Sidney

The gang had been through a lot since they arrived on Izabe Island; visiting different places and seeing more Pokemon. Ash and Max got new Pokemon; Ash captured a Snorunt on the snowy area of Izabe Island and Max had captured a Ralts. This Ralts had been separated from it's family in a forest on Izabe Island which of course was a Gardevoir and Kirlia. Ralts had developed a fever and was lost, but Max and the others got it to a Pokemon Center to heal and reunited it with Kirlia and Gardevoir. But Ralts had been close with Max and didn't want to leave him. Gardevoir and Kirlia saw that Ralts wanted to be with Max, so they agreed to have Max own him as long as he took care of Ralts. So Ralts belonged to Max now. Not only that, a few of the gang's Pokemon evolved too. Ash's Aron evolved into Lairon and his Kirlia evolved into a Gardevoir. Brock's Lombre found a Water Stone and evolved into a Ludicolo. Tomo's Charmander, Totodile and Treecko evolved into Charmeleon, Croconaw and Groyvle while Tomo trained them. And finally May's Swablu evolved into an Altaria, so the gang had a lot of things happen.

Right now the gang was heading to Dusk Town as a Pokemon contest was going to be held there. By now they had come to a rocky area on Izabe Island.

"Oh man I can't take this." May moaned. She was tired after walking up a hill.

"Hang in there May." Brock told her. "We are near Riyado Town. We just need to cross a bridge that will get us there."

May was happy to hear that because she was dying for a rest.

Suddenly they heard a yelping noise.

"That sounds like a Pokemon's in trouble." Brock said. "We better check it out."

The gang ran over to where the noise came from, but what they saw horrified them. An Absol was stuck in a snare trap and the rope was wrapped really tight around it's back right foot. Ash was infuriated.

"Unacceptable." He growled. "If poachers are responsible for this I'm calling Officer Jenny."

"Look it's foot is bleeding!" Tomo said worried.

He was right. Absol's foot was bleeding a bit. Ash ran over to help Absol.

"Don't move Absol, I'm going to get you out of there." He said.

But the Absol didn't take Ash's presence very well and bit him on the hand as soon as he touched it's leg; it thought that Ash was the one who set up the snare trap. Ash didn't react when Absol bit him on the hand as he barely felt it.

"Relax." He said. "I'm not the one who set up this snare trap. I don't know who did it, but believe me when I say this Absol I will get you out of it."

Absol wasn't sure if he could trust Ash, but it did want to get out of the snare trap.

"First thing is to cut that rope." He changed forms and cut through the rope with his claws.

"Hey Brock prepare your first aid kit."

Brock tended to Absol's wound right away. He sprayed it with a Hyper Potion and wrapped a bandage around it.

"There we are." Brock said. "You will be fine in no time at all Absol."

Absol stood up, stared at Ash for a second and then ran off.

"It's a good thing we came by this area." Brock said. "If that Absol had been in the snare trap, there's no telling what would have happened to it."

"Yes, but who's bright idea was it to set that snare trap up in the first place?" Ash asked.

"I can answer that question." A voice said.

The voice belonged to a boy who was 10 years old.

"Hi I'm Nicky and I'm from Riyado Town." He said. "I saw you save that Absol and I'm glad you did."

"But why are snare traps set up around here?" Ash asked. "Those could kill a Pokemon."

"It's because the people in Riyado Town hate the Absol who live around this area." Nicky said. "You see, we had some disasters around here lately. And the people here are blaming them because they believe Absol bring disasters to people."

"That's ridiculous." Ash scoffed. "We met a Absol before and it didn't cause any disasters."

"That's right." Max said. "And anyway, just because Absol is called the Disaster Pokemon doesn't mean it actually causes them."

"That's what I say and so does my big brother Gordon." Nicky said. "Gordon also didn't believe Absol was the cause of the disasters around here. So he went on a journey to prove their innocence but he hasn't come back. The people think the Absol made him vanish but I don't and I wish to prove their innocence too."

"We should help prove Absol's innocence too." Tomo decided. "Otherwise the people will do more bad things to the Absol."

The others agreed.

Brock started to think.

"What disasters transpired in the village Nicky?" He asked.

"The only disaster we have is that our wooden bridge by the river keeps on collapsing and of course the Absol are blamed for that." Nicky said.

"Let's take a look at the river and bridge." Brock said.

Nicky showed the gang the bridge and river.

Ash looked at the river.

"That doesn't look very safe." He said.

"You're right Ash." Brock agreed. "It's flowing so fast and dangerous and it looks like it's rising."

"Something feels off about this." Ash commented.

"What's up?" Brock asked.

"I feel like there's a problem with the river." He answered. "Nicky, where the water in the river come from?"

"The water flows down from the mountains, why?" Nicky questioned.

"Let's head to the mountains and check the water source." Brock suggested. "That must be why the river looks dangerous."

Nicky and the others agreed.

"I'll be coming with you kids too." A voice said.

The voice belonged to a man who looked like a punk.

"Hey aren't you Sidney of the Elite Four?" Max asked, surprised.

"I am." Sidney answered. "And I'm here because I heard rumors that Absol are hated around here."

Nicky bravely spoke up and told Sidney about the people in Riyado Town hating Absol because of the disaster with the river. Sidney sighed.

"People are always thinking that Absol cause disasters, but that is not true." He said. "Absol have the ability to detect disasters. And what they really do is try to warn people about them. I know because I've studied Absol for years and I have one myself."

"So that means the Absol around here are detecting a disaster with the water, but the people in Riyado Town don't understand." Brock said.

"All the more reason to prove Absol's innocence." Ash said.

"I agree and we should go to the mountains immediately." Sidney remarked. "Nicky, please lead the way to where the source of the water is."

"Gladly." Nicky said.

Nicky led Sidney and the gang up the mountain, towards a big rocky peak.

"Our water is from a mountain spring that's hidden inside this rocky peak." He explained.

Sidney touched the peak.

"There is water sipping out of this." He said.

"Yeah, and I feel it on the ground too." May added, noticing the mud on her shoes.

"I think I've got it now." Brock said. "The river is rising because the water in the spring is rising. Which means that it will overflow and may wash out all of Riyado Town."

"Then Absol was trying to warn the village this whole time." Ash noted.

"You're right." Sidney replied.

"I agree." A voice added.

The voice belonged to a green-haired man; this man was Nicky's older brother Gordon. Nicky was happy to see his brother again and hugged him. Gordon explained that he had been trying to learn all about Absol himself to prove Absol don't cause disasters.

"I heard everything you said and we should do something before Riyado Town is flooded."

Suddenly there was a rumble and a big splash coming from the top of the rocky peak. Water burst out of the peak, creating a waterfall and it poured down the mountain.

"Oh no, what should we do?" May asked, worried.

Just then a pack of Absol stood on a ledge just above where the humans were standing. Ash noticed that the Absol they saved from the snare trap earlier; it still had the bandage around it's foot. The Absol fired Hyper Beam at a big boulder that laid above the flow of water.

"The Absol are trying to move the boulder to try and stop the flood." Sidney said.

"Then let's give them a hand." Ash said.

He called out his Corphish, Torkoal, Nuzleaf, Lairon and Spoink and ordered them to fire Bubble Beam, Bullet Seed, Flash Cannon and Psybeam at the boulder.

Tomo called out his Grovyle, Pelipper and Numel and he ordered both Numel and Growlithe to use Flamethrower, Pelipper to use Water Pulse and Grovyle to use Bullet on the boulder.

May called out her Combusken, Beautifly, Bulbasaur, Skitty, Marill and Altaria and ordered them to use Fire Spin, Silver Wind, Petal Dance, Blizzard, Water Gun and Dragon Pulse on the boulder.

Max called out his Loudred, Wingull and Shuppet and told them to use Hyper Beam, Water Gun and Shadow Ball on the boulder.

Brock sent out his Mudkip, Ludicolo, Aggron, Loudred and Nosepass and ordered them to use Water Gun, Hydro Pump, Flash Cannon, Hyper Beam and Stone Edge on the boulder.

Gordon and Sidney helped out too. Gordon sent out a Heracross and ordered it to use Hidden Power on the boulder. Sidney sent out a Mightyena, Cacturne and an Absol and ordered them to use Hyper Beam on the boulder.

With all the attacks combined, the boulder moved down the hill and stopped right in front of the water. The water split into two, stopping the flooding. The humans and Pokemon cheered, happy that Riyado Town was now safe. Gordon looked at the pack of Absol.

"Thank you Absol." He said. "Thanks to you, our village is safe."

Suddenly the Absol with the bandage around it's foot came down off the ledge and ran towards Ash.

"What's the matter Absol? Is your foot alright?" Ash asked.

Absol spoke to him and Ash understood what it said.

"What? You want to come with me?" Ash was surprised.

"It's obvious Ash." Brock said. "Absol is grateful to Ash for saving it from that snare trap. So it wants to stay with it's savior."

Ash glady accepted Absol's request and caught it with a Poke Ball, then the Poke Ball went to Prof. Oak's lab.

"You take good care of that Absol Ash." Sidney said.

"Don't worry I will." Ash replied.

"Now that this is over, we should return to Riyado Town and tell them about what happened." Gordon said.

"Yeah, because we can now prove that the Absol are innocent." Nicky added.

"I'm coming too." Sidney said.

When they got to Riyado Town, Nicky and Gordon told the villagers about the flooding up in the mountains. The villagers realized they were wrong about the Absol causing disasters all along and they apologized to Nicky and Gordon for not believing their innocence.

"You should also apologize to the Absol." Sidney said. "Especially since you had been setting traps for them. The Absol could have been seriously injured by your snare traps or worse they might have died."

Nicky and the gang told them about the snare trap. The villagers were ashamed with their actions and promised to never do it again as well as listen to the Absol next time there's a disaster. Nicky and Gordon were grateful to Sidney and the gang for their assistance. Sidney was glad this was all over and he left the village.

Now that Riyado Town was safe from the flood and the wild Absol were proven innocent, the gang could finally take a break in Riyado Town before continuing their journey.