"First," Ashura said, "here are your Pokémon." He handed the five balls to Ash, who immediately opened the one with the lightning bolt on it to let out a very disgruntled Pikachu.
"Pika-pi!" cried the electric mouse, brightening and jumping into Ash's arms. Ash laughed, hugging him to his chest.
I'm so sorry, Pika-pi, apologized Pikachu. Evidently, confinement was enough for the Electric-Type to retract his anger and be glad for what he had: a trainer who loved and respected him.
"It's all right," Ash told him with an understanding smile. He put the five balls at his belt.
"Here's Flamekist's Pokéball," Ashura said, giving the ball to his son.
It was put at his belt as well.
Next came a few empty Pokéballs. "I want you to have these, Ash," Ashura said.
"Thanks," the youth said, accepting them.
Ashura turned back to the wall of Pokéballs. "These are yours, Brock," he gave them to the trainer, "and these are yours, Misty."
Misty took the balls, and immediately Psyduck came out of his. "Psy?" he said, tilting his head.
The redhead laughed at him. "You stupid duck."
Misty let out Togepi, who trilled at her, holding small arms out to be held. The little egg had been placed in a Pokéball.
"Giovanni wouldn't let me have anyone other than Flamekist out there with me," said Ash's father. He began taking Pokéballs and clipping them to his belt as he named them. "This is my Charizard, my Gyarados, Alakazam, Tyranitar, Machamp, Steelix..." He paused at one Pokéball. "This is my Ampharos. For some reason, after I joined Team Rocket, I never trained her, though I did keep her...She's my one untainted Pokémon; the rest I'll have to coax back into their old selves, if they'll have me...I want you to have Ampharos, Ash." Ashura handed the Pokéball to his son, who took it.
The Pokéball that was Muk's shivered and then disappeared, going to Professor Oak's lab. Ash frowned but didn't question it. Instead, he released Ampharos out of her Pokéball.
The Pokémon looked at him weirdly, then turned and looked at Ashura curiously.
"You're going with Ash, now," the man said. "He's my son, and he'll take good care of you...Better care than I've been taking of you..."
Ampharos blinked for a moment, then turned and looked at Ash. "Amph," she said, holding out a paw to Ash.
Smiling, the youth shook it. The Pokémon nodded, satisfied, and Ash recalled her.
"Oh!" said Ashura. "Here's a TM I was saving for when Flamekist evolved. It's TM 15, and it contains Hyper Beam." He handed the Technical Machine to the youth.
Ash looked at the Houndoom. "You wanna learn Hyper Beam?"
"Doom!" said the Pokémon enthusiastically.
One more moment, and it was done.
"Now, let's start doing something I wanted to do long ago," Ashura said.
The three youths and the three Pokémon looked at him curiously. "Psy?" asked Psyduck.
"Release Giovanni's Pokémon. Ash, do you want to do the first one?"
The youth nodded, going to a Pokéball, enlarging and releasing it.
Out popped a red-and-white bird with a sack.
"Delibird," Ashura observed. "Delibird," he said to it, "you're free to go wherever you want."
"Deli," it said, shaking its head. It cawed, eyes glistening.
"Looks like it wants to battle," Brock said.
"All right," Ash said, "if it's a battle it wants, it's a battle it gets. Pikachu, go!"
"Pika!" the electric mouse called out, cheeks sparking.
"Pikachu, Quick Attack!"
The Electric-Type zipped towards the Ice- and Flying-Type, hitting it. Then it retaliated with Icy Wind, causing Pikachu to pause.
"Pika," the mouse whimpered.
"Don't let that get you down, Pikachu! Agility!" Ash cried out.
"Pika!" the Pokémon said with a nod, sprinting around.
Delibird's Blizzard missed the rodent, barely, and, with an order from Ash, Pikachu used Thunder, easily knocking the bird out.
Ash hastily threw one of the empty Pokéballs at Delibird, though he did it a bit unsurely, since he didn't know if he'd be able to catch Giovanni's Pokémon, even if Giovanni were gone.
The Pokéball worked, however, and after a moment Ash jumped up and down with the realization that he'd gotten another new Pokémon.
Strangely, this Pokéball did not disappear like Muk's had. Ash frowned in confusion. Now he had seven Pokéballs with him...
"Good work, Ash," Ashura commented. He turned back to Giovanni's other Pokéballs, only to watch as they disappeared. "What—?" he gasped.