Primal Items

Travelling with a bigger group turns out to be more fun than Max realised. As the six of them head to the Battle Chateau, Max and Bonnie learn more about their new travelling companions. Dawn is the daughter of a prize-winning Coordinator. She set out on her journey to follow in her mother's footsteps. But she was beaten for the spot of Top-Coordinator by Zoey, not that she was complaining. She decided to take a break from being a Coordinator and cheer for Zoey. Her plan is to watch and cheer her girlfriend on in the Kalos showcases, then become top Coordinator when Zoey becomes Kalos Queen.

Zoey is a year older than Dawn, and she's the Top Coordinator of Sinnoh. She is often the one who picks Dawn up when she's down (both figuratively and literally). She's a lot more tomboyish than Dawn is. Apparently, the two started dating about a year ago, after Dawn needed to cheer Zoey up after a particularly bad loss. As she was doing that, her feelings for the ginger accidentally slipped out during the pep-talk, which Zoey ended up reciprocating. She became the Top Coordinator after three years of training, and now wants to give being Kalos Queen a try, which Dawn supports.

Barry tried 3 times to win the Sinnoh League, but he was always unsuccessful. Even Lucas tried twice, and while he got further than Barry did, he wasn't able to beat Cynthia either. So now, Barry came to Kalos to see if he can fair better here than in Sinnoh. Lucas wanted to try too, but he doesn't want to ruin Barry's chance, so he decided not to enter himself. Max comments that that's the same reason he didn't enter the League either.

Max and Bonnie also learn how Lucas became Rowan's assistant. He had to look after his mother, who'd fallen ill with the same disease that killed his father. While she was recovering, Lucas spent his time studying pokémon in the books his mother owns. Eventually, when she got better, Lucas finally set off on his journey. When he arrived and chose his starter, he impressed Rowan with his knowledge. Then, when he failed in the League, Rowan offered him a position as his assistant, which he happily accepted.

Max and Bonnie share their goals with the four. When Lucas hears about Max's book, he asks if he can read it. He scrolls through the book, sticking his tongue out slightly in concentration. "He makes that face every time he needs to focus on something," Dawn whispers to Max and Bonnie. "It makes Barry's gay mind go into overdrive when he sees it." "N-n-no it doesn't!" Barry protests, but everyone can see how red his face is, and the fact that his eyes keep wandering to Lucas.

Eventually, Lucas stops reading and hands the book back to Max. "How long did you spend on this?" he asks as he does so. Max shrugs. "4-5 minutes per pokémon" he replies. Lucas's jaw drops. "That's insane!" he exclaims. "You have a gift that some pokémon researchers would kill to have." Max thanks him and they keep going.

However, it isn't long after that conversation that the group hears some rustling in the bushes. Max approaches nervously, Treecko's pokéball at the ready. Then, a Team Terra agent springs out and grabs him. Bonnie sprints forward at that and begins trying to wrestle him free. Then, Dedenne springs free of his pokéball and electrocutes the agent, freeing Max from his grip. Max and Bonnie scramble back to the older four, just as the admin from two weeks before and ten other agents appeared from various hiding places. Max sees Sarah and Sam in their midst. The admin steps forward, a sleazy smile across his face. Max glares at him. "You!" he says. The admin chuckles. "Glad to see you remember me," he says. "But I figured we move past the formalities, since I shall be chasing you until the ends of the region if I have to in order to retrieve that Jade Orb. When Team Terra finally achieves their goal, remember that it was sub-admin C that obtained the Jade Orb!"

At this, the six kids snigger slightly. "What's so funny?!" C demands. "You're not even a full admin?" Bonnie giggles. C's face goes red. "That's irrelevant!" he screeches. Then, pulls out two pokéballs. The other agents do the same. "I'll give you one more chance to hand over the Jade Orb!" C demands. "You can aid Team Terra in protecting this world. Or you can be beaten mercilessly, and the Jade Orb be ripped from your possession. You choose!" Then, the twelve agents throw out various Kalos and Sinnoh pokémon. The group pulls out two of their own pokémon. "There's a third option," says Max. "Where we kick your asses and escape with ease. So, pardon the pun, but we choose option C!" As they send out two if their own pokémon, Bonnie smacks the back of max's head. "Bad joke" she reprimands.

Max sends out Litleo and Treecko. Bonnie sends out Dedenne and Fennekin. Dawn sends out a Togekiss and a large black, white and blue penguin. Max pokédex identifies it as an Empoleon. Zoey sends out a large blue fish that is called a Lumineon by the pokédex, and a large pink and brown slug called a Gastrodon. Barry throws out his own Empoleon and a Heracross. And, completing their match-up, Lucas sent out a large tortoise with a large piece of earth attached to it called a Torterra, and a sitting beaver called a Bibarel. The group nodded to each other, then begun the twelve-on-twelve battle.

These guys turn out to be tougher than Sarah and Sam were alone. The team's predominant types are ground and grass, meaning that there are a few moments where Max's side are at a disadvantage. However, they slowly begin to gain the upper hand. Despite the fact that they outnumber them 2:1, Team Terra's agents only have one pokémon each. Whereas Max and Bonnie have three each, and Dawn, Zoey, Barry and Lucas have six each. Because of that, Team Terra has to be more cautious, while the six can be as aggressive as they like.

Eventually, Team Terra's pokémon are all defeated. However, C seems to have one more trick up his sleeve. "I'll give you this," he says, pulling something out of his pocket. "You're a lot stronger than I thought you'd be. And I wasn't expecting you to have company. But let's see how you handle this!" Then, he threw something into their midst. The object begins to spray some sort of gas into the air. Quick as a flash, Dawn has Togekiss blow the gas back at Team Terra. As the Team begins to panic, Max has Litleo use Ember on the gas. Just like in Bonnie's match, the fire triggers an explosion. Max and Bonnie pull the others down as the explosion sends the whole Team flying.

When the dust clears, Lucas turns to Max. "That was pretty clever," he says. "How did you know that would work?" "I did it before" Max replies. Zoey pulls Dawn into a hug to thank her for her quick thinking. Then, she turns to Max and asks, "What's the Jade Orb?" As agreed with Ash and Serena, Bonnie fishes the Orb out of Max's bag and shows it to them. Lucas bends down to examine it. "No doubt about it," he says, standing up again. "That's a Primal Item." The whole group stares at him blankly. "What's a Primal Item?" Bonnie asks.

"A Primal Item is an item that powers up Legendary Pokémon," Lucas explains. "Every pokémon has one. Not much is known about them, not even how they work. But They give Legendary Pokémon an extra boost of power. Well, this one doesn't." "What is it?" Max asks. Lucas examines it closely. "What you have here," he says, "is the Primal Item connected to Rayquaza." "We suspected as much," Bonnie replies. "But what does it do? Rayquaza doesn't need an item to go into Mega form, just Dragon Ascent." Lucas nods. "That's why this doesn't trigger the power boost in it like it does with all other Legendarys. The Jade Orb summons it. But it only works at the Embedded Tower in Johto." Max looks at the Item he's been carrying since Hoenn. "Then why the hell did I find it in Hoenn?" Lucas thinks about that for a minute. "I think it has something to do with the fact that Rayquaza is also from Hoenn. And the fact that you can find the Red and Blue Orbs there too" he says finally. At that, Zoey puts her fingers to her chin and thinks of something. At last, she says "what concerns me is, what does Team Terra want with Rayquaza?"

Sarah, Sam, C and the other nine Team Terra members crash back down to earth, feeling bruised and burned. C stands up, brushes himself off, then shouts out, "C-03! C-05! Where are you idiots!" Sarah and Sam nervously step forward. "Y-yes sir?" they say in unison. C looks furious. "When I asked you two to gage their strength for me, you both insisted that one pokémon per Team member would be enough!" Sam nervously replies, "But we weren't expecting them to be travelling with other people." C pinches the bridge of his nose. "That's not what I mean!" he shouts. "The two's pokémon were barely hit during the battle, which means they would've been able to hold their own!" He marches away, kicking a few rocks in the process. "I'm going to have to report this in you know," he says finally. Sarah and Sam pale at that, but C is already making the call.

"Admin Momiji," says C, nervously. After a few seconds, he says, "no, we failed. C-03 and C-05's data was completely inaccurate." There's more silence, before C adds, with panic filling his voice, "Now, wait a minute. There's no need to bring them in. I'm sure we're more than capable of bringing Maple and Citron in. Hello? Hello? Dammit!" C looks like he's ready to throw his transmitter to the ground. Then he rounds on Sarah and Sam. "I hope you two are happy!" he says, angrily. "Because thanks to you, we've been temporarily taken off of the task of bring Maple in! Now it's being left to… them." Sarah and Sam freeze. As the group begins their journey back to basecamp, the two begin to feel bad. As they travel, the two begin to make plans on how to sneak out and steal the Jade Orb from Max. If they can, then maybe they can spare him from his fate. Afterall, he may annoy them, but they wouldn't wish being set on by them to their worst enemies.