Chapter 65: Wicked Ones

Ash, May, and their Pokémon climbed up the stairs of the Strange House with haste. Despite appearing like a house on the outside, they felt the climb up the stairs was more like going up inside a tower.

"I wonder if this whole house is just an illusion," May wondered if the interior and exterior were all part of Omega's tricks.

"I wouldn't be surprised, it's best if we remain on our guard," Ash spoke cautiously as they continued up the flight of stairs.

"Pika!" Pikachu noticed they were about to reach the next room.

"We're almost there," Ash noticed the room too. May and Blaziken nodded, and the four of them sped up their steps. When they reached the top, they bolted into the room.

Ash and Pikachu became startled when they noticed the room was just mist. He looked around and quickly realized May and Blaziken were gone. The raven-haired teen searched for the brunette frantically, "May, where'd you go? May!"

"Pikaaaa!" Pikachu also became worried, calling out to his friends.

The trainer knew something wasn't right. The room they entered didn't feel like a room at all, just an open space with fog. It reminded him of when Victini had saved them from a nightmare induced by Litwick. He frowned, certain that this was one of Omega's tricks. "Be careful Pikachu, the only thing we can do is keep walking until we find May. We won't leave here until we do," Ash spoke with a serious tone. He took a deep breath and walked forward with the mouse.


"Ash, Ash, Ash!" May shouted in all directions, spotting no sign of the boy.

"Blaziken," Blaziken looked and heard in every direction, but the Fire-type couldn't detect anything.

May closed her eyes and sighed. Then she opened them and glared into the fog, "This is definitely Omega toying with us. Come on Blaziken, the only thing we can do is move through and see what we'll find." Blaziken agreed.

They walked through the ominous fog and wondered how deep it went. "There's something creepy about fog that always gives me goosebumps," May admitted sheepishly to her Blaziken.

"Ken," Blaziken assured its trainer that it would protect her.

"Thanks, Blaziken, I know I can always count on you," May smiled at it, feeling reassured.

"You always need to depend on someone to save you. That's why you'll never be strong enough," a voice taunted the brunette.

"Huh, who's there?" May became alarmed.

"Blaz," Blaziken turned around with May, and they saw a figure in the black coat that represented Omega's organization. The figure's body structure looked masculine, wore black boots, and had a black hood over their head to conceal their identity. He looked menacingly as the fog floated around him.

May became surprised, "I thought there weren't any members remaining in Omega's group."

"That's irrelevant," the figure responded. May quickly noticed that the stranger seemed to speak with two voices at once. She couldn't make it out, but it was a male and female voice.

"How do we get out of here?" May made a fist, she found herself short on patience today. Blaziken got in a battle stance since it sensed her trainer's anger.

"You're never leaving here. You will die here because you are weak. You should have never come," the black-coated stranger took some steps forward, which prompted May to take a few steps back.

May felt her heart begin to beat faster, "You seem certain of that," she said.

"No one is coming to save you. Without Ash, you are nothing. You have relied on him time and time again to become better. Now that you're alone, there is nothing that you can do," the man in black continued taunting her.

The stranger's words struck a chord with her because it was an insecurity she long held. Ever since Day 1, she had always leaned on Ash for support with the hope of becoming better through his guidance. "Don't deny it. You know it's the truth. I can hear your heartbeat increase because the reality frightens you. You're realizing that without Ash, you will never make it out of the Strange House alive," the figure spread its arms as if celebrating a victory.

May glanced at her Blaziken and then at the figure. She looked down at the ground, noticing a small puddle that reflected an image of her younger self. She saw herself in her original red bandana with her red outfit. The brunette touched her cheek and so did the reflection. Her eyes expressed doubt. The same kind of doubt as when she lost her first contest or when she thought she had lost Max on Donto Island. She may have won a Grand Festival and her friends would constantly praise her strength but May still harbored the insecurities of the 10-year-old girl. Sometimes she felt like she was experiencing imposter syndrome. "I…" the brunette placed her fist on her heart, wondering how to respond to her tormenting foe.

"All that confidence you were displaying up until now was a smokescreen for hiding the real you. May, you are nothing but a coward and a weakling without your friends, especially Ash," the stranger pointed at her accusingly.

"Blaziken!" the Fire-type had enough of the stranger's taunts and tried to strike the figure, but they easily dodged it. The fire starter glared at it, wondering if the figure was real or not like the fog.

It didn't matter to May if the person was real or not though, what it said created a sea of doubt inside her. "The only chance you have of saving yourself from your weakness is if you join us. Don't be a fool by denying this offer," the man reached his hand out.

Blaziken's eyes widened, surprised by the option. May also gasped with surprise. "Every choice made has led to this. We can make you more powerful than you could ever imagine. You wouldn't need to depend on anyone anymore. You wouldn't need Ash. You can be strong." he made a fist to show strength.

May looked at the stranger and then down at the puddle again. The coordinator gazed into the eyes of her younger self. She felt her life flash before her, remembering how inexperienced she was at the beginning. Then she thought about how hard she had trained with her Pokémon to win every contest they participated in. Then she thought about every time they lost a contest, they'd pick themselves back up and try again. Yes, my friends were there to support me, especially Ash…but it was my choice to keep going. It always was. She beat Solidad, Drew, and Harley, not Ash. She was the one that evolved a Torchic all the way to Blaziken. She learned to control her aura and become one with her Pokémon. I am the one who decided to break my limits every time I reached a ceiling, I wasn't going to let myself fall behind Ash or anyone else. He's right, every choice I've ever made has led to this moment. Not because of my weakness though, but because of my strength. "I refuse," May snapped at her enemy.

"A fool to the end," the figure shook its head with disappointment.

"You're right that when I am with Ash, I am stronger. I don't depend on him for strength though. I have my own power and skill that I can claim my own and not by anybody else. Every victory was rightfully earned by me and every failure along the way only made me better because I allowed it. I've carried my weight for a long time, and I'll keep doing so if I have to. I can do anything I set my mind to," May gave a defying speech that made the stranger cross his arms with frustration.

"We'll see," the figure said ominously and vanished into thin air. May and Blaziken looked around, wondering where they went.


"It feels like we've been walking for a bit now and nothing," Ash sighed, wondering if they were trapped here.

"Pi," Pikachu lamented, finding no way of escaping this fog and no sign of May or Blaziken.

Ash hoped May and Blaziken were alright. He wasn't sure what to expect in the mist, but he imagined it'd be nothing good. They were in the enemy's territory after all. He gazed down as he thought about what to do.

"Hopeless as ever," a voice insulted the boy.

"Pika?" Pikachu noticed a figure appear in front of them. Ash raised his eyes and saw a figure in black. They appeared to have a feminine body structure wearing the emblematic black coat. They wore black heels and hid their face under a black hood.

"Who are you?" Ash raised an eyebrow.

"That's not important," the figure spoke with a male voice and female voice simultaneously, confusing Ash even more.

Ash frowned, "Then what do you want?"

"Ash Ketchum, you have fought valiantly, but your power has always fallen short of achieving greatness. A disappointment," the figure mentioned Ash's shortcomings.

"Pika," Pikachu glared at them with sparks emitting from its cheeks.

Ash also glared at the stranger that taunted him. "You know nothing about me," he spat.

"I know more than you think,' the figure took a few steps forward, provoking Pikachu into emitting more sparks. "You have aimed to become the very best for so long that you've lost sight of what the meaning of true power is. You will never be a Pokémon Master," she said with spite.

Ash gritted his teeth. The stranger injected memories of past failures into his mind. The raven-haired boy thought about his deepest losses from Ritchie to Tobias. He knew he had been on his journey for a long time, and it felt like he was still miles away from becoming a Pokémon Master. He thought about what defined a Pokémon Master. It was an idea he wondered about for a while since they'd been in Unova. Even though the definition wasn't exactly clear, he knew he wasn't near to becoming a Pokémon Master. Ash hid his eyes under the brim of his hat.

"You will never become the hero or master you hope to be. Your friends will tire of your failures and abandon you, including May. Who wants to be around a loser anyways?" the figure kept tormenting the trainer.

"Shut up," Ash clenched his fists. The enemy struck a nerve when they mentioned May abandoning them.

"You will try and try again, but you will always end up losing. Failure is your destiny," the stranger pointed at him.

"Shut up!" Ash shouted at them.

The figure laughed evilly. "There is another way. If you want to become truly powerful, become one of us," the stranger gave him a choice.

"Pi?" Pikachu was alarmed, looking back at his trainer who also seemed surprised.

"You can become the most powerful trainer to have ever lived. You would finally be a Pokémon Master and you'd never have to worry about failure again. Join us," the foe insisted with temptation.

"I could be a Pokémon Master?" Ash asked with curiosity, making the stranger nod. Ash focused his gaze on Pikachu. The pair exchanged stares and thought about all they'd been through. The teen thought about their first loss to Brock and how they worked hard to win their first badge. He remembered the resolve they carried when they had their rematch against Lt. Surge and Raichu. Together, along with their other teammates, they always rose to the occasion. They defeated powerful opponents as a team from Regice to Latios. We lost and failed so many times along the way that I've lost count. Sometimes I wondered if I was good enough to do this, but I did find a way to get back up thanks to my friends and Pokémon. Becoming a Pokémon Master was never going to be easy, and I've accepted that. Not only that but after a loss my friends have stuck by me no matter what. They're rooting for me, especially May, and I won't let them down. I'll keep learning from my mistakes and become better for the next time. As long as there is a fighting spirit between me and my Pokémon, then I know we can be the very best, Ash was thinking to himself. Even though Pikachu couldn't read his mind, he could understand his friend through his eyes. The mouse knew what decision Ash would make.

Ash turned his gaze back to the figure from Pikachu. He smiled confidently, "Sorry to disappoint, but I am rejecting your offer. I know what it takes to be a Pokémon Master and I'll keep walking that road. I would never join people who hurt Pokémon just to become the strongest. My Pokémon and my friends are the only power I need to get where I want to be."

"Pity," the figure crossed its arms and vanished amongst the thick fog.

"Chu?" Pikachu and Ash wondered where the figure had gone off to.

Suddenly, the thick fog began to disperse, and the pair could see the dusty black room they found themselves in. "Ash!" the pair heard May's voice and Ash felt a hug from behind.

"Blaziken!" Blaziken cheered when he saw their friends.

"May, you're alright!" Ash turned around and smiled after May released him.

"So are you," May stared into his eyes with profound emotion. She held his face and kissed his forehead.

"What happened? I lost you in that fog the moment we stepped into this room," Ash stroked her hair with concern.

May continued staring at him, "I encountered this man in a black coat. It was weird though, it felt like two voices speaking at the same time. I didn't get a look at their face though."

Ash frowned upon hearing her description, "I encountered a woman in a black coat, but they spoke with two voices at the same time too, and didn't know who it was either."

"Strange," May placed her finger on her chin, thinking about it. They explained how the two strangers tried to use their insecurities to tempt them, but they were both trained to be stronger than that. They would not let anyone stop them from doing the right thing.

Ash noticed the next flight of stairs when he looked away from May. "We should get going, who knows what else we might find. We have to be careful, hopefully, we don't get split up again," he commented.

"No choice, but to move forward," May sighed, hoping for the same.

The 4 friends kept making their way up. The next set of stairs was just like the previous ones, and they continued feeling like they were climbing a tower. Soon enough, they saw the next room. "Alright, be ready for anything," Ash noted, receiving nods from May, Pikachu, and Blaziken.

When they took their first step into the room, they instantly found themselves in what appeared to be a mountainous region with rain pouring. "Great," May complained, realizing the illusions were still going.

"May look!" Ash pointed with shock. Everyone looked where he pointed and was alarmed by what they saw.

Amongst the rocky setting, they noticed a young boy holding an older male in his arms with an injured Dialga gazing at them. "Is that?" Ash walked closer.

"No way," May put her hand over her mouth.

They immediately recognized the boy as a younger version of Roxas. He looked about 10 years old and was silently tearing up as he held his father, Ash. Neither Roxas, Future Ash, or Dialga seemed to acknowledge the couple or their Pokémon.

"Red, why didn't you stay with Pikachu and your sister?" Future Ash asked with a weak smile. The trainer had seen better days. The friends were surprised to hear him call Roxas by his nickname.

"I heard the explosions and couldn't stand to leave you, Dad," Roxas said, his watery sapphire eyes fixated on his injured father.

"You're so brave," Future Ash chuckled as he caressed his son's raven-black hair.

"Where's the person who did this to you?" Roxas squeezed Future Ash's hand, concerned for his condition.

"He's not here anymore," Future Ash sighed, mustering as much strength as he had to speak.

"Is he gone? Did you win?" Roxas asked nervously.

Future Ash gave him an apologetic smile. "I had Dialga use Roar of Time to stop him. The blast was so powerful that I was caught in it," Future Ash explained.

"Why didn't you run away?!" Roxas protested, wondering why his dad wasn't more careful.

"Red, the person who came after us is named Omega. I tried to protect you and Sapphire from this fight for so long that I didn't want you to know the truth of why things had to come to this," Future Ash looked to the side with sadness.

Roxas became confused, "What truth?"

"Omega needed me for whatever he was hoping to accomplish. As long as I breathed, I was a danger to the rest of the world. I let myself get caught in Dialga's roar to protect our world," Future Ash revealed. The confession shook Roxas, Ash, May, and their Pokémon to the core.

"No…" Roxas dropped his head and cried into his dad's chest.

Future Ash grieved over the circumstances as he kept stroking his hair. His auburn eyes looked at the gray sky, feeling the raindrops on his face. "We only had enough power to banish him from our time though," Future Ash spoke with a grave tone.

"What?" Roxas raised his head, his eyes red from crying.

"Omega lives. My son, you have to find him and stop him for good. Otherwise, our world will never be safe," Future Ash squeezed Roxas's hand.

"But how?" Roxas wasn't sure what he could do.

Future Ash hated placing this burden on his children. Life was cruel; he had tried to keep them out of the fight and now he was forced to pass the torch. With the last of his strength, he handed Dialga's Master Ball. "Learn to fight alongside Dialga. I wish I could tell you how to find him, but you'll have to do your best to figure that out. I am so sorry, Red," Future Ash's auburn eyes were also filling with tears.

Roxas looked at Dialga. The Pokémon of Time looked at Roxas, ready to work with Roxas to defeat evil. The young boy saw the resolve in the Legendary Pokémon's red eyes. He felt afraid, can I do this? he thought. Before he could ask anything else, he looked back at his dad and saw his eyes shut. His head lay in the puddle of rain, he was gone. "Dad? Dad? DAD?!" Roxas nudged his father, futilely trying to get a response. The boy yelled into the rain with anger in his heart.

Ash, May, Pikachu, and Blaziken watched with solemn faces. Before they could say anything, the scenery around them had changed. The setting was now what appeared to be a hospital room. They were in for another surprise when they realized who was there and what was going on. "She was gravely wounded after being separated from Ash in yesterday's fight. Her last night was spent in critical condition," Brock said to Misty and Dawn with the deepest sadness.

"She'll be with Ash, she can finally rest," Misty approached Future May, who lay with her eyes closed on the hospital bed.

"She looks so at peace," Dawn teared up, holding Future May's hand one last time.

Brock clenched his fists. "If they had never gotten separated, I know they would've found a way to survive. Maybe that's why Omega split them up when he attacked," the former Pewter Gym Leader said with despair.

They heard the sound of the door opening and saw Roxas with Sapphire, Future Pikachu, and Riolu. "Roxas, Sapphire, we're so sorry!" Misty said through her tears when she saw them. Dawn and Misty rushed to hug their departed friends' children. Roxas and Sapphire's expressions were of despair also. They had just lost their father yesterday, now they had lost their mother. Future May's beautiful sapphire eyes would never open again for the world to see.

Abruptly, Ash, May, and their Pokémon were presented with a different setting. This time they stood in front of the aftermath of an explosion. There was fire everywhere and the building was in ruins. They saw Roxas, now much older, holding Sapphire like he did Future Ash when he was a boy. Sapphire grabbed his face. "Red, we saved so many people," she said to try to make her brother see the positive side of things. She had her mother's smile.

"But I couldn't save you, Sapphire, just like I couldn't save Mom or Dad," Roxas lowered his head in defeat, silent tears falling on Sapphire's injured body.

"They would be so proud of you," Sapphire caressed her brother's cheek.

"They'd be proud of you too. Don't leave me, Sapphire, please," Roxas begged his sister to stay.

"I wish I could Red, but it's too late for me. I am going to miss you so much little brother," Sapphire said with dismay, trying to maintain her smile.

Roxas kissed his sister's forehead, "You are everything to me," he said.

"As are you. Remember Dad's mission for you. Don't give up. Find Omega, protect our timeline," the brunette reminded him of his duty. She knew the despair might break him and have him abandon everything, but she needed him to stay strong.

Roxas took a deep breath, "I'll make this right." He swore he would.

"I love you," Sapphire said with her dying breath and joined the rest of her family.

Roxas lay there with his dead sister. The fire behind them continued to burn. The only flame more intense was the one inside the last surviving child of Ash and May.

Once again, the setting changed but this time the couple and the Pokémon saw flashes of events happen in fast forward. They saw Roxas train with Max, his Pokémon, and Dialga. They saw him train alone and test his body to peak physical condition. He made their training with Genesis look like child's play, but it explained why Roxas could do so many things with aura like run fast and effortlessly use aura sphere. Ash and May saw him stay up through sleepless nights researching on where Omega could be and how to track him. Roxas paced back and forth trying to do the math. "Mom, Dad, Sapphire, I won't let you down," Roxas stared at the lone lightbulb over his private study. The years passed and they saw Roxas grow until they saw the day that he opened a rift in time and space. The sapphire-eyed boy looked amazed and stepped inside. Then they saw him with Lucario and Dialga in what appeared to be their timeline. "We tracked Omega to this point in time, but we can't find him. Damn him!" Roxas punched the dirt in anger until his fists started bleeding. Dialga and Lucario looked at him punch the ground multiple times as he cried. His fists bled more and more until blood was dripping.

"Stop it!" May shouted, not caring if they couldn't be acknowledged but she couldn't stand the sight.

"May…" Ash placed his hand on her shoulder with a sad look as if trying to remind her that they couldn't do anything. Before May could say anything, their setting was changed back to a room within the Strange House.

"Pika?" Pikachu realized Roxas was still present in the room.

"Wait, why is Roxas still here if we're back in the room?" May became concerned.

"Roxas?" Ash called out to him, wondering if it was the real Roxas.

Roxas stood up; his back was facing them. Blood was dripping down his hands. He was unresponsive for a moment until he began laughing maniacally. He didn't turn around, but they saw him raise his head as he continued laughing until it sounded demonic. "What's going on?" May became frightened, she felt Ash embrace her. Pikachu and Blaziken got into battle stances, they sensed that wasn't Roxas.

The illusion of Roxas split into two figures, backs facing against them. One figure was a female in a black coat and the other was a male in a black coat. "It's them!" Ash realized they were the same strangers from the previous room.

The two strangers turned around to face them, still hiding their faces under their black hoods. "It's time to see what you're really made of," they spoke in unison. Each stranger held a Pokéball.

May separated from Ash and glared at them. "I'm sick of you. If it's a battle you want, it's a battle you'll get!" May yelled intensely and grabbed a Pokéball.

"We're not going to let you stand in our way anymore," Ash also brought out a Pokéball.

"Go Blastoise!" the brunette angrily summoned her Water-type.

"Blast!" Blastoise declared. It had also evolved during May's time away.

"Sceptile, we need you!" Ash brought out his Hoenn starter.

"Sceptile!" Sceptile said confidently.

Their enemies threw their Pokéballs and were shocked to discover what came out of them. "Pika," a Shadow Pikachu appeared in front of the male. Ash's Pikachu gasped.

"Blaz!" a Shadow Blaziken stood in front of the female. Blaziken's eyes widened.

"I hope you're ready," Shadow Pikachu's trainer lowered his hood. His voice changed from two voices to one and his face was far too familiar.

"To die," Shadow Blaziken's trainer also pulled down her hood and revealed a familiar face with a familiar voice.

"They're us…" May was paralyzed by the reveal. Ash and the Pokémon were caught off guard by the double surprise as well. Evil Ash and Evil May looked and talked just like them. They were enveloped in dark energy and the smugness in their eyes and smiles was evident.

"Pikachu, use Electro Ball!" Evil Ash's Pikachu released two Electro Balls rapidly for Sceptile and Blastoise.

Ash quickly mobilized, "Sceptile, use Counter Shield!" Sceptile got in front Blastoise to defend it and began spinning around, unleashing a Leaf Storm that resembled a tornado. The improvised Grass-type attack was used to shield them from the pair of Electro Balls, which dispersed upon contact due to their ineffectiveness.

"Blaziken, light it up!" Evil May had Blaziken use Fire Spin.

"Blastoise, switch out with Sceptile and use Counter Shield!" Blastoise took over for Sceptile and spun around using a variation of Aqua Tail to counter Fire Spin. The collision caused a mist to form, and everybody was unable to see.

"Enough games, Pikachu used Volt Tail on the entire field!" Evil Ash ordered. Ash, May, and Pikachu were surprised that the copy could mimic its improvised techniques. Shadow Pikachu leaped into the air and slammed itself into the ground with a variation of Iron Tail and Volt Tackle to shock the entire field. There was no way for Blastoise and Sceptile to dodge so they were struck by the electricity.

"Rain fire!" Evil May had Shadow Blaziken unleash Fire Spin on the whole battlefield. Since Blastoise and Sceptile were still recovering from Shadow Pikachu's shock, they could not dodge and were also hit by the fire. Ash and May gritted their teeth in frustration. Sceptile and Blastoise weren't out, but they took considerable damage.

"Blastoise!" May feared for her Pokémon.

"Hang in there Sceptile!" Ash encouraged the Grass-type.

"You can do this," the couple said at the same time.

"Pika!" Pikachu lent its encouragement as well.

"Blaz!" Blaziken fired up its wrists, telling them to keep going.

Sceptile gritted its teeth, its body began to glow. "Scep," Sceptile became enveloped in green energy.

Blastoise stood firm. "Blastoise," the Water-type began to glow blue as well.

Ash and May recognized the abilities. Overgrow and Torrent had been activated. They had to take advantage of the added power. "No matter how much your Pokémon power up, they cannot defeat us," Evil May smirked, crossing her arms to display her confidence.

"We are mighty, and you are not," Evil Ash stretched his right arm out with a fist.

"We'll see about that. Sceptile, use Quick Attack on Blaziken!" Ash ordered.

"Counter with Blaze Kick!" Evil May commanded.

When Sceptile charged at Blaziken, the Fire-type launched its fiery foot. "Dodge with Agility, then use Leaf Blade!" Ash saw his opportunity.

"What?!" Evil May clenched her teeth. Sceptile easily avoided Blaze Kick with its enhanced speed and sent Shadow Blaziken back with Leaf Blade.

"Pikachu, use Thunder on Blastoise!" Evil Ash made his move. Shadow Pikachu released powerful streaks of lightning to eliminate Blastoise.

May smirked at her opponent, "Blastoise, use Rapid Spin to dodge!" Blastoise might be slow on its feet, but using Rapid Spin allowed it to avoid the Thunder. Evil Ash knew it would avoid any special Electric-type attacks while using Rapid Spin, so he took a more physical approach. Shadow Pikachu began to charge at the Kanto starter with Volt Tackle. "Let it rip Blastoise!" May eagerly made her play.

When Shadow Pikachu neared Blastoise in its Rapid Spin form, Blastoise released Hydro Pump to prevent Volt Tackle from hitting. Evil Ash wasn't going down so easy though, "Dodge with Agility and charge forward!" May was alarmed when she saw Shadow Pikachu easily avoid the spinning Hydro Pump and it looked like Blastoise was about to be done.

All of a sudden, Sceptile snuck up on it with Agility and Leaf Blade, breaking the shadow mouse's pace. Blastoise's Hydro Pump delivered a clear shot since Shadow Pikachu was no longer able to dash around. "Thanks, Ash," May said with relief.

"We've got this May," the raven-haired trainer winked at her.

"You're one hit from losing, don't get cocky," Evil Ash cursed them for their confidence.

Shadow Blaziken regained its composure after Leaf Blade and became fired up. "Blaziken, use Overheat. Maximum power!" Evil May stretched both arms forward to show she was sending the finishing blow.

"Pikachu, use a full-power Thunderbolt Ball!" Evil Ash had his Pikachu unleash every ounce of power it had.

Shadow Blaziken released an incredibly powerful stream of fire while Pikachu charged up a big Electro Ball and increased its speed by blasting it with Thunderbolt. The two attacks were firing quickly.

"Frenzy Plant, let's go Sceptile!" Ash used his trump card to stop the combination attack. Ash's Sceptile stuck its hands in the ground and unleashed thick, giant roots out of the ground that defended the duo against the fire and electricity.

"Flood this place with Hydro Cannon. Let's go Blastoise!" May shouted her final move. As soon as Shadow Blaziken and Shadow Pikachu's attacks were canceled out by Frenzy Plant, the blue turtle came up from behind Sceptile and fired two powerful orbs of water.

"Dodge it!" the evil pair simultaneously demanded.

Ash smirked, "No, you don't!" The Shadow Pokémon tried to move but realized too late that when Sceptile had used Frenzy Plant, it had also used the roots to trap the pair in their positions. Shadow Pikachu and Shadow Blaziken had their feet held by tight roots now. With this sneak tactic, Hydro Cannon hit the immobilized Pokémon with full force. When the dust settled, Shadow Pikachu and Shadow Blaziken fell to the ground like zombies.

Evil Ash and Evil May looked at their Shadow Pokémon, who vanished into nothing upon defeat. The evil pair looked at their counterparts one more time. "This isn't over," Evil Ash warned.

"You have yet to face your final test," Evil May also reminded them. The evil versions of Ash and May then burst into black sparkly dust like Omega's minions.

"They were illusions," Ash recognized once their counterparts and Shadow Pokémon vanished.

May saw how exhausted Blastoise and Sceptile were after exerting so much power. "Blastoise, you fought great. Get some rest," the brunette recalled her Pokémon, smiling at its ball.

"You too Sceptile, great job out there," Ash recalled Sceptile, also cherishing his Pokémon before putting the ball away.

Pikachu and Blaziken let out relieved sighs after their shadowy counterparts were defeated. Before they bolted to the next room, they saw their trainers take a pause. "Ash," May stood there stiffly looking at Ash with a sad face after putting away Blastoise.

"May," Ash looked at her with a sad gaze too after putting away Sceptile. He saw the brunette's legs shaking and she broke out crying. He ran to her immediately to hug her, placing her head on his chest as she cried into his shirt. The raven-haired teen hid his eyes under his hat, tears rolling down both their faces.

"Roxas and Sapphire, the-the-they didn't deserve…this!" May bawled with anger.

"I know May, we'll make it right," Ash caressed her head as he cried silently.

Pikachu lowered its ears and Blaziken hung its head low. What they had witnessed before the battle was sadder than they had imagined. Only after seeing the events for themselves, did they recognize how much suffering Roxas had to endure.

May moved her face away from Ash's chest and spoke to him, "Let's go make it right then." The brunette sniffled and wiped the tears from her eyes.

"Right," Ash nodded, wiping his tears as well. Realizing how much damage some of their Pokémon had taken since arriving at Omega's hideout, they used healing items to restore them to full strength. Once that was done, they signaled Pikachu and Blaziken to come and the four of them ventured up the next set of stairs. The couple and their Pokémon knew Omega had shown them the chain of events that lead them here as a way of tormenting them. They would show him that it had the opposite effect. After seeing how much harm Omega had done, they would fight even harder than before.

They didn't waste another second as they reached the top of the stairs and entered the next room without even thinking about what might happen. To their surprise, the room they entered didn't change but they found Auro, Nate, and Rosa constrained by dark energy.

"Guys!" May exclaimed, running over to them. The first thing she noticed was their tired and weak faces.

"Ash, May, you made it," Auro couldn't believe they had made it this far relatively unscathed. He felt a sense of relief when he saw them.

Ash and May learned to counter dark energy with pure aura, so they held out their hands in front of the trio similar to how Ash summoned aura for the first time when he encountered a Lucario and Mew.

"Whoa, you guys know how to control aura," Nate summoned a tired smile, wishing he could hug his friends.

Ash and May mustered two aura spheres and fired them at the three. It put some strain on their bodies, but they managed to break their three friends free. "Way to go, I thought I'd never move again!" Rosa joked, relieved to be free at last but felt debilitated just like Auro and Nate.

"You've become a lot stronger; your auras are radiating a lot more and so are your Pokémon's," Auro softly grinned at them, taking a quick glance at Pikachu and Blaziken.

The pair caught the trio up on everything that had happened since they were captured by Omega. While they were glad to be free, they understood that they weren't in the clear just yet. "So, you know how it all went down with Roxas in our timeline huh?" Auro said. He and his friends looked down at the ground with mournful faces.

"Roxas spent years trying to find where in the timeline Omega was hiding, it nearly broke him," Nate remembered how Roxas had shut himself off from everywhere to focus on his mission for a time.

"The only lead we had was that Omega would've gone to a timeline where you still lived," Rosa pointed out something that had not been discussed yet.

May asked before Ash could, "What does Omega want with Ash exactly? I thought he wanted the Griseous Orb." She was prepared to defend her man against anyone.

"Years of fighting Omega's forces gave us bits of information on his plan. It was worse than we could've feared. Omega intended to use Ash as a way to summon Arceus. We believe the Griseous Orb is just another means to an end. We found the timeline Omega was hiding in, but we didn't know where in this world. As an alternative, we kept track of the both of you since you first met in Hoenn," Auro explained what they had discovered.

Ash was puzzled, "Why would he need me to summon Arceus?"

'We've never been able to determine that. We know you had encounters with Arceus in the past, but so have Dawn and Brock. Why wouldn't he go after them as an alternative? It was obvious he needed you," Nate added. Ash didn't understand what tied him to Arceus, but the thought stuck with him.

"Not that I would've wanted it to happen, but why didn't Omega go after Ash the moment he arrived in our timeline?" May inquired.

"When the Ash from our timeline sent Omega back in time with Roar of Time, it left him incredibly weak. We confirmed this by how faint his aura felt compared to how strong it radiated in our timeline. Sensing his aura wouldn't be enough to discover where he was hiding though. We knew that while he was in hiding, he was rebuilding his former strength and creating a new force to back him. In your timeline, he recruited past foes you faced as a way to mock you probably. Unfortunately, we didn't find him in enough time to prevent him from coming back stronger than ever. We suspect Omega only revealed himself after learning of your endeavors in the Battle Frontier, the Johto Grand Festival, and the Sinnoh League. That's when he stopped being as discreet and Roxas tracked him to Pallet Town," Rosa explained what Omega had been doing all this time.

"Learning that you could defeat Legendary Pokémon and become elite trainers most likely made him fearful that you were going to become strong enough to rival him," Auro mentioned.

Ash and May listened and acknowledged what they were told. All this time they had been under the watchful eye of people from the future. They never would've imagined, but the time had come to face their destinies. They turned to the stairs that lead to the next room. "Is Roxas up in the next room?" Ash wondered since he wasn't present.

"Yes, and Omega is most likely with him," Nate looked at the ominous black stairs.

"We'll help you," Auro began to walk toward the stairs.

"No," May stopped him, surprising Rosa, and Nate. "You guys are too weak from being held captive. I don't think it's safe to face Omega with you there. Please stay here and get some rest," the sapphire-eyed girl urged them to stay behind.

"Are you serious?" Auro was bewildered. He never imagined a situation like this. He looked at Ash and saw the nod in agreement with May. The blue-haired trainer didn't feel comfortable letting them fight alone against Omega, even if their skills had vastly improved under Genesis.

"They're right Auro, against Omega we're practically dead weight right now," Rosa hated the idea but agreed with it.

"Your auras feel faint right now, just stay here until it's over," Ash urged Auro.

Auro and Nate sighed, they agreed. "Make him hurt for us," Nate told them. Ash, May, Pikachu, and Blaziken grinned boldly.

"Good luck," the three trainers from the future told them. With that said, Ash, May, and their Pokémon continued upward to face their future. When they were gone Auro turned to the stairs that led down and started walking toward them.

Rosa was confused, "Where are you going?"

"They told us to wait here," Nate backed his sister.

"They didn't want us to fight Omega. They didn't say anything about helping everyone else that's downstairs," Auro defied his orders, true to Paul's nature.

"Fair point," Nate concluded and joined Auro.

Rosa sighed. "I am probably going to have to do most of the heavy lifting," the girl jested as the trio began going downstairs. They would not sit on the sidelines while they could still do something.