"So while Arceus is dealing with some friend of his, we're just supposed to have lunch?" Ark asked. "We just watched an entire city and swamp get destroyed, we can't just wait around forever!"

"Shhh." Pokemon Master Ash shushed. "I get it, this isn't ideal, but we need to keep calm for right now. Arceus is working on a backup plan, but these allies of his are easily scared, but we also can't be too far from him in case something happens."

"Well, couldn't one of us go off to find another plate then?" Ark asked.

"If we knew where they were sure, but Arceus has been less than forthcoming on that information." Pokemon Master Ash said in annoyance. "For now we have to play it by ear, and be better prepared the next time a plate drops."

Meanwhile at Lake Verity

"I understand that their will has fallen from recent losses, but we cannot give up hope." Arceus said calmly, as Azelf flitted about.

"And what of your willpower?" Azelf asked curiously. "You have several of your plates and yet refuse to join in the fight, what happened to you?"

"You know as Arceus I am not meant to interfere in these events." Arceus said.

"Yes, but you were always stubborn and chose to chase after IT once they'd been released, traversing dimensions, and messing with its inhabitants in order to get to them." Azelf pointed out.

"It was never meant to cause damage." Arceus argued.

"You are the only one saying that, all I am saying is you have never allowed yourself to be held by those rules before, you have experienced loss since we last met." Azelf said.

"I've had to erase people to keep the corruption at bay, and if they knew what I've already done, they might not trust me anymore." Arceus admitted. "Though I fear that they already have begun to not trust me, if Ashton had accepted the help from the one who had contact with their own Arceus this would have been easier."

"But you didn't step in to tell him that. You, a god among mortals stepped back and listened to what he said, and sent those three home." Azelf said with a tsk. "It sounds to me that you have already given up."

"I have not given up!" Arceus argued.

"Then bring them back, I'm sure they'd be willing to help." Azelf taunted.

"I cannot, the walls have been sealed to our dimension. The others have given up on us and I cannot even send Ark home anymore." Arceus sighed. "I've ruined the boy's life twice now."

Back at the Lakefront Cafe

"So you're telling me that you didn't go to Kanto, the Orange Islands, Jhoto, Hoenn, or Sinnoh before recently?" Pokemon Master Ash asked.

"No, when I was a baby I was pulled into a wormhole and ended up in Alola, where I was raised by my mother, Lusamine, alongside my sister Lillie, and sort of brother Gladion." Ark said.

"Sort of brother?" Pokemon Master Ash asked.

"It's complicated." Ark said, as they looked at the photos on Rotomdex.

"And who's this?" Pokemon Master Ash asked, seeing a photo of Ark and Cass right after the Alola League.

"Cass. My little sister, or our little sister, do you not have one here?" Ark asked.

"Only child." Pokemon Master Ash said. "What's she like?"

"A pain." Ark chuckled. "But, I wouldn't have it any other way. She has the same fiery spirit for battling with Meltan that Pikachu and I have. How about your friends, I'm sure they would've helped if you asked, why come to the other us."

"They're gone." Pokemon Master Ash said. "According to Arrceus what happened to Pastoria, happened to the rest of the world already."

"Oh, but maybe they're here, and survived." Ark said.

"Even if they were, I doubt they'd want to meet with me." Pokemon Master Ash said, thinking back to the day he became a frontier brain.

Flashback

"Ash, are you sure this is a good idea?" Brock asked.

"Brock, you heard them, I've done it I'm a Pokemon Master!" Ash exclaimed.

"And what about other journeys?" May asked. "Or becoming a champion?"

"I told you I'm a Master now." Ash said pointedly. "And unless one of you thinks you can take me on, you won't change that fact."

"Fine Ash, you've made your point." Brock said, diffusing the situation.

"I'm not trying to fight you guys, but becoming unbeatable, that's my dream, and I have it, is it so wrong that I've finally reached my goal?" Ash asked.

"No, but are you sure this is what you want?" Professor Oak said.

"I'm certain. I can further train my Pokemon as I choose to fit, and get stronger and stronger with them." Ash said with determination. "Then I can take on champions and even more with no problem with a team of elite Pokemon."

Back to the present

"It doesn't seem like you ended things terribly." Ark admitted.

"That was just the first day, but since then, I ignored them, fought them, and got angry at them." Pokemon Master Ash said. "I ignored them for years, and most of them haven't spoken to me in half of that time."

"Wow, even at my worst, I don't think my friends were ever that angry at me." Ark said.

"Yeah, well, I was pretty bad." Pokemon Master Ash said. "And I was like that with the other Ashs as well."

"Look, we had a bad loss, but we'll recover and get over this, between a master and a champion we can handle anything this thing sends to fight us." Ark assured. "And we'll just have to make sure to be more careful when knocking out the plates next time."

"Glad to hear you haven't lost hope." Arceus said, walking over.

"How'd the meeting go?" Pokemon Master Ash asked.

"It went well, I have the second piece of the Red Chain." Arceus said. "Though they were worried about our morale after everything that has happened recently, I am glad to see you aren't too hung up on these issues."

"We aren't forgetting our losses, but we can't dwell on the past. We won't stop until this world is safe, right Ash." Ark said with a smirk.

"Exactly, so where are we off to next?" Pokemon Master Ash asked.