Ash dropped fast. For a split second, there was nothing but rushing air and darkness, then instinct kicked in.
He twisted mid-fall, feet angling downward as he sent Aura toward his legs to prepare for the impact. Then he hit the ground.
Ash landed in a crouch instead of a crash. The impact still sent a jolt through him, but the aura absorbed most of it, dispersing the force into the stone beneath his boots. Then he pushed forward, rolling as he fell to reduce the damage, until he stopped.
The impact left a faint buzzing feeling in his legs, but after a few seconds it faded, and he was completely fine.
"…Okay," he muttered, "That was farther than I thought."
The trapdoor above was already sealed, leaving him in near-total darkness.
Ash shook his head, "Pikachu, little help?"
Pikachu popped his head out and nodded, cheeks sparking, "Pika chu!"
Pikachu's cheeks lit up as he used Flash, causing the area to brighten. As it did, Ash saw the surroundings clearly, the half-built projects of New Mauville. He only glanced at the buildings for a few moments; he did have plans, but those could wait. Right now, other things took priority.
As he looked around, he heard a whimper. He turned, and Pikachu did too, shining the light in that direction. And then he saw her.
There, huddled against a cracked concrete wall, was May.
She was sitting on the ground, one leg pulled close to her chest, tears pricking the corners of her eyes as she hugged Torchic tightly against her. Torchic chirped anxiously, pressing her warm body against May's arm.
"May!" Ash moved instantly, jogging over and dropping to one knee beside her, "Hey, hey, it's okay. I'm here."
May looked up, relief flashing across her face before pain tightened her expression again, "Ash… I—I think I twisted my leg when I landed. I couldn't stop myself…"
"It's okay," Ash said quickly, steady but gentle, "I'm here. Don't worry."
He glanced at her leg, already noticing the awkward angle and the way she avoided putting weight on it. Not broken, but definitely badly twisted.
"Here, let me help you with that," Ash said, holding his hand out over her leg as his palm began glowing with a faint blue light.
May blinked through her tears, "W-What?"
Her eyes widened, "Ash… what are you—?"
"I told you before that I can use Aura," Ash said quietly, "I just… didn't mention this part."
The aura flowed outward, wrapping around May's injured leg like a brace. The pain dulled almost immediately, replaced by a spreading warmth that sank deep into her muscles.
May gasped, not in pain, but in surprise, "It's… you're…"
"Just try to relax," Ash said softly, "And don't move. I don't want this to heal the wrong way, this isn't true healing so much as speeding up the natural process."
Eventually, Ash pulled his hand away. May felt a flicker of disappointment, she'd enjoyed the soft, warm feeling, but then Ash looked up at her.
"…Try moving it," he said gently.
May hesitated, then carefully lowered her leg and shifted her foot, "It… doesn't hurt…"
"That's good to hear," Ash smiled, "Guess I haven't lost my touch."
"I didn't know you could heal with… that," May said, vaguely gesturing toward Ash.
"Yeah, but it's kinda complicated to explain. Can you walk, or do you need to sit for a few minutes?" Ash asked.
May tried putting pressure on her foot, but it felt like a pins-and-needles sensation, "I think I need a minute."
"That's fine. It's normal," Ash said as he went and sat on one of the pillars next to her, "We can wait a few minutes before you try walking again."
"Ha…" May said slowly, looking down at Torchic's head, "Not what I expected. I'm surprised you didn't try anything."
Ash looked over at her and put on his joking, teasing smile, "What, would you have preferred if I carried you on my back the entire time we're here? I can still do it if you want."
May looked away, slightly flustered by the comment, "I take back what I said. You're still a stump."
Ash chuckled, then his smile slowly fell, "Yeah… truth is, I didn't say that because I was joking. I was genuinely worried about you. You literally fell through a trapdoor in the middle of a sandstorm," he said, dropping the act for now.
Sometimes people forget, sure, Ash is carefree, and 90% of the time he's a troll who doesn't take things seriously, but he does care, and he can take things seriously.
For a moment, the underground space was quiet, just the distant groan of shifting metal and the faint hiss of sand moving somewhere far above them.
May didn't say anything right away. She hugged Torchic closer, fingers curling into the feathers at her neck. Torchic chirped softly, nuzzling into her chest as if to reassure her that she really was okay.
"…Thanks," May finally said, her voice quieter than before, "For coming after me. You didn't even hesitate."
Ash shrugged, leaning back against the pillar, hands laced behind his head again, but the usual carefree energy hadn't fully returned yet, "What kind of idiot would I be if I did hesitate?"
May let out a small huff of a laugh, "You already are an idiot."
"Hey," Ash protested lightly, "I prefer 'recklessly heroic.'"
That earned a real smile from her this time, even if it was small.
Ash stayed quiet for a moment, giving May space. The underground air felt heavy, carrying the faint echo of shifting sand and distant machinery. Pikachu dimmed the Flash a little, leaving the light softer, less harsh.
May stared at the ground, shoulders slumped.
"…I was dumb," she said suddenly.
Ash turned his head, "What?"
"I was dumb," she repeated, more firmly this time, "I didn't think. I just jumped." She laughed weakly, shaking her head, "I almost made everything worse. If you hadn't come after me…"
"Hey," Ash said, sitting up straighter, "Stop right there."
May blinked and looked at him.
"That wasn't dumb," he said, "You were trying to save Torchic."
She frowned, "But—"
"No 'but,'" Ash cut in, gentle but firm, "Your Pokémon fell. You reacted. That's not stupidity, that's caring."
May opened her mouth to argue, then closed it again. Her grip on Torchic tightened slightly.
"…Still," she murmured, eyes dropping again, "I keep doing that. Reacting without thinking. Relying on everyone else to clean up after me." Her voice wavered, "Lately it feels like I'm just… getting in the way."
"I mean…" May took a breath, "I'm supposed to be a Coordinator. That's my dream. But I keep wondering if I can actually do it on my own." She swallowed, "I rely on Brock. And you. Mostly you."
Ash's brow creased, but he stayed quiet.
"I won Slateport," she went on, a little faster now, like if she stopped she might lose her nerve, "But was that really me? Or was it because of your training? Or because Lisia scouted me and people were paying attention? And Robert—" Her voice dropped, "He let me win. If he hadn't, it would've been a tie."
She hugged her knees closer, "What if I didn't really earn it? What if I'm just… borrowing confidence from everyone else?"
Ash didn't answer right away. May took his silence the wrong way.
"I mean…" she said quietly, forcing a small, brittle smile, "I know I joke around a lot. I try to stay upbeat, y'know? If I don't think about it too hard, everything feels easier." She swallowed, "But sometimes I wonder if people just see that and think I'm… dumb. Or shallow. Like I don't take anything seriously."
Her grip on Torchic tightened again.
"I know back in Petalburg people said I was a ray of sunshine," she went on, her voice soft and uncertain, "Always smiling. Always happy. And I like being that person, I really do. But what if that's all they see? What if they think I can't handle things on my own?"
The underground space felt heavier as she spoke, the words lingering between them.
Ash shifted, finally sitting up straight.
"Who cares."
May blinked.
"…What?"
"You heard me. I said, who cares."
May frowned, "But people do care. Judges care. Coordinators care. Everyone's watching—"
"Yeah," Ash said, nodding, "And there are billions of people out there." He spread his hands slightly, like he was laying out something obvious, "You can't care about the opinion of every single one of them."
May hesitated, "…That's not what I mean."
"It kind of is," Ash said, "Look, some people are gonna think you're annoying. Some are gonna think you're dumb. Some are gonna think you got lucky. That's just how it works."
He leaned forward a little, "And some people are gonna think you're amazing. Talented. Inspiring. Worth watching, just like I do." Ash said, gently poking her head.
"Just do what I do," Ash continued, "I only care what the people I care about think. That's you, and the people around us, like Brock, Max, and all our friends."
"It doesn't matter if people think you're not smart or not talented, or anything like that. I know you are." He smiled, kind and sincere, "You'll always have me in your corner, 'kay?"
There, like a cheesy, arrow-through-the-heart metaphor, May immediately blushed and stood up, looking away, "Oh wow, looks like I can walk again, haha!" she said a little too quickly.
Ash smiled and stood up as well, "Good to hear that. Now come on, I think we need to find a way out of here, and maybe figure out what's doing all that noise up there."
"Right… yeah," May said, covering the lower half of her face with her hand for a moment, "Let's go…"
Before anything else, Ash remembered he needed to ask, "Oh yeah, by the way, why did Torchic find this place? You know, she jumped out of your hands and immediately came here."
May blinked, "Oh, good point." She looked down at Torchic in her arms, "Why did you suddenly want to come down here?"
Torchic looked embarrassed, and before she could try to explain, they suddenly heard something, a ringing sound that almost sounded like music, coming from deeper in the underground city.
Before Ash could react, he looked over and saw that May and Torchic seemed to be in a trance. May started walking forward like a zombie, but of course, Ash got an attack of opportunity since she left his range.
Ash raised his hand and bonked May right on the head. The hit snapped her out of the trance, and the sudden impact made her hug Torchic too tightly, causing the bird Pokémon to snap out of it as well.
May stumbled back half a step, rubbing the top of her head with a very exaggerated pout.
"Ow," she said flatly. Then louder, with far more drama than the hit deserved, "Wow. Amazing. Hero saves the day by assaulting his teammate."
Ash folded his arms, "You were walking toward spooky mystery music like a zombie."
"I was investigating," May shot back, cheeks faintly pink, "Very bravely."
"You weren't blinking."
"…That's called focus."
Ash raised an eyebrow. Pikachu snorted.
May huffed and turned away, clearly trying to look offended. Torchic peeked out from her arms, chirping softly, perfectly fine.
Ash stepped closer, "Hey. Sorry." Then, without waiting for permission, he reached out and gently started patting her head, his palm resting briefly on the same spot he'd bonked.
May froze for a moment, not expecting this. Truth be told, she wasn't actually mad at Ash for hitting her, considering she almost wandered off, but she definitely hadn't expected this.
"There," Ash said casually, "Had to knock you out of it. Didn't want you wandering off and getting hypnotized or something."
"I—I'm not, you can't just—!" she spluttered, grabbing his wrist and shoving it away, though not very hard, "Fine, you're forgiven. Just shut up!"
"Riiiight," Ash said, looking toward where the noise was coming from, "Guess that answers our question. Torchic heard that noise and wanted to come here. The question is, what's making it?"
"Ah, yeah, seems like it," May said, looking down at Torchic, "But what is it?"
"No idea," Ash said, "But only one way to find out. I mean, we don't have any other way out, so we might as well get closer and see what it is."
Ash took the lead without really thinking about it. Pikachu jumped onto his shoulder to keep the light steady, and Vee was still in his bag, looking around and trying to figure out where the strange sound was coming from.
May followed, moving up beside Ash almost shoulder to shoulder, Torchic clutched close, "I don't like it," she muttered, "It feels… itchy. In my head."
"Yeah," Ash said quietly, "Only I can resist it. You can't, so try not to get mind-controlled anytime soon."
"Okay," May said, sticking close to Ash so that if she started wandering off like a zombie again, he could stop her.
As they walked a little farther, and while May was still trying to get the thoughts out of her head, there was a clicking sound. May didn't notice, but behind them, what looked like a robot raised itself up from the ground and aimed its hands toward Ash and May.
The robot launched its hands at them, but Vee was keeping watch. He flicked the back of Ash's neck with his tail before jumping out of Ash's bag and firing off a [Baddy Bad]. A flash of light shot out, also creating a [Reflect] to protect them, and the blast struck the robot behind them, destroying it.
The explosion echoed through the hollow chamber.
Ash and May both flinched, spinning around just in time to see the wreckage clatter to the floor, metal limbs skidding across the concrete, sparks dying out with a faint hiss.
"…Okay," May said slowly, "That was definitely not supposed to happen."
Ash stared at the remains, then glanced at Vee, who landed lightly beside him, tail flicking with pride, "Good catch," Ash said, "That thing was lining up a clean grab."
Vee chirped softly, eyes already scanning the shadows again.
May swallowed, "So… why are there attack robots buried underground?"
"Don't think we have the luxury to ask that," Ash said, as the sound of metal grinding against metal echoed nearby.
Around them, about six more robots rose from seemingly nowhere, surrounding them.
May gulped as she looked around, then moved back-to-back with Ash. Torchic tensed in her arms, ready to fight if needed, "Um… so…"
"Yeah, I can see that," Ash said, scanning their surroundings. Then he smiled, "Hey, May, care for a real demonstration?"
"Eh?" May and Torchic blinked in unison.
Ash whistled, "Pikachu, let's show them a real [Counter Shield]."
Pikachu smirked as he leapt off Ash's shoulder into the air. His body lit up as he began spinning rapidly, creating a glowing arc. Using his tail to guide the electricity, Pikachu released it in a sweeping curve that passed over Ash and May. The arcs of electricity struck all the robots, slicing through them in a single hit.
May stared. Blinked once as Pikachu landed and stretched his back.
"…You cut them," she said faintly.
Ash straightened, rolling his shoulder, "Yep."
"In half."
"Also yep."
Torchic let out a tiny, fierce chirp, half impressed, half indignant that she didn't get to help.
May turned slowly to Ash, "You could've mentioned that [Counter Shield] could be used like that."
Ash shrugged, "Didn't seem relevant until now."
Pikachu hopped back onto Ash's shoulder, cheeks dim but ready. Vee trotted in a small circle, checking the fallen machines, then flicked his ears toward the deeper tunnels.
May sighed, making a mental note to ask Ash more about that later, maybe she could improve her own version someday. But that thought was cut short when she felt something hard clamp around her waist.
She looked down.
A metal claw had grabbed her.
May barely had time to gasp.
The claw yanked hard.
"Ash—!"
Her feet left the ground as she was dragged backward, metal screeching against concrete. Torchic shrieked, wings flaring as May instinctively wrapped both arms around her.
Ash's eyes widened as he clicked his tongue and poured Aura into his legs, then began to dash. Dealing with robots was really annoying for Ash, he couldn't sense them with Aura because there was no Aura to sense, but right now he couldn't think about that. He looked around as he ran and suddenly got an idea.
Ash pulled a Poké Ball from his belt, got into a stance, and then, with all his strength, threw it like a baseball straight toward May.
Meanwhile, May was dragged through the air by the claw until it came to a sudden stop. When she opened her eyes, she saw that the arm belonged to a giant robot made of wood and metal, disguised as a tree.
May flailed as she saw the robot open its chest cleanly, clearly intending to stuff her inside. She struggled and pointed at it, "Torchic, [Ember], quick!"
Torchic didn't hesitate, raising her beak, "Tor—CHIC!"
A burst of small flames blasted point-blank into the robot's open chest. Fire splashed across wooden plating and exposed metal, scorching circuits and forcing the chest to stall half-open. The grip around May's waist loosened just enough for her to twist sideways.
"Again!" May shouted, bracing herself against the claw with one foot.
Torchic fired [Ember] again and again, flames licking up the inside of the chest cavity. Something inside sparked and shrieked mechanically, but it wasn't stopping. The claw tightened again, jerking May closer to the opening.
"I—I can't break it!" May gritted out.
Then, CLANG.
Something slammed into the robot's torso, disappearing into the open chest cavity, the Poké Ball Ash had thrown. It snapped open midair in a burst of light, revealing Aron.
The small Steel-type Pokémon landed inside the chest. When it looked around, it suddenly started drooling. The robot, not recognizing what Aron was, only registered that something was now inside its chest and closed the door.
May blinked, "…Is it—"
CRUNCH.
From inside, May could hear the sound of crunching as Aron happily dug in, teeth chewing straight through steel plating like it was a snack. Sparks flew. Gears jammed. The robot lurched violently as its chest cavity was actively being eaten.
"What—WHAT—" May yelped as the claw spasmed.
The grip failed.
May dropped, only to be caught a split second later as Ash slid in under her, catching her in a bridal carry.
"You good?" he asked immediately.
May stared at him for half a second, her brain clearly rebooting, "…I—yeah. I think so." Then she realized how close she was, "…Ash."
Before she could continue, the disguised tree-robot staggered, smoke pouring from seams in its bark-like plating. Its chest bulged outward.
CRUNCH.
CRACK.
A section of metal blew out as Aron burst halfway through like a chestburster, happily continuing to eat like a little glutton.
The tree-robot let out one last distorted whine before its legs buckled. It toppled sideways and smashed into the concrete, going completely still as smoke curled lazily from its seams.
Silence followed.
Ash slowly set May back on her feet, making sure she was steady, "Okay," he said, "Now, you good?"
May nodded automatically… then froze, realizing she was still gripping his shirt.
She let go so fast it was almost impressive, "Y-Yeah! Totally fine! I mean, not fine, that was terrifying, but physically fine!"
Torchic chirped in agreement, puffing her chest out proudly.
Ash smiled, then crouched down as Aron trotted over to him, tail swaying, "Nice work, buddy," he said, patting Aron's head.
Aron snorted happily as he slurped one of the copper wires like it was a noodle.
Ash let him stay out a little longer to keep eating as he stood up and looked at the robots, "So… that happened."
"Yeah… but still, why are there so many robots here?" May said, now more nervous that there was going to be another random hand coming from nowhere.
But then, immediately, two people jumped out from behind a bush and high-fived each other.
"Ha ha ha! You did it, Tricky!!" the first man said. He was large, with a white beard, wearing a green jacket with a thunder print over a yellow jumpsuit, and brown-and-yellow sandals.
"Yes, I did, Wattson!! We finally caught that mischievous Pokémon!" the other man said. He was shorter and nearly bald except for a single strand of hair, and he sat inside a pair of robotic legs that he used to move instead of walking.
May jumped from the sudden appearance, then realized what he said and stomped her foot, "Hey! Who are you calling a Pokémon? I'm human too, you know!"
The two people blinked in surprise as the second man rubbed his head and looked down, "Ah… I'm sorry, terribly sorry. We were here to catch the Pokémon that have been causing all the commotion above ground."
The first man leaned in front of him, "I'm Wattson, and this is Tricky. He's famous around here, people call him the 'Trick Master.'"
Wattson threw his head back and laughed, a booming, crackling sound that echoed through the underground chamber, "Wahahaha! Shocking entrance, I know! Really charged the atmosphere, didn't it?"
May deadpanned, "We almost got kidnapped by robots."
"Ah! Occupational hazard!" Wattson waved it off cheerfully, "You should've seen the current situation up top, sandstorms, power spikes, machines going haywire! It was a real buzz."
Ash folded his arms, eyeing the two of them, "Let me guess. You're responsible for the robots."
Tricky straightened in his mechanical legs and coughed, "N-Now hold on, young man. 'Responsible' is such a… flexible term. I prefer 'elaborately prepared.'"
"Prepared to grab people?" May asked, pointing at the wrecked tree-robot.
"That one was supposed to grab Pokémon," Tricky said defensively, "Look, it wasn't supposed to grab either of you. We built it to catch the Pokémon that moved in here."
Wattson leaned forward conspiratorially, eyes sparkling, "A Pokémon with a real spark for mischief! Slips through circuits, overloads generators—zap!—gone before you can say 'Thunderbolt!' Wahahaha!"
Pikachu twitched his ears, "Pika…?"
Vee just looked at him with an unamused expression, as if wondering whether that was really a joke worth laughing about.
Ash and May exchanged confused looks, but then they heard familiar voices.
"Ash! May!"
They blinked and turned toward the sound. From behind where Wattson had been hiding, they saw Brendan and Wally running up.
Brendan skidded to a stop a few meters away, one hand braced on his knee, breathing a little hard. Wally came up just behind him, breathing much harder, so he leaned against a wall and pulled out his inhaler.
"Eh? Brendan and Wally?" May blurted out.
Brendan straightened, eyes flicking over the destroyed robots, the smoking tree-machine, Aron happily chewing through a fallen metal arm, and the two older men standing far too casually in the middle of the chaos.
"…Wow," Brendan said finally, "Not what I expected…."
Wally finished taking a puff from his inhaler, letting himself relax, "Y-You're both here, and you're safe, that's good. We heard something collapse and—"
"We're fine," May said quickly, "Just, well, you know…" She gestured vaguely at the rubble where Aron was munching.
Wattson laughed again, clapping his hands together, "Wahahaha! Looks like the cavalry's arrived!"
Brendan turned toward him, "Wattson, there you are."
"The one and only!" Wattson struck a pose, lightning-bolt grin flashing, "And it's good to see you remember me, Brendan! And this energetic fellow is—"
"Tricky," Tricky said, raising one hand from his mechanical rig, "Inventor. Puzzle enthusiast. Occasional underground hermit."
Ash stared, "You two were just… hiding behind a bush."
"Camouflage!" Wattson said proudly, "Very high-tech camouflage."
"It was a regular bush," May muttered.
Brendan crossed his arms, "Okay. Start talking. What are you two doing down here? Wally said you were apparently trying to fix this, and instead you're building robots that scared our friends."
"Ah, well, we know there is something down here in New Mauville," Tricky started to explain, "You see, there's a generator we still use for Mauville, and we haven't been getting any electricity. On top of that, when we sent trainers to investigate inside the sandstorms, they didn't find anything. So it's not too far-fetched to conclude that whatever is causing this must be coming from down here."
Tricky adjusted the controls on his mechanical legs, "You see, New Mauville's old generator is still partially connected to the city's grid. Not enough to power the whole city, of course, but enough that if something starts… interfering with it—"
"—ZAP!" Wattson cut in, slapping his hands together, "The whole system gets shocked out of balance! Wahahaha!"
Brendan blinked, "…Right. Yeah, that's not too hard to believe. Wally and I actually got here late last night. We've been kind of fighting a bunch of Pokémon down here."
"Wait, what?!" Tricky said immediately, "You found more? We thought it was just one big Pokémon, but there are more?"
"Yeah," Brendan said, "We ran into a few Sandshrew, some Trapinch, a Cacnea, there was a Baltoy, and some Vibrava. I went ahead and caught them as we fought. I sent them back to my dad at the lab since they don't belong here."
"Huh." Ash crossed his arms, "All Pokémon native to the desert over on Route 111. So I guess this confirms where the Pokémon are coming from. The question is why they're here."
"That… is a concern," Tricky muttered, "I might have to rework my original traps."
Wally slowly raised his hand, "Um, there's one more thing we found…" He reached into his bag and pulled out two Poké Balls, "I also caught a Cacnea, but that's not, well, it's easier if I show you."
Wally held out the ball and opened it, and as it clicked open, the Pokémon inside emerged. In front of everyone, it was revealed to be a Gible.
"Eh?" everyone said, even Ash. He knew Wally had a Garchomp as one of his possible Pokémon, but he hadn't expected him to get it now.
"A Gible? But aren't those only native to Sinnoh?" May asked, looking at the little land shark
For once, Wattson didn't have a pun to add, but he did know the answer, "Well… no, actually. Gible can be found in the desert, but they're usually so deep underground, inside caves, that hardly anyone ever sees them here in Hoenn,"
"That's… interesting, and also kind of concerning," Ash muttered, "So that means—"
But Ash didn't get to finish, because suddenly the singing returned. Around them, sand began to kick up, and another sandstorm started to build. On the ground, their feet were already being buried in shifting sand.
"Great," May said, gulping hard, "Looks like whatever's doing this came to us."
"Alright then," Ash smirked as he reached into his bag, "If it wants to play that game… then game on."
--
{Ok guys, i have bad news, this will be the last extra chapter, my winter break is over and i will be starting school again so i won't be able keep it going, but hey in Summer we come back and i might drop extra chapters in days i am motivated}