Chapter 79 Blue Water Return
When Ash returns to the North Obsidia Water Grid, he tries to move the rocks again as he gets to the Peridot Grid, and much to his surprise, he finds a new PULSE Dex and a Field Note.
Field Note 26 Murkwater Surface:
"The water is tainted…" Speed decreases x0.75 unless Water type, airborne, or the abilities Surger Surfer or Swift Swim are active. End of turn Poison damage when grounded, and not Poison or Steel type. Immunity to Field damage when one of the following abilities is active: Immunity, Magic Guard, Poison Heal, Toxic Boost, Wonder Guard. Field damage boost when Pokemon is underwater (x4) or has one of the following abilities (x2): Dry Skin, Flame Body, Magma Armor, Water Absorb. Dry Skin and Water Absorb restores HP when grounded and Poison type. Activate certain abilities when grounded, activates Merciless, Poison Heal, Schooling, Surge Surfer, Swift Swim, Toxic Boost, and Water Compaction each turn. Prevents Ground attacks. Spikes/Toxic Spikes terminated. Shore Up activates Water Compaction. Water attacks gain Poison Type and boost x1.5. Poison attacks boost x1.5. Electric attacks boost x1.3 when the opponent is grounded. Sludge Wave + Water Type. Mud Bomb, Mud Shot, Mud Slap, Thousand Waves gains Poison/Water Type. Smack Down gains Poison Type. Acid, Acid Spray, Brine, Mud Bomb, Mud Shot, Mud Slap, Smack Down, and Thousand Waves boost x1.5. Gooey effect and Stentch chance x2. Acid Armor's effect x2. Activates Venoshock and Venom Drench, Liquid Ooze boost x2. Becomes Water Surface when Whirlpool is used. Becomes Icy Field when Blizzard, Glaciate or Subzero Slammer is used. Nature Power becomes Sludge Wave. Camouflage becomes Poison Type. Secret Power becomes Poisoned. The Elemental Seed boost Speed and applies Aqua Ring, but poisons the user.
PULSE 03 Swalot: Poison and Water Type. Ability: Water Absorb. Engineered to be totally indestructible. Its function is endless regeneration. When it expands its body, it loses consciousness, becoming only a vessel for absorption and subsequence expulsion.
Ash: So it is not a Muk, but a Swalot...
Then he also finds a Storage Key, and he finds a room that is blacked out. With Pikachu using Thunderbolt, they find a Pokemon Storage with a Pokemon and a note.
"A surprise gift for whomever it may concern! Life is too often void of such things. All the more reason to make the magic happen ourselves! Be a little dear and pay it forward to someone else on the team, won't you?"
Ash's New Pokemon in Water Treatment Center: Fennekin (Event)
After that's done, he goes to the Lapis Ward Grid, after solving another puzzle, he gets the Beryl Grid Key. And then he finally arrives at the Jasper Grid, where Titania is waiting for them.
Titania: I'm at a dead-end; did you find anything? (Before Ash can say anything, Taka lowers the water level again) All right, what the hell is your problem?
Taka: Problem? Obviously, I'm just following orders and trying to slow you down.
Titania: Bullshit. You're not even trying to hide it anymore. We wouldn't have been able to pass through a single room you changed the water level in UNLESS you had done that.
Taka: Whaaaat, really? Oh, goodness. It seems I made a mistake...
Titania: You can drop the act. I don't know what the hell kind of passive-aggressive game you're trying to play, but I'm tired of it. Are you on Team Meteor's side, or not?
Taka: (Frowns) Obviously I am, but... Look, it's not that simple.
Titania: It's that simple if you let it be.
Taka: Ugh... To be honest, I don't really agree with much of what Team Meteor does. But I'm in here for life, so I've gotta at least pretend to follow suit, you know?
Titania: No, I don't know. If you don't agree with them, don't serve them. Done and done.
Taka: I really don't have a choice about that...
Titania: Just because you cover your eyes and pretend not to see it doesn't mean it goes away. You always have a choice. You're just afraid to make it.
Taka: It's- not like that... Look, my father is the leader of Team Meteor.
Titania: (Raise an eyebrow) So?
Taka: My family... It's- We're the last direct descendants of the culture that enshrined Arceus' meteor in Reborn so many centuries ago. It's our duty to protect it. It's my birthright... Or more like my curse. I can't change that.
Titania: Not if you keep acting like a coward.
Taka: Running from my fate would be cowardice.
Titania: Is that what your father told you? You said yourself you don't agree with Team Meteor's actions, but YOU are allowing this to happen. They're YOUR actions too. If you don't like it, change it. If you can't change it, leave it.
The way Ash hears the conversation, he feels that Titania is right, and it reminds him of how he treated the betrayal from Professor Oak and the former travel companions.
Taka: You wouldn't understand... But that's okay. I'm going on ahead, so if you want your friend back, you should follow. (Before leaving) Oh, and, the key to the door here is in the Lapis Water Grid Room- Have you already been there? I'm sure Team Meteor would hate it if you happened to clear all the rooms... So make sure you do that.
Ash: I've already got there. No problem.
Then Taka leaves, but Titania is having Aegislash slash at the wall, seems like she is getting rid of frustration.
Titania: Hah... If only he were standing there. I'm so SICK of living a lie. Hah, I should thank you for resolving this stupid situation, Ash. Aside from the part where Amy jumped off a waterfall. No thanks for that. But I'm so tired of this. I can't STAND seeing somebody else act so- (Recalls Aegislash) Forget it. I'm just tired.
Ash sighs as he battles the two grunts alone, after defeating them, they retreated, and Titania also chases up to them.
Titania: Oh, you're done already. You'll have to excuse me if I'm a little reckless with what little energy I have. Anyway, I'll leave the door for you.
Then Ash opens the door to the Beryl Grid, and they also find two more paths.
Titania: I'll go ahead. (After getting through the gate, the gate suddenly locks) Are you fucking kidding me? So I'm the one stuck again. Perfect. Is this supposed to be some kind of metaphor? Because I'm not getting it. Looks like the water control for this room is here, but that's not going to do me much good. I'll take care of that. You see if you can make any headway.
Ash: You can count on me.
Titania: And don't you DARE think about leaving me behind.
Ash nods as he has Titania control the water level while he moves the rocks, after that's done, Ash notices the locked doors and he decides to unlock them, so he continues to rush back to the Opal Water Grid, and he finds the PULSE Swalot there.
Ash: Let's destroy this PULSE. Pikachu! Use Thunderbolt!
Pikachu fires the attack on the Swalot, causing it to get paralyzed, but it goes for Sludge Wave and Recover, which not only recovers the damage and also deals a lot of damage to Pikachu. But Pikachu dodges the Infestation and goes for another Thunderbolt, eventually defeating the Swalot with ease.
-SYSTEM RESTORED. WATER TREATMENT NOW OPERATIONAL-
Ash hears the voice and he is delighted, as he tries to raise the Water level, and the water is now clean and blue.
Ash: We've done it! Now let's fix the whole water!
Pikachu nods as they rush to lower the water and raise the water, after managing to clean all the water except for Beryl Water Grid, he finds Titania and tries to ask her to do the last one.
Titania: Find anything yet?
Ash: The PULSE Swalot, I already destroyed it.
Titania: So it was the main turbine after all. They're too predictable. With that out of the way, we should be able to flush the system.
Then Titania does the last grid, and Titania is surprised to see the blue water.
Titania: Hah. Been a while. You can't see it from where you are, but one of the gates in the back of this room just turned on. There's a line of them. I'm guessing each one corresponds to a room in this facility. Once the water is clear, they activate. When those are open, I should be able to get out of here.
Ash: Okay, leave it to me.
Ash surfs through the water and gets to the gates and walks past them, after that's done, he opens the gate so Titania can go through.
Titania: So the whole city should be running clean now. Amaria would be proud. Now let's make sure she wakes up to see it.
Ash nods as they get into the final room, where Taka is: The Control Room. Titania is already read her Aegislash on Taka.
Taka: Easy there, killer...The least you could do is show some gratitude.
Titania: For what, your complete lack of a spine?
Taka: I mean... If you wanna look at it that way. But I figured you'd appreciate that I've taken the liberty of having her wounds treated.
Titania: That's not the only thing you've taken.
Taka: Ohhh, that's what this is about.
Titania: Give me the Sapphire Bracelet.
Taka: Sure. There is no use if we have only one. Catch.
Titania manages to catch the Sapphire Bracelet and puts it in her pocket.
Titania: You're pathetic.
Taka: Maybe, but, hey. Someone's coming over to collect that. I kinda had to radio it in before. Sooooo you might have to deal with that soon.
Titania: I'm willing to accept that responsibility. (Walks towards Amaria and holds her body) Give my regards to the men who treated her.
Taka: I would, but you kinda already killed them.
Titania: (Frowns)...Right. Well... Tough. So you're just going to let us walk out of here with Amy and the bracelets.
Taka: Yup. Well, actually, I do have one favor to ask. I kinda need Ash to beat me in battle. Gotta at least look like I tried.
Ash: First Aster and now you?
Titania: Just save yourself the embarrassment and resign already. You're only making a fool of everyone involved.
Taka: Then I'm a fool. But I can't just walk out on my destiny.
Titania: Door's right here. No one's stopping you.
Taka: My blood is. And my father- Do you have any idea what he would do? Do you have any idea how he would feel?
Titania: Probably slightly better than the countless people he's hurt.
Taka: ...Look, just forget about it. Hurry up, beat me, and get out of here already.
Titania: If you're not going to stop us, I'm not going to enable you to keep cowering from your choices. If we defeat you, we just let you go on like this.
Taka: Please... I've done every courtesy that I could for you down here. Do me this one favor.
Titania: I'm done with your games. Let's go, Ash.
Ash nods as he wants to leave, but Taka is continuing to beg him to battle him.
Ash: If it is the old me, I would want to battle, but I'm sorry, but I can't battle you this time.
Taka: I guess I really am the odd one out when it comes to these sorts of things, trying to show mercy and all that... But hey. If skinning the black sheep makes you happy, whatever.
Ace: Well, hello there, little darlings!
Ash groans as Ace is also here, maybe he can refuse to battle Taka, but not Ace.
Here is a new chapter, and as you can see, Ash destroys another PULSE and the Reborn City's Water becomes clean again. But now Ace has appeared, what is he going to do? I hope you like this chapter.
