Chapter 187 Tao Helix Part 2

Ash, Luna, Yancy, and Taka are now facing the new Anomalies, as they send out Mega Manectric, Mega Salamence, Mew, Shaymin Skye Form, 2 Victini, Reshiram, Zekrom, Hoopa Unbound, Magearna, and both White Kyurem and Black Kyurem. After defeating all of them, the Anomalies are gone and they flee with three doors appearing.

Taka: ...Is that it? She's not actually gone, right? She's totally unrecognizable from the old Lin, but even that one would just fall asleep randomly... Maybe it's some kind of limitation on the power she can use? Well, whatever the case, thanks for helping me out. I hope I was able to keep up a bit better than the last time we paired up. (Turns to Luna) You told me, "You look better with a fire in your eyes." I have to admit I felt better too. But I'm not interested in the kind of fire that's used only to destroy. I... want to be the kind of fire that people can enjoy. Sit down, warm your hands... Have some small reprieve from this world of cold. I hope I can offer you that warmth too, if you'll have it.

Ash: That will be nice.

Taka: Ah, well, let me start by healing your team. (Heals the groups' teams) I think you're up to bat now. Those legends belong to you, even if they don't know it yet.

Ash and the others nod as they head to each door and capture every single one of the Legendary inside.

Ash's New Capture in New World Helix: Reshiram, Zekrom, Kyurem (Event)

Taka: Got 'em all? I'd expect nothing less from the Champion. If we're all done, let's get out of here. I may be just a guy, but I've been thinking I'm a pretty lucky one. Or something worse.

Lin: (Appears) Oh, that's my cue! So, you'll all remember this one, right? God they were SUCH a pain way back whenever. But, y'know, it'd be a shame to just kill them, right? Everyone else is just SO boring. But, you know, being out here sure seems to have some unfortunate side-effects, so they might be a little... you know. Idk why I'm fine. Get on my level? You try and have people over for fun little sleepovers and then the next thing you know they're covered in black depresso goop. Just like middle school, I guess. Anyway, fix it!

Just then, a person appears in front of them, and Ash, Luna, and Taka are shocked to see that the person is Ace, with Umbral Energy.

Ace: Ah, It is So goOd to Be oUt On the StagE agAiN~

Taka: A-Ace? I- It's great to see you again. What happened to you before?

Ace: SoMe mAnneR of maGiC mOst foUl to Be sUrE, BuT faR be iT for mE to expLaiN anOther pErforMer's TriCkS. No, nO. RiGht Now, tHIs is My sHoW. AnD I cOuldN't havE asked for A bettEr auDieNcE. WoUld One lUcky vOluntEer plEase sTep fOrwArD!? (Steps in front of Taka) YoU, siR, will do NicElY. YoU seE, I siMply sPin and CliCk my HeeLs tHree tImes, And SaY- ThEre'S no oNe lIke FamIlY. tHeRE's NO OnE LiKE fAMiLy. ThEre'S no oNe liKe fAmiLy. ThUs, tHere Is No onE at AlL.

Just then, Taka disappears from their sight, much to their surprise.

Ace: Be Not AlarMed, LittLe hErO! YoUr fAte iS not THe samE as HiS. YoU, afTer aLl, are Not tHe douBle-cRosSeR. A sIngLe crOss at Most, foR refusiNg to fight the litTle prinCe afteR all hE did For YoU. But no. YoU seE, I am, As a moRe dramAtic PersOn mighT say- hEartBroKeN. Oh, But Who Am I kIddInG? I aM exActlY as drAmatic As oNe neeDs to bE to sAy tHaT. AfTer My diSappeArance, Who diD looK foR mE? WhO diD go tHrougH the suRely not-So-vast trIbulatiOn of both rEmembeRing me And seEkinG me OuT? WaS it The lITtle PriNcE? No, He wAs toO Busy HidInG. OuR blAck-clad FriEnD? Ah, But He waS not quIte hImsElF, Or EveN suRe of wHo That wOuld EntAiL. OuR riGhtfUl LeaDeR? If OnLy hE'd goTteN my wArnInG. HiS butLeR? ToO fuSsed With hiS own IdeAlS. Do You FollOw my mEAning, LittLe hErO? HoW loNg muSt I haVe spent toilIng foR our FamiLY? HoW loNg shOuld I Have toIled to eArn care eNough frOm a singlE one of tHem thaT I migHt be MisSeD? As I've AlwaYs saiD, loyaLty is An ilLusIoN! BuT it Wasn'T untiL TitawIn stuck me Fast in The diGitaL woRlD- TrAppEd in A fireWall liKe the maiDen in tHe sawEd- boX trIcK, AlL thE whiLe watChing eVeryone I knew fOrget All aBouT mE... I dIdn'T reaLize uNtil thEn how muCh I nEeded to BelievE in thE lie MysElF. AnD whAt elSe iS it, bUt a LiE? ThEy sAy, be The chAnge you want To see In thE woRld, NoN? Be The FamiLy you wiShed To hAvE. WeLl, I TrieD, and yOu knoW wherE thaT goT mE. So Now Let's Try somEthiNg eLsE.

Just then, Ash knows that he has to save Ace from the Umbral energy, and Ace goes for Latias as his first Pokemon, Ash goes for Gengar and goes for Shadow Ball, but Latias goes for Mist Ball to deal a lot of damage and using Reflect to boost the Defense, but in the end, Gengar defeats it with Dazzling Gleam, which is blinding in the New World Field. The second Pokemon is Mesprit, and it defeats Gengar with Psyshock, so Ash goes for Leavanny, using X-Scissors to knock it out.

The third Pokemon for Ace is Hoopa, and it goes for Hyperspace Hole to knock out Leavanny, so Ash goes to Aegislash, blocking the Shadow Ball with King's Shield and knocks it out with Shadow Claw. The fourth Pokemon is Mega Sableye, and it uses Foul Play and Shadow Ball to knock out Aegislash, so Ash goes for Gardevoir to battle and Mega Evolve. Gardevoir goes for Moonblast and knocks it with one hit. The fifth Pokemon is Latios, and Gardevoir continues to battle and defeats it with Moonblast, but it gets hit by the Luster Purge and deals some damage.

Ace: IlLusIons Exist For the Comfort Of the wAtcher. Why eLse shouLd anyoNe belIve In tHeM?

The final Pokemon is Zoroark, and it goes for Black Hole Eclipse to defeat Gardevoir, so Ash goes for Lucario, using Aura Sphere, and knocks the Pokemon out.

Ace: To FacE the Truth Fully- It's just a little too cold for me. (Returns to normal) Ah. Well, that is better, isn't it? And no wonder it was suddenly freezing. Next time I get sucked into an otherworldly digital space-void, I'm going to have to insist that the god-adjacent child put me somewhere tropical. No matter. You have my gratitude, little hero, for rescuing me~ A well-deserved round of applause- But first! We've curses to end; reverses to mend!

Just then, Taka is back to them, much to their surprise.

Taka: Ah... And we're back, I guess.

Ace: My sincerest apologies, little prince.

Taka: No, I understand. Ash had to pull me from the same sort of mess. I'm just happy you're back.

Ace: Awh, you do care! And you seem no worse for the wear!

Taka: I'm sorry it took us so long to find you. We didn't have any idea what happened, and... Well, I'm not terribly proud of my actions back then.

Ace: But that just goes to show you've grown! No no no no, I will not be accepting any apologies from you at this time! Especially not for whatever mumbo jumbo I muttered under the spell of the hocus pocus smoke. Let us both simply be thankful that we've been able to properly reunite here! Even if the whole team has been unraveled- As I'm afraid I had the displeasure of helplessly watching it all- At least we have our minds and health.

Taka: Ace. I know firsthand that when it comes to these things, there has to be a spark to light the fire. Know that, while Team Meteor may have been undone, you're still my family. We'll do better by you in the future too. Understood?

Ace: Ahah. I could just blush. Very well, little prince- Ah, but perhaps by now it should be little king?

Taka: No, let's keep it as it is. Just for now, at least. Too much has changed already.

Ace: As you wish~ Now, speaking of things that haven't changed- This awful chill. Might we quit this place?

Taka: Of course.

Then they all head back to the Night Club, and Ace is getting used to the place as he is greeted by some people.

Luna: You have my true and dearest thanks, Ash. I see that Ace is safe and with us once more, and I am ever grateful for this fact. They have... provided a network of support and care that is a comfort to have close by once more, and I only wish I could have expressed the same earlier. We are always bereft of the time that we seek to share with others...And then we are only privy to realize that after the time is simply too far gone. I find myself deeply regretful and disappointed that I could not do more to aid their rescue. I owe them thanks that cannot be repaid enough for what transpired so long ago at the sanctum...But perhaps it is nothing that cannot be made up from now on, after all. Lost time can always be repaid.

Ash: Yeah...

Taka: I'm glad we rescued Ace. They're pretty far up there with you in the category of people I feel I owe a lot to. Despite them not being much older, I feel like they kinda helped raise me. Now I think I returned the favor. I'm grateful to have the opportunity to offer things back to others. You and them both.

Then they also find Terra and Ciel.

Terra: oh you found ace i was sure... that no 1 would look... in that particular dumpster where i left them... nawh i'm /jk lma0 baron nashira's c00' k1111nda felt bad yeeting them but it's like my mom always said, "if ur gonna do a hostile corporate take over, do it on max difficulty or ur not a real gaymer" bet they understand we kinda had a thing g0in' anyway they stab me in the back, i peg them in the back, enemies to lovers 100k slow burn, yannowhatimsayin'? it's like my mom always said, "RAWWWWWWWWWWWR ! ;) " * *may or may not have actually been said by my mom but it was said by UR MOM LAST NITE L000L GOTTEM!

Ciel: Ah, so... I told you about my cousin, did I not? I didn't know you were already acquainted!

Ash: Hold on, Ace is related to you? I didn't know that...

Ciel: How serendipitous, and only slightly embarrassing! Still, you were able to rescue them too. I had no idea what had even happened! You best believe I have given Terra the walloping of a lifetime. She has begged for mercy, as she ought, And I have allowed her it, as I ought. After all, I understand it was my carelessness that pushed them to the extreme from which they fell. You have my thanks again, Ash, That we both may have a chance at forgiveness.

Then they decide to find the main star, Ace, who is sitting on the sofa while taking a rest.

Ace: So this is where all you little heroes have been camping out all this time! I've got to say, I quite enjoy the spectacle! Where all life is but a precession of stimulation, a bit of smoke and mirrors do a lot to light up our nights! If what we know is constrained solely to our experiences, then is illusion truly delusion, Or was it just a memory made special for us? Make some fine memories, little hero! Some days, they're all we have.

Ash: Sure, we will.

Ace: Back at that awfully chilly New World- Certainly a rather... frigid and unpleasant place to wake up in my own right mind to. But perhaps, it is the company I kept that made the spectacle all the more tolerable. I hadn't had the chance before to express my thanks truly and properly for rescuing me from that predicament of its own. It is admittedly still difficult to remember all the details before I came. Ah, but why dwell on matters out of our own hands? I simply wanted to find the time to thank you from the bottom of my heart for rescuing the little prince as you did. I had enough lucidity at the start from the box I was in to save ZEL from Magnezone's explosion, but- I- I-I'd never quite lived out my own nightmares in reality as I did when I bore witness to his fate in that Steel Leader's Gym, and... Well, all I can say is that I have never been more grateful as I am now ...For you, and for his safe return.

Ash: No problem, Ace.

Ace: By the by, I understand you picked up a little friend down in the Water Treatment Center! And I know you won't do something silly like ask how I know that! I was perhaps, wondering... May I see the little one?

Ash knows that he's talking about the Delphox, so he sends the Pokemon to show him.

Ace: Ah, you're all grown up, little one! I'd missed seeing you dearly. It was a bit of a rushed job, you see- the circumstances hadn't exactly permitted me any different. I'd hoped that it wouldn't be too lonely in there...Perhaps you and I aren't so different in that regard, hm, little one? I count myself grateful that you're in more than capable hands now. And to you, Ash- You may consider your debt of paying it forward as fully imbursed already! If this little one helped you step forward at any part of your journey between saving the world and freeing me, then it is a miracle play in my book! And if it didn't... Well, no accounting for taste, I suppose! Do take care of each other anyway, won't you?

Then he decides to do something to entertain them.

Ace: Pick a card, any card! (One is Yes, and one is No. Ash picks the Yes) Ah, of course! I knew you'd pick the 'Yes' card! It was written all over your face. Now I'll simply spin it around twice like so, and- (Changes the color of the card) Voila! The card has completely changed color! You may keep it, as a souvenir!

Then Ash receives the Red Card from Ace, and he accepts it. Then they bid farewell to the others and head back home.


And here is another new chapter, as you can see, Ace is back and now he's hanging out in the Nightclub as well. I hope you like this chapter and the next chapter will be the final quest of Tier 6.