Kanto

The next day the group was walking towards a city known as Gringe City and it had Gou a little tense and grumpy. He had heard of the city and it's heavy pollution, he would rather avoid it but Fuchisa was on the other side as well as the Safari zone where they could catch Pokemon. And that was one of their weakness, wasn't it? Being able to catch new Pokemon and adding them to their roster.

Ash, "The most polluted city of Kanto."

Brock grumbled, "They really should consider cleaning it properly, there is only so much Suicuine can do, even if he tries to clean it up using his legendary abilities."

Misty gave a dreamy sigh, "Suicuine is my favorite among the Jhoto legendaries, I wonder if we'll see him though."

Ritchie, "I think we won't because..... Oh sweet Mew! What is that smell?"

Ash covered his nose as he wondered if he would get a Muk here, or maybe a Grimer, does he even want one though? It was a little hard to decide but he supposed he could just watch as things played out first. The group soon arrived at the City and to say Lucario, Pikachu, Phantump, Corsula and Dewpider were not happy about the place was a huge understatement. They fussed and grumbled about the place before Ash took out a face mask for his Pokemon but Pikachu still didn't look well.

Ash, "Lucario, Pikachu return to your pokeballs please. I don't like this."

Lucario turned to Phantump, -Remember what we talked about? You can choose one as they are in the bag.-

Pikachu grumbled but nodded and the two Pokemon returned to the pokeballs where they would be safe. Ash contemplated catching Phantump as well but couldn't decide if he wanted to do it, the little ghost type solved the problem by entering his bag and choosing one of the heal balls and catching itself. Ash gave a smile and he noticed Brock and Misty had done the same thing when he looked at them.

Ash, "Our Pokemon are safe, hopefully, let's get out of this city as soon as possible."

Misty looked at the water and winced, "I agree, I'm not comfortable here."

Ritchie, "I think there is a center there, let's go ask if there are any buses and how long it'll take to get out of here."

Brock looked at the grayish road and dead trees, "This is a little....."

Jessilina, "The amount of pollution here is ridiculous."

Jameson, "We are here, do you plan on doing something? Because personally I don't think we can help them, when they are not interested in changing things."

Gou, "Excuse me Nurse Joy, is there a bus or some other transport available?"

Nurse Joy yawned, "I'm sorry, you just missed it."

Misty, "Ah I see, thank you!"

Horace, "What now?"

Ash looked up at the grey sky frowning, "I would fly but I don't want to let Pidgeot or Fearrow out in that."

Ritchie sighed, "Me neither."

Gou grumbled before speaking up, "You said Suicuine was seen around here, right?"

Brock, "Yeah, he has been around but I don't think he can help much with how things are around here."

Ash was frowning, "Even Suicuine can't help, that's problematic."

Misty fidgeted, "How about we go to the port and ask around about a ferry? We would land on the other side of Fuchisa city but we won't have to stay here."

The group went to the port however the situation was the same, the next ship would be at the city the next day. Ash sighed and they returned back to the center wondering if they would have to just suck it up and sleep through the horrid smell. Ash did a back up there, horrid smell, even if the city was majorly polluted, it didn't mean it had to be so torturously bad smelling. Jameson noticed his thoughtful expression but didn't comment and went to book room for themselves for the night as it seems like they would be here for a while.

Ritchie, "I don't like this."

Misty grumbled, "What can we do?"

Jessilina, "Suck it up I guess?"

Horace, "Well, we will not always like the places we end up in during travelling."

Gou, "And this is one of those places."

Brock, "We have a unanimous agreement on that."

Zippo grumbled before spewing a flamethrower above them in an attempt to burn away the smell, the other Pokemon lingering around him trying to eat. Lucario was with Pikachu and Phantump using his aura to keep them calm and unaffected while Pidgeot and Fearrow were looking at the sky blankly. Misty's Pokemon refused to stay out for long and quickly finished their food before returning themselves, not like she could blame them for it.

Gou sat beside Ash, "What are you thinking about? You have been quiet for a while."

Ash, "Ah.... I just think this pollution is a bit strange that is all."

Horace, "How come? This is like the most polluted city in Kanto."

Brock, "Actually I find it odd too, I have been here before but despite the title of being most polluted, it was not this bad."

Misty looked at him sceptical, "You sure about that."

Meowth who was working on a laptop spoke up, "Well e's not wr'ng, I jus checked da emission lvls of the factories. It's still normal lik fo'r years ago. So da question is wat happened?"

Ritchie, "You think a person is behind this? Well it does feel very unnatural, doesn't it?"

Ash nodded, "I was thinking of checking things out tomorrow just to be sure our suspicions are just that suspicions. If they are not just suspicions we need to inform the league at least. This would affect Kanto as a whole."

Jameson was about to answer but they were plunged into darkness, "What in the?"

Ash noticed room was dark except for the dim evening light coming in from the centre windows and Zippo's tail fire, "Well that was unexpected.... You okay Gou?"

Gou let go of Ash's hand that he was holding on to, "Yeah! Just surprised that's all."

Sobble jumped on Gou, "Sobble sob sobble."

Gou, "It's okay Sobble, just a light out."

Scorbunny pat Sobble, "Scor scor scorbunny."

Jessilina lit a portable lamp, "There we go, that should help a bit."

Ritchie, "I'll go and ask Nurse Joy what is going on. Sparky, light the way for me please girl?"

Sparky, "Pikapi pika."

Horace, "I'll go with you."

Sparky led the way with her cheeks lit up and the two boys walked through the dark hallway coming across a few other trainers using their Pokemon to guide them. Some were using hidden power to light the way, others were using Will-O-Wisp and some like Sparky were using electricity. Nurse Joy was at the desk looking worried about the black out.

Ritchie, "Nurse Joy, what happened?"

Nurse Joy, "Well we have Pokemon who are hurt and are dependent on the electricity to heal, now without the electricity... I fear for their lives."

Horace frowned, "Is there anything we could do to help?"

Nurse Joy, "One of my colleagues went to start the back up generator but this is strange. It should have come on by now."

One of the trainers spoke up, "Nurse Joy tell us where the generator is, we'll go and help."

Another trainer spoke, "My Electabuzz can emit a lot of electricity so if you need us."

Electabuzz, "Buz!"

Nurse Joy smiled, "Thank you, the generator is behind the battlefields actually, just walk straight you'll be there."

Another Nurse Joy entered before they could go however and she was livid, "No need for that Thalia! Someone destroyed the cables connecting the generator to the centre as well as destroyed the back up cables."

Thalia gasped looking at the electric cables her workmate dropped to the floor. They had been shredded to pieces and from the looks of it intentionally. Ritchie and Horace frowned looking at the cables and looked at each other, before Horace moved to go tell the others with his Growlithe leading the way back to their room. Ritchie stayed back to learn more about what happens from the other Nurse Joy who's name was Clairisse.

Ritchie, "Nurse Joy Clarisse, is it possible for random people to easily excess the electric generator?"

Clarisse, "I know what you are thinking kid, but no it is not. There is only one window which is too small for humans and the lock was not broken."

Another trainer asked, "But they can use Pokemon to do this right?"

Thalia frowned, "Yes that is possible, but I really can't judge in the dark, it would have to be quite small to enter though."

Ash, "Ritchie."

Misty, "Horace told us what happened."

Gou, "I guess our suspicions were true, someone is creating trouble."

Jessilina answered when Ritchie looked around, "Brock and Jameson went to get us extra lamps. They should be here soon."

Lucario grumbled behind his mask, -I hope we can get rid of this horrible smell.-

Meowth grumbled softly, "I 'gree nya."

Brock joined them after a few minutes, "I'm here with some portable lamps. Jameson is trying to contact a technician to come help with the problem. Can you manage the Pokemon somehow Nurse Joy?"

One of the older trainers spoke up, "Everyone my name is Brawly, and I have a plan. We should split up into three groups, one group stay here to help one of the Nurse Joy take care of the Pokemon, another group go with another Nurse Joy to the tech shop and get electric cables, I don't think we can reuse these, third group patrol, around the city and see who is the reason for this problem. Please do not try to be a hero, call for back up or call Officer Jenny."

Ash and the group broke into two groups, Jameson, Brock and Horace stayed back to help Nurse Joy, while Jessilina, Gou, Misty, Ritchie and Ash decided to check out what was happening. Brawly who as it turns out was also a gym leader but currently visiting Kanto for a break, split the trainers into groups of three. Ash, Ritchie and Gou would check out the eastern harbor of the city while Misty, Jessilina and another trainer called, Kevin would check the town square. The other twenty or so trainers were split up in a similar manner and they set off.

Gou, "Look a Grimer, I'm catching it."

Ash, "Be careful Gou!"

Gou nodded as he and Scorbunny battled with the Grimer before catching it. Ash wondered if he should catch the Muk that looked angry and ready to attack Gou, he looked at Ritchie and nodded. Ritchie fought off the other Grimers with Gou while Ash battled the Muk and caught it. He decided to send the pokeball with a warning attached to it to the lab seeing Lucario give the pokeball a stink eye. Lucario grumbled walking beside Ash, while Scorbunny looked around like he wanted to be anywhere but the harbor. The three moved further along the beach before they saw a siloutte in the distant doing something, they looked at each other before crouching down and going closer.

Ash, "What the fuck?"

Ritchie, "I'm calling Officer Jenny. I recognize that equipment, they are poachers."

Gou, "I'll warn the others. No wonder there were so many Grimers, guys we have a problem at the harbour....."

Ash observed them as they dumped the waste into the water, 'Why would they?'

An angry howl came from behind them before a figure jumped infront of them. The figure shined with a white and blue aura making Ash look at it in wonder.

Gou's breath hitched as he whispered, "The rumours were true."

Ritchie, "Hello Officer Jenny, we ran into a few poachers at the Eastern harbour. Yes, please send help. No we really can't move from here without getting caught..... Thank you!"

Ash, "They are coming?"

Ritchie, "What do we do?"

Gou, "We back Suicuine up. We can't let Suicuine face them alone, that's four against one."

Lucario smirked, -Lets even the odds. They want to play dirty, we give them dirty.-

Ash, "Put on masks first, Mew it stinks here and all because of them. Let's go Pidgeot and Fearrow, back Suicuine up."

Fearrow and Pidgeot nodded and used gust on a Garbador and Muk who were ganging up on the Legendary. Suicuine looked back at the children, he had recognized the young child from Raikou's description, he had never seen his brother more amused by a human none the less. Zippo and Lily attacked the Onix that was gonna attack Suicuine and Ash and Ritchie called Pikachu and Sparky to battle against Wheezeeing and Trubbish, while Scorbunny slowly carried Sobble near them after wearing diving goggles and whispered for him to cry. The grown men broke down in tears which was in Ash's opinion very comical yet satisfying, he hoped he was not becoming a sadist.

Ritchie, "Alright Sparky paralyse them using static."

Ash, "You too Pikachu."

Gou, "Scorbunny, Sobble, come here, you did great."

Sobble sniffled but smiled proud, "Sobble."

Suicuine approached the three who stood watching the legendary who looked pointedly at Ash who looked confused before Pikachu pointed at his bag. Ash made an 'O' sound before taking out a box that had two feathers that were tied together by a string as a necklace. Suicuine nodded to himself satisfied before sniffing his hair and jumping to the water to clean it up, before he disappeared again with a howl. Scorbunny meanwhile snickered behind his glasses as he watched Charizard, Pikachu and Sparky happily burned the contents in the truck the poachers had with them, before joining them in on the arson. They did it very gleefully after they realized it was the main reason their sensitive noses were getting tortured in the first place.

Officer Jenny came with a few others after a few minutes and took their statements and what they had seen as well as providing video proof of what they were doing. The Officer's expression was very pissed off when she learned the reason her city was extra dirty for a month was because of poachers and ordered a city wide hunt for them. She then thanked the three of them before dropping them off at the centre where they were hugged by the others and they explained to them what had happened. Misty and Horace pouted at missing out on meeting Suicuine but was very relieved he was not caught by poachers, Jameson and Jessilina frowned and decided to keep an eye on the city and Brock was just relieved his friends were safe.

[A. N. : I'll admit, I was inspired by Pokemon Journeys for this chapter.

Suicuine is just so magnificent to look at, his design is amazing.]