19- Incursion in Alto Mare.
The moon was shining beautiful above the city of Alto Mare, a city of Johto built in middle of the sea. The night's peace and silence was only interrupted when a ground bridge appeared in an alley from which emerged Ash, Pikachu, Serena, Moonracer and Arcee.
"Whoa, watch out." Moon warned as soon she saw the place they appeared was too thin for the Autobots.
"Auch, could you please move over? You're crushing me against the wall."
"It's not my fault, Arcee. I didn't expect to appear in such a place."
"I guess they were right when they said we were the only ones suitable for this."
They heard laughs and looked to see the humans and Pikachu chuckling at that scene: both female Autobots trying to not end stuck together in the alley.
They finally released themselves before Arcee turned at them. "Enjoying our awkwardness?"
Ash continued laughing. "No Arcee, it's not that."
"You two acted just like true sisters." Serena answered.
"Well, we've been battling together at the same unit since the beginning of the war. It's not weird for us to act sometimes as such. Look at Seaspray and Wheeljack." Moon admitted.
"Pika pika." Pikachu called.
"Whoa. Ash, this place is incredible." Serena said admiring the city's beauty.
"You should see it when it's at day, that's when its amazing. You would want to come see it other day?"
"That would be awesome." Serena appreciated hugging him. "Of course, when we are not busy protecting legendary pokémon."
"Speaking of which, that's gonna be a little tricky with just having trouble to move around. Even in vehicle form some streets seem really hard to navigate through." Arcee pointed.
"We could try move across the rooftops." Moonracer suggested. "Careful not to break anything."
"Anyway, which are the ones we're supposed to protect?"
"Latias and Latios are the pokémon in charge of protecting Alto Mare. Normally they remain in disguise in order to not being spotted by people, just like you." Ash responded.
"That's gotta be a problem indeed." Moon said.
"But there's one place they use to hang around. There's where we met them long ago. Remember, buddy?"
"Pikachu."
"And where's that secret place?" Serena asked.
"Well, it's not accessible for anyone. But maybe we could ask…" Ash started, until he realized something looking his surroundings. "Hey wait, I think...I remember this plaza. This is where we met Latias first! I know where to go!"
"Ash, wait up!"
The trio started to move through the streets, passing bridges above waterways, while the female Autobots jumped above the rooftops following their trail. They weren't aware someone was observing them from the shadows. After a couple of minutes, they stopped in the end of an alley.
"What it is, Ash?" Serena asked.
"It's here."
"You're sure? It doesn't look like the secret hideout for a legendary pokémon, just a dead end." Moon opined.
"That's because the entrance is hidden. Pikachu discovered it the last time we came. Think you can do it again?"
"Pi." Pikachu nodded.
Pikachu started to smell around with his ears ready for any sound. After he touched the wall, he noticed the entrance was still there since his hand seemed to disappear.
"Pika pika."
"Well done, Pikachu. Let's go."
"Are you sure it's sure, Ash?"
"Here Serena, take my hand. Don't worry, it's safe."
Ash took Serena's hand to relieve her before they approached the secret passage.
"One thing: normally Latios was distrustful to new people when we followed Latias, so you better hide in case they became aware of your presence first." Ash advised to the Autobots.
While the Autobot duo climbed up the wall, the couple continued marching through the passage until they saw clarity at the other side. Once out they found themselves in a beautiful big garden, or more like a small private plaza.
"What a beautiful place. Is this…?"
"Yes Serena, this is Latias and Latios' home." Ash nodded.
They took chance to admire the place while searching, Arcee and Moonracer jumped to the other side and transformed immediately to pretend be simple vehicles as Ash suggested. Pikachu climbed up to the trees for a better search. He noticed some items placed in the floor spinning like the wind should, but there was no wind.
Ash took a look to them. "Huh? It could mean…?"
But before he could say anything, he was tackled by some kind of invisible force. Serena and Pikachu got alarmed by that.
"Pikachu!"
"Ash? Ash, are you okay?!" Serena said running to his need worried.
But at there they saw Ash wasn't looking in need of help. On the contrary, he couldn't stop laughing.
"Hahahaha, please, please stop. Hahahaha, it tickles." Ash begged.
"Ash, what's wrong?" Serena asked, confused.
"Something is making me tickles."
Suddenly, like work of magic, something appeared next to Ash, nothing more than the legendary pokémon Latias. She was cuddling him lovingly.
"Alright Latias. I'm glad to see you too." Ash said stroking her head, not knowing he made her blush.
"Is that Latias? Oh, it's beautiful." Serena admired.
"She's beautiful."
"Pardon me?"
"It's a girl."
"Oh right, Latias and Latios and some of the few legendary pokémon which have gender. Max mentioned it."
"Hey Latias, let me introduce you to Serena."
"Hi Latias, nice to meet you."
Latias smiled at Serena after she introduced. Next she turned her attention at Pikachu, who approached her and saluted. Latias took him and cuddled him too, happy to see him again. They were having a good time until Serena sensed something touching her hair from behind. When they turned saw appearing in front of them another recognizable pokémon.
"Ah, that's Latios." Serena recognized.
"But...this doesn't look like the Latios we met. It seems smaller, the same size as Latias." Ash noticed.
Also, this Latios seemed nicer since he also got excited for meeting Latias's friends, specially Pikachu. But both pokémon remained still when something more approached the group: another Latios, this one bigger.
"Now that's how Latios was that big." Ash observed.
The adult Latios looked at both humans with mistrust and suspicion. Latias got between them and seemed to speak with him, explaining who they were. After hearing everything she said, Latios approached Ash until been face to face, looked him for a couple of seconds, and then offered him his hand to shake. Ash did it as a smile formed on Latios's face. With everything solved, Pikachu returned to play with Latias and the young Latios. Everything happened while the female Autobots observed hidden in the woods.
"They seem to enjoy the reunion. It seems everything is under control." Moon supposed.
"That must be an adult while the other is a young one." Serena deduced.
"This is new. The last time only Latias remained, but now they are three, one more than before." Ash recalled.
"They must be a family."
"Well, it's nice to see Latias it's not alone anymore."
After enjoying a little with Pikachu, Latias returned back to cuddle Ash more.
"Hahaha, you like this a lot, don't you? Sorry to say but enough playing, we came here because we have a task to make."
"So we do." A new but familiar voice suddenly spoke nearby.
"Wait, I recognize that voice." Serena said.
"Me too." Ash added.
Then, from the biggest trees jumped down a very recognizable individual.
"Roadkill. How did you know where we were?" Ash demanded.
"Glad that you ask, little human. You see, at arriving here it was obvious we were going to have issues locating our targets, but when we saw you we thought about 'why not letting you guide us to them since you seem to have many encounters with special pokémon'? And so we just needed to let you guide us."
"You have been following us? We should have noticed you at the first move." Serena said.
"You should thanks our newbie here for that."
Next to Roadkill, Nightbird appeared out of nowhere, showing she was being invisible all that time.
"It appears Nightbird is equipped with a stealth device, allowing her to become invisible for your simple human eyes and items." Shatter revealed appearing next to her comrades. "You know what's gonna happen now so I will make you this offer just once: don't offer resistance, leave now and let us do what we came for and we will not harm you. You got my word."
"And since when a Decepticon's word is valid?" Serena objected.
"We are not going to let you take this family of pokémon away. You will have to fight first." Ash supported.
"Pika pika." Pikachu added defiant.
"Humph, such foolishness. Alright, if perish is what you wish for…"
Shatter was about to act, but she was tackled first by Arcee. She change form during that time and pinned her down. Moonracer intervened as well kicking Roadkill aside.
"Run!" Moon yelled them.
"Come on, we need to get out here!" Ash called.
"Nightbird, don't let them get away! Get the targets!" Shatter ordered before pushing back Arcee.
Nightbird activated her cloaking again and proceeded with the chase. Ash, Serena and Pikachu ran through the garden with the legendary pokémon above them. Roadkill managed to kick Moonracer aside and joined the chase, trying to catch up with them, even tried to force them to go down firing some shots near them.
"Pikachu, let's try to lose her." Ash suggested.
"Pika." Pikachu nodded.
Pikachu stopped and started to launch Thunderbolt at her, but she dodged every single attack.
"Haha, did you really think that because I'm much bigger it would be easier for you to hit me? Think again, little yellow rat." Roadkill mocked.
But for Roadkill's surprise, she was tackled by something invisible. Said thing was the adult Latios, who revealed himself, before disappearing again, the same as Latias and the young Latios.
"What? Hey girls, those creatures can turn invisible, so keep your optics open." Roadkill advised by com-link, right before Pikachu's Thunderbolt impacted, leaving her stunned.
"Nice shot, Pikachu." Serena congratulated.
"We need to take Latias and Latios out of here. Once they're out of here, it will be impossible for the Decepticons to find them." Ash came out with.
"Are you sure?"
"I've seen it, they're very adaptive. Latias, are you there?!"
Latias reappeared and approached them.
"This place is not safe. You and your family have to get out to the city's canals. You need to tell them." Ash instructed.
Latias nodded, turned invisible again and went in search for the others. It wasn't hard for her to find the young Latios, who was hidden between the trees. The adult, on the contrary, was observing Arcee and Moonracer battling Shatter. Both Autobots rumbled very fast, but Shatter was bigger so she managed to resist their offensive and grab them both by the neck. That move was what showed Latios who was the bad one there, so he reacted firing a beam of energy from his mouth which impacted her in the chest: his signature attack, Luster Purge. The impact sent her against a wall, leaving the Autobots free.
"We need to put as much distance as we can from the Decepticons. Let's reunite with the kids." Arcee decided before they departed, alongside Latios.
Shatter was recovering slowly, so she lost sight of the Autobots. Instead of chasing after them something caught her attention: she spotted an encryption written on the ground on an upper floor, next to a fountain. She started to read it with close attention. Meanwhile, the female Autobots moved at their friends when…
"Arcee, get down!" Moon shouted.
A few big shurikens flew above them.
"That has to be Nightbird, Serena told about her signature weapon." Arcee revealed.
Indeed, Nightbird, still cloaked, was firing at them. Latios also saw it and made a call before turning invisible. Arcee and Moonracer attempted to return fire, but it was hard not knowing where their attacker was. Then for their surprise, they started to see a few sparks in front of them, so they fired at them, hitting Nightbird. That turned off her cloaking, but she continued to receive invisible hits from every direction. It was the legendary pokémon family, who after reappearing again launched a combined Dragon Pulse attack which sent her into a pond. That caused lots of electric sparks to appear around her, but she had no time to check it because Latias launched some kind of ball from her mouth which after impacting the floor created a huge mist which covered the whole area, it was her signature move: Mist Ball. The adult Latios approached Ash and Serena, pointing them to get on him, while Latias did the same for Pikachu. Next, they dived into an underwater passage which took them back to the city, which the Autobots followed. Back with the Decepticons…
"What's going on? Where did this mist come from?" Roadkill demanded, until it dissipated at the moment. "Where are they?"
"It looks like they made that mist by themselves to cover their escape." Nightbird deduced as she checked her system after getting out of the water. "My cloaking system is failing. It appears water contact alters its spectrum."
"The Autobots may be in the city, the pokémon as well. We need to go after them."
"Then you two better go right away."
"Shatter? You are not going with us?" Nightbird asked concerned.
"I'm a little busy right now."
"This is not a good moment to waste time with distractions." Roadkill insisted.
"This seems highly promising, I only want to be sure. You go ahead, I'll catch up with you."
"Arg, fine. But if we manage to catch one of them we will the ones to take the merit, and you will have to explain it to the generals alone."
While Shatter stayed, Roadkill and Nightbird headed out of the garden. Meanwhile in the city, Ash, Serena and Pikachu emerged in one of the city's canals, alongside the legendary pokémon.
"Serena, are you okay?" Ash asked concerned.
"Yes, I'm okay."
The Autobots climbed up to the shore next to them.
"That advantage will not be enough. We need to put more distance." Arcee suggested.
"This could be a nice time to make use of your adequate alt forms." Serena pointed
"Yeah, they are bigger so they would not be able to navigate through the city as well as us." Ash supported.
"You got a point there, this looks the right time to roll out." Moon added.
Both Autobots changed to vehicle form, for the legendary pokémon' surprise, allowed their friends to mount them (Ash on Arcee and Serena with Moonracer) and started to drive into the city. The pokémon accompanied them camouflaged, aware of any possible incoming treat. And it came: Roadkill and Nightbird were now the ones moving over the rooftops, of course they didn't care of causing some damage on the way.
"Look, there they are." Nightbird spotted.
"After them!" Roadkill ordered.
The female Decepticons tried to catch up with them, but the close space where the Autobots moved and the constant Thunderbolt and Dark Pulse that Pikachu and Pancham (Serena decided to ask his help and cover her from her shoulder like Pikachu on Ash's) threw at them prevented them from approaching enough. They got into a very thin space where only motorcycles fit.
"This provides us an opportunity: we can draw their attention while you take your friends far from them."
"Are you sure, Arcee?" Ash asked.
"Trust us, they will not know until it's too late." Moon supported.
Nightbird tried to pass but it was useless.
"There's no way, we can't move in there." Nightbird cursed.
"Not for me." Roadkill announced before transforming and going in as well.
Roadkill pursued the Autobots, still ahead from her. She pulled out a frontal cannon and fired at them, but she missed. She changed tactic, speeding up to reach them. When she was about to catch up with them, she opened two vaults at her side and two streams of fire came out. That was her plan: cover both sides with flames in a threatening way.
"You choose how we can take those pokémon: intact or barbecue." Roadkill menaced.
"I doubt Screamy would take that well." Arcee answered back.
Roadkill was about to catch up with them until she noticed something.
"Wait a minute. Where are the humans and pokémon?"
While they dragged the Decepticons' attention, Ash and the others headed back to a canal.
"Let's hope that distraction will work. Now what do we do?" Serena wondered.
"Pikachu." Pikachu called pointing at something.
Ash saw what his friend was looking at and smiled. "I think I got an idea."
Moments later, Nightbird stood on a rooftop searching for the group. Until she spotted something moving at high speed over the water: it was Ash and Serena, standing over some small platforms while Latias and young Latios pulled from them with ropes, like surfing.
(Believe in Me. Pokémon Season 5 Theme Song)
"Have you done this before?" Serena asked.
"You bet. When my first friends and I journeyed here, Misty and I competed in a race like this around the whole city. That's also how Latias helped us to evade some dangerous pokémon." Ash revealed.
Serena laughed. "I must admit this is amazing."
"Pancham." Pancham expressed from her back.
"Pika pika."
"You said it, buddy, like the old times." Ash noticed.
Nightbird didn't hesitate in going after them. Not being able to use her alt form to chase them, she could only jump between the canals as she followed them.
"Ash, we got company." Serena warned.
"Okay guys, time to speed up." Ash proclaimed.
And the duo accelerated at high speed, making Nightbird to react firing some laser shurikens from her weapons. One impacted near Serena, making her to start loosing her balance.
"Serena!" Ash noticed as he directed the platform near her. "Quick, jump here!"
Serena didn't hesitate and did what her boyfriend said, jumping at his same platform.
"Thanks dear."
"Hand on tight." Ash said as she grabbed herself to his waist.
The chase continued across the canals of Alto Mare, Latios pulling from Ash and Serena with Nightbird after them. Latias approached and talked to them, making Pikachu and Pancham to jump to her. From her, the two little pokémon started to attack the Decepticon with Thunderbolt and Dark Pulse, making her to concentrate her attacks on them, but that was hard since the adult Latios was also attacking her with Dragon Pulse. That caused that they putting more and more distance between them and her progressively.
"Come on Nightbird, try to catch us if you can!" Ash provoked.
"Hey, this is supposed to be war combat! Why are you enjoying this?" The Decepticon complained.
They continued until they were approaching a bridge, which gave Serena an idea.
"Pancham, Pikachu, wait until Nightbird tries to pass over the bridge and then strike."
The pokémon nodded and waited with Latias hidden nearby. Once they saw her proceeded with the plan, and when she tried to jump over the bridge, they surprised her with their attacks before she passed to the other side, making her to land wrongly and falling into the water. They met back with their friends once done. They finally managed to lose the Decepticons, or that's what they thought: right behind and above them, Shatter was approaching in her plane form. She started to fire at them, forcing them to zip zap to evade her. Since laser shots didn't work, she changed for missiles, firing six at them.
"Oh great, more trouble." Ash cursed.
But Latios intervened first, using Psychic to stop the missiles and redirect them back to her.
"What?!" Shatter exclaimed.
"Serena, change with me." Ash instructed.
"Why?"
"I'm going to take action." He said pulling out his cybertronian weapon.
Shatter was busy dodging or better said destroying her own missiles, besides Pikachu and Pancham's attacks, that Ash took the chance to aim his weapon and fired. The shot hit one of Shatter's engines, making her to lose control and fall to the water.
"That will keep her out for a while." Ash said.
Latias used Mist Ball once again to cover the area again as before they escaped. Once they put lot of distance the couple got off back to shore.
(End of Theme Song)
"Ash, you were amazing. Both at surfing and with the weapon."
"I can say the same about you, dear." Ash said hugging Serena in a gentle way before she gave him a kiss.
As she allowed Pikachu and Pancham to get off, Latias witnessed Ash and Serena special moment, which caught her unexpected. Realizing what they were, she put a sad face.
"Guys, we managed to give Roadkill the slip. Are you alright?" Arcee's voice sounded on the humans' Pokétchs.
"We surely are." Serena answered.
"We are in front of the city hall. We will wait for you right here." Ash said.
"Copy that." Moon nodded.
At the same time, Shatter emerged from the water where she was down. While she got up on a shore, Nightbird reunited with her.
"Giving by your looks, it seems you didn't have better luck at preventing those humans from taking away the targets."
"How did you figure it out?" Shatter answered sarcastically.
"Gals, have you got them?" Roadkill asked through com-link.
"Negative, they managed to escape." Nightbird answered.
"Scrap. Now what? We cannot go back empty-handed, we will look like fools in the eyes of the others."
"We cannot hunt them down, they are too fast. But perhaps we could find an alternative way to catch them." Shatter said.
"What? How?" Nightbird asked.
"While you were chasing them I was checking some encryption on the floor of their lair. It was written in some kind of ancient language which showed something related with those pokémon. And if my interpretation of such is right, it appears there is some kind of machine which is related with them, maybe even connected. And it seems it covers the whole township. Which gives me an idea." Shatter revealed before she made a call. "Nemesis, I'm going to need a little supply. It's time for plan B."
"Fine with me, as long as you can come here and give me a lift! I'm stuck here, you know?!" Roadkill requested, being stuck in the alley in vehicle form, probably Arcee and Moonracer's undoing.
Back with Ash and the others, they waited until they saw approaching the Autobots in vehicle mode, until they reached them and changed form.
"Looks like this mission has been piece of cake."
"Don't jump into immediate conclusions Moon, we know how persistent Cons can be."
"Well I agree with her, Arcee. For what we have witnessed its clear that Latias and Latios are pokémon the Decepticons are not capable to catch." Serena complemented, earning a nod from young Latios.
"And now that they know how they look like they will know how to deal with them in case they ever come back." Ash supported.
"Nonetheless, better safe than sorry." Arcee preferred before making a call. "Fixit, situation secured here. You can send the drone."
"Copy that."
"A drone?" Serena asked.
"For what?"
"Just for what you said, Ash. When it comes to things to retrieve, the Decepticons just abandon when said object, like a relic or a weapon, it's recovered by us first or no more. But they know where these pokémon live, and even if they have failed now they will not give up on trying the necessary times in order to succeed. Optimus knows this, so he requested Blaster, before departing, that he will get ready some sensors' arrays to place in places known to be inhabited by these pokémon." Arcee explained.
"So in case they try again in future times your reaction will be faster."
"And if it continues like that, they will finally end giving up in their efforts." Serena added.
"That's the idea. For the moment we manage to keep safe this place's pokémon, Fixit would launch a drone to place the sensor at a specific point of the city which would cover the whole area. Maybe even beyond." Moon revealed.
"And how long will it take to be installed?"
"About less of a minute, if he manages to locate a proper spot at the moment."
As they spoke, a drone appeared from a quick ground bridge which overflew Alto Mare. It inspected the highest points of the city until it found the perfect spot to place the sensor. Once it placed it, it returned back to base.
"New Iacon here, the sensor is already in position and operating." Fixit communicated from the base.
"Nice. Do you still detect any Con signal?" Arcee asked.
"I'm on it." Fixit answered typing into the terminal, with Bonnie beside him.
"Whoa, look at it. You can see the whole city."
"That's the point. Hum? Wait, how weird."
"Eh?"
"What is it?" Arcee called.
"The sensor is detecting three Decepticon signals still present in the city." Fixit reported.
"It appears Shatter, Roadkill and Nightbird are still lurking around here somewhere." Moon deduced.
"That's the odd thing, they are not moving. It seems they have concentrated on a specific place."
"From the looks of it it looks like some kind of palace." Bonnie interpreted seeing the image.
At the moment he heard it, Ash gasped in shock. "Oh no, they wouldn't. How did they find out?"
"Ash, what's wrong?" Serena asked.
"The place Bonnie described is Alto Mare's museum."
"And there's something concerning about that place we should know?" Arcee suspected.
"By the time we were here, we had to deal with two women which were after Latias and Latios too, but not just that. They also took a precious object, the Soul Dew, a jewel which contained the soul of a previous Latios which is the key to activate the DMA."
"The what?"
"The Defense Mechanism of Alto Mare, a machine which uses the jewels's energy to take control of the whole city. We managed to stop those two, but it took a high price: that caused the water to leave the city and threatened to destroy it with a huge tsunami, but Latias and Latios managed to stop it. Latios sacrificed himself and created the actual Soul Dew, leaving Latias alone. These two Latios must be others." Ash narrated.
"By Arceus. Poor Latias." Serena lamented.
"Pika."
"So are you saying the Decepticons may have found out the same clue and they may be intending to use that invention?" Moon summarized.
"If they do it, they could be able to find us and track the pokémon more easily." Ash corrected.
"Then we must not allow that to happen. Fixit, where is the museum?" Arcee requested.
"If you go to the north you will be able to reach it in five minutes."
"Then we better not lose more time. Let's roll."
The Autobots transformed and after letting the children get on headed for the destination, followed by the legendary pokémon. They reached the museum, with no sign of the Decepticons around.
"If they have discovered the mechanism they should be inside, that's where the DMA is." Ash sensed.
"Then we better take a look to it." Arcee nodded.
As they were entering the museum, Serena noticed Latias looking down.
"Are you okay?" She asked her. "Fear nothing, we will not allow them to harm you or your home."
Latias reacted like a jealous girl and made like if she ignored her and got ahead.
"What did I say?"
"Ssh, I hear something." Moon called.
Ash was leading them to the room of the DMA, and as he suspected there were the three Decepticons next to the machine.
"Hold it right there! You are not going to use the Soul Dew to activate the mechanism." Ash called.
"Eh? The what?" Nightbird asked confused.
"I think he means the key for the artifact." Roadkill supposed.
"If that's the case fear nothing, we are not interested in a little precious item." Shatter announced.
"What?" Ash asked in confusion.
"We got our own source to power up this thing."
Then Shatter pulled out a recognizable object.
"An energon cell?" Arcee saw.
"What are they planning to do with it?" Serena asked.
"Just observe." Shatter said as she inserted it immediately into the mechanism.
"Wait!" Ash shouted.
In the moment the cell made contact with the place where the Soul Dew was supposed to be placed it caused some kind of chain reaction: currents of blue electricity flowed through the entire machine as it seemed to start functioning, which scared Latias, making young Latios to hug her, but that wasn't over yet. Once the machine got in position, it started to change: some parts were recovered by bran-new metal which covered whole surfaces, the central part started to grow and expand while the Decepticons remained into what was the former command room.
"What's happening?" Moon asked.
"Ash, is this what happened the first time?"
"No Serena. This is completely new."
"That looks like...cybertronian?" Arcee recognized.
When the change ended the mechanism now looked like a simple central tower with three parts more elaborated. The new structure also blocked the exit once the whole room was reformed.
"What...just happened?"
"No idea, Ash." Arcee answered, before some parts of the structure started to move. "But I have a bad feeling about this."
"Hum, I don't know why, but this new infrastructure looks me familiar. As if I already saw it before. But I can't remember where or when."
"No time for riddles now, Moon. We need to figure out why the Decepticons wanted to plant an energon cell right into that thing."
Once the moving parts stopped they started firing energy projectiles which flew right at them.
"Look out!" Ash warned.
Latios pushed them aside from the projectile just in time.
"Those are some big guns." Serena noticed.
Moonracer gasped in shock. "Now I remember, it's a security stationed guardian."
"Wait, you mean like the Energon Bridge Guardian that Starscream and his lackeys sabotaged?" Arcee recalled.
"Yeah, but on a smaller scale."
"Wait, you know what that thing is?" Serena asked.
"It was a security system of Cybertron to protect access to a energon bridge from intruders or unauthorized access. It was designed to respond with a simple purpose: total eradication."
"And now you tell us!" Ash shouted.
"Pika pi!"
Pikachu noticed the cannons retracting back to the central structure, before it displayed some huge laser beams which rotated around the room.
"Watch out with those beams!" Arcee warned.
Fortunately for the humans, both Latios allowed them to ride on them, the same as Pancham and Pikachu with Latias, and they flew dodging the beams. The Autobots had it harder because of their size, but thanks to their agility they did it. The Decepticons observed everything from the safety of the command room.
"Are we going to do something or are we going to be sitting here for the time being?" Roadkill complained.
"What good is to confront individuals which defy us when we can let this great creation to do the job for us? Once the Autobots and their allies have been destroyed, we will simply seize the pokémon like nothing." Shatter explained.
"Oh, and that way we will have not failed in our mission." Nightbird realized.
"More than that: since this machine originally was able to control this whole city, it will allow us to turn it into a beachhead for the start of the Decepticon dominance over this planet. Starting with this region. But for the time being, let's sit and enjoy, we will get the worthy spoils once its over."
Back with our heroes, the beams ended and the cannons deployed once again.
"Guys, do you managed to stop the Decepticons from using the sinister machine?" Bonnie called from the base.
"We got a new problem: the Decepticons have done something to it. We don't know how but they have turned it into a powerful cybertronian weapon." Ash explained.
"What? How did they manage to accomplish such achievement?" Fixit asked.
"They infused an energon cell into it, as Arcee said it. Then lots of cybertronian metal covered everything and transformed it." Serena detailed.
"A transmutation."
"A what?" Bonnie asked lost.
"It's the result of the interaction of energon with a piece of technology from non-cybertronian origin. It causes an extreme reaction which reconfigures the whole system, both hardware and software, to make it compatible with cybertronian configuration."
"That's very interesting, Fixit, but it doesn't tell us anything useful, like how to stop it." Ash reminded.
"Well, since the transmutation can be most of times unpredictable the best course of action is to remove the power source responsible of the anomaly."
"So we need to remove the energon cell to return it back to its original form, got it." Serena understood.
"That's gonna be a problem since I don't see where actually is." Moon recalled.
"For the moment let's try to disable its weapons as much as we can." Arcee suggested.
"Go give them a hand, buddy. Use Thunderbolt." Ash instructed.
"You too, Pancham. Dark Pulse. Meanwhile we will search for that cell." Serena added.
Arcee and Moonracer pulled out and fired their laser guns at the cannons, same as their pokémon companions. Their combined efforts allowed them to dispose of one of the cannons, but then they retracted again. This time the central part opened, revealing a secret compartment with something glowing inside.
"There, I see it." Ash spotted.
"Let's go grab it." Serena said.
But as fast as it appeared, the part closed, revealing now the cannons fully repaired.
"It seems that place reveals only when repairing its damaged parts." Arcee deduced.
"Well, at least we now know how to beat it." Moon pointed.
"Except for the aspect that it closes very fast."
"Girls, it's coming again." Ash warned.
The structure deployed the laser beams again. One passed really close to Latios, making Ash to fall from him. He landed safe, but he was exposed to the beams.
"Ash, no!" Serena yelled.
Fortunately, Latias grabbed him as put him in a safe spot just in time, receiving a little burn in the wing.
"Thanks Latias, you're the best." Ash appreciated, making her blush and smile in appreciation, something that Serena noticed.
Once the beams stopped…
"Now is our chance. Give it all you got, we need to inflict it as much damage as we can." Arcee instructed.
And so they did, repeating the process so the weak point would show itself. Once the secret part revealed…
"Here, let me help you." Serena offered walking next to Latias, administering a potion on her wing before looking back at the structure. "We cannot allow it to close before removing the energon cell."
"You go for it. We will try to keep it from recovering completely." Arcee said before she and Moon continued shooting.
"Latios, how about using Psychic? Will you able to keep it open with your power?" Ash suggested.
Both Latios used Psychic to prevent the secret opening to close, but the door was doing it slowly.
Ash tried to hit the cell with his weapon, but… "I can't hit it, it looks so small from here."
Serena saw how busy everyone was, so she looked to Latias.
"Listen Latias, it's up to us to stop that thing, but for that we'll need to work together." Serena said, earning a similar reaction from Latias like before. "I know what's wrong with you, you care about Ash, right?" That answer got her off-guard. "It's okay, I understand why you feel that. Ash is a very special boy, no wonder why you like him that much. And he needs our help right now. So, what do you say, friend?"
Serena offered her hand to Latias, which after looking back at Ash and her again understood what she meant, so she smiled and took it. Then Serena pulled out a little item from her bag: a Psychium Z, and placed it on her Z-Ring.
"Alright girl, let's do it." Serena said as the Z-Crystal started to shine while Latias stood in front of her. "You got the wrong girls to provoke by messing with our boy."
Serena performed some moves which resembled if she was using the power of her mind, making energy which next flowed to Latias.
"Let's show him how powerful our love can be. Shattered Psyche!"
Latias looked right at the energon cell and it suddenly started to fly as if it was bouncing around the room, hitting the cannons and other parts of the structure, even breaking through the room where the Decepticons were safe, pushing them out. The final blow sent the energon cell back into its safe room, but now was unstable, making it explode once it closed. That caused some explosions around the thing.
"This thing looks like it's going to blow." Roadkill observed.
"I think it's time to get out of here, and fast. Nemesis, requesting an emergency ground bridge!" Nightbird called.
"You may have won now, Autobots, but this is not over." Shatter swore before they disappeared in their ground bridge.
Fortunately, as Fixit predicted, with the immediate retrieve of the energon cell, the whole structure returned back to its original form. The DMA looked completely intact, with no scratches or damaged parts anywhere.
Moon sighed in relief. "Finally, I couldn't keep it up anymore."
"I know you don't want to hear about what Elita says about during a mission we can learn from what we face, but that thing has giving me an idea for upgrading New Iacon's defenses." Arcee said.
"As long as I'm away from that fine with me." Moon said following her to the museum's exit.
"Woah Serena, you were awesome with that Z-Move."
"Thank you Ash, but I couldn't do it without my pal here." Serena said referring to Latias, who smiled at her before tickling her. "Does this means we are friends now?" Latias nodded happily.
"I'm glad for you two."
"Pikachu, pika pika."
"Pancham."
"Guys, sorry to say this but it's time to go. Mission accomplished."
"Yeah, we know Arcee, give us a least a few seconds to say goodbye." Ash requested.
"Just 20 seconds."
While Ash, Pikachu and Pancham went to say goodbye to Latios, Serena decided to speak with Latias in private. "See ya Latias, it's have been good meeting an old friend of Ash. And don't worry, I'll make sure to take good care of Ash for both of us. I'll tell you as you go by the time we get back."
Latias nodded. Moments later, as the ground bridge opened in middle of the museum's outside, the legendary pokémon waved to their friends before they departed. And the guardians of Alto Mare turned invisible once again, continuing watching over their home.
