Chapter twenty (AKPKMN)

**Review Responses:**

**Phenomenal Ultra Instinct:** Yeah, I'm not a fan of Unova and I'm projecting that disdain into my story, but I think I'm doing it well. Glad you like the story.

**John50:** Yes, Ash gained the same Froakie an in canon/the anime. No, Ash doesn't know Serena in this story. Yes, they met when they were younger, but Ash wouldn't ever form a bond with her. You'll find out soon enough. I update everyday, lol.

**Dylan-A-Friend:** Thanks.

**Lezaroth:** The familiar bond from Chapter nine augmented the Pokemon in power and physical ability. They have some magic within them enhancing them... I took the familiar concept and adapted it to create a pseudo Battle Bond; they gain the power, far more limited communication, and a permanent power-up. In short his familiar Pokemon can match Mega Evolved Pokemon without drawing upon the same power. Ash creating a region would cause natural disasters as its created and kill millions. Ash achieved national; Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh Pokedex completion. Could he do more? Yes, but I dislike unfinished work.

I never planned to deal with Genesect or Mega Mewtwo, but Ash's Mewtwo could theoretically Mega Evolve too. I had some ideas for Yveltal but never got a chance too develop them and will hold onto the idea until I can. I'm not a fan of Alain or Lysandre.

**The reaper of death445:** Don't worry, the stories pre-written and only needs to be uploaded. I do have some other ideas for stories similar to this one. I'll be adding the final chapter, twenty-one, to my FFnet account in a few minutes after saving this. I noticed some reviews and wanted too get a head start on replies because one was lengthy and contained important information; the reply to Lezaroth's review specifically.

**Spectrer:** That question will be answered in this chapter.

**buterflypuss:** Thanks.

**Yaw6113:** Thanks. I'm glad you like the story.

**Guest:** I'm glad.

When Ash arrived in Kalos, he wasted no time in visiting Professor Sycamore to have his Pokedex updated, and after that he captured himself a Froakie and began traveling, training for his first gym battle, and battling trainers. Ash's Froakie, Quilladin, Braixen, Honedge, and Tyrunt were all proving themselves hard working and worthy. Getting the new capture Froakie too level 25 and evolving him was easy, but they were all still low level and would require much more work.

Defeating Viola and winning the Bug Badge was pretty easy, and Ash continued his travels and training... Ash saved a village plagued by a sleeping and loudly snoring Snorlax and caught a shiny Magikarp near Ambrette Town. Ash had always wanted another shiny Gyarados and now he finally had a Pokemon that could evolve into one.

After training all of his Pokemon up to level 35, and with Honedge evolving into Doublade, Ash challenged Grant, the Cyllage City Gym Leader and defeated him using just Frogadier and Quilladin.

It was after leveling all of his Pokemon up to level forty and winning the Rumble Badge off Korrina that Ash caught another Pokemon... An amateur trainer was traveling around and he was attempting to train... they accidentally attacked a Salamence that was flying by. Truthfully, they didn't even make the tiniest scratch, but Salamence are easily angered. Ash sent his Charizard and Salamence didn't last long against him... a Dragon Pulse and Dragon Rush, followed up by Dragon Claw and Ash quickly caught the Salamence. The problem was that Ash already had an extremely powerful Salamence and needed to give it away.

Thankfully Max was powerful, knowledgeable, and he was skilled enough to handle it now.

Winning the remaining badges while keeping his Pokemon at higher levels for battles was thankfully easy for Ash... he was used to it by now. Stronger Pokemon meant more wins, and more wins meant far more experience and therefore levels... Plus Ash was a prodigy. With his eight badges won, Ash began training for his intended final league conference.

Ash would later take a break to save a Zygarde cell at Fate and Death's request... All Team Flare members were slain and all of their Pokemon were released, kept, or given away, and Ash had even saved a lot of peoples lives in the process. Ash was also given a gift by Fate and Death as thanks, they said it would be helpful in the near future.

Ash had to intervene, yet again, at Terminus Cave and warded the location against hostile humans... unfortunately Ash still hadn't earned Zygarde's trust.

But, no, it was the third time that enraged Ash. He was sent to stop Team Flare from capturing Zygarde... again.

It went well at first, if you count brutally murdering would-be mass murderers as a positive experience, and Ash was soon struggling to keep his footing on the blood soaked ground... hundreds of Team Flare Grunts were slaughtered and Ash had even captured the vile and twisted Xerosic.

Ash, in his alter ego, was merely torturing the abomination to death, having looked into his mind and having learned that he didn't care who he hurt... Ash was using his 'magical powers' to cause Xerosic to feel all the pain that he had ever caused... okay, he was using the Cruciatus Curse, but Ash was certain that more than a few people bought that lie. Xerosic had just died when Ash, in his disguise, was hit by a Flamethrower...

Ash easily recognized the Charizard's trainer, Alain, Lysandre's pawn and servant.

"Ah, Lysandre's little pawn..." Ash greeted, his voice distorted, and causing Alain's eyes to widen. "You wish to capture Zygarde so that your master can help Mairin's Chespin and so that she will smile again..." Alain looked shocked. "You could succeed... but will she smile as Lysandre kills her along with you and everyone else? He plans to reduce the worlds population too preserve the world for longer... so much death... all because of a mad man and a naive little pawn... you."

"Would you like to know what happened to poor little Chespie?!" Ash asked and Alain nodded yes, while thinking of how to defeat his opponent. "It saved a Zygarde cell, which escaped due to Chespie's kindness... Chespie was infected due to your masters actions... Lysandre is the reason why Mairin no longer smiles." Alain looked shocked, but doubtful.

Zygarde sharing that helped greatly. That, combined with interrogating the shades of slain Team Flare members, had given Ash all the information that he needed. Ash summoned the shades of the slain Team Flare admins and had them all confess.

"Return to Lysandre and inform him that he and Team Flare shall pay for their crimes with their lives... I'm coming for them... I cannot die, I cannot be negotiated with, bribed, or feel mercy, and I won't stop until they are all dead."

"Charizard! Blast Burn!" Alain ordered, fearing that Mairin would be caught in the crossfire.

Ash calmly took the attack, suffering no injury from it.

"Be glad that my body was unharmed... my spirit would have taken the nearest available body had it been. We wear similar colors but your body is too scrawny for my tastes. I prefer my own decaying body." Ash calmly blasted Charizard into a rock with his psychic powers. "I'm neither human nor mortal Alain. I'm held together by the power of Legendary Pokemon and I'm being punished for my own crimes... Your little friend is safe. I'm forbidden from harming another innocent... otherwise I would take her apart piece by piece before your eyes as punishment for attacking me." Okay, that last part was a complete lie. Ash was just messing with Alain's head and he would never harm such a sweet child.

Alain returned his Charizard and accepted his chance to escape.

Ash had begun buying up Lysandre's properties and his companies while destroying Team Flare bases, reducing the negative energy from their actions, and both were going very well. Lysandre was the trusting humanitarian sort... in public, anyway, and Ash had been persuading his shareholders to sale to him... most finding Lysandre mentally unstable helped greatly. Lysandre didn't even own a clear majority of his own company, but Ash did now.

Team Flare was on its last leg and Ash had silently bought up a 52% share of Lysandre Labs too stabilize the economy of Kalos after Lysandre's fall. With Lysandre Labs being a major company, their leaders death and destruction of company assets would halt production, cost people jobs, and hinder Kalos' ability to export products. That was something that Ash wanted to avoid, most of Kalos was innocent in this war.

As Ash slew another Team Flare Grunt, destroying his body, he arrived where Mairin and her Chespin were and entered the room, finding Mairin waiting fearfully with her still comatose Chespie.

"Hello, Mairin. I've heard of what happened to your Chespin and the Pokemon that it helped has returned to help, but I need you too wait just a little while longer and let me get you to safety." Mairin looked hopeful, but she was still scared. "Chespie has the energy of a legendary Pokemon named Zygarde within it and only Zygarde can remove it, but Team Flare and Lysandre are trying to capture it and use it to kill billions..."

"Alain said that he was trying to save Chespie," Mairin said.

"Lysandre manipulated him... Where is he by the way?"

"Lysandre said that he's still searching," Mairin replied, much to Ash's concern.

Alain wasn't dead, his shade wasn't appearing when summoned, so Ash suspected that Alain was imprisoned somewhere.

"I'll find him, but I need to get you to safety... I won't ask you to trust me, but this is the only way." Ash said before opening a portal and gently sending both Mairin and Chespie through it. Mew would catch and babysit them both.

Ash continued the slaughter of Team Flare, burning, tearing, impaling, and flat-out obliterating his enemies.

Ash was soon faced with Lysandre himself and Lysandre predictably sent out his Pokemon and had them attack, but they were redirected and his Pyroar and Gyarados were quickly stunned and Lysandre was telekinetically flung into a wall. Ash tore through Lysandre's mind and learned of Alain's location, and after that, Ash just killed Lysandre with the Killing Curse... He was mentally unstable and too dangerous to be left alive. After returning and then pocketing Lysandre's Pokemon, Ash began searching for Alain... which wasn't hard with magic.

"I take it that you confronted Lysandre?" Ash asked after locating Alain... Alain was locked inside of a cell without his Poke Balls.

"Yes... he gloated when he was found out and his security prevented me from sending out my Pokemon." Alain replied. "He's planning to kill billions and he has to be stopped!"

"He's already dead and Mairin and Chespie are both safe... Zygarde shall soon help Chespie," Ash replied, before summoning Alain's Poke Balls to him and casually ripping the cell door off. Ash handed Alain his Poke Balls and then led him outside the compound...

Once they were outside, Ash demolished the base with his magic... further intimidating Alain. With that done, Ash teleported them both to the villa Ash had rented under an alias as a safe house.

Upon arriving arriving, Ash let both himself and Alain inside.

"Alain!" Mairin called out excitedly, hugging him.

"Mairin, are you okay?" Alain asked, checking her over for injuries.

"I'm fine," Mairin replied. "Mew kept me company! She said that Zygarde would heal Chespie!"

"Indeed he will," Ash agreed as one of Zygarde's cells revealed itself and hopped over to Chespie... it was surprisingly anti-climatic. Zygarde touched Chespie, Chespie had Zygarde's energy removed from it and it began waking up. It was very touching and rewarding to see the two reunited though, and Ash had to use his Occlumency to avoid crying.

"What will you do next?" Alain asked.

"If I'm needed too purge evil from the world then I will continue in agony in a state between life and death..." Ash replied.

"What did you do, anyway?" Alain asked, wondering what could be so horrible.

"I tried enslaving the Legendaries and ruling the world while building an army too enforce my rule... for my actions I must defeat those who seek to do what I did, albeit they all do so far less skillfully."

With Ash still having months until the Lumiose Conference he was back to training soon after Mairin and Alain had left.

As a reward for his work, Ash was given a Yveltal, Zygarde, and a Volcanion from an alternate universe that was recently destroyed. The other Pokemon were sent to the other universes, with some coming here too supplement the declining populations or too create new populations where Pokemon were less common.

Unfortunately, Ash's ownership of Lysandre Labs was now public after Lysandre's death and now Ash was forced too play nice and reveal some designs of his own for maximizing the benefit of the planets space and resources and building spaceships for colonization efforts while devoting significant effort too focusing on the here and now and better life for everyone and keep stock values high for the other shareholders.

"Why not focus solely on one thing?" A reporter asked.

"While Lysandre was a madman Earth will eventually become overpopulated and colonies on other planets will divert population off-world and create more room for human expansion. Recycling resources with smart technology will reduce our pollution, waste, and preserve the planet for longer. The company will be making money while doing the right thing and making the world a better place." Ash replied.

"Mr. Ketchum, the worlds population is only four billion and that honestly isn't a major issue. Why give that minor issue any real focus?" Malva, an Elite Four and Reporter asked.

"Because it is a concern, albeit a long-term problem," Ash replied. "The eventual goal is too have ships that can transport a few thousand colonists. Our primary focus is on the here and now while preparing for that. Fifty years is my personal timeline, but that doesn't not reflect the views of Lysandre Labs. After a short time where new ideas can be developed, refined, or replaced shareholders can expect their stock prices too rise noticeably. I don't want any of you too think that myself or my company are obsessing over a minor issue, however. We are prioritizing the here and now while also preparing for the future, but will be developing ships as experiments, scout ships, and possibly begin very small colonies at most within twenty years."

"So portions of profits from current technology will be directed towards solving a future problem?"

"Yes," Ash replied simply.

"What about an extinction-level event?"

"Buy more Lysandre Labs products so that we can divert more money to shipbuilding and start establishing colonies," Ash replied jokingly. "We can't predict every such event and a virus could just as easily cause our extinction and the colonies would only spread it to ships and other planets. Having ships is no guarantee of humanities or the Pokemon's survival, but we are striving to maximize our odds without compromising the companies stability or obsessing over a long-term problem. The ships are useless if we can't afford too complete them or fuel them."

"That's not good enough, Mr. Ketchum," a reporter said.

"Then invest in Lysandre Labs space program or quit whining," Ash replied, offending the reporter and several others. "You see, Lysandre tried helping people at first but they kept demanding more charity. I'm not him. I won't throw a tantrum and try wiping out humanity or cave to pressure from useless idiots. If this schedule isn't fast enough then invest in Lysandre Labs space program and be part of the solution or quit whining and expecting others to do all the hard stuff."

Malva looked amused, pleased that Ketchum took a better approach than Lysandre did.

"You can't speak to people that way! It's rude!"

"So is acting like a spoiled brat and being a hypocrite, both of which most people have down to an art form," Ash quipped, causing some laughs. "Either step up and be part of the solution or be quiet instead of just complaining and demanding. Buying Lysandre Labs products is a form of support. Since this has devolved from a civilized conference I will end it here." Having said that, Ash walked away.