Chapter 101 Glass Workstation

After Bennett locks Ash and Hardy in the elevator, Hardy tries to slam on the door.

Hardy: Hey, what gives?! Get back here and fight! (After several slams) Tch, the door's sealed. Figures they'd try somethin' like... Oh, stuff it. Not again-

Ash quickly covers the nose and Pikachu is hiding under Ash's hat. They know that sleepiness is happening again.

Ash: I'm sorry, Hardy. I'll come back for you, I promise.

Ash tries to climb out of the place, and for some reason, he hears the sound of a Glaceon, Ash looks up and finds a hidden passage, and once they get in, they see the Glaceon.

Ash: You're ZEL's Glaceon...

The Glaceon nods as she asks Ash to follow her, much to his confusion. After following the Pokemon, Ash realizes that he manages to get into the Glass Workstation. And when they follow the Glaceon, it uses Ice Beam to freeze the broken path, much to his surprise.

Ash: Are you trying to help us? But why?

Ash then remembers how he destroyed the Magnezone, and Zero said that Eve and Lumi aren't inside him, he thinks that maybe Eve and Lumi manage to get their own bodies back and is trying to help him? But he doesn't know until he finds out the truth himself. After climbing down the stairs, Ash also spots a healing machine and a PC, so he quickly switches his team to the best ones so that he can continue forward.

When they move forward, Ash can see the hot molten lava in a tank, and Glaceon uses Frost Breath to create a path for them to walk past, and then they hear Team Meteor yelling to capture the Glaceon. It seems to work as they manage to trap the Glaceon into a room.

Meteor: And stay in there, you damn ice rat!

Ash: Leave that Glaceon alone!

Meteor: (Notices Ash) You again! Oh no, no, no! Absolutely not! We've had enough trouble with that damn Glaceon running around all over the place- no way am I dealing with you right now! You just stay out until we've finished dealing with this vermin!

And he just walks into the door and locks it, but Ash realizes that they are in a glass station, and he uses Rock Smash to get him inside and fight the grunts. After defeating them, Glaceon also freezes them in ice so that they can't stop them. Then Glaceon decides to follow Ash.

Ash: Sure, I won't mind you following me, but where can we go?

Then Glaceon shows him the path as they get to another room, and they hear a noise.

?: Shut UP, you damn mutt. Seriously, the other one is still out there? Quite a fiesty one, to say the least.

?: Well, don't just stand there, go catch it! This might be our chance!

Ash realizes that there is another Eeveelution that belonged to Eve or Lumi that is on the run, and a grunt comes outside and notices him.

Meteor: Oh. It's you? Has anyone ever told you that you're not a Glaceon?

Ash: I don't think so?

Meteor: Well, guess what.

Then Ash has to defeat the grunt in order to access the room, but after defeating the grunt, he just locks the door before Ash can break-in. Fortunately, they manage to hear a voice of an Espeon, and the boxes that blocked the room are moved so Ash can use Rock Smash on it. After defeating the grunt, they find the Espeon in the cage. The meteor grunt says that the key is in another room, so Ash and Glaceon have to find the key. Fortunately, the key is actually in the room which is close to the room they're in, only Glaceon can't walk back up to the second floor to help him. After defeating the grunt, they manage to get the key and saved the Espeon.

Grunt: It's really cute that you're out here rescuing Pokémon and all, but that's not going to bring you any closer to the PULSE.

Grunt: Do you really have to mention the PULSE?!

Grunt: Oh, please. Ash will find it anyway. There's no point in trying to hide it.

Grunt: At least shut up about it! Make them find it on their own!

Grunt: In this mess? Yeah, that'd be a feat. And especially with that menace on their tail. All it ever does is throw glass around. You know how much we had to clean up? Geez. Just take it away already.

Ash can't believe that there is another PULSE, but then again, according to his PULSE Dex, there are actually 4 more missing PULSES that he needs to find.

Ash: Okay, now I need both of your help.

Then using Espeon's Psychic to move the boxes, and Glaceon's Frost Breath to freeze the lava, Ash manages to solve the puzzle and moves forward. After defeating more people, they manage to get the elevator working and head towards the second floor, they find some items and also a PULSE Dex.

PULSE 08 Hypno: Psychic and Dark Type. Ability: No Guard. Digitally lobotomized for full efficiency. Its function is perfect control. It projects its unconsciousness onto target locations and can directly manipulate up to two individuals at a time.

Ash: This is not good...so it also can control people...I just hope that I am not going to fight my friends...

After getting to a room, they find a Meteor Card that's for the locked door, and there are two sleeping bodies that have the names Eve and Lumi.

Ash: So they're still alive!

Ash presses the button, but it turns out to be Noel and Anna sleeping in it, Ash has Glaceon use Heal Bell to wake them up.

Anna: ...Huhhhhh, Ash? You made it! Buuuut it's not time to wa- Wait, what...? No, this wasn't supposed to- It wasn't supposed to be like this... The boy with the broken wing wasn't supposed to- Wait... No, I can fix it- We can still fix this!

Ash: Anna, are you alright?

Anna: Um. You just do your thing; don't worry about it! Good night! (Sleeps again)

Ash sighs, and he knows that asking Noel is not going to help him as well, since he told him that Anna was the one that he wanted to ask, so Ash decides to leave those two alone and get to the door.

Ash: If they're there, then where are Eve and Lumi? I hope they're fine...


After getting into the room, Glaceon and Espeon leave Ash alone, and then he sees the PULSE Hypno, along with Bennett and Zero. Behind Bennett is Laura, who is unconscious.

Zero: There they were! I saw them! For just a moment... We've been looking everywhere for you, Glaceon! Come out! Come back to me! Lumi, do you really think that's going to work?! Indeed, if beckoning them were all that were necessary, we would not be in this predicament. Oh... You're right, of course... I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking... I never think... I never, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, thought... But they came in and there's Ash!

Ash is a little dumbfounded, because Zero is trying to mimic Eve and Lumi's voice to fool everyone in the room.

Zero: Ash, are you here to ruin everything again? Why else would Ash have stolen them? Those are OUR Pokémon! We're the ones who cared for them! Give them BACK! Give them back... Give them back... (Frowns) You took them away... Why did you take them away? Do you have any idea how quiet it is without them? Do you? Do you? Do you? Do you? DO YOU?!

Bennett: (Sighs) I think that's enough, Zero. (Turns to Ash) I could commend you on getting here once again despite the sleep effect, but that's hardly necessary. After all, you've never really known failure, have you? Maybe- maybe- you lose a battle or two. But that's not failure. That's just a set back. You always end up on top. And why? Is it your determination? Or is justice on your side?

Ash: Or maybe it's just the bond I have with my Pokémon and friends.

Bennett: But all of those things are just cliches to handwave the fact that in this world, some people are given the privilege to succeed and some are not. I am fortunate enough to have come into that privilege after having been denied it for years. But you... This is just how you've always been, ever since you got to Reborn, isn't it? To whatever god you pray to, I hope you've paid your tithes because I intend to test the limits of your fortune until they break. (Turns to Zero) Zero. It's time for a reunion.

Zero: Yes, yes... That's right... You can see how it feels to have your friends ripped away too! HYPNO! Bring them out.

Ash gasps as he sees Cain and Shelly, and both of them seem to be controlled by the Hypno as they walk towards them.

Ash: Cain! Shelly! What happened to you?

Zero: They can't HEAR you anymore, Ash!

Bennett: Not that you ever say much...

Zero: How does it FEEL?!

Bennett: Save the gloating for later, Zero. We're on a schedule here. The others should be coming shortly too, and we need to be ready. It could get crowded in here... but that's fine for our purposes. After all, everyone who sets foot in here becomes a puppet for Hypno to play with.

Ash: (Notices Laura) Even Laura...

Bennett: And it's all thanks to this one that it could happen. When she ran off from Calcenon, we seized the opportunity. And then others came to find her... And others to find them... And now here you are. Dominos just love to fall. You should try it sometime. Like, now.

Ash is surprised that he has to fight both Cain and Shelly alone, and from what he learns, both of them have six Pokemon, meaning that it will be a 6 vs. 12 battle. Cain sends out Marowak while Shelly goes for Ribombee named Anna. Ash has to go with Lycanroc and Greninja for this battle. Ribombee sets up a Sticky Web, and sets up the Light Screen, while Marowak goes for Iron Head, but Lycanroc dodges the attack and goes for Rock Slide, and Greninja also goes for Surf Attack, trying to deal with it a lot of damage and knocking both Pokemon out.

Their second Pokemon are Alolan Muk and Scolipede named Cain. Muk goes for Thunder Punch, slamming the attack on Greninja, forcing Ash to switch out into Charizard, and Lycanroc lands an Earthquake while Charizard goes for Heat Wave, eventually defeating Muk first, as for Scolipede, it manages to land a Poison Jab on Charizard, but it is also defeated by Flamethrower.

The third Pokemon are a Primarina and a Yanmega named Heather. Like Scolipede, its Speed Boost and Ancient Power are dealing a lot of damage to Charizard, and Primarina's Sparkling Aria knocks the Charizard out of the battle, so Ash decides to go with Sceptile next. Lycanroc also goes for another Rock Slide, with Sceptile using Leaf Storm, both Primarina and Sceptile are knocked out.

The fourth Pokemon are Mimikyu and Vivillon named Noel, and Mimikyu finally defeats Lycanroc with the Swords Dance and Shadow Claw, so Ash goes for Pikachu to battle. Pikachu goes for Discharge, because of the field-effect, it manages to knock out Vivillon after taking a Giga Drain from the Pokemon. And Mimikyu is also defeated when Pikachu slams an Iron Tail on the Pokemon.

The fifth Pokemon are Meowstic and Volcarona named Cal, Volcarona goes for Heat Wave, causing Sceptile to be knocked out, so Ash goes to Garchomp next. Garchomp goes for Rock Slide, defeating Volcarona, but it is also hit by Meowstic's Psychic, Garchomp ends Meowstic with a Crunch attack.

The final Pokemon is Nidoking and a Leavanny named Ash. Ash can't believe that Shelly will name her Leavanny after him, and the Nidoking defeats Pikachu with Earth Power, so Ash goes for Greninja as his final Pokemon. Both Pokemon land Water Shuriken and Rock Slide together, eventually defeating the last two Pokemon.

Ash: I've finally done it...

Bennett: As expected. In that case, Zero?

Zero: Heheheh... I've been looking forward to this for a long time. But which one do we give up? Which?

Bennett: Let the girl go. Cain has opposed us more frequently. Understood. Good morning!

Ash notices that they decide to let go of Shelly, but then Shelly also falls asleep to the ground.

Zero: And sweet, sweet dreams, Ash.

Ash suddenly feels sleepiness from his mind, and he realizes what's going to happen. He tries to struggle the control, but in the end, he fails.


Starting from this chapter is the hardest part to write. Because Ash is going to play the villain in the next chapter and who is going to save him from his mind control? I hope you like this chapter.