The sandstorm surged outward, a roaring wall of grit and wind that swallowed the chamber in seconds. Visibility dropped to almost nothing, shadows twisting and vanishing as the air filled with a shrill, haunting song.
Shapes began to move within the storm.
First came the Sandshrew, their armored bodies curling and uncurling as they rolled across the ground, scattering sand in every direction. Trapinch followed, lots of them, bursting up from beneath the floor with snapping jaws. Cacnea emerged next, marching forward as they aimed their needle arms at the group.
A Baltoy hovered above the ground, spinning slowly as strange markings glowed faintly through the haze.
Then came the sound of wings. Several Vibrava swept overhead, their rapid wingbeats producing a piercing hum that resonated through the chamber, syncing with the storm itself. The sand thickened, swirling faster and faster, pulled upward as if something massive was drawing it in.
Brendan clenched his fists, "There's way more than before!"
"This isn't random," Tricky said, gripping the controls of his mechanical legs, "They're being gathered." He grit his teeth as he pressed a button on his legs. He might not be able to help in a Pokémon battle, but he could help like this.
A compartment opened in the legs, and several pairs of goggles slid out, "You kids use these!"
They didn't need to be told twice. Each of them grabbed a pair and put them on, protecting their eyes from the sand.
The humming deepened, slower, heavier.
The sandstorm split open.
A massive shape descended through the storm, wings stretching wide, red-lensed eyes locking onto everyone below. A Flygon.
Wattson stared up, awe replacing his usual grin, "…Well, I'll be shocked."
Ash stepped forward, shielding Pikachu and Vee with one arm as he stared straight at the dragon, "So you're the source of the sandstorms," he said, "Guess that makes you the boss."
The Flygon let out a low cry, wings beating once, hard. The force sent a fresh wave of sand crashing outward, nearly knocking everyone off their feet.
Ash dug his heels in. Pikachu braced on his shoulder, cheeks sparking faintly, while Vee crouched low beside him, ears pinned back but eyes sharp. Aron clanged forward protectively, metal claws scraping against the stone floor.
"Alright," Ash said, voice steady despite the storm, "Everyone, same plan as always, cover each other!"
"Like we've got a choice!" May shouted back, sand whipping around her goggles as Torchic hopped forward, puffing out her chest protectively.
Brendan was already moving, "Breloom, Swampert, let's go!"
Two Poké Balls burst open in flashes of light. Breloom landed immediately in a fighting stance, arms flexing as spores drifted from its tail. Swampert emerged more heavily, planting itself with a tired grunt, shoulders rising and falling as it steadied its breathing after fighting for hours earlier.
"Easy, big guy," Brendan muttered, "This is the last one, then we're done here."
Ash reached for his belt and threw out two more Poké Balls, "Corphish! Mudkip!"
Corphish popped out with a snap of its claws, chittering excitedly despite the chaos, while Mudkip slid into the sand with a splash of displaced grit, fins twitching as it sensed the vibrations underground.
The Sandshrew charged first, rolling toward them like living boulders.
"Breloom, [Mach Punch]!" Brendan called.
Breloom wound its arm back, then threw a punch, its arm stretching impossibly far as it slammed into a Sandshrew's face. Yeah, a lot of people seem to forget: Breloom have stretchy arms. That fist kept going, knocking two Sandshrew out of their rolls and sending them skidding back into the storm.
"Corphish, [Crabhammer]!" Ash added.
They could see signs of movement beneath the sand, ripples traveling straight toward them. Corphish's eyes lit up as he charged forward, leapt into the air, raised his claw, and slammed it down. The impact caused a mini earthquake, throwing Sandshrew and Trapinch out of the ground, right where Swampert was waiting. Swampert swung his arms, slapping them away with heavy force.
As the first wave went down, Ash spotted the Cacnea preparing to fire needles.
Ash whistled sharply, "Aron, on me!"
Aron stomped forward, his metal body gleaming even through the grit. A Trapinch lunged up beneath him, jaws snapping, but Aron slammed both forearms down, pinning it into the sand.
"Aron, [Iron Head]!"
Aron charged, his head glowing silver as he plowed straight through a pair of Cacnea. Their needles snapped and scattered as they were flung aside.
Above them, the Vibrava swooped lower, their humming intensifying. The sound vibrated through Ash's bones.
"Pikachu, get them down with [Electro Web]!" Ash snapped, pointing upward.
Pikachu leapt from Ash's shoulder, sparks crackling as he fired a net of electricity into the air. The web caught two Vibrava mid-flight. It might not deal damage since they were Ground-type, but it stopped them cold. Pikachu yanked hard, slamming about five of them down into the ground.
"Nice!" May yelled, "Torchic, let's help, [Ember]!"
Torchic shook her head, hopped into the air, puffed out her chest, and spat out a powerful stream of fire instead. Instead of [Ember], Torchic had just learned [Flamethrower]. The intense heat hardened the sand beneath their feet into rough, glassy patches as the flames struck the trapped Vibrava, knocking them out.
"Eh… did you just learn [Flamethrower]?" May blinked.
"Wha- it works like that?" Brendan asked, dumbfounded, staring at Torchic.
"Uh, guys, can we discuss how the power of friendship is BS later?" Ash called out, "We're kinda in the middle of something!"
Meanwhile, Wally was doing his best. He had Treecko out, but his breathing was heavy, he'd been fighting earlier too, and they hadn't had much time to rest. He also had Ralts and Roselia beside him.
"Ralts, stay close to me," Wally said, adjusting his goggles, "Ralts, [Confusion], stop them!"
Ralts lifted his arms, eyes glowing faintly as psychic waves rippled outward. A rolling Sandshrew wobbled mid-spin, veered off course, and slammed into a Trapinch.
"Roselia, help him!" Wally added, "[Stun Spore]!"
Roselia popped out beside him, shaking spores into the air. The yellow cloud mixed with the sandstorm, catching several Vibrava and a Baltoy mid-hover. The Baltoy's glow flickered as it dipped unsteadily, and the Vibrava began to slow.
"We've got those, Mudkip, Corphish!" Ash called.
Mudkip raised its fin and fired a [Water Pulse], striking the paralyzed Pokémon and knocking them to the ground, right where Corphish was waiting. Corphish followed up with another [Crabhammer], slamming them hard into the sand.
Wattson's laugh cut through the chaos, loud and delighted, "Wahahaha! Ground-types, huh? Kids, this is why you never put all your volts in one socket!"
He hurled a Poké Ball high into the air, "Rotom, time to wash out the competition!"
The ball burst open in a flash of light, and Rotom-Wash came out, buzzing with energy as water sloshed inside its body.
"Roootoooom!"
Wattson grinned, "Rotom, [Hydro Pump]!"
A massive blast of water tore through the sandstorm, carving a clear path straight toward the Flygon. The sudden moisture slammed into the swirling grit, weighing it down and collapsing the vortex into a heavy downpour of wet sand.
The Flygon screeched as the [Hydro Pump] slammed into its chest, its wings faltering for just a moment as wet sand dragged it downward. The storm didn't vanish, but it staggered, the spiraling winds breaking into chaotic gusts instead of a single, unified vortex.
"That's it!" Ash shouted, "It's losing control!"
The Flygon beat its wings hard, wrenching itself free of the collapsing sandstorm and rising higher, red lenses burning brighter. It opened its mouth
"Incoming!" Brendan yelled.
A compressed blast of sand and air detonated downward, slamming into the ground like a hammer.
"Swampert, cover us!" Brendan called.
"I've got you, Vee, [Baddy Bad]!" Ash added.
Vee jumped out and climbed onto Swampert's shoulder as he fired off a burst of light that blasted through incoming waves of wild Pokémon and set up a [Reflect].
Swampert dug his feet into the ground, hunching forward as the blast crashed into him. The impact shoved him back a step, but the [Reflect] helped blunt the worst of the damage.
"Great job!" Brendan called, "Breloom, [Sky Uppercut]!"
Breloom sprang upward, riding the updraft, then twisted midair and slammed his fist into Flygon's jaw, staggering it.
Ash saw his chance as he looked around, "I think we can end this. Wattson, cover us!"
Wattson laughed and gave a thumbs-up, "You kids leave it to me!"
Ash nodded as he called Pikachu and Vee, firing off an [Electro Web] and a [Mimic] to copy that [Electro Web]. Together, they launched twin nets, each one wrapping around Flygon's arm and neck as it struggled to break free.
"Alright, Brendan, how much more energy do you think Swampert has?"
Brendan looked at his partner, "He might have one more hit in him, but I can't get a clean shot from here."
"That's good," Ash said, "He doesn't need to. Can you throw us?"
Brendan blinked and looked at Swampert. Even though Swampert was exhausted, he gave a thumbs-up, "Alright, looks like Swampert's good to go."
"Wait, what are we doing?" May asked suddenly.
"No time to explain. May, Wally, tell your Pokémon to get in Swampert's hand," Ash said, whistling for Mudkip to hop up.
May blinked for a moment. Wally hesitated too, but he trusted Ash completely, "Treecko, you too," he said, and Treecko leapt up beside Mudkip.
May gulped. She was scared, nervous that this seemed idiotic, that it shouldn't work, but she trusted Ash, especially after his pep talk. Worried and definitely scared, she nodded anyway, "Okay, Torchic, you heard him!"
Torchic chirped and hopped up into Swampert's hand as well.
Meanwhile, Pikachu and Vee were being dragged as Flygon struggled against the webs. Ash simply whistled. When they looked back at him, Ash smirked, and pointed down, directly at Aron.
Pikachu and Vee immediately understood and smirked. They both raised their hands where the webs were attached and slapped them onto Aron's back. Aron wasn't very strong, so he was yanked forward instantly, pulled straight toward Flygon.
But Aron wasn't scared, if anything, he was shaking with excitement. Even more so when he heard Ash call out to him.
"[Iron Head]!"
Aron's eyes gleamed as his head began to shine. Before Flygon could react, Aron was right in front of it, slamming into the dragon headfirst. For a second, Flygon tried to push back, and it almost looked like it might work
Then Aron began to glow.
His body grew bigger and heavier, armor spreading and thickening as he evolved into Lairon. With the sudden increase in weight, Flygon couldn't stop the momentum. It was smashed hard, and when Lairon began to fall, the webs were still attached, dragging Flygon straight out of the sky with Lairon acting as a living anchor.
Ash smirked, "That's our cue. Brendan, your turn!"
"Already on it!" Brendan shouted, pointing straight at Flygon.
Swampert hurled Torchic, Treecko, and Mudkip with every ounce of strength he had left.
The three Pokémon cut through the storm like living comets.
Torchic spun first, flames spiraling around her legs as she tucked midair. Treecko twisted beside her, tail glowing, eyes locked straight ahead. Mudkip leaned forward, bracing himself for impact.
The Flygon thrashed against the webs, wings beating wildly as Lairon's weight dragged it lower. Its red lenses flicked upward just in time to see them coming.
Torchic struck first.
She snapped out of her spin and kicked, fire erupting from her foot as it slammed into Flygon's jaw. The impact sent a wave of heat through the damp sandstorm as Torchic cried out.
Treecko followed immediately. He brought his tail down like a hammer, emerald light exploding outward as it connected with Flygon's skull. The force cracked through the air.
Mudkip was last, but he hit the hardest. He tucked in and tackled, water detonating outward as he smashed straight into Flygon's chest, driving it down with sheer momentum.
For a moment, it looked like Flygon was tanking the hit, trying to push back against the three starters, but they kept pressing forward.
Then all three of them began to glow.
Torchic's flames burned brighter as her body lengthened. She gained arms, her legs growing longer and stronger. When the light faded, Combusken spun through the air, landing another kick without breaking momentum.
Treecko surged with green light, his tail splitting and growing as he flipped midair. Leaves spiraled outward as he landed feet-first on Flygon's back, now Grovyle, slashing down again at the base of the dragon's neck.
Mudkip's fins spread wide, muscles bulking as his arms and legs thickened and his body grew larger. With a roar, Marshtomp emerged, and slammed both arms forward, driving Flygon straight down.
The combined force was overwhelming.
Flygon screeched, the sound tearing through the chamber as the sandstorm finally shattered completely. The dragon was ripped from the air, dragged down by Lairon's weight and hammered by the three newly evolved Pokémon all at once.
It crashed into the ground.
Stone fractured. Sand exploded outward in a violent wave. The chamber shook as Flygon skidded across the floor, finally slamming to a halt in a cloud of dust and debris.
Silence followed.
The dust hung in the air for a few long seconds, drifting down in lazy spirals as the echoes of the impact finally faded.
Flygon lay still.
Its wings twitched once… then slowly folded inward as it let out a low, exhausted rumble. The red lenses dimmed, losing their hostile glare and settling into something more subdued, wary, tired, but no longer furious.
Lairon unclamped himself from the [Electro Webs] with a heavy thud, skidding a short distance before regaining his footing. He shook himself, armor plates clanking, then looked up proudly.
"Nice work, big guy," Ash said, walking over and scratching him beneath the armor, making Lairon wag his tail.
Pikachu hopped down beside them, sparks fading from his cheeks, "Pika."
Vee stretched, ears flicking as the [Reflect] shimmer finally dissolved.
Nearby, Combusken landed lightly and turned back toward May, chest rising and falling as embers faded around her legs. May stared for half a second
"…TORCHIC, YOU EVOLVED?!" she screamed.
Combusken chirped proudly, striking an awkward but confident pose.
Treecko, now Grovyle, stood upright with his arms crossed, tail leaves rustling smugly. He almost tripped over his own leg from exhaustion, but managed to stay standing.
Wally rushed forward, "Are you okay?!"
Grovyle raised a hand, gave Wally a thumbs-up with a smirk, then promptly fell face-first into the sand. He wasn't knocked out; his legs were just too tired to move.
Meanwhile, Marshtomp planted his feet, flexed once, then waddled over to Ash and simply waited. Ash snorted and rubbed his head, "You did great. Good one."
Wattson wiped a tear from his eye, absolutely delighted, "Wahahaha! A triple evolution finish! I haven't seen power like that since my Gym short-circuited itself!"
Tricky scratched his cheek, "I guess that deals with the problem, but…" He looked over the rows of knocked-out Pokémon, the Flygon, and the sand, "We're gonna need to clean up, and clear out all this sand…"
"Don't worry about it! I've got a great place in mind to relocate all these Pokémon!" Wattson said proudly.
"Yeah, but hold that thought," Ash said, raising a finger as he walked around, scanning the sand like he was looking for something. Everyone watched him, confused, until Ash suddenly dug his hand down into the grit.
For a moment, no one understood what he was doing, then Ash pulled his hand back up, a Trapinch squirming in his grip, snapping its jaws at him.
Ash looked around at everyone, "I'm keeping this one. That fine with y'all?"
May pinched the bridge of her nose, though she couldn't stop a small snort from escaping, "Of course you're keeping a Trapinch."
Wally hesitated, then smiled softly, "I think… that's okay," he said, "It's not acting wild anymore."
"I mean, yeah, it's just one Trapinch," Brendan said, "Though I'm surprised you don't want the Flygon."
"Meh." Ash shrugged as he gently held the Trapinch's jaws shut and pulled out a Poké Ball, "I prefer training them from little. Makes it easier to bond. Also, since when do I take the easy way?"
He tapped the Poké Ball against the Trapinch, and with a flash of light
Click.
Caught.
Wattson burst out laughing, loud enough to bounce off the chamber walls, "Wahahaha! Kid walks into an underground disaster zone, fights a sand dragon, causes three evolutions, and leaves with a souvenir! Talk about making a grounded decision!"
May groaned, "Please don't encourage him."
"Oh, I absolutely will!" Wattson said cheerfully.
Ash smirked and pointed toward Wattson, "It would be shocking if you didn't."
"Bwahaha! Now you're getting it!" Wattson laughed.
"Right, well, this is a mess. I'm just glad it's all over," Brendan said as he helped Swampert up and returned him to his Poké Ball so he could rest, "I'll call my dad to let him know everything's over, and I'll ask him to take some of these Pokémon in too."
"Should we… you know, catch them?" Wally asked.
"Nah. Let the Rangers finally do their job for once," Ash said, stretching his arms behind his head. Then he snapped his fingers, and Pikachu fired out an [Electro Web], pinning the remaining Pokémon to the ground, "I say we leave now. I'm done with sand for a while."
"Same. I don't like sand. It's coarse and rough and irritating, and it gets everywhere," Brendan added, taking off his hat and shaking it, letting a few lingering grains spill out.
"Soooo… what's the way out?" May asked, looking at Wattson and Tricky, since they were the adults here.
"Easy, it's right there!" Wattson and Tricky said in unison, pointing… directly in opposite directions.
They froze, fingers still extended.
Slowly, very slowly, they turned their heads and looked at each other.
There was a long, echoing silence in the ruined chamber.
"…Ah," Tricky said at last.
"…Wahahaha!" Wattson laughed loudly, then paused, coughed, and scratched the back of his head, "Okay, slight voltage drop in confidence there."
May stared at them, "You're kidding."
Tricky glanced down at the readouts on his mechanical legs, tapped a few buttons, then frowned, "According to my internal mapping system, the exit should be-" He rotated his chair slightly, "...either that way… or that way."
"You just pointed in opposite directions again," Brendan said flatly.
"Yes," Tricky replied, "That is… unfortunate."
Ash pinched the bridge of his nose, "You two came down here and forgot which way the exit is?"
Wattson waved a hand dismissively, "Details! We always find our way eventually. Trial and error builds character!"
Ash looked over at Wally and Brendan, "Do you guys know the way out?"
Brendan raised his hands, "Don't look at me. I don't live in this town."
May groaned, "We are never getting out of here, are we?"
Before anyone could answer, a faint sound drifted through the tunnels.
"ASH?! MAY?!"
Everyone froze.
"…Did you hear that?" Wally asked, eyes widening.
"MAX?!" May shouted back immediately, "BROCK?!"
A beat passed.
Then, much louder this time, "MAY! ASH! OVER HERE!"
"Oh yeah," Ash said thoughtfully, "I told them to find another way out for us. Looks like they finally did." He paused, realizing he'd almost asked Ralts to try teleporting them out, but she wasn't fully trained yet, and with that many people, her teleportation could be unpredictable. Yeah… definitely not the best idea.
"Well, I'm taking it, let's go!" May raised her arm in victory and started marching toward the sound of Brock and Max's voices. Everyone followed shortly after.
Although Ash did glance back at the Flygon, a thought lingering in his mind. Why had they left the desert? Especially since, like Wattson said, Pokémon like the Gible Wally had could only be found deep in the sands. Something had pushed them out.
The question was… what?
—
{In the Desert Ruins}
Deep underground, at the very bottom of the ruins, there was a temporary Magma Base. None of the grunts were here, only the Admins were allowed inside. It was top secret.
Maxie sat against one of the pillars, waiting, almost looking bored. He sighed and glanced to one side, where Zenith and Blaise were working, though it was mostly Zenith doing the work while Blaise struggled to keep up. Zenith was an actual scientist, after all; Blaise's specialty leaned more toward fire-based illusions.
Elsewhere, Courtney waited patiently, sitting on the ground with her legs stretched out. She didn't say much, simply waiting for orders, lost in deep thought about something only she knew.
Maxie leaned back against the pillar, arms crossed, twirling a bottle in his hand, already half empty, "You'd think," he muttered, "for something this important, it would feel… grander."
Zenith didn't even look up from the half-dismantled scanner on the table, "Ancient ruins, illegal power siphoning, a stolen prototype," he said casually, twisting a tool between his fingers, "Sounds pretty on-brand for us."
Blaise snorted, wiping sweat from his brow, "You say that like it's comforting."
Zenith finally glanced at him, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth, "Relax. If this place collapses, we'll know long before it kills us."
Maxie raised an eyebrow, "Your confidence is noted. Progress?"
Zenith hummed, tapping the side of the scanner, then shrugged, "Repairs are coming along," he said, "The encryption's stubborn, layered with failsafes. Clever in a boring way. Not to mention, it's way too old, so it's kind of falling apart."
Blaise blinked, "That sounds… bad."
"Nah," Zenith replied lightly, "Just tedious. Like untangling headphones that really hate you."
He lied as easily as he breathed. He could get the device working in an hour if he really tried, but why would he? He had his own agenda, after all.
Maxie pushed off the pillar and approached the table, eyes sharp despite his relaxed posture, "How long?"
Zenith tilted his head, pretending to think, "Hard to say. Maybe a few more days. I might need some more funding to replace a few parts on this thing."
Maxie nodded once. For now, he had no reason not to trust Zenith's word.
Then Tabitha came down the passage, a little out of breath. These ruins were literally hundreds of feet underground, "Ha…, Boss, I'm here, and… whew… couldn't we have found another place?" he said, catching his breath.
"Get on with it, Tabitha," Maxie said flatly.
"Right. Well, we've got word on Team Aqua," Tabitha explained, "Apparently Team Aqua is planning to head to Mt. Chimney to try to kill the volcano."
For context, you can't really kill a volcano the way you can kill a person. It's more that they're trying to cool it down so it no longer has any activity, effectively shutting it down permanently.
Maxie frowned, "We can't let that happen. Tabitha and Courtney, head to Mt. Chimney and intercept Team Aqua before they can cool it down."
Then he turned to Zenith, "Zenith, stay here and continue repairing the scanner. We'll need it if we want to complete our plans."
"Alrighty, boss," Zenith said, giving a playful salute.
"Good. Now, Blaise, you're coming with me. It's about time I got involved," Maxie announced. He reached into his suit pocket, pulled out a pair of glasses, and put them on, pushing them up as they caught the light. Embedded in the frame was a Mega Stone.
As Maxie turned to leave with the other Admins and Zenith was left behind, Zenith's smirk widened. After all, these idiots had almost made his plans too easy.
Once they were gone, Zenith casually powered on the scanner and accessed it without effort. Everything about him "not being able to get in" had been a lie, he'd just wanted to make sure he reached it first.
He walked over to a nearby wall and leaned against it as he began making modifications. As he worked, he raised a hand and knocked against the stone. A moment later, an Excadrill burst through the wall and stood before him, his Excadrill. Zenith gave it a quiet command, instructing it to do something very special.
Of course, all the Pokémon leaving the desert? That was obviously his doing. Everything was going exactly the way he wanted.
"Alright then," Zenith said, a wide, almost unhinged smile spreading across his face, "It's about time we had some fun."