What If Ash was in Pokemon Horizons?

The Stolen Treasure

Liko, Ash, Roy and Friede find Tepen's shop by spotting a Lampent on a signpost. Tehy approach the shop booth and come face-to-face with Tepen. The shopkeeper gasps, "Oh my Arceus, the World Monarch is at my antique shop!"

The comment causes Ash to be swarmed by fans, the other Rising Volt Tacklers move aside to talk to Tepen as Ash is forced to sign many autographs and take millions of selfies.

"Hello Tepen." Liko greeted shyly, "I'm Diana's granddaughter."

Tepen gasped, "You are? What brings you here? I figured Diana would wanna talk to me herself."

"We wanted to show you this." Roy showed off the Ancient Poke Ball that once held the Black Rayquaza. "Do you know anything about it?"

Tepen's eyes widened "I've never seen anything like it, but maybe I can gather some conclusions if I had something similar."

Roy eagerly handed off his bag, "Here! It came from the same island as that Poke Ball."

Tepen grins and fiddles around with the contents of the bag before handing the bag back to Roy. "Sorry! Don't know anything about it."

Ash eventually splits off from the swarm of fans as the trainers walk away. Ash notices Hatenna tense up in Liko's hood. "Something up, Hatenna?"

Fuecoco suddenly lets out a hungry cry, he and Roy rush off in search of a restaurant as the others are forced to follow. They have a meal at the first restaurant they find, Sprigatito notices movement in Roy's bag. He opens it and a Foogus hops out and runs away. Roy searches through his bag to see if the Foogus damaged anything and gasps, "My Ancient Poke Ball is missing!"

"It's okay. Let's just retrace our steps." Friede reassured. "Let's head back to Tepen's shop. Myabe he'll even help out."

The group heads back to Tepen's shop, only to find it closed down despite neighboring vendors still being open. "Shoot, he must've stolen it." Friede concluded, "Why else would he run off after he had it?"

Ash nodded in agreement, "Hatenna must've sensed it too."

"But, grandma trusted Tepen." Liko said in dibelief, "Maybe the Explorers or even Team Rocket are in on it?"

"Let's split up." Friede suggested, "I'll take to the skies with Charizard, you guys search the ground."

The children nod as Friede soars away on his Pokemon. As the three are searching Friede suddenly calls them. "I just found Tepen, he didn't have the ball, but his Lampent wasn't there so look out for that Pokemon."

The three trainers soon spot Lampent alongside Tepen's other Pokemon: Litwick, Bronzong, Bronzor, Foongus and Honedge. Liko spots the bag Lampent was holding, "There! The Ancient Poke Ball must be in there."

The trainers chase the Pokemon into a nearby museum, the trainers eventually lose Tepen's Pokemon and search the various exhibits for the Pokemon. They eventually find Tepen's Pokemon acting as a statue, the Pokemon spot the trainers and run out the window.

The trainers rush out of the museum and see Bronzong and Honedge block their path as Lampent rushes farther away. "You guys go on, I'll hold them off!" Roy declared as he and Fuecoco prepare to fight.

Ash and Liko continue chasing after Lampent and eventually corners it and Bronzor. Sprigatito strikes with Leafage, which is blocked by Bronzor's Iron Defense. Ash sends out his Applin to get some battling experience. Applin tries to use Astonish, but both Pokemon dodge due to floating out of Applin's reach. Applin glares at the two Pokemon before rolling around to avoid their attacks. Applin suddenly glows in a brown light and strikes both Lampent and Bronzor.

"Rollout!" Ash recognized the move, "Awesome!"

Hatenna spots a shovel nearby and uses Confusion to lift it and knock the bag away from Lampent. Liko brighten, "Sprigatito, grab it!"

"Not if I can do anything about it." Tepen revealed himself alongside Bronzon and Honedge. "Use Theif."

Lampent easily steals the bag containing the Ancient Poke Ball away from Sprigatito. Roy catches up to his friends and sees the scene. "Dude, why are you even doing this?" Roy demanded, "You said you didn't know anything about the Ancient Poke Ball!"

"Someone visited my stall today." Tepen explained, "Offered me some real dough for it."

"So you're just after money?!" Liko exclaimed, unable to believe her grandmother saw him as a friend.

Ash hesitated, knowing with the wealth he has as World Monarch and Alola's Champion, he could simply offer Tepen more to leave them alone. But, he figures Tepen wouldn't learn his lesson. The Pallet-Town trainer stands firm, choosing to fight for their property back.

Ash, Liko and Roy stand against Tepen and choose Applin, Sprigatito and Fuecoco espectively. Tepen's Pokemon avoid Fuecoco's Flamethrower. Sprigatito charges towards Lampent with Quick Attack, but Lampent uses Ally Switch to have Spriagtito slam into Bronzor. Applin uses Rollout and manages to strike Honedge as Fuecoco uses Flamethrower that is dampened by Bronzong's Rain Dance. Roy sends out Wattrel and it uses Spark on Lampent, giving Sprigatito an opening to grab the bag. Honedge blasts her away with Metal Sound before she can, causing Applin to use Rollout to knock it back as payback. Foogus reveals itself and puts everyone to sleep with Sleep Powder including Pikachu, while Hatenna shields herself from the move. Cap shows up as Ash sends out his last option: his Quaxly. Cap uses Volt Tackle while Quaxly strikes all of Tepen's Pokemon with his wing. "Nice, Wing Attack!" Ash praises his Pokemon.

Cap and Ash's Quaxly fist-bump as all of Tepen's Pokemon faint, Tepen holds the bag defensively as Hatenna uses Confusion to steal the bag away from him.

Diana suddenly arrives on the scene, "There you are Tepen. I just finished decoding all the ancient text you sold me, turns out it's completely fake. Care to explain?"

"So, he was your friend/" Liko asked, "He stole from us just now."

Diana nodded, "We had some pretty fun adventures, which is why I'm shocked you'd stoop this low."

Tepen looked to the ground, "Thievery seems way easier than adventuring." he explained.

"You sure that's the case?" Diana asked. "You sure you don't just miss those adventuring days?"

Tepen shook his head, "I'm not cut out for it."

"The first step is always the scariest part," Diana said as Liko perked up, remembering that she told her the same words.

Tepen looks towards his Pokemon before hanging his head in shame, "I'm, so sorry."

The children watch in awe as Diana seems to have redeemed her old friend.

Tepen stood up, "We need a fresh start, me and my Pokemon. But I also owe that Poke Ball craftsman an apology."

"That's who wanted the Ancient Poke Ball?" Liko asked.

Tepen nodded, "Feel free to investigate, maybe she'll know more than me." Tepen handed her a piece of paper containing an address.

Friede and Charizard lands by the group as Tepen walks off. Liko hands him the paper and he inspects it, "Looks like we know where we're heading next. I think Orla'll ike this place."

Yeah I know Applin can only learn Rollout by hatching one, but the only other move Applin learns via level up other than Astonish is Withdraw, so I had to get creative.