The battle for freedom begins in:
#60: Team Rocket & Team Ash Vs Red Part 1
"Good. Let's get started. Who's first? I think I'll start with you!" Red proclaims, pointing to his first challenger: Serena.
"Me?!" Serena yelps with surprise.
"You can do it, Serena, give it the best you got!" Brock says to her.
"And don't be reckless, Red doesn't mess around," Paul warns her.
Serena gulps and takes a deep breath. "Okay, let's do it," she resolves, pulling out her own Pokeball and tossing it to the center of the courtroom.
"I choose you, Braixen!" Serena calls, summing her Pokemon to the field.
Red seemed unfazed by her selection.
"Very well, go, Raikou!" Red proclaims, summon his Pokemon to the field.
"What?! How did he capture a legendary like Raikou?" Ash says in shock.
Serena thought carefully before giving out her first order.
"Braixen, use Fire Blast!" Serena commands.
Braixen unleashes its Fire Blast upon Raikou without hesitation.
It wasn't very effective.
"Huh?! Serena responds in shock, as the attack did virtually nothing to Red's Raikou.
Red adjusts his cap and counterattacks.
"Raikou, use Hyper Beam!" Red commands.
Raikou rears back and charges up its attack, shooting its massive beam at Braixen, instantly knocking it out upon impact.
"Oh no, Braixen!" Serena yelps in response as she immediately recalls her Pokemon. "I'm sorry everyone, he's just too strong!"
Red chuckles. "Figured I pick off the weakest link in your team. Who's next?"
"Paul, let's team up against him!" Brock says to his ally, his Raikou's level is too much for one person.
"Hmph, you're right. We'll need to combine our efforts for this moment," Paul agrees.
"Right! Let's do it. Onyx, let's rock!" Brock proclaims.
"Very well. Lucario, let's go!" Paul proclaims.
Both Onyx and Lucario are summoned to the field.
"Onyx, use Iron Tail!" Brock commands his Pokemon.
"Lucario, hit him with Focus Blast!" Paul commands his own.
Both Pokemon synchronize their attacks upon Raikou, but ultimately miss their target as Raikou dodges them effortlessly.
"Raikou, counter with Giga Impact!" Red commands, causing his Pokemon to cause an explosive attack upon Onyx and Lucario, blowing them away like they were nothing.
"Are you kidding me?!" Brock responds with disbelief as he recalls his dazed Onyx.
"Damn!" was all Paul could say in frustration as he too recalls his Lucario from the field.
In a surprising move, Red recalls his Raikou from the field as well.
"I believe my Raikou has had enough boredom for now. Time to bring out the next," Red says, pulling out a new Pokeball and tossing it toward the center of the courtroom.
"Come, Dragonite!" Red proclaims, summoning his dragon Pokemon to the field.
"We'll take on this one!" both Butch and Cassidy announce together, pulling out their Pokeballs and tossing them to the field.
"Go, Aggron!" Butch announces, summoning his strongest into battle.
"You too, come Drowzee!" Cassidy follows up, summing her preferred Pokemon onto the field.
"I'll be attacking first this time!" Red proclaims. "Dragonite, use Outrage!"
Red's Dragonite performs Outrage, firing a huge blast of flame to engulf his opponent's Pokemon.
"I'll protect us!" Aggron, use Harden!" Butch commands, having his Pokemon take the brunt of the attack for both of them.
"And here's my counter!" responds Cassidy. "Drowzee, use Focus Punch!" commanding her Pokémon to charge up its attack upon Dragonite, causing moderate damage to it.
"Finally, they managed to effectively hit Red's Pokemon!" Jessie proclaims in delight.
"Looks like Red's Pokemon is not as overpowered as we think!" Ash adds with confidence as the inactive participants look on at the ongoing battle.
Red sneers.
"You may have damaged him, but it's not enough to knock him out! Dragonite, use Giga Impact!" Red commands, sending his Dragonite to directly attack both Aggron and Drowzee, ejecting both of them off the field with a mighty blow.
"Damnit!" Butch responds, recalling his Pokemon.
"Just how powerful are his Pokemon?!" Cassidy says with confusion, recalling hers as well.
Red once again recalls his own Pokemon back when it wasn't even necessary at all. "Well now, looks like it's down to the wire. Will you be a decent challenge?" Red says to the remaining opponents: Ash, James and Jessie.
"Oh great, looks like things are riding solely on us now," Jessie says with apprehension.
"Man, how are we supposed to win this?" Ash says with doubt in his voice.
Phoenix, who has been silent as the battles rage between both sides, steps forward and faces the remaining participants.
"Don't lose hope, everyone. "No one can escape their past. The sins we've committed... and the sadness we've caused... No matter how far we run, our past remains, as ever-present as the moon in the sky. It looms in wait... for the day when we are forced to face it. But only in doing so can we truly make peace and move on in hope towards tomorrow," Phoenix states. "Team Rocket, your past has been filled with misdeeds and crimes, but that doesn't define who you are now, as you two have your own motives and views on what's right. And Ash, you may be looked down upon Pokémon purists, but you have everlasting appeal and your experience shows your growth over the years. I believe you can make a difference here and now."
Both Ash and his Pikachu, and all three active members of Team Rocket look at one another.
Despite their differences and challenges, has something like this ever stopped them from pushing forward?
Hell no!
"Ash, let's kick his butt!" James says, he, Jessie, and Meowth committed fully in beating Red.
"Yeah, let's show him not to mess with the best!" Ash says with a smile, he and Pikachu nodding in agreement.
On the opposite side, Gadot had been observing things silently as well, sipping his coffee as the battle for justice ensued.
"You better not get to cocky, Red," Gadot says to his client.
Red nods and smirks.
"I've got this, don't worry," Red responds.
The judge bangs his gavel to get everyone's attention.
"The final battle to determine the verdict of both the prosecution and defense will now begin," the judge announces.
"Right! Pikachu, I choose you!" Ash proclaims.
"Meowth, make us proud!" both Jessie and James follow up in response.
Pikachu and Meowth leap off the stands onto the middle of the field.
Red reaches into his jacket and pulls out an Ultra Ball.
"Let's end this! Go, Mewtwo!" Red proclaims, summoning one of the strongest Pokemon in existence to the field.
The final showdown was about to begin.
It's down to the wire: Pikachu and Meowth vs Mewtwo! Who will stand victorious in this grand battle of the century?
Please review and stay tuned to the next chapter!
