Chapter 26 The Great Escape Part 2
Ash and Shelly rush to the basement and find Cain fighting the orderlies while Charlotte is being held in a prison. Ash finds the button to the prison and presses the button, releasing Charlotte.
Charlotte: CHARLOTTE: You guys actually pulled through.
Cain: Of course we did~ You really doubted us?
Charlotte: You don't want me to answer that.
Cain: Hey, we're good! ~ Me and my friends are gonna do it right, you'll never see us run away from a fight ~
Ash: (Rolls his eyes) You're singing at a time like this?
Cain: Yep!
Charlotte: (Sarcasm) You're a regular magical princess, aren't you?
Cain: Someday my prince will come and sweep me away! Charlotte, dear, be my prince?!
Charlotte: (Feels a little sick) Yeah, as if.
Cain has Nidoking use Earthquake, defeating the opponent's Electrode and Seviper.
Orderly: This guy is good...
Cain: You don't know half of it, but even I have standards. Get out of here!
The two orderlies quickly run away, and Cain sighs in relief.
Cain: Whew. Good job, Nidoking. Return~ (Recalls Nidoking) I'm just gonna take a little break now.
Charlotte: Well, that's all good and well, but I still need my cigarettes. (Looks at a direction) Their storage room is down that way. We're gonna need to break-in.
Cain: For drugs? Real good influence you are on the kids here.
Charlotte: Don't sass me, princess. I was kidding about those. Our Pokémon are being kept in there.
Shelly: Oh-oh, that's important! Okay, we can do this, Ash!
Ash and Shelly continue to defeat more Orderlies who try to attack them, and once they are all defeated, Charlotte also rushes to the front.
Charlotte: All right, open the storage, or I'll have Ash tear you to pieces.
Orderly: Y-yes, okay... (Pushes the button)
Ash and Charlotte rush towards the sets of Pokemon and reads the labels.
Ash: Four sets of Pokémon lined up- Charlotte, Anna, Noel, and- Oh, Heather. We'll just be taking these.
Charlotte: And that attractive-looking pack of cigs. Hello, sexy. (Noticing Ash staring at her) Just kidding. And finally... One spare ID card. Check. (Turns to Ash) All right, I'm good. Let's grab the girl and get out. I'll unlock the top-level door and give the twins their stuff back. Meet us upstairs when you're ready to party.
When they all head upstairs, they manage to get into the ETC Room, only to find Heather with tears sitting on a table with an Electivire holding her. And Dr. Sigmund as well.
Shelly: Heather!
Charlotte: And the last guests arrive. It's a party now. What do you think, Doctor? Have you got a diagnosis for your situation? I think I do: Royally fucked.
Sigmund: Cute. Have you had your fun, Charlotte? We can deal with your incessant habits of acting out and manipulating others in your own session. This is Heather's session presently, and you're interrupting it.
Ash: Some session, this is a work of a maniac! Who would shock patients with electricity when there's nothing wrong with them!
Charlotte: He's right. Sorry, Doctor; I'm afraid you've missed the mark. I'm not the ringleader of this circus. They're here for the girl.
Shelly: L-let her go right now!
Cain: You're just a liiiittle bit outnumbered, Dr. Geezer. I think you should probably just fold~
Sigmund: There's little point in denying that. But I would ask you to question if your impulses and wild charades are truly the best things for this girl.
Anna: They're better than lighting her up like a holiday tree! Now let her go, okay?
Charlotte: Let the girl go, Doctor. Or I'll... (Takes out a cigarette and burns it, then uses it to ram on Sigmund's right arm.)
Sigmund: Agh!
Cain: (Surprised at the action) Whoa, you don't have to burn the guy.
Charlotte: That's the real reason I wanted my cigarettes. I've had an urge to leave a scar like that for SO long. Don't you dare feel sorry for him, either. He's left far worse scars on both me and my sisters.
Ash: Don't worry, we're not, we're just surprised after all.
Sigmund: Enough. I care little for this power struggle; have it your way. (Releases Heather) Take the girl.
Ash: (Rushes to Heather and gives her a brotherly hug) Heather, are you okay?
Heather: (Mutters in a voice-only Ash can hear) It hurts...
Sigmund: By the by, I have already taken the liberty of contacting the authorities about this incident. You will all shortly be apprehended.
Ash: How about this? My Mom has already reported the place before you do, and we already have the police to help us with this mission to save these kids. I wonder who they'll believe if they see your machines and the cells below the level we are? Not only that, you have no right to Heather now, the adoption process is done. (Shows the picture) And she is officially a member of our family!
Sigmund widens his eyes, he can't believe Ash has planned this thoroughly without finding any screw losses. Heather is also confused as to why Ash would help her.
Ash: (Turns to Heather) My mother will act nothing like your father. In fact, before your mother died, she wanted us to promise to take care of you when you're alone.
Heather is surprised to learn that Ash and his mother know about her birth mother, maybe it would be better if she stays with his family.
Cain: We got Heather; I say we split.
Anna: On the double! Everyone, let's go!
Then all of them quickly rush downstairs until they are in the lobby.
Cain: Do y'all even have somewhere to go?
Anna: We need somewhere nearby and out of sight to meet up! We can decide what to do from there?
Shelly: Is there somewhere like that...?
Cain: How about the Railnet? I've used that to hide out a few times; no one goes down there.
Charlotte: Works for me. Let's make the break!
Shelly: (Grabs Heather's arm) C'mon, Heather! We're getting out!
As everyone gets out, only Ash and Anna stay because Dr. Sigmund's Electivire blocks the way.
Sigmund: I think not. You had numbers before. Now they have left. Under the authority vested in me by the City of Reborn, I will be taking both of you into custody.
Ash: Oh do you know who has the authority here? That was me! Not you! You already broke the law and the police have already taken your authority. Maybe you need your shocks on yourself to understand that?
Sigmund: You don't need to do this. Submit peacefully and your punishments will yet be gentle.
Anna: "Gentle"?! You don't even know the meaning of the word!
Sigmund: Allow me to show you just how little it can mean to me.
Ash knows that he has to fight Sigmund for his way out, and the police haven't come yet. He goes for Krookodile and uses Dig, knocking the Electivire to the wall. In the end, Electivire is defeated by Krookodile's Stone Edge and Crunch.
The second Pokemon is Rotom, and it goes for Confuse Ray to make Krookodile confused, so Ash decides to switch out and goes for Mightyena. Mightyena goes for Bite, but it gets hit by Thunder Wave and got paralyzed. In the end, Rotom is defeated by a Sucker Punch on the face.
The third Pokemon is Alolan Raichu, and it goes for Fake Out, after hitting Mightyena with a Volt Switch, it changes into Musharna. Due to Mightyena's fainting, Ash switches into Vivillon for this. Musharna goes for Psychic Terrain, but Vivillon uses Bug Buzz to knock Musharna out of the battle.
Raichu is sent back, and it uses Thunderbolt to defeat Vivillon, so Ash goes to Krookodile again, using Crunch and Outrage, knocking out the Raichu.
Sigmund: Gentleness has a time and place. So does justice. (Sends out Hypno)
Ash: I agree, the justice of you hurting children of the orphanage will be served.
Then Krookodile is confused because of Outrage, and Hypno tries to put it to sleep using Hypnosis. But Krookodile manages to get back to his senses and dodges the attack. Hypno goes for Signal Beam, which is super effective, but Krookodile defeats Hypno with a Crunch attack.
Sigmund: If only children had the experience to back up their wisdom...
Anna: You did it! Ash!
Sigmund: Indeed, your commitment to lawlessness and disruption is truly inspiring.
Anna: What good is a law that keeps us trapped with someone who can't tell the difference between hurting and healing?! Ash saved us! Come on, let's go catch up with the others! (Leaves)
Sigmund: Consider carefully, Ash. If the delusions of a child are truly the best place for you to lay your trust.
Ash: The only one who is still delusional is you, doctor. Not my siblings, nor the other children. (Leaves)
?: Are you sure that was wise?
Sigmund turns around and is surprised to see a man with a black outfit walking toward him.
Sigmund: What- Who in blazes are you!? What are you doing in here?
?: Really, Doctor? You've had rats scurrying about all this time, and you ask why the cat appears?
Sigmund: Identify yourself!
?: I'm a huge fan of your work on ECT. I've found it very useful in my... Operations. Doctor, I understand that you've lost something. I believe we can be of some benefit to each other.
Sigmund: (Smirks) I'm listening.
Anna: (And Ash escapes the orphanage) Thanks for getting us all out of there! Let's hurry up and meet up with everybody! They said they'll be in the Railnet... If you didn't know, you can get there by following the train tracks under Opal Bridge! Our very own adventure is about to unfold!
Ash: (Smiles at his sister) You're right. Let's go. (Leaves together to the Underground Railnet)
In another region, Lillie and her family have already helped Serena and her family move into Aether Foundation, where they'll get protection. During this moment, Lillie and Serena are contacted by Arceus, and they are relieved to learn that Ash is alive, but the betrayal and the journey in Reborn might change him into a colder person. To help him, he wants them to gather 7 more girls who have affection for Ash.
Lillie and Serena are confused as they ask how many girls will be with Ash in the future, the answer they got is 18, and each of them represents a Pokemon type. Like Serena is Psychic and Lillie is Fairy. Both of them of course blush a lot after hearing what Arceus said, and Arceus asks them to find the girls who might be representing Bug Type, Ghost Type, Poison Type, Normal Type, Flying Type, Rock Type, and Dragon Type. Arceus will tell them if they manage to find the chosen girl. Serena and Lillie are a little disappointed that more than one girl is like Ash, but they think that they can share with him.
And here is a new chapter, as you can see, Ash has to fight Sigmund for his way out, and now all of them escape and they are heading to the Underground Railnet. The only thing I will change from this story from the game is that Heather will only talk to Ash during this time, and she will only talk when she wants to, not when Ash asks her questions. At my University, I have studied a course that is about ECT, and I know for sure children under 12 can't have this treatment, as it is against the law. I hope you like this chapter.
