The battle between Team Aqua and Team Magma, plus the two Team Rocket factions is underway. Team Aqua uses Crawdunt and Walrein, while Team Magma use Mightyena and Golbat to fight their battles with one another. The battles are harsh and fierce, with niether side attempting to back down. Team Aqua's and Team Magma's rivalry is as strong as ever here and it really shows especially between Tabitha and Shelly. They intend to fully beat each other and quite possibly destroy one another and make sure that only on crime organization reigns supreme here. Two of the combatants that are fighting though are Casey and Jimmy who fight with their Meganium and Typhlosion. That technically will give Jimmy the edge as his Typhlosion is a fire type, while Casey's Meganium is a grass type. However that may not matter at this point, as both Pokémon show equal strength and equal determination in destroying one another.
Meganium first fights with its razor leaf attack, but Typhlosion uses its flamethrower attack to burn those leaves to ashes. Typhlosion is then ordered to use a full force tackle attack on Meganium and the hit is right on and takes it out is a single blast. Casey recalls her Meganium, then summons her Elekid, but then Egan comes in and summons a Flareon to help her. Two against one is awfully unfair, but they have to remind Jimmy that they work for Team Rocket and they aren't suppose to play fair. However Ash gets in on the fight to help his comrade and he does so by summoning his first Hoenn Pokémon. It's a very fierce and powerful looking Salamence, who is commanded to fire its hyper beam attack. Typhlosion is ordered to do the same and both Pokémon power houses take Elekid and Flareon out in one hit. Casey and Egan attempt to run away, but Ash stops them dead in their tracks. He tosses these restraint devices that capture them both.
Ash walks over to them and says, "A little tied up aren't you? That's what you get for double crossing me. Now wear is Ritchie?" Ritchie sees Ash lokking for him, so he runs away and abandons his two most loyal enforcers. They demand that he come back for them, but Ritchie has to tell them that he comes first and that they should have known that. So as Ritchie runs away, Ash chases after him, but tells Jimmy to continue to lead the battle. Jimmy obeys his boss and then Ash goes after Ritchie, who is trying to escape. He summons forth a Pidgeot, which he intends to ride on it off the island, but Ash intervenes. He summons forth his Venusaur and commands it to use its vine whip attack to capture Ritchie and bring him back down. It's a success, as Ritchie is captured, but Venusaur actually slams Ritchie down to the ground in anger it seems. As Venusaur is very loyal to his master and seeing him angry and upset made it angry and upset as well.
Ash then asks for Venusaur to slam Ritchie into the ground several more times and without hesitation, it obeys its master. It does it several more times and all Ash does is smile with this twisted and truly grim smirk on his face.
Ritchie: Ash! Stop this please?!
Ash: Why should I? You betrayed the team, Giovanni, but more importantly you betrayed me! I thought we were friends, but I guess this friendship is over now! Oh wait from your standards I guess it never was, was it?
Ritchie: Come on Ash, I was joking. Get it?
Ash: No you weren't.
Ritchie: Okay fine, I wasn't! So I lied big woop. It's what we do and it's what you do Ash. Your loyalty to Giovanni is pathetic. You need to be loyal to the organization not a person. So it shouldn't matter who's runnig the place at all.
Ash: It matters to me and I'm going to do them a favor by getting rid of you.
Ritchie: You can't be serious?
Ash: Oh I am. Venusaur use your vine whip to crush him!
So it begins to do so, but then Ritchie summons forth his Magmar and commands it to attack Venusaur. The type advantage really helps and soon Ritchie is set free, but Venusaur refuses to give up, so then Ash commands it to use leech seed on Magmar. Magmar destroys it with its flamethrower attack and then is ordered to tackle Venusaur. A direct hit, but then Venusaur is commanded to jump up in the air with its vine whip attack and body slam right on top of Magmar. Venusaur's heaavy size begins to crush Magmar, so Ritchie returns Magmar to its Poké Ball.
Ash: Too bad Ritchie. You could never really find the time to train any of your Pokémon. I'm surprised you got this far and by the way, taking over Team Rocket by force? Is that the best you could do?
Ritchie then summons forth his Pidgeot again and commands it to use its hyper beam on Venusaur, but the Venusaur is commanded to do the same. The combined hyper beams cause an explosion which takes out both Venusaur and Pidgeot at the same time. So they are forced to return their Pokémon to their Poké Balls, but soon Ash summons forth his Salamence again and Ritchie summons his Victrebell to battle. Salamence uses its shadow ball, while Victrebell uses its razor leaf to attack, but it is no match for Salamence. Victrebell gets taken down pretty easily by Salamence, so then Ritchie tries to get away again. However Ash tosses a restraint device that captures Ritchie, but also it shocks him tremendously. Ritchie then passes out from exhaustion, but soon more devices begin flying and they capture all the Team Aqua grunts. Jimmy put in a call to the Johto base and had the remaining junior grunts loyal to Giovanni and Ash. Ash congratulates his second in command, as does Tabitha, but soon he asks Ash what they intend to do with everyone.
Ash says, "That's easy Tabitha. We'll leave them for the police. I'll put in an annonymous call to Officer Jenny. A group of concerned citizens helped to capture these dangerous criminals. Team Aqua will be out of your hair for a while until we can capture its leader Archie and these traitors will be punished, unless they're fully willing to come back and serve directly under me from now on?" Egan and Casey shall and they promise never to betray him or Team Rocket again. That's what Ash wanted to hear, but then has to ask the same of Ritchie, although he refuses Ash's offer. He'd rather go to jail with dignity instead of grovelling to Ash like a cowardly weakling. So then Ash intends to leave Ritchie here along with the Team Aqua grunts, but Ritchie refuses to be abandoned like this. He leaps up at Ash and manages to spot a remote that shall release him from his shackles. Ritchie frees himself and then makes a hasty retreat from this area, but Ash won't allow it.
Ash tosses a small explosive that he had in his jacket and tosses it strait at Ritchie, who almost made it to the edge of a cliff. The explosion jolts him off, but Ritchie manages to grab on to a ledge and he is holding on for dear life. Ritchie can't and he slips, but Ash saves him.
Ritchie: So Ash, even with all I did, you're still going to save me?
Ash: Nope. I just wanted to look into your eyes before I let you fall.
Ritchie: No! Please!
Ash lets go of Ritchie's hand and he falls screaming into the ocean, down into the jagged rocks. Their business is done however and soon Tabitha needs to talk to Ash about their alignment. He has to ask that is their alliance over with, but Ash has to say no.
Ash: No Tabitha. What we did here today in crumbling Team Aqua, how we put aside our differences was a wonderful thing. No I think our alliance needs to continue. All your team needs to do is capture Archie and with some of his best people gone, it can happen.
Tabitha: So what do you propose kid?
Ash: This Tabitha: Team Rocket and Team Magma join together as one single force. I think we can both benefit more if we work together and not as enemies. I will spread word to my boss and you can do the same to Maxie.
Tabitha: And if he refuses?
Ash: Then Team Rocket stays out of Hoenn forever. This place has left a bad taste in my mouth.
Tabitha: Fine then kid. It sounds like a win, win any way.
Both Ash and Tabitha shake hands and go their seperate ways, but also Ash speaks to Giovanni via video phone. Giovanni is displeased of hearing of Ritchie's betrayal, but sees merit in Ash's plan and shall agree to follow it. However soon Ash has to ask a personal question, "Sir forgive me for sounding weak minded, but after all this, I need to take a break from Team Rocket. I request a temporary leave of absence from Team Rocket. In my present state I would be a liability to you and the team. After what happened with Ritchie, I am afraid it will take me a long time to trust anyone again. Even Jimmy and even you." Giovanni does indeed understand Ash's predicament and shall allow Ash to be relieved of all his duties until Ash is fully up to them again. However he hopes it doesn't take too long, as Ash is still one of Giovanni's most prized employees and even admits to seeing Ash as the son he always wanted. Ash thanks Giovanni for this and ends his transmission, but soon a single tear drops from Ash's eye.
Back on the island the Team Aqua grunts are being taken to jail, but unknown to all of them, a single hand grabs on to the ledge of the cliff. It's Ritchie who managed to survive and he says, "Ash hasn't seen the last of me. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
TO BE CONTINUED...