The gang had gone through a lot on Izabe Island; visiting different places and seeing more Pokémon. Ashlyn and Max got new Pokémon; Ember captured a Snorunt from the snowy area of Izabe Island, Alain managed to catch a Numel, and Max had captured a Ralts. This Ralts had been separated from its family in a forest area of Izabe Island, which of course were a Gardevoir and a Kirlia. Ralts had developed a fever and was lost, but Max and the others got it to a Pokémon center to heal up and they 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 have him as long as he took care of Ralts. So Ralts belonged to Max now.
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Not only that, but some of the gang's Pokémon also evolved. Hagane and Alain's Lairon evolved into Aggron, Miku (Kirlia) into a Gardevoir, Kazuki and Alain's Grovyle into Sceptile, and Finn into Swampert. Alain's Electrike evolved into Manectric. Brock's Lombre found a Water Stone and evolved into a Ludicolo. Max's Whismur evolved into Loudred, Electrike into Manectric, Nuzleaf into Shiftry and Shuppet into Banette. And last of all Alta and May's Swablu evolved into an Altaria, so the gang had a lot of things happen to them.
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Right now the gang was heading for Sootopolis City where Ashlyn can get her final gym badge. By now they had come to a rocky area of Izabe Island.
"Oh man, I can't take this." May moaned, who was tired from walking up a hill.
"Hang in there, May," Brock encouraged her, "We're near a village called Riyado Town. We just need to cross over a bridge that will get us there."
May sighed in relief, "Thank goodness. I'm dying for a rest."
Suddenly they heard a yelping noise.
"That sounds like a Pokémon is in trouble." Brock said.
"We better check it out." Alain decided.
The gang ran over to where the noise was coming from, but what they saw horrified them. Two Absol's were stuck in a snare trap and the rope was wrapped really tight around their back right foot.
Ashlyn saw red. "That's disgusting!" she shouted, "if poaches did that I am so calling Officer Jenny!"
"Look their right feet is bleeding!" Max said, in worry.
Both Absol's right foot were bleeding a bit. Ashlyn and Alain ran over at once to help Absol. However, the two Absol's growled at the two trainers.
"Absol's, please. Just let us help you." Alain pleaded.
"We didn't set up these traps. We want to help you before you two injure yourselves more." Ashlyn added.
The two Absol's stared at Ashlyn and Alain for a moment. Seeing that they had no other choice. They decided to let the two trainers help them.
Ashlyn walked over to the first Absol and Alain went over to the second.
"Okay let's get rid of those ropes first." Ashlyn said as she went into her bag and took out a pair of scissors and a first aid kit. Alain took out a pair and kit as well from his backpack.
"Do be careful Ashlyn, Alain." Brock warned.
Both Absol's braced themselves while Ashlyn and Alain slowly and carefully managed to cut the ropes off the Absols's feet, without harming it. Once the rope was off, Ashlyn and Alain tended to their wounds right away. They sprayed the wound with Hyper Potion and wrapped a bandage round it.
"There we are, Absol." Alain said to the second Absol.
"You'll both be fine in no time at all, Absol." Ashlyn said to the first Absol.
Both Absols stood up, stared at Ashlyn and Alain for a second and then ran off.
"It's a good thing we came by," Brock said, "If those Absol's had still been in those snare traps, there's no telling what would have happened to them."
"Yes, but who put up this barbaric trap in the first place?" May asked.
"I can answer that question." said a voice.
The voice belonged to a boy about ten years old.
"Hi I'm Nicky and I'm from Riyado Town," 'Nicky' introduced himself, "I saw you save those Absols and I'm glad you did that."
"But why are there snare traps set up around here?" Max asked, crossly.
"A Pokémon could die from those things." Ashlyn added.
"It's because the people in Riyado Town hate the Absols who live around this area," Nicky replied, "You see, we have had some disasters around here lately. And the people here are blaming them because they believe those two Absols bring disasters to people."
"That's nonsense!" Ashlyn protested.
"We have met an Absol before and it didn't cause any disasters." Alain added.
"That's right," Max confirmed, "and anyway just because Absol is known as the Disaster Pokémon doesn't mean it can cause disasters."
"That's what I say and so does my big brother Gordon," Nicky stated, "Gordon also didn't believe those Absols were the cause of the disasters around here. So he went on a journey to prove their innocence, but he hasn't come back since. The people think the Absols made him vanish, but I don't, and I wish to prove their innocence too."
"We should help prove Absol's innocence too. Otherwise, the people will do more bad stuff to the Absols." Ashlyn decided.
The others agreed.
Brock started to think. "What disasters happened 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 those Absols are blamed for that." Nicky replied.
"Let's take a look at the river and bridge." Alain said.
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Nicky showed the gang the bridge and river.
Alain looked at the river. "That river doesn't look safe to me." he said.
"You're right Alain," Brock agreed, "It's flowing so fast and dangerously and it looks like it's rising."
Ashlyn sat down on the ground; she was going to use her psychic power to try and sense what was causing the river to become overflowing. Ashlyn closed her eyes for a few minutes and then opened them again.
"What did you sense, Ashlyn?" Alain asked.
"I sensed that something is wrong with the river," Ashlyn replied. "Nicky, where does the water in the river come from?"
"The water flows down from the mountains, why?" Nicky answered.
"Then we should go up the mountains and check out the water source ourselves," Brock suggested, "that must be why the river looks high and dangerous."
Nicky and the others agreed.
"I'll be coming with you kids too." said a voice.
The voice belonged to a man, who looked like a punk.
"Hey aren't you Sidney of the Elite Four?" Max asked, in surprise.
"I am," Sidney answered, "I'm here because I heard rumors about those Absols being hated around here."
Nicky bravely spoke up and told Sidney about the people in Riyado Town hating Absols 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 really have the ability to detect disasters. And what they do really is try to warn people of them. I know because I studied about Absol for years and I have an Absol myself."
"So that means the Absols around here are detecting a disaster with the water." Brock concluded.
"But the people in Riyado Town don't understand." Alain said.
"This is all the more reason to prove those Absols's innocence." Ashlyn stated.
"I agree and we should head to the mountains at once," Sidney decided and turned to Nicky, "Nicky, please lead the way to where the source of the water is."
"Gladly." Nicky accepted.
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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." Nicky explained.
Sidney touched the peak. "There is water sipping out of this." he concluded.
"Yeah, and I feel it on the ground too." May said, noticing the mud on her shoes.
"I think I've got it now," Brock realized, "the river is rising because the volumes of the water in the spring is rising."
"Which means it will be over flooded and it may wash out all of Riyado Town." Alain added.
"Then those Absols's were trying to warn the village about this all along." Ashlyn stated.
"You're right." Sidney confirmed.
"I agree." said a voice.
The voice belonged to a green haired man; this man was Nicky's older brother Gordon. Nicky was happy to see his brother and hugged him at once. Gordon explained that he had been trying to learn all about Absol himself so to prove that Absol don't cause disasters. "I heard everything you all said, and we should do something about before Riyado Town gets 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, worriedly.
Just then a pack of Absols stood on a ledge just above from where the humans were standing. Ashlyn and Alain noticed the two Absols that they helped from the snare trap earlier; they still had the bandage around their feet. The Absols fired Hyper Beam attacks at a big boulder that lay above the flow of water.
"Those Absols are trying to move the boulder to try and stop the flood." Sidney said.
"Then let's help them." Ashlyn decided.
She called out Sebastian (Crawdaunt), Shula (Torkoal), Kazuki (Sceptile), Hagane (Aggron) and Sumire (Spoink) and she ordered them and Tsuki to fire Thunder Shock, Bubble Beam, Bullet Seed, Flash Cannon and Psybeam at the boulder.
Alain called out his Sceptile, Blaziken, Numel and Mightyena and he ordered both Blaziken and Numel to use Flamethrower, Mightyena to use Dark Pulse and Sceptile to use Bullet Seed at 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 at the boulder.
Max called out his Loudred, Pelipper and Banette and told them to use Hyper Beam, Water Gun and Shadow Ball at the boulder.
Brock sent out his Marshtomp, Ludicolo, Flygon, Loudred and Nosepass and ordered them to use Water Gun, Hydro Pump, Hyper Beam and Dragon Breath at the boulder.
Gordon and Sidney helped too. Gordon sent out a Heracross and ordered it to use Hidden Power at the boulder. Sidney sent out a Mightyena, Cacturne and an Absol and ordered both of them to use Hyper Beam at the boulder.
With all the attacks together, the boulder moved down the hill and stopped right in front of the water. The water split into two, stopping the flooding from happening. The humans and Pokémon cheered, happy that Riyado Town was now safe.
Gordon looked at the pack of Absol, "Thank you Absols," he said, "Thanks to you, our village is safe."
Suddenly the two Absols, with the bandage around their foot, came down off the ledge and ran towards Ashlyn and Alain.
"What's the matter Absols? Are your feet alright?" Ashlyn asked.
"Absol." The first Absol replied.
"Sol." The second Absol added.
"What? You want to come with Alain and I?" Ashlyn questioned.
"It's obvious. Those two Absols are grateful to Ashlyn and Alain for saving them from those snare traps. So they want to stay with their saviors." Brock stated.
Ashlyn and Alain, of course, gladly accepted the two Absol's request and caught them in a Pokéball, then the Pokéball went to Prof Oak's lab while Alain's went to Prof. Sycamore's.
"You care good take of those Absols, Ashlyn, Alain." Sidney requested.
"Don't worry, Sidney." Ashlyn assured him.
"We will." Alain promised.
"Now that this is over, we should get back to Riyado Town and tell them about what happened." Gordon decided.
"Yeah, because we can now prove that the Absols were innocent." Nicky agreed.
"I'm coming too." Sidney decided.
======================
When they got to Riyado Town, Nicky and Gordon told the villagers about the flooding up in the mountains. The villagers realized that they had been wrong about the Absols, causing the disasters, all along and they apologized to Nicky and Gordon for not believing their innocence.
"You should also apologize to the Absols," Sidney corrected, "Especially since you had been setting traps for the Absols. The Absols could have been really hurt by your snare trap or worse died."
Nicky and the gang told him about the snare traps earlier. The villagers were very ashamed of their actions and promised to never do it again and to listen to Absols the next time they have a disaster. Nicky and Gordon were grateful to Sidney and the gang for helping them. Sidney was glad that this was all over now, and he left the village.
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Now that Riyado Town was safe from the flood and the wild Absols were proven innocent, the gang could finally have a nice rest in Riyado Town before continuing their journey.
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Pokémon Caught: Mightyena (Lela)(F), Swampert (Finn)(M), Shiny Blaziken (Hestia)(F), Gardevoir (Miku)(F), Kirlia (Lancelot)(M), Swellow (Percy)(M), Linoone (Ziggy)(M), Sceptile (Kazuki)(M), Beautifly (Willow)(F), Shiny Milotic (Ula)(F), Crawdaunt (Sebastian)(M), Aagron (Hagane)(M), Sableye (Jacinth)(M), Shiny Flygon (Libelle)(F), Shiny Manectric (Damini)(F), Shiny Salamence (Idris)(F), Torkoal (Shula)(F), Altaria (Alta)(F), Mawile (Trixie)(F), Clamperl (Coral)(F), Spoink (Sumire)(F), Armaldo (Brynja)(F), Cradily (Liana)(F), Snorunt (Warrin)(M), Absol (Twilight)(M)