Episode 131: Crisis Aversion

Pikachu is excitedly jumping from one rock to the next, climbing up a mountain. Ash chases after it, shouting, "Wait up for me!" The mountain they're climbing seems to be made up of jagged black and red rocks with very little vegetation. Behind Ash and Pikachu, Brock and Brenda are also climbing, though at a more leisurely pace.

Brock advises, "Ash, you and Pikachu better watch where you're going! There are lots of steam vents here!"

As he shouts this, a burst of steam erupts out of the ground in front of Pikachu, forcing Pikachu to skid to a halt.

Brenda comments, "That sure looks hot."

Brock explains, "That's because it is. This area is volcanically active. That steam is water that's been flash-heated by the magma beneath us. You wouldn't want to step into one of those vents."

The steam subsides, and Pikachu breathes a sigh of relief. "Chu…"

It looks like our heroes are exploring a volcano. How exciting. Hopefully it doesn't prove too hot to handle.

Ash doesn't seem too worried by Brock's words. "It's just a little water. What harm could it do?"

Brock laughs. "Yeah, just a little water heated up way past boiling."

Benda sums it up, "Think about steaming vegetables, but it's you instead of veggies."

This gives Ash reason to pause as he imagines himself as a piece of broccoli placed in a steamer. He slowly nods as he stares at the steam vent. "Okay, good point."

They continue on, with Ash and Pikachu taking a more reasonable pace. Ash asks, "Brock, do you think we'll be able to see any lava at the top?"

Brock explains, "Unlikely. This volcano may be active, but that doesn't automatically mean there's lava. Most of the time this is just a regular mountain." He beckons down to a town visible at the foot of the mountain. "Obviously there's not much lava, or that town wouldn't be there."

Brenda ponders this. "Still, to build a town so close to a volcano… why would you do that?"

"There are many reasons. For one, the soil there is probably incredibly rich and fertile. I'd bet that's what started the town off."

As they continue to walk, some rocks suddenly give way beneath Pikachu's feet, causing Pikachu to trip and tumble forward, right into a large pit in the ground ahead.

Ash shouts, "Pikachu!" and runs to help. He looks down into the pit to see Pikachu hanging on to a vine sticking out from wall of the pit several feet down.

Brock realizes, "This isn't good!" He points down below Pikachu, to the boiling water below. "This steam vent could erupt any moment!"

Ash reaches down. "Pikachu, grab my hand!"

Pikachu tries to reach up with one arm but isn't able to reach. "Chu!"

Ash frantically looks around. "There has to be some sort of stick or something I can use to reach Pikachu!"

While he's looking, Brenda shouts, "Ash! The vent!"

Ash hears the sound of rushing steam and realizes it's too late. "Pikachu!"

That's when a voice shouts, "Golurk, grab Pikachu!" Then a robotic Pokémon, definitely not a regular Golurk, flies down into the pit, grabs Pikachu, and throws it up and out of the hole just before the steam erupts, enveloping the Pokémon.

A man comes up behind Ash and breathes a sigh of relief. "Whew, that was close."

Ash grabs Pikachu and hugs it, but then asks, "What about your Pokémon?"

The man smiles. "No worries, Golurk is engineered to be able to withstand just about any environment. It will be fine."

At this time, the Pokémon flies out from the steam. While it does bear a passing resemblance to Golurk, it's completely different. It looks much more like a mechanical robot, almost like an old toy. Its rounded body is made out of metal plates, with a tall glass dome forming its head. Inside the transparent dome are two glowing lights that look like regular Golurk's eyes as well as an antenna between them. Its thick, round arms and legs are made out of a black, segmented, flexible material. Instead of hands it has a large pincer claw on either arm. The Pokémon flies with a jetpack-like attachment on its back.

Ash pulls out his Pokédex as he asks, "Did you say 'engineered?'"

The Pokédex answers, "Golurk, Tennoan Form, the Automaton Pokémon and a Steel and Electric Combo-Type. It started off as an experiment to recreate and understand the lost ancient technology that built the original Golurk. It was designed to operate in any environment, even space. Evolves from Tennoan Golett at level 43."

Brock marvels at the Pokémon. "Wow! A wholly robotic Tennoan Form of a Pokémon! That's fantastic! Some of the world's most advanced robotic science must have gone into its creation!"

The man grins. "Only in a region like Tenno could a Pokémon like this come about." Taking a good look at the man for the first time, he has light brown hair combed professionally to the side. He's wearing a rugged-looking brown shirt and pants, made for equally rugged hiking.

Ash chimes in, "Thank you for saving Pikachu. I don't know what we would have done if you weren't here."

The man grins. "Think nothing of it. It's actually my job to help people out, so I'm pleased to be of service. My name's Leo."

Ash smiles at him. "I'm Ash, and that's Pikachu that you rescued."

Leo nods. "Ash and Pikachu, pleased to meet you."

Brenda looks Leo over. "You know, I want to say you look familiar, but I can't figure out why."

Leo chuckles. "I couldn't tell you. So, are you folks heading up to see the view from the peak of the volcano?"

Brock nods. "That's exactly what we're doing. What about you?"

Leo explains, "I'm here for work. Some instruments that were placed at the top of the volcano to monitor it recently went out of service, I'm here to check on them."

Ash suggests, "Since we're all traveling to the same place, how about we go together? The more the merrier."

Leo smiles. "Why not?" The group renews their trek, with Leo now joining them, and this time more noticeably cautious of the ground beneath their feet.

Now they're approaching the peak, a crater at the top of the volcano. Leo, sounding interested, asks, "So Ash, you say you're aiming for the Tenno League?"

Ash nods. "You bet we are. One more badge, and we're there."

Leo grins. "That's awesome. My little brother was in the Tenno League last year. I was so proud of him." Something saddens him and he sighs.

Ash asks, "Hey, what's wrong?"

"Oh, it's just family problems. You wouldn't want to hear about it."

Ash looks to Leo. "Hey, we're friends now, right? I think that sharing things with friends helps out a lot. If you don't think it's too personal to share, I'll listen. Lay it on me."

Leo manages a slight grin. "You're right. You see, last year's Tenno League was actually the last time I saw my brother. It was when he, in no uncertain terms, told me that he never wanted to see me again."

This shocks Ash. "No way. Why would he say that?"

Leo sighs again. "He doesn't approve of my job. Never did. But for whatever reason, he seemed especially adamant about it on that day. I showed up to support him, but he told me he didn't want anyone like me cheering for him."

Ash shakes his head in disbelief. "That's really rough. I can't believe he would say that to his own brother. You guys are family."

Leo shrugs. "We are, and we've always had our differences, but we also made it through them. This time was different though. I think that something that happened to him while he was traveling the region changed him." He shakes his head, as if he still can't believe it. "I'd love to talk with him again like we used to. Back when we were young, we were inseparable." He sighs. "I just want things to go back to the way they were. More than anything."

Brock chimes in, "I had a rough time with my father at one point. I always told myself that because of the mistakes he made, we would never speak again, but then one day he promised he would make things better. I didn't want to believe him at first, but then I decided that he was family, and I owed that to him. Are you sure your brother wouldn't give you the same chance if you asked for it?"

Leo shakes his head. "For one thing, I didn't do anything wrong. My brother just likes to live in a fantasy world. He can't see the real good that I'm doing to help people. He somehow thinks I'm harming them instead. And regardless, he's the most stubborn guy I know. I'm not sure anything could change his mind about me now that he's made it up."

Ash asks, "What is it you do that's got him so upset?"

Leo is about to answer, but then the peak of the volcano comes into view and he freezes up with morbid fear.

Brenda asks, "Leo, what's wrong?" But as she asks, she steps forward enough to see it for herself. The crater in front of them in filled to nearly the brim with lava.

Ash comments, "There's no way that's good…"

Leo shakes his head. "I think I just learned why our equipment stopped working… And you're right, this isn't good at all…"

All at once, Ash, Brock, Brenda, and Leo have the same thought. They look down the slope of the volcano and shout at once, "The town!" They take off in a rush.

As they run down the slope, they pass by Team Rocket in such a hurry that they don't even notice them. Team Rocket seems to be scouring the area in search of something, or at least James and Meowth are while Jessie sits back and watches. Meowth asks, "Jeez, where's the fire?"

James shrugs, "They're probably just hot under the collar."

Jessie points out, "If you two don't keep on searching, you'll be in some hot water."

Meowth points out, "Technically, we won't be in hot water until we find those hot springs we're looking for."

Jessie reminds him, "And with how much of a hot commodity hot springs are on the market these days, we have to strike while the iron is hot! So, add some fuel to that fire and find me a hot spring!"

James complains, "Talk about a sweat shop."

Jessie snaps, "If you can't take the heat, get off the volcano!"

Meowth sighs. "What's got her so hot and bothered?"

Jessie shouts at him, "If you don't get back to work, you're fired!" James and Meowth groan before reluctantly returning to their search.

Ash and the others stand in front of the townspeople in a public square. Ash is shouting, "And if you don't leave now, you won't be able to get out in time!" This is met by much silence.

One older man looks to Leo and asks, "Leo, we trust you. Is this true?"

Leo nods. "Unfortunately, it is. The lava is at levels where it will spill over the edge of the volcano any time now. As soon as a few hours away, I fear."

There's more silence, until one woman speaks up to announce, "This is our home! We can't just leave it!"

A man agrees, "Yeah, we would have nowhere to go! We would have lost everything!"

Brenda points out, "But you can't stay either! Then you really will lose everything!"

Another townsperson objects, "We have to do something! We can't just give up and lose our town to the volcano that we've worked with for so long!"

Most of the townspeople seem to agree with sentiment. Murmurs pass through the crowd as they discuss their options.

Brock urges, "Please! There's no way to stop a volcanic eruption! The lava will burn away everything!"

Ash looks across the crowd, seeing the various looks of determination of the people trying to figure out how to save their home. In that moment he makes up his mind. "Okay, we'll-!"

But he's cut off by Leo announcing, "We can make it happen. I pledge all the support, money, and manpower it will take. We will save this town!"

Everyone cheers.

Ash looks to Leo and asks, "But how? How will you get those?"

Leo grins. "I guess I haven't told you about my job yet. You're in for a surprise. Just wait until you see who I bring in. You're going to love this."

Who's that Pokémon!

It never stops attacking even if it is injured. It fusses over the shape of its comb.

The townspeople have all mobilized in a coordinated effort to protect their town. They've begun to dig a massive trench around the town, to route the lava out towards the sea and away from the town. Townsfolk have shovels, while Pokémon such as Dugtrio, Excadrill, and Copperajah are working to move dirt away themselves.

Brock throws two Pokéballs, sending out Blissey and Meteorfight. "Alright you two, help out by moving away large boulders." They both nod in understanding and get to work.

Blissey picks up a large boulder several feet in diameter. Meteorfight sees this, and not to be outdone, looks for an even bigger boulder and picks it up. Blissey realizes that Meteorfight has made this into a contest and grabs a boulder twice the size of its own body. Meteorfight refuses to let this stand and grabs an even larger boulder, however it struggles tremendously with this. It takes several labored steps to move the boulder away. Suddenly it realizes its load has gotten much lighter. "Meteor?"

Meteorfight looks up to see Blissey has taken its boulder, and is now holding it one hand, while it holds another, even larger boulder, in its other. Blissey says tauntingly, "Blissey bliss."

This crushes Meteorfight's pride. "Meteor…"

Brenda comments, "We're making progress, but I don't know if it will be enough."

Ash says, "I guess we just have to hope that Leo comes through with the miracle he promised."

On that cue, Leo declares, "Did someone ask for a miracle? Because making miracles happen is what we do!"

Ash looks towards his voice, only for his jaw to drop and a look of terror to take over. Pulling into town is a wide variety of vehicles, all marked with a characteristic P, the Team Planetary logo. Standing in front of them all is Leo, now wearing a modified version of the Team Planetary Grunt uniform, notably with no headgear.

Seeing this sight, the townsfolk all cheer and clap. One shouts, "Team Planetary is here!"

Another shouts, "We're saved!"

"Team Planetary can stop the lava, no problem!"

"We're actually getting help from the Team Planetary!" And so on.

The vehicles park and personnel begin to unload immediately. Hordes of Planetary Grunts disembark from the trucks. They begin to unload equipment of all kinds. From basic shovels and pickaxes, to state-of-the-art digging machinery, to even high-tech mech suits meant for industrial work and heavy load lifting.

Ash marches angrily up to Leo, looking as if it's taking all of his self-control to not simply punch him in the face. He demands, "What is this!?"

Leo looks to him in surprise. "What do you mean? Team Planetary is here to help. You see, I work as a Planetary Overseer. I-"

"I don't know what you think you're doing, but these innocent people don't need the kind of help that Team Planetary offers!"

Leo's mood drops visibly as it sinks in what Ash is saying. "Oh no… not you too…" He doesn't look offended. Or angered. Or even upset. Just sad.

"Me too? As in your brother doesn't like you because you work for Team Planetary? Things make a whole lot more sense now. I can't believe I trusted you!"

Brock and Brenda rush over. Brenda puts an arm in front of Ash to stop him from getting any closer to Leo. Brock urges, "Ash, you need to calm down."

"Calm down!? He's a part of Team Planetary! Nothing good comes from them! These people would have been better off fleeing from the volcano! For all we know, they're causing the eruption!"

Leo shakes his head in remorse. "I don't know what conspiracy theories you've heard, but I promise you, Team Planetary is a force for good."

"Conspiracy theories! I was there when Team Planetary robbed a Pokémon from Professor Pine! Stole Meteoric Shards from Crate! Kidnapped Ryusei! How do you explain all that, huh!?"

Leo shakes his head. "Honest to goodness truth. I have no idea what you're talking about, but I know it's not Team Planetary."

"Yeah, and that's what Cygnus says to the press, too! But she was there when they kidnapped Showakusei!"

Brenda pleads, "Ash, please, calm down!"

"Why should I!? You know I'm right, Brenda."

Brock suggests, "Ash, Team Planetary has historically been known as the good guys in Tenno. Operations like this are normal for them."

"So, you're suggesting we leave it to chance that there's no evil scheme here?"

Brock shakes his head. "No, what I'm suggesting is that regardless of what we know Team Planetary is capable of, maybe there are those in Team Planetary who honestly don't know the truth, who honestly think they're doing good. You can't argue with the fact that Team Planetary does have an excellent track record solving crises exactly like this one."

Ash shakes his head. "Brock, we can't risk it."

Leo chimes in, "What happened to giving people a chance? Didn't you say that my brother should give me a chance?"

Ash objects, "That as before I knew-"

"You know what else you said before you knew I was Team Planetary? You said that you were my friend. I could tell you were being honest at the time. If that was really the case, then shouldn't you give me a chance?"

Ash crosses his arms and says nothing.

Building up energy to argue back, Leo asserts, "I saved Pikachu, remember?" Ash can't help but glance to Pikachu, who looks rather remorseful and torn. "All I want to do now is save these people in the same way. And I know that you want to do the same. Please, just let me prove to you that Team Planetary isn't the monsters you make us out to be. We are here to help, there's no agenda, no conspiracy, no scheme." He pauses. "And you know what? If we don't help, this town is lost anyways, you need our help. Let us do this. Let us do our job." He beckons towards the townsfolk, still celebrating the arrival of Team Planetary. "And look at them! They're not only willing to accept our help, they're celebrating it! They know that with us helping, they actually have a shot at saving their home!" He throws his hands up in the air in frustration. "You know what? I'm not even asking you to change your mind about us. Think whatever you want about me. I'm used to it already. But don't let those thoughts get in the way of us doing good for the world."

Ash sighs. Under his breath he relents, "Fine." Raising his voice slightly, "But only because I owe you for saving Pikachu. After this, we're even. I never want to see you again."

Leo flinches, Ash's specific choice of words stinging him. He takes a deep breath and says, "Thank you. You won't regret it."

"I already do."

It's Staraptor!

With Team Planetary's help, the construction of the ditch continues at a much faster pace. Grunts command their various Psychic-Type Pokémon, such as Lunatone, Solrock, and Elgyem, to move earth with Psychic. The mech suits, piloted by Grunts as well, are being used both to dig and move boulders. In addition to digging the trench, much of the moved earth and boulders is being piled up on the town-side of the ditch to provide an additional barrier.

Eagladiator, Arborrior, and Ninjitsu are also adding their strength to the project. Ash has a shovel in hand and is helping as well, but he continuously takes uneasy glances towards the various Planetary Grunts surrounding him. He then takes a look towards the opposite side of the trench, where Leo is working with Golurk to remove an over-sized boulder. He sighs.

Brenda says, "Come on Ash, they're doing exactly what we'd be doing without them anyways."

Ash shakes his head. "No, it's not that. I mean, that is bugging me, but what's really bugging me is Leo. I can't believe I called him a friend. He's a monster."

Brock suggests, "Leo seemed honestly hurt by the fact that his brother didn't trust him. Same for you. I don't think he's the villain you're making him out to be."

Ash shakes his head. "No, he is. Team Planetary is always a monster, no matter how it may seem." He clenches a fist in anger.

Brock asks, "Ash, is something else going on here? I get the feeling this is about more than just Leo."

Ash fervently denies, "No, this is only about him." He sighs, then admits. "Okay, fine. It's about Cosmo."

Ash remembers the time he spent with Cosmo in the Den of Mega Evolution. He walks over to Cosmo and his injured Ferntress to awkwardly ask, "Is there anything I can do to help treat Ferntress?"

Cosmo looks up to Ash cynically and asks, "What do you care? You made it pretty clear before that you don't care about how Ferntress or I feel."

Ash sighs. "Look, about before, I was out of line. You were right, I was judging you without actually knowing you."

Cosmo looks up towards Ash again, this time quizzically. "Say that again."

"I was wrong, you were right."

But then later, after escaping the Den of Mega Evolution, Ash grins at Brenda. "Let's just say that Cosmo and I have come to a new understanding. Besides, I still have the grand Meteoric Shard." He pulls off his backpack and rummages around in it. Suddenly, a look of horror and panic crosses his face.

Brock asks, "What is it, Ash?"

"The Grand Meteoric Shard…it's gone…"

The flashback ends and Ash shakes his head as he collapses to the ground to sit. "For just a moment, I thought that maybe I could trust Cosmo. That maybe he was an actual person, and not just a villain, but then he took the Grand Meteoric Shard after I had promised Showakusei I would do anything to protect it." Ash sounds like he blames himself more than Cosmo. "I trusted Cosmo and look where that got us. I won't ever make that mistake again.

Brock sits on a rock next to Ash and puts a hand on his shoulder. "Maybe Cosmo is a villain that can't be trusted, but that doesn't mean the same is true of Leo. Remember what I told you before. In all odds, most Team Planetary personnel have absolutely no idea about the truth behind their group. They probably not only believe, but take pride in their propaganda. We know it's all a face, but that doesn't mean that there aren't people like Leo who joined Team Planetary because they wanted to good for the world and never learned the darker secrets of who they work for. You called Leo a friend before you knew anything about his job, and I would argue that you're a pretty good judge of character. Can't you believe him and give him the benefit of the doubt?"

Ash gets back up and returns to work. "I gave Cosmo the benefit of the doubt and look what happened." He's clearly done with this conversation. Brock sighs.

The work continues on, until the ground begins to tremor. Leo looks up to the volcano and shouts, "That's it! That's all the time we have! Everyone out of the trench!" Citizens and Team Planetary alike begin a scramble to get out of the way of the impending lava flow.

Only moments later and a burst of lava is shot upwards from the volcano. It begins to flow down over the sides.

Once everyone has cleared the trench, some climb to the top of the earthen barrier. Leo shouts, "Just like we planned! Cooling team, go!"

The Grunts send out Pokémon such as Staryu, Cosmet, and Lunatone, while the townspeople send out various Water and Ice-Types. Ash joins in with Dashilisk, while Brenda sends out Kappaqueous and Frostcicle. Everyone shouts together, "Go!"

The Pokémon attack with Water Gun, Ice Beam, and various other moves to cool the lava. They all aim for the lava front. This solidifies much of the lava into rock, creating massive amounts of steam in the process, but even more lava just flows right over it and continues on. It doesn't matter how much they cool, there's always more to replace it than they get rid of. But still, they manage to accomplish their goal of slowing the flow.

Leo orders, "Mecha unit, go!"

The troop of mech suits begin to pick up large boulders and throw them into the way of the lava.

Blissey and Meteorfight are also a part of this group, and seem to have gotten into a competition over who can throw the large boulders further. When Meteorfight manages to toss one to the far side of the lava flow, it grins smugly at Blissey. Deciding it can take a moment to indulge itself, Blissey picks up another boulder and throws it so hard and that flies well over the volcano and out of sight. Meteorfight just grumbles to itself as it returns to throwing boulders, no longer in a competitive mood.

Brenda watches the lava cascade with trepidation. "Will this all have been enough?"

Ash declares. "It will be. It has to be."

Despite all their efforts to slow and divert it, the lava begins to pour into their last line of defense, the trench. It quickly begins to fill up with molten lava.

Ash looks down to the trench below with some fear. Pikachu leans over the side too. But then the loose gravel beneath Pikachu gives way and Pikachu falls forward.

Ash reaches to grab Pikachu as quick as he can, shouting, "Pikachu!" but he's not fast enough.

Nearby, Leo has already noticed this. Without even a moment's hesitation, he jumps off the ledge and grabs Pikachu as they fall. "Got you!" Golurk must be well-trained, as it immediately responds, jetting down to them to pluck them up before they hit lava.

Golurk places Leo and Pikachu down next to Ash. Ash looks to Leo with stunned disbelief. "You just jumped into a pit of lava to save my Pokémon? Even after everything I said to you?"

Leo asserts, "I told you already. Team Planetary is here to save lives. I am here to save lives."

Ash can't manage a response before the ground suddenly shakes even more violently than before. A second wave of lave is flung up out of the volcano, showering even more lava than before onto the side of the mountain.

Leo looks down to the now nearly full trench and shakes his head with worry. "This isn't good. The trench isn't draining fast enough! That new lava flow will overfill it for sure! We can't do anything to stop it!"

At this moment, Ash notices something. About halfway up the volcano, a large boulder is diverting the flow of the lava. Right where the flow comes back together, the lava is bubbling, letting out large amounts of steam. Ash grins. "I think it's time we harness the power of steam."

Brenda objects, "What's a little steam vent going to do against this massive lava river?"

Ash shakes his head. "Not a little vent. The biggest. In fact, the entire vent system's worth."

Leo realizes what Ash is suggesting. "That might just be crazy enough to work. But how are we going to manage it?"

Ash grins at him confidently. "If Golurk can get Pikachu up there, Pikachu will do the rest."

Leo seems to understand. "Okay, let's do it. Golurk, go!"

Golurk grabs Pikachu rockets up the volcano towards the boulder diverting the lava.

Leo shouts, "Golurk, throw Pikachu!"

Ash orders, "And Pikachu, use Iron Tail!"

"Golurk!"

"Chu, pika!"

Golurk hurls Pikachu down at the boulder. The kinetic force of Golurk's throw combined with Pikachu's attack allows Pikachu to shatter the boulder with ease, going even in to the ground beneath. Much of the ground surrounding collapses. Pikachu leaps back up and Golurk catches it.

Somewhere else on the volcano, Team Rocket is relaxing in a hot spring. They seem utterly content. Jessie sighs with pleasure, "This is the life…"

Wobbuffet agrees, "Wobbuffet…"

But then the water around them begins to drain out in a spiral. Meowth complains, "Hey, who pulled the plug!?"

Before James can comment, Team Rocket is sucked in with the water.

Back at the base of the volcano, everyone watches with bated breath. Moments later and massive geyser of water and steam erupts from the hole Pikachu and Golurk created. The water, as heated as it is, is still cooler than the lava, and solidifies some of it. What isn't turned to rock is blown away by the force of the geyser, forcing the lava off in two separate directions so that it will flow around the town.

Everyone begins to cheer. Ash shouts, "We did it!"

Leo shouts, "We did it!" The two of them jump up and down in circles around each other, celebrating their victory.

Amidst all the celebration, no one notices when four figures are shot from the geyser, shouting, "Too hot to handle! We're blasting off again!"

The plan was a complete success. Several hours later and the last of the lava is draining out of the ditch and into the ocean, creating a magnificent plume of steam. No more lava flows from the volcano and the town is completely unharmed. Team Planetary is packing up their equipment, ready to move on.

Ash, followed by Brock and Brenda, approaches Leo, who has just given some instructions to a Grunt regarding the clean-up. Leo turns to see Ash. "I'm sorry, I was trying to stay away from you. I'll leave now. You won't see me again." He sounds completely sincere and doesn't mean this in any petty way.

Ash shakes his head. "No, I owe you a big apology."

Leo raises a brow questioningly.

While they're talking, Meteorfight and Blissey can be spotted in the background. They're having an arm wrestle, the result of which is an immediate victory for Blissey. Meteorfight instantly prepares for a rematch.

Ash takes a deep breath. "Look, to be blunt, my opinion on Team Planetary hasn't changed. However, I was wrong to assume the worst of you. It's not your fault if you don't know who you're working for."

Leo crosses his arms skeptically. "An odd way to apologize, but okay. I guess I can't blame you for what whatever lowlifes tricked you into believing either."

Ash looks ready to argue this point but drops it. "I realized while we were working together earlier that regardless of who you work for, you aren't a bad guy. And I'm sorry I treated you like that."

At this point, Meteorfight is attempting to use both arms in its arm wrestle against Blissey, but still quickly loses.

Leo takes a deep breath and looks out at the sky. "Growing up, my brother spouted nothing but conspiracy theories about Team Planetary. He was always reading about them on the web. I don't think he hated them at the time, it was just a distraction from the world, so I never tried to correct him. But I think the day I told him I had been hired as a Planetary Overseer was the day his stance changed, going from a passing interest to fervent hatred. As he grew older and left on a journey, I think somewhere along the line he lost the ability to see the difference between the group and the individuals. I still love my brother dearly, but I don't know if he'll ever even speak to me again." He looks back to Ash. "But you give me hope. If the two of us could work together, maybe there's a way my brother and I could reconcile as well." He grins. "I look forward to the day."

Ash nods. "If you can find it in yourself to not blame your brother, I'm sure he can do the same for you. I can feel it, and I've been told I'm a pretty good judge of character." He grins at Brock, who grins back.

Leo nods. "Only time will tell." He looks out to see that Team Planetary is entirely packed and ready to depart. "Well, I guess it's time to go." He looks back to Ash. "Ash, I do hope that someday you can realize the truth. But even if that day never comes, Team Planetary will always be there to help." He offers hand for Ash to shake.

Ash takes it. "And I hope that one day you can figure out the truth for yourself. But until then, never stop doing good for the world. If everyone in Team Planetary was like you, I don't think we'd be having this debate."

Leo chuckles. "Perhaps so." He hops into a Planetary truck and departs.

Meteorfight is using both arms and pushing down on Blissey's arms from above to take advantage of leverage, but Blissey's arm remains straight up. Blissey yawns casually, then, on a whim, slams Meteorfight's arms down. This seems to hurt Meteorfight's body and pride.

It would seem that even in a group as evil as Team Planetary, good can still be found. They may lie to the world, but perhaps we can take just the slightest bit of comfort in the idea that it's not a complete lie.

To Be Continued…