{Lavaridge Town}
At the Lavaridge Gym, a Gym battle was being wrapped up by a girl battling a boy with a Trapinch, who had come to challenge her.
The girl was wearing a red bandeau with yellow flames, exposing her belly button, and a black sleeveless tie-front crop top over it. She also had on light blue flared jeans with red Xs down the sides, secured with a white karate belt. Her shoes were colored black and red, it was Flannery.
"Magcargo, [Flamethrower]!" Flannery called out enthusiastically.
Magcargo raised its chest and shot out a blast of fire, engulfing the Trapinch and knocking it out.
"I won! I guess my well-honed moves worked!" Flannery laughed, putting her hands on her waist. At the moment, Flannery already had one year of experience as a Gym Leader, so she wasn't as self-conscious or nervous after taking over the Gym, although sometimes those little quirks came back, since she was still the newest Gym Leader in Hoenn.
And especially since this time, unlike her anime counterpart, she didn't inherit the Gym because her grandfather wanted to retire, it was because, unfortunately, he had passed away in his sleep exactly one year ago today.
As the trainer left to go heal his team, the screen on the scoreboard changed, displaying Winona's face. She had been watching the battle.
"Wonderful, Flannery. You're a rookie Gym Leader, but your battles are like those of a skilled veteran! That's the 199th challenger you've defeated since you became the Gym Leader."
Flannery froze for half a second when Winona's face filled the screen. Then she straightened, a grin tugging at her mouth.
"Ah—Winona!" she said, rubbing the back of her neck, "You're watching again, huh?"
On the monitor, Winona inclined her head slightly, the wings of her long coat barely moving.
"Indeed. I happened to want to see how you were doing on this day. Quite impressive," she said calmly.
The scoreboard updated beside her image.
199 victories.
Flannery glanced at the number, "…Huh," she muttered, "Already that many…"
Winona nodded softly, "You really have improved since you took over the Gym. I remember how many mistakes you made when you first stepped into the role."
Flannery laughed, a little embarrassed, "Ehehe… I still mess up plenty."
She looked toward Magcargo, who rumbled contentedly as she returned it to its Poké Ball, "…But yeah. I guess I've gotten better."
There was a brief pause.
Winona spoke again, more gently, "Today marks one full year since you took over this Gym, does it not?"
Flannery's fingers tightened slightly around the Poké Ball, "…Yeah."
She didn't look at the screen.
"He'd probably laugh if he saw me counting wins," Flannery said lightly, "Tell me to focus on my footwork instead."
Winona closed her eyes for a moment, "Those who guide us do not truly leave," she said, "Not as long as we remember them. And I'd say you're doing a great job of that."
Flannery blinked, "…That's a very Winona way to say it."
A small smile crossed the Flying-type Leader's face, "It's no problem at all. I owe your grandfather a great deal, but I think it's important to get some rest from time to time."
Flannery pretended not to hear that last part about rest, "Okay, well, since my next battle is my 200th, I think I should go train a little!"
As Flannery tried to walk out like a teenage girl sneaking out of her house, Winona squinted.
"Flannery, aren't you forgetting something?"
Flannery froze and slowly looked back at the battlefield, which was covered in scorch marks and burn scars. As a Gym Leader, it was their duty to make sure the battlefield was clean, whether by having Gym Trainers handle it or by hiring cleaners. But since Flannery was still new at this, she didn't have any Gym Trainers yet, nor had she hired any staff.
"Ehh… well…" Flannery started, before suddenly bolting, "I'll do it when I get back!" she shouted as she ran out the door.
Winona watched the empty doorway for a moment after Flannery vanished.
"…She has not changed at all," she murmured, though a small smile rested on her face.
–
Outside the Gym
Hot spring mist drifted lazily through the streets, heat shimmering off stone and wood alike. Flannery burst out of the Gym doors and immediately slowed to a walk, trying to look casual, as if she hadn't just sprinted past her responsibilities.
She exhaled, hands on her hips.
"Two hundred…" she muttered, "Already…"
Her gaze drifted uphill, toward the rocky ridge overlooking the town.
That was where her grandfather used to make her run drills.
She clicked her tongue, "Training. Just a little. Then I'll come back and clean. Promise."
Torkoal's Poké Ball bounced once at her hip.
"Koaaal," it rumbled knowingly.
Flannery pointed at it, "Don't give me that look. You're coming too."
She sighed and looked around as she walked, passing the hot spring spots scattered throughout Lavaridge. People greeted her, especially the older folks. Even though, as Gym Leader, she was responsible for the town, the people genuinely liked her. The older generation treated her like another grandchild, especially since her grandfather had passed away, often making sure she ate well and got enough rest.
She was grateful for that, and because of it, she wanted to be as strong as she could be.
With a determined huff, she ran out of town toward her super-secret training spot.
Flannery stepped into the center of the clearing and spread her arms.
"All right," she said, grinning, "Let's picture it."
She closed her eyes, imagining her Gym much bigger than it was now, with hundreds of people filling the stands, cheering.
The two-hundredth challenger steps forward.
She spun, pointing dramatically at an imaginary opponent, "Gym Leader Flannery accepts your challenge!"
She laughed under her breath, then mimed throwing a Poké Ball.
"Torkoal, [Smokescreen] to open!"
She stepped sideways, dodging an invisible attack.
"Then boom! [Overheat], full power!"
Her foot slid across the stone as she pivoted.
"And when they think they've got me cornered…"
She thrust her hand forward, "Magcargo, [Flame Burst]! Finish it!"
She nodded to herself at the imaginary battle.
"…Yeah," she murmured, "That'd be pretty hot."
Now she was actually going to practice it for real.
Behind the largest boulder at the edge of the clearing, two shadows shifted.
Amber pressed his back to the rock, cap pulled low, eyes narrowed. Beside him, Shelly adjusted her hair, quietly releasing the latch on a Poké Ball.
"She's alone," Shelly whispered, "No backup."
Amber nodded, "Perfect. Just like the reports said."
They watched as Flannery looked at her Poké Balls, thinking about which Pokémon to train with first.
Amber smirked, "A Fire-type Leader at the foot of Mt. Chimney… fate really is on our side."
As Flannery finally took a Poké Ball and was about to throw it out, there were two soft clicks of Poké Balls opening behind her. She quickly turned, only to see a Carvanha and a Ludicolo rushing at her.
She didn't even get to open her Poké Ball before they both blasted her with water, sending her crashing back against a rock and hitting her head. She felt her consciousness begin to slip away.
She could barely open her eyes as she saw two blue figures walking up to her body.
"Sorry, kid," Amber said flatly, "You're not part of this story."
Shelly watched as Flannery's eyes struggled to stay open.
"The Fire Leader of Lavaridge is secured," she said into her communicator, "Proceed with Phase One."
Flannery's last thought, before darkness took her, was, I didn't even get to clean the field… Then she was knocked out.
Now that they had Flannery, they could continue their plan confidently. Since Flannery was the current strongest trainer in Lavaridge, and had the League and other Gym Leaders on speed dial, having her around was too much of a risk. In fact, they had been ready to carry out their plan more than a week ago, but they had been waiting for Flannery to be alone so they could take her out for that very reason.
As for what their plan was, well, it was obvious, wasn't it? It was to destroy Mt. Chimney.
–
{Back at the foot of Mt. Chimney}
The gang finally arrived at the cable car system after a few days of travel, and just like Ash said, Clefairy was finally back. As soon as she climbed into Ash's bag again, she was horrified at how disorganized it was, so she immediately got to work organizing everything.
And with her Gravity training, Ash and Brock ramped up their training again. None of their Pokémon had evolved yet, but they were close. May also wanted to give it a try, but she couldn't even get used to ×2 gravity, much less the ×10 that Brock and Ash were accustomed to, but that wasn't her fault. Ash and Brock were just monsters like that.
Anyway, back at the cable car station. As they walked in, May leaned over the railing, looking high up toward the mountain, "So this is it? The famous cable car?"
"I heard the view from the top is amazing," Max said, practically bouncing on his heels, "You can see half of Hoenn on a clear day!"
Brock adjusted his bag, "Hot springs, volcanic craters, mountain winds… Lavaridge really picked a dramatic location."
"Yep, good thing too," Ash said, "I'm pretty sure with these two, we'd have to take a break every ten feet if we tried to hike our way up." He pointed toward the siblings.
"Hey!" May and Max said in unison.
"Oh, sorry, do you guys want to hike up the mountain?" Ash said smugly.
That made both of them snap their mouths shut, like they'd bitten into lemons.
As they stepped further inside, there was only one man present. He had broad shoulders stretching the uniform, thick arms crossed casually over his chest. Dark sunglasses hid his eyes, and his cap was pulled low. He looked more like a bodybuilder than a cable car operator.
And Ash could tell who he was, since disguises didn't matter to him. He recognized the man based on his aura alone.
It was Matt again.
And it seemed like Matt recognized him too, since his jaw clenched, he clearly remembered the beating Ash had given him the last time they met.
"Cable car's operational," he said in a low, flat voice, "But maintenance is in progress."
Max blinked, "Maintenance? But it's running."
"For safety reasons," Matt continued, "only three passengers per cart."
May frowned, "Three? But there's four of us…"
Brock scratched his chin, "That's… inconvenient."
Pikachu tilted his head, and Vee squinted at Matt, as if trying to process something.
Max's eyes lit up with sudden inspiration.
"Oh! Then this is perfect," he said quickly, "May and Ash can go first together, and Brock and I can take the next one—"
May choked and quickly covered Max's mouth, "Max!"
"No," Matt interrupted.
He didn't even look at Max, "That's not possible."
Max frowned, "Why not?"
Matt finally tilted his head slightly, his sunglasses reflecting the lights, "Weight distribution issue."
Brock blinked, "With… two kids?"
"I don't know, man, it's just regulations," Matt said, "I don't have control over this. I could try calling my supervisor, but that could take up to an hour, and I really don't want to wait that long."
Ash had to admit, if he didn't know Matt, he would've believed that last part. It definitely sounded like something an employee would say. But the weight distribution issue? Ash knew full well that was BS.
He knew Matt wanted Ash alone, to deal with him for what he did last time. And Ash, being the kind of person he was, how could he refuse if someone wanted a second ass-whooping?
"It's fine," Ash said casually, "I'll go alone."
May turned sharply, "Ash?"
Max gaped, "Wait, what?"
Ash shrugged, "If it's three per cart, you guys go first. I'll take the second one."
Brock frowned, "You sure?"
"Yeah," Ash said evenly, "Makes things… simpler."
He gestured toward the first gondola sliding into place, "Three passengers. Now."
May hesitated, looking between Ash and the cart, "Are you sure you're okay going alone?"
Ash smiled at her, "It's just a cable car. I'll be right behind you."
Ash kept smiling as the cart's doors closed and it slowly began to ascend. As it left, Ash's smile suddenly fell.
"So," he said without looking back, "are you gonna keep acting, Roid?"
Matt's eye twitched, "Wha- is that a steroid joke, no, whatever. The name's Matt, and don't forget it, brat. And I don't think you have much room to talk, not when I have this."
Ash finally turned around, narrowing his eyes as he saw what Matt had, or rather, who.
It was Flannery.
Her arms were tied behind her back, tape covering her mouth. She struggled weakly, tears welling in her eyes.
"Mph—mph!" [Please, run away!]
Matt ripped open the uniform, revealing his Aqua uniform underneath. He pressed a button on the machine, causing another cart to open.
"If you don't want the girl to get hurt," he said coldly, "you'll get in the cart quietly and put your Pokémon in their balls. We don't need any distractions."
Vee and Pikachu looked ready to pounce, but Matt simply lifted Flannery with one arm. His hand was nearly as big as her head, and it was obvious what he could do to her.
Even if Pikachu could move at the speed of lightning, he wouldn't be able to save Flannery in time.
Ash raised his hand, stopping Pikachu and Vee, and sent them a message with Aura, causing them to calm down, though they still narrowed their eyes. They trusted Ash, so they allowed themselves to be recalled into their Poké Balls.
Ash walked toward the cart. As he did, Matt smiled, then suddenly threw Flannery at him, forcing Ash to react quickly to catch her. In that instant, Matt pulled out a dagger, stabbed the controls, and jumped into the cart. The doors snapped shut, and the gondola shot upward much faster than it should have.
That included the cart carrying May, Max, and Brock.
One second, everything was normal. The next, they were launched upward far too fast, thrown off balance as the cart jerked violently, then it stopped completely.
—
Back in Ash's cart, he managed to pull Flannery close, keeping her from being thrown around like a ping-pong ball since she couldn't brace herself. Ash, however, remained standing normally. His boots activated, special footwear that generated a suction-like field, anchoring him firmly in place.
Ash lowered Flannery from his chest and sat her behind him.
"Hey. You're okay," he said quietly, "I've got you."
She let out a shaky, muffled sound and nodded once.
Across from them, Matt rolled his shoulders and straightened, cracking his neck like he was about to start a workout instead of a kidnapping.
"Comfort's over," he said flatly, pulling a Poké Ball from his belt, "Let's see if you're still a hero when you can't move."
The ball snapped open, releasing an Azumarill.
A burst of blue light filled the cart, resolving into a bulky, grinning Azumarill that barely fit in the cramped space.
Ash's eyes narrowed, "…Water-type. In an airtight gondola. Cute."
His hand went to his belt.
Matt pointed, "Hydro Pump. Don't stop."
Azumarill inhaled.
Then the cart exploded with pressure.
A roaring column of water blasted point-blank across the gondola, slamming into Ash and Flannery like a freight train. Ash twisted, turning his back to the stream and wrapping both arms around Flannery. Aura flared around his arms as he braced himself and tanked the damage.
The water struck the walls, ricocheted, and pooled instantly.
Within seconds, it was ankle-deep.
Flannery let out a terrified, muffled cry.
"Stop panicking," Ash said, tightening his grip, "I'm not letting go."
Now, for those pointing out the obvious, why isn't Ash doing anything yet? There were two reasons. First, he needed to protect Flannery. She was tied up with her arms behind her back, and untying knots doesn't take two seconds. Second, he was waiting for something. If his timing was correct, it should only take a few moments.
The Hydro Pump didn't stop.
The water rose to their knees. Then their waists.
Ash could feel the pressure building. The cart was airtight, so the water wasn't flowing out, it was a miracle the gondola wasn't breaking apart from the added weight.
Matt folded his arms, watching with amusement, "You block, you drown. You attack, she dies. Pick one."
The water surged higher, sloshing violently as the gondola rocked. It was chest-high now, and rising fast.
Flannery's eyes were glossy with panic, her breathing ragged. She couldn't tell anymore if she was soaked with water or tears.
As the water reached their necks, Matt smirked as Azumarill created a bubble around his head so he wouldn't drown. Ash and Flannery didn't have that luxury.
Ash lifted Flannery slightly so she could take one last deep breath, and took one himself.
Then they were submerged underwater.
"Not so tough now, huh? So I guess you regret getting in our way back then, don't you, brat?" Matt smirked, "Oh—my apologies. You're in no condition to talk, are you? That's right, because you can't breathe! Hahaha!"
Ash, of course, was unimpressed. With his Aura, he could survive without air for a short time, but the problem wasn't him. It was Flannery. She was already injured. To be honest, he had known this was a possibility, but he hadn't accounted for Flannery being involved. That was on him. Worst case, he could keep her going with his own Aura.
As for Flannery herself, she was panicking as they floated in the water. She looked at Ash in terror, thinking he was about to die because of her. To add salt to the wound, the tape over her mouth was the kind that could get wet without losing its stickiness.
She tried to twist her body and kick the window, hoping to break it and get them some air, but it was useless.
Matt laughed, "Don't bother. This is reinforced glass. Not even I could break it. But the same can't be said about you two. I guess I'll just get rid of you both now."
Matt smirked as he released his Sharpedo.
Sharpedo locked onto them and dashed through the water.
Flannery panicked as it rushed toward her, but Ash swam to her, hooked an arm around her, yanked her aside, and drove his elbow into the shark.
Sharpedo spun around to bite Ash, but Ash answered with an Aura-infused punch. He used Aura to split the water, preventing drag from weakening the strike, and slammed his fist into Sharpedo's teeth, breaking several of them. With his other hand, he grabbed the Pokémon by the nose.
Matt's expression flickered with surprise, "Oh, I'm surprised you can still fight, and you broke a few of Sharpedo's teeth." Then he smirked, "Too bad for you."
Sharpedo immediately regrew a new set of teeth, even the unbroken ones falling away as replacements formed.
"Sharpedo can grow their teeth back instantly," Matt laughed, "So I guess that was useless! Hahaha!"
Ash held onto Sharpedo's nose, his eyes dropping to its freshly grown teeth.
–
{Meanwhile, at the top of the volcano}
Amber stood overlooking the construction of a massive machine connected to Mt. Chimney. Team Aqua grunts moved around it, adjusting components, until one called out, "Everything is ready!"
"Good," Amber said with a smile, placing his hands behind his back, "It's time for Team Aqua to permanently put a stop to the volcanic activity of this mountain."
He pulled out a communicator and dialed Shelly, "How are things going? You haven't messed it up, have you?"
On the other end, Shelly stood beside a waterfall as she answered, "Everything's going according to plan, Amber. I'm at Meteor Falls. Yes, I met up with him. He's right beside me."
She glanced to her side, "Isn't that right, Professor Cozmo?"
Nearby, a man was shoveling mineral samples. He wore glasses and archaeology gear.
"Yes, right!" he said cheerfully, "Thank you for everything, for the opportunity to do my research on these minerals with you." He wiped his brow with a towel, "And for funding my research, too."
"No need to thank us," Shelly said, putting on her sugary-sweet smile, "We simply wanted a talented man like you to be able to focus on your research without worrying about your budget. Team Aqua will always be right behind you to support your work."
"Thank you," Cozmo said warmly, looking up from his excavation, "The sea is the source of all life on this planet. Your organization understands that, and you're making a great effort to protect it, and those who live in it. I applaud you."
Shelly's smile didn't waver.
"Thank you very much, er—Professor Cozmo," she said smoothly, "I don't mean to rush you, but could you bring that meteor you just dug out with you?"
Her eyes flicked to the true prize resting in the dirt beside him.
"Oh, sure!" Cozmo replied cheerfully. He bent down and lifted the meteorite with both hands.
Shelly's smile widened just a fraction.
–
{Back in the cart}
Ash was holding Sharpedo back with his feet, his arms pulled behind his back as he worked on something out of sight. Matt opened his mouth to mock him again, when suddenly, his communicator lit up.
He scowled and answered, "What? …WHAT?!"
Matt rushed to the window, eyes widening as he spotted multiple black helicopters cutting through the air toward the mountain.
Ash smiled, just on time, looks like Magma was finally here, that was when Ash moved.
He kicked off Sharpedo, shoved Flannery upward toward the ceiling of the cart with one arm, then twisted his body and drove his other fist forward.
BOOM.
The punch struck the glass dead center. The reinforced window spiderwebbed instantly.
Matt laughed, mockingly, "Tch. Told you. Reinforced—"
CRACK.
The webbing spread, then exploded outward.
The entire pane blew out in a violent rush, water erupting from the gondola in a torrent. Air slammed back in as pressure equalized violently.
Ash grabbed Flannery tight as the cart shook so she wouldn't go flying out of the now broken window. With a kick, he launched Azumarill and Sharpedo straight out through the shattered window, sending them plummeting toward the ground below. Both Pokémon hit the ground and were knocked out
Matt barely managed to grab onto a support bar as the shaking finally stopped.
Flannery sucked in a ragged breath through her nose, coughing violently against the tape.
Ash surfaced beside her, one arm locked firmly around her waist.
"I told you," he said cheerfully, his voice perfectly calm.
Matt dragged himself upright, glaring, "You brat… how did you—"
Ash didn't let him finish, he stood up and raised his fists.
Wrapped around his knuckles were Sharpedo's teeth, fashioned into makeshift knuckle-dusters. He had like 5 other ways he could've broken the glass, but letting Matt think this was the only reason they survived would drive him insane.
Ash's grin widened.
"So," he said casually, "now it's a fair fight." His smirk grew, "Let's give you another beatdown, just like last time."