Chapter 41 Saving The Kids

With the TMX for Strength, Ash manages to get deeper inside the Underground Railnet.

Cain: (Arrives behind Ash) You got in! Thank goodness; I don't even wanna think about how long the kids have been left hanging. They better be safe, or we're gonna have to drag that court fool down to misery.

Ash: (Nods and walks towards a gate, only to find it locked) This way's locked, so... (Turns to a staircase that leads to the upper part) Only one way to go. Better hope that's where they are.

After walking up the stairs, they find that nothing else can go except for an old building, when they get inside, they find that the building is really dark.

Cain: This is the old Yureyu building that was destroyed in the earthquakes... Haha, it's kinda creepy, huh? Could they really be in here?

Ash: We have to find out.

Cain: Hey, Ash, I'm gonna follow your lead here. Never really done the whole "team-up" thing before, so... S-so be gentle, s-senpai; it's my first time!

Ash rolls his eyes, he sounds like he is going to do something nasty, but he shakes his head as they head upstairs, and Team Meteor is there as they have to fight their way through. After arriving at the Fourth Floor, they find Shelly being held by two Team Meteor grunts.

Ash: Shelly!

Grunt: (Holds the knife at her throat) Now, don't take another step closer or we'll cut her throat.

Shelly: (Pales with tears in her eyes) Ash! Cain!

Grunt: Just keep moving, and we'll pretend we didn't see anything. Got it?

Shelly: I'm scared...

Cain: (Angry) They said you wouldn't hurt her!

Grunt: Not if you don't interfere.

Shelly: I-it's okay... J-just... go on... It doesn't matter what happens t-to me... Find th-the others... okay...?

Ash: (Grits his teeth) Ugh... I'm sorry, Shelly. We'll come back for you! I promise!

Ash and Cain can only rush towards the fifth floor, only to see Charlotte sitting with two Team Meteor Grunts that are not doing anything to her.

Ash: Charlotte!

Charlotte: (Sighs) It's about time you showed up. Ash, Princess.

Cain: We came as soon as we could! ...Not in the usual way.

Grunt: (Stands up) Back away or we'll kill her!

Charlotte: (Says in a causal tone) Really, guys? You're still on that?

Grunt: Well, uh, you know, it's what the boss said to say, so...

Charlotte: Sirius, right? Whatever, just forget it for now. Come on, meet my friends. This is Ash, and this is Princess. Ash, Princess, meet Simon and Tara.

Ash: We've met, in the Jasper Ward, right?

Tara: Yeah, Ash beat us before. I'm still mad about that!

Cain: To be fair, didn't you kinda start it? (Realizes something) Waitwaitwait, Charlotte- What do you mean "friends"? With Team Meteor?

Charlotte: They're people too. They just happen to be on a different side than you.

Ash: And you as well.

Charlotte: Details. It beats being tied up, anyhow.

Simon: It's not like we can just let you go because of a casual conversation.

Charlotte: ...Right. Well, the hard way it is then. Well then, do you guys wanna do the honors?

Cain: The hard way is my specialty~

Ash and Cain battle Simon and Tara, for Ash it seems to be the third time to battle, with Cain's help they manage to defeat both of them with ease.

Tara: Charlotte, tell your friends to stop being strong!

Charlotte: (Shrugs) Why don't you just stop being bad?

Cain: Yeah, haha. Quit Team Meteor, join the good guys!

Simon: I cannot.

Charlotte: Why?

Simon: When our work is done, we will have a new life. Not just for our sake, but for the sake of everyone...

Tara: Team Meteor is going to rebuild the world! By helping make it happen, we earn a place at the top later!

Ash: And... this world?

Simon: Erased. Vanished. Gone. But we will live on. The world is not what matters; its people do.

Charlotte: End justifies the means.

Tara: Exactly!

Charlotte: Well, that's cool, I guess. Anyway, I'm going. Bye. And it's not like you can stop me, so don't even try.

Charlotte just walks toward the others, and both Simon and Tara's Pokemon are fainted and they can't stop her.

Ash: At least we manage to save you first.

Charlotte: Hold on, Shelly was on the floor below. Didn't you rescue her?

Cain: We couldn't even get close to her, otherwise...

Charlotte: ...Uh huh. I have a plan, trust me with this.

When they get back to the fourth floor, the grunts are having their knives on Shelly's neck again.

Grunt: Don't come any closer, or we'll cut her throat!

Shelly: (Notices Ash and Cain saved Charlotte, but Charlotte seems to be looking at something) Charlotte...?

Charlotte: (Cold Voice) Do it, then.

Cain: What?

Charlotte: Kill her. See if I care.

Shelly: (Gasps in shock) Ch-Charlotte!

Charlotte: She's not my family or anything. I'm just flipping this switch to get upstairs.

Grunt: (Threatens) ...We really will!

Charlotte: What you do to her doesn't affect me at all, so do whatever you want.

As Charlotte walks towards the gate and presses the button, she quickly elbows the grunt and pulls Charlotte away. Ash and Cain use the chance to stop those two grunts by sending out their Pokemon, they all defeat both grunts' Pokemon and knock them out.

Shelly: (Cries) Ch-Charlotte, I th-thought you really d-did want me d-dead...

Charlotte: Of course not. You helped me escape from the Orphanage. You have my respect for that. But you can make someone lose control by making them believe they already don't have any. I don't want you hurt, Shelly. Now let's go. Heather and the twins are further up.

Ash: Yeah...I am not going to let them get hurt no matter what...

Shelly: (Hugs Ash) It is nice to see you again as well, Ash.

Ash: Same here.

After getting to the sixth floor, they find Noel inside a prison cell with grunts guarding it.

Charlotte: So you're keeping them locked up like we're in a zoo. Classy. What kind of corporate building has cells like these in it anyway?

Grunt: This hasn't been a corporate building for a long time. Surely you've heard how years ago, Yureyu was the centerpiece of Reborn's economy.

Charlotte: Yeah, yeah, the economy was booming and then it was stricken by earthquakes, and then it was over.

Grunt: Wrong! Earthquakes didn't destroy Yureyu- Team Meteor did! We infiltrated the company over time and shut them down from the inside out!

Noel: And it was the closure of Yureyu's Power Plant that led to the city's downfall. So then Team Meteor was successful in destroying Reborn City the first time.

Grunt: Bingo, kiddo. We were set to do it again by destroying Julia's Gym- the new power plant! But SOMEONE got in the way. And here you are again. Sounds like a nice time for revenge, yeah?

Ash: (Sighs) Yeah, do you think you could stop me this easily?

Ash and Cain continue to battle the grunts and defeat their Pokemon, the duo realizes how strong they are and they plan for a retreat.

Grunt: Do as you please. It won't make a difference.

Noel: Ash! They took Anna upstairs. Heather, too. The Doctor is there, and the other weird guy.

Charlotte: Uh huh. Well, I'm sure it's nothing Ash and our Princess can't handle.

Cain: You're really sticking with that name, huh? Haha...

Charlotte: You earned it.

Noel: They also took something from Anna. It's an Amethyst Pendant. It's very important to her. It was a gift from our real father. When we were left at the Orphanage, all we had was Nomos, Nostra, and that pendant.

Ash widens his eyes, this was the reason why he was killed by Team Meteor in the first place, and he can't them get the pendant, or else the whole thing is in vain.

Charlotte: Why would Meteor want something like that? Well, whatever. I'll work on getting this cage open. You two go on ahead. Call me if you need a match~

Ash and Cain rush upstairs, only to find that Heather and the Doctor are standing at both sides, Heather has Salamence in front of her, while the doctor has Electivire. And it seems that both of them have been staying like this ever since they got here.

Sigmund: So, you've come again.

Ash: I already told you that our family already adopted Heather, and we did it first! So you have no right over her!

Sigmund: I confess it was fortunate that Sirius of this "Team Meteor" came to me with the proposal that he did. He had the means to capture my fugitives, and for payment he needed only to extract from this girl a single object- A Ruby Ring.

Cain: (Didn't notice Ash widening his eyes) If it's just the ring you want, what are you even doing, keeping her up here?

Sigmund: I ask myself the same. Treatment has not been called for, if that is your concern. At Sirius' behest, I was to detain and question her. But that is demonstrated fruitless, given that she has become withdrawn to the point of silence...

Cain: And whose fault do you think that is? After what you did to her, she may not even be able to speak at all!

Sigmund: Loss of speech is not among the effects of electroconvulsive therapy. Trust me to know my trade. She has most certainly not lost her ability to speak. Only her will.

Ash: Yeah, back at the railnet, I still can hear her talk.

Sigmund: And yet, you appear to have constructed a certain image of me in your mind already. Do you intend to fight me regardless of what I say?

Ash: I am not going to fight you this time, I already beat you once and you knew how strong I am. However, I'm taking Heather with me, with the three of us, you're outnumbered.

Sigmund: I won't stop you from proceeding onwards. I may have invested myself in this "Team Meteor", but I have no regard for their malevolent actions. Yet, I am bound to their service for a different reason entirely- Strictly a matter of my personal curiosity. There's a name I hear thrown about among their officers. It's a name I used to know, but it cannot possibly be...

Ash starts to wonder if one of the Team Meteor officers is actually an orphan that also suffered from Sigmund's ECT, but Sigmund just shakes off the thoughts.

Sigmund: Ahem. Pardon, I was speaking too much. This time only, I will turn away. When you flee, I will not stop this girl from joining you. This is hardly a therapeutic environment anyway...

Heather: (Hugs Ash and whispers to him) Ash...you finally came...

Ash: It is nice to see you again, Heather. However, Anna is upstairs and we have to save her as well.

Heather nods as she decides to follow them, as they get to the top of the building.


And here is the first part of saving the kids, as you can see, the only one left is Anna, who has possession of the Amethyst Pendant, the same one that Delia and Ash died for. I hope you like this chapter and the next one is battling Sirius and retreating to the Underground Railnet and Chrysolia Region.