Hi Everyone, I know it's been along time. It's amazing how quickly four months can go by. Anyway, for three of those months I was unable to access my computer because of renovations, so I'm now giving you a treat by updating the whole movie!

Enjoy!

Chapter 19 – The Power of One Part 3

Zapdos discharged electricity in all directions, the fierce power raining down on the area. Ash and the others watched in amazement as rocky mushroom-shaped pylons glowed a florescent blue hue on contact with the electricity.

Compared to the scared rocky earth that absorbed the electricity, the strange pylons radiated in a way that didn't seem natural. Ash could almost feel the energy coming from the pylons as if they had been transformed, awakening a deep hidden power.

For some unknown reason, he felt stronger; they all did. But it was Pikachu who put that strength into action, jumping atop the boat's bow and unleashing a strong burst of electricity at the legendary bird.

"Pikachu! No!" Ash exclaimed, shocked by his Pokémon's recklessness.

The bolt of electricity hit Zapdos on its left wing, but the Pokémon wasn't affected. The bolt felt like nothing more than a flick for the legendary bird. Still, it wasn't about to let such insolence go unpunished, launching a charge of electricity double that of Pikachu's attack back at the Pokémon.

"Pika!" Pikachu cried as the bolt hit him, knocking him back down the ship's bow.

"Are you okay?" Ash worriedly questioned, reaching for his Pokémon. But, suddenly, he was drawn back to Zapdos as its electricity illuminated the night sky.

Electricity sparked in every direction from Zapdos as it Landed on Moltres' Shrine. Immediately, as it landed, the same blue hue of energy that had radiated from pylons encircled the entire mountain top.

Everyone could feel the raw power emanating from the rocky ground. Curiously, Ash kneeled and picked up one of the broken rocks that emitted the energy. He held it in his hand, feeling his strength grow, but strangely, it also felt off, like it wasn't completely active.

Melody, Misty, and Tracey looked around in amazement, their hair waving from the immense power emitted from the ground. Electricity jumped across the area from one location to the next, narrowly avoiding them.

Tracey briefly glanced at the legendary Pokémon, noting its massive size. For him, it looked different, larger than it should have been, and while he hadn't seen a Zapdos with his own eyes before, he had seen pictures and read descriptions of the Pokémon.

Pikachu struggled to his feet, pushing himself through the pain caused by Zapdos' attack. Angrily, it launched another Thunderbolt at the legendary bird. However, this time, the attack bounced of Zapdos, who was completely unaffected by the attack as it cawed victoriously.

Pikachu launched bolt after bolt at the Pokémon, and Misty couldn't help but wonder what her friend's Pokémon was doing. "Hey, Ash!" she called, drawing the boys attention. "Pikachu doesn't seem to be attacking Zapdos! What is he doing?"

"I'm not sure," Ash explained, narrowing his eyes at his Pokémon. "It's not dissimilar to an attack, but there appears to be far more aura behind it. I… I think he's trying to communicate with Zapdos."

"What is he saying?"

Ash attempted to tap into his connection with Pikachu, hoping to link himself to the mind of his Pokémon. Truthfully, he hadn't been meditating as much as he should have been in the last couple of months; instead, he focused on becoming a better trainer than aura user.

"He's asking Zapdos what it's doing on Fire Island," Ash explained after successfully establishing a link. "And, where's Moltres."

Finally, after a large bolt caught Zapdos' attention, the legendary bird responded with a bolt of electricity.

"What was Zapdos' response?" Misty asked.

Ash glanced up at Misty sparingly before turning back to focus on Zapdos' reply. "It's saying that Moltres once ruled here," he explained, narrowing his eyes. "But now that Moltres is gone, lighting shall rule over fire, and that it claims this island as its own from this day forth."

"That isn't good," Melody stated. "The three legendary birds that inhabit these islands have been asleep for millennia. I've never heard of them ever waking before."

"But still, what could have caused Moltres to up and leave?" Misty questioned. "All three seem rather territorial."

"I'm not sure," Melody replied, confused by the whole situation. "As I said, the legendary birds slept on these islands long before humans even inhabited them. The ancients built these shrines when they found the birds slumbering. That's all I know of Shamouti's history."

Zapdos flared its electricity in all directions to demonstrate its power and control over the island. Ash ducked back underneath the boat's bow for safety while the three occupants of the boat's cockpit tried to shield themselves.

But suddenly, the electricity changed direction, channelling upwards towards the sky. The energy released from the rocks caused by Zapdos' electricity dissipated, the blue hue vanishing from the area around them. It surprised even Zapdos, who looked upwards, following the direction its electricity travelled.

Descending from above the clouds, Lawrence the Third's flying ship absorbed all of Zapdos' electricity, channelling it straight through the lightning rods at its base. Zapdos reacted angrily, launching more electricity that the ship easily captured.

Ash and his friends could only watch on as Zapdos was drained of its power. Weakened, the legendary bird could not fight back effectively as steel squares, similar to the round rings used to capture Moltres, were launched, descending on the people and Pokémon below.

Zapdos attempted to dodge the devices, trying to flee from the island, but its route took it straight over Ash and his friends, drawing the devices' attention to them.

With no way to counter the strange capture devices, Ash and his friends, their boat, and Zapdos became trapped as they were swarmed. Slowly raised into the sky, people and Pokémon were carried into Lawrence's flying ship.

Lawrence watched as Zapdos' holographic chess piece was consumed, signalling the Pokémon's capture. Immediately, the board changed, with Articuno's piece appearing on the board.

"Once I've captured Articuno," Lawrence monologued. "The real prize will appear." A chess piece in the shape of Lugia appeared next to Articuno's.

"Code Blue Three," the computer registered, catching Lawrence's attention. "When capturing Zapdos, we collected something… more."

"More?" Lawrence questioned. Intrigued, he flicked a switch, getting his throne chair to lower to the collection vault.

Beneath the sea, Lugia swam towards its destination, its eyes glowing as it increased its speed, sensing the urgency of the situation.

Ash, Misty, Melody, and Tracey huddled together inside the small steel cage that dangled just above the floor. They studied the two Pokémon on either side of them, still trapped inside the electric cages that had captured them.

"Zapdos and Moltres," Tracey said. "Someone must be hunting them. That would mean Articuno must be next."

But Melody's eyes quickly drifted to the ancient writing encased in a glass case in front of them. She recognised the text, having been taught how to read the island's ancient language in school. "Disturb not the harmony of fire, ice, or lightning," she read aloud, drawing the others attention. "Less these titans wreak destruction upon the world in which they clash." Melody thought about what the words could mean, but Lawrence's throne chair descended before she could put anything together.

Ash, Misty, Melody, and Tracey watched as Lawrence came into view, but they weren't sure who was more surprised by the other.

"Well, this certainly is a pleasure," Lawrence spoke first. "Though an unexpected one." He rose to his feet and gestured to the two Pokémon caged on either side of them. "What do you think? Moltres, the bird of fire, and Zapdos, the bird of lightning. Of course, without Articuno, it's not a complete set, but-"

"That's disgusting!" Misty angrily spat, cutting him off. "The way you talk, Pokémon are just things to collect, like dolls or stamps. What kind of trainer are you?"

"I'm afraid I'm not a trainer, young lady," Lawrence explained, dismissing her concerns. "I am merely a collector. I began my collection with a Mew card, and now I have all this. Legendary Pokémon has always been my passion, and soon my collection itself will be legendary."

Suddenly, a holographic image of Articuno appeared in front of Lawrence. "Sensors indicate Articuno is changing course," the computer explained.

"And now you'll have to excuse me," Lawrence muttered, sitting back down in his chair.

"Hey!" Ash called before Lawrence could activate the lift. "Aren't you going to let us out?"

"And why would I do that?" Lawrence questioned as the throne began to rise. "I can't have you meddling in my affairs, now can we?" With that, Lawrence ascended, leaving the four kids trapped in the cage.

"Hey, Ash," Misty whispered as Lawrence left the room. "Why don't you use your abilities to get us out of here?"

Ash nervously laughed in response, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand. "I haven't been training these last few months," he sheepishly admitted. "I don't know if I'll be able to."

"Then what have you been doing?" Misty spat.

"Focusing on training my Pokémon!" Ash argued.

"Guys! Guys!" Tracey warned, grabbing them by the collars of their shirts, restraining them. "We don't have time for a petty argument! Now, we need to find a way out of here!"

"Well, we had one!" Misty rebutted. "But mister lazy over here hasn't been using his abilities lately!"

"I may not be able to control it," Ash explained, ignoring Misty's quip. "But I may have a way of getting us out of here."

"How?" Tracey was stunned; never in a million years had he thought that physically restraining the two young trainers would prevent them from descending into one of their chaotic screaming matches. He wasn't sure if it was their situation, but he mentally noted to try the method again the next time they argued.

"This rock," Ash clarified, holding up the rock he'd picked up from Fire Island. "Whatever it is, it appears to reflect and amplify the energy directed into it. It was why electricity jumped all over the place when Zapdos shot its electricity at the top of the mountain. I may be able to channel a small amount of my aura into it and then absorb the amplified bounce back."

"What will that do?" Misty asked.

"It'll give me enough energy to create an Aura Sphere," Ash explained. "You're right. I haven't been focusing on my abilities for some time. It was stupid of me, but you can't blame me for wanting to focus on my Pokémon training."

"No, I can't." Misty sighed, conceding. "I just hope this works."

"So do I."

Ash channelled his aura into the rock, holding it in his left hand. The small amount of energy the rock absorbed caused it to turn blue, aura radiating back. Ash absorbed the reflected energy, channelling it through his left arm and into his right arm.

The energy pooled at his hand, where a small sphere took shape. The strain on Ash's body was immense. He gritted his teeth as he created a sphere strong enough to shatter the cage. Once ready, he pointed his arm down, firing.

The Aura Sphere smashed into the base of the cage, destroying the lock. The base swung free on its hinges, dropping the four people onto the floor a metre below. Crawling out from underneath the cage, they wondered what they would do next.

But Melody wondered something. She rushed up to the ancient inscription and read it again. "The legend, could it be," she mused.

Outside, the weather descended into chaos—fierce blizzards formed in the normally tropical islands, blanketing the area in metres of snow and ice. The ocean froze over, sealing the watery depths below. Without Moltres or Zapdos to challenge it, Articuno began to freeze everything and claim the territory as its own.

Due to the severe freezing conditions, Carol and the other inhabitants of Shamouti Island retreated inside. They huddled around the television as the news broadcast explained the cause of the events.

"Here is a map of the area around Shamouti Island," the reporter explained, the screen zooming in on the four islands. "The epicentre of the unprecedented worldwide weather disaster." The screen quickly changed to footage of thousands of Pokémon swimming across the ocean. "Though their purpose is not yet clear, tens of thousands of Pokémon are making their way towards the islands. Water Pokémon are coming by sea, flying Pokémon are coming by air, and those unable to make the journey are amassing on lands nearest the islands.

"With me now are Professor Samuel Oak and Professor Philena Ivy to help shed some light on this phenomenon," the reporter continued.

The camera focused on Professor Oak, who proceeded to explain the intricacies of the three islands. "Near Shamouti lies the three islands for Fire, Ice, and Lightning, home to the legendary birds Moltres, Articuno, and Zapdos. I fear that they are somehow involved." Professor Oak drew the three islands on his notepad and held it to the camera. "Ancient writings from many different cultures name this area, specifically the islands of Fire and Ice, as the cradle of the ocean. The source, if you will, of all the waters in the world. This has been disputed by scientists for centuries, but it does make some poetic sense when you consider what forms when combining fire and ice."

"And, what about the island of Lightning, Professor?" the reporter asked.

"Well, imagine if an imbalance of power occurred between lightning, ice, and fire," Professor Oak continued, drawing on his notepad. "Here's potentially how the underwater current has formed. Suppose the balance between the powers of Zapdos, Articuno, and Moltres were somehow disrupted. In that case, it is conceivable that the powerful underwater current, this churning beast of the sea, could, in fact, emerge from this region and ultimately flood the entire planet."

"The Pokémon seem to be gathering because they feel a sense of impending doom," Professor Ivy added. "Pokémon are acutely in tune with the balance of nature. The urge to correct this imbalance is causing them to gather, possibly to try to save the planet, though they may be unable to do anything about it."

Delia nodded along with everything Professor Ivy explained, understanding the connection Pokémon had with their environment quite well.

"And who are you, mam?" the reporter questioned, directing the microphone to Delia.

"My son and his friends are travelling in the Orange Islands," Delia explained, her eyes pleading. "And if things get as bad a Professor Oak says, I may never see my boy again, and he's the whole world to me."

The reporter, shocked by Delia's statement, ended the broadcast.

Professor Oak immediately sighed, slumping back down in his chair. When he'd organised a chartered flight, he'd been informed that he would have to be sharing it with a news crew. He hadn't been entirely happy with the situation, but it was the only way he could get to Shamouti Island on such short notice.

Alas, he sucked it up, but it wasn't himself he was worried about; he just didn't know how this drastic shift would affect his young friend seated in front of him. "Hey, Delia, are you alright?"

"I will be," Delia replied, wiping away a tear. "Part of this reminds me of the devastation that occurred so long ago."

"I understand," he replied. Internally, he was scolding himself. Long ago, he'd promised an old friend that he would never put Delia in harm's way, and here he was, flying her straight into the thick of the action.

Onboard the ship, Ash and his friends watched as the blizzard died down. Ice blanketed the ocean beyond the horizon, not a drop of water in sight. But as the sun rose, the devastation caused could be seen from as far as the eye could see.

"Disturb not the harmony of fire, ice, or lightning," Melody read aloud, drawing the others attention away from the world outside. Ash, Misty, and Tracey raced over to her. "Less these titans wreak destruction upon the world in which they clash. What if the ancient legend is coming true?"

"We've got to do something," Ash explained. "We can't allow this to go on, or all intelligent life could be destroyed."

"We have to set Moltres and Zapdos free," Misty agreed.

"But how?" Tracey asked.

"I have an idea," Ash replied, pointing straight at Moltres. "Pikachu, Thunderbolt!"

Outside, Lawrence began his assault on Articuno. Similar to the ice pellets he'd fired against Moltres, he launched incendiary shells that exploded in fiery devastation upon impact. Articuno effectively dodged the first salvo, diving towards the frozen ocean below. The cannons followed their target, puncturing a hole in the frozen ocean below as the rounds exploded.

Lugia sensed the explosions, realising the situation was far dire than it had realised. Rising above the seafloor with its glowing blue eyes intensifying, it rapidly spun, creating a swirling vortex as it rose.

"Pikachu!" the Pokémon declared as it fired off a powerful bolt of lightning at Moltres' cage. Shockwaves emanated from the point of impact, encircling the energy field that encased the Pokémon, but alas, it wasn't enough.

"You too, Charizard," Ash commanded, releasing his dragon-like Pokémon. Normally, the Pokémon wouldn't have been thrilled to be called out for such a menial task. But sensing the urgency, Charizard followed his trainer's command, unleashing a torrent of flames at the cage.

"Fire and electricity aren't enough," Misty stated, watching the energy shield absorb the impacts.

"We can't just give up. We've got to keep trying," Tracey encouraged.

"You're right." Misty nodded, turning to face Zapdos. "Vaporeon, Ice Beam! Starmie, Water Gun!" She released her Pokémon, pointing at Zapdos. Her Pokémon followed her order, attacking Zapdos' cage the same way Ash's Pokémon were attacking Moltres' cage.

"Blastoise, Hydro Pump! Ivysaur, charge up a Solar Beam!" Ash commanded, releasing the two Pokémon.

As the attacks intensified on the cages, Moltres and Zapdos took notice. They studied the integrity of the cage and the humans trying to save them. They grew restless, with Zapdos flailing against the cage.

"You know if these cages are designed to absorb energy, and you overload them with an intense amount of it, won't they explode?" Tracey mused, his eyes widening in horror.

At that moment, Ivysaur's Solar Beam hit, the resulting explosion shattering the wall behind it. The rings that held Moltres in place shattered, clattering dully on the floor as Moltres stretched its wings.

Zapdos urgently cawed, still trapped inside its cage. It flapped its yellow and black wings in an attempt to escape, but to no avail. Moltres triumphantly cawed before unleashing a massive torrent of flames at the legendary bird still stuck in its cage. Ash and his friends dove out of the way, narrowly avoiding the burning heat of the flames. The force of the attack shattered the steel square rings, freeing Zapdos, who immediately retaliated with its attack; the battle had begun.

Ash and Misty returned their Pokémon as Moltres shrugged off Zapdos' attack, flapping its wings as it took flight towards the hole in the side of the ship left by Ivysaur's attack. Zapdos took off in pursuit, following the legendary Pokémon outside. They flew around the ship, burning and electrifying everything in their path.

Several propellors were destroyed before Lawrence could react. The ship began to tilt, slowly drifting towards Lightning Island.

"Mayday! Mayday! Prepare for a crash landing on Lightning Island!" the computer echoed across the ship, alarm bells ringing ceaselessly.

Ash, Misty, Melody, and Tracey watched the devastation from the open hole, shocked at the damage done by the two legendary birds in such a short period. They carefully studied the island as they flew closer, trying to figure out a way to escape.

Realising they would need to brace for impact, they hunkered down near the opening in the wall. The ship smashed into Lightning Island, scrapping along the surface before coming to a screeching halt on the edge of a cliff face.

With the ship's base shaved off, all of its cargo was dumped into the frozen ocean below, including Carol's boat. Carol's boat landed forcefully into the water with only minor damage with the ice shattering on impact.

As Lawrence's ship began to tilt, they realised now was their only chance. Racing for the opening in the ship, they climbed onto a large column that had collapsed in the impact, allowing them to use it as a ramp for escape. But as they made it to the ground, the ship crumpled, leaning onto its side. The collapse knocking them over as one of the remaining propellers smashed into Zapdos' shrine.

Looking up from the snow-covered ground, Ash noticed the yellow glass orb, which had been knocked free from the shrine in the collision. Reaching for it, he was mesmerised by its faint glow as he clutched it in his hand, a shimmer of a lightning bolt trapped inside.

He noted that the red glass orb had acted the same way when he grabbed it and wondered what significance it held. He couldn't feel anything coming from the orb; he couldn't feel any energy at all, and he didn't know if that was good or bad.

"Pikapi!" His Pokémon called to him.

Looking up, he noticed what Pikachu was pointing at, placing the orb in his pocket. Scooping up the small Pokémon, he followed his friends, who had already climbed into Carol's boat. Running towards the boat as the three legendary Pokémon clashed above him, Ash dived into the rear of the boat, coming to a halt as Zapdos flew over them.

At that moment, as Zapdos flew over, the legendary bird unleashed a flurry of electricity that shattered the ice dam created by Articuno. With no way to control the ship, the four kids could only helplessly watch as the boat drifted towards the waterfall created by the dam.

They watched in horror as they passed the ice wall. But, just as they were about to plunge to the depths below, a massive vortex of water burst free from under the ice. Halting their fall, they watched on in disbelief as they were carried across the ocean by the water column.

They heard a strange echo that sounded like a small melody as they were carried across the gap between Lightning Island and Shamouti Island. "What's that sound?" Melody questioned. She couldn't quite piece it together, but she was sure she'd heard the acoustic rhythm before.

The water vortex carried them to Shamouti Island before tossing them onto the cliff at the island's edge. But the boat had landed awkwardly, with only half of it resting on solid the ground, the remainder teetering over the edge. Reacting, Ash, Misty, Melody, and Tracey jumped overboard onto the solid ground before the ship slipped off the cliff, smashing into the ice below.

Sighing in relief, the four kids tried to catch their breath, but they instantly froze when they noticed a Slowking staring at them from only a few metres away.

What Will Happen Next? Continue the Story with The Next Chapter!

Any questions, Pokémon suggestions, ideas for the story, or OC's you have that you would like to see in the story, just PM me or send it in a review! All are welcome!

Ash's Pokémon:

On Hand:

Pikachu (Electric) (Male)
Lapras (Water/Ice) (Female)
Ivysaur (Grass/Poison) (Male)
Charizard (Fire/Flying) (Male)
Blastoise (Water) (Male)
Rhydon (Ground/Rock) (Female)
Riolu (Fighting) (Male)
Snorlax (Normal) (Male)
Ralts (Psychic/Fairy) (Male) (Shiny)
Grubbin (Bug) (Female) (Shiny)

At Oak's Ranch:

Pidgeot (Normal/Flying) (Male)
Arcanine (Fire) (Male)
Nidorino (Poison) (Male) (Shiny)
Umbreon (Dark) (Male) (Shiny)
Raticate (Normal) (Female)
Butterfree (Bug/Flying) (Male)
Kingler (Water) (Female)
Absol (Dark) (Male)
Gengar (Ghost/Poison) (Male)
Primeape (Fighting) (Female)
Muk (Poison) (Male)
Tauros (Normal) (Male) (x23)
Sandslash (Ground) (Male)
Gyarados (Water/Flying) (Male)
Dragonair (Dragon) (Female)
Beldum (Steel/Psychic) (Shiny)

Departed:

Mew

Misty's Pokémon:

On Hand:

Starmie (Water/Psychic)
Seel (Water) (Male)
Feebas (Water) (Female)
Vaporeon (Water) (Female)
Psyduck (Water) (Male)
Togepi (Fairy) (Male)
Egg

At Oak's Ranch:

Kabutops (Rock/Water) (Male) (Shiny)
Seaking (Water) (Female)
Staryu (Water/Psychic)
Tentacruel (Water/Poison) (Male)
Pelipper (Water/Flying) (Female)
Seadra (Water) (Female)
Froakie (Water) (Female)

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Until Next Time, AshleyH30 Out!