Episode 124: Personal Reflection

Ash, Brock, and Brenda are inside a museum with exhibits of all kinds. Brock looks carefully around, searching for something.

Today, Brock has brought our other heroes to a museum. What wonders wait to be seen?

Brenda asks, "Brock, not that I'm not having a good time, but why exactly did you want to come here?"

Brock grins. "It's a surprise. But no worries, we're almost there." He looks ahead with joy. "That's it!" He rushes over to a display. It's a large slab of crystal with smooth polished surface.

Brenda sees it and says, "Wow, it's so shiny."

Ash looks at it with interest. "Hey, there's something familiar about this…"

Brock explains, "This slab of crystal was taken from the Reflection Cave in the Kalos Region. It's the only crystal of this size to ever be removed from the cave."

Ash grins. "Wow, the Reflection Cave, that brings me back. Crazy times."

Brenda admires the reflection in the crystal mirror. "It's pretty, but I don't get what's so exciting about it."

Brock looks to Brenda with surprise. "Come on Brenda, the Reflection Cave contains crystals of a completely unique type, seen nowhere else in the world. This mirror is practically one-of-a-kind. It's a geologist's dream."

Brenda shrugs. "Well, I guess that's why I'm not a geologist." She looks to Ash and asks, "Hey, you want to go check out the air and space section?"

Ash answers excitedly, "Yeah! Let's go!" Brenda runs off. Before Ash follows, he looks to Brock and asks, "You want to come?"

Not taking his eyes away from the crystal, Brock answers, "You go ahead. I'll catch up later."

"Alright, if you say so." Ash runs off.

Brock is left alone, staring into crystalline mirror, observing his reflection. He says to himself, "The crystal mirror… I wish you would reveal your secrets to me…"

As if responding to his wish, the crystal suddenly flashes. The light subsides quickly, leaving behind Brock's reflection.

Brock looks perplexed. "That was unusual. What just happened?" He strokes his chin and watches as his reflection does the same. But then when he lowers his hand, his reflection does not. "Wha!?"

Then his reflection grins on its own accord, literally reaches out from the mirror, grabs Brock and yanks him into the mirror, while also exiting the mirror itself.

On the other side of the mirror, Brock is too flabbergasted to do anything but stare in shock. The reflection grins mischievously at the mirror and says, "Your wish has been granted, and so too has mine." He turns around and leaves.

Behind the mirror, Brock pounds at the crystal, shouting for help, but his voice is muffled, and his fists just bounce off his side of the mirror. There's another flash and Brock can no longer be seen.

Ash and Brenda are staring up at a rocket that towers above them. Ash says, "Wow, did this really go into space? That's so cool."

Brenda says, "It is pretty crazy."

Ash notices Brock approaching them. "Hey Brock, check this out!"

Brock walks the rest of the way over and says, "Ash, just the person I was looking for."

Ash looks at Brock with confusion. "What's up, Brock?"

Brock chuckles. "Oh, nothing's wrong. I do have a question though. We're friends, right?"

Ash is confused by the question. "Of course we're friends, what kind of question is that?"

Brock grins. "Oh, a trivial one to be sure, but one I needed to be certain of the answer to."

Ash stares at Brock silently for a moment then shrugs. "Sure."

Brock then notices something off in the distance. A group of three people who seem to be inconspicuously reading a single large newspaper. The moment Brock looks over to them, they glance down quickly, having been watching Ash, Brock, and Brenda.

Brock grins again. "If you would excuse me for a moment, I have some business I need to attend to."

Ash shrugs again. "Sure, whatever you want."

Once he's out of earshot, Brenda comments, "Well, that was strange."

Ash nods. "Yeah, wonder what's got him acting so weird."

Brock pounds away at the mirror crystal, but nothing happens. "Come back here!" He continues this until he a finger taps him on the shoulder. He turns around to see a man wearing a museum uniform.

The man says stiffly, "Sir, I really cannot argue with the amount of money you offered to rent the museum for day, but I also cannot have you destroying one of our displays. Please refrain."

Brock looks around, realizing that the museum is completely empty. "Sorry… I… um…" He's at a loss for words at how to explain what just happened. Then he realizes something. "Wait a second, I didn't pay you anything other than the regular entrance fee."

The museum curator stares at him. "I will never understand the humor of the wealthy." He turns and leaves.

Brock looks around further. "What happened? This place was so full just a minute ago. Does it have something to do with my reflection leaping out at me?" He shakes his head with dismay and walks for the exit.

He leaves the building and looks around. Everything seems normal enough, and yet everything also seems wrong in an indescribable way. Even something as simple as the color of the sky seems off.

Brock hears a familiar voice crying, "But I just wanted to see the rocket ship!" He looks over to see Ash sitting beneath a tree, crying.

Brock is taken aback. "Ash? Crying?"

Then Brenda steps and says, "Don't worry Ash, everything will be-" She suddenly trips over nothing and crashes into Ash. She quickly gets back up and says, "Silly me, clumsy as always."

"Brenda? Clumsy?"

Brock then notices that next to them, Pikachu and Rabbolt are eating Pokémon food out of bowls. Rabbolt picks up a piece of food to eat it, but when it bites down, it realizes that it's not food, but a rock. It shouts in pain, "Rab!"

Pikachu cracks up in laughter and then makes a rude face at Rabbolt to taunt it. Rabbolt starts to cry.

"Pikachu pranking Rabbolt? Rabbolt crying?"

Then another voice says sternly, "Hey you two, cut that out." Ryu walks into sight, followed by a Gardevoir. Pikachu and Rabbolt seem to listen, but once Ryu looks away, Pikachu sticks its tongue out at Rabbolt.

Ash stops crying and asks, "Ryu, where were you?"

Ryu explains, "Gardevoir and I were out training with our special Fairy techniques."

Brenda says, "Well now that you're here, we can get back on the road."

Brock can't take it anymore. He shouts, "What is going on here!?"

This gets the attention of Ash, Brenda, and Ryu. Ash shouts, "Ah! It's him!" He starts to cry again, this time in fear.

Brenda pulls out a Pokéball and says, "I can take him!" But she fumbles the Pokéball, causing it to bounce around in her hands like a hot potato as she attempts to get a solid grip on it.

Ryu and Gardevoir, however, seem ready. He shouts, "I won't let you hurt my friends!"

Brock throws up his hands in innocence, "What are you guys saying? Come on, it's me, Brock, your friend." On second thought, he loos to Ryu and admits, "Okay, maybe not your friend."

Brenda, finally having gotten hold of her Pokéball, says, "He must be playing some sort of mind game with us! Don't listen to him!"

Ryu shouts, "Gardevoir, use Moonblast!"

Brock leaps out of the way of attack. "Please, just listen to me! My reflection jumped out at me through the crystal from the Reflection Cave, and ever since then, everything has been wrong! You guys are my friends!" Once again he adds, "Except you."

Ash's eyes widen. "Did you say Reflection Cave? Guys, stop attacking him!"

Ryu and Gardevoir reluctantly stand down. He asks, "I trust you Ash, but why?"

Ash explains, "Because, I don't think this is him, I think this is his mirror counterpart from another world."

Brenda is confused. "You're going to have to explain things a little better than that."

Ash nods. "You see, a while back when I was in Kalos, I visited the Reflection Cave. It turned out that the mirrors in the cave were actually portals to other worlds. I met the other version of me." He sighs in remembrance. "He was brave and strong and never cried."

Brenda laughs. "Brave and strong!? Are you sure he was a version of you?"

Ash emphasizes, "He was my mirror version, my opposite, and I think the same is true for him. Just look at him."

Ryu observes Brock closely. "You're right, he does look off."

Brock shakes his head in disbelief. "A mirror world… Wow. That explains the reflection coming to life… I guess…" Then Brock realizes something. "So, who exactly is my mirror counterpart?"

Ryu sighs, deciding to accept the explanation. "He is known as The Doctor. He is one of the greatest villains there are. He uses his vast knowledge of Pokémon to inflict harm on them. No one has ever been able to stop him."

Brock hangs his head. "That's horrible… In another world, am I really capable of that…?" He makes an even more horrid realization. "And now The Doctor is loose in my world." He looks to the others and says urgently, "I have to get back!"

Ash grins. "That should be easy! All you have to do is go to the mirror that brought you here and wish to go back! That's all it takes to activate the portal!"

Brock shakes his head. "Then something must be wrong, because I stood at that portal trying to get through for several minutes, and nothing happened, despite my wishes to follow my doppelganger."

Ash looks like this might bring him to tears. "Oh no, that's not good. The Doctor had to have done something it to stop you." He starts to cry.

Ryu thinks, "Surely there must be some other way to cross between our worlds, right?"

Ash suddenly stops crying. "That's it! You're a genius, Ryu! When the other Ash came over before, he didn't come alone! He brought some bad guys with him who weren't able to make it out before sunset!"

Brenda asks, "So were they trapped here?"

Brock grins. "If you're talking about the bad guys I think you're talking about, then I can confirm that they were not trapped here."

Ash nods. "Exactly. They had someone to help them find another way out. The Heroes of Justice themselves! Team Rocket!"

Brock gasps, "Team Rocket!?"

Brock, or rather The Doctor, confronts the trio reading the newspaper, who seem to be reading it rather nervously. He says, "You three, I require your assistance."

The one who is clearly James in disguise says in phony voice, "Do we know you?"

The Doctor grabs the newspaper and rips it out from their hands. Meowth shouts, "Hey, that's not nice!"

The Doctor crosses his arms. "Are you three not Team Rocket, the greatest villains of this world?"

Meowth is about to object, but Jessie covers his mouth and responds, "Flattery will get you everywhere."

James asks, "How did you see through our masterful disguises?"

The Doctor chuckles. "Maybe your costumes fool those of this world, but let's just say things are quite the opposite with me."

Meowth looks at him suspiciously. "I have no idea what you're saying."

Jessie asks, "What do you mean that you need our help?"

Brock explains, "If you truly are the opposite of my Team Rocket, the greatest heroes who ever lived, and ally to that loathsome Ash Ketchum, then you must be the greatest villains, and archenemies of Ash."

Team Rocket just give him dumbfounded stares in return.

The Doctor continues, "And that is why I need your help in destroying the Ash of this world."

James asks, "Did you say destroy the Twerp?"

Jessie immediately follows up, "We're in."

Meowth asks skeptically, "But how can we trust a twerp like you?"

"I assure you, I am not the pathetic weakling you think I am." To prove his statement, he moves a hand to his chin and rips off a layer of fake skin from his chin and lip, revealing his true face, which features a neatly trimmed goatee.

James gasps, "He has a goatee! He must be evil!"

Jessie comments, "I didn't know that Dr. Twerp had an evil twin!"

Meowth simply says, "How can we help you?"

Mirror Ash, Brenda, and Ryu have led Brock to an open clearing. Brock asks, "Okay, I guess it makes sense that in a mirror world Team Rocket would be heroes, but how do we contact them?"

Ash grins and says, "For once, there's nothing to worry about. Team Rocket and I know each other well. We have a signal. Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!"

Mirror Pikachu leaps off of Ash's shoulder (the opposite shoulder from where regular Pikachu sits) and sends a Thunderbolt into the sky. "Chuuu pikaaaaaaaaaa!"

Brenda cheers, "The Heroes of Justice had to have seen that one!"

And sure enough, a voice, sounding not unlike Jessie's though much deeper in a heroic tone, declares, "Prepare yourself, trouble!"

Then James, but also deeper and heroic, "We'll burst your bubble!"

Mirror Jessie and James appear in front of everyone. They look just like Jessie and James, save for the mirrored R's on their uniforms. Brock instinctively reaches for a Pokéball to fight with, but Mirror Ash grabs his arm and stops him, assuring him it will be okay.

Mirror Jessie continues, "To deliver the world to salvation!"

Then James, "To defend the people is our station!"

"To embrace ideals of truth and love!"

"To block villains' reach to the stars above!"

"Jessie!"

"James!"

"Team Rocket acts with compassion and right!"

"And goodness and caring with mercy and light!"

Mirror Meowth appears to announce, also in a deep voice, "Heroes of Justice, that's right!"

Mirror Wobbuffet appears, touches its arm to its chest and bows respectfully while saying in song-like baritone voice, "Wobbuffet!"

Then Mirror Mime Jr. shouts in an impossibly deep voice, "Mime!"

Jessie and James then both conclude with a sudden, "Team Rocket, good night!"

Ash, Brenda, and Ryu applaud for the show. Ryu says, "I think that might have been one of your best motto performances yet."

Brock shakes his head in utter disbelief. "So different, yet so much the same…"

Jessie looks to Brock. In her heroic voice, she says, "I would express concern at you having brought The Doctor here, but I notice his lack of facial hair."

James concludes, "And no goatee, must mean he's not evil."

Meowth surmises, "Clearly, he must be a denizen of the other world."

Ash nods. "That's exactly it. And just like you helped his version of Team Rocket get back to their world, we were hoping you could help him too."

Ryu adds, "And it sounds like The Doctor has escaped to his world. We can't let his evil spread to other worlds."

Meowth chimes in, "Agreed. We need to get the Mirror Doctor back to his world and stop the real Doctor."

Brock objects, "Hey, I'm the real Brock, I'm no reflection."

James turns to Brock and bows respectfully. "I beg pardon, but think about this from our perspective. To us, this is the 'real' world, and you are but a reflection of The Doctor. You cannot expect us to admit our world has any less merit than yours."

Jessie says philosophically, "What is real and what is a reflection is but a bias of the human mind, which was never meant to comprehend the idea of multiple realities."

Brock stares at her, unable to believe he just heard Jessie say something so intelligent. Finally says, "Okay, just call me Brock, how about that?"

Meowth nods. "It will be done, Brock."

Moving on, Brock asks, "So, can you really get me back?"

Jessie nods. "We swear by the good name of Saint Giovanni that we will get you home."

Wobbuffet appears and bows as it sings, "Wobbuffet!"

Jessie grins joyously. "And if my dreamy hunk of a Wobbuffet says it's going to happen, then it's going to happen."

Brock tilts his head, slightly disturbed by the last remark.

James beckons them forward. "Come, follow us. We will fly you to a place where we can return you to your world."

Brock sighs. "I guess that means we're traveling by balloon?"

Jessie and James look to each and laugh. Meowth says, "By balloon!? What nonsense!" He pulls out a remote and presses a button.

Moments later a sleek jet plane designed to resemble Wobbuffet flies over and stops to hover above them.

Who's That Pokémon!?

In a tenth of a second, it can nock and fire an arrow quill, piercing an opponent's weak point before they notice what's happening.

The Doctor, with his disguise once more concealing his goatee, leads Ash and Brenda down a dirt path. Ash asks, "Where are you taking us, Brock?"

The Doctor almost seems to shiver at the sound of the name. He quickly regains composure and says, "You'll find out in due time. It's a surprise."

Before anyone says anything, an Officer Jenny comes walking down the road in the opposite direction. She spots The Doctor and smiles broadly. "Hey there cutie, how you doing? Any crimes to report?"

The Doctor sneers at her. "Get out of my sight."

Officer Jenny recoils in surprise. "Oh… well… carry on then…" She walks away, not entirely sure what just happened.

Ash and Brenda are even more shocked. Brenda asks, "Did Brock really just tell an Officer Jenny to go away?"

Ash responds, "That's what I saw, but I can't believe it."

Brenda decides to push things further. She says, "Normally I love surprises, but you've been acting really strange today Brock."

"Have I?"

Ash nods. "Yeah, you kind of have."

The Doctor retorts, "My internal reasoning is something beyond your feeble comprehension. I am working to make great things happen and to achieve the greatness that I have worked so hard to obtain, regardless of how much others try to tear me down."

Ash and Brenda have no answer to this, they just exchange dumbfounded expressions with each other.

The Doctor regains his composure. "Apologies, my friends. Let's just say that something right now is irking me, and I am having trouble ignoring it."

Ash apologizes, "Sorry Brock, I didn't realize you were having a tough time. Is there anything I can do to help?"

The Doctor says under his breath, "You could leave my sight."

Ash asks, "What was that?"

The Doctor quickly lies, "I said you could live my plight. You know, understand what I'm going through."

Ash points out, "To do that, you would have to tell us more about what's going on."

The Doctor grins. "All in good time, my friend…" He looks up and sees Jessie, James, and Meowth hiding in a nearby tree. They nod at him, he nods back. "All in good time…"

It's Decidueye!

Brock sits in the surprisingly luxurious cabin of Mirror Team Rocket's jet with Mirror Ash, Brenda, and Ryu. Brock notices Brenda staring at him. "Is something wrong?"

This catches Brenda off-guard, causing her to slip from her seat. She quickly gets back up and pats herself off. "Sorry, I didn't mean to be rude. It's just so weird seeing one of the greatest villains looking like some normal guy."

Brock slowly nods as he looks at Ryu, who is methodically brushing Gardevoir. "Yeah, I can understand the feeling. Hey Ryu, how exactly did you meet Ash and Brenda?"

Ryu grins as he thinks back. "We first met in the Crater Gate. I was attempting to catch a Clefairy. Ash and Brenda happened by at the same time. When we realized we were both heading for Horizoport City, we decided to travel together, and the rest is history."

Brock further questions, "So, do you just train Fairy-Type Pokémon?"

Ryu grins. "I like all Pokémon, but Fairies are my favorite."

"What about Dragon-Types?"

Ryu practically hisses at Brock. "Those monstrosities don't deserve to be called Pokémon."

Brock chuckles.

"What's so funny?"

"Oh nothing, just thinking about your counterpart from my world, and what he would think right now."

Ryu looks drained. "Oh no, he's a Dragon-Type trainer, isn't he?"

Brock sighs. "Still better than who my counterpart is."

Ryu nods. "I suppose I can't argue that."

Brock asks, "So who exactly is The Doctor? What's his story?"

Brenda explains, "No one is entirely sure. Almost everything surrounding him is just rumor. What is known for sure is that he has a vast array of Pokémon knowledge, which he uses in his nefarious deeds and plots. He knows the most efficient ways to inflict harm on another."

Brock sighs, taking this hard.

Ash asks, "What's wrong?"

Brock explains, "I swore an oath to do no harm. I have all the same knowledge that The Doctor does, but I vowed to only use it to help others. The Doctor is a perversion of everything I stand for." Everyone goes silent, unsure of how to comfort Brock in this situation. Brock asks, "Is there anything else you can tell me about him?"

Ryu states, "Well… there is one story…" He hesitates to speak further. "They say that his first act of evil dates back to when he was just a child. When he found an injured Pokémon."

Brock takes a deep breath. "It was a Pidgey, wasn't it?"

Ryu asks with surprise, "Do you know the story?"

"You could say that…"

Brock remembers a time when he was young. He stands over a Pidgey standing on his table, holding a spray bottle of medicine. The Pidgey already has bandages wrapped around one of its wings. Child Brock says, "Don't worry, this won't hurt a bit."

Brock thinks to himself, How could we both share that experience, and yet turn out so differently…?

Before anyone can ask Brock what's on his mind, Meowth announces, "We're making our final approach now. We'll be landing shortly."

Brock thinks, I have to stop him, no matter what.

Ash and Brenda take a step forward, while The Doctor hangs back. Suddenly, the ground in front of their feet gives way to a massive hole, a pitfall trap. However, it seems to have triggered prematurely, as Ash and Brenda still stand on its brim. Ash leaps back and shouts, "A pitfall trap!"

Brenda exclaims, "Team Rocket must be near!"

On that cue, Team Rocket appears on the opposite side of the hole. "Prepare for trouble!"

"Make it double!"

Before they can get any further, The Doctor shouts in rage, "You imbeciles! How could you mess this up!? You said that the pitfall trap was you most surefire way to capture Ash!"

James nods. "We did say that. You see, our pitfall traps have about a fifty-fifty success rate."

Meowth points out, "Which is a whole lot higher than any of our other methods."

The Doctor is furious. "Fifty percent odds!? You were supposed to be this world's greatest villains!"

Jessie shrugs. "Greatest villains, greatest blunders, is there a difference?"

"Clearly being opposite of the world's greatest heroes makes you the world's worst villains, not best! I should have realized."

Meanwhile, Ash and Brenda have been watching this exchange in utter confusion. Ash finally demands, "What in the world is going on, Brock!?"

The Doctor turns to face Ash. "Don't you dare call me that name! That is the name of weakling!" He rips his disguise off once more, revealing his facial hair once more. "I am The Doctor, and I have come for you, Ash Ketchum!"

Brenda ignorantly says, "Woah, when did Brock grow a beard? You know Brock, it kind of makes you look evil. You know someone must be evil if they have a goatee."

The Doctor emphasizes, "That's because I am!"

Ash finally realizes, "You're not Brock!"

"That's what I've been saying."

Brenda asks, "But if he's not Brock, then who is he?"

"Enough of this chatter, get them!" He throws two Pokéballs at once, sending out both his version of Meteorfight and Blissey.

Blissey has an almost sadistic look on its face as it cackles with glee at the prospect of a battle. Meteorfight, at first, doesn't look any different from Brock's, but then it spots Blissey standing next to it and immediately hearts come to its eyes as it proclaims, "Meteor meteorfight! Meteor!"

Blissey, apparently expecting this behavior, delivers a powerful punch to Meteorfight, sending it hurtling away. Blissey then returns its attention to Ash and Brenda.

Ash says, "I don't know what's going on, but we're not going down without a fight!" Pikachu leaps down, ready for battle.

Mirror Team Rocket leads everyone else into a high-tech lab. Jessie explains, "This lab is one of many such facilities where we develop our state-of-the-art crime-fighting gadgets."

While she speaks, James and Mime Jr. look around the room. Mime Jr. is mimicking James' actions, but in reverse. When James looks up, Mime Jr. looks down, James looks left, Mime Jr. to the right. James finally picks up some sort of handheld device from a shelf. "And this is the one we used to send your Team Rocket back to your world."

Meowth explains, "It's a pan-dimensional super-conduit generator."

Ash tilts his head in confusion. "What does that mean?"

Brock explains simply, "It can create portals to other worlds."

Jessie nods. "Bingo. Using shards gathered from the Reflection Cave and pumping extreme amounts of energy through them allows us to open portals to other worlds."

Brenda asks, "Worlds? Like more than just this one and Brock's?"

James nods. "There's an infinite multiverse out there, and this is the key to unlocking it."

Speaking pragmatically, Meowth points out, "But we had never used it before then, as we figured it might be too dangerous."

Brock asks with concern, "Is it?"

All at once, Team Rocket exclaim, "We don't know!"

Brock sighs. "It doesn't matter. If it worked for Team Rocket, it will work for me. I have no other choice."

Jessie grins. "Then let's go."

Brock asks, "Wait, you're going too?"

Meowth nods. "The Doctor is our world's problem. What kind of Heroes of Justice would we be if we didn't help you in stopping him?"

Ash takes a deep breath and steps forward. "I'm going too."

This shocks both Brenda and Ryu. Brenda asks, "Really, Ash? Are you sure?"

Ash nods. "The Ash of the other world taught me I don't have to afraid of everything. Or cry about everything."

Brenda jibes, "Even if you do."

Ash ignores her and continues, "I need to pay back that favor."

Ryu nods. "I understand. Good luck, Ash."

Ash nods back. "Thank you."

James announces, "Okay then, let's get this show on the road!" He activates the portal machine, and a vortex is ripped open in front of them. Brock takes a deep breath, then leaps through.

Blissey and Pikachu are locked in battle. Blissey hurls Egg Bomb after Egg Bomb at Pikachu, but Pikachu manages to deflect them with Iron Tail.

The Doctor orders, "Enough games, aim for the trainer!" Without hesitation, Blissey pivots around and throws another Egg Bomb, this one aimed at Ash directly. Ash's eyes widen as he realizes what's happening. Pikachu is in no place to protect him, and with the pitfall just behind him, there's no room to dodge. Blissey seems to enjoy this chance to inflict pain.

But just before the attack can hit, another Blissey leaps in, grabs the Egg Bomb, and throws it off to the side. Ash is both surprised and relieved. "Could it be?"

Then Brock announces, "Stay away from my friend!"

The Doctor tenses up entirely at the sound of Brock's voice. He turns to see Brock, along with Mirror Team Rocket and Ash approaching.

Ash cheers, "Brock! Is it really you!?"

Brock grins. "This time it's actually me, Ash."

The Doctor shouts in a blind rage, "I will destroy you, fake!"

Brock returns, "I promise you, I am very much the real deal."

"No! There's only one me, and that's me!" He looks over to Team Rocket, who watch this sight with bewilderment. "Don't just stand there, you imbeciles! Get them!"

Jessie, James, and Meowth salute. "Yes, sir!"

Meowth pulls out a remote and slams his paw down on a button. The ground rumbles as a giant mech erupts out from underneath it. The mech, though vaguely humanoid, is composed of heavy armor plating and over-sized bulky body parts. It carries a shield in one arm. Team Rocket leaps into the mech, and Meowth announces, "Say hello to our new friend, nicknamed the Immovable Object! You'll never pierce these shields!"

Mirror Team Rocket all look to one and another and nod wordless agreement. Mirror Meowth opens another portal and leaps through.

Both Ashes move in to counter Team Rocket. Ash says cheerfully, "Good to see you again, Ash. Things are starting to make a bit more sense now."

Mirror Ash nods. "Good to see you too, Ash. Glad to be of help."

Then both Ashes order at once, "Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!" Both Pikachu leap forward and ready their attacks.

"Pikaaaa chuuuuuuuu!"

"Chuuuu pikaaaaaaaa!"

The electricity of the two attacks combine into one and hurtle towards Team Rocket, but bounce right off of the mech's shield.

Watching all of this, Brenda is hopelessly lost and confused. She attempts to say something but decides against. Tries to say something else but stops herself. Begins to speak once more, but just can't bring herself to do it.

Meanwhile, the two Brocks and their Blissey are locked in combat. Mirror Blissey uses its herculean strength to rip a tree right out of the ground and swing it at Blissey as a club, but Blissey is able to use its own strength to catch the trunk and lift it and Mirror Blissey up.

Mirror Blissey releases its grip on the tree, slides down the trunk towards Blissey and prepares an Egg Bomb. Blissey counters with an Egg Bomb of its own, and the attacks explode before ever reaching their mark.

The Doctor shouts, "You can't possibly hope to defeat us! You're too weak! Blinded by your own ideals! I am the example of what you could have been, had you just been willing to take it!"

Brock shouts back, "My ideals give me strength! Strength that you could never know!"

The Doctor shouts in further rage, "Spoken like a true weakling!"

The battle between the two Blissey has transformed into a slug fest, as they both use Strength to deliver blow after blow to the other.

Meanwhile, Team Rocket's mech swipes its shield at the two Pikachu, both of which only just barely manage to dodge. They both return a Thunderbolt, but like before, it has no effect.

Jessie says with glee, "This is perfect, we're going to get two Pikachu for the price of one!"

James agrees, "Let's pick a pair of perfect Pikachu!"

They swipe the shield once more, but it's intercepted by a massive spear. Team Rocket looks up to see a new mech standing before them. It is very similar to their Immovable Object mech, but with a leaner design and carrying a large spear instead of a shield.

Mirror Meowth announces from within, "Say hello to the Unstoppable Force! It will pierce through any shield!"

Jessie shouts in rage, "Hey! That's not fair!"

James sighs. "I was really hoping to never see those pathetic excuses for our faces ever again."

Meowth proclaims, "Those goody goodies will get what's coming!"

Mirror James announces, "Mirror Team Rocket! Surrender now or prepare to fight!"

James shouts, "Hey, that's our line!"

Jessie shouts, "And we're not the mirror Team Rocket! You are!"

The two mechs charge into battle. Mirror Team Rocket jabs with its spear while Team Rocket guards with its shield, either side refusing to give an inch.

Back with the Brocks, the Blissey continue their barrage of punches at each other, neither giving up. Brock asserts, "Brock, you have to put an end to this! I know there's good in you!"

Hearing this angers The Doctor even further. "Don't you dare call me that! I gave up that name long ago! As well as anything that you might call good! All in the name of progress!"

Brock demands, "What do you mean?"

"I mean that maybe you and I once were alike, but that was a long time ago. Face it, just as much as you claim there's good in me, there's evil in you!"

"That's not true! I am a Pokémon doctor! I've dedicated my life to helping others!"

"But think back! Think all the way back when you first saw an injured Pokémon!"

Brock is taken off guard. "The Pidgey…"

The Doctor grins cruelly. "Yes, the Pidgey. Completely helpless with its broken wing. In that moment we both made a choice, but we both felt the same thing when making that choice!"

Brock denies, "That's not true! I just wanted to help the Pidgey!"

The Doctor laughs. "Maybe so, but that wasn't the only thing you wanted. You also wanted to understand the Pidgey. To know everything you could about it, for even back then, you knew that knowledge is power."

Brock slumps slightly. "Yes… I did want to study it…"

"It was the perfect opportunity! That poor defenseless Pidgey couldn't run away! You could study it to your heart's desire! You could satiate your lust for knowledge! The cost being nothing but a pathetic injured Pokémon."

The Doctor has a flashback of his own. Mirroring Brock's previous one, a younger Doctor leans over the injured Pidgey, but this time without any bandages. The young Doctor says, "This is going to hurt you a lot more than it's going to hurt me." He grins, savoring the Pidgey's fear.

Brock shouts, "You monster!"

"You can't lie to me! You thought the same thing! You may be nothing but a fake, but you and I are the same! The fact that you deny it only makes you weaker!"

With sudden clarity, Brock says, "You were right when you said there is only one you. I am not you. You are a different person. It doesn't matter what I may have thought back then, what matters is that I made the right choice. I helped that Pidgey. And you know what? While watching it heal, I learned more than you ever could have from what you did to it! And you know what? I'm not weaker than you either, because I have something you don't. I have friends."

At this cue, both Ashes and their Pikachu step up to either side of Brock. Mirror Ash says to Ash, "You've got a great friend in this one."

Ash grins and nods in agreement. "The best."

Then both Ashes shout, "Thunderbolt!" Both Pikachu combine their lightning once again, this time electrocuting Mirror Blissey, distracting it for just long enough for Brock's Blissey to deliver a finishing blow to its face, knocking it out.

This allows for all three Pokémon to position themselves around The Doctor.

The Doctor shouts, "Team Rocket, get over here this instant!"

He looks over to the mech battle just in time to see Mirror Team Rocket's mech thrust its lance straight through Team Rocket's shield, shattering it into thousands of pieces. This somehow causes the entire mech to explode, flinging Team Rocket away as they shout, "The real Team Rocket's blasting off again!"

Mirror Meowth declares, "I guess their mech wasn't so immovable after all."

The Doctor looks around at everyone with absolute loathing. He looks straight at Ash and proclaims, "You haven't gotten rid of me for good." Suddenly a portal similar to Mirror Team Rocket's opens up behind him. As he steps back into it he takes one last hateful look at Brock. "And you will one day come to realize how wrong you are."

The Ashes attempt to leap at The Doctor and grab him, but he's already backed into the portal and gone. The vortex then disappears.

Tears come to Mirror Ash's eyes. "He got away…"

Ash encourages, "Come on, cheer up. We beat him, that's all that matters. And if he ever comes back, we'll beat him again."

Mirror Ash wipes his tears and nods. "Right."

Brock lets out an intense sigh of relief.

Ash asks, "Everything okay, Brock?"

Brock grins. "It is now."

Brenda finally speaks up and shouts, "Could someone please tell me what in the world just happened!?"

Everyone just laughs at her.

We all have our inner demons. Sometimes those demons come to haunt us in the most surprising of ways. But today, Brock bested his, literally defeating his own dark reflection. But what of these foreboding warnings The Doctor gave? What is in store for our heroes…?

The Doctor is no longer wearing Brock's clothes, instead dressed in what must be his regular clothes, a doctor's coat with several dangerous-looking tools sticking out from the pocket, black rubber gloves, and goggles over his forehead. He marches angrily through a vast chamber full of technology. The walls are lined with hundreds, if not thousands of Pokéballs. He stops and shouts, "You swore to me there would be no way that pathetic fake could return to his world!"

He is addressing a shadowy figure sitting upon a throne. The figure wears some sort of mechanical suit that completely obscures his face and body. The figure says with an intimidating voice, "The Heroes of Justice having their own pan-dimensional super-conduit generator was an unforeseen complication. The next time we act, there will be no such interference. I will make sure of it."

The Doctor doesn't seem wholly convinced. "That remains to be seen."

The figure chuckles. "No, I have already foreseen it. Ash Ketchum will fall. All Ash Ketchums.

The Narrator concludes ominously, Stay tuned…

To Be Continued…