reaching for Brock's ear while a Pokeball on Brock's belt opened to reveal a Toxicroak readying a Poison Jab.

SLAP!

The noise carried through the small street the four people were sitting by. Brock's face adorned a red print. Misty and Toxicroak stood dumbfounded as the lady pushed Brock away, having just slapped him with enough force to daze and blur his vision.

"Tell your friend that if he touches me again, I won't be so lenient. My name is Marie, I overheard you talking about the Finnx Archipelago and had to come look and introduce myself, " she said as she shook each of their hands, including the still surprised Toxicroak.

"H-Hello Marie, I'm Misty and this is Ash, how do you know about the Finnx Archipelago?" Misty asked.

"I actually work there. I guess you can say I'm the caretaker of the Carbinthia family," Marie replied.

"Carbinthia family? Who are they?" Ash asked confused.

"You don't know? The Carbinthia family are the gym leaders of the Finnx Archipelago. Each one of them are siblings, all them natives to the Archipelago, each a Master type specialist, and all no older than twenty-five," Marie replied, seeming confused by the fact Ash didn't know about them," I'm sure you've heard about them? Augustus Carbinthia was Kanto Champion when he was ten years old. And Pyra Carbinthia Hoen champion at 12. A good few have been members of the Elite Fours in all regions. Others, such as Marina Carbinthia are considered contest legends."

"So you mean that not all the Carbinthia's are battlers?" Misty asked, surprised at the notion that some of them competed in Contests.

"They're all extremely good battlers, no doubt about it. However, they each pursue other things as well, whether it be research, contests, breeding -" Marie started.

"Did you say breeding?" Brock asked, immediately on his feet at that notion.

"Yes, the Grass Type specialist, Greta, is among one of the world's best breeders," Marie said.

Ash looked surprised as Brock turned to him, with a slightly red cheek and a serious expression.

"I'll go with you to the Finnx Archipelago," Brock said,"you're right. Being a Doctor is fun on occasion, but it isn't what drives me. I want to be a Breeder. At the very least, I want to study under Greta Carbinthia. If she is a top tier Breeder, then they're so much I could learn by talking with her."


"You'll have to be careful with Greta, she may be a grass type trainer, but her temperament is one of a Fire type. Try to be all romantic with her and she'll give you a beating," Marie laughed, not noticing the three trainers sweatdrop at her sense of humor.

Her laughter was suddenly caught off as something else caught her attention. She turned and looked down the street. A man with blonde hair, blue eyes, ripped jeans, and a golden t-shirt was calling her over.

"Well, it's been fun talking, but I've got to go. See ya!" Marie said as she gave them a wave and happily skipped away to the man. Coming to walk as she came up to him and, together, they turned the corner and disappeared from sight.

"I wonder if she works for the Carbinthia's why she's in Vermillion," Brock said aloud.

"Probably on vacation," Misty suggested.

'Yeah, you're right! That does make sense," Brock agreed.

The three friends spent the remainder of the afternoon hanging out at the tea shop. Tomorrow, they decided, they would take a boat to Slateport to catch the boat to the Finnx Archipelago. But for now, hanging out was just fine.

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And there we go. Hope you've enjoyed. I realize I may have made Brock's reasoning for not wanting to become a Doctor poor, but I honestly preferred him as a Breeder. And when he left the show to be replaced with Cilan in Best Wishes, I was pretty sad. Anyways, unsure of when I'll have the next chapter up.