Ash Ascendant: Chapter 32

Hi all,

Here’s the first chapter. I’m still finishing the second chapter, but it will be ready in about three to four hours.

Chapter 32

Ash launched himself sideways, Skarmory's talons carving through empty air where his skull had been milliseconds before. The Steel-type's wings snapped wide as it pulled from the dive, banking sharply for another pass.

Blitz's magnetic units spun rapidly, the Magneton assessing the airborne threat. The Pokemon was magnificent, two metres of razor-edged death wheeling overhead.

Skarmory folded its wings and dropped like a stone.

Ash vaulted onto his steel board, shooting upward as the predator dove past his position. The Pokemon's momentum carried it beyond reach, but it recovered with frightening agility, using its superior manoeuvrability.

Blitz launched a Spark toward Skarmory, but it twisted away. The lightning sizzled past its wingtips, dissipating harmlessly into the sky.

Skarmory retaliated instantly. Its right wing blazed white-hot as Steel Wing ignited, the metallic appendage sweeping toward Blitz in a devastating arc. The Magneton barely evaded.

Ash banked hard left, circling to flank the larger Pokemon. His board responded to thought, tilting at impossible angles as he pursued the wheeling Skarmory. The creature's head swivelled, tracking both opponents whilst maintaining its evasive flight pattern.

Blitz surged forward, electricity crackling around its frame as Spark ignited. The Magneton struck Skarmory's flank. The super-effective attack drew a pained shriek as Skarmory staggered in the air.

The Steel-type lashed out with its free wing. Razor-sharp feathers whistled through the air, forcing Blitz into a retreat despite the successful hit.

Ash seized the opening. "Thunder Wave!"

Paralysing energy erupted from his palm, striking Skarmory's trailing wing. The Pokemon's flight pattern stuttered as muscle spasms rippled through the appendage, disrupting its aerial control. Although it wasn’t a full paralysis, it was enough to weaken it.

Blitz capitalised immediately. The Magneton charged forward, electricity crackling around its frame as another Spark ignited. It struck Skarmory from below, driving the larger Pokemon upward as an electrical current coursed through it. 

But Skarmory wasn’t an easy opponent. The Pokemon fought through the electrical damage, spinning mid-air to slash at Blitz with both wings. Steel scraped against the Magneton's chrome surface as it twisted desperately to avoid the worst of the assault.

Blitz launched another Spark, electricity wreathing its body as it slammed into Skarmory's wing joint. The defensive plating offered little protection against the electric assault. 

Ash pressed their advantage, diving beneath the disoriented Pokemon. "Again!"

Another Thunder Wave struck home, this time targeting Skarmory's torso. The paralysis took firmer hold, causing the Steel-type to drop several metres before regaining control.

Skarmory's eyes burned with fury. It folded its wings and dove toward Ash, ignoring Blitz entirely. 

Ash tilted his board sideways, rolling beneath the attack as Skarmory's talons raked empty air. The Pokemon's momentum carried it past, but it recovered instantly, banking upward for another assault.

Blitz shot upward, intercepting Skarmory's climb with another Spark. This time, Skarmory couldn't keep dodging. The electric attack hit it right in the chest, pushing it backwards through the air.

Ash moved to support, firing Thunder Wave after Thunder Wave at the staggered Pokemon. Each paralysing burst weakened Skarmory, making it increasingly vulnerable to Blitz's attacks.

The battle became a deadly dance. Skarmory would recover, launch a devastating counter-attack, then find itself battered by coordinated assaults from trainer and Pokemon. Its superior individual power meant nothing against their tactical coordination.

Steel Wing blazed to life again, the attack carving toward Blitz. The Magneton darted aside, but Skarmory anticipated the dodge, its second wing igniting as it completed a double strike.

The attack connected, sending Blitz tumbling through the air. But the Magneton recovered quickly, electricity crackling around its form as it launched another Spark that struck Skarmory from an unexpected angle. The electrical current surged through the Steel-type's body.

Lightning erupted from all three of Blitz's units simultaneously as a final, devastating Spark attack. The concentrated electrical assault converged on the weakened Skarmory, the super-effective damage proving too much for it to withstand. Its wings locked up completely, sending it plummeting towards the ground below.

Ash dove after the falling Pokemon, pulling a Heavy Ball from his mind palace. Skarmory struck the ground hard, consciousness flickering as it struggled to rise on unsteady legs.

The ball struck true, red light enveloping the Pokemon. It vanished inside with barely a struggle. The Heavy Ball clicked once, twice, then stilled.

Ash landed beside it, breathing hard from exertion. Blood seeped from several lacerations where Skarmory's attacks had found their mark, but the wounds were minor. Blitz hovered nearby, slightly damaged from the battle but otherwise unharmed.

"Excellent work," Ash murmured, retrieving the Heavy Ball. 

Judging by the intensity of their battle, the Pokemon had to be at least level forty. A remarkable specimen that was worth the wait.

He couldn't bond with it yet, but that limitation would vanish once he broke through to the Essence Realm. No longer would he be limited by the cultivation stage. Instead, the number of Pokemon and techniques he could have depended solely on his energy capacity. 

When a cultivator's core split in two, their energy capacity didn't just increase—it doubled outright. The transformation created a chasm between the Tempering and Essence stages that most people couldn't comprehend until they experienced it firsthand. Furthermore, the quality of his energy refinement in the Tempering Realm would determine exactly how much energy he'd wield.

The number of techniques he could learn remained a mystery. That would depend entirely on his core's final capacity after the split, and Ash had no way to predict those numbers. 

"Right, that's one Pokemon down." Ash pocketed the Heavy Ball and surveyed his destroyed campsite. "The next is Beldum, which is a lot more elusive."

The Beldum were rarely seen in the landfill north of Azalea Town. Convenient, as he needed to visit Kurt for more Apricorn balls anyway.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Ash entered Azalea Town and stopped short. The place buzzed with more activity than he'd ever seen. 

Floor One was changing rapidly since Floor Zero's discovery. What had once been treated as little more than a dumping ground now served as the primary staging area. Adventurers needed somewhere to establish a base before venturing into the unknown depths below, and Floor One offered the perfect location. The economic benefits rippled through every aspect of local life.

Floor Zero had turned everything upside down. What people once dismissed as the Tower's rubbish heap now represented the gateway to untold riches and discoveries. 

A small crowd surrounded Kurt's house, their voices raised in demand. The old craftsman blocked the entrance, looking harassed as he faced down a dozen eager customers.

"Come back tomorrow," Kurt shouted, slamming his door. "I'm out of stock!"

Ash pushed through the dispersing crowd, catching Kurt's attention through the window. The old man's expression shifted from irritation to recognition, and he quickly ushered Ash inside.

"Somebody's popular,” Ash said.

"Bloody annoying." Kurt collapsed into his chair. "I moved here to get away from people like them who incessantly bother me with their demands. Who was the bastard who connected Floor Zero to this one?"

"Guilty as charged."

Kurt's eyebrows rose. "You were mixed up in that commotion?"

"Uh-huh. Why don't you move if it bothers you too much?"

"I would rather not." The craftsman waved dismissively. "So, why did you come here?"

"I'm like those demanding people outside. I want some more Apricorn balls. If I had known it would be like this, I wouldn't have bothered coming.”

"So, you wouldn't come visit to catch up? I'm offended."

Ash snorted. "I can tell. Business is good, I take it."

"Yes. I can barely keep up with the orders." Kurt stood, moving toward his workshop. 

"You don't have any stock left? Can I place an order?"

"I have some spare stock lying around for you."

Kurt returned with an assortment of balls—Heavy, Fast, and Level variants crafted from rare Apricorns. Ash paid for them and stored the purchases in his mind palace.

"I'm heading for the landfill north of here,” Ash said. “I want to catch a Beldum. Have you seen any around by chance?"

"Only a few times, and not in several months." Kurt's expression grew serious. "If you're heading there, I'd be careful. A lot of cultivators are crawling through the landfill, searching for Pokemon. Some of them aren't playing nice."

"Thanks for the warning. I'll come back after I've finished my business, and we can catch up."

"Alright. Stay safe."

Ash stepped back into the street. He had what he needed to capture a Beldum now—assuming he could find one first. 

Things had gone smoothly so far. Too smoothly, if he was being honest. Experience taught him that when everything went according to plan, something nasty usually waited around the corner to balance things out. 

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Ash arrived at the landfill and stopped dead. The place buzzed with more activity than he expected. Dozens of cultivators swarmed across the refuse heaps, their voices carrying sharp commands to their Pokemon as they searched through the debris.

Something had stirred them into this frenzy.

He approached a cultivator resting against a twisted metal beam. "What's going on here?"

“Everyone’s searching for a Beldum,” the man replied. 

"Are they really that rare?" Ash glanced around. "This seems excessive."

The cultivator's eyes lit up. "You don't understand. Someone managed to get a readout of this particular Beldum, and its potential shows it has a technique that has the cultivators in a frenzy."

Ash frowned. "I thought Beldum could only use Tackle."

"That's what everyone believed." The cultivator leaned forward conspiratorially. "But this Beldum is different. If you capture it, you can learn Teleport."

Ash's eyes widened. "That's not possible."

Teleport belonged to the Forbidden Techniques—abilities that had vanished when the Tower was established. Arceus had wiped certain techniques from both Pokemon and cultivator repertoires. Most scholars believed this was deliberate, designed to prevent escape from the Tower structure. Though the reasoning made little sense. Who would want to leave? What existed beyond the Tower? No one knew the answer, so why risk it?

If this Beldum truly possessed the technique, it changed everything. The implications crashed through Ash's mind like dominoes falling. Could someone with Teleport bypass the Tower's ascension system entirely? Simply appear on higher floors without challenging the gym leaders? The thought was both thrilling and terrifying.

Ash doubted it would be that simple. Even if the technique existed, Arceus would have built in safeguards. Perhaps it consumed enormous amounts of energy, limiting its use to short distances. 

Still, even a limited version of Teleport would be invaluable. Imagine escaping deadly situations in an instant. Appearing behind enemies during combat. Bypassing dangerous terrain entirely. The tactical applications were endless.

"What if this person was lying?" Ash asked. "Why didn't they capture it themselves? Why advertise it?"

"He was with others at the time." The cultivator shrugged. "They started fighting among themselves when they heard the Pokedex's analysis. It got away in the process."

Ash nodded his thanks and moved deeper into the landfill. He summoned Bastion, climbing onto the Lairon’s back rather than using his steel board. No need to attract unnecessary attention.

He summoned his mask and the Giru robots from his mind palace. 

"Go invisible," he commanded. "Search for Beldum."

The robots zipped away, their cloaking devices engaging as they disappeared into the maze of junk.

Ash continued his methodical search, encountering several other cultivators along the way. They were too focused on their hunts to pay him much attention, but he sensed the underlying tension. The moment that Beldum appeared, this place would explode into violence.

Hours passed. The robots found nothing. Ash's initial optimism curdled into frustration as he picked through endless piles of junk. Finding one small Pokemon in this vast wasteland was like searching for a needle in a haystack.

His day was turning for the worse, exactly as he'd predicted.

One of his Giru units suddenly transmitted an image through his mask—two large groups of cultivators facing off near a massive junk pile. Their body language screamed imminent violence.

Ash guided Bastion towards the location, dismounting well before he reached the confrontation. He returned the Pokemon to his mind palace and crept forward, using a rusted car shell as cover. 

His eyes narrowed when he saw someone he knew. What was Paul doing here?

"We were here first," someone from the opposing group shouted. "I suggest you move on before we make you."

"Empty words," Paul replied. "You don't have the ability to make me do anything. And this isn't your property."

The other cultivator looked ready to launch himself at Paul when something erupted from the refuse pile. Chunks of metal and debris cascaded down as a massive Metagross emerged, dozens of objects floating around its body in a psychic field.

People scattered as the Metagross began hurling the debris at them. Ash watched the chaos unfold, but his attention was drawn to movement behind the Steel-type. A small form darted away from the commotion, flying in the opposite direction.

The Beldum.

No one else noticed it in the panic. Ash summoned his steel board and shot into the air, taking a wide arc around the Metagross whilst pursuing his target. Shouts erupted from below, but he ignored them.

Something heavy whistled past his head—a chunk of metal from the Metagross's psychic barrage. Ash instinctively manifested his armour, the liquid metal flowing across his body as he accelerated.

The Beldum flew ahead of him, its small form barely visible against the sky. Ash pushed his board harder, the familiar sensation of wind rushing past his face as he gave chase.

The Beldum suddenly dove towards the ground. Ash followed, skimming just above the refuse heaps as he navigated around obstacles. The Pokemon led him on a winding pursuit through the landfill's maze of debris, but Ash's board responded to his thoughts as if it were an extension of his body.

After several minutes of chasing, he closed the distance. The Beldum was within reach.

He launched a Thunder wave, and the paralysing energy struck the Steel-type. Its flight pattern immediately stuttered and crashed into a pile of scrap metal below.

Ash landed beside the paralysed Pokemon and retrieved a Fast Ball. The capture device struck true, red light enveloping the Beldum as it disappeared inside. The ball shook once, then went still.

"That was way too easy," Ash muttered, storing the pokeball in his mind palace.

He didn't have time to confirm whether this particular Beldum possessed Teleport, but it didn't matter. His goal had been to capture one, and he'd succeeded. The question about the technique could wait.

Shouts echoed across the landfill. Several flying Pokemon appeared in the sky, their trainers scanning the area below. Had they seen him chase the Beldum?

Escaping undetected would be challenging now.

The Metagross burst into view, pursuing the aerial searchers. Its psychic field bristled with floating debris as it chased them away from its territory.

Ash used the distraction to slip away, moving carefully through the landfill's maze. The Metagross had bought him precious time, but he needed to reach the exit before the other cultivators regrouped.

He kept low, using the scattered refuse as cover whilst making his way towards the landfill's perimeter. The sounds of conflict gradually faded behind him.

The exit finally came into view—a gap in the chain-link fence that marked the boundary between the landfill and the surrounding countryside. Ash paused, listening for any signs of pursuit.

Nothing.

Ash slipped through the fence and continued walking until he was clear of the area. Only then did he allow himself to relax.

He pulled out his steel board and shot towards the Tower. The danger wasn't over yet. Paul might have recognised him, but Ash didn't know him well enough to tell if he would report him or not. 

Worse, his steel board was distinctive. Anyone who'd witnessed the chase could describe it easily enough. Show the board in public again, and someone would connect the dots.

But he had no choice. The Beldum's speed had forced his hand—without the board, the Pokemon would have escaped within seconds. Hesitation would have cost him everything.

The board's distinctive appearance was a problem he'd have to solve later. He could alter its shape, make it look different.

The Tower's familiar bulk grew larger as he approached. Home had never looked so welcoming.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Ash watched Blaze charge across the training ground, the Scizor's metallic wings spread for balance as he bounded toward his target. Below, Blade shifted his stance, the newly evolved Excadrill adjusting to his transformed body.

The evolution had changed everything about his former Drilbur. Where once Blade had been compact and nimble, he now stood taller with a more imposing frame. His drill-tipped claws had grown a lot, now shining with a metallic look that showed his new Steel type. The most striking change was his head—what had been a simple pointed snout was now a formidable drilling apparatus, rotating slowly as he tracked Blaze's movement.

Blade's colouring had shifted, too. The brown and tan of his Drilbur form had given way to darker steel-grey plates with blue-black accents along his limbs. His body looked built for power now, muscle definition visible beneath the metallic plating.

Blaze leaped forward, his wings beating rapidly to extend his jump. Blade responded instantly, his claws igniting with rocky energy as Rock Slide activated. Chunks of stone materialised around him, launching forward in a devastating barrage.

The Scizor landed hard, rolling to avoid most of the projectiles. One clipped his shoulder, drawing a sharp cry, but he pressed the attack. His pincers blazed with Steel Wing energy as he bounded toward Blade's position, using his wings to propel himself in short, powerful bursts.

Blade stood his ground. The collision had both Pokemon staggering back from the impact, but Blade recovered first. His new typing granted him resistance to Blaze's Steel-type attacks—an advantage he hadn't possessed as a pure Ground-type.

"Enough," Ash called, stepping between them. "Good work, both of you."

The Pokemon relaxed. Blade's evolution had shifted the team's power balance. His stats had improved across the board, with his natural strengths in HP, Attack, and Speed becoming even more pronounced. The Steel typing brought vulnerabilities—Fire and Fighting moves would hurt more now—but the advantages outweighed the drawbacks.

Most importantly, Blade could finally tap into Ash's Steel-type energy reserves. The massive influx from the dead Steelix had been wasted on him before, but now it would accelerate his development significantly.

Rock Slide gave him another tactical option, too. The technique's thirty percent flinch chance would complement his existing techniques, giving him crowd control capabilities to match his raw power.

Ash checked his watch as the training session wrapped up. Almost time for the auction. He'd placed his variant Pokemon up for sale, though Floor Zero's opening had made predicting their value impossible. The market for rare Pokemon had exploded overnight, with collectors and researchers clamouring for anything connected to the floor.

Three weeks after the auction, he'd face the gym leader. The registration system on the second floor required picking his team in advance. He couldn’t change his Pokemon after submitting his team, unlike the first floor. Since there wasn’t much time to train, he had to make do with his current lineup.

The gym battle. Then his tribulation. Then he could tie up loose ends before moving to the third floor.

Erika would follow him up because of their deal. But Zinnia and Winona's plans remained unclear. Saying goodbye to the friends he'd made here would be difficult. Who would have thought James and Jessie would end up in that category? Then there was Mustard, who had done so much for him.

But sentiment wouldn't sway him from his goals. His objective remained ascending to the next floor, finding new opportunities to grow stronger. Besides, he could always return.

Ash recalled his Pokemon to his mind palace and headed inside to say goodbye to his mum.

"Where are the girls?" he asked, finding her reading in the living room.

"They went ahead. Zinnia managed to get them tickets."

"It's pretty exclusive. How did she manage..." Ash stopped himself. "Never mind, I don't want to know."

"Smart boy." Delia smiled. "Are you heading off now?"

"Yep. If there's anything good, I'll buy it for you."

"No need. You need to save money for the next floor."

"I've already researched the third floor's conditions. We have more than enough. Now that I have an alchemy sla—uh, I mean Erika—our finances are looking much better.”

"Having Erika around is a real plus." Delia's eyes twinkled with mischief. "You should marry her and lock her services down for good."

"I didn't know you were so mercenary, Mum."

"Just being practical, love."

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Ash arrived at the Auction House to find a massive crowd gathering outside. Their cultivation energy told the story—some of these people were big shots from the upper floors, their auras radiating power that made nearby cultivators step aside instinctively.

"Ash!" James's voice cut through the crowd noise.

He turned to see James approaching with Jessie and Lucian in tow. Ash's mood soured at the sight of the latter.

Even though Lucian had backed off after learning about Ash's apprenticeship to Mustard, the man remained in the city like a persistent rash. The strain was showing, though. Lucian still hadn't found the ruins, which had to make his bosses unhappy. Couldn't happen to a nicer person.

"What's he doing here?" Ash asked James pointedly.

"Hello to you, too, friend," Lucian said.

"He was just leaving," James replied.

"Is that any way to treat your big brother?"

"If anything, I'm being extra nice."

"I know when I'm not wanted." Lucian shrugged. "Aren't you going to say hello to your family? Your fiancée?"

"No, I think I'm good."

"Yes, get the hint and scram," Jessie added.

Lucian shook his head and departed, melting back into the crowd.

"Your parents are here?" Ash asked. "The ones with the Death Squad? The ones who killed people just to ruin your business?"

"Technically, it was my fiancée who did all that."

"Semantics. They allowed her to use their subordinates, didn't they?"

"He's got you there," Jessie observed.

"Why don't you set up your fiancée with Lucian? Sounds like they're made for each other."

"I already tried that." James grimaced. "Come on, let's head up to my private box. The auction's starting soon."

They entered the Auction House and climbed the stairs to the private boxes. The room was spacious, fitted with comfortable loungers and a well-stocked drinks bar. Ash grabbed a drink and approached the window overlooking the auction hall. The one-way glass allowed him to observe without being seen.

He counted heads, estimating over two thousand in attendance, not including the private box occupants. This was truly a spectacle for the humble second floor. He tried spotting the three girls in the crowd but couldn't locate them in the sea of faces.

Settling into a lounger, Ash waited for the auction to begin.

Twenty minutes later, a beautiful woman took the stage, her elegant dress catching the spotlight as she approached the podium. Her voice carried clearly through the hall as she welcomed the crowd and announced the beginning of the evening's proceedings.

Ash examined the console beside his seat. A series of buttons allowed him to place bids on items, with the current lot displayed on a small screen. The interface was straightforward enough—select an amount and confirm the bid.

The first few items failed to capture his interest. Ancient pottery fragments, corroded weapons, and pieces of unidentifiable machinery cycled through the auction block. The bidding was modest, mostly locals trying their luck on curiosities.

Then, a Technical Machine appeared on stage. The auctioneer's voice rang out as she described the item.

"Smart Strike—a powerful Steel-type technique that never misses its target. This is an extremely rare Technical Machine, with very few Pokemon capable of learning it naturally."

Ash's finger hovered over the bidding console. Smart Strike would be perfect for Blade, giving him a reliable attack that bypassed accuracy issues entirely. He placed his opening bid.

The numbers climbed steadily as someone else entered the competition. Ash winced as the price continued rising, but consoled himself with the thought of his variant Pokemon sales. The profit from those would more than cover this purchase.

After several tense minutes, his final bid secured the Technical Machine. 

"What made all these people come here?" Ash asked as the next item took the stage. "Is it just for the variant Pokemon?"

"It's not only that," James replied. "There are plenty of items that were found down there. People with more money than sense are willing to pay for them rather than go searching for themselves."

"Are you not buying anything?" Jessie asked.

"If the item holds my interest."

"Then you just insulted yourself."

James shrugged at her observation.

The next item immediately changed the auction's mood. A hush descended as a massive cage was wheeled onto the stage. Inside, one of the Forsaken gripped the bars, its lips drawn back in a silent snarl. A familiar collar encircled its neck—the same one he'd encountered on Floor Zero.

"What the hell?" Ash leaned forward. "Are they allowed to bring that up from Floor Zero?"

"So long as it’s secure, it seems," James said.

Ash watched with sick fascination as the crowd began bidding for the creature. He didn't feel sorry for it—the Forsaken had done virtually the same to him, only much worse. They'd forced him to fight to the death in their arena. Still, he couldn't understand why people would want to own one.

"Someone probably wants to research it," James suggested.

"What the hell is there to learn from it?"

"How to kill them?" Jessie offered.

Ash shook his head. The auction continued, and he listened with half an ear until his Pokemon appeared on stage. Finally, time to see what his variant specimens would earn.

He watched in shock as the bidding war erupted. The numbers climbed relentlessly—three million, four million, five million pokedollars. The final total left him stunned. James had been right about people from the upper floors having more money than sense. Still, he couldn't complain about the profit.

After his Pokemon were sold, the next item appeared, and the tattoo on his arm began tingling. Ash sat straighter as a large crystal stone shaped like a crude dragon was wheeled onto the stage. The thing radiated Dragon-type energy so strongly that he could feel it from the private box.

He'd thought the energy only existed in specific locations within the Tower. Had this one absorbed energy from the environment? Zinnia must have noticed it too—she'd want this just as much as he did.

But he was flush with pokedollars now, and intended to own it.

The bidding war was fierce. Multiple voices called out bids from across the auction hall, the price climbing rapidly. Ash matched each increase, his finger working the console steadily. Somewhere in the crowd below, Zinnia was doing the same.

Two million pokedollars later, the crystal was his. Well worth the investment, in his opinion. He'd need to return to the first floor and see what rewards the crystal could unlock.

The auctioneer's voice carried across the hall as she announced the final item. "Ladies and gentlemen, we conclude tonight's auction with our most extraordinary item."

The crowd stirred, their excited whispers carrying throughout the hall. Curtains swept apart with theatrical slowness. The final lot sat alone on the display platform—a simple stone, grey and unremarkable, no larger than a man's fist. It looked like something you'd skip across a pond.

Ash frowned. Around him, disappointed murmurs rippled through the hall. After the spectacle of the previous lots, this seemed like the auctioneer's idea of a twisted joke. 

"This," the auctioneer's voice rose, “is called a Wishing Stone. Ancient texts claim it possesses the power to summon the legendary Pokemon, Jirachi."

The hall erupted in confused whispers. 

Ash twisted toward James, his brow furrowed. "What's a legendary Pokemon?"

James shook his head. "You poor, ignorant soul. Though I can't blame you for not knowing. Few people do. It's strange they're revealing this information here, of all places."

"Explain it to me."

"Legendary Pokemon are Arceus' children. They were the most powerful Pokemon in existence, second only to the God Pokemon himself. Their strength made them nearly untouchable."

"Where are they now? Why aren't they around anymore?"

"According to legend, they were sacrificed during the Tower's creation. Their essence was woven into its very foundation. If you search carefully enough, you can find traces of their power scattered throughout every floor. You've already encountered one before—well, at least a statue representing one."

"When did I see that?"

"Rayquaza. The massive dragon statue perched atop the Pillar. That was one of them."

"Bloody hell." Ash absorbed this revelation, then turned back toward the auction platform. "How many people came here specifically for this item?"

"I'd wager quite a fair few.”

"Can it really summon Jirachi?"

James laughed. "I seriously doubt it. But it's an intriguing item nonetheless. Perhaps it has some other purpose we haven't considered."

Ash opened his mouth to respond, but the lights died.

Darkness swallowed the auction hall completely.

So, what do you think? I didn’t get as far as I would like plot-wise, but the gym battle is in the next chapter.

Thanks for reading.