Casting one final glance behind her to look at their friends before turning back to the hallway ahead. She jogged up beside Ash, glancing up at him for a moment before facing the light at the end of the tunnel as he did. Wordlessly, she slid her hand down to grab a Pokeball in case she needed it.
As she and Ash neared the edge, just before the light touched them, Ash held out his arm to keep her from moving forward. "Stay behind me," He told her. As he walked forward, an ivory barrier surrounded them. She followed after him, sticking closely to his back.
When they cleared the light, Ash was met with a particularly nostalgic sight. There was an earthy, dirt-covered arena divided into two halves. On either side, there was a pedestal for trainers to stand upon. A scoreboard hung overhead on the opposite side of the arena from them, though it, and the rest of the lights in the room, were inactive. Their light came from a set of windows on the roof.
Through those windows, Ash sensed the two individuals from before. They were lying in wait, Ash sensed. Intending to drop in when Ash and Serena came near.
Serena glanced around at the arena, muttering, "So this place was really a Gym after all?"
Though Ash nodded, he kept his eyes up at the windows. "Yeah," He replied, "I even got one of my badges here. Although, I didn't battle Giovanni for it."
"Really?" Asked Serena with interest. "Who'd you get it from then."
As Ash recalled the old memory, his face began wrinkling when he remembered who exactly it was. In hindsight, maybe he should have figured that this place was related to Team Rocket back then. "…It's not important. Anyways, head's up."
The two were alerted by the sound of laughter. The windows above each pedestal opened inward, allowing two figures to drop in. Upon landing on the pedestals, two spotlights on the roof activated to reveal them. Ash glowered at the two, realizing his suspicions were correct.
"I knew it had to be you two," He said with a dark glower in his eyes. On the left pedestal, there was a woman clad in the Rocket uniform. Her blonde hair spiked downward in opposite directions, and she wore triangular, crimson earrings that looked sharp enough to cut. "Cassidy," Identified Ash.
Upon the right pedestal, a sharp-eyed man in the same uniform stood. His jade-colored hair seemed to shine in the light from the window. As Ash's eyes landed upon him, he said, "And you're Batch."
The green-haired man doubled over shortly before shooting back up, clenching his fist angrily as he shouted, "It's Butch! Why is this so hard for everyone to remember?!"
Ash scoffed at him. "I don't care what you're called. You're about to be called history either way. I'm ending Team Rocket today."
Cassidy threw back her head, howling with laughter. "Oh, is that so, boy? You and the Legends couldn't even end the Nova Branch on their home base. You don't stand a chance."
With a scowl, Ash retorted, "Just keep talking. I doubt you'll say the same things when you're in handcuffs alongside your boss."
This only earned another round of laughter from the two, as well as a third voice that seemed to permeate the entire room. Suddenly, the scoreboard lit up, revealing the face of a howling, ginger-haired scientist.
Serena's face lit up as she recognized the old scientist. Her face wrinkled into a sour expression as she mirthfully said, "Of course that Dr. Mamba guy is here too."
Immediately, the doctor's laughter fell silent. "It's Namba!" He corrected angrily. Turning toward Cassidy, he shouted, "Why is your name the only one of us that they remember?"
"Yeah, it's not fair!" Whined Butch.
Cassidy merely shrugged uncaringly. "Maybe you two simply aren't worth remembering." She knelt forward, jabbing a finger down at the two approaching trainers. "But you two have something going for you. When we're done with the Chosen One and his girlfriend, they'll be less than a memory."
Snapping back to attention, Butch wasted no time in returning to mockingly leering down at Ash and Serena. "Right you are. Even if that trio of morons ruined our ambush, the Star Foundation is still as doomed as they come."
Butch's grin widened when he saw Ash and Serena step onto the dusty arena. "Doctor, now!"
Springing into action, the mad doctor began rapidly tapping on the keyboard in front of him. "Right-o!" He chirped.
Ash grabbed onto Serena's hand as he looked around the arena with suspicion. "What are you planning?!"
When the doctor pressed the final button, a thick metal wall emerged from the ground between Ash and Serena, separating them. "Serena!" Ash called. He pounded on the metal with his fist, and in response to his trainer's actions, Pikachu began to assault it with an onslaught of rapid Iron Tail attacks.
"Ha!" Laughed Cassidy. "You won't be breaking through that anytime soon. It's compressed steel forged by the Nova Branch."
A jeering Butch pointed at him and barked, "Might as well give up before your knuckles bruise-"
The looks on their faces fell when one of Ash's punches, combined with Pikachu's Iron Tail, put a hole through the supposedly invulnerable metal. Ash peeked through the hole he had made, saying, "Hold on, Serena. I'll have this wall down in no time. Just step back."
Nodding, Serena backed away to let Ash get to work. "You got it."
A wide-eyed Cassidy slowly raised her hand to get the attention of the doctor. "Um, Dr. Namba? Shift to the next phase please."
Wasting no time, the doctor began running through the settings of his computer. He jabbed his index finger onto another button, causing a loud buzz throughout the Gym's arena. Ash and Serena's attention shot up at that.
"What now?" Groaned Ash.
He would receive his answer when the ground suddenly slid out from underneath him. Evidently, the same happened to Serena because he heard her yelp as well. He tried to call out for her, but was not given the time before he began plummeting into the dark below. "Hang on, Pikachu!" He shouted, clutching onto his partner tightly. As he sailed down, he found himself falling into a dark, metal shaft. Or rather, a chute.
Sliding down the chute, Ash was carried deeper and deeper. Evidently, this place ran more far underground than he initially gave it credit for. Eventually, the chute began to even out. He sensed several human life forms ahead of him, all with ill intent. When he entered the light at the end of the tunnel, he landed upon his feet, catching his hat by the brim to keep it from flying off with one hand and keeping hold of Pikachu on his shoulder with the other.
As he lifted his brim, he spotted around a dozen grisled-looking Team Rocket agents. He couldn't tell if they were Grunts or were higher ranked, but by their looks, it seemed to him that they had been at the job for some time. Wasting no time, he asked, "Where was Serena taken?"
The Rocketers merely barked at him with gruff, irritatingly loud laughter that assaulted his and Pikachu's ears. "You idiot!" One of them shouted. "Worried about your girl? You should be more worried about yourself!" He tossed down a Pokeball, releasing a Drapion. The rest, in turn, released their own Pokemon. Among them were the likes of Crobat, Toxicroak and Garbodor. A testament to how far Team Rocket had spread. The agent at the head of the rest of them spread out his arms, showing off the collection of powerful Pokemon they had acquired. "Take a look around you, chump. You're outnumbered."
Ash responded by tossing down the rest of his team. They emerged around him in a flash, with Pikachu hopping down from his shoulder to join them. "I'm sure you were paying close attention to the news yesterday." He gave a small shrug. "After all, you were responsible for the attack on New Goldenrod. So, you must know that I am pretty experienced when it comes to fighting off a lot of Pokemon at once by now."
His Aura flared out around him in wisps of light that enveloped his team. Greninja shifted into its bound form in response to it, standing tall at his trainer's side. "So," Said Ash, "Bring it on. When I'm through with you, you're going to tell me exactly where Serena landed. And where your boss is too."
When Serena exited her side of the chute, her landing was not quite as soft. She yelped when the slide led her to impacting a metal bar face first. The first thing she did when rising back to her feet was clutch her stricken, aching face.
"Oww!" She whimpered.
Her whimpering was interrupted when a shadow rolled from her side to somewhere else in the room. Serena quickly raised her head in an attempt to spot what had caused the noise, only to find most of the room was too dark for her to see in. What was worse was that the chute had dropped her right into a cage. Thick metal bars stretched up from the floor to the ceiling, leaving her nowhere to run. When she glanced back at the chute she had came through, its exit had been sealed as well.
Serena merely sighed. Then, she shrieked and shielded her eyes when a bright light suddenly cast out the darkness and assaulted Serena's retinas. "Agh!" She cried. "What the-?"
Forcing her eyes open, Serena tilted her head past the light to see what was casting it. And from the darkness, she spotted a face smiling back at her. A girl's face. They stepped down from the cabinets they sat on and slightly pushed the light away to at least stop Serena from going blind. Now, Serena could get a better look at her. She was another Rocket, clad in a custom uniform that was divided in half between a skirt and the ordinary Team Rocket suit, red R and all. Instead of the black cap normal Team Rocket members wore, this woman wore a red cap with a white front. Two blonde twirls of hair stretched down from that cap. She wore a sly grin that discomforted Serena.
"Who are you?" Asked Serena.
The woman pulled out a black rose, seemingly out of nowhere. "My name?" Asked the Rocket woman. "Not even the boss knows that. I go by many names around here like Agent 009 or…" She twirled the rose in her hand. "...The black thorn. But you can call me Domino. You know, since you Star Foundation chumps will be the last to fall before Team Rocket wins for good."
Without so much as a care, and with a dark smirk that seemed to lessen the light on her face, Domino brazenly walked up to Serena's cage. "And you," Said the agent, "Will prove handy in capturing Ash."
Serena stepped away from her. "What?!"
With a shrug, Domino turned around and laughed. "I can picture it now. With you trapped in there, Ash wouldn't dare to lift a hand against Team Rocket." Placing the sharp rose on the counter, she beat her fist into her palm as she gleefully said, "Just imagine the Chosen One himself beaten to a pulp without him having the nerve to fight back. I can picture the face of the boss when I deliver a bruised, beaten, defeated Ash to his feet."
Those words made Serena's blood boil. She balled her hands into fists, unable to suppress the growl that escaped her lips.
This did not go unnoticed by Domino. Whirling back around, Domino hissed, "Don't get any ideas, kid. Even though the Nova Branch are a bunch of traitors trying to steal our ranks, they were dumb enough to leave their technology in our hands."
"Traitors?" Wondered an incredulous Serena
Domino tapped one of the metal bars with the back of her index finger. "This cage was made by the Nova Branch. Even a Legend would have trouble breaking through that. So, if you know what's good for you, I'd suggest you comply. Otherwise, I'll have no choice but to make Ash's beating even worse." In one swift motion, she swiped up the sharp black rose and pointed it at Serena between the bars, earning a poorly-hidden gasp from her when the thing's stem sparked. "But until your boyfriend gets up to the boss and sees you here, you'd better start talking. Tell me everything you know about him and the Star Foundation unless you want him to see you all carved up."
Stepping away from the rose, Serena firmly replied, "As if!" Taking Pangoro's Pokeball in hand, she stepped toward the corner of the cage and released the powerful Pokemon. It bellowed with enough force to shake the room, but Domino seemed unimpressed. "You won't get a thing from me," Serena swore. "I'd never betray Ash no matter what!"
Domino huffed. "You can act tough all you like hiding behind your Pokemon. Did you really think I didn't prepare for that?" With the snap of her finger, two panels in the walls near the sides of the cage opened up. Turrets emerged from each side, pointing their long barrels at Pangoro. Twin red dots appeared upon the Pokemon's head. "Guess what else was made by the Nova Branch? I'm sure you remember what these did on the Nova Branch's island. Unless you want your precious Pangoro to get turned into paste, you'll return it."
Despite Domino's threat, Serena was not entirely convinced. She eyed the turrets, then the bars of her cage. Thoughtfully, she murmured, "Made by the Nova Branch." Those words made her recall the laser system and the wall above. Both of these were also made by the Nova Branch, yet they proved faulty in the end. She had a theory she wanted to test.
"Pangoro," She whispered, earning his attention. With her eyes, Serena motioned to the bars, then showed him his Pokeball. "I wanna test something. If it goes wrong, I'll return you. You trust me?"
Pangoro looked back at the turrets aiming at him and sneered at them. He turned back toward Serena with a toothy grin, flashing her a thumbs up. A noise from Domino caused him to quickly lower his hand, as well as Serena with her Pokeball. The agent rummaged through a briefcase before pulling out a variety of sharp-looking tools and laying them out along the counter.
"I wonder," Domino started, "How you'll look when I'm done with you." She twirled a scalpel between her fingers. "Just imagine Ash's reaction to seeing you all cut up. But what I'll do to him will be worse." She turned around to face Serena, a sinister smirk on her face. "Unless you both cooperate of course. So, how about you put that Pokemon away before things get a little more red?"
Serena shuddered slightly at the image of that, but did her best to shake off the unnerving feeling. "Pangoro," She said, tilting the Pokeball in her hand toward him, "Use Dynamic Punch."
Rolling her eyes, Domino asked, "Are you serious, kid?" She shrugged and sat atop the counter. "Fine. Get your Pokemon killed as far as I'm concerned. Maybe it'll teach you a lesson about how this is gonna go."
She smirked as Pangoro pulled back his single fist. Her eyes tilted toward the turrets that lied in wait. The moment Pangoro struck the bar, it would get turned into a stain. How quickly the kid's arrogant attitude would change when she was covered in the mess that would result from that. It was an entertaining image in her mind, so Domino merely allowed the girl to do as she pleased. Her cruel smirk further pulled up the edge of her mouth as she awaited the inevitable scene.
That smirk quickly disappeared when Pangoro's punch cleanly tore out the bar, sending the bent, useless metal into the wall at the room's edge. "What?!" Immediately, she got off the counter and set the turrets upon Pangoro.
"Bullet Punch!" Cried Serena.
A silver-sheened fist tore through the turret nearest to him, reducing it to scrap. The second turret near Domino took aim at him and he raised his metal-coated fist to block the oncoming bullet. Serena raised her Pokeball to return him before the bullet could strike him, but no bullet came. The turret clicked when it attempted to fire.
Domino's face fell completely. "You've gotta be kidding me! First the cage, now the turrets? On top of that, Pierce's laser system was a complete dud. Why is…?" And then it hit her. "The Nova Branch. They set us up! Is that why they sent me that invitation?"
A large foot stomped down behind her, shaking the room. Behind her, Pangoro leered down at her with a toothy, savage grin. Whirling around, Domino attempted to throw the scalpel in her hand into Pangoro's eye, but Serena reacted faster. She briefly returned Pangoro, making the scalpel merely pass through the Pokeball's red returning light. Pulling out the rest of her Pokeballs, Serena attempted to release the remainder of her team.
"No you don't!" Hissed Domino, twirling the black rose in her fingers. Dashing her arm across the air, she hurled the sharp tool at Serena. It sparked with electricity across its stem as it sailed through the air. Serena felt her blood run cold as the rose neared her, but a flash of light emerged between her and it. The rose's pointed stem bounced harmlessly off of Rhyperior's thick rocky hide. His Ground typing protected him from any harm caused by the electricity.
By Rhyperior's sides emerged the remainder of Serena's team. Serena herself stood proudly behind them, although she did sigh in relief once the threat of the rose had been neutralized. "Thanks, Rhyperior," She said, getting a gruff grunt and a nod in response. Setting glaring eyes upon the Rocket agent, Serena pointed and ordered, "Get her."
Small shards of stone manifested between Rhyperior's hands as it formed a Rock Wrecker attack. It hurled the attack straight at her, but she nimbly evaded. What she could not evade was the resulting shockwave when the attack exploded against the room's wall behind her. She let out a hiss in annoyance that quickly turned into a grunt of pain when Braixen delivered a Blaze Kick to her abdomen.
Wailing like a raving animal as she flew back from the attack, Domino let out a choked cry when she ended up sailing straight into Pangoro. Before the agent could do much of anything, the grinning panda grabbed her left arm. "You little-!" She hissed, intending to stab Pangoro with her other hand. However, she couldn't move that one either. Rhyperior had taken hold of her other arm.
The nimble agent kicked off of the ground, intending to use her legs to twist her way out of the gap, but a series of white ribbons wrapped around her right ankle, pulling her back down. Serena's Sylveon sneered up at her with a cocky little grin, irritating Domino to no end.
"If you think you've got me, you're dead wrong," Swore Domino. She clapped her left ankle on the floor, making a blade emerge from the tip of her boot. Swinging her left leg up, she intended to cleave off the ribbons that bound her. A quickly-thinking Braixen grabbed hold of that leg before it could do any harm and pulled it back. "You-!" Hissed Domino. She writhed and squirmed against the grips of the four Pokemon that held her. Yet, no matter how much she twisted her body and cursed between her teeth, it became increasingly obvious that she wasn't getting anywhere. "N-no!" She protested. "Let me go!"
Clefable stepped up, pointing its fingers up to prepare to let the random effects of Metronome decide the agent's fate when Serena held out her hand in front of it. When Clefable looked up at her in confusion, Serena merely began walking toward Domino.
As the agent continued to rage against her captors, the sound of Serena's shoes against the metal floor caught her attention. "Hah!" Laughed Domino in spite of her situation. "What do you think you're planning, girl? Are you mad about what I said? Good! Even if it's not me, the Boss will put you in your place, you little har-"
The look on Serena's face made the agent suddenly unable to find her voice. "What?" Asked Serena, her voice dangerously lacking any tone. "Go on. Keep talking. In fact…" She cracked her knuckles, sending chills up the spines of even her own Pokemon. "...Why don't you tell me exactly what you were planning on doing to me and Ash? I could use some ideas."
By now, even the hardened agent found herself growing pale. "Ideas…?"
Sceptile swiped its Leaf Blade through the air as the last of the enemy Pokemon fell. He and the rest of Ash's team stood over the fallen bodies of the Team Rocket agents and their Pokemon, save for one battered agent. He lay limp, held up by the collar in Ash's grip. For the Rockets and their Pokemon, their bodies were covered in bruises. Yet nary a mark had been laid upon Ash and his Pokemon.
"Come on," Ash demanded, shaking the man's shirt collar, "Out with it. Where did Serena drop?"
Just by staring into the pale white glow in Ash's eyes, the Rocket agent found his will to fight, completely melting away. It was the most unpleasant thing he had experienced, even counting the beating he had just endured. It felt as if his very soul, his putrid soul stained by a lifetime of crime, was being peered into. And he was helpless to do a thing about it.
The agent brought up his trembling hands. "P-please!" He wailed. "Your girl's supposed to be in the boss's office. It's six floors up where the halls stop being metal. Go left when you see a velvet carpet and two doors! That's what we were told, anyway! I-it's all I know, I swear! Just please stop looking at me like that!"
Sensing no deceit in the man's words, Ash nodded and dropped the man. He ended up flipping over onto his chest and covered his head, trying to remove the image of Ash's soul-piercing gaze from his mind. Putting a hand to the ground and kneeling, Ash sent up a pulse of Aura to scan his surroundings. Finding a flight of stairs nearby, Ash stood back to his full height and turned to the rest of his team.
"Come on, guys," He told them, jabbing a thumb at the door to his left. "Let's not waste any time." His team nodded eagerly, feeling the same way. They hurried out of the room and made a dash for the nearest set of stairs, leaving the agents to wallow in their defeat.
The area was dark, illuminated only by Ash's Aura like a guiding lantern. For him, it was merely more of the same. A series of dark, branching, metal hallways that seemed to have no end. Evidently, neither Team Rocket or their Nova Branch was more creative than that.
Ash and his team sped by something that caught his interest. One of the doors led not to another hallway, but rather, some kind of laboratory room. Skidding to a halt, he jogged back over to the door. Inside, he found a veritable jungle of black wires packed around the corners of the room. More than a few of them were draped around the floor and ceiling. But it was what was at the back of the room that had intrigued Ash.
Inside a broken glass pod and hanging limply from some of the wires like a marionette's strings, there was a set of broken, gray armor. The black visor on the helmet reminded Ash of those on the armors of the men in black armor, but this set hardly looked like it would even fit a human. More so, it seemed fit for a Pokemon.
"What is this?" Wondered Ash. He shook his head, turning away from the door. "No, I don't have time for this. Let's go, guys."
And so, Ash and his team abandoned the old, broken set of armor and began running for the stairs. One found, they rapidly ascended. "Six floors up," Ash repeated to himself, recalling the Rocket agent's directions. Upon reaching the sixth landing, he shoved open the door. His skin warmed as natural sunlight touched it from the windows. He and his team found themselves in a fancy-looking hall with velvet carpets adorning the floor. There were vases, but many of them were shattered on the ground.
The sound of battle quickly assaulted Ash's ears. He glanced outside, and as he looked down from a broken window with a rope hanging from it, he saw the extent of the battle playing out on the ground. Trainers and their Pokemon warred against Team Rocket and their own Pokemon. The loyalty of those Pokemon were being exploited. Why else would they choose to serve their own enslavers? Team Rocket, who wanted nothing more than to enslave the world to their whim, were unfit to have anything.
It was up to Ash to liberate them.
Turning away from the battle scene, Ash and his team made a mad dash for the room the agent described. "Velvet carpets," He muttered, glancing down at the muddied carpet beneath his feet. He turned to an opening on his right, and surely enough, it was there. "...And two doors."
The twin metal doors burst inward as Ash and his team punched through. The heavy, steel doors skid across the floor, carrying sparks with them until they impacted the edges of the room with a loud, final thud. "Giovanni!" Shouted Ash as he entered the room alongside his Pokemon. "It's all over! You're through!"
Something within the darkness of the room replied with a scoff. Yet this voice was not that of a male's. A chair behind a black desk in the center of the room swerved around. Sitting in it was a woman with purple hair, clad in black uniform and a beret. She pressed a button in the arm of her chair, and then metal bars rose up in the doorway behind Ash to keep him from leaving.
"I apologize," Said the woman with a dour look on her face, "But our leader, Giovanni, is already making his way to the escape railway." Placing a hand on the arm of her chair, the woman rose to her feet, her boots stomping down onto the metal stairs in front of her desk to descend to Ash's level. "My name is Matori. Giovanni has left Team Rocket in my care during his absence. As long as he lives on, Team Rocket will last forever."
There was a glint in Matori's glasses that made them shine. Smirking, she added, "Of course, our leader could return immediately if I take you down here and now."
A white glow overtook Ash's irises. "Where's Serena?"
To that, Matori unveiled a remote from her pocket. "That," She said, turning to direct his attention to the screen on her desk, "Is an excellent question. You see, one of my agents is currently handling her right now. I'll have to warn you. It's a bit of a mess-'' When Matori pressed the button to make the screen light up, the image that appeared was far from what she expected. There was an empty cage, destroyed turrets, and the boots of her agent in the corner. "What?!"
Ash chuckled. "I knew you wouldn't be able to hold Serena for long."
Growling, Matori whipped around and glared at him. "So what?!" She shrieked. "It doesn't matter if I have her. I have you right here and right now." Upon pressing another button, the walls of the room began to rise. Behind them were dozens of Pokemon. Ash could sense they craved blood. No doubt it was the result of what Team Rocket had put them through. "If I can crush you personally and then lead Team Rocket to lay waste to the rebellion, Giovanni can return immediately."
Ash glanced around the room at the Pokemon that emerged from the walls. They slowly encroached upon Ash and his team, growling and grumbling as they anticipated Matori's order to attack. Ash was faster. "Charizard." That, and Ash raising his Mega Stone, was all Charizard needed as a signal. Ash's Aura connected with Charizard, using the Mega Energy from the stone as a conduit. Through that bond, when Charizard shifted into the flame-coated Mega Evolution, he did not need an order. Understanding was felt without words, and Ash's intentions were made his own.
In one fell swoop, Charizard blew down the entire horde of Pokemon with a potent, white hot Flamethrower in a circle. Matori cried out in response to the heat. "Gah! What did you do?!" Shielding her face with her arms, she tried to peer out through the heat, gasping when she found every single one of her Pokemon laying on their backs. "What did you…?"
The flames slowly petered out, leaving only the defeated Pokemon behind in their wake. A satisfied Charizard landed beside Ash once more, indignantly spitting out a small streak of flame as it eyed Matori before shifting back into its normal state. Ash rubbed his hand over the rough scales of his shoulder before facing the secretary as well.
'It's over," Ash declared. "I'm not going to waste any more time with you. Tell me where Giovanni went."
Matori backed away. She bared her teeth at Ash, but found her well of ideas running dry. However, she wouldn't have the chance to think of anything before two voices laughed from above.
"Over?" Asked a woman. "No, Team Rocket is just beginning."
"Wasting time?" Inquired the gruff voice of a man. "Time ain't on your side, kid."
Cassidy and Butch leapt down from the ceiling in between Matori and Ash. They paired their arms together, catching Dr. Namba and safely planting him on the ground. The trio grinned at Ash with a sinister twinkle in their eyes.
"You three!" Cried a relieved Matori. "Excellent timing. Am I right in assuming you came here with a plan?"
Cassidy gave a haughty laugh. "Ha! Of course we have a plan. Isn't that right?"
She glanced over at her partner, who nodded confidently. "Our boss in need gets a plan indeed. Take it away, Dr. Namba!"
The old, ginger doctor took out a Pokeball from his coat's front pocket and tossed it upward. From it emerged an utterly towering Haxorus. It was covered head to toe in shining golden armor, encrusted with large red gemstones around its legs, arms and head.
"I knew the Nova Branch was fishy from the beginning," Explained Dr. Namba, "So I relied on my own technology. I realized that channeling my genius into merely the Rage Crown was a mistake. If I wanted to draw out the true power of Pokemon through their rage, I needed to channel the full power of their body as well." Dramatically, he raised his hands up toward the Haxorus and cried, "Behold, the Rage Armor! The red stones you see can absorb rage from other Pokemon and add it to its wearer, sending anger impulses throughout every nerve of their body."
He grinned cruelly as he looked around at the collapsed Pokemon. "...And it seems we have no shortage of angry Pokemon among us right now. How about a demonstration of how it works?"
The doctor pulled out a rod with a single button. When he pressed it, the stones decorating the Haxorus's body began to glow. Ash watched in abject disbelief as the lingering vehemence from the defeated Pokemon, brought about by the months of torment they faced at the hands of Team Rocket, was torn from their bodies in clouds of red mist. They coalesced together around Haxorus before suddenly being absorbed into the glowing stones. Immediately, Haxorus responded to the sensation.
The dragon began roaring and flailing, clawing at the armor but unable to pull it off. Ash could feel what Haxorus did through Aura. The sensation was so severe, so vivid, that Ash had to bite down on his teeth to keep himself from growling. The bond he shared with his Pokemon acted more like a curse than a blessing because of this, and the sensation was shared with them as well. Had they not had one another to share the extent of Haxorus's fury, they would have lost themselves. The way Haxorus wildly flailed in anger, raging at everything and unable to sate its own emotions, reminded Ash of Hydreigon when he first met it.
"Look at that!" Exclaimed Dr. Namba with a mad laugh. "It's perfect! The purified rage is exactly what I've been looking for!"
Spurring him on, Butch pumped his arm and cheered, "Go get 'em, doc! Make 'em regret the day they picked a fight with Team Rocket!"
Cassidy placed a hand on her hip. Wearing a confident, smug smirk on her face, she said, "Looks like you've got your work cut out for you, boy. I bet even the Chosen One would-"
"Shut up."
Cassidy, Butch and Dr. Namba simultaneously flinched when Ash spoke those words. They seemed as if they were supposed to be a whisper, yet were loud enough that they could hear them in their own heads. Ivory swirls of light raced up from Ash's feet, surrounding him in a torrent he could no longer suppress. That maddening feeling from Haxorus that he could not help but empathize with because of the nature of Aura drove him over the edge. He couldn't hold his tongue anymore. Nor did he want to.
"I am so sick of that name," Ash hissed. "Chosen One. I'm chosen by Aura, chosen by Arceus, chosen by so many people and Pokemon that I couldn't even begin to name them all. But I can't even remember the last time I chose something for myself."
Finding his skin itching from the heat rising in his skin, he pulled at his shirt collar in irritation. "I put up with that title because it gives people hope. When the good people of the world think of the Chosen One fighting to stop Team Rocket, it gives them a reason to keep on fighting too. It's a convenient marketing tool for Mr. Star to use to get people to sign up too." He shrugged, adding, "That's fine. If it helps him help the world, I'm fine with letting people call me that. But even still, every time I hear it, it's like an itch I can't scratch. Now I think I have an idea why."
Slowly, he raised his arm to point a finger at the trio of Rocket agents. A cold sweat began to form on their necks when they sensed a sudden pressure. Ash said, "It's because of you. Team Rocket. The Nova Branch. When I hear the name 'Chosen One,' it reminds me of what I'm fighting. Of why I'm fighting. And why I don't have a choice." The swirl of Aura around him intensified, becoming a breeze that was felt across the entire room. "It's all because of you. Team Rocket has no respect for Pokemon. It has no respect for people. It respects nothing but itself and seeks to put everything else under its foot."
In spite of her nervousness, Cassidy managed to let out a shaky laugh. "Wh-why of course. That's the way of Team Rocket. If it wasn't true, we wouldn't have gotten this far. Team Rocket was meant to take over the world. Just look at how far our organization has spread."
"It spread because you're cowards." With his Pokemon at his side, all wearing the same expression of utter disgust for what they were looking at, Ash took a step forward. "You never stood a chance at getting this far normally. You got this far because, while every good capable person in the world was fighting, and killing, and dying so that we could see another day, you all were hiding."
His Aura suddenly exploded, spreading around his Pokemon to form a wall of white wind that towered over the quartet of Rockets before them. "You aren't conquering the world! You're conquering the scraps left behind! And because of that, I'm the one picking up those scraps! Why? Because I'm the only one that can. I'm the Chosen One. That means I'm the one that has to lead the charge. That means I'm the one who has to act as the face of the Star Foundation. That means I'm the one who has to babysit the Legends to keep them from killing each other whenever they have a meeting! I'm the only one that can!"
Ash briefly knelt over, huffing for the air that escaped him as he let out every word he had bit back over the past seven months. By now, the Rockets before them were utterly confused, barely understanding most of what he was saying. All they knew was that they were in danger. The wall of white wind before them made sure they knew that much.
"And," Spoke the Chosen One, "Because I'm the only one that can do all of those things, I can't do a thing for myself. What I want to do. The life I want to live. You all made sure any chance of that was gone yesterday when you killed the only man that could bring back the Pokemon League!" He slapped his chest with his hand, making the ivory wind briefly hiss. "All I ever wanted was to go on journeys with my friends, fight in Pokemon battles, and maybe one day become a Pokemon Master. But because I was chosen to live my life differently, I'm here. And now, I'm gonna make that your problem."
Frantically, the doctor ordered, "H-Haxorus, use Outrage!"
In response to this order, the dragon reared its head back and let out a bellow that shook the entire room. It lurched forward and made a mad dash toward Ash until Hydreigon suddenly flew into its path. It slashed at Hydreigon with its claws, but the two-headed dragon brought up its remaining arm to endure the strikes. While Haxorus repeatedly struck Hydreigon with all of its rage, Hydreigon could only look at it with pity. Its boundless, mindless fury made Hydreigon feel like it was looking into a mirror of itself in the past. Hydreigon had people to help him back then, and one of them was right behind it.
With each strike from Haxorus, some of Ash's Aura that coated Hydreigon stuck to Haxorus's body. Hydreigon's feelings of empathy, shared with Ash and the rest of his Pokemon, began to stick to Haxorus like glue little by little. And, little by little, the dragon's attacks began to slow down. They became more sluggish and less potent until Haxorus was reduced to something that had no rage left to carry. Thought returned to its mind, and as it shared in Ash's Aura, it wondered why it was attacking at all.
Then, it stopped. Hydreigon looked up at it expectantly. A great bunch of steam escaped from the gaps in the Rage Armor. Bit by bit, pieces of that armor began to fall off of Haxorus's body. And when the last piece fell, it lost its glow. Its rage had subsided. And then, suddenly, Haxorus felt fatigue replace that rage. It fell to its knees and was caught by Hydreigon who gently lowered it to the floor. Ash felt that same fatigue, nearly falling backwards until he was caught by the rest of his team. Uplifted by them, as he always had been.
"Guys…" Ash leaned his head back and sighed in relief, feeling more at peace than he had in a long time. "Thank you. And don't worry about me. I'm glad I was able to get that off of my chest."
His eyes narrowed back upon the Rockets. A small part of him took satisfaction in seeing their expressions, but he pushed that feeling away. However, Dr. Namba appeared to be less concerned with him than he was with his experiment.
"The Rage Armor!" He exclaimed. "It's ruined! You…" He jabbed an accusing thumb at Ash. "You've ruined the power of rage!"
Ash closed his eyes, having to take a long, deep breath before he could reply. "All that just went right over your head, didn't it? Fine." Aura swirled between his fingertips into an Aura Sphere. "Then maybe you'll understand this."
Cassidy and Butch stepped in front of the doctor. "Not so fast, kid!" Shouted Cassidy, brandishing a Pokeball.
"Yeah, chump!" Butch chimed in. "You'll have to get through us first!"
"Taking our glory? That would be trouble."
"You'd better step down or we'll make it double!"
Ash and the four Rockets before him turned their attention to the sound of the voices. Voices that they recognized all too well. "You've gotta be kidding."
Three individuals fell from the darkness that covered the ceiling, landing between Ash and their fellow Rockets. Jessie, James and Meowth faced off against Cassidy, Butch and Namba with crooked grins on their faces.
"The twerp's our charge!" Meowth declared. "We've been tailing 'em for years. We oughta be his final opponents."
Cassidy and Butch had none of that. "As if!" Exploded Cassidy. "How dare you worthless wastes of Team Rocket's resources show your faces again after you botched our ambush?!"
"And how did you even get back here after blasting off?!" Butch interrogated.
James puffed out his chest with an indignant harrumph. "I'll have you know we blast off almost every day! We've gotten used to it by now."
"Besides," Began a smug-looking Jessie, "While we were away, we were on the most important mission of all!"
Matori found that hard to believe, but after the day's series of events, found herself too tired to refute it and could only ask, "Mission?" She sighed. "What could that be?"
The trio proudly posed, jabbing their thumbs toward themselves. Meowth explained, "We were tailing Giovanni in secret to make sure he got to the seventh basement level safely."
Jessie crossed her arms, nodded. "We even followed him through the secret door on basement level six to keep him safe."
"And we absolutely made sure to watch him take the eighth elevator in that secret door down to the escape railway," Chimed James."
Unbeknownst to them, Ash silently recounted those steps on his fingers. He looked to his Pokemon, nodding to them before they faced away from the group of Rockets behind him. He pulled back the Aura Sphere in his hand and aimed it at the door; something that was only noticed by Matori.
"H-hey!" She shouted. "Stop him before he-"
She was interrupted when Jessie and Cassidy butted heads, followed shortly by the same occurring with James to Butch, and Meowth with Dr. Namba.
"The twerp is ours!" Declared Jessie, James and Meowth.
"That brat is ours to crush!" Swore Cassidy, Butch and Namba.
The two groups pounced on one another. They tore at each other's hair and clothes, throwing wild punches and kicks in a frenzy. They jabbed, clawed, and screamed in a messy pile that was absolutely pitiful for their superior to behold. Matori tried to yell over them, but found her voice drowned out no matter what she said. Her blood began to boil at her own subordinates ignoring her. Soon, it grew to be too much for her to bear.
Forcing herself between the two groups, she shoved them apart and roared, "Stop, you idiots!" Taking in a large gasp for air, Matori painstakingly grabbed their heads and forcibly directed their attention to the now-broken bars where Ash and his team had just been standing. "Get him!" She shrieked. "Get him before he stops Giovanni!"
As Ash heard these words ring throughout the halls he fled through, he couldn't help but wonder why this whole incident had been so easy in comparison to his dealings with the Nova Branch. And then it hit him. "This…really is too easy," He realized aloud. "Why is it so easy? Something is off."
"Well, that was easy."
Her hands on her hips, Serena examined the elevator she found with a peachy smile. After her ordeal with Agent Domino, Serena was in a very good mood. The agent in question allowed Serena to alleviate a lot of accumulated stress, brightening her mood. Although, it did come at a cost in the form of the messy stains currently occupying her knuckles. Beside Serena, her Pokemon couldn't take their attention away from those stains.
"Secret door, hidden room, elevator…" Serena traced her finger along the series of elevators until she found the eighth one from the entrance. "Aaand eight." She stepped forward and pressed the button and waited. After a while, it became evident that nothing was going to happen. Shrugging, she said, "Figures it wouldn't respond. Rhyperior, think you could open it?"
Quickly looking up from Serena's hands, Rhyperior nodded. The Rock-Type slid past her and examined the door for a brief moment, promptly before it bashed its fist into the door until it bent inward enough to be pried open. As Rhyperior moved aside with the door pieces to set them out of the way, Serena took the opportunity to peer into the doorway. The elevator was nowhere in sight, likely at the very bottom and hidden in the utter blackness below.
Serena sighed. "How am I gonna get down there?"
She perked up when she heard a familiar voice call out to her. "Hey, Serena!"
"Ash!" She exclaimed, recognizing the voice.
Ash and his Pokemon entered the room. He smiled brightly upon seeing Serena again, something that she mirrored. "I'm surprised you found this place before I did," He admitted.
Serena blushed a bit, clasping her hands behind her to hide the results of her interrogation. "Well," She said, glancing away, "I met an agent around here who I got to, uh…be cooperative." Shrugging, she added, "Either way, it's not too important. We should focus on Giovanni."
Though Ash sensed there was something underlying with that statement, he chose to ignore it. Glancing down into the elevator shaft, he asked, "No luck getting it up?"
Shaking her head, Serena replied, "Nope."
"Figures."
"I said that same thing," Serena told him, chuckling.
Ash brought out the Pokeballs of his teams to return them, save Pikachu as usual. "Let's return our Pokemon for now. We can bring them out again when we're down there, but we can't all fit in there."
Serena's face fell a bit. "Does that mean what I think it means?"
Still, she obliged and returned her team to their Pokeballs. Ash leaned over the side of the elevator shaft and grabbed the support cable. He pulled on it a bit to test it, finding it to be more than firm, and flashed Serena a thumbs up. Serena herself was less than eager about it, knowing where the situation was leading, but approached him nonetheless. Ash put a protective veil of Aura around his arm and curled it around the cable. With his free hand, he held Serena closely by her waist, and in turn she wrapped her arms around him. Pikachu held on tightly to his shirt.
"Hold on tight," Warned Ash, just before leaping down into the shaft.
The drop itself took longer than Ash anticipated. Evidently, Giovanni spared no expense with his escape route. When the elevator box itself finally came into view, Ash tightened his grip on the cable to slowly grind their descent to a halt. Gently, he set Serena down on top of the box before hopping down himself. Kicking in the emergency escape door on its top, the three of them dropped into the box itself. Attempting to open the door normally ended with the same result as above, so Ash and Pikachu pried it open together. What was on the other side was a long, rocky tunnel with dim electric lights set up along the roof.
"The railroad's gotta be at the end of here," Said Ash. "Let's get a move on."
Serena nodded. "We won't let him get away."
The two, and Pikachu, took off into the tunnel. They could see the light at the end, and when they reached it, found a long railway that seemed to stretch off endlessly in both directions. To their left was a small train, carrying only a handful of boxes. They spotted several Rocket Grunts rummaging around it from box to box. Then, Ash spotted another man on the last boxcar. His back was turned to them, and he wore a dark brown trench coat and a hat that obscured most of his head.
"Hey, you!" Called Ash.
The man at the end of the train stopped in his tracks, quickly adjusting his hat. Some of the Grunts, hearing the shout, came running with Pokeballs in hand until the man with the coat held out his arm to stop them. "Focus on getting the train running," He ordered. When he turned around, the man revealed a set of beady, almost snake-like eyes shadowed by the brim of his hat. Surely, this man was Giovanni himself. This man, before Ash and Serena, was the one responsible for keeping the world in a chokehold. "I will handle them."
As the Grunts rushed away to complete Giovanni's orders, the boss himself brandished a Pokeball. "I am surprised you made it here so quickly, even after the attack on New Goldenrod City."
Ash scowled at him, replying, "I'm sure you know a lot about that attack. Once I bring you in, I'll have you tell everyone all about it."
Scoffing dismissively, Giovanni merely responded, "You're a fool."
"Excuse me?"
Giovanni said, "We know of that attack as much as you do. Those Nova traitors set us both up, but clearly I am the only one of us that sees it."
"Traitors," Muttered Serena. "Domino said the same thing." Looking back up at Giovanni, she asked, "What do you mean? Is that why your Nova Branch tech didn't work?"
The boss let out a humph. "So they even went that far? I suppose they wanted us gone for good." Suddenly, his frown crept up into a small grin. "Those hasty fools. If this was their aim, they rushed it. Because of that, they'll fall. Them, and your precious Star Foundation."
Ash and Serena flinched when the train's horn began to blare, echoing throughout the tunnel. Giovanni turned, adjusting his hat as he began to walk along the train car's balcony. But Ash wasn't about to let him escape. Not when they were so close.
"Pikachu, stop him with Thunderbolt!"
Giovanni reacted with surprising speed. "Persian, Power Gem."
The feline Pokemon emerged from the Pokeball just in time to intercept the bolt of lightning aimed at its trainer. Snarling at Ash, the Persian fired a pink beam from the gem in its forehead that punched up through the Thunderbolt and struck the roof. There was a loud rumble as the roof of the tunnel began to splinter where struck. As the crack spread, several stones fell from the stricken area. Ash and Serena's eyes widened as the stones began piling up.
"No!" Cried Ash. "We're so close! We can't let him get away!"
From behind the falling stones, Giovanni grinned and laughed. "Hear this, so-called Chosen One. Team Rocket is far from over." The train's wheels began to whine as they moved, slowly moving out of the path of the collapsing stones as they picked up speed. Giovanni raised his fist, then swore, "As long as the idea of Team Rocket exists, we will always live on!"
And then, the stone pile prevented Ash from seeing him any longer. He took out Charizard's Pokeball, aiming to blast straight through the falling stones. A hand grabbed his wrist to prevent him from throwing the ball. When he glanced back, he found Serena looking back at him.
"We need to leave," She pleaded. "The whole place is gonna come down."
Ash looked at the ceiling and his eyes went wide. The rate at which the ceiling was collapsing increased. Swiping up Pikachu, he pocketed Charizard's Pokeball, grabbed Serena by the wrist, and ran. Narrowly, they managed to duck back into the tunnel where they entered as the rocks piled down behind them. Yet as Ash ran, he found his thoughts lingering on Giovanni. So many questions swirled in his head that he couldn't even begin to rationalize them.
Ash and Serena emerged from the Gym, shielding their eyes from the harsh sunlight. When their eyes adjusted, they found less of a fight than they expected. The unconscious bodies of Team Rocket Grunts were strewn about all over the place. There were some small groups of them still fighting, secluding themselves in alleyways. Yet they were outnumbered and surrounded. Ash could sense that most of the enemy forces were currently fleeing for the edges of the city and beyond. There was no way that the Star Foundation had the means to capture them all.
Still, some officers were going about and tying the hands and legs of the unconscious Grunts together. Others were wide awake and making sure everyone knew it. Even though they were bound, they shouted threats with more vigor than an enraged Primeape. Serena tapped Ash's shoulder and pointed at something. To Ash's amusement, Cassidy, Butch, Namba and even Matori had been tied together and left near a post with Star Foundation officers gathered around them.
"Looks like they got those four…" Started Ash. He glanced around, trying to find a particular trio with no luck. "...But those three don't seem to be around here."
Serena sighed. "I guess that means we're not done dealing with them yet."
Ash perked up when he heard a familiar voice. He looked back over to where the Star Foundation officers were surrounding Matori and her cronies and found that none other than Mr. Star himself was among them, apparently attempting to interrogate them personally.
"Mr. Star!" Called Ash.
The old man cut himself off with whatever he was saying when he heard Ash's voice. His wrinkled face brightened upon seeing him. "Ash, my boy!" He exclaimed.
As Ash and Serena ran to him, Latias spotted them from the sky and descended near them. "Hey, guys!" She called excitedly. Shifting into her borrowed human form upon reaching the ground, she wasted no time wrapping her arms around the two. "You guys are okay! You took so long to get out that I was worried." When she pulled away from them, she frowned. "I caught that helicopter, but it looks like it was a decoy after all. Did you guys find Giovanni?"
Mr. Star leaned in expectantly, something that pained Ash. Taking in a deep breath, Ash glanced around. A few trainers that were no longer fighting evidently overheard Latias and watched expectantly. "...No," Ash answered quietly. Latias and Mr. Star's faces dropped hearing that, making Ash force back a wince from appearing on his face. "I'm sorry, but he managed to escape on a railway. He collapsed the tunnel so we couldn't follow him."
To Ash's surprise, Mr. Star shook his head and made a dismissive motion with his hand as he replied, "Don't worry about it, Ash. If he's on a railroad, there are only so many places he can go. I'll have the railroads monitored. We'll catch him, I swear." He walked closer to Ash, placing a hand on his back. "As for you, don't be too hard on yourself. If I know you two at all, then I know you and Serena fought with everything you had. We would have been lost without you."
"But-"
Again, Mr. Star dismissed him with a hand wave. "Ash, listen." He activated his Secretary Bot. The holographic screen showed several images of buildings leveled to the ground. "The Legends' efforts were a complete success. Every Team Rocket base we sent them to was annihilated without a hitch. Giovanni has nowhere to run any longer. Without an organization behind him, we'll have little trouble cornering him. And without Team Rocket to fund them, the Nova Branch is sure to collapse before long."
A wry smile appeared on Mr. Star's face. He snickered, apparently proud of something. "I happened to plan ahead in case of a scenario like this. In a few days, the Star Foundation will be launching a satellite with the capabilities of identifying faces all over the world. We'll be able to hunt down the rest of Team Rocket and the Nova Branch with ease!" The old man raised out his arms. "We've won, Ash!" He exclaimed cheerfully. "Even if it might not feel like it just yet, we've won! Team Rocket is finished!"
Ash was still unconvinced. "Look, I-"
"Oh, lighten up, Ash," Said Mr. Star. "You need to smile more. Otherwise, you'll end up as wrinkly as I am!" He threw his head back with jubilant laughter, beginning to walk back to his officers. "I'm going to deliver the news of our victory to our forces. Today is a day of celebration, Ash!"
His officers accompanied the old man to a helicopter. Its blades whirred, slowly allowing it to float into the air. From there, Mr. Star's helicopter soared up the city's skyline. The exhilarated old man's voice rang out throughout the city. "You have all done well, trainers of the Star Foundation. It is my unending pleasure to tell you that your efforts have paid off. For us, and for our world. We've won! Team Rocket is done for! The war is finally over!"
Cheers from all over the city roared out into the sky. The trainers jumped and danced for joy, crying out in victory. Others collapsed to the ground in relief, overcome with emotion. For most, it was as if the sun was truly shining on the world for the first time since Necrozma's invasion. But for Ash, he was not sure. Something was off. Even with Giovanni's escape, there was something about the rest of the battle for Viridian City that just bugged him to no end.
"This feels…too easy…"
Authors Note
The Creator- Glad I was able to get this one out quickly. This whole week for us has been very taxing to say the least. A lot has happened to us. Yet we were able to finish this chapter within that timeframe all while life was pulling us down. This chapter means a lot to us. I hope it means a lot to you too.
Hydra- I can't tell you how excited I have been to finally get to this chapter. I had envisioned this over 3 years ago and the fact that it finally happens brings a huge smile to my face. The war is finally finished, Team Rocket is pretty much completely destroyed!
SilverWolf1130- Of course the Nova Branch isn't gonna help. They'll use this opportunity to watch and learn. Or perhaps they're focused on something else like… attacking the Tree of Beginning.
I still think the Nova Branch will find a way to deal with Mew. Human tech and ingenuity can be very dangerous…
So Gio is alive… but for how long? He calls the Nova Branch hasty but perhaps that's for a reason. They seem so unpredictable to me.
Is Giratina gonna show up at the last minute like the last two major battles, I wonder?
Ah, Lugia. You poor unfortunate soul. Always walking right into Lee's hands…
Damn. 1 millions words. Impressive
The Creator- Humanity is far more dangerous than it seems, isn't it?. No Giratina unfortunately, since he was helping Keldeo destroy those other bases and all. And yes, I am so unendingly proud of those million words. But it's not over yet. I hope you'll keep reading until the end.
Hydra- Financial resources are always the most important resource to keep an organization afloat. Without Team Rocket the Nova Branch will eventually crumble, maybe not very quickly, but ultimately they will fall without any other support. Giovanni did bring up a valid point though, as long as the idea exists Team Rocket will always gain power.
Bankerrtx01- Finalize incoming woooooo
The Creator- Always a pleasure to see a new reviewer. Doesn't matter how big or how small to me. Being able to connect with our audience is such a pleasure I never get tired of. We truly appreciate you so much. How did you like this final battle against Team Rocket?
Hydra- Yep as you saw the organization itself is starting to crumble. Giovanni and all his forces have been stopped and the world can finally return to a somewhat normal life.
G- Good chapter, so the seige of Viridian city started and looks like that Giovanni isn't happy for this outcome. Also, apparently Mr Lee disobeyed Giovanni and advanced the plans of attack Goldenrod city too early, bringing as result that Mr Star and Ash start their assault toward the Team Rocket headquarters.
Well, after read the inner monologue of Giovanni, we could noted that the Team Rocket and Nova Branch, despite to be allies or even almost the same organization, both branches have notables issues among them, specifically regarding their respectives objectives; the Team Rocket wants to conquers the world with the Pokemon power, while the Nova Branch want to purges and eliminates the Pokemon of the world to creates an "utopia for the mankind", meaning that the main objectives of the Team Rocket and Nova Branch clearly clashes each other, making predictable that any of this branches could end turning on against the other sooner or later, as in the case of Team Rocket, they needs the Pokemon for their plans, while the Nova Branch want to eliminates all the Pokemon, making that the Team Rocket and Nova Branch end being incompatibles each other.
And if this last point is correct, i guess that the rash actions of Mr Lee to attacked Goldenrod city without the authorization of Giovanni, were actually an attempt for eliminates the Team Rocket, and that the Nova Branch could takes the complete control of both organizations, particulary the hardware, the resources and even some grunts that could be persuaded from joins Nova Branch. Well, being honest, i never considered Mr Lee like a man that likes to serves anyone nor accepts orders from other person, this guy always showed be too cunning for be a "pawn", meaning that Lee is clearly capable to turn on Giovanni to get more power, just like the Sith lords of Star Wars, that to ascend to the power, they must turn on and kills their masters, to become the new master, according to the Rule of Two. Darth Lee XD.
As other point, was cool to see the reunion between Ash and his old friends, seriously, i almost forget about them, especially to considers the events of the war of Necrozma that caused notables casualties in the world and the current conflicts with the Team Rocket/Nova Branch. But fortunately, the Ash's friends are still alive and in good conditions. Thought that when they mentioned if Ash contacted his mother lately, was revealed that Ash neglected this fact, seriously, i guess that Delia is very sick and worried about the well being of her son, especially as Ash was, and is fighting in the front of the conflicts against Necrozma, and current conflicts against Team Rocket/Nova Branch respectively.
Being honest, if i was Ash, i would prefers confront face to face Ryder and the Burned man at once, or even fights against Necrozma again, before to calls Delia right now, as i guess that she could gives Ash a piece of her mind for don't contacted her yet XD.
Also, i wonder if Giovanni could manages to escape from this assault? As he used decoys in the helicopters to draws the attention of Ash away, making that maybe this gives him a window of escape. Unless that Lee or the Nova Branch leaves him a trap to ensure that Giovanni cannot escape, alive...
Also, regarding to your point the Creator, being honest, i guess that even if Ash and his friends manages to catches Giovanni, i thinks that if the Nova Branch shows the recording of Genesect attacking innocent bystanders, this will still causes notables problems for the heroes, as the public is already in edge with the Pokemon for the seige in Goldenrod city, making that this video be like the last nail in the coffin, and some people end sharing the ideals of Nova Branch, especially whom lost their families and friends as result of this attack.
Or even in the best scenario in that Giovanni end being forced to confesses the staged attack in Goldenrod city and proves that the Nova Branch had the complete fault, will be still other issue to deals; Genesect, because even if Star Corporation tries to hides the true of the intentions of the Legendary pokemon, to lies and blames Nova Branch, Ash knows that Genesect wasn't controlled and she acted by own will, showing that Genesect is already a threat for everyone. Adding that if the heroes don't deals with Genesect soon, will be matter of time to that she can causes another incident and innocent people and pokemon can be hurt or even worse, meaning that if Nova Branch reveals this video, this could means that officially Ash and his friends should hunts Genesect down, for the good of everyone, as the public could demands her head for be a danger, whether be a rogue pokemon, or for be a "weapon of Nova Branch", meaning that Genesect end being another antagonist in the story, like a parting gift from Nova Branch to Genesect for caused them a lot problems.
And regarding your point Hydra, i agreed that if the Legendary pokemon learns about the survival of Mr Lee, they will reacts aggresively, particulary Lugia, whom showed in his inner monologue be still hunger for revenge for his loses, as Lugia was practically preparing himself to plans kills Giovanni, until that Arceus shot down his ideas. And i cannot imagines how badly will reacts Lugia if he learns this information, perhaps he end acting much like the Burned man when he forsaked "Lee" during the seige of the island for tried to kills Moltres, while in the case of Lugia, he could start his personal revenge campaign to hunts down Mr Lee, even if he must challenges Arceus or go alone in this personal mission. Being honest, i have the hunch that Lugia could end being killed if he even tries to do this, as Lugia could end going to an ambush without support and will end to the mercy of Lee, whom could want to return the favor for "killed him", and Lugia will be killed by him.
And regarding to Shaun, i really likes his character, as Shaun helped to gives us an insight about Mew and her flaws during her early days, as she showed be a very flawed Legendary pokemon that ended causing a lot problems and grief to many people; humans and Pokemon alikes. Adding that i liked to see that Shaun showed his resentment toward Mew, as this served as one of the first wake up call for her, to understand the consequences of her actions and decisions, making that Shaun indirectly helped Mew to started her redemption arc; for learned her flaws.
To finishes, regarding to the idea of the Dark energy generators as weapons against Mew, i though in an analogy with Superman and the Kryptonite from DC comics, because Superman is a superhero very powerful, that is even capable to fights in equal terms with enemies with godly powers, or even literal gods, making Superman a being almost unstoppable, unless that he end exposed to the kryptonite, that will renders him weakened, to the point that mere humans can beats him easily. And maybe Mew could be a similar case, as even if she is one of the most powerful beings in the pokemon world, maybe to be exposed to a concentrated Dark energy, could render her notably weakened, to the point of leveling the playing field in favor of Nova Branch. And in the case of Arceus, unless that he loses one of his types plates, Arceus lacks any notable weakness, as he can changes to any type to will, making impossible in his case finds a "Kryptonite", unlike Mew whom has a more definite type; Psychic.
Keep the good job.
The Creator- Yes, the two organizations were incompatible in the end. Giovanni seemed to believe that he would have a chance to turn on them once the Star Foundation was dealt with, but it seems the Nova Branch had other plans. However, Giovanni said that this betrayal was premature on their end. Yes, they struck the first blow, but now the Star Foundation has a leg up on them both. Seems like poor planning on their part.
It really was a long time since we saw Ash's friends. Around Chapter 24 or 25 I think? I can't remember. Of course, there was also that incident with the false Nova Branch base and Paul. And speaking of Paul…where has he gone? Either way, I wanted to show off Ash's relationship with his friends since meeting them is an occasion we don't often see. Poor Ash could use whatever interactions with his friends he can get after what he's constantly put through. As we saw with his speech, he isn't particularly happy about the state of the world and his life.
Well, looks like you were partly right about Giovanni using the helicopter as a decoy to escape elsewhere. What remains to be seen is if he'll be caught…and by who?
In the end, Giovanni was an ally to none but himself. He gave neither Ash nor Mr. Star nor the Nova Branch a thing and left on his own terms, keeping most of the information he knew to himself. Although, he did end up at least giving Ash one thing: a warning.
Hydra- I'm happy you really like Shaun. You're right about many of the points you brought up about him mainly in regards to what he did for Mew. Without Shaun being there to give Mew a realization check she really might have gone down as a dictator. Oh god imagine that, a world where the entire world and everyone in it is nothing but her toy box. I just imagine her turning Arceus into a toy and playing with him until she becomes bored then moving in to Ash and the rest of her children, yikes that gives me goosebumps. If Lugia ever does truly kill Mr. Lee, do you think that rage will be satiated or will it continue to rage on? It's crazy how bloodthirsty he's truly become when all Lee has ever done to him personally is just talk. I guess words can be more powerful than the sword.
The Creator- Next chapter, it's celebration time. The remnants of Team Rocket and the Nova Branch are seemingly done for. Perhaps a vacation is in order for Ash and Serena finally. Will that vacation take them back home, or will they go somewhere completely new? And Mr. Star seems to have a celebration in wait for all the trainers.
Hydra- Well guys I'm happy you finally got to read one of the best chapters I ever envisioned for this story. I don't see how it could get any better than what happened in this one so I hope you all really enjoyed it as much as myself. This was the farthest I ever envisioned a chapter being so from here on out we're just making it up as we go haha…. making it…. up as we go.
