Here we go again, a mysterious pokemon

id:12117722
Hey everyone, this is my first Pokémon FF, enjoy.

Set when going to Lumiose city after the episode, a fork in the road, a parting of the ways

A Pokémon's Secret

The trio of friends was making their way to Lumiose Gym. They were going through a shady forest, the trees almost shielding them from the blinding sun. The group was walking past a stream when Ash smiled, looking up at the blue sky with Pikachu, his Pokémon friend, on his shoulder. "I can't wait to face Clemont!" he said to himself, Bonnie was smiling because she would soon see her brother again and Serena was just happy to have fought the Pokémon fashion performer back in the previous city. Ash turned to Pikachu on his shoulder, smiled, and said, "Ready to battle Clemont, buddy?"

"Pika pika!" Pikachu replied as he raised his fist into the air, confident in his chances of winning the battle.

Serena still felt a hint of sadness over the stunt that had happened to her in the Pokémon fashion performer contest. Flashbacks of the event sometimes played through her head. Ash turned to Serena and, looking puzzled of how her face looked, called out to her.

"Serena, why the long face?" he asked. Serena snapped out of her thoughts.

"Hm, oh nothing...just thinking about what happened at the showcase" she said casually.

"Don't beat yourself up because of that." Ash replied. "You have to try your best and sometimes we make mistakes because of our pride."

"Yeah I know...its just" Serena mumbled with a sigh. She sighed again and spoke up "It was so stupid of me to overdo it"

"It wasn't your fault." Ash said in a sympathetic tone. "You couldn't stop yourself from feeling so much pride."

There was a rustling in the bush nearby so the trio stopped.

"Is someone there?" Ash called out.

The rustling came to a stop and the forest was deathly quiet until Ash pointed out.

"Pikachu, could you go check that out?" Pikachu nodded and scurried to the nearby bush and went inside, Suddenly, Pikachu rushed out of the bush and ran towards the trio.

"Pika Pika" Pikachu yelled as he ran past the trio of Ash, Serena and Bonnie, who looked puzzled as to why Pikachu ran off. They quickly turned to the sound of hooves getting louder. A stamped heading their way towards them!

"Tauros stampede!" Ash yelled in a panicked tone.

The three started running in the direction that Pikachu had retreated in. The trio was breathing heavily as they ran, rustling the leaves around as they sprinted.

"I hear water!" Ash warned. Just as they drew near to the identified drop, and older man called out to them from the bush on their right.

"In here!" he said.

The trio took note of it and quickly dashed into the bush just before the Tauros could trample them. The trio gasped for air from the experience as Ash quickly glanced out of the bush to see that the Tauros had stopped charging seconds before they reached the drop and it looked like they had lost sight of the trio.

"Thanks for helping us." Serena said with a nod.

"Yeah, thanks." Ash agreed happily as he turned to the elderly man that had helped them.

The older man nodded back and said. "No problem kids, it looked like you really needed help."

"Yeah that was so close but-" Ash cut himself off as he realized something.

"Have you seen Pikachu?" he asked as he looked towards Serena.

"Wait, Pikachu disappeared while we were running." she replied with a surprised look on her face.

"That was the last time we saw him before the stampede." he said as he nodded in agreement.

"Where could Pikachu be?" Bonnie wondered with sadness in her eyes as she worried for Pikachu's safety.

"Den nene" Dedenne said with a nod.

"Don't worry kids, I'm sure that Pikachu is okay." the old man said with a reassuring look on his face.

Just then, the sounds of an approaching cart were heard. The trio looked out of the bush to see an old lady in a cart that was loaded with apples and being pulled by a Rapidash. The old man came out of the bush and called out to the lady in the cart.

"Marian, have you seen a Pikachu? This young kid lost his." he said as he motioned towards Ash. The cart came to a stop and the frail woman turned to them.

"Well, yes" she replied with a smile. "Yes I have."

Out of the back of the cart, Pikachu jumped out and Ash opened up his arms to invite his lost friend into his embrace.

"Hey, buddy." he said as he held his friend in his arms. "I thought I lost you." Pikachu shook his head with a smile on his yellow face.

"Pikachu." he replied happily as he hugged his owner.

"Thanks for finding Pikachu, Marian." Ash said as he turned towards he and the old man. "I appreciate it."

"No problem." Marian replied with a nod. "Let us introduce ourselves. As you all know, I am Marian and this is my husband, Dave." she continued as she indicated the elderly man who nodded to the trio.

"My name is Ash and this is my buddy, Pikachu." Ash replied as he motioned to Pikachu.

"Pikachu." the yellow mouse replied as he smiled and waved at the elderly couple.

"My name's Serena." Serena said with a smile.

"Hey, I'm Bonnie and this is Dedenne." Bonnie said as she cheerfully raised her right arm into the air.

"Denenne." Dedenne said as he smiled.

Dave nodded in response as he turned towards Ash. "Okay Ash, where are you guys going?" he questioned.

"We're headed to Lumiose City to go to the gym!" Ash said as he raised his arms confidently. "I'm going to win my fifth badge!"

"That's quite good." Dave said with an understanding smile. "I hope that you win."

"Yeah..." Ash nodded as he stopped his speech while rubbing the back of his head sheepishly before asking, "Hehe . . . where is it from here?"

Serena and Bonnie fell to the ground from the stupidity if Ash's question. However, Dave smiled as he replied.

"No problem." he said in an understanding tone. "It's easy to get lost in this forest. Just follow the path of the stream and then get back onto the first path you see."

"Thanks." Ash replied with a nod. "We should be on our way now, bye." The trio started walking towards the river until Dave called out to them.

"Wait." he said as Ash, Serena, and Bonnie stopped and looked back towards him.

"Here, at least take an apple from the cart." he said as he pointed towards the supply of fruit. "You kids must be feeling hungry, no?"

"Thanks, we sure are hungry." Ash replied with a laugh while making his way back to the cart with Bonnie and Serena following behind him.

"Yeah thanks" Serena agreed as the three friends each took an apple, along with one each for Dedenne and Pikachu. Ash looked into the cart after taking a bite of the sweet apple and noticed a cloth with something underneath it hidden underneath the apples.

"Uh Dave?" Ash began curiously. "What's under the cloth?" he asked as he gestured to it.

"Oh nothing." Dave replied. "Just a souvenir. Something we don't want to be seen because it can be stolen"

"Okay, we won't ask again." Ash replied. "Well, we better be on our way, bye."

"Bye!" Dave and Marian said in unison as they watched the trio walk away.

Ash was the first one to take the last few bites of his apple before throwing it behind him. Soon enough, the rest of his friends finished their apples and tossed the remains aside as well. As he heard the sound of Mankeys in the trees, Ash looked around while a few Yanmega zipped over the trio from above.

"Nothing beats traveling, right Serena?" he asked.

"Huh?" Serena said as she turned towards Ash as though she was surprised by the question. "Oh, yes. Nothing beats traveling."

As they took a few more steps, Ash thought about the upcoming battle. Which Pokémon am I going to choose first to fight Clemo-

Just then, the ground collapsed beneath the trio and they fell down into a previously dug hole, Ash looked around him and his eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"Team Rocket did this." he said to the others as he recognized the pit as one of the criminals' singature traps.

Chuckles could be heard above them. Ash and his friends looked up and saw Team Rocket wearing miner gear and staring down at them.

"Look what the twerp dragged in." Meowth remarked.

"You fell for our pit fall." James said with a chuckle as he saw the success of their plan.

"Prepare for trouble." Jesse said as she began the group's infamous motto.

"And make it double." James added

"To protect the world from devastation!" Jesse shouted.

"To unite all people within our nation." James continued.

"To denounce the evils of truth and love." Jesse said as she struck up a pose.

"To extend our reach to the stars above." James replied as he also posed.

"Jesse."

"And James."

"Team Rocket digging at the speed of light!" Jesse declared.

"Surrender now or prepare to fight." James warned.

"Meowth, that's right." Meowth remarked as he jumped in.

"Wobuffet." Wobuffet said as he put his hand towards his head as a salute of sorts.

"You won't get away with this." Ash growled as he gritted his teeth. "Let us out!"

"No way, twerp." James replied with a smile.

Just then, Dave and Marian came by and called out.

"Hey, leave them alone!" they shouted as they glared at the criminals.

"What are you doing here, gramps?" Jesse taunted as she and her comrades turned to the elderly couple. "This is no place for someone as old as you."

"Don't be so sure." Dave said as he took a Poké Ball out of his pocket and threw it.

"Fine, old man." Jesse growled as she threw her own Poké Ball. "I'll play your game."

"Get the rope and help Ash and the others." Dave said as he turned towards Marian, who nodded and rushed to get the rope to tie it to a nearby tree to help Ash, Serena, and Bonnie.

As Jesse and Dave's poke balls opened, out came Pumpkaboo and Charmeleon respectively.

"Okay Pumpkaboo, use Dark Pulse!" Jesse commanded.

"Charmeleon, dodge and use tackle." Dave shouted.

Before the Dark Pulse could hit, Charmeleon had already tackled Pumpkaboo, sending it flying.

"Wow, Charmeleon's fast." Ash remarked as he glanced over the top of the pit while Marian helped him climb out.

"Thanks Marian." he said with a nod to her as he turned to Team Rocket. "Now, its my turn. Pikachu, let's go!" Pikachu ran towards the fight to help Charmeleon but James threw a Poké Ball of his own in the mouse's path.

"Oh no, not yet." he replied. "Inkay, I choose you!" A flash of white light burst from the Poké Ball and Inkay formed from it and prepared to fight for his master.

"Okay Pikachu, use Quick Attack!"

With quick footing, Pikachu made glimpses of himself as he came near Inkay.

"Okay Inkay, use Psybeam." James commanded and a beam of colorful energy came crashing to the ground near Pikachu, causing him to fall to the floor. "Hah, direct hit." James said with a laugh. "Now use Psybeam again"

"Pikachu, use Quick Attack!" Ash called out. The Psybeam came rushing towards Pikachu but missed. Pikachu came nearer and nearer towards Inkay at a rapid speed. "Now use iron tail!" Ash shouted. A bright white light formed on the lightning bolt shaped tail of Pikachu as he prepared to attack.

"Pikaaachu!" he shouted as his attack hit Inkay directly, causing him to fly several feet before landing on the ground.

"No, this can't be happening again!" Jesse snarled with a pout. "Dark Pulse, Pumpkaboo!"

"Charmeleon, dodge then use flamethrower!" Dave yelled.

The Dark Pulse missed and Pumpkaboo got hit by a blazing hot Flamethrower, causing him to fall to the floor on top of Jesse.

"This can't be happening." Jesse shouted angrily.

"I get the feeling we're about to blast off." Meowth said with a sigh as he prepared himself for the inevitable.

"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!" Ash commanded as he pointed towards Team Rocket.

Electricity formed around Pikachu as he shouted out. "PIKACHUUU!" The Thunderbolt hit Team Rocket and they took to the air at a rapid speed.

"Looks like Team Rocket's blasting off again!" They shouted as they flew away. There was a twinkle in the sky where they disappeared and a Poké Ball fell to the floor.

"Good job, Pikachu." Ash said with a smile while Pikachu smiled back Then, Ash noticed the Poké Ball and went to go pick it up. He looked at it and thought, What Pokémon is in the Poké Ball and why did Team Rocket have it? Ash put it in his pocket for later and went to go thank Dave and Marian for their help. Serena and Bonnie had already beaten him to it though. "Thanks for helping us, guys." Ash said as he approached the elderly couple.

"No problem." Dave said with a nod as he returned Charmeleon to his Poké Ball. "Well, me and Marian had better get going. Bye!" Ash, Serena, and Bonnie waved for the second time as Dave and Marian grew smaller and smaller the further into the forest they went.

Once the elderly couple was gone, Ash motioned to explain the Poké Ball to Serena and Bonnie. "What is it, Ash?" Serena asked in a baffled tone as she wondered what was wrong.

Ash took out the Poké Ball and pointed to it. "I found this just after Team Rocket blasted off." he replied. "It must be a different Pokémon. "How about we find out?" Serena and Bonnie nodded in agreement as Ash prepared to release whatever was contained within the Poké Ball.

Ash threw the Poké Ball to find out that the Pokémon that took shape was a Riolu.

"Wow, a Riolu!" Bonnie said in an excited tone as she looked at it. However, the Riolu looked away from them, much to their confusion.

"Hey Riolu, come on what's wrong? Don't you trust me?" Ash questioned as he stared at it. Riolu nodded in response and Ash sighed in defeat. "Oh well, seems like he doesn't trust us." he said dejectedly. Ash then lifted the Poké Ball to capture the Riolu. "Okay Riolu, return." he commanded. A red light shot towards Riolu but it dodged. Ash tried again but Riolu dodged again. Ash sighed once more. "Fine. If you don't want to, I won't force you," he said as he placed the Poké Ball back in his pocket.

The trio made their way to the stream. After a few seconds, Bonnie looked behind her noticed that Riolu was standing right where they had left him.

"Riolu isn't following us." she said curiously as the trio stopped, waiting to see if Riolu would come. Soon enough, they saw Riolu following, though from a distance.

"Its okay, he's following." Ash said to himself as he smiled. What did Team Rocket want Riolu? he thought to himself. It couldn't be for good since Riolu doesn't trust people enough to want to get back in the Poké Ball.