Ship's in danger? Malamar and Jasper teaming up? Small chance of success? Huge chance of destruction? What are you all waiting for? Read Chapter 14!

Chapter 14

A Jolt of Truth

"Malamala... Malamar," the Overturning Pokémon chuckled out, Ash watching as it inspected them all. The way it floated made him feel a little uneasy and he definitely didn't like the look of it one bit, yet he had to stay strong. They were all going to make it through this, just as he promised Viggo.

"We won't let you get away with any of this, Jasper!" Ash called out, raising a closed fist in front of his body and shaking it. "It doesn't matter why you want the artifact or what reason you're using it for! We'll stop you before you can harm anyone else!"

Jasper stood there, listening, and Ash could have sworn he heard a small chuckle leave the chef's mouth. "Please. None of you are skilled enough to defeat this Malamar here, let alone Manectric. And even if you did manage to stop them by a stroke of luck there's no way to stop my plan at this point in time. We're too far along!"

"Well, we'll just see about that! Pikachu, use Iron Tail!" Ash yelled out while punching forward. Pikachu bounded forward, getting a lift into the air from Hawlucha. The Wrestling Pokémon tossed him up towards Malamar, his tail having stiffened up and beginning to glow a bright white color.

"Electivire, let's get in there, too! Help Pikachu out with your Iron Tail!" Gary commanded, Dawn finally helping him back onto the catwalk. Watching as the two Electric types' tails glowed a blinding white, Ash felt that there was no way for Malamar to stop both of them at once.

"Pika!"

"Electivire!"

The two Pokémon slammed their tails down hard onto Malamar, who, shockingly, managed to brace itself by blocking with its tentacles. The attack looked to be a direct hit from Ash's view of the battle. However, based on the lack of reaction from Malamar, Ash had a bad feeling. One that was only affirmed once Malamar smirked at the two Pokémon.

"Mala. Mala-a-a-a!" the leader laughed out before whipping its tentacles downward, in the process sending Pikachu and Electivire flying, as well. Malamar then continued its current attack, launching off a Psycho Cut attack right for Pikachu and Electivire.

"Quick, Luxray, intercept with Swift!" Clemont's voice rang out. It was definitely a welcome surprise for Ash as the inventor and his Luxray soon bounced to the front. Leaping in between the incoming attack and the falling Pikachu and Electivire, Luxray whipped his tail around just in time, his golden stars connecting with the purple, crescent blades.

An explosion soon followed, everyone feeling the boat rock from the blast. Ash knew they had to be more careful, especially with the passengers up above still being treated to by Brock and the others. He also noted how they had to be careful of the ship overall; if it were to get damaged in any way, then they would be done for.

"Watch out!" Serena's voice rang out as Ash looked to his side, seeing her point at Pikachu and the others. However, as he did so, Ash felt the Electric Mouse Pokémon crash into his chest, the explosion from the collision of the attacks having caused them to fly backwards. Managing to avoid the majority of the blow from Pikachu, he noticed that Gary wasn't as fortunate, Electivire having smashed right into him. The blow seemed to be pretty powerful, having knocked him over and right into Dawn, the duo struggling to get back up following their entanglement.

"We have no space to battle..." Ash grit out, watching Bonnie help get Electivire off of Gary so that he and Dawn could stand up. "We have to be careful of the ship, but we're so cramped...one wrong move and this whole place could begin flooding."

"Hmph...foolish boy. Do you really think we would worry about flooding a ship? This vessel means nothing to us now," Jasper spoke, pointing to one of the steel beams in the vicinity, a sinister smile on his face. "Manectric, Hyper Beam, my good pal."

"Manec!" the Electric type howled out, the explosive blast knocking itself right into one of the support beams. The impact caused it to be ripped from its spot and make the entire ship shake.

Falling backwards, Ash felt himself being held up as he almost lost his balance. Turning around, he noticed Serena had grabbed a hold of him and was helping him remain balanced following the last strike. "Are you crazy? ! You'll get us all killed by doing something like that!"

"It's of little concern to me," Jasper replied with a dismissive wave of his hand. "Whatever happens here and now is of no importance anymore. The Clavis is in my possession at last and so my ambitions can finally be met with success."

"Ash!" Gary called out, gaining his attention. Looking at his former rival, Ash wondered just what he had in mind. "We're too crowded here at this location. We have to find a way to the other side of the hall and spread out! But, that oversized piece of sushi is blocking our way. And with Manectric over there, Pikachu, Luxray and Electivire can't use their electric attacks."

Ash nodded in agreement, looking at the situation before him. There had to be a way to beat them all, but Malamar was proving to be a tough battler by itself, and that was with Manectric just waiting in the background watching; Arceus forbid it should join the fight. Biting his lip, Ash wondered just what could be done, only to then feel slightly relaxed, a calming presence having entered his body. Looking down, the Pallet Town native noticed that Serena had grabbed ahold of his hand, intertwining it with her own. He could feel her warmth enter through his glove and felt better from it.

"Ash, whatever happens now, I want you to know I'll always be by your side. Through better or worse, you can rely on me to be right behind you one hundred percent," Serena told him. Ash smiled at the gesture. However, the moment was short lived as they all barely ducked underneath another Psycho Cut.

"Now there's no escaping!" Viggo cried out, Bonnie doing her best to try and reassure him with a comforting hand. Looking behind themselves, Ash understood exactly what the boy meant as the catwalk they were on was now destroyed except for the two entrances to it and the exact spot they were standing in. "I knew this was a mistake coming down here. There are only two paths now! One with the gap towards Jasper and another over towards the backup generator."

Looking over the situation, Ash knew they needed to get a little space between the five of them, otherwise they would be sitting ducks. Noticing everything around them, an idea came to his mind. "Hawlucha, I have an idea. Think you can handle it?" Ash asked, the Pallet Town native leaning over towards the Fighting and Flying type. Whispering it into his ear, Hawlucha appeared to smile from the idea (or so it seemed to Ash), which was good since they only had one shot at this. Turning to his other friends, Ash knew this had to be perfect.

"Clemont, you mentioned that the Temple Arvum is right underneath, right?" Ash asked as the inventor merely nodded while commanding Luxray to use Swift once more. Braixen also joined in, having launched a Flamethrower. The two attacks merged together to form a golden blaze that managed to strike Malamar and push it back slightly, but wasn't enough to inflict much damage. "And you said that the Clavis is at its strongest when near it, so if we move the ship, it'll shut down, right?"

"That's what we've all come up with as a hypothesis. If I can get the backup generator running, it would make starting the engine much easier with some form of energy flowing to it and the rest of the ship. I already know what you're about to ask me, though, and I can assure that you can count on me, Ash. I'll have this engine up faster than you can say 'Pikachu use Thunderbolt'...though Malamar won't be welcome to my actions," Clemont reassured his friend while fixing his glasses. He continued to stare down the Overturning Pokémon, neither breaking eye contact. Ash knew this was going to be tricky, but everyone needed to play their part in his idea.

"Don't you worry about Malamar, Ash. I still have a bone to pick with it," Gary stated confidently, cracking his knuckles and stepping forward, Electivire doing the same as its trainer.

"Don't forget about us," Dawn joined in, having moved forward so as to stand shoulder to shoulder with Gary. "No one controls my body and makes me do those actions without some payback. Ash, you and Serena go handle Jasper, we've got this creep."

"Right!" Ash cried out confidently, tightening his grip on Serena's hand. There was no way he would allow anything to happen to her or any of his other friends at all. Running forward, Ash heard Dawn's cry for a large Bubblebeam as the singular bubble soon formed before him. Making good use of it, Ash, Serena and their Pokémon all jumped on it, Hawlucha vanishing from sight immediately after. However, Malamar was one step ahead of them, having been on the move by launching a Dark Pulse right at the small group and sending them flying.

"Mala... Mala malamar," it cried out in laughter, watching Ash, Serena, Pikachu and Braixen being launched backwards and off of the catwalk, the small group having been sent down into the bottom of the hull. Soon, remains of the broken support and deck beams fell down towards them, both Pikachu and Braixen jumping into action. The duo broke as many as they could, Ash shielding Serena from any falling debris that made it past the two Pokémon.

"Ash!" Clemont cried out in concern, making his way over to the generator. However, before he could get there, Malamar cut him off. The Dark and Psychic type hovered in front of him, its body glowing that horrifying color. Clemont shuddered slightly from the sight of it. Shielding his eyes, Clemont didn't know if he would be properly protected, but, his worries were stopped thanks to Luxray's quick thinking.

"Lux, luxray!" the Gleam Eyes Pokémon shouted, before tackling the Malamar, sending them both over the edge of the catwalk and down below with Ash and Serena.

"Luxray, be careful of the hull! If that breaks, then this whole ship could possibly sink! And the machinery is very delicate! If those go down, who knows how much trouble we'll be in!" Clemont called down as Luxray sunk his teeth into one of the tentacles of Malamar. The action caused the Dark and Psychic type to cry in pain before swatting Luxray into one of the steel beams down below. "Hold on, Luxray, I'm coming!" Clemont screamed as he (surprisingly to the others) got ready to leap over the side of the catwalk and get to his partner.

"Wait, Clemont," Gary spoke, the inventor stopping himself from making the jump over the railing. Ash watched the interaction between his two friends from down below. To no surprise, Clemont took his foot off of the railing before Gary leapt over instead. "Clemont, we'll handle the Malamar, you and Dawn get that generator up and running!" Gary yelled back, he and Electivire sliding down the side of the hull before reaching the bottom.

Shaking his attention from the others, Ash turned back to Serena as they pulled the last of the debris off of them. She appeared to be fine, but he still wanted to make sure. Checking quickly, he didn't seem to find any injuries and instead turned his attention back to Jasper. The man appeared to be watching with a slight amount of interest though he still seemed indifferent.

"Ash, we've got to get back up there somehow," Serena coughed out, Ash helping her over to one of the steel beams before the duo used it to support themselves in standing up. "We can't let him..."

"We won't let him win," Ash reassured her before looking around. Seeing Hawlucha remain hidden up on one of the deck beams, Ash was glad his partner had gotten away from Malamar's attack. At the very least, they had him as an ace up their sleeve. "Gary, are you alright?"

"Doing just fine, Ashy-boy. Though a quick hand would be useful!" he shouted in response, jumping over a Dark Pulse that struck the hull of the ship and shook everything. Falling forward during his jump, Gary landed on Luxray only for the Electric type to be smacked backwards by Malamar's newly launched Psycho Cut, knocking it out. Gary quickly climbed over the defeated Luxray, continuing on in the fight. "Electivire, use Iron Tail!" he called out in response as he got right back up.

Ash grit his teeth, watching Electivire's Iron Tail get parried by Malamar before being wrapped in a tentacle. Running over towards the battle, Ash commanded a Quick Attack. Pikachu sprinted over towards the scene as a Flamethrower from Braixen followed right behind him.

"Pika!" Pikachu cried out confidently, lowering his head and ramming into Malamar's chest. Following it up with a quick Iron Tail, Pikachu avoided being caught in Malamar's tentacles by using his tail as a springboard. Flying up and away from Malamar, the Dark and Psychic type was soon met with a face full of flames, Braixen's own attack having landed right into its face.

"Alright, a direct hit," Serena cried out happily only for the ship to begin rocking back and forth. Seeing Serena about to fall from the sudden shaking, Ash pulled her close to his body; so close that the two would have seemed to be in an embrace had it been in any other situation than now. Once he felt she had her balance back, Ash let her go, only for another shake to soon fill the area as Braixen fell over this time. "W-What's happening?"

"I don't know," Gary replied, a third shake now occurring causing even him to lose his balance. Ash thought this was all strange and felt something was off about it all. "But even if we don't know, I wouldn't go celebrating anything just yet. We've still got a long ways to go."

"At this rate, we'll never get to the artifact," Ash complained out loud, Malamar appearing to taunt them all by laughing. Ash bit the inside of his mouth at this, growing frustrated by the fact they couldn't defeat this Pokémon. "There has to be a quick way to hit it. Clemont, do you have any ideas?"

"None right now, Ash," the young inventor replied from up above, having started to play around with the generator, finding an obvious problem with it. "Though, unless we get a large supply of electricity to the ship and return power to it, there's no way to jumpstart this generator."

"Oh my, whatever will you do? !" Jasper teased as he looked at their surprised faces. Standing triumphantly, Jasper appeared to fold his arms behind his back, letting out a light chuckle. "All remaining power on the ship is being redirected to the Clavis as we speak."

"Well, what if we produce our own electricity? !" Dawn cried out happily before she gripped a pokeball in her hand. Tossing it upwards as she ran towards Clemont up above, the device opened up and Pachirisu appeared on the catwalk in a confused manner. "Clemont, do you think if we created enough power through an electrical current from Pachirisu's Discharge attack that it could possibly supply enough power to the generator?"

"Why bother?" Jasper cut in, Manectric walking forward with a slight growl. "Did you forget that all electric attacks will just be immediately absorbed by my darling Manectric? There's no way to send power to the ship at all."

"What if Manectric isn't around!?" Ash yelled. Jasper appeared to actually be surprised by the claim, or perhaps it was more curiosity. Either way, Ash was glad he was showing something other than indifference, as it meant Hawlucha's presence above was still hidden for the time being; hidden for the time to strike. "Now, Hawlucha! Strike him with Flying Press!"

"Lucha!" Hawlucha cried out before he spread his wings nice and wide, appearing from his hiding spot on the deck beam. Jumping down from there, Hawlucha glowed white, the Flying and Fighting type falling straight onto Manectric and causing the duo to skid backwards, past Jasper. Manectric appeared to be out of range for the time being since Electivire was able to launch a Thunder off without it flying in Jasper's direction.

"Alright, Dawn, we gave you your chance!" Ash called out. Clemont had already hooked Pachirisu up to the generator. However, before either himself or Dawn could begin, the ship shook once more causing the both of them to fall over the edge of the railing and down into the bottom of the hull.

"Oww..." Dawn moaned, rubbing her rear end as Piplup came sliding down after her. Ash gently helped her up off the ground, the Sinnoh native appearing fine from the fall.

"What could be causing all the shaking, though?" Clemont asked while recalling Luxray into his pokeball. "Whatever it is, it isn't on the ship. This seems to be coming from outside somehow. Though, it's different than when Noivern and Talonflame tried to break through that strange aura before. It's almost as if..."

"The Pokémon are attacking!" Bonnie cried out from her and Viggo's safe place, interrupting Clemont's sentence as she looked through the hole in the side of the hull. All around the aura, many different Water type Pokémon had gathered nearby, almost as if they were being called towards the ship. They rammed into the vessel in what seemed to be a coordinated assault. "It's like they're trying to tell us something."

"They want to help," Gary stated, both himself and Electivire leaping over another incoming tentacle before using Thunder to fry Malamar. It was a shame their opponent only looked somewhat wounded. "Pokémon are in tune with nature, so they must know that whatever Jasper has in store with the Clavis isn't good. They want to stop this ship no matter what."

"Mala!" Malamar cried out angrily before a Dark Pulse crashed right into Electivire. The Electric type was sent hurtling backwards and into Gary. Before the researcher could react, Malamar swept the duo away and right into one of the remaining steel beams.

"Though...who...who knows how far..." Gary began to say, drifting in and out of consciousness. That last hit from Malamar was a doozy, having smashed them right into a pole. Ash worried that he wouldn't be all right. Proving Ash wrong, the researcher stood back up as Electivire seemed a little more sluggish than his trainer. "Who knows how far the Pokémon would go, though. If they perhaps see the option of sinking the ship as their best chance to survive, who's to say they wouldn't do it. That's why we need to end this fast before they take it into their own hands."

"Well, we can't do anything until we can get back on top of the catwalk," Clemont pointed out, extending his Aipom Arm to try and grab ahold of the railing in an effort to steady himself. Unfortunately, he fell just short of his target. "And I don't think Malamar will give us any shot at going back up."

"Looks like we can't avoid fighting then," Ash remarked, adjusting his hat before looking over at the grinning, yet seething, Malamar. Something about it made him feel uneasy and his thoughts were reassured by Gary soon after.

"Ash, we don't have time for all of us to stay here and fight the Malamar at once. We need to stick to the plan of you going to get the Clavis from Jasper while Clemont gets the emergency generator running. Myself and Dawn can handle this Malamar together, but you three need to find a way up to the catwalk," he explained before casting a glance back at Ash. The Pallet Town native understood exactly what he meant and he merely nodded at his longtime rival before heading off in search of a way back above.

"Mala. Malamar, mar!" the Dark and Psychic type cried out in a creepy manner, everyone watching it approach them. Ash took a moment to look back and watched as both Gary and Dawn ducked underneath one of Malamar's tentacles.

"There has to be a way to stop this freak," Gary could be heard muttering, Ash unable to help. "Electivire get in there with another Iron Tail!"

"And Piplup, you help out with an Ice Beam attack!" Dawn called out, the two Pokémon jumping forward. Opening his mouth, the small Water type launched off his jagged beam of icy energy as the Malamar blocked it with its tentacles.

However, before Malamar could do anything else, the Overturning Pokémon felt a sharp pain across its chest, Electivire's Iron Tail having struck hard against it. The attack pushed Malamar backwards before following it up with another strike. Ash noticed how Malamar appeared to be breathing slightly harder than when it first appeared before Jasper.

"Let's keep that oversized squid on the run! Electivire use Thunder!" Gary commanded before he punched forward. Electivire whirled his arms around, electricity flowing throughout his entire body.

Running forward, Piplup wasn't going to sit back and do nothing, either, as he opened his mouth to release a stream of bubbles, Dawn having commanded a Bubblebeam attack at the same moment. The two Pokémon then fired off their respective attacks, the Thunder seeming to merge with the Bubblebeam attack to create a destructive combination.

"Mala!" Malamar screamed out, the Dark and Psychic type glowing blue for a brief second before the same glow surrounded the incoming attack. Turning them around, Malamar smirked indicating to Gary that something was all too wrong. Pushing Dawn onto the ground, the researcher followed suit, the duo barely managing dodge the redirected attack. However, the blast managed to strike a support beam. It suddenly snapped loudly before breaking off and crashing into the catwalk, causing another section to fall down.

"T-That was close," Dawn huffed out, standing back up alongside Gary. Looking at the newly fallen catwalk, the duo both sighed with relief before Gary looked back at Malamar. "If it can just use Psychic, how are we ever going to hit it?"

"We'll just have to find a solution," Gary replied, looking at the battle before him. Commanding a Thunder Punch, Gary watched on as Dawn soon joined in with another Ice Beam attack. Staying back, Electivire allowed the icy beam to crash into Malamar and cause the Overturning Pokémon to flinch slightly before striking. Swinging his arm upwards, Electivire struck hard and fast, landing a few powerful punches before jumping backwards.

"Mala, mala. Malamar," the Dark and Psychic type muttered; Gary had no idea as to what was being said. Looking back at Ash, the researcher noticed that they were still looking for a way back up and knew their own duo needed to stall, if not stop, the Malamar for a while longer. Turning back around, Gary was met with a powerful Psycho Cut coming straight for him.

Calling for a Protect, the researcher was soon shielded by Electivire and his green shield before the attack bounced off harmlessly. Wiping his forehead clean, Gary immediately called for a Thunder attack before Electivire launched off the powerful Electric type attack. Watching it strike Malamar, Gary grew worried by the way their opponent seemed barely harmed by the previous attack. "This is useless. Malamar just shakes off everything we throw at it!" Gary yelled through gritted teeth before biting the end of his thumb.

"Gary, we'll draw Malamar into an attack. Once it does try to fight us, have Electivire hit that oversized calamari with everything you have," Dawn replied before pointing her hand forward. "Piplup, use a giant Bubblebeam and then follow it up with an Ice Beam!"

"Pip, luppip," Piplup happily cried out before pounding his chest. Running forward, the Penguin Pokémon pushed a giant bubble from the deep innards of his body, forcing the large attack out from his beak and right for Malamar. Just as Gary figured, the first attack was for nothing more than a distraction. Malamar quickly used Psychic on the gigantic bubble and froze it mid-flight before turning it right into Piplup's Ice Beam attack.

The two attacks collided against each other as the Bubblebeam burst open from the clash and sprinkled droplets of water all along the ground while also creating a slight mist. Seeing an idea, Gary quickly issued another Thunder Punch, only for Electivire to strike the floor instead. Slamming his fists into the soaked floor, the Electric type watched on, his electrical current surging across the floor and right into his opponent's lower body.

"Mala!" Malamar screeched in pain, a slight explosion occurring around it, the entire area being covered in a black cloud as visibility practically disappeared. Listening closely, Ash could have sworn he heard Piplup smashing his beak against something followed up by another Iron Tail from Gary's Electivire. Shaking his head away from the battle, Ash looked back towards Serena and Clemont, the duo now working on trying to use the broken piece of the catwalk as a ladder of sorts.

"If I could manage to grab ahold of that railing, then perhaps my Aipom Arm could pull me back up top..." Ash heard Clemont mutter, following the inventor's eyesight. Catching sight of it, Ash saw immediately what Clemont had meant. The way that the catwalk had fallen was an easy enough way to get back up to Jasper. However, it was getting up onto the broken piece that was proving difficult for them.

"Well, I'll give you that needed boost then!" Ash groaned out, the Pallet Town native beginning to lift Clemont up. Both Serena and Clemont appeared shocked by his action, yet Ash didn't stop, rather he continued to lift the inventor up until he was sitting on his shoulders. "Clemont...can...can you grab it yet?"

"J-Just about... Got it!" Clemont screamed out, his Aipom Arm grabbing ahold of the bar that served as a railing before using it to pull himself up. Holding onto the railing, Clemont lowered his Aipom Arm down towards the others.

Reaching up, Ash grabbed ahold of it with one hand as he wrapped his other around Serena's waist and pulled the girl close to him. Incidentally, their bodies were touching, but it hardly mattered to either of them while in their current predicament. Moving slowly, the duo was finally able to grab ahold of the railing themselves before climbing up and over it onto the still structurally sound catwalk, Pikachu leaping off of his secure location on Ash's shoulder. Looking back down, Ash watched on, Electivire once more using Protect. Only this time it had been used to shield Piplup as the Penguin Pokémon was about to be struck by a Dark Pulse attack. With the shield fading away, Piplup quickly fired back with a rather powerful Bubblebeam that appeared to catch Malamar by surprise (at least to Ash it looked surprised) before it slammed into one of the steel beams and collapsed onto the ground.

"Give it up, Jasper!" Ash yelled out, raising a fist in front of his face. Serena was off to his side while he could make out the sound of Clemont's feet running over to the generator to see if he could get it working at all. "Your plan isn't going to work now! Malamar can barely stand and you're outnumbered!"

"My, it does appear that way. But, whatever will you do to stop me?" Jasper asked as he arched an eyebrow towards the Ash. Gritting his teeth at the man's condescending mockery, Ash didn't back down, but instead stepped forward so that he was at the edge of the catwalk. "Your little band of heroes seem a little tired too, however, and Clemont has his hands all tied up at the moment."

"I wouldn't underestimate us just yet," Clemont replied, letting out his traditional laugh while reattaching the wires to Pachirisu. "We've proven before that when pushed into a corner, we'll fight back."

Ash nodded in agreement, feeling Serena's presence right next to him. Looking over at her, he was fascinated by how determined she looked in this situation as Braixen, who had followed them up, stood in front of her, branch raised and pointed at Jasper. They were both still ready for a battle despite everything they had been through today. Neither looked ready to back down until it was all over.

"Yeah, we've been through quite a bit thanks to Team Flare, so we're prepared!" Serena shouted, Ash picking up on the anger in her voice. "We've fought together in worse times than just this. We stopped Lysandre from destroying this world and we won't let you ruin anything, either!"

"Brai! Braixen, brai!"

"Pikachu, chupi, pika!"

Both Pokémon appeared ready for a battle, electricity beginning to flow around Pikachu, the Electric Mouse Pokémon tensing on all fours. Likewise, Ash noticed that Braixen's branch was now lit up, flames soon emerging on it. There was no way they would lose. This was it. This was where they made their stand to protect their future. Nodding to Serena, the duo was about to strike when they heard Dawn shriek out.

"L-Let go of us!" her voice could be heard, causing Ash, Serena and the Pokémon to turn around. Seeing that Malamar was back to battling, Ash was shocked to see both Piplup and Electivire hunched over on the ground. What shocked him more, however, was the sight of Dawn and Gary caught within Malamar's grasp.

Clenching his fists, Ash ran right past Clemont and to the other side of the catwalk, watching his friends struggle against the tight grip. To Ash, it looked as though Gary was already out cold from Malamar's grasp. Dawn didn't look much better to him either, the Coordinator flailing her legs around in hopes of getting free only for it to be of no avail. Smirking, Malamar let out a light chuckle, tossing the out cold Gary aside before twirling the Sinnoh native around freely in hopes of knocking her out as well.

"Braixen, use Fire Blast!" Serena's voice now rang out to Ash. Looking next to him, the trainer soon noticed a large five-pronged star of fire shoot downwards and towards Malamar, forcing the Overturning Pokémon to jump out of the way.

"T-This is bad. This is bad," Viggo muttered out. Ash looked on in worry for the younger boy; he seemed terrified of what was happening and Ash knew they had to stop Malamar and Jasper soon or else his terror would grow. "I warned you all that we would die. We're going to die and there's nothing we can do about it. I tried to have courage, but..."

"Viggo, listen to my voice!" Clemont called out, sounds of tools clashing filling the air from him continuing to play around with the generator. "Everything will be all right. Ash, Serena and I will never allow anything bad to happen to you! We'll continue to get back up no matter many times Jasper thinks he can knock us down. Even if it looks futile, we'll get right up and fight until we've taken our last breaths."

Viggo shook his head in an uneasy manner before facing Bonnie. Ash could only wonder what was going on in that boy's mind right now, his shaking soon picking up again. "No, they don't understand, Bonnie," his voice spoke out, Ash seeming to hear fear in every word that he spoke. "It doesn't matter what we do, we'll all just die in the end. I'll just die in the end. I'm not like all of you, I'm different."

"Viggo, we'll win, believe me," Bonnie spoke, a smile forming on her face before she pointed over at Ash and the others. "My... no, our friends don't know the meaning of giving up. Even if it seems hopeless, they'll continue to get right back up. Some might consider it foolish of them, but since meeting Ash, we've all grown, not only as trainers but as people, too. And as long as they can still breathe, I know Ash, Serena and Clemont won't back down. And that's why we need to help them out as well," Bonnie explained as she shook her little purse upside down.

"Hey, that's great and all but a little help would be nice!" Dawn yelled out in a gasp, flailing her body around. The grip from Malamar only happened to tighten the more she tried to break free, causing her to give up for the time being. "I'd rather not be stuck in this situation for long."

Falling out of the purse was none other than the sleeping Dedenne, who was awoken rudely by his head hitting the catwalk. "Denenne. Nenene!" he cried out angrily, his cheeks sparking a little.

Bonnie bent over and picked up the little Electric and Fairy type, stroking his fur as she did so. Ash watched on as she appeared to whisper something into Dedenne's ear before tossing him down over the catwalk and right for Malamar.

"Don't worry, Dawn, the cavalry is on the way!" Bonnie cried out happily, her partner rubbing his cheeks together happily. Electricity soon sparked from the two, small, red sacs on his face before the Antenna Pokémon smashed into Malamar. The sparks didn't appear to hurt Malamar, but they were enough to cause the Dark and Psychic type to lose its grip on Dawn, dropping her on top of Gary and their defeated Pokémon.

"Mala!" Malamar cried out in rage, quickly flicking Dedenne away from itself, only to collapse onto the ground covered in sparks soon after. Ash realized immediately that the thing was paralyzed and now was their chance to attack. However, Dawn beat him to the punch, standing up and issuing her command.

"This is for everything you've done to me during this cruise! From using me as your puppet to ruining my fun! Pachirisu fry this Malamar to a crisp, use Discharge!" Ash soon felt sparks all around him, the effects of Discharge, no doubt. Watching Malamar to make sure it made no sudden movements, Ash could hear the sound of a generator running, and the immediate area was soon lit up with light. The ship's actual lights. Looking back for a second, Ash noticed that the Discharge hadn't only been directed at Malamar, but also towards the generator as well, allowing the ship to have some power back.

"E-Electivire, Protect..." Gary muttered with the last of his strength, a green shield being formed around the four on the bottom near the hull before the blue electricity surged down there. Watching as Malamar screamed in pain from the jolt, Gary and Dawn could only smile before they felt themselves passing out from their fatigue.

"Mala! Mala, malamaaaaaar!" Malamar continued to scream out, electricity surging through its body to the point it was now crying in pain. Once the attack ended, the Overturning Pokémon couldn't take any more, and it collapsed on the ground, smoking and defeated, if still twitching with the last vestiges of consciousness.

"You're truly useless, you know that, right? Never once have you provided me with any support!" Jasper yelled down at the defeated Malamar, a frown passing over his face. To Ash, it seemed as though Jasper was starting to break from his confident demeanor for a moment, only to sigh and run a hand through his hair before calming down. "You meddlesome pests might have restored power through the backup generator, but that won't stop me. For you see, the Clavis is still being powered as we speak, even if not as strongly as before. Regardless, once it is fully powered it can't be stopped!"

"I wouldn't count us out just yet, Jasper," Ash replied with a raised fist, shaking it in an intimidating fashion towards the chef. Pikachu, likewise, seemed ready for a fight, his cheeks sparking in anger. "Why did you do this!? What was the point of all of this? The Malamar. Kidnapping Gary. Controlling Dawn. Stealing the Clavis. Why?"

Jasper appeared to think it over for a moment's notice, Ash wondering just what the man could have possibly been thinking about at this point in time. Placing his hands behind his back, Jasper appeared to begin pacing, the sight of a large blue portal of sorts could seemingly forming behind him. Looking to have found a reasonable answer (or so it seemed to Ash), Jasper smirked at the two trainers before him. "Why, isn't it obvious? I needed everyone out of the way so that I could retrieve the Clavis and return to my time in the future. I'm not from this unsavory world. Trapped here due to their meddling in the affairs of time travel," Jasper explained, like it was no big shock before pointing down at the Malamar.

"Y-You're from the future?" Ash muttered, looking at the man in shock. All this time, this man knew what was going to happen and yet they had no idea. They had all been played by him. Who was to say, by this point, that he hadn't arranged all the coincidences to have them on the ship? "So...d-does that..."

"Does that mean I'm responsible for all of this? To a point, yes," Jasper replied, letting out a low chuckle that sounded no different from a maniacal laugh considering it sent shivers down Ash's spine. "All it took was the help of the Malamar here and I was able to convince Mr. Cecil, Captain Ryker and Lisia to help form this cruise to this particular destination. That was the easy part, even if it took some secretive finagling; the hard one was keeping all of you off my trail. By disguising myself as the ship's helpful chef I managed to blend in with the crowd and go undetected as my plan began. Though with brainwashed servants at your disposal, getting away with anything was easy enough.

"However, despite planning for all of your arrivals, there was one small hiccup in my plan: those bumbling idiots that Malamar blasted off. They snuck onto the ship and managed to disguise themselves as part of the crew, even working in the kitchen alongside myself at times. I knew so much, yet them...ah, but I suppose I had myself to blame, meddling with the timeline. Regardless, had they not been there, I would already be on my way home, leaving this place to rot to pieces at the control of the Malamar. Though, despite all of my moves in this game, I must admire your ability to power through. Nowhere in our game did you falter or fail. Not even when pressed with the drama of young love and its snares.

"What you did to Dawn was wrong!" Serena shouted out, unable to contain her anger at remembering what Dawn had been like mere hours ago. Ash also understood Serena's anger, his fists tightening even more (as if possible by this point) from picturing Dawn in the state she had been in. Jasper, however, merely raised an eyebrow as if to say "not her" to the duo only for the message to go unnoticed. "If you believed everything was going to work, then why use Dawn in the way you did? !"

Jasper shrugged his shoulders for a second, the sound of Manectric's paws clattering on the metal catwalk as the Electric type walked back towards him. Turning to look at his beloved partner, Jasper rubbed the Electric type's mane as he dragged Hawlucha along with him. Ash glared across the catwalk, hoping Hawlucha was alright since he needed the Wrestling Pokémon's help. Turning back towards Serena and Ash, Jasper appeared to have a nerve-rattling smile on his face, causing both Ash and Serena to take a step back on instinct. "Have you ever played the game of chess, Miss Serena? Because if you have, you would surely know about the pawn. A game piece viewed with less importance than the others. Yet, it is one of the most highly important pieces for a winning formula.

"Dawn was my pawn, as were the Malamar. By using them to attack my adversaries and defend myself, the king in this game, I was able to get this far. Of course, little did the Malamar know that Dawn was not only a pawn for both of us, but she would become my most valuable piece in our fine game. She served me in more than one way. Not only did she keep your imbecilic minds distracted with her odd behavior, but she was feeding me information on the Malamar and their plan! Two Pidgey! One stone!"

Clemont shook his head, joining Ash and Serena at the front while Bonnie and Viggo quickly pulled up the rear. "That wouldn't make any sense at all. How would you be able to control a brainwashed person if you weren't the brainwasher?"

"Science," Jasper answered in one word, waving his finger back and forth in front of his face. "You see, where I come from in my timeline, I am a world-renowned scientist who has created quite the advanced breakthroughs. One such creation of mine is a potion that causes the consumer to divulge all secrets. An excellent creation used by many police agencies to help crack down on crime. Making the concoction was easy enough with the supplies found here and the color of it caused the beverage to look like any other type of soda, especially lime. I honestly was surprised at how easily I could give it to her in crowded settings with none of you even questioning it! I must thank you for all of that! Without it, I never would have discovered just how dangerous all of you really were!"

"Dangerous? What do you mean by that? You're the one trying to destroy everything," Ash asked, slightly confused by the statement. Looking over at Jasper, the man still seemed to be somewhat calm despite everything else going on making it so that Ash couldn't help but feel nervous from his demeanor. "We would have never done anything wrong."

"Perhaps for this world, but you see, using the Clavis always causes a rather... stunning side effect. Once a portal is created to another world or timeline, the previously occupied one will begin to deteriorate until nothing but a blank slate is left. A do over if you would, unless otherwise cancelled by those who first opened the portal.," Jasper explained smugly. "Hence the Malamar being willing to help me escape to my time in exchange for the one device they could use to recreate an entire universe. It was a rather disappointing trade off since I had grown accustomed to this world since arriving by accident. These primal ages, as I like to call them, were quite the blast of fun to live in and see what a world is like without the technology from my time. To see such primitive technology being considered brand new was quite amusing. Though, as with everything else, the good times must end." Jasper then appeared to turn as Manectric followed suit, but not before dropping Hawlucha on the ground. Ash watched as the Wrestling Pokémon managed to get up onto his knees with ease. His breathing was heavy at that moment but he appeared to be fine.

"Though, before I go, I wish to admit a secret to all of you. The Malamar, when we created this fake alliance, divulged some interesting tidbits about each of you. And how when together you're much too dangerous for us to take on. So, we created as many occurrences to separate you from each other. Some worked, others didn't. Dawn being one of them. She was meant to drive a wedge into the budding romance between young Mr. Ketchum and the beautiful Miss Serena. I must applaud you on not breaking, Ash. You proved me wrong. Though one of my other plans managed to work perfectly, didn't it? I have to credit the Malamar to that one...well, and my prodigious genius in bringing out their full potential." He seemed to chuckle a little at that last point.

No one understood what he meant by that. It hadn't made any sense to them at all and it made the least sense to Ash. Looking around, however, his eyes soon landed onto the young boy who had always been attached to Bonnie since they first arrived on the ship. "No...it...it couldn't be."

"I...I told...I told you all we should have stayed away," Viggo cried out as he covered his face with his hands, slowly rocking back and forth in his spot. "I warned you all something would happen. I tried to keep you all safe. I tried to keep you away from here."

"Viggo, calm down," Bonnie said, trying to place a hand on his shoulder only for it to be slapped away.

"You don't understand, Bonnie! It's over! We're all done for...especially me," he explained, gripping his head tighter as the sound of electricity appeared to be coming from Manectric. "I'm of no more use. The game is over and he's sacrificing another pawn."

Turning his gaze back over at Jasper, Ash noticed that the man and his partner were now looking at the head Malamar that Gary and Dawn had taken down together. Something seemed off about it, but before he could put together any reasons, the chef (or rather scientist) spoke up.

"You still don't understand. Such a shame, though," Jasper stated, waving his hand freely as the others soon turned to look at him. They all stared with piercing eyes, trying to understand just what was being said. "You were almost like a son to me, as much as I can stand children, at least. However, you've outlived your purpose and it's time for you to go. I'm deeply grateful for your help. I truly am. For without you, distracting the young one wouldn't have been such a wonderful show. I so enjoyed watching you lead her about in a merry dance all in the service of 'protecting her' like you were some noble knight instead of the rag you are. But now your time on this cruise, and this world, is over. Manectric, Thunderbolt on Malamar! Get rid of that blasted illusion!"

"Manec!" the Electric type roared out, a stream of electricity shooting across the hull and slamming into Malamar. A scream could be heard, sharp and high-pitched, before Malamar completely passed out from the attack. However, it wasn't Malamar screaming, but instead Viggo.

"I...I don't want to go back! I want to stay! This isn't fair!" his voice rang out. Ash and the others noticed immediately what he meant, all of them swallowing in shock. His feet were now vanishing as the rest of his body followed along shortly after. "I don't want to leave! I've made so many friends, so many wonderful memories! I don't want to lose them all!"

"What's happening to Viggo? !" Clemont asked aloud, reaching a hand out to the young boy's transparent section, only for it to phase through Viggo's leg.

"Viggo?" Bonnie asked, the young girl staring on in confusion at the vanishing boy. "Everything is going to be alright. I promised you it'll be fine and it will be! We'll never forget you!"

"B-Bonnie!" Viggo stuttered out as tears were now falling down his face. Moving what was left of his body, Viggo embraced the young girl in a tight hug as Ash felt a lump in his throat at the sight. "Please don't forget me! I'm sorry that I never told any of you, I just didn't want to go back to being what I was! Mr. Jasper gave me a life, so I did what he told me to do. I couldn't lose this opportunity, not when I felt so...alive. But the longer I spent with all of you, the closer to you I became. And now...and now I can't say goodbye!"

Bonnie immediately returned the hug as the two children stood there, crying. Ash wasn't sure what to do at all, but he did know one person he could take his confusion out on. Watching the two children say goodbye, Ash looked around to see both Serena and Clemont with saddened expressions on their faces. It wasn't right, Ash thought, to have this boy ripped away from them just because he was a part of Jasper's plans.

"Viggo, you'll always be my best friend, no matter what! I'll never forget all the fun we had together on this ship, and I'll always cherish our time together!" Bonnie cried out as Viggo's upper body was now vanishing. Gone were the tears, both children having dried up moments ago. But that hadn't made it any less sad.

"Bonnie, thank you for everything. For being my friend. Spending time with me. Playing, searching the ship, riding those Water types. Everything. And no matter what, stop Jasper, make sure nothing bad happens to this world I grew to love. Protect your world, Bonnie. Because you're my best friend and I want to see you happy," he said with one last smile before completely vanishing. In his place fell a handmade doll right in the spot he had been standing. Ash's eyes widened, a fragment of memory surfacing only to be replaced with another, more primal, emotion.

"Viggo!" Bonnie cried out as she dropped onto her knees, exhausted from the entire ordeal. Ash looked over at Jasper, sending a glare he didn't even know he had. Looking back at Bonnie, he watched as Serena and Clemont tried to comfort her to no avail while she cradled the doll in her hands, tears starting to form once more.

Fixing his cap again, Ash turned to face Jasper, the man just smiling happily at all of their misery. Only one thought was on Ash's mind now as he knew what had to be done. He knew he had to stop this maniac before anyone else got hurt. For everyone. For themselves. And for Viggo.

"Let's finish this, Jasper."

Author's Note: So yes, my own tendency for hopefully shocking reveals rears its head once more. Viggo, nothing more than an illusion. I'm sure you have some questions like "how could he touch the others?" Well, you'll find that last nugget out next chapter. I hope we could shock you all, though. As for other things, Dawn got her moment of revenge on our sneaky squids and backup power has been restored, though they're not out of hot water yet!

potat lasaro: Wow...how many saw that coming with Viggo? I mean, a doll! Well, there were hints all over the place about him not being what he seemed to be at all. And once more Jasper drops a little bit more about himself. A scientist from the future, brought back to the past...yeah, that never ends well for anyone. Thank you to everyone who has read and supported this story! (Also, go Pats! Win number five New England.)

One last note from me (Epicocity), as some of you may be aware, I've announced my next project on Twitter ( EpicocityFanfic). A few of you may be aware of it already, but those that aren't can either check it there or wait for the announcement here on the final chapter next week.

But before we fully leave you, it's time for our usual show of gratitude: Moonlightphan, Pats4ever1999, tami-velasco, wildfires mind and Sun to alola for favoriting; LuigiTSG for following; and that usual cheer of thanks to AmourshippingCanon, FantasyLover88, Girlgamer98765, aliensinnoh, UptownFunk, kar'taylir drasuum, Q-A the Authoress, ManleyTogekiss, CommanderAwesome3, AdvancedAlto, StarMaidenWarrior, Jayfeathers friend, Tanker one, MossDeepThinker, ultimateCCC, leaflame, Cato Yugi, Phantomorion, Cottonmouth25, Xiaolin Dinosaur Master, Djiprad and 2 guests for reviewing.. We're very close to the end and greatly appreciate all the support we've received. So, until the final battle, please Review and Dare to Be Silly.