Author's notes: Okay, because of the reunions happening in this chapter, I need to address the shippings in the Pokémon Anime to defend something that happens here in this chapter. Mostly just Pokéshipping, Advanceshipping, Pearlshipping and Amourshipping. In the earlier chapters I said I'm playing with fire and the struggle I had when writing one particular scene here is... an example of that.
So, Pokéskipping, which was/is the shipping between Ash and Misty... is something that was created mostly by 4Kids dubbing in the Indigo League series and was not really a thing in the Japanese dubbing of the Pokémon Anime. And as we saw in the episodes 42 and 43 of the Sun & Moon series, Ash's relationship with Misty is the same as it is with Brock. She is one of his oldest friends and at the time they were travelling together, Ash was too young, and stupid/dense, to realize any kind of feelings for her.
In the case of the Advanceshipping, I think the chances of Ash and May getting paired up in a relationship was shot down when May's brother Max joined their journey through Hoenn and then the character of Drew was created as a rival and will they/won't they love interest for May. Also, ever since I played through Alpha Sapphire and have read the Pokémon Adventures Manga, I have also been a Franticshipper for May and Brendan(which is a shame I couldn't create a version of him here).
Pearlshipping, on the other hand, is something that I believe would have become canon if Dawn would have kept on travelling with Ash after the Diamond & Pearl series, as shown in The Journey Continues fic written by OmniscientPancake17, and if they had spent enough time together, they would have both grown old enough together to realize there was something between them. But I also think Dawn is bi and had some possible chemistry with that another coordinator Zoey, which by they way is called Appealshipping in Bulbapedia.
I'm also mentioning Negaishipping from the Black & White series... which was bad and should feel bad. Iris was represented poorly in showcasing how the writers had gone and devolved Ash in it that everyone, who has played Black and White and Black 2 and White 2 games as well as read the Pokémon Adventures Manga, can agree that Iris was given disservice in the Anime and she is not that bad character in the other media. Some what annoying maybe, but not the brat who really was ''such a kid.''
And so we come to Amourshipping, which in my opinion works the best because the writers had an endgame for it in mind when they were doing the XY and XY&Z series, but obviously had their hands tied because the Pokémon Company keeps thinking only children watch and play Pokémon and couldn't go too much forward with it by doing certain things. Thank Arceus we have fanfiction for that. Before I go to replying to reviews on the previous chapter, I'm gonna be blunt and say, yep, I'm an Amourshipper and that's what's gonna happen with Ash and Serena in this story.
Replies to reviews:
-Guest: Thanks again. I wish more people would tell me that after all the work I put into writing these long chapters. But for that last thing, you're gonna need to wait longer and might end up a little disappointed and/or shocked.
-Sailor Dragonball 87: Yeah, it was a little too obvious. Thanks. Well, the girls are smart enough to eventually see some signs, but not soon enough. But if an evolved version of Batman is holding the basic version of Batman captive... we won't see the real Batman until the next chapter.
Chapter 9: No more holding back!
Kanto Region – Saffron City's Magnet Train Station
I should have seen it from the beginning, Clark. I should have seen through the bright colors, those friendly eyes and that boy scout grin. I should have known what you were doing to me. What you were doing to all of us.
You told us to love each other, to tear down the walls that kept us from trusting each other. And we wanted to believe you. We wanted to believe that the strongest man in the world was there to save us. That we could let go of our fears and hope again.
But we were wrong.
''Okay, this is our stop,'' May said as the Magnet Train stopped at its destination. ''Ash and Brock are probably waiting for us.''
Hope is like a virus, Clark. It forces people to let their guards down. It blinds them to the Darkness of the world around them, the danger lurking behind every corner… until they can't fight back anymore.
''Yeah, let's hurry,'' Dawn said as she and Serena got up from their seats and turned to Bruce, who was looking out the window. ''Mr Wayne, are you coming?''
These people, Clark, their belief is powerful. They are young and naïve, these Pokémon Trainers. They are the kind of people who would follow you and your lies just by looking at you. You wouldn't need to tell them anything and they would follow like the false god you are.
''Yeah, I'm coming,'' Bruce said smirking at the window before he turned around to face them and got up on his feet. ''Time to meet the man everyone is so interested about.''
We, the chosen ones of Barbatos, switched my place with the true Batman from the world above, right in front of these three girls without them even noticing and they still think I'm him. I can't image how much more gullible they would be if you had your chance to influence them with your presence, Clark.
Below in the parking lot…
''It has been some time since either of us has seen May or Dawn,'' Brock told Ash as they were standing next to his jeep while waiting for their friends.
''Yeah, it sure has,'' Ash said agreeing with Brock and looked up thinking back to when he had last seen the friends he was waiting to meet again.
The last time he and Brock had seen May had been 4 years ago in the Sinnoh Region when they had been travelling with Dawn and Ash had participated into the Wallace Cup with them. May had joined their company just briefly during that Contest Tournament, after which she had gone back to the Johto Region to continue her participation in the Pokémon Contests there. The time all four of them had spent there had been short, but it had been well spent in Ash's opinion.
In Dawn's case, the last time Brock had seen her had been 3 years ago when he and Ash had finished their journey in Sinnoh and were returning to Kanto. Ash on the other hand, had seen Dawn again when they had met in the Unova Region when she had been a guest staying at Cynthia's villa in Undella Town and had entered the Pokémon World Tournament Junior Cup, after which she had also returned to participate the Wallace Cup in Johto. They had parted in good terms.
And when it came to Serena, Brock had not actually met her before and for some reason Ash had not had a chance to talk about her with him when Ash's class from the Alolan Pokémon School had briefly visited Kanto. After the 18 months Ash and Serena had travelled together in Kalos Region with Clemont and Bonnie, after the Kalos League and Team Flare's attack, their ways had separated at the Lumiose City Airport where she had left for Hoenn and he had-
''Hey, Ash, there's just one more thing.''
''Huh-''
''…..''
''…..''
''…..''
''THANK YOU!''
''Ash? ASH!?''
''Pikapi!''
''Hmph!?'' Ash grunted as his mind returned to reality and noticed how Brock and his Pikachu were looking at him concerned. ''What? Did something happen?''
''You spaced out there for a minute,'' Brock said answering to his question. ''Are you okay, Ash?''
''Yeah, I'm fine,'' Ash said, although doing so as he shook his head and rubbed his eyes. ''Hey, they're here.''
Ash pointed Brock's and Pikachu's attention to the stairs coming down from the Magnet Train's platform where the train tracks were and at the people coming down from there.
''Pikachu!'' Pikachu yelled happily helping them locate Ash and Brock easier.
''Ash, Pikachu, Brock!'' May called out as the first one to notice them and lead Dawn, Serena and the tall man with them to Ash and Brock.
''Hey, guys!'' Dawn yelled as well as they came down the stairs from the Magnet Train platform.
Seeing them made both Ash and Brock see what 4 and 3 years had done to May and Dawn in how they appeared to have grown as Pokémon Trainers and Coordinators. And seeing Serena, coming down with them, after their last encounter caused Ash to nod his head to the side and make half-smile thinking back to what she had told him the last time they saw each other.
''Ash, thank you. I'm glad I came with you,'' she had told him before going down the escalator to her terminal gate at the Lumiose Airport. ''You're the kind of person I want to be. The next time we meet, you're going like the kind of person I have grown into.''
''So, you're the famous Ash Ketchum I have heard so much about?''
Again, Ash felt like he had been pulled back into the reality by the appearance of the tall man in May's, Dawn's and Serena's company. And looking at him gave Ash the feeling of uncertainty from the presence he carried and for some weird reason, the feeling of familiarity that couldn't be explained by having seen him before through the videophone.
''Bruce Wayne,'' the man said pointing his hand at Ash, gesturing for a handshake.
''Umm, yeah, I'm Ash,'' Ash replied kind of slowly answering to Bruce Wayne's handshake and then quickly turned his attention to his friends. ''Hey, where did you meet this guy?''
''Sorry, he has a good reason to be jumpy,'' May said stepping in between Ash and Bruce, while Serena and Dawn awkwardly smiled from behind him. ''Ash, Brock, it's great to see you two again, but we can't stay out in the open for long.''
''Can you at least give us a quick version of what's going on?'' Brock asked as Bruce lifted his scarf to show him and Ash the symbol on his chest.
''Long story short, there are seven more people in the world besides me who are wearing this on their chests,'' Bruce said letting Ash and Brock quickly see the Bat-symbol before dropping his scarf back to covering it. ''The difference between them and me is that I'm the only one of them who is not trying to kill people.''
''I saw that on the news on that monster that attacked Pallet Town,'' Ash said seeing a similarity to what Thomas Jr had shown him on his phone. ''What can you tell about it?''
''I'll tell you when we're moving,'' Bruce said looking at Brock's jeep and at how many of them were there. ''But I don't think we can all fit this thing.''
''I just got to pick Ash from the airport, but I didn't think I'd be driving around this many people,'' Brock said apologetically at May, Dawn and Serena.
''Where were you planning to go from here?'' Bruce asked looking at the tall buildings of Saffron City.
''My mom is at the hospital for observations after she survived from the attack in Pallet Town,'' Ash answered, to which all the girls made very expressions on their faces.
''Then you can go ahead, while I follow you,'' Bruce said taking off his trench-coat and threw it in Brock's jeep as a long black cape fell from his back. ''Hold onto that for me.''
''What are you doing, Mr Wayne?'' Dawn asked as Bruce kneeled to hide between the parked cars.
''If I can't fit in the car with you, then I'll have to follow you by using the rooftops,'' Bruce answered putting his gloves on and pulled on his cowl, ''as Batman.''
''Pi-kaa?'' Pikachu said looking at the masked man in cape and cowl.
''Is 'Batman' like what Blaziken Mask was in Lumiose City?'' Ash asked looking at Serena, who blushed before remembering what Ash was talking about.
''Uh, yes,'' Serena answered looking back at Ash and then at Batman, who looked fiercer and scarier than before. ''He is a masked vigilante just like Blaziken Mask.''
''Hold on, before you go I must ask you one thing,'' Brock said as Ash and the girls got into Brock's jeep. ''Are you by any chance related to a Thomas Wayne Jr?''
''No, but-'' Batman replied surprised by Brock's question. ''My father's name was Thomas Wayne.''
''Did you have brother who could have been named Thomas Jr?'' Ash asked from the front seat's window.
''No, I was an only child,'' Batman answered again pulling a gadget from his belt and pointed it at a nearby building. ''We'll talk more at the hospital."
PTOOTH!
The masked man flew away pulled by the rope and disappeared, leaving Ash, Brock, May, Dawn and Serena to the jeep ready to leave. Brock started his car, backed it out of it's parking space and drove it out of the parking lot before Ash restarted the conversation.
''Hey, I just realized that you two haven't been introduced yet,'' Ash said turning to Brock and Serena as a large shadow like Giratina flew above them. ''Serena, this is my friend Brock, the former Pewter City Gym Leader and a Pokémon Doctor-in-Training.''
''Hi, nice to meet you,'' Serena said exchanging glances with Brock through the rear-view mirror.
''Brock, this is Serena,'' Ash continued introducing his friends to each other. ''We met at Professor Oak's Pokémon Summer Camp years ago before meeting again in Kalos. She is a Pokémon Performer.''
''Nice to meet you too,'' Brock told Serena as the shadow flew above them again. ''So, you come across May and Dawn in Hoenn?''
''Well, yes, but I met Dawn first by- it's weird coincidence actually,'' Serena said looking at Dawn. ''We both met Bruce at first and he was the one who introduced us to each other.''
''Yeah, that was a strange coincidence now that you brought it up,'' Dawn agreed taking out a Pokéball and let her Piplup out. ''Piplup ran off a couple of times to antagonize him and I first met Mr Wayne when he first brought Piplup back to me.''
''Piplup?'' Piplup said out of his Pokéball and then got happy seeing Pikachu. ''Pipluup!''
''Pikachu!'' Pikachu said happily greeting Piplup.
''So where is this Bruce Wayne from in the first place?'' Brock asked as they begun to get closer to the Saffron's General Hospital. ''And what connection does he have with those things that destroyed Pallet and attacked you three?''
''Mr Wayne said he is from another universe where Pokémon don't exist, and humans can do what Pokémon do here,'' Dawn said petting her Piplup as it waved at Pikachu. ''And those things are other versions of him from other universes where things went really bad for him.''
''Other universes?'' Ash asked confused.
''Like the one Team Galactic tried to create back in Sinnoh with Dialga and Palkia,'' Dawn added as a comparison.
''The one that attacked us called himself Red Death and had killed his friend to get his speed powers,'' Serena said explaining their encounters to Ash and Brock. ''We also met a female version of Bruce who could control water and was the one who destroyed Lilycove City. And after we met up with May, we were caught by a strange emotionless robot and a small child with a ring that creates monsters.''
''And that thing that attacked Pallet Town?'' Ash asked as Brock turned the jeep to Saffron General's parking lot. ''Is that also one of them?''
''One of seven according to the ghost of a man trapped inside the Red Death,'' Dawn said as Brock parked his jeep to a. ''So far, we know about 5, but- Ash, the Drowned told us in Lilycove that they tried to kill me and Serena because we both knew someone and considering what happened to Pallet Town, that makes you that someone.''
''Me?'' Ash said surprised looking at both Serena and Dawn. ''What did I do that-''
''Pikaa!''
Ash cut his sentence short as the large shadow of Batman landed behind Brock's parked jeep as an intimidating and monstrous sight that drew the blood out of his face. Brock also got startled as did May, but not Serena and Dawn as they were the ones who had known him the longest and we used to his appearance by now.
''My jacket?'' Bruce asked as he pulled off his mask and flipped his cape so that it turned into smaller form in his back.
''Here, Mr Wayne,'' Dawn said throwing the trench-coat to Bruce, who quickly put it on and hid his Batsuit by closing the buttons.
''After we have been through here, we need to talk about where we are going next'' Bruce told everyone as they climbed out Brock's jeep and turned to head into the hospital. ''All of us as a group.''
Above the Kanto Region – Captured Team Rocket Airship
Giovanni slowly reached back to his consciousness in the medical deck of what he recognized being from his airship. The former leader of Team Rocket was laying in a hospital bed, but unlike the last time he woke up in this situation, he was not restrained into it. He was however faced by a familiar face from a long time ago.
''We are relatively safe now,'' unmasked Owlman told Giovanni, standing at the end of his bed. ''Anything you want to ask me, before I need to ask you more imperative information?''
''Ugh, I spent time and a small fortune looking for you in the Unova Region two years ago when Team Rocket was facing off against Team Plasma,'' Giovanni asked attempting to correct his position. ''I was planning to recruit you, but you weren't there and there wasn't any record of you, so… where were you?''
''Running my own criminal organization in my own universe,'' Owlman answered quickly. ''To any possible follow up questions; No, I was never a real doctor and delivering your son was harder than it looked. No, I'm not really from the Unova Region or from this universe. Yes, my name really is Thomas Wayne Jr, I didn't lie about that. And finally, this is a supervillain costume based on a flying animal from my world called an owl. The Pokémon that exist in your world as stand-ins include Hoothoot and Rowlet, along with their evolutionary lines.''
''My world?'' Giovanni asked.
''Sigh, okay, this is the last one I'm answering,'' Owlman said grunting as he rubbed his eyes. ''Yes, your world. It exists in floating continuum that I call the Hypertime and my world exists in as one of 52 Earths in pearl string called the Multiverse…''
Owlman's head snapped up in realization.
''Aah, and the people who took Team Rocket from you, are 7 dark beings born under it in the Dark Multiverse,'' he added before turning his attention and glare at Giovanni. ''They are here for your son, which brings us to the topic at hand. Your wife and son, what is your relationship with them currently?''
''Why would you want to know after disappearing-''
''Do they know that you are working fulltime as a crime boss?'' Owlman asked another question. ''Before today, when was the last time you saw them?''
Giovanni did answer but not with words. Owlman was able to read it from the look on his face.
''I should have chosen another family,'' Owlman said facepalming before he shook his head. ''No, I should have never even come here and do what I did. At least then you would still have your problems without-''
''If what you're asking is did I leave them to lead Team Rocket, yes,'' Giovanni said giving Owlman his answer. ''No, they do not know about my profession. They just know I left them, which is better than being connected to-''
''The fact that you say that and the fact that I have done worse things are why you don't have any more broken bones,'' Owlman said in a cold voice, before drawing breath and gave a confession. ''Back when we last met, when your son was born, and I helped in delivering him, do you remember I told you there were complications and told you and the others to give me some space for a moment before I let you and Delia see the baby?''
Giovanni looked back at Owlman for under a minute before replying:
''Yes, I remember.''
''The truth is that there were no complications, your baby was born healthy,'' Owlman spoke with his hands on the bed's railing and his chin up while trying to keep his eyes on the man he was talking to. ''What I really did, was infuse your newborn with the ethereal essence, the soul of my deceased brother.''
''What is that supposed to mean?'' Giovanni asked.
''It means that your son, whom you abandoned along with his mother so you could spend time playing Cruella de Vil,'' Owlman said feeling like he was talking to a simpleton, ''he is both Ash Ketchum and Bruce Wayne of my Earth reborn. And because of my actions, your criminal organization was attacked and Pallet Town was destroyed by Nightmare versions of him. Am I using words easy enough for you to understand?''
''I understand that you're confessing to be the reason this happened,'' Giovanni answered with a frown. ''How are you going to fix it?''
''By undoing what I did,'' Owlman answered. ''However, I need all the help I can get to remove Bruce's soul from the boy successfully. Everything that can help me do that undisturbed.''
''I know what you need,'' Giovanni said fixing up his position. ''I know where you can find the strongest Pokémon Team Rocket has ever gone against but getting it to work with us is going to be difficult.''
PING!
Owlman raised his hand to look at the new message from Grid to his gauntlet, which read SOFTWARE UPDATED! meaning that Grid had done something to fix and update the operating system in his suit.
''I'm leaving you with Grid for a while,'' Owlman said looking back at Giovanni and directed him at the robotic cyborg standing behind his hospital bed. ''Work with him in locating that strong Pokémon.''
With that Owlman left Giovanni in the medical bay and moved to the upper command bridge while going through all the new updates and features Grid had installed into his suit's system from the interface in his right hand's gauntlet. Among them was a Pokédex that included the full encyclopedia about every Pokémon from Kanto to Alola.
''I need to test this out,'' Owlman said as he arrived to the bridge where James and Meowth had returned to them from their mission and to who Jessie was giving his Pokémon's Pokéballs. ''Report!''
''Yes sir!'' James and Meowth complied turning to Owlman as he announced himself. ''The Twerps have reunited with each other and are currently in the hospital building. They were followed by this guy.''
In reporting about their findings, Meowth presented Owlman with printed out pictures of what Owlman recognized as Batman. The pictures included one that showed a Bruce Wayne in the company of Ash, Brock and the three girls Jessie and James had referred as the 'Twerpettes', another showing him change into a different kind of Batman costume than the one Owlman had seen previously and the rest were of this Batman following a car, which was taking Ash and his friends through Saffron.
''Do you recognize who it is?'' James asked after Owlman had looked at the pictures with a frowning face for some time.
''This costume is different from the last time I saw it, so I need to make sure this Batman recognizes me to not be a Nightmare,'' Owlman said pulling on his cowl and adjusted his goggles. ''Now, the Pokémon you got out from Team Rocket Headquarters, let me see them.''
''Yes sir!'' Jessie said complying and letting her Pokémon out of their Pokéballs, besides just Wobbuffet that was already out. ''Mimikyu, Seviper, Yanmega and Gourgeist, come out!''
''Carnivine, Mime Jr, Inkay, Marienie, you too!'' James said doing the same as Owlman prepared his goggles one more time to scan the Pokémon before him and evaluate how to use them.
Saffron General Hospital
After coming arriving to another hospital after they had just been at one in the Johto Region, the group had made it so they wouldn't get too much separated by making sure they were always within hearing and viewing range and not go anywhere alone bay themselves. Those had been Bruce's strict instructions because if they were to come under attack by his evil versions, they would fight back against them with his battle tactics and use the Pokémon he would tell them to while prepare for a way out with others. Despite this, he had given Ash some leeway in going to see his mother in her hospital room alone by himself, which Bruce had explained knowing how the fear of losing parents felt like.
Now Ash was standing at the feet of the hospital bed, where his mother was laying unconscious with her head bandaged and had a heart monitor showing that she was still alive, but according to the doctors had not shown any sights of waking up. Looking at her felt so foreign, but still somehow like he would have been prepared to it. But never in his wildest dreams had Ash ever imagined that he would ever find himself looking at his mother almost like there wasn't any more life in her and if she would never wake up-
What if she did wake up but couldn't take care of herself anymore? Ash didn't want to think selfishly about how he would have to find a place for his mother to live disabled and be taken care of by him as her only family. That thought then reminded Ash about the fact how his father had gone and abandoned them before Ash had become old enough to remember him. The reminder of that and everything he still had weighting on his mind caused Ash to walk backwards away from him mother's hospital bed and slide down the wall, once he hit that, to sit on the floor.
''Pikapi?'' Pikachu said to Ash as he begun to rub his eyes with his right hand and reached to pet his Pokémon with his left.
Ash drew breath before putting both of his hands on the back of his head and pulled it down forward as his mind begun to race with all kinds of different outcomes. Not just about what could happen to his mother, or how she must have felt when what put her here had happened, but at all the things he had been stressing about since he had seen that monster destroy Pallet Town from the news at the Alola Region. About those who had died, about his Pokémon that were running out there and the ones being treated at Fuschia City. And then, when Ash tried to think about his friends for some positivity, he was reminded how they had been also targeted at Hoenn, likely because they knew him, and that made Ash feel even worse because that would indicate that all of this was happening because of him and-
''Ash?''
Ash was pulled out of his mental darkness by a voice above him and when he opened his to look up, he saw Serena looking at him with a concerned and worried look on her face.
''I'm sorry, I know you said you wanted to be alone here, but I felt like an outsider with May, Dawn and Brock out there'' Serena said kneeling down to Ash's line of sight and put her hand on his. ''Ash, I can't say I know how you're feeling right now, but you can talk to me and everyone else.''
Ash looked at her and for a brief moment felt better before he lowered his head to look at the floor again.
''It doesn't matter,'' Ash said with his head down and not looking at Serena. ''I haven't been feeling right since I saw what happened to Pallet Town in Alola and I can't think straight about what is going on. You and Dawn told me what happened in Hoenn and how it happened because you both knew me. Even with what that 'Batman' who saved you said about all this, I have begun to think all that happened because of me for some reason. And because of everything that has happened has been connected to me, that doesn't help me in thinking otherwise.''
''Ash-''
''And this isn't like anything I have had to experience before,'' Ash continued, letting out what he was feeling and thinking about everything he had learned on about the recent events. ''This hasn't been like losing at the Pokémon League or an important Gym battle. People and Pokémon have died. You, Dawn and May have been running for your lives and have almost been killed three times in the span of less than a day, just because you know me. I don't know why that is happening, but I can imagine that it wouldn't be like this if I wouldn't-''
''No!'' Serena said with a strict tone in her voice and tightened her grip onto Ash's hand with both of her hand holding onto it. ''Ash, whatever is causing all this is not because of you. I refuse to believe that this is your fault.''
''Pikachu!'' Pikachu told Ash, agreeing with Serena. ''Pikapi, pii pikachu, pika pika pii, pii-pikachu!''
''Pikachu knows it too. Whatever those people want is not your fault, Ash,'' Serena continued lifting their held hands up between them. ''And don't you ever say that everything would be better without you! Because there are people whose lives have improved for the better from meeting you and wouldn't change where their lives are to not knowing you.''
''Serena-''
''May and Dawn told me and Bruce how you helped them in getting started with their lives as Pokémon Trainers and I can't imagine where I would be now if you and me never-''
As she had been talking to Ash, Serena had been holding both of her hands onto Ash's right one with her eyes wet, showing with poured in emotions that she meant what she was telling him. And while she had been doing that, Ash had raised his free left hand on Serena's face and smiled her as a gesture of thank you to which Serena responded by slowly looking back into his eyes and then by letting go of Ash's hand…
''Piii!''
and then she grabbed onto his face and pulled them both closer for a kiss.
Like with the one they had shared back at Lumiose City Airport, Ash was stunned by the surprise of it, but unlike the last time, there was no escalator pulling them apart this time and as Ash had, at his own slow pace, understood and accepted what had happened then, the situation was not that much different as it was then. Ash sat there as Serena kissed him, until she pulled herself back and they were brought to an uncomfortable silence where they looked at each other and Pikachu was there looking at them.
Not saying anything at each other, Serena initially had a shocked and scared look on her face as Ash had not really responded to her kissing him, at first. Then eventually his hand rose back up to her cheek, with a reassuring smile making Serena's heart rate find it's stability again and she smiled. And then Ash moved his hand up from Serena's cheek to the back of her head and he made a slow gesture to pull her back towards him, which she understood and allowed to happen. Before their lips were in the connection distance and they were about to close their eyes before the kissing was to commence, Ash stopped for a moment to say:
''Thank you, Serena.''
''Pikapi,'' Pikachu said discreetly as he crawled on all fours away and out of the room to give them privacy.
Their act of physically showing each other how they felt for each other at that moment continued for some time. Passion was shared from both of them for pretty much two different reasons. Ash being the dense dumbass he usually had been about some things had FINALLY understood something that made him active in participating in it and remembering everything he had gone through with Serena back in Kalos was there to give him some context of what was going on. Serena, who had had feelings for him since they had met at Professor Oak's Pokémon Summer Camp, was so happy that they had FINALLY both acknowledged each other and were doing what they were doing. After their making out session had lasted that long that they needed to separate and take a breath, Serena let her body blissfully fall on Ash's, who was already leaning against the wall.
''So,'' Ash said after drawing breath and turning to his left where Serena had let herself fall to, ''how has Hoenn been helping your career as a Pokémon Performer?''
It took Serena some seconds to breath before she could answer so that her response was understandable.
''It has been… it hasn't been that bad,'' Serena sighed with her heartbeat slowly decreasing as she was looking down on the gap between the wall and Ash's back. ''I met a famous Pokémon Contest Coordinator Lisia who handpicked me to scout in Contests during one of her public appearances in Slateport City after I had landed in Hoenn and helped me in getting started in participating in Contests. It has been fun in… getting experience and growing as a performer up until-''
Serena stopped talking and tightened the grip her arms were holding around Ash's body. And Ash was, surprise surprise, smart enough to realize what had caused that. It had been the attack on Lilycove, the attempt on her and Dawn's lives that Batman had saved them from and had resulted in Lilycove City being destroyed under two tidal waves and all those lost lives in collateral damage. The fact that Serena could have died there as well and the moment she was sharing with Ash right now might have never gotten a chance to happen. And at the moment that even the author is tilting his head sideways in disbelief, Ash was again smart enough to react some what accordingly and place his left hand to Serena's back to pull her closer and right hand to the back of her head to brush her hair in a comforting manner.
''Serena, do you have any unfinished business left back in Hoenn?'' Ash asked suddenly as he was brushing her hair. ''Because… if you can… … umm…''
''What?'' Serena asked as she got her structure straightened up and got back to look at Ash face to face. ''Ash, what are you trying to say?''
''I'm trying to say that…'' Ash was trying to say, ''that if you don't have anything to go back to in Hoenn… you could come to Alola… and attend the same Pokémon School as me. I think they have courses that can be applied to Pokémon Performances, so-''
''PIKACHU!'' Pikachu was suddenly heard screaming from outside the hospital room. ''PII-KA-CHUU!''
Airship above
Owlman focused his goggles to better view and scan the Pokémon released before him to learn more about them and how they could be used against the Nightmare Batmen. While he was doing that, the Pokémon released from their Pokéballs immediately took their chances to embrace their trainers after seeing them again after such a long time.
Seviper, Fang Snake Pokémon with Poison typing. It is known for its angry disposition, immobilizing its opponents by wrapping its body around them.
''Hmm,'' Owlman hummed looking at the large snake that had currently wrapped itself around Jessie as it's way of hugging her. ''That could work.''
Yanmega, the Ogre Darner Pokémon with the dual type of Bug and Flying. When it flutters its wings, it creates a shockwave that can cause internal damage to its opponents.
''That will definitely be useful,'' Owlman said looking at the large Dragonfly that had landed on Jessie's head.
Gourgeist, the Pumpkin Pokémon, dual typing of Grass and Ghost, and the evolved form of Pumpkaboo. Gourgeist wander through town at the new moon, surrounding their prey with their arms which resemble hair.
''Well it sure looks like that,'' Owlman said glancing at the large jack-o-lantern looking Pokémon that had wrapped it's hair like hands around Jessie with a happy face. ''Ghost type, that means it's immune to physical attacks.''
Wobbuffet, the Patient Pokémon of the Psychic Type. Wobbuffet like to live in dark areas so they can keep their pitch-black tails concealed.
''Wobbu-Wobbu,'' Wobbuffet said happily clapping his arms when Owlman scanned it.
''Sure, be happy while you still can,'' Owlman told Wobbuffet and moved to scan the last one out, that looked like a Pikachu rag.
Mimikyu, the Disguise Pokemon of a Ghost and Fairy type. It wears a ragged head cover to look like a Pikachu, but little is known about this Pokémon. It's said that a scholar who once tried to look inside met his end.
''And then James' Pokémon,'' Owlman muttered moving onto them, first scanning what looked like big Venus flytrap that looked like it was trying to eat James' scalp.
Carnivine, the Bug Catcher Pokémon of the Grass type. Carnivine latches onto trees in marshes and lures its prey with its sweet-smelling saliva.
''This can work if I have well planned strategy,'' Owlman commented, before moving to scan the little gnome Pokémon.
Mime Jr., the Mime Pokémon with the dual typing of Psychic and Fairy. It can quickly imitate anyone it sees. It can sense people's emotions as well, and when it senses danger it will erect a barrier, so it can escape.
''Imitate anyone is sees, huh?'' Owlman read from the entry intrigued. ''I can come up with a lot of ways to use that in our advantage. Okay, next one.''
Inkay, Dark/Psychic type Pokémon. It flashes the light-emitting spots on its body, which drains its opponent's will to fight. It takes the opportunity to scuttle away and hide.
''Drains its opponent's will to fight,'' Owlman said reading the entry with a smirk. ''Okay, and then the last one.''
Mareanie, the Brutal Star Pokémon. A Poison and Water type. Their head spikes are poisonous and when they attack, they turn upside down and trap prey with their 10 legs.
Owlman looked at the Pokémon and acknowledged they were all he had against the Nightmare Batmen right now. There were still the Pokémon that acknowledged James as their trainer, so these first ones were so far just the tip of the iceberg. And then there was what Giovanni had promised for Grid to locate.
''One Poison type, one Bug/Flying type, a Grass/Ghost type, Psychic type, a Fairy/Ghost type, Grass type, Psychic/Fairy type, a Dark/Psychic type and a Water/Poison type,'' Owlman said listing out the Pokémon types out of memory and tried to imagine all the possibilities in using them. ''One can poison and restrain it's opponent, one can provide sonic attacks and air transport, two are immune to physical damage with a reflector and counter Pokémon. And then there's a Venus flytrap, two psychic manipulators and a poisoning blinder. This has to work. ATTENTION!''
Owlman called for attention with authority, mostly to make the Pokémon acknowledge him, which they did as Jessie and James reacted to Owlman's authority with respect.
''Listen, because this is important. You are not working for Team Rocket anymore. That organization has fallen into the enemy hands and I am the one who takes us forward in opposing them. Your trainer got you out of Team Rocket Headquarters because she cares for you and knows how dangerous our enemy is.''
Owlman took a pause to let his works sink into the Pokémon and to seek the approval of their trainers before continuing.
''I am Owlman, the leader of the Crime Syndicate that you are also now part of and the time to go against our enemy is getting closer,'' Owlman continued reaching his gauntlet to show holographic images of the Nightmare Batmen to the Pokémon. ''All of them are based on people with special abilities, that can be substituted with Pokémon typing and that is where you all come in. Every one of you can fight back or hold down on these people, so focus when I highlight on which ones you should prioritize when going against.''
Owlman highlighted and showed holograms of the Nightmare Batmen to the Team Rocket Pokémon one at the time and while doing so, told every one of them on which to prioritize and which ones to ignore and stay out of their way. It was a short and focused lecture on type advantages and strategic weaknesses where every time Owlman showed one of the Nightmare Batmen to them, he pointed and gave specific orders to certain Pokémon on what they should do when facing them.
''Understand what you need to do and leave undo at certain situations,'' Owlman told them at the end of his lecture. ''Now that we know where 'the Twerps' are, we are going down and getting them into joining our Crime Syndicate as further back up against the Nightmare Batmen… because to be honest, the team we have now is a little unbalanced and need all the bodies we can throw. Also, they have another individual along with them that I need to make contact with. Any questions before we leave?''
Saffron General Hospital - waiting room/hallway
''…the Flash, Aquaman, Cyborg and Green Lantern,'' Pikachu heard the one called Bruce speak to Brock, May and Dawn who were talking in the outside hallway. ''They are my friends in my world and the people whose powers those versions of me that we encountered had taken. And from what I understood, the one that attacked Pallet Town had turned himself into a monster called Doomsday.''
''What is that?'' Brock asked as Pikachu looked behind himself and thought not to make himself seen as stood back to listen to the conversation before him.
''It is an unstoppable killing machine that adapts to the damage it's attacked with,'' Bruce spoke with weight in his words. ''That means it can become immune to everything it's attacked with and every time you're against it need to come up with all kinds of new ways to defeat it that haven't been used before or it will kill you.''
''How have you been able to go against it, Mr Wayne?'' Dawn asked as Pikachu looked at Bruce with a confused look and then looked back at the hospital room.
''I didn't, with Doomsday I had to let people stronger than me fight it,'' Bruce answered as Pikachu seemed to notice something from his observation. ''Because of that, we need to use the strongest Pokémon you all have and be able to balance their type advantages against the enemies' powersets. Like how May was able to use her Blaziken against Murder Machine and Alfred Protocol back in Mauville.''
''Fire type against Steel type,'' May said nodding in agreement. ''You're saying we can use the type advantages against them.''
''Exactly, and when we were in Lilycove, Dawn used her Buneary's Ice Beam on Red Death and Parchirisu's Discharge on the Drowned,'' Bruce said as Pikachu noticed something else behind them in the corner and begun to crawl towards it. ''Back in my world, I made plans on how to neutralize my teammates in the Justice League if they were to become compromised, but those plans were made with the intent of holding back. Your Pokémon need to give everything they have and then more when going against our enemies.''
''And not expect same typing to be an advantage.''
''PIKACHU!'' Pikachu screamed as he tried to get away from what had just made their presence known and made his presence in the hallway known to the others as well. ''PII-KA-CHUUU!''
''Pikachu!?'' Ash yelled responding to his partner's cry for help as he charged out of the hospital room with Serena, which drew the others' attention to them for a moment before they turned back to look at where Pikachu had ran away from.
There stood a someone, with a pale skin and a bad posture in the shadows of the corner before they took a few steps forward to reveal themselves as someone who Ash, Pikachu, Brock and May recognized and to their shock, Serena and Dawn were able to realize what had happened to them from their experience in Lilycove.
''Is that-'' May said beginning the question which both Ash and Brock completed in a unison. ''Misty?!''
''Yes,'' a woman's voice said from the shadows and a masked woman with a trident placed her hand on the walking dead water Pokémon trainer's shoulder. ''This is the late Gym Leader of the Cerulean City Gym and the irony of how she met her demise at the hands of her own Pokémon yesterday is something that made even me snigger.''
''It's the Drowned!'' Dawn said recognizing the evil female version of Bruce, who reacted to her appearance by throwing away his trench-coat and pulling on his mask to become Batman. ''Ash, Brock, she is the one who destroyed Lilycove and turned everyone there into-''
''Dead Water,'' the Drowned said speaking over Dawn, before pushing the undead Misty forward and placed her hand on her forehead. ''I create them by drowning them into heavy waters, which makes them receptive to the commands of my marine telepathy, speaking of which-''
Poks!
One of Ash's Pokéballs got activated on itself and his Squirtle was released. Then
Poks!
One of May's Pokéballs was activated and it released her Wartortle.
''Piipluup,'' Dawn's Piplup, which was already out, growled in deep voice with a dark look on it's eyes.
All three Water Type Pokémon looked dark and possessed similar to how Misty did, except they didn't look as undead as she did.
''I know, I was surprised as well when I first arrived in your world and learned I could use my marine telepathy on Water Types,'' the Drowned said as the possessed Water Pokémon took their place before her with what Misty had become and looked at Ash and the others condescendingly. ''It does put you all into a pretty uncomfortable situation where you need to go through your own Pokémon to able hit me-''
''Gourgeist, use Leach Seed!''
''Carnivine, use Bind!''
''Huh!?'' Everyone grunted surprised as suddenly the Drowned was shot from behind by seeds that tied into her and restrained her into the floor with glowing roots, followed by a large Grass Type Pokémon that lunged onto her to keep her from being able to move.
''A Carnivine?'' Dawn said recognizing the large Venus Flytrap Pokémon and exchanged glances with Ash, Brock and May. ''You don't think-''
''PREPARE FOR A RESCUE, FROM A SOURCE YOU CAN'T WAIT FROM!'' an all familiar female voice spoke announcing from behind the Drowned in the shadows, followed by an also familiar male voice. ''AND MAKE IT DOUBLE, BECAUSE WE'RE ALL ON THE SIDE NOW!''
''That does sound strangely familiar,'' Ash said in a somewhat disappointed voice, an attitude that everyone seemed share with him.
''TO PROTECT THE WORLD FROM DEVASTATION!'' the female voice continued, with the male voice continuing behind it. ''TO UNITE ALL PEOPLE IN OUR NATION!''
''TO RENOUNCE THE EVILS OF FEARS AND NIGHTMARES!'' the dragging announcement continued, confusing Ash and the others with the changed lyrics in the motto they thought they had come to know over the last decade. ''WE EXTEND OUR REACH AGAINST THE DARK MULTIVERSE!''
''JESSIE!'' The magenta haired female announced stepping into the light, followed by a blue haired male. ''JAMES!''
''Yeah, it's Team Rocket,'' Brock said with the same attitude as Ash before, but then they all realized their uniforms were dark grey instead of white and instead of purple Rs, they had cold blue CS-logos on their chests. ''Wait, what are they wearing?''
''CRIME SYNDICATE, COMING FOR YOU AT THE SPEED OF LIGHT!'' Jessie declared bashing her fist at the CS-logo on her chest as did James following. ''RESISTANCE IS FUTILE, WE CAME PREPARED TO FIGHT!''
''Meowth, that's right!'' their Scratch Cat Pokémon declared jumping behind them, with the saluting Psychic Type. ''Wobbuffet!''
''Okay, I'm saying this now once before any of you decide to ask,'' a completely unfamiliar male voice spoke behind the group of people Ash and his friends knew as Team Rocket and a man, wearing a grey and blue armor with a mask obscured his eyes with large round goggles and a cloak made from multiple pieces, walked out for them to see, right next to the restrained Drowned. ''If I had the luxury of hiring better people, I would do that and fire them in heartbeat.''
SMACK!
The masked man in Team Rocket's company moved his left hand quickly with brute strength and hit his reinforced knuckles against the Drowned's face, breaking her concentration from using her marine telepathy and released the Water Types from her control. This act also let go of her telepathic grip on Misty, or what she had become, and her lifeless remains lost their balance. She would have fell to the floor if not for the masked man's reflexes which he used to catch her.
''Who are you and why are you working with Team Rocket!?'' Brock was the first one to ask, or demand, from the masked man.
''You can call me Owlman,'' he said placing Misty's Dead Water remains on the waiting chairs. ''And they are working for me, because of what was done to her, Pallet Town and Lilycove was also done as a more strategic blow against the Team Rocket Headquarters as a hostile takeover by her comrades.''
Owlman turned around from having laid Misty's remains there and took a quick glance at Ash, Brock, May, Dawn, Serena and the Pokémon out of their Pokéballs before speaking again.
''We came to evacuate all of you to a safe location, so pay your respects to her quickly. If the Drowned could find you this quickly, the others won't be far behind, meaning we have to leave as quickly as possible.''
''Hey, we're not just going to come with you and Team Rocket just because you say so,'' May protested against Owlman's demands.
''Batman, help me out here,'' Owlman said turning his and everyone else's attention towards Batman, who was behaving surprisingly passively. ''Wait a minute…''
''Bruce, do you know who this is?'' Serena asked Batman from next to Ash, but before she could get an answer, Owlman marched past them and placed himself in front of Batman at a staring contest distance.
''Before any of us does anything, I want you to answer one question for me,'' Owlman said with his goggled eyes locked at the white lenses in Batman's mask. ''Who was Granger?''
If Batman showed any reactions, they were hard to see. No one, not even Team Rocket, knew what Owlman had meant or who he was talking about with his question, but-
TSAK!
CRASH!
''BRUCE!''
not getting any kind of answer from Batman, caused Owlman sink the talons in his glove's finger tips at his chest and, to everyone's shock and surprise, throw him around on the class table in the middle of the waiting area. During the attack, the Bat-Symbol on Batman's chest was also ripped apart from the costume and gotten stuck in Owlman's talons.
''If you were the Batman you were claiming to be, you would know who I'm talking about and why I brought her up,'' Owlman spoke with vented anger and disappointment in his voice as waved his hand to throw away the ripped off Bat-symbol, before turning to Serena, May and Dawn, who were looking down at Batman with worried looks on their faces. ''Are you three sure this is the same man you escaped with from Hoenn?''
''Huh?'' Dawn said raising her gaze from Batman to Owlman. ''Why or how couldn't he be-''
''Bruce, how did we cross the river back in Hoenn to reach Mauville?'' Serena asked after shaking her head and looking down on Batman. ''There was no bridge and you told us not to take chances that we could be found by touching the water-''
Click!
Lying on his back with his chest clawed open and glass shards sticking into his body, Batman used what strength he had left in his body to reach for his belt and pressed a button on it. This action caused his body to start shaking as the exposed skin on his wounds and unmasked part of his face begun to turn dark grey and harden. Then begun to get back up and
KraK!
KRAK!
KRAK!
dark bone structures begun to pop out of his elbows, shoulders, knees, chest, even on his face. His appearance changed drastically as his clothes were shredded off him as his height increased and naturally seeing him caused everyone to back away from him. Everyone, but Owlman and Ash, recognized Batman's changed appearance from having seen it before.
''You're him!'' Ash yelled angered pointing his finger at the monster before them. ''He is that monster that destroyed Pallet Town!''
''YES, I AM NOT THE REAL BATMAN FROM UP THERE!'' The monster spoke, with his voice sounding like grunts and roars coming out as echoes sent from a deep cavern he looked down at the people around him. ''AND NO, I AM NOT THE BATMAN THEY LEFT IN GOLDENROD!''
''No, we didn't leave him,'' May said conflicted. ''I got the tickets to the Magnet Train and we all left together to the station and-''
''What did you do, Devastator?'' Owlman asked from the monster, calling it by name and gritted his teeth.
''I MADE MYSELF, SO HE WOULD NEVER HURT ME AGAIN!'' the monster answered, obviously to a completely different question.
''Hurt you?!'' Ash repeated disbelieved at the monster's defenses and choice of words. ''How many people did you hurt when you destroyed Pallet Town? Do you think you have the right to say you were hurt by-''
But then the monster roared again. He roared out a name with such anger and outrage that it made everyone take some serious steps back in the sense of self-preservation not to be caught under his tantrums. Brock, May and Dawn retreated towards the exits where Team Rocket was, followed by Serena who was making attempts to pull Ash with her while Owlman was on the other side of the hall way and weighting on his options in jumping out of the window. Then the glass windows were shattered by the roar from the monster with the ceiling and the walls being broken under the monster's uncontrollable strength.
''SUPERMAN!''
Dark Multiverse – Earth -1
Before it was destroyed...
We never learned how it happened. I think that's what was so frightening about it at the beginning. Was it solar storm that altered his mind? Was it Darkseid or Mr Mind, or a new kind of kryptonite Luthor had developed?
We spent WEEKS trying to find the answer, because we knew in our hearts that it couldn't have been HIM. He was our great HOPE. He was the BEST OF US. He would never tear down buildings with his bare hands for the sport of it. We knew that if we could break through to the man we knew and loved, we could stop this. He could be saved.
It wasn't until he killed his wife, our world's Lois Lane, that I finally broke. That was the moment I finally understood the whys and hows didn't matter anymore.
It hurt, Clark. I hope you understand how deeply it hurt. Making the decision to set it all into motion.
''It's over,'' Clark told me after having used his heat vision to cut my arm off and throwed me around what used to be Metropolis.
All I could do then… all thought I could do then was to crawl with one hand to my weaponized kryptonite spear as he was floating above me and berated me out of character.
''I never understood, Bruce,'' Clark said not even trying to catch up to me. ''The other leaguers in their quiet conversations. They always said that you could beat me, head to head. If we really fought. If neither of us held back. With only a look, I could split you in half. With only a breath, I could freeze your heart. With the slightest touch, I could break every bone in your body. And what do you have, Bruce? A spear?''
I was so close to that spear at that point.
''Do you understand how weak you all are to me?''
''Yes, dammit,'' I coughed as I reached for the spear. ''I do.''
ZZZZZRRRAPP!
With only a look, Clark sent the spear away from my reach and I knew, it was over.
''I really… loved you, Clark,'' I told him as he turned his back to me and I activated the chemical infusion mechanism in my belt. ''I believed in the world you promised us. You made me hope for a better future. But now, I know that was all a LIE. AND I WON'T LET YOU HURT ME ANYMORE!''
KraK!
KRAK!
KRAK!
I had been so afraid of that moment. I knew the strain of the Doomsday Virus I had engineered would make me powerful enough to defeat him one on one. But I thought, even after seeing all the terror he had unleashed upon the world, that I wouldn't be able to do it. That there would still be a part of me screaming out to let my best friend live.
Instead, my feelings were dulled, as the bony armor grew over my body, I felt it inside, hardening my heart as well…
For the first time in a long time, I felt free of the love he had infected on me. And it felt FUCKING GOOD! Being able to hit him back and shove his face against the concrete.
''NOW WHO'S WEAK?'' I yelled at him and breathed kryptonite gas at Clark's face.
It was all I needed to do to keep him down as the bone structures begun to spawn from the ground and finished him off by penetrating his body from multiple places. I thought I would feel sorrow when he was gone, but instead I only felt the anger, growing in me.
That I had held back so long.
I could have saved everyone from the weakness he had inflicted on us. My Doomsday Virus could have spread, body to body, inoculating the world against Superman. But I had used it too late.
Or so I thought.
''There's something so satisfying in hearing that particular death rattle, isn't there?'' I heard someone talk to me as I was walking away. ''I think we all know a few ways to bring the Blue Boy Scout down, but we never really think to use them until it's too late.''
''JOKER?'' I said as I grabbed onto his throat. ''I THOUGHT HE KILLED YOU…''
''Oh no, you misunderstand. The two of us, we're a set, you see?'' He spoke back to me without any fear in his voice. ''We're both Bruce Wayne gone terribly wrong. From a broken planet that was never meant to be. But I want to give you a second chance.''
I was still at my senses enough to let go of him and hear him out.
''This whole place? It's going to crumble away into cosmic nothing in the next few minutes,'' he told me before telling me why I have followed him to your world now. ''What if there was a world where everybody still loves and trusts Superman? Where they still think he is going to save the day no matter what happens? And what if I said our Great Big Plan meant showing everyone what he really is?''
''BRING ME THERE.''
Shaking Saffron General Hospital building that is slowly crumbling down
PTOOTH!
As soon as the windows were broken by the Devastator's rage, Owlman jumped out and used his grabbling gun to swing himself back inside to Ash, his friends and Team Rocket.
''Everyone of you, release your Flying Types and get the hell out of here!'' Owlman told them as soon as he got back inside and threw some glue grenades at the Devastator. ''No counter arguments, that thing can kill all of us if we stay here!''
''Togekiss, come on out!'' Dawn yelled releasing her Flying Fairy type Pokémon.
''Pidgeot, I choose you!'' Ash yelled releasing his recently required first bird Pokémon.
''YANMEGA, GET US AWAY FROM HERE!'' Jessie screamed throwing out a Pokéball and released her large dragonfly Pokémon.
FWOMB!
But before any of them got the chance to use them as suddenly everyone of them were caught in a green aura and pulled out from the building to the air, into the mercy of the Dawnbreaker. The young child version of Bruce Wayne smirked at them as he held them in the air, before sending them fly around the Saffron's skyline as the Devastator's rampage brought the Hospital building down.
''MOM!'' Ash yelled devastated as he was forced to watch the hospital grumble down and knowing his mother was still inside it.
But that wasn't the only thing that was happening. In the sky, another evil Batman in a dark blue armor, riding on Giratina and fighting against Arceus. Dawnbreaker brought them close enough to see the battle between them, before sending them flying downwards, towards the Saffron City Gym. On the roof of the Gym, there was a search light pointing upwards, sending the image of the Bat-Symbol up in the sky.
As they got closer to the Gym building, it's doors opened on their own and they were sent inside, into the dark where they couldn't see what was happening around them or each other. Then they heard the Batman's voice speaking to them in the darkness.
''Stop me, if you have heard this one before…''
Author's notes: Okay, I originally had this bit in the middle of THAT scene when I was writing it, but now that I'm posting it it's better moved here to A/N:s. Sometimes Ash is and is not that smart or stupid as the situation has required him to be in some episodes of the anime. Most of which that have made me yell at the screen that ''Ash is not that smart/stupid!''. But I have made him age in this story so he is older than the 10-year-old we have been told him to be for the last 20 years by the Pokémon Company, so his maturity on a mental level that makes him not that stupid here. He might still be a little slow minded, but not he is still experienced from all the Pokémon Leagues he has participated in and I can admit from personal experience that sometimes we boys do mature slower than girls do, which helps me in justifying some of Ash's 'dense' behavior.
Owlman's question ''Who was Granger?'' references to their previous meeting in Outsiders Beyond Good and Evil where he was encouraging and Batman was trying to talk Hermione Granger out of killing the Joker, who had poisoned and almost killed her husband Ron and kids Rose and Hugo.
Next, you and everyone who are now in a group together will be witnessing the dark and twisted origin story of the Batman Who Laughs.