1.Ash's Story (Part 3: Hoenn)

Chapter 33

After bidding farewell to Mom, East, and Winona, we are now at Route 120. On our way, we find Team Rocket again and this time they try to brainwash Pikachu into joining Team Rocket because of the amnesia from the fall. In the end, we manage to recover his memories and Pikachu sends Team Rocket blasting off again.

Just then, we arrive at Riyado Town, but before we can get there, there's a wooden bridge. "Look out!" We hear a voice, and I'm trying to look for the source. Pikachu eagerly crosses when the bridge gives way because of the oddly powerful river current, sending him into the water below. However, with a feat of acrobatics, Pikachu manages to leap from the dangerous bridge onto my head.

"So who's the one who tells us to watch out?" Alice asks. And we look forward to seeing the Absol.

"An Absol?" I ask.

"You really are hard to catch up." The Absol says, and I widen my eyes, this Absol must be the same Absol from Fiorna. But before we can ask him about it, we hear some villagers rushing and they are blaming Absol for the broken bridge.

"I wonder what is that about..." Mark says.

We go to the village and we find that ever since Absol comes to the village, bad things have been happening. They say that they hire expert Absol hunters, but there is a boy named Nicky who explains that Absol will never be caught by their likes. Then the villagers start to blame him for his brother running away after chasing the Absol.

"I think there's more to it." I say as we rush towards Nicky.

"What are those people mean that your brother runs away from town?"

"He didn't run away! I know my Big Brother, and he won't have disappear!" Nicky says.

Then he reveals that when Absol appears, his brother wants to prove that Absol isn't the one that caused the disasters, but he went missing and he says that he has the evidence.

"I know that Absol personally, and he saves us personally. So I know that he's innocent." I say.

Then the others agree with me, and we decide to follow Nicky as we go to the highest peak, the Square Top. Absol is waiting for us there, and Nicky yells, "Absol! You have to listen to me! I don't believe you're the one who causes the disasters, but the people in Riyado Town do! You have to help me to convince them so that they don't mean any harm."

Just then, Absol says nothing but yells, "Get away from here!"

"What do you mean?" I ask, and then a flood of water erupts from the rocks behind us. Alice, Max, Nicky, Pikachu, Absol, and I are swept away by the flood, we drop onto a branch and Nicky loses his grip. Absol is the one who saves him.

And when we're falling, a Heracross saves us, and it turns out to be Gordon's Pokemon. Gordon explains that he's been tracking groups of Absol in other mountains to better understand them after saving the life of the wild Absol in his village's mountain. From his research, Gordon made a startling find, Absol only approaches human settlements with good reason, that they don't actually cause disasters but often take the blame, and don't attack unless provoked.

Then we realize that the water pressure in the mountain's spring is building, and Absol has been trying to warn everyone that the village will soon be flooded, while the increased water flow destroyed the bridges. Just then, a geyser of water erupts out of the side of the mountain, threatening to destroy Gordon's village.

"Here comes the flooding! Just like you predicted!" Max says.

"What should we do about it?" I ask.

"Ash! Guys! Help me out!" Then Absol is using Hyper Beam to knock over a giant boulder. We know as we decide to help him out, but the boulder doesn't budge. Absol moves into point-blank range with its Hyper Beam and successfully diverts the boulder and the water flow, and we find out that Absol hunters are Team Rocket in disguises.