Hall of Origin

Arceus sat in the Hall with a smile. Something as insignificant as that seemed to be a rarity. However, the meeting he was about to call forth was for a significant occasion. The previous day marked the defeat of Team Rocket. And with them, likely the Nova Branch. At last, Arceus felt a sense of hope for the future of the world. This meeting would be one of celebration and of gratitude.

One by one, portals opened over the pedestals adorning the Hall. The Legends stepped out onto their respective seat. This time, they were accompanied by a member who did not typically join the meetings. Through a white-gold ring, Ash emerged, stepping down into the ivory pedestal.

Arceus smiled kindly at him, an act that was reciprocated, then turned to address the Hall. "Welcome," He said, "And congratulations to every single one of you. Today is a day where we raise our heads proudly, knowing that our toil was not in vain." Nodding toward Ash, he added, "I especially must thank you, Ash, for spearheading our efforts against Team Rocket."

"Spearheading?" Asked Ash with a laugh. "I can't take credit for that." Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Keldeo several pedestals away. The two exchanged glances and smirked at one another. "We were all fighting our hardest. It was thanks to each other that we were able to win."

Approvingly, Arceus loudly replied, "Well spoken! It was thanks to all of our efforts that our victory came to pass. And with it, a peace that will last."

Although Ash would have loved to believe that, he refuted Arceus. "Well, our troubles aren't over yet. After all, the rest of the Nova Branch is still in hiding. Not to mention Lee."

A silence suddenly washed over the Hall. Stunned by Ash's words, the Legends froze with shock. Some glanced around at one another unsurely, sending looks at Arceus and Mew that silently asked questions the two had no answers for. Yet none were stunned like Lugia. The Beast of the Sea went completely still as if paralyzed.

Ash looked around the Hall, confused. "Did you all…not know?"

"We were…" Arceus coughed to straighten his raspy speech. "…We were not informed of this. Are you certain?"

Certain did not even begin to describe it. Just how 'certain' about it Ash was could not be accurately measured with words alone. "I saw him in person," Ash told him. "He was trying to kill Mr. Star and his business friends." A twinge in Ash's Aura caused him to close his fist. "He succeeded with one of them."

This sent murmurs throughout the Hall. A wide-eyed Mew looked up at Arceus. She was dismayed to find him appearing even more concerned and at a loss than herself.

Arceus looked down at his feet, wondering how such a thing could be possible. He watched as Lugia personally obliterated that problematic man, so how could he have returned? Then it hit him. On that day he took Xerneas with him to restore New Bark Town, Lee was able to escape as well. Had he been nothing more than a hologram on that island as well?

Stepping forward as much as her pedestal would allow, Xerneas bowed her head and spoke. "I must apologize, brothers and sisters. The blame lies with me."

Arceus, as well as the entire rest of the Hall, eyed her with surprise. "You?" Asked Arceus. "Xerneas, how could this possibly be your fault."

"As you know, I was with Ash during the time New Goldenrod City was invaded," Answered Xerneas, briefly looking toward Ash before returning her focus to Arceus. "I witnessed Lee's return as Ash did, and while Ash was occupied with more important matters, I withheld that information during the previous Hall because…"

Her eyes flicked toward Giratina, then back to Arceus. "…Of the chaos the information may have caused. We did not need any more distractions in the way of dealing with Team Rocket."

Giratina pretended not to notice her glance and chuckled. "It would seem that our father's tendency to keep secrets has rubbed off on Xerneas."

That comment earned a glare from Arceus, which did nothing more than amuse Giratina. Addressing Xerneas, Arceus said, "I understand your feelings, Xerneas, and I do not fault you for them. Honestly, you may be right."

Giratina rolled his eyes.

"However," Continued Arceus, "I must ask you to not repeat this behavior. You were not wrong for fearing our reactions during such a strenuous time. After all, these last months have no doubt brought out the worst of us." The father of the Legends raised his head to stare out over the Hall. "However, it has also, perhaps, brought out our best at times, and that is what we must always strive to be. More importantly than our doubts, we must have faith in one another."

Giratina's tendrils flexed tensely in irritation at that. The utter hypocrisy he was displaying disgusted him to no end, but he was no stranger to this feeling. He had half a mind to raise his voice and call this out as he had done many times before; to demand to know why he had yet to tell most of the others about the new Palkia and Groudon.

And yet, he found that the behavior of Arceus to hold his tongue about the truth to be rubbing off not only on Xerneas today. It was certainly not for the sake of his father. No, he would have loved to see him squirm as the Legends barraged him with questions about the new Palkia and Groudon. But that would also bring attention to the Legends that did know of their existence. Not to mention the young ones themselves. If only for their sake, he would hold back the storm he could summon with words alone.

"I understand, father," Spoke Xerneas with a light bow, "However, there was one specific case that worried me. Someone here would have not taken the news lightly."

It was then that she craned her head over to face Lugia. The others in the Hall followed her gaze, their faces wrinkling into winces one by one when they realized what Xerneas was getting at. Lugia had remained silent for the duration of the Hall meeting, even after the news of Lee had been delivered. They expected him to be so utterly furious that he could not voice the extent of his anger.

But Ash sensed something different. Something that confused him utterly. Lugia's emotions were a twist of conflicting feelings and sentiments that tied together like a clump of wires. Yet what Ash sensed within those wires, sprouting through the gaps between them as it rose to the surface, was not anger. It was joy and relief.

Many of those in the Hall suddenly flinched when Lugia threw back his head and laughed. "To think that Lee was still breathing!"

"You are not angry with me?" Wondered Xerneas.

Lugia boomed, "Angry? You've delivered the greatest news I've heard in a long time. Even after I believed I had ended Lee, this feeling of anger gnawing at me still persisted." Still wearing his twisted grin, Lugia turned toward Ash. "I thought it was because of Giovanni. I thought that, because Giovanni still lived, that my anger would continue to burn. But now, I understand. I must have somehow realized that I hadn't truly killed Lee. Now I know why I was still angry. Now, I know what I must do."

Ash could not help but to let out a weighty breath at Lugia's behavior. Even though Team Rocket was gone, it seems what they left behind still persisted. "Don't get too excited," He told Lugia. "Even though Lee's still alive, we don't know where he is."

He sent a knowing glance of worry to Hoopa, who did the same to him. "Earlier, the Nova Branch managed to get ahold of one of Hoopa's rings. My friends and I managed to take it back, but apparently it wasn't fast enough to stop them from figuring out how to make their own."

This sent an uproar throughout the Hall. "Their own?!" Exclaimed Kyogre. "You must be joking. Even if humanity is growing stronger, how is it possible that they could mimic the powers of spatial warping?! That is a power shared with Hoopa only by Lord Palkia, and he is…!"

Arceus's brow furrowed with concern. His expression was more than enough to instill the same emotion in Kyogre, who quickly became silent. Giratina silently took note of this as his burning red eyes focused between them.

"Like it or not, it's true," Ash told them. His face wrinkled as he recalled how they used his own Aura, along with that odd crystal, in the Branch's experiments. He thought to keep the detail of his Aura to himself, but Arceus's prior words made him reconsider. "And I think it is partly my fault. You all remember that statue I made after Necrozma was taken care of, right? Well, it seems that the Aura I used to keep it lit was taken advantage of."

Keldeo asked, "Then why don't you just take away the Aura from it then? You can put it back later, right."

Nodding, Ash replied, "I could, but at this stage, I think it's too late. If all they needed was a few days with Hoopa's ring to copy it, then…" He trailed off, suddenly feeling very sick at the thought of what the Nova Branch had done with his Aura. That selfsame ivory flow of life sparked around his hand, momentarily making his hand and fingers twitch.

After shaking his head and swallowing, he continued. "Anyways, Lee escaped with one of those copy rings. I don't know how many he made."

Arceus suddenly felt a wave of dread washing over him. It seemed like there was only more bad news piling up even after they had struck down Team Rocket. Just how long could this go on? When he looked down at Mew beside him, he found none of her old confidence. Rather, she wore the same expression he did.

Ash sighed, then took in a deep breath to clear the lump in his throat. "At the very least," Started Ash, "Mr. Star seems to have prepared for this. In about a day or so, maybe even today, he's supposed to be launching some kind of satellite meant to locate the remaining members of Team Rocket and the Nova Branch that are in hiding."

His attention quickly shifted over toward Rayquaza to his direct left as he asked, "By the way, could you do me a favor and not shoot this one down?"

With a gruff chuckle, the serpentine Legend flashed a toothy grin down at him and joked, "I'll consider the request."

Standing straight to regain his composure, Arceus asked Ash, "You are certain it is to launch today?"

Ash nodded. "Or tomorrow."

At least that was some good news. Holding back a relieved sigh, Arceus nodded firmly, then replied, "That is good. I hope Mr. Star will continue to relay any information he finds to us when he discovers it."

"I'm sure he will," Ash told him confidently. "Mr. Star always seemed to be so excited to be working with the Legends. I doubt that would change now."

Leaning forward, Dialga suddenly asked, "And about Mr. Star. What are his thoughts on Lee's continued activities?"

To the relief of all in the Hall, Ash answered, "He doesn't seem to think they have the power to operate right now. When Team Rocket went down, the Nova Branch lost its funding. He expects them to collapse, but…"

Noticing Ash trailing off, Arceus suggested, "But you have your doubts?"

"Yeah." He recalled Giovanni's words and how he called the Nova Branch traitors. None of it made sense to him. Why would they betray Team Rocket if they were dependent on them? "Above all else, I trust Mr. Star. He's been fighting these people longer than I have, and not once has he ever lied to me." Ash briefly flashed his Aura, then added, "I made sure of that. His intentions have always been pure."

Arceus nodded approvingly. "That is good," He spoke. "Mr. Star has been nothing but faithful to all of us, and so we will have faith in him." Arceus faced the Hall itself as he spoke to them. "Now is not the time for doubt, especially not in one another. At least for today, let us rest and recuperate."

He turned to Ash with a smile. "And speaking of rest and recuperation," He said, "I understand that you have been treated to a vacation soon, correct?"

A smile returned to Ash's face at that. He nodded, reaching into his pocket to show off a ticket. "Yeah. Mr. Star got Serena and I tickets to some region called Alola."


A golden ring emerged within Ash's apartment, depositing him from the Hall. Around his hand, his Aura sparked once again, more uncomfortable than the last time. It caused his hand to flex without his control for but a moment, and then the sensation disappeared. As he looked down at his hand, he wondered if it meant anything.

In staring at his hand, Ash noticed the Secretary Bot strapped to his wrist. Feeling curious, he turned it on. A holographic screen appeared before him, showcasing the names of those he registered upon it. He scrolled through names until he landed upon Paul's, and to his disappointment, found that none of the calls he sent to Paul had been answered.

"Well, Paul's strong," Ash whispered aloud. Knowing Paul's distrust of the Secretary Bots, it's possible that he just ditched the thing somewhere and went dark. But that didn't explain why he was still gone if he was seeking Ash out. Now that Team Rocket was gone, there shouldn't be any reason to fear the Secretary Bots anymore.

His head perked up at the sound of his doorknob moving. It opened, and there was the sound of excited chatting that naturally preceded the entrance of Serena and Latias, who still borrowed the form of her friend Bianca. Her identity had already been revealed in the fight against Team Rocket, so there was no real reason to hide it anymore, but it seemed like she enjoyed occupying the form of her late friend.

"Hey!" Cheerfully greeted Ash with a wave. "You guys excited for the Alola Region? I hear they had some different system from the Pokemon League from the beginning, so they probably weren't too impacted by…" He rubbed the back of his head. "…You know. Everything, I guess."

Latias did not appear very excited. She glanced away, placing the bag she was carrying on the desk to her right. "About that," She said. "I…think I'm gonna show up there a little bit later."

"Why's that?"

She swallowed a lump in her throat. Her eyes looked past Ash, out at the open sky showing through the glass door to the balcony. "Before I think about a vacation, there's something I want to do." Her body trembled a bit for reasons even she didn't understand. Serena placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, urging her to continue.

When Latias was able to meet Ash's gaze, she found the determination to speak. "I want to return to Alto-Mare." Evidently, that confidence was fleeting, because she soon found herself unable to lock eyes with him any longer. "I-It's just for a short while. I'm not trying to ditch you guys or anything." She gave a shaky laugh as she added, "I don't even know why I'm going. I just had this feeling, and…"

A smiling Ash chuckled and waved her off. "Don't worry about it," He told her. "If you have a feeling that you should return to your home, don't think for a second that I would stop you. I know you're not blowing off the trip to Alola."

That much seemed to act as some relief to Latias. "That's good," She said after a brief sigh to regain her proper breath. "But don't worry. I am coming to Alola with you guys. Just a bit later. You don't have to worry about tickets for me either. I'll get there faster just flying by myself."

Ash nodded to her, then turned to Serena. "How about you?" He asked. "I hear Alola's a beautiful place. I doubt either of us are going to be doing much battling for a while, so maybe it could inspire your Kalos Queen performances."

Thoughtfully, Serena glanced up and murmured, "Kalos Queen."

It was as if she was testing the words. "Huh. I actually haven't thought about that in…a long time."

That surprised Ash immensely. "Are you serious?" He asked, hardly believing what he was hearing. "But isn't that your dream?"

"Of course it's my dream!" Serena replied without missing a beat. "I just didn't really have the time to think about it with everything else going on." She raised an eyebrow at him, then asked, "What, were you thinking about the Pokemon League this whole time?"

Ash sighed, then nodded. "Yeah," He admitted. "In fact, it's been hard to keep my mind off it. I've been working as the Chosen One for so long that I haven't really been able to do what I really wanted. And it just seemed that the Pokemon League was crumbling more and more as time went on."

As he spoke of this, he recalled the feeling of Mr. Goodshow's life fading within his mind. Trainers and Pokemon dying, Champions resigning, Gyms closing. These things seemed to happen like the falling of dominoes. Goodshow's death seemed to him like the final nail in the coffin. A good man who loved Pokemon more than himself, the man who led the Pokemon League committee, was irreplaceable.

"…It was hard not to notice waking up from that dream."

Pikachu's ears drooped hearing just how utterly defeated Ash sounded when he said that. Just the same, Serena suddenly felt awful for bringing it up. Her dream was still intact after all.

"Oh, Ash."

Ash shook his head and smiled. "Forget about that," He told her. "Let's stick to the positive. The world could use as much of that as it can get. Are you excited for Alola, Serena?"

She stared at him for a moment with concern, but ultimately decided just to go along with the conversation. "Of course!" She chirped. "I hear Alola's the most beautiful region out there. If it beats Kalos, then I've got something to look forward to."

Clasping her hands behind her back, she glanced to the side. "But I might end up just being a day late."

His face falling slightly, a disappointed Ash asked, "You too?"

Serena quickly said, "It's only a day. Don't worry. Mr. Star said he wanted me to personally attend the celebration."

Ash couldn't help but to laugh hearing that. "Really?" He asked. "That's pretty ironic. Mr. Star seems intent on keeping me away from the celebration."

"What?!" Exclaimed Latias. "Why would he do something like that? All of this was mostly because of you helping him! Isn't he in your debt or something?"

To her and Serena's confusion, Ash seemed amused by the question. "Well," Ash began, "He definitely seems to think so. This is his way of thanking me. You see, Mr. Star knew I wasn't into being around huge groups of people these days." He looked at Serena. "You know that better than anyone. So, he, uh…insisted that I stay away from the party."

Seeing right through him, Serena shouted, "Did he ban you from attending?!"

Ash chuckled dryly. "Hey," He said, "I'm not particularly broken up about it either. Mr. Star suggested that going somewhere quiet and relaxing like Alola would be better for me than being in a noisy party where everyone's yelling." His face went sour as he added, "Not to mention all the news crews that would be shoving microphones in my face."

He gave something of a shrug, then said, "Well, I could hardly argue with that. So I guess I'll be taking the first flight out to Alola. Mr. Star said I was owed the quiet at least because of all my hard work."

"Oh, hard work was the deciding factor, huh?" Kidded Serena. "Guess all my work got me was the second flight to Alola tomorrow."

Latias giggled at her mock irritation, then said to Ash, "Tell Mr. Star not to waste any money on my ticket. I'll just fly out there on my own." With that, she walked past Serena and Ash, pulling open the glass pane door. She spread her arms wide and became shrouded in white as her form changed to her natural Pokemon state. "I'll see you guys there," She said with a wave. When Ash and Serena mirrored the act, she turned and flew off into the open sky.

Ash and Serena walked to the balcony to watch her sail through the air. When it came to the point that she was no longer visible, Ash found his gaze falling to the ground far below. Even with how high their apartment was from the ground, he and Serena could hear the excited crowd. Some were surrounding Star Tower, held back from the building's stairways by some officers. Others were crowding around the streets not far away, likely partaking in whatever other festivities had been set up while people were waiting to be welcomed within Star Tower itself.

"I guess it's a good thing we actually live in Star Tower, isn't it?" Serena said with a laugh. "Everyone else has to wait outside."

Ash merely nodded at first. Then, he replied, "You were out with Latias, weren't you? Did you see what they were setting up at the bottom?"

Shaking her head, Serena said, "Nope. We made sure to not stare down since Mr. Star was pretty adamant on keeping it a surprise. At a glance, we did end up seeing a lot of ribbons though."

Again, Ash merely nodded. His attention shifted from the crowd directly below to the city overall. It was still mostly in ruins. Repair efforts had started from the tower itself and spread outwards. This allowed for the celebration happening below to happen just fine, but Ash couldn't help but wonder.

"Is it alright?" He asked.

Serena looked at him oddly. "Huh?"

"To be celebrating when the city's still barely starting its repairs." He beckoned with a wave of his arm to those below. "Sure, they're celebrating now," He said, "But tonight, are they going to have to sleep in crumbling houses? Will they have windows, or even roofs over their head? We haven't even cleared out the collapsed buildings, or…" Stinging memories of lives being snuffed out all around him as one building collapsed on top of him resurged as a phantom pain. "…Found a lot of the bodies inside."

His gaze shifted to the city's far edge. In the distance, he could see the Rings of the Lost, the engraved names of those lost in the war against Necrozma. "How many names are we going to have to add to those? Shouldn't we focus on all of that before celebrating?"

Serena was taken aback by his sudden shift to the melancholy. Her lips pursed, at first unable to respond. Then, she remembered. Something only she could do.

Her once tender hand, now hardened by the fires of battle, slid underneath his chin and pulled his attention to squarely upon her. "Ash," She said with a smile, "You shouldn't focus on such somber things right now. Today is supposed to be a day of celebration. Sure, things still aren't the greatest, but that's exactly why we should be focusing on the positive right now."

Forcibly directing his attention back to the ground below, she said, "Look at them. Just about every trainer in the world is down there. They're dancing, playing games, and having fun. When was the last time anybody's been able to do that?" She giggled, a sound that was music to Ash's ears. "A boost of morale is just what this city needs to get back on its feet. It'll certainly help with the rebuilding efforts."

Ash shrugged halfheartedly. "I guess you're right."

His attitude caused Serena to sigh in annoyance. Growing impatient with him, she suddenly put two fingers to his cheeks and forced him to smile. "You know," She said, "You really ought to start smiling more often." Ash's eyes widened a bit at her suddenness. She continued, "The fighting is over. At least for now. Things may still be bad, but the Ash I know would be smiling either way."

Removing her fingers from his face, Serena retreated back into the room. "I'm going to get ready for the celebration," She told him, opening a drawer and fiddling with her clothes inside. "You should start packing for your trip too." And before Ash could give any kind of response, she took something out and disappeared into the bathroom, closing the door behind her.

Ash stared blankly at the bathroom door for a while, standing frozen with his mouth slightly agape. Pikachu sadly glanced back and forth between his trainer and where Serena had gone, sensing the tension.

The words Serena said to Ash played out again in Ash's mind over and over like an echo that wouldn't end. It shortened over time, eventually settling upon four words that repeated on loop.

The Ash she knew.

Ash glanced down at his feet, and aloud, he wondered, "Have I changed that much?"

Around his hand, his Aura sparked for a fourth time. This time, it was more intense, sending a buzz throughout his body. Suddenly, he felt very anxious, and very sick. The sensation washed over him like a wave. But just as quickly as the sensation came over him, it vanished.

This short duration resulted only in a gasp of surprise from Ash, who nearly collapsed as his legs weakened. His trusty partner cried, "Pika!" Hopping down from the bed, Pikachu went to Ash's side with worry.

Ash chuckled at his partner. "Don't worry," He assured Pikachu, "I'm fine." He clutched at his chest and breathed. The cool air at this height worked wonders for clearing the mind. "Maybe I'm just a little excited over going to Alola. Or maybe my Aura was reacting to all the people below."

He pushed off of the balcony's edge and entered the room. "Now," He said, "What should I pack?"

Though Ash seemed intent on changing the subject, Pikachu knew Ash. He was not convinced in the slightest that his trainer was entirely fine.


Ash looked out from the passenger seat of a helicopter down to the airport below. He was shocked to see that, unlike most of the rest of the city, it was unharmed, and asked the pilot, "How come the airport wasn't destroyed?"

The pilot glanced down and replied, "The airport is probably the second most guarded place in the city besides Star Tower itself. Guards are always stationed there because of the threat of Team Rocket, so when the Pokemon attacked, they were able to hold them off."

He turned the wheel, shifting the course of the helicopter away from the main section of the airport. "Mr. Star's orders were to take you to his private section of the building before the plane is ready." He chuckled, then said, "Between you and me, Mr. Star himself never actually used the place. It's usually rented out by other higher ups around here for parties while they wait to fly out for business." He shrugged. "You know, fancy people stuff."

All that sounded insufferably stuffy to Ash. "You said the place is rented out just for me today, right?" He asked with worry. Being fawned over by rich people trying to get closer to Mr. Star for the express purpose of becoming richer sounded just as bad as being held on a pedestal if he were to attend the celebration.

To his relief, the pilot nodded and replied, "Sure is. All the business going on recently has been keeping the bigwigs busy." Flipping a switch on the display, the pilot slowly sent the helicopter to its descent. "So you've got the place all to yourself until the plane's ready."

When they landed, several Star Foundation officers awaited him. "Welcome, Ash!" They chimed. One of them, a mustached man with a fancy-looking suit, walked beside Ash as he pulled his suitcase up the ramp to the doorway ahead.

Ash glanced up to his right at the plane. It was rather large for just him and the pilots. He wondered if it was alright to use it on just him.

"The private room," Said the fancy-looking officer, "Is reserved for you, sir. The airplane will be ready for your exclusive use in approximately thirty minutes." He stopped at the door, pushing it open. "Until then, the room's amenities are yours at your leisure."

This officer acted more like a butler than an officer. It made Ash somewhat uncomfortable. "Uh, thanks," He replied simply, pulling up his suitcase and walking past. The door creaked shut behind him.

The private room was the epitome of fancy. It seemed more like a high-end Kalosian restaurant than a waiting room for an airport. There were sets of tables draped in white, chairs that glimmered in the light, and the floors were like mirrors. He felt bad just walking on it because it seemed so clean. But a place as fancy as this just felt creepy to him since it was empty.

He noticed a voice and followed it back to a large television on one of the walls. Evidently, there appeared to be a large news covering of the celebration that it would serve as entertainment until the plane was ready, Ash pulled up two seats for himself and Pikachu in front of it, then set aside his suitcase.

"We are waiting just outside Star Tower in the midst of a major celebration following the Star Foundation's triumphant victory over Team Rocket," Spoke the newswoman. Behind her, there was a roaring crowd separated from her by a small wall of bodyguards. Several people nearest to those guards excitedly hopped up, trying to get into the camera's view.

Their antics got a laugh out of the newswoman, who said, "It seems that the party has gotten everybody riled up, but the real party is said to begin once Mr. Star appears to give some kind of speech."

In the corners of the camera's view, Ash noticed tents of all sorts set up along the street sides. They seemed full of either games to play or goods to give out. Honestly, it looked like a lot of fun to him. For a moment, he sat back in his chair and wondered if he should have stayed with Serena and enjoyed the party.

"The people celebrating around us have more than earned their right to party," The newswoman said, "Because these trainers, young and old, stepped up to fight for us and our world. Almost every trainer alive is here today with us now! It's said that over one hundred thousand people have gathered here today."

One hundred thousand people.

Suddenly, Ash's urge to join in the party was snuffed out. The thought of that many people surrounding him and yelling already made his skin crawl. He couldn't imagine actually being in that scenario. The last thing he needed was thousands of people swarming him just days after thousands of Pokemon did the same.

Suddenly, the news anchor stopped in the middle of her sentence. She put a hand to her ear, asking, "Really? Right now?" Her eyes went wide and she quickly stood straight, clasping both hands around her microphone nervously. "Ladies and gentlemen, we have just been given the news that Mr. Star is ready to start his announcement. We'll be directing you to the display shortly."

And with that, the camera cut away from the woman and showcased the front of Star Tower. There was an immediate uproar of excitement from the crowd as they waited in anticipation for whatever message Mr. Star had lying in wait for them. And then, a holographic image was cast upon the front of the building, and the cheers erupted into roars.

Upon that hologram, Mr. Star waited for the cheering to settle with a bright, wide smile upon his face. Once the noise died down, Mr. Star took in a deep breath and spoke out to the thousands below.

"Welcome, trainers of the world."

His words yet again set the crowd off. They hurled cheers of excitement into the sky. Ash was sure he could have sworn he heard them even as far as the airport.

Mr. Star chuckled. "I am glad to see you all in high spirits. Drink in this moment, because you have earned the peace to come." He raised his arms and exclaimed, "We've won! Through your efforts, Team Rocket is defeated!"

The smile upon the old man's wrinkled face faded a bit as he said, "To some of you, the victory is hollow. I admit, this victory did not come without a cost." He raised a clenched fist. "This world," He said, "Has suffered at the hands of cowards. When our world was in danger, Team Rocket and their accomplices ran and hid. And when we fought and died for them, they hid so they could take advantage of us later."

He slammed his hand upon his podium and shouted, "But no more! Giovanni may have escaped justice for now, but I assure you, in time, he and all who poisoned our world will face the wrath of all they have wronged."

The screen suddenly changed focus from the old man to an emerald field. Ash recognized it as the emerald plains outside of New Goldenrod. Amidst the grass, there was an area carved out with dirt, stone and steel. Ash sat forward in his seat with wide eyes when the camera panned over to a large rocket with a star painted on its side.

"In mere hours," Spoke Mr. Star, "We here at the Star Foundation will be launching a satellite into orbit. From there, it will be able to identify the individuals responsible for the torment we have suffered. Giovanni may still be at large, but with this, his days are numbered."

Aura flickered to life around Ash's hand. Suddenly, he felt unnerved.

Mr. Star raised his head, declaring proudly, "Our world can finally achieve the peace it has always deserved. Humanity and all Pokemon will be brought into a new age!"

And then, that sense of anxiety erupted into a wave of utter dread. He gasped and clutched at his chest. Instinctively, he tried to stand up, but in doing so, caused his vision to blur. A worried Pikachu pulled at the ankle of his pants, but it did little to stop Ash's trance. Instinctively, Ash tried to grab the table to balance himself, but only managed to grab the cloth.

He fell to the ground in a heap, pulling the glass on the table down with him. All the while, he continued to clutch at his chest as he futilely struggled for the air that seemed to evade him at every turn. He couldn't talk, or even think. All his mind could focus on was an impending sense of doom.

Unable to stand seeing him like this any longer, Pikachu shot a Thunderbolt at Ash in an attempt to shock him out of his trance. Ash jolted for a moment, then fell back. He continued to hold his chest and brace for air, and for a moment, Pikachu was unsure if it worked. As he sparked his cheeks to shoot a second time, Ash quickly held up a hand to stop him.

"W-wait!" He exclaimed. "I'm alright now, Pikachu!" Taking in a deep breath, he glanced up at the roof with a dizzy head and sighed. "Thanks, Pikachu," He told his buddy. Pikachu happily nuzzled up next to his trainer.

Although he was relieved to have been rescued from his own panic attack, Ash stared down at his hand, silently wondering, "Just what happened to me?"

He forced himself back up, using the bare table to pull himself back onto his seat. As a worried Pikachu waddled up to him, Ash looked at his twitching fingers. "I felt like I was being squeezed," He told his partner. "Like I was being crushed at every possible angle…it felt like the world itself was weighing on me."

His eyes, now reddened from the stress he had just been put through, glanced up at the news channel. Mr. Star was still talking about something, but Ash found it difficult to concentrate on it.

"And," Ash said, "I felt this feeling. This sense of complete dread. Of doom. Like something awful was going to happen, and I couldn't stop it." Letting out another long breath, he sat back in his chair, and Pikachu hopped up next to him. "What does this mean?" He wondered aloud. "It has to mean something. My Aura's been acting weird all day. Something like this doesn't just happen."

Flapping his hat, Ash placed the hat back upon his head where it belonged. His mind raced for an answer he couldn't find. Not alone. The unending questions in his mind led him only to one conclusion. There was only one person he knew that was knowledgeable enough about Aura to know what this could mean.

"Riley."

Riley was certainly the best person to turn to. Arceus and Mew certainly knew of Aura, but Riley would provide a unique perspective. His old mentor in the ways of Aura would certainly know what to do.

Ash hummed to himself in thought, crossing his arms. "Where did Riley say he was going again?" He wondered. It had been so long since he even had the time to think about Riley that he had all but forgotten.

Tracing back his memory step by step, Ash remembered the last time he had met with Riley. "That's right," He murmured to himself, "He met with Mr. Star like the rest of us. But he didn't go on the missions like we did. He went to…" He scratched his head. "It was a place with lots of Aura."

And then it clicked. And he made a decision.

Alola could wait.

The Star Foundation officers tending to Ash's plane jumped with fright as a fearsome Charizard threw open the private room's door and bellowed. Their shock only went further when they spotted Ash himself riding atop it as the Charizard flew past them.

"Wait!" A woman called up to her, waving at him with her noteboard. "Where are you going? Your flight is almost ready!"

Ash called back, "There's been a change of plans! Something important came up!"

The officers could only stare up at him with slack jaws, dumbfounded. Behind them, within the private room, Mr. Star continued to speak to the masses gathered below him.

"And with that, Star Tower is open to all Pokemon Trainers. To all gathered family or friends of trainers who do not own a Pokemon of their own, please wait outside to ensure the trainers can all fit in."


Authors Note

The Creator- Bit of a short chapter. It would appear that Ash's vacation is put on hold. A shame. Imagine the fun they could have had in Alola with everything that's happened in this story compared to the original.

Speaking of Ash, I'm kinda bummed no one mentioned anything about his speech from the last chapter.

Hydra- I wonder if you guys have started to notice a pattern forming? It seems like the celebration has commenced! With all the hardships the trainers have been through they have definitely earned some leisure time. I wonder what is happening to Ash?

SilverWolf1130- Things are finally looking up, right? Right?

I don't think so… They still need to find Yveltal and little Palkia…

The Nova Branch will come back stronger than before…

This really is a "Calm before the Storm." chapter, it feels like.

I think the Nova Branch will kill Gio. He has no more use to them, it seems.

Mr. Star being all happy at the end like that makes me suspicious…

The chaos begins next time… And it's not gonna be pretty…

The Creator- At the very least, the threat of Team Rocket is no longer looming over the heads of everyone. But the Nova Branch are crafty. How will they continue without funding to supply their experiments and weapon manufacturing? It could take years for them to recover, right? Or they could simply slowly collapse, slowly losing power until there's nothing left. A quiet, invisible death. Something like that must seem like a nightmare to Lee.

Hydra- hopefully you enjoyed this chapter. This was more of a relaxation one because we haven't had one of those in a long time. It seems like every other chapter someone is dying or getting injured so it's a nice change of pace.

G- Good chapter, so Ash, Serena and his friends managed to systematically decapitated the organization of the Team Rocket, to takes over the main base of the Team rocket, caught some notables members, like Dr Namba, Butch, Cassidy, Matori and possibly Domino, adding that Giovanni was seemingly cornered according to the information of Mr Star, apparently...

Well, being honest, as Ash said, this was too easy, especially if it is compared to his previous incursion in the Nova Branch base, that implied a lot problems, difficulties, mutilations, and variables. In contrast with the incursion with the Team rocket base, in that Ash and Serena practically managed to dealt with any obstacle with little to not difficult at all, practically as if they would faces the normal trio of Team rocket again, something out of place, as Giovanni and the Team rocket aren't criminals too easy from defeat, making strange and weird that this victory was too easy.

Thought that maybe this outcome occured as result of the betrayal of Nova Branch to the Team rocket, as several of the gadgets, gears and technology that the Team rocket borrowed from Nova Branch, practically failed, as if the latters sabotaged it purposely to set a trap to the formers. Nevertheless, i doubt that Giovanni will be caught too easily, because even if he isn't Christopher Lee, Giovanni isn't a pushover either, this guy don't become the leader of the Team rocket for his pretty face, Giovanni showed be a very cunning man that can makes carefully his plans, making me thinks that maybe Giovanni also had some emergency plans for this situations, especially if he suspected some attempt of betrayal from Nova Branch, meaning that is likely that Giovanni will eludes this capture, or even he leaves an imposter behind to confuses the heroes, much like Lee when he faked his demise.

To finishes, so the next chapters will be focused in a kind of vacations for Ash and his friends, well they deserve it, as in fact, Ash and his friends couldn't get any break after the war against Necrozma, as almost inmediately, they should deals with the ruined world, fights against Nova Branch and Team rocket, and deals with any issue that they finds, making that a vacations don't sound as a bad idea. Even maybe Ash could uses this time to calls his mother, as Delia must be sick worried about Ash. Thought that Ash should be prepared for the scare of his life, causes that nothing is more fearsome as an angry mother XD.

Also, i wonder if during this time, Mr Star could tries to makes some damage control, specifically regarding the actions of Nova Branch to leaves the public opinion in the pokemon on the sewers, as maybe some people and citizens could harbors some dislike, distrust or even grudge in the pokemon after the assault to Goldenrod city, making good idea that Star corporation makes some project and plans to fixes this issues, otherwise, we could see another villainous faction, that support the ideals of Nova Branch.

To The Creator. So Giovanni won't support nor help anyone than himself, well, so this could implies that the blow to the reputation of the pokemon after the assault of Goldenrod city, won't be solved for catches him, meaning that Mr Star should still do a lot work to fixes this damage caused by Nova Branch.

And regarding your point Hydra, i agreed that if Mew wouldn't fixed her personality and mindset soon, could be catastrophic imagines the damages and problems that our Legendary kitty could causes to the world, almost to the level of Emperor Joker in DC comics, i just shudders to thinks in the consequences.

Also, regarding to Lugia, if he manages to kills the true Lee in the future, being honest, i am not sure if this could ends his thrist for revenge, because once that you allows that the revenge and retribution consumes your heart, the revenge end becoming your life, much like Red Hood from DC comics, or Punisher from Marvel comics, meaning that even if Lugia kills Lee, he could be still thrist for revenge against any person that reminds Lugia to Christopher Lee. Meaning that at least that Lugia can finds a way to not be overwhelmed by his revenges wishes again, he is condemned to become a vengeful pokemon that shows no mercy toward his enemies.

Keep the good job.

The Creator- You're right about Giovanni. Even in defeat, it's hard to imagine him ever getting captured. That man's like a shadow, always out of the corner of your eye. To catch him, you would need to be less than a shadow. The Nova Branch may have shot the first betrayal bullet, but that bullet ricocheted and hit them in the foot too. Now they have no support. What will they do from here? What can they do?

As great and deserved as a vacation would be for our heroes, sadly, it seems to have slipped right out from under their feet at the last second. I wonder what awaits us all now?

From what Mr. Star has been saying about his satellite, it would appear that he's going above and beyond merely damage control. He wants it all to end, and he wants it fast. How effective is this satellite, I wonder?

Lugia seems to think he's on the straight and narrow again. Was he right? Did his anger not fade because, somewhere deep down, he knew he hadn't truly killed Lee? Or is it like you said? His anger could simply be hollowing him, turning him into something that's shallow and always angry.

Hydra- Oh god emperor level Mew is horrifying. The world is her toy chest and if you oppose her you're either turned into a toy or Pokemon. I guess our heroes should just be thankful that Aura intervened when it did, otherwise the Nova Branch would've been the least of their worries. I was very happy with the way Giovanni was portrayed in the last chapter. When I was getting inspiration for his look and personality I went back to the special even that happened in the Heart Gold games when you go back in time and fight him in a 1v1

Guest- Nice to see Serena defeat Domino

The Creator- I know, right? She's always been playing second fiddle to Ash. Always wanting to help just as much as he does, yet coming up short and needing to rely upon him in the end. This time, it was different. Finally, she achieved a victory of her own. But will it be the last? What is something she can do for Ash? Something only she can do?

Hydra- Yeah it was awesome seeing Domino get knocked down a few pegs especially with how cocky she was being. Once she had no technology to hide behind she crumbled.

The Creator- Next chapter, we'll be looking in on a certain Pokemon and how they've been handling their home with everything that's been going on. There is a shadow, darker than any other, in a realm of shadows. What will Ash do? Where is he going? And will he find Riley? Why has his Aura spiked up like this, and what does it mean?

Hydra- Things are all starting to come together now. I hope you enjoyed this breather of a chapter because the next one is gonna bring a huge smile to all your faces especially in relation to… well I can't say hehe. Have a good day!