Mollie and Murdock were running across the forest after, they didn't know the state that Liko was in, they had gotten at least halfway through the forest calling out to Liko or Fuecoco but as of now there has been no reaction, and actually, Murdock realized something.
"Hey Mol, I just realized, we don't know where Liko went," Murdock said, walking across from Molliee.
Mollie froze in place from the realization, "Uhh,.... that may be true but that's also no reason to give up our search we'll just have to keep looking."
Mollie sighed as he had his phone out where he was trying to contact Liko but with no response, "But where are we supposed to look, we don't exactly have any idea-"
At that moment the sky cleared with a bright beam shot up and from it, a Black Rayquaza came out looking down at a place near the center of the island.
Mollie looked at the new Black Rayquaza glaring down and blinked in surprise, "... That seems like a good place to start,"
—--
Back on the ship, everyone else was watching the spectacle in surprise, it was at that point that Clefairy let go of the [Gravity] since also the Brave Olivine was now safely far away from these losers and Friede was long gone.
Said losers in question, Onia and Zirc, as soon as they got up returned their Pokemon and jumped on their Skarmory, and started flying to the center of the island where they knew their Boss Amethio was and where that Pokemon they'd never seen before came from.
—--
Back in the center of the forest as they looked up in the air in shock seeing the Black Rayquaza, Roy looked at his Pokeball in surprise.
"I-I thought this Old Pokeball was empty, I didn't know that Pokemon was in it!?"
"And the surprises keep coming…" Amethio said instinctively,
Liko was already scanning the Black Rayquaza with her dex, but she didn't receive much other than its name and a Green version of it, not black in her dax.
Before they could continue Mollie and Murdock ran out from the woods behind them, "Liko, there you are!" Murdock said
"What? Mollie and Murdock, what are you both doing here?" Liko asked in a panic
"We should be asking you, what happened, where is that thing come out of," Mollie said, not even noticing the boys standing a few feet from Liko.
Before they could continue a gust of wind blew from above them as Friede, Charizard, and Captain Pikachu flew down in a surprise.
As Friede landed he locked eyes with Ash, "I knew it, you are here," Friede said, finally making Mollie and Murdock look over to see that indeed Ash was also there.
But before they could say anything, Friede kept going, "So, you guys wanna tell me what just happened?"
Roy's ears perked up as he ran up holding out his ancient Pokeball, "I-I don't know it just came out of this Pokeball!"
Before Friede could respond the Black Rayquaza chose to finally take action and it screeched in the air before taking another deep breath and shot a beam into the sky.
That would be fine on its own but this beam split, becoming [Draco Meteor] and the target was the general island, so the entire island was being bombarded by a meteor shower.
Amethio clenched his teeth seeing all this, he still didn't understand what just happened, he was about to demand for them to explain but then his 2 compatriots Onia and Zirc flew up to him, both bruised from earlier.
"Sir! It's not safe here," Onia said as she tried wiping her face from the sand
Amethio frowned further as he looked back, they were now outnumbered and the new threat couldn't be predicted, "Fine, we'll retreat!" he said as he jumped back on Corviknight and took one last look at Liko and Roy, then one glance at Ash before flying away.
Although only Ash paid them any attention since everyone else was busy looking up at the Black Rayquaza if they were smart wouldn't they have tried taking Liko at this moment?
Nevertheless, Roy quickly ran up and held up the Pokeball, "Rayquaza! Go back into the Pokeball!"
But Rayquaza ignored his command as it looked down, and for a moment locked eyes with Liko, and then for a moment looked at Ash, but then it flew into the sky going higher than any of them could see until it was only a spark in the sky.
After the Black Rayquaza left everyone collectively took a breath, they hadn't realized it but being in this position they all were holding their breath unconsciously.
Friede looked over at Mollie and Murdock, "Well I guess this thing got resolved and you guys didn't have to leave the ship huh,"
Murdock blinked still having some shock from seeing that Black Rayquaza, "Uh? Oh yeah, you're right, I guess in a way we could have chosen to stay on the ship since you're here anyway,"
"Plus, apparently Ash is also here," Mollie said scratching her head.
"Yeah that reminds me," Friede said as he looked at Ash, "Why are you here? Not that we're complaining you were a big lifesaver back there in the ship and all,"
Ash smiled, "Well I was having a vacation here in the Orange Islands, but look at my surprise when I saw an airship that I recognized falling out of the sky, in the middle of some crazy weather phenomena,"
"Yeah when you put it like that it makes it sound so obvious," Friede nodded then he looked at Roy, "By the way who are you?"
Roy jumped to attention, "Right, I'm Roy!"
"Ok Roy, you said that Rayquaza came out of that Pokeball, what is it and why was it in there?" Friede asked.
Roy tensed up a bit, "Well to be honest I don't actually know anything about it," Roy said before his expression brightened up, "But my grandfather might! We can go ask him!"
Friede nodded, "Alright, then I'll go with you to meet your grandfather I'm curious about this,"
"I'll go too, I also want to know what happened," Liko announced.
Mollie shook her head, "I'll go back to the ship, I still need to look after all the Pokemon,"
Murdock nodded, "Yeah I'm with Mol, I gotta cook dinner and you-know-who still needs to be taken care of."
Ash looked at them, "So by the way, I assume you don't have enough materials at the moment to fix the ship right?"
Mollie nodded, "Yeah, we don't have enough materials to repair the balloon, or whatever fancy name Orla calls it,"
Ash shook his head and pulled out Abra from under his jacket, "Can I offer you an Abra in this trying time?"
Murdock and Mollie both blinked in surprise, not considering that as a possibility before, "Yeah that would work, we could just go and back in a few minutes!" Murdock said as he took Abra from Ash.
Ash nodded, "Well good luck, by the way, your ship is already marked so see ya,"
"Wait wh-" Murdock was cut off when both he and Mollie were teleported out back to the ship.
Ash turned around to the other 3 and stretched his arms, "Well, are we going or not?"
"You're coming with us?" Liko asked in surprise.
"Someone has to take care of you, you're so troublesome getting yourself in these situations," Ash shook his head,
Liko was flustered again but Friede and Roy didn't complain, "Alright then, let's go!"
—--
When they got to Roy's village they were met with Roy's grandfather who Friede was surprised to see that the village elder was his grandfather, but he didn't say why.
Roy explained the situation and he confirmed it by saying that they could see it too from all the way out here in the village. Roy's grandfather started talking to Friede after he brought out some refreshments.
Liko, Ash, and Roy listened but they mainly talked to each other about what they saw, mainly to Ash since he was actually an experienced trainer and knew more than them.
After a while Friede looked at Roy seriously, "So, Roy, you're sure that Rayquaza came out of that Pokéball?"
"Yeah, I'm sure. It was right in my hand. I saw it happen." Roy answered his voice not
Friede smiled, "Right. I believe you, bud."
Roy's grandfather nodded along, "The Black Rayquaza... The legends say that ages ago, it partnered with an ancient adventurer. But I thought those were all myths, I never expected a Pokeball I just found one day would be connected."
"Wait, found?"
"Yes, I just found that Pokéball on the beach one day back when I was a little kid, and when Roy asked me if he could have it, I gave it to him. I never considered there might actually be a Pokémon inside,"
Liko thought about something when her pendant started shining both that Pokeball and Ash's ring started glowing with it, she looked up at Roy's grandfather
"You wouldn't happen to know anything about a pendant like this one in that story?" Liko said holding out her pendant for him to see.
"Hmm, Fine little trinket you have there, but I'm afraid I don't know much about fashion and jewelry."
"So I assume you don't know anything about a ring either right?" Liko said dejectedly as Roy's grandfather shook his head again.
Friede started nodding, "Hmm, Still, a Black Rayquaza. Fascinating. It's definitely got this professor all worked up. I gotta know more, I gotta find it again wherever it went!"
Roy's ears perked up at that, in truth he also felt like he needed to follow wherever the Black Rayquaza went, he really wanted to say something, to beg his grandfather to let him go with them, so he could finally be a trainer and explore the world instead of this small island.
Liko noticed Roy's expression, "Hey, Roy, is there something you want to say?"
Roy stayed quiet for a moment still as all eyes were on him, he felt nervous like maybe he should run away right now, but then he felt Ash tap him on the shoulder,
"What are you so hesitant about? It's your dream, isn't it? It's right in front of you, and you're wavering? You gotta be reckless and take whatever you can come on get a little crazy,"
Ash's words were like a knife to his chest, he was right he spent so long wondering what it would be like but now when he had the chance he was really going to blow it, no he refused.
Roy looked at his grandfather then deeply bowed, "Please, I want to go on adventures and travel with the Rising Volt Tacklers!"
Roy's grandfather glared at him, "What did you say…"
"I've always believed your stories about the Ancient Adventurer were true. And I've always dreamed of traveling around and meeting all sorts of Pokémon. I want to find Rayquaza and then catch it with this same Pokeball!" Roy said holding the ancient Pokeball.
"Tell me, then, is this your biggest dream?" he asked
Roy nodded, "Yes, ever since I was a kid that's what I wanted! So Please grandfather let me be a trainer!"
His grandfather sighed, "Roy… I would let you, and I wish I could but you don't have a partner Pokemon, I can't let you go,"
Roy felt dejected and quickly turned to Friede and bowed, "Y-you said you were a professor right? So please can you please give me my first Pokemon!"
Friede scratched his head, "W-well, I don't really do that kind of thing, the only Pokemon that I have are injured or abandoned Pokemon that don't want to battle, the only option I could give you is Fuecoco if you'd like?"
Roy looked down and shook his head, "No, I can't take Fuecoco…"
Everyone was shocked and Ash especially, "Why not?"
Roy looked up at Ash, "I saw how Fuecoco looked at you and your Charizard, I can tell Fuecoco wants to be with you,"
Everyone looked at the side where Ash's Charizard was sitting down as Fuecoco was bombarding it with questions and admiring him.
"So, I can't take Fuecoco, not when he wants to go with someone else," Roy said sadly.
Ash thought for a moment, then looked at Friede, "Friede question, would you let me catch Fuecoco if he wanted to come with me?"
Friede looked confused but nodded, "Yeah, I wouldn't say no, and you're definitely trustworthy, but I don't think this is a good time to discuss this,"
Ash smiled, "Actually it's the perfect time," Ash looked at Roy, "I think I can help you, just give me a second."
Ash got up and pulled out his phone and dialed up a number, after a few rings he answered.
"Hey, Professor,"
"..."
"Yeah hey, I got a kid here that wants to be a trainer but doesn't have a Pokemon,"
"..."
"Yeah, ok sure,"
He looked over at Roy, "Is there a type you're interested in?"
Roy finched a bit, "Uhh, fires pretty cool,"
Ash nodded and went back on the phone, "Yeah he wants fire,"
"..."
"Oh you stingy old Professor, so you can have all of that ready but when I needed you quite literally gave me scraps, I was your top student!"
"..."
"*Sigh*, fine you can count it, but I'm not letting you live this down,"
"..."
"Yeah ok, I know you had your Alakazam mark me back when I was a kid just send it," Ash said as he hung up.
"Umm, who was that?" Friede asked, he said professor after all.
"Oh, it was Professor Oak," Ash said casually.
Immediately everyone, minus Liko, took a moment to process that, and then collectively they all yelled, "WHAT!"
"Yeah, it kinda gets tiring explaining this so many times, but here goes, I grew up in Pallet Town, he was my neighbor, I grew up with him, he was my teacher, I was his top student, that enough?"
They wanted to ask more questions when suddenly an Alakazam appeared with a small box of Pokeballs, Ash nodded and looked at Roy, "Well, take whichever one calls out to you,"
Roy gulped and approached the box, it took him a moment but he took the second one to the left, "This one, I want this one…"
Alakazam nodded and teleported back with the rest of the Pokeballs, Ash looked at Roy, "Well, let it out, let's see what you got."
Roy nodded and took a breath, throwing out the Pokeball, then in a flash of bright light a small fire-type Pokemon now stood there, not a Fuecoco, but a Cyndaquil.
Roy's eyes lit up as he picked up the fire type, "A Cyndaquil! From now on let's be partners ok!"
"Quil!" Cyndaquil said enthusiastically.
Roy's grandfather sighed but smiled, "Well, now that you have a real Pokemon, I can't stop you anymore, so if you really want to be a trainer then do your best ok,"
Roy nodded happily, "Ok, I will,' then he turned to Friede, "So, Friede, will you let me join the Rising Volt Tacklers and go after Rayquaza with you!"
Friede smiled, "Well how can I say no if you're so enthusiastic about it, alright then welcome aboard,"
As Roy celebrated he ran to his house to pack up for the trip, meanwhile everyone else watched Ash walk over to where Charizard and Fuecoco were.
He knelt down as Fuecoco finally looked back up at him, "You seem to really admire Charizard right?"
Fuecoco nodded frantically, "Coco!"
Charizard looked away but on the inside, it felt nice having someone admire him that much, not that he'd show that side, he kept his tough exterior up.
Ash smiled at Charizard trying to deny it, but then he looked down at Fuecoco, "Well then, do you wanna come with me then, You'll stay with Charizard more often and I can train you to become super strong too,"
Fuecoco looked up, his eyes sparkling as he said that, and nodded happily, "Coco!"
Ash smiled as he held out an empty Pokeball and Fuecoco hit it instantly going in and closing with a *Ding*
Ash caught Fuecoco.