No POV

"You heard him there. It will take days before the messages get delivered." Sanpei spoke loud at his brother.

"And I am telling you that he could be lying. So I won't let him out for any reason." Ippei countered. "Nihei is already watching him with orders against his release."

As they argued, elderly man stood on his balcony. He listened to them arguing. Shinobu stood behind him.

"I wanted to report to you about the doomed one. But it seems you listened to us already." Shinobu said.

Hanzo slowly turned around. "What do you think about it?" his voice was shaking, but still strong.

"What I think shouldn't matter. Your and Ippei's opinion is the only one that matters." she answered.

"And to me, your opinion matters." Hanzo said with smile.

Shinobu sighed. "I think there is still something the boy is hiding." she said.

"And do you think it has something to do with his mark?" Hanzo replied with raised eyebrow.

"I cannot say for sure. He looks like a troubled boy, who tries to do good. But he is also looking for a way to set loose. What I know for sure is that he is dangerous. But not as dangerous as Shadow Triad." as she was thinking, something hit her. She grabbed something from the shelve and ran to the fence. "Master Ippei!"

He looked up, stopping his argument. "What is it?" he watched as she threw at him something small. He caught it, seeing the fishing bait they found during the search for the missing people. It fit the description.

"Go back to the doomed one! Show him this!" Ippei and Sanpei looked at each other confused, but went back into the prison.

"What did you think of Shinobu?" Hanzo asked, but then he noticed it as well. His face went serious. "This looks familiar. Have you recieved any news from Kagetomo?"

Back in the cave, Nihei watched over the group as they talked to Ash. "Have you ever talked to Iris before meeting her here in Kalos?" Serena asked.

"We had a small conversation. Or rather, she did." Ash answered.

Flashback

Ash and Iris sat on a plane heading back to Unova. Ash didn't try to start any conversation with. Since they haven't talk from the moment Cilan died.

But Iris changed that. "You have to promise me something Ash." Ash looked at her, but she didn't return it. But he noticed her clenching teeth and clenching her arm on the armrest. "That if you find those motherfuckers that killed Cilan, then you will let me know." finally, she looked him in the eye. "I will not stand by while they are on the run somewhere. I will train so the next time we meet them, it will be the definitive time. And when you find them, WE will finish them once and for all. No matter what the circumstances are"

End of flashback

"I once got close to them, but they got away. But I wasn't in the best situation to face them anyway." Ash answered.

Serena was about to ask him about his adventure alone, but that was when Ippei and Sanpei ran in. Pikachu and Frogadier looked at entrance and notice

"What is it?" Nihei asked, surprised with their sudden return.

Sanpei spoke, "Ash, Shinobu believes you could know something about this." and he pulled out fishing bait. It was a chibi version of a man with green hair in a suit.

Ash's eyes widened. "That is Cilan's fishing bait. He used it whenever he would hunt for water type pokemon." And then it hit him. "They are here!"

When he finished that, they heard explosion outside and people yelling. Into the cave ran in covered ninja. "Master Ippei, we have multiple people, ninjas and pokemon attacking the village. We need your help. Shinobu has spotted Kagetomo and even his people. But any attempt at talking to them fell on def ears."

Ippei took in all the information and had to think. "Get all available squads ready. Team 5 and 6 will take care of civilians. Nihei, you stay here and with others look after the prisoners. Sanpei, you take this group and get them to the civilians."

"Ippei, you have to let me out! You have no idea what you are facing! You need me!" Ash yelled, clutching on chains holding him.

"No, we don't. You will stay in that cell until we will find out the answers we are looking for. Now everyone, do as I told you!" Ippei said and everyone listened.

"Wait! We won't leave Ash here!" Bonnie protested, but her movement was stopped by Sanpei's Greninja.

Sanpei exchanged glances with Ash. He gave him pleading look, but Sanpei couldn't help him. After a few seconds he gave up on it. "I will protect them Ash. You have my word."

Ash nodded and watched as they all left. He exchanged glance last glance with Serena. She gave him worried look, but Ash returned it with a smile. She was then pushed by Frogadier and Pikachu. Ash gave them last look and they gave him the same look Sanpei did.

He then looked at Nihei, but he didn't spare him a look. On other hand, he looked at his leaving brothers. Hoping they would be alright.

Ippei ran up to Shinobu. She just defeated Gogoat her opponent had. As he looked at the opponent covered with scarf over the lower half of his face, he saw the eyes weren't responsive. When he looked around, he saw many different people dressed. Some looked like normal pokemon trainers and some had their ninja uniforms.

He called out his partner Greninja. "Greninja, use your tongue and bind him!" From the pokeball lept out blue bipedal pokemon. Its long scarf unwrapped and shot out, binding the younger man. "Everyone! Bind them and take off their scarfs! They are under someone else's influence!"

Multiple ninja reacted by combining their attacks to overwhelm the attackers and in a few, they finally had them bound.

Shinobu and Ippei walked up to the one they capture. He was a pokemon trainer. Ippei slowly lifted the scarf. As he did, Shinobu looked around and noticed multiple fires. She looked at one and noticed it was one of the enemies. His head was on fire. 

Her eyes widened and turned to Ippei. "Ippei don't!" but it was too late. The sound of small string was heard under the mask and the face of the man lit up with fire. The man let out boiling scream, followed by multiple others over the village.

Ippei quickly reacted. "Greninja, use water shuriken on him." Greninja quickly reacted and threw the water shaped star on the trainer. But instead of putting it out, the fire was replaced with explosion. The screaming stopped. Shinobu and Ippei looked with horror as the man who was before fighting for his life was now without a head and in the air was only the smell.

"It smells like mix of different chemicals. I can definitely smell sodium and magnesium in it. EVERYONE, DO NOT TAKE OF THE MASKS! AND IF YOU DO, DO NOT USE WATER!" Shinobu yelled out. Hoping to stop any possible next deaths. Still, the smoking bodies over the battlefield were multiple.

The ninjas heard her, making their situations much more complicated. They had enemies before them, who couldn't listen and couldn't be stopped with easy way. Some of them that were ninja managed to get out of their restrains and cause more chaos.

"The Doomed one believes that Shadow Triad is behind this." Ippei replied, him and Greninja noticing incoming attack. Greninja quickly reacted by intercepting with glowing blade. Before him stood Bisharp with dark one.

"Did anyone call us?" and there stood one of them before Ippei and Shinobu. Shinobu on last moment released her pokeball, letting out Liepard. Liepard's claw grew dark and blocked another Bisharp. She looked at the trainer and her eyes widened. It was Kagetomo. He wore the same scarf over his face.

"Greninja, use water shuriken." Greninja lept back and threw water stars at Shadow's Bisharp. Bisharp deflected the stars into the ground.

"We heard that you have someone we have been looking for." Shadow spoke, his eyes looking at cave with prison inside.

"Yes. But we have no reason to give him to you. And you have started a war with our village. You will join him in cell next to him." Ippei answered, but one thought was going over his mind. From what Ash told them, they wouldn't do something like walking out in the open for them.

"OH. Hohoho. But you will have reason. After all, who will protect that elder of yours." when Shinobu heard it, she looked at Ippei. He had the same reaction. 

"Go Shinobu. I will deal with them." Shinobu nodded and recalled her Liepard. 

Shadow reacted by looking at Kagetomo. "Go after her."

"I won't let you." Ippei reacted with throwing second pokeball, releasing Gallade. "Gallade, use sacred sword."

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The group followed Sanpei, looking around at the explosions and fights. With walked Pikachu, Frogadier, Luxray, Korrina's Lucario and Braixen. As they continued along the mountain side, Clemont was stopped by his Luxray.

"What is it Luxray?" he looked the same way, but all he saw was a mountain. But Luxray saw different with his eyes. He saw something moving along side it. Luxray jumped up and released multiple stars from his tail.

The part of the wall moved and from there jumped out another member of Shadow Triad with Greninja. Its tongue shot out and went for Bonnie. Clemont on the last moment reacted by jumping in the way.

"Clemont!" Bonnie screamed as the tongue took Clemont away.

"Aura sphere Lucario!" Korrina reacted immediately. Greninja reacted back with water shuriken. The hold on Clemont didn't falter. 

"Not the one we hoped for. But he will do the trick." spoke the second shadow, his smile hidden under the mask. Sanpei's eyes widened. They knew were they would be.

Sanpei's Greninja lept up and created glowing blade. But the enemy Greninja simply let out black smoke from its mouth. When the blade clashed at the place where the enemies were, it was just the mountain.

"Clemont!" everyone yelled out. Luxray looked around, hoping to spot them. Luxray noticed them, but it was too late. They were already on top of the cliff and running to the other side with unconscious Clemont.

"We have to go after him!" Korrina yelled.

"We can't. Didn't you hear Ash? This is what they are planning for! They expect for you to come for him and fall into their trap." Sanpei replied.

"And so we will leave Clemont to die?! He is my brother! I won't leave him!" Bonnie yelled and returned to the way they came from.

As this was happening, Shinobu clenched her teeth. The guards that were with Hanzo were knocked out and he was gone. All that was left behind was a dagger with attached message. She looked away and she saw that the rest of the moving controled people were running away into the starting night.

The same kind of dagger just flew into the cave. Nihei let it go past him, hitting the wall. He looked at Ash. They both knew that this didn't mean anything good.

Nihei took the message and silently read it. His eyes were going hard.

"What does it say Nihei." Nihei stayed silent. "What is it!" Ash broke his train of thoughts. He thought about it, but decided to go against his own judgement. He walked closer to Ash's cell and showed him the message.

'If you wish to see the ones that you are missing now, you will release the one you call Doomed one and let him alone walk to the top of the mountain. If he isn't on the top by midnight, they will die and more will follow.'

"Who did they get?!" Ash yelled and he could hear it. Bonnie's call for him.

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Hanzo sat silently, his arms tied up behind him and his mouth still free so he could speak

Clemont finaly woke up as well. He looked up and let out yelp. He was facing person with white hair and black mask.

"Finally awake." Clemont's face went white. "Hmm. You are no ninja and yet you know something about us. Hmmm. He told you about us, didn't he?" Clemont didn't say anything, but he still got the message he wanted. Clemont realised that he had tied up hands. It was already dark.

"You see." Clemont could understand why Ash was so scarred by them. Every new voice that was from them made him scared. "We planned originaly for your little sister. People get worked up when younger kids get in trouble. But you will do just fine. On other hand, this one." From behind Clemont walked out the second ninja and he walked to Hanzo. "He is the only guy that the ninja village would do anything for."

Hanzo shook his head, chuckling. "I am just an old man. I am no longer important for the village." Hanzo looked directly the enemy in the eyes.

"Oh, we beg to differ. Even if your village has a new leader, they still listen to you. After all, the only reason our target is still alive is because of you. Now that we have you, they won't dare to against us." Hanzo still looked very calm.

"But maybe he is right. Maybe they won't do it. Maybe we should send a second message. After all, we still have half of the controlled people. Maybe if we detonate the rest of them, it will be enough." Clemont couldn't understand what he was hearing. They were talking about people's lives like they were political tokens.

"Ash w-won't let you get away with this a-again." Clemont spoke out. The first shadow turned to him.

"You have big believe for person that already got you almost killed." Clemont looked at him confused. "I saw the scar on your stomach. Something pierced you through and through. And with your background, there is no reason for you to be exposed to such a danger. Which means, your so called friend got you almost killed. And yet, you have so much trust in him. All of you, as we noticed. Trusting a guy, who is a hidden monster beneath." First shadow commented. Clemont thoughts raced to them doing background checks on everyone in group.

But his mouth spoke first. "He is good person, who wants to help people. He never gives up and he fights for those he cares about. And I would still do what I did anyway, knowing he killed someone. Because he is my friend. He is not a coward." He wanted to continue, but dagger pressed to his neck stopped him.

"But he is a naive idiot, who is right now walking up to us." Finally third shadow showed and his words made everyone look to the closing in shadow casted by moon.

Clemont had troubled smile on his face. Hanzo still sat there, silently watching. Shadow Triad watched silently as the figure approached underneath them.

On Ash's shoulder Pikachu sat, ready for a fight. Ash's face could be seen and it showed his determination. He clenched his fist and looked up at them. His fist was shaking. He didn't know if it was because of the fear, the urge for revenge or the anger he felt. One thing he knew for sure.

He wouldn't let things end up the same way.