"Incoming." Sid said, as the opening was cleared at the arena.
When no Deoxys came in, all seemed clear. Just as the captives were about to relax, a second group of them rushed by the opening.
"Is that it?" Wally asked.
"Nope, there's a straggler." Sid said, backing away, "And some other things…". Sid said in confusion.
"Captives?" Flannery asked.
"I don't think so." Sid said. "They're following it."
In a blink of an eye, Ash and his Pokémon landed right next to Sid.
"Ash!" Flannery exclaimed, hugging him.
"I'm so glad to see you're safe." Ash said. "Wally! Sid!"
"Glad to know he noticed us." Sid joked.
"What happened to the others?" Ash asked Wally.
"They should be safe, I held off the Deoxys as long as I could, but they took my Pokémon." Wally admitted.
"Audrey isn't here either." Flannery said.
"Look, I'm getting you all out of here." Ash said, going to the door.
"Ash don't." Flannery said, holding him back. "Right now, we're all safe. We don't know what will happen if you get us out."
"But, we could get the Pokemon and then…". Ash said.
"And then what?" Sid asked. "Most of us get captured again in the chaos, or worse? Right now how many are left on the streets?"
"Sixish." Ash commented.
"Okay, with those six, how many are skilled trainers. How many know exactly what they're doing. How many have been fighting from the get go?" Sid asked, making Ash stop and think.
"But I could free you guys." Ash said.
"Then what?" Sid asked. "Last time I checked Combusken and Blastoise can't fly."
"But I can't just leave you here." Ash said, looking at Flannery.
"You aren't, but right now it's best for us to stay here, and for you to help stop this." Flannery said.
"Okay, I'll be back." Ash said. "I'm going to find where they're keeping the Pokemon and anyone else though."
"Now that's a plan you can work with." Sid said.
Ash hopped back onto Lunatone and took off, taking but a moment to make sure the coast was clear.
Back at the lower levels
"Okay, the garden is just through here." Tory said, opening a door.
"I didn't think anywhere in the city had power." Brendan commented.
"The garden runs off of natural energy, you can't stop water." Tory said.
"Okay, where's the item you think Deoxys wants?" Rebecca asked, blocking the door.
"Near the center." Tory said sadly.
"Okay, keep low." Brendan said. "We still don't know if they're here right now."
A sound of shattering glass was heard off in the distance.
"Go, I'll take a look for them." Rebecca said, hopping onto her Metagross.
"What if they take Metagross though?" Brendan asked.
"If twenty of them show up to take us, you'll know." Rebecca said.
"Let's move." Brendan said to Tory.
On the rooftops
"We need to get in there." Rafe said, looking at the battle tower.
"Which floor of it?" Tucker asked.
"No clue." Rafe admitted.
"We should find Ash or the others." Kathryn said. "That would at least give us an idea on where to go."
"We still don't know where they are." Tucker said. "There's over 50 floors above ground in there, and the lower floors keep getting bigger the lower they are."
"Maybe there's a good idea." Kathryn said, pointing to a dome that had a horde of Deoxys flooding in. "Where there's Deoxys, there's trouble."
"I'm not excited about how adjusted you are to this." Rafe commented.
"I'm not a little girl anymore." Kathryn said. "Now lets go before we're spotted.
Back inside of the dome
"Oh this is a lot more Deoxys than I thought." Rebecca said, as Metagross flew backwards.
"Blaziken use Flamethrower!"
From the shattered opening in the dome, Rafe stood with his Blaziken, having cleared a group of the clones.
"Am I glad to see you." Rebecca said.
"And I brought help." Rafe said, as Tucker leapt by with Arcanine and Swampert.
"Go find the others, they could use the speed." Rebecca said.
"Rafe take care of Swampert, and hold down the line." Tucker said.
"Got it." Rafe said. "Blaziken use Flamethrower! Swampert use Water Pulse!"
"Metagross use Shadow Ball!"
The three attacks pushed back a large group of the Deoxys clones, giving Tucker and Kathryn an opening to get to the others.
With Brendan and Tory
"Look out!" Brendan said, pushing Tory to the ground, as a stray clone flew overhead. "Keep moving, I'll stop it from following. Marshtomp go with him."
"But I don't know how to have Pokemon battles." Tory said.
"Rollout, Mud Shot, Mud Slap, and Water Gun." Brendan listed off Marshtomp's moves. "Taillow use Peck!"
Taillow shot forward, hitting the clone, and pushing it back.
"Go!" Brendan exclaimed.
Tory ran forward, keeping an eye out for any of the Deoxys.
Up in the air
"I didn't think this was possible." Sid said, being held up with Psychic alongside Blastoise.
"I figured if Lunatone was enough to hold me, Solrock could hold Flannery." Ash said.
"And with Trapinch having evolved, he can carry me." Wally said, being lifted by his jacket.
"Just be careful." Audrey said, also hanging onto Lunatone as the two Masquerain flew by with Pikachu.
"Where are we going anyways?" Flannery asked.
"To the source of the problem." Ash said. "With any luck the others are working together to find what Deoxys is looking for, so we're going to keep the main one distracted."
"And if it's too much?" Sid asked.
"We'll deal with it when the time comes." Ash said, as they landed on the main roof of the Battle Tower.
"Well well well. Small world." An eerily familiar voice said. "I came here to get some upgrades necessary to further our goals, when everything shut down. Thankfully I didn't."
"Diane." Ash said, as she stepped forward. Her hair was gone, but the marking were still viewable on the skin that was showing, between the skintight Magma Suit, and the robotic implants on one of her legs and her shoulder, and one of her eyes.
"I used to be beautiful! You caused this!" Diane screamed, a beam firing from her hand at Ash.
"Go, this is my problem." Ash said. "And I caused none of this, you had plenty of chances to stop."
"I will make you suffer!" Diane screeched. As a Salamence flew towards them.
"Lunatone use Ice Beam! Masquerain use Bubblebeam! Pikachu use Shock Wave!"
The three attacks sent Salamence off course, almost causing it to fall off of the roof.
"You're not the only one with powers either." Ash said, sending out an aura tendril, grabbing Diane and spinning her.
Back in the dome
"Well, isn't this a surprise, its the Birch Boy." A man said, walking forward. "I came here to find out what the strange power was, only to find out you took our missing tracker."
"I took nothing, it was left behind." Brendan said, as Archie appeared from the shadows.
"And you all on your lonesome." Archie said with a chuckle. "Crobat use Poison Fang!"
"Taillow dodge it!"
Taillow barely managed to outmaneuver the faster Pokemon, before turning and hitting it with a peck of her own.
"Crobat use Air Cutter!"
"Taillow use Double Team!"
A horde of Taillow appeared, many being fakes that disappeared as the attack hit them.
Brendan looked down, if only he had Lairon or Elektrike, they could at least hit the Crobat for serious damage, but Taillow, she just wasn't strong or fast enough on her own.
"Crobat use Bite!"
"Taillow look out!"
Crobat sunk his fangs into Taillow as a glow engulfed the two of them, before launching Crobat away.
"Swell!" The newly evolved Pokemon said.
"Alright!" Brendan cheered. "Swellow use Quick Attack!"
With the newly evolved power and speed, Swellow was more than fast enough to send Crobat flying.
"Now what did you do with my father!" Brendan demanded. "He's safe, as long as he cooperates, and you stay out of our way." Archie said with a smile, grabbing the tracker from Brendan's hands. "Take our equipment again, or stand in our way, and dear old dad, might just become dear old dead."
Back on the roof, heading for Deoxys Prime
"Alright just a bit further, and…" Wally said, before being interrupted.
"Hold it!" A guy in a green trench coat said, holding out his hand. "You can't stop this now, He's almost here."
"Who's he?" Flannery asked.
"The lord of the sky, obviously!" The guy said. "And as one of his faithful followers, it is my job to make sure he makes it here."
"Look, we can't let there be more problems." Sid said.
"More problems? No, I want to help, but if we want to beat a legendary, shouldn't we have a legendary?" The guy asked.
Brendan's Current Team and their moves
Marshtomp: Tackle - Rollout - Water Gun - Mud Shot
Nuzleaf: Razor Wind - Fake Out - Bullet Seed - Nature Power
Swellow: Peck - Double Team - Quick Attack - Steel Wing
Lairon: Headbutt - Iron Defense - Rock Tomb - Metal Claw
Electrike: Tackle - Flash - Bite - Spark