This is the end of the story. I hope you've enjoyed the ride!

The interior of the castle was as shaken and crushed in places, holes blown in the roof by Arceus' Judgment. The formerly dark and dank interior was now lit by the evening sun. The mirage nodes, however, were now completely dark.

Ash stepped over another piece of fallen ceiling. "This place is a wreck."

"My face is a wreck," Serena said, pouting while looking at her dusty, scratched up face in a compact mirror. "That was a close one, for sure."

Ash took her hand and helped her over the pile of rocks. "It's thanks to Clemont that we got out of that whole mess, anyway."

Clemont pushed up his glasses. "Well, it was Serena who gave me the idea."

"It was thanks to Dedenne and Bonnie," Serena said with a wink to the smaller girl. "They got through and paralyzed Arceus with that Nuzzle!"

"Well, I think it was Ash and Pikachu keeping it clear and taking the lead," Bonnie said as Clemont helped her up over the rubble and Serena helped her down.

"Well, we can't leave the other Pokémon out, too," Ash said. "Everyone worked hard together."

"You're right," Bonnie said as Serena sat her down on the other side.

"It's just like Serena said," Clemont said, climbing over himself. He took Serena's hand and she pulled him over. "We're like a family. We all have each other's backs."

Serena blushed. "Well, it's the truth, isn't it? All of us worked together to save each other."

"Now we just have to find out where the Mirage System is being held," Ash said.

"And Dr. Yung," Clemont added.

Ash blinked in Clemont's direction. "You said he was in the Mirage System earlier, right?"

"Right. Obviously that wasn't Dr. Yung's real body," the inventor explained. "An ordinary person couldn't change their entire body into that of another person, or merge with a Pokémon. The Dr. Yung we've seen up until now has been a creation of the Mirage System. The real Doctor is somewhere in this castle, I bet."

Bonnie gasped. "Do you think that bad guy's gonna fight us s'more? I don't think Dedenne can handle anymore!" She placed her hand her pouch, where the small Pokémon was sleeping after his rough day.

"I doubt it," Clemont said. "As long as the Mirage Jammer is attached to that Mirage Arceus, the entire Mirage System is frozen. He can't recall the data, and he can't turn it off without unplugging the entire system. And if he did that, it'd probably take a while to reactivate."

"Then we just have to find him," Ash said, pulling on the brim of his hat. "Any ideas where to start?"

"Well, Bonnie and I started from the Catacombs after Team Rocket brought us to Dr. Yung," Serena said. "It's probably a good place to start."

"Then let's head down there," Ash said. Pikachu also made an enthusiastic gesture.

The four of them walked down the staircase that lead to the catacombs. The Judgment had shaken the castle even this far down. Parts of the ceiling had collapsed down here, as well. Clemont took the lead, using the flashlight on his Clemontic Gear to light the way, since the Mirage Nodes were no longer providing light. Bonnie stuck close to him. "I-I don't like it this dark, Clemont," she said.

He gave her a pat on the head. "It's okay, Bonnie. We're all here. Nothing's going to happen while we're around."

Serena walked behind Bonnie, but in front of Ash. "That's right. So don't worry about it. Let's just focus on putting a stop to Dr. Yung so he can't hurt any more Pokémon."

Bonnie gave her a smile. "Right!"

"Serena," Ash came up behind her. "Are you alright?"

She turned to him. "Yes, Ash, I'm okay. Why do you ask?"

Ash scratched behind Pikachu's ears. "Professor Oak told be what he saw when Dr. Yung read Pikachu's memories in the past. And I felt how much it hurt when he read my mind a little while ago. I was just wondering how you were holding up."

Her cheeks heated up a little. "O-oh. I'm okay, Ash." He was continuing to scratch Pikachu, but there was something bothering him. "So you were deceived by Dr. Yung pretending to be me, right?"

Ash nodded. "He pretended to be hurt, so I tried to help. But he was really bad at acting like you. He wasn't as warm or affectionate as you are." Ash's cheeks lit up when he realized what he said. "What I mean is, I'm glad you – the real you – are alright."

Serena felt her face turn as red as the tip of Fennekin's tail. "Thanks, Ash," was all she managed to say.

Clemont turned the corner. "Hey, there's some light coming from down here!"

The four of them crowded into the room Clemont saw light coming from. Serena and Bonnie recognized it instantly. "This is the room Yung had us tied up in," Serena said. "He was working at that computer." The computer was on, so Clemont walked up to it and hit some buttons. It didn't seem like it was working. Clemont frowned. "I think it's tied into the Mirage System, so it's not going to work as long as it's frozen."

"That's too bad," Ash said. "I bet we could find the way to where the System is kept with this thing."

Bonnie looked at the keyboard. "Hey, what's this big red button do?"

"Don't touch that!" Clemont said, practically jumping. The young girl had already put her hand on the button.

Part of the wall hissed and slid open. The four friends looked down the passageway that was opened. It was a metallic tunnel that looked much newer than the ruined castle they were currently in. "Bonnie, you're a genius!" Ash said, his eyes practically glimmering. "Man, science is great!"

Serena gave an amused sigh while Clemont practically crumpled. "I'm the scientist, though," the blonde boy whispered to himself.

"Hey," Ash said, walking toward the opening, "there's something else in there."

There was more faint light coming from the newly opened chamber. Many computer screens and monitors were in the room, and a huge machine sat against a wall. Chills ran down Ash's spine as he looked at it. He led the way into the room, followed by the rest of his friends. Clemont walked toward the machines. He glanced at all the screens. "The displays are all frozen," he said, "but I think this one's a map of all the mirage nodes. Only the ones on the outside of the castle are on." He turned and his eye caught a glimpse of the machine against the wall. A look of horror flashed across his face. "What in the world…?"

"Clemont, what's wrong?" Bonnie asked, taking a step forward.

Clemont held up a hand, stopping her. "Bonnie, I need you to go back into the other room," he said.

"But brother-"

"Bonnie!" His voice was firm. "Now. Please."

Bonnie frowned. "Okay," she said. "But if I get grabbed by a Mirage Pokémon, I'm gonna scream so loud your glasses'll crack."

Clemont gave her a smile and nodded. "That's fine. Please wait in the other room, Bonnie."

As Bonnie left the room, Ash turned to Clemont. "What was that about?"

"I didn't want her to see… this," he said, motioning the Ash and Serena closer.

The two of them approached the machine Clemont was standing near. Serena's eyes widened and she let out an audible gasp.

The machine was a glass tube. Inside the tube was a human body. The body was badly burned, with parts of it ranging from blackened at the extremities with bones showing through the flesh to parts of the body that had the skin falling off. Serena felt her stomach churn. The burns were all over the body, but the head and upper body seemed to be the most intact. A respirator sat over the mouth, pumping air into the lungs. That's when she saw one of the same lifeless violet eyes she had seen earlier that day. The other eye was missing entirely, and a few tufts of blue hair were growing out of the otherwise bald and scarred head. There were other machines attached to the body, as well. One on the chest that seemed to pulse rhythmically, one on the lower body that seemed to hum constantly, and one that looked directly attached to the body's head. The entire body was the glass tube, unmoving.

"This is what you didn't want her to see," Serena said. "This is… the real Doctor Yung."

"No way," Ash said, almost speechless. "This… is what happened to him?"

Clemont nodded. "It seems like the bad doctor did survive the explosion in Kanto, but not without significant injury to his body." Clemont looked up and down the tube before noticing a keyboard and monitor attached to them. He approached the keyboard and tapped a few keys. "Hey, this one isn't frozen," he said.

"What can you find out, Clemont?" Ash asked.

The inventor tapped at the keys a bit. "Interesting," he said as data flashed across the screen faster than Ash could even begin to read it. "It's just like I thought. Dr. Yung was controlling the entire Mirage System from here. His mind is connected into the system, giving him the ability to create Mirages and use them to interact with the outside world."

"Does that mean… his mind is stuck?" Serena asked. "I mean, the entire Mirage System is frozen, right? If his mind is in there, then he's stuck too, isn't he?"

Clemont clicked a few more keys. "That looks like the case. There's no neural activity right now. His mind must be stuck in there, too."

"Is there a way for us to turn off the Mirage System in here?" Ash asked. He looked around the room. "I mean, that's the only computer that seems to be working at all."

Clemont kept at the screen. "It's probably because this system is also responsible for his life support."

"Life support?" Ash turned back to Clemont. "You mean…?"

He nodded. "Those machines are what're keep his body going. One of them keeps his heart pumping. Another delivers nutrients. Without the Mirage System, he'd be a vegetable."

Serena put a hand on her chest. "How awful. Does someone even as bad as Doctor Yung like deserve to be trapped in this pod for the rest of his life?"

"Don't forget what he did to you and Bonnie," Ash said, an edge to his voice. "And what he did to Pikachu, and… other friends of mine." He clenched his fists and seemed to mouth a single, silent syllable. Then he continued. "He had a chance to turn over a new leaf after my friends and I beat him in Kanto, but instead he just set to work to try and hurt more Pokémon and people." He pulled his hat over his eyes. "Some people are just… broken, I guess. Like no matter how many chances they get, they'll keep doing bad stuff. Like Team Rocket."

"Ash…" Serena felt her heat break a little. She had no idea that he was hurting like that.

Clemont tapped on the keys. "I think if I go through the neural processor, I can turn the entire Mirage System off without hurting Dr. Yung," he said. "Then when we get back to town, we can send Officer Jenny here and she can collect him. Let's leave this to the authorities."

Ash nodded. "Let's make sure he can't hurt anyone else."

Clemont tapped a few keys. "This is going to take a bit. Could you two go back and keep Bonnie company?" he asked. "I'll be right out as soon as I'm done."

"Alright," Ash said. He gave Clemont a pat on the back. "You can do this, Clemont."

Clemont gave him a thumbs up while he kept typing.

Ash and Serena left the room. Clemont let out a huge sigh. "What a waste," he said. "This Mirage System really could have revolutionized Pokémonology. It could have been an amazing creation. It's a terrible shame that instead of being used for good purposes, it had to be twisted and used for Dr. Yung's horrible ambitions." He kept at work. "Maybe there's some way I can salvage a part…I know what I'd do with the ability to make solid holograms…" Something flashed on the screen. "You're kidding, right? So it's not just a pipe dream after all."

He typed a few more things, then hit enter.

They were all finally outside again. The Mirage Arceus was gone, the Mirage Canceller lying on the ground where the Mythical Alpha Pokémon once stood.

Ash, Serena, and Clemont were quiet. Bonnie hopped up and down. "I still wanna know what you all saw in there," the small girl pouted.

"Don't worry about it, Bonnie," Clemont said, collecting the Mirage Canceller. "I have a new invention I'd like to show you all."

"A new invention?" Serena asked. "How did you find time to make something new with all of this going on?"

The inventor pushed up his glasses. "Well, I did get a little help from Dr. Yung," he said. From his Clemontic Gear, he took out a Mirage Node attached to a box. "The future is now, thanks to science! I've invented new training device that I'm sure will revolutionize Pokémon Training forever. My Super Training!"

Bonnie groaned. "That name seems a little… incomplete…"

Ash perked up. "Super Training!?" He was practically salivating. "I wanna try it, I wanna try it!"

"I thought you'd never ask," Clemont said. He put the Mirage Node and Box on the ground. "Clemontic Gear, on!" He pressed on the node, and it lit up. From the node, a floating platform appeared. "Now, put Pikachu on the platform."

"Ready buddy?" Ash asked his shoulder companion.

"Pika" he nodded before jumping onto the floating platform.

"Now, let's try out a Super Training Regiment to boost Pikachu's speed," Clemont said. He pressed a few buttons on a remote. From the box, a small blue shape begin to emerge. The shape began to inflate like a balloon, growing larger and larger until it took the shape of a huge, rubbery Noivern.

Serena gasped in surprise. "It's huge! Is it a Mirage Pokémon?"

"Not exactly," Clemont said. "It's based on the same technology, but it's not a Pokémon, not even a Mirage of one. It's just a balloon." He hit another button on the remote. "Doesn't mean it's not gonna move fast!"

The Noivern Balloon began jetting around the air, flapping its wings as circling over Pikachu head. The Mouse Pokémon took a step forward and was surprised when the platform began to move. "It responds to how you're standing," Clemont explained. "You can move it up, down, forward, back, left, right, anyway you want to go. And you just try to shoot the balloon down with your attacks."

"This is awesome! Technology is amazing!" Ash said. "Ready to go, Pikachu?"

"Ash! Pikachu! Do your best!" Serena called out.

"Go for it!" Bonnie chimed in.

"Dene!"

Pikachu leaned back and stood up, making the platform move into the air. The Noivern Balloon continued to circle overhead as Pikachu got ever closer. "Pikachu, use Thunderbolt and shoot down the balloon!"

Pikachu's cheeks began to spark, and it shot an arc of electricity at the Balloon. The electricity coursed through the balloon for only moment before it popped. The balloon shot straight down into the node, which began to crackle and spark.

With a panicked look, Clemont began messing with his remote again. He pressed a few buttons and it exploded in his hands. "Uh oh, this looks bad!"

The platform that was holding Pikachu disappeared into thin air. Pikachu scrambled in the air for a moment, and then fell. Ash ran under him and caught the Pokémon in his arms. "Are you alright buddy?"

"Pikachu!" he said with a wink.

"Big Brother, that was amazing!" Bonnie said, running over to him. "All you gotta do is work out a few bugs an-"

At that moment, the node exploded, catching Ash, Serena, Bonnie, Clemont, and Pikachu in a cloud of smoke.

The smoke cleared quickly. Everyone's hair was dirty and poofy from the explosion.

"Maybe more than a few bugs," Clemont said before sighing.

A grumble silenced any other words between the friends. "Oh, man," Ash said, holding his stomach. "I haven't eaten in hours! I'm starving."

"Pikachu," he said in agreement.

Serena giggled. "Well, I suppose it is about dinner time. Who wants Bluk Berry pancakes?" She pulled out a frying pan from her bag.

Ash and Bonnie's eyes lit up. "Serena, you're the best!" they said in unison.

The friends all shared a laugh together.

"We have had a busy day," Serena said. "We beat the evil Dr. Yung and his Mirage Pokémon, and we saved each other from his castle." She gave Ash a wink. "I'm going to make double the amount of pancakes I normally make."

"I'll go get some fire wood," Ash said.

"Don't forget to let out your Pokémon so I can play with them," Bonnie said.

Clemont looked at his invention. "I guess… I'll clean this up," he said with a laugh.

The setting sun colored the forest in its orange hues as Serena began setting the table up again. Bonnie ran around with her friend's Pokémon laughing, and even though Ash was collecting fire wood, he was getting fired up for the next Kalos Gym and the next step on his journey to becoming a Pokémon Master!

The End! Thanks for reading! Please leave a review! Thank you very much!