New Goldenrod City, the following day.

After a long, well-earned rest, Ash, Serena and Tobias found themselves in the streets of Goldenrod, discussing what their next move should be. Luckily for them, most of the surrounding people were too busy watching the ad and its details to notice their presence, allowing them to walk freely.

That freedom was also the work of the sudden loss of size of their group. Paul had to rush back to Sinnoh quickly to join up with Alain's team to combat the rising Nova Branch base nearby.

Ash figured that might happen. He seemed distressed about it last night. It was unfortunate they couldn't say goodbye, but he knew they'd meet again. But what really surprised him was Gary's sudden desire to leave.

Apparently, Paul's situation made Gary worry for Pallet Town. When Gary brought it up with him, Ash felt embarrassed for not feeling the same way. He thought it best to return to guard Pallet Town in case something similar ever happened to it. The place had to be a big target, being the birthplace of the Chosen One and all.

So, they said their goodbyes for the time being. Ash mulled over the idea of requesting Mr. Star for a squad of trainers to guard their hometown as well once the hiring process began. That way, Gary might be free to help them later. For now, they were on their own.

"Got any idea of what you're going to choose yet?" Asked Serena as they walked.

Ash shrugged. "No, not yet. I wanna talk to Arceus first to see if I'm needed." He chucked dryly, shaking his head. "Talking to Arceus. It's crazy how I can just say that so...casually."

Serena gave him a worried look. Something was definitely weighing on his mind. His eyes looked tired, but she doubted it was from the lack of sleep they had gotten. Sighing, she decided not to say anything on the matter.

She instead asked, "How are you going to ask him? Last time, the portal appeared on its own, right?"

"That's a good question," Replied an unsure Ash. He looked up, scanning the skies for something with silver-sheened eyes.

Noticing this, Tobias said, "There are a few Legends here in New Goldenrod actually, so I've heard. Are you looking for them?"

Ash nodded. "Yeah. I figure they'd know more about it than I would, but I don't want to draw attention to us or them."

Tobias, being the tallest among them, shaded his eyes from the sun with his hand and peeked up above the crowd. "Not many places to be alone in this city…except…" His expression darkened, looking toward the rows of black stones nearby. "Well, there's the Rings of the Lost."

The Rings of the Lost, circles of stone that went on for nearly a mile with names of the billions dead from the war etched on them. Not many went there anymore. The hasty construction by the survivors led to the place being like a maze. Finding a specific name was like finding a needle in a haystack, so few even bothered anymore.

Ash actually didn't mind the idea. Seeing Zero again would be nice at least, and it would definitely afford them some privacy. Serena might appreciate seeing her again as well, though if he could not bring her along into the Hall, he doubted she could stand being there long.

It was still the quickest option. "The Rings of the Lost, hm?" Asked Ash thoughtfully. "Let's go for it. I doubt anyone will bother us there."

Tobias and Serena looked at him in surprise. Both of them could tell Ash had been broody ever since they went to Celadon, so hearing he had little objection to going to a place full of bad memories was a shock.

Seeing their expressions, Ash became worried. "Oh, do you guys not want to? It's okay if it's hard for you guys to be there."

Serena said, "N-no, not at all. I was worried about you being there actually."

Cluelessly, Ash crossed his arms and asked, "Why were you worried about me?"

There were immediately a million things Serena wanted to say to that. After the way he'd been acting, why in the world would she not be worried for him. Even after he'd saved the world, he was still an idiot. But that was what made him Ash, and she loved him for it all the same.

She resigned herself to merely sighing, shaking her head. "Nevermind. Let's just go."

Serena walked past Ash, reaching back to pull him by the hand a bit too tightly and drag him toward the rings. For all his cluelessness, Ash at least had the sense not to protest. With a shrug, Tobias silently followed along.

The gravesite was empty, just like they anticipated. Everyone else was far too busy to pay attention to this place anymore. Though it was sad, the trio couldn't complain too much since that meant no one would recognize them and hound Ash for an autograph.

Serena was fixated with the statue of Zero and the others, staring up at her in silence. Though Ash would have loved to join her, he thought it best to get things underway. And he could still admire it from a bit further away.

He noticed something in the wind. Something...flickering. It circled around them, hopping from place to place. It almost sounded like bell chimes in the far distance, like an echo.

"You hear that?" Asked Tobias, turning his gaze upward.

Ash glanced at him with moderate surprise. "You can hear that?"

Tobias nodded without looking away from where he was staring and said, "It's a Legend isn't it? I've been around 'em long enough to notice when they're near."

Seemingly phasing into sight from thin air, Shaymin appeared, dawning its Sky form. "Aww, I thought I could sneak up on you and scare you!"

Smirking, Tobias did not appear shocked by Shaymin's sudden appearance at all. Nor the fact that it spoke. He replied, "I was lucky enough to train Darkrai for a while. Not a lot can scare me after surviving its nightmares for months on end."

The Gratitude Pokemon looked at Tobias as if he had a screw loose. That was, until he recognized him. With wide eyes, he cried, "Y-you were at the b-battle…! You...caught Legendary P-Pokemon!"

Ash quickly stepped between them. "Hey, don't worry about him," He assured Shaymin. "This is a friend of mine. His name's Tobias."

Tobias smiled at the small Legend. "Nice to meet you," He said, "And don't worry. My Legend-catching days are over."

"We need your help," Ash told Shaymin. "I'm trying to get back to the Hall to ask Arceus something, but I don't know how to get there. Do you know?"

Gradually, Shaymin took its eyes off Tobias and floated toward Ash. "You...don't know? But Arceus said you were a Legend, didn't he?"

Ash asked, "Wait, do all Legends know how?"

Shaymin nodded. "Usually when Arceus appoints someone to the status, they figure out how to open doorways to the Hall on their own. You probably didn't get the memo or something." It snickered. "You'd have to have a terrible memory if you forgot how to do it."

Ash scratched the back of his head, looking away. "Yeah, I probably just missed a message or something. Anyways, do you think you could open a portal?"

The Gratitude Pokemon gave him a knowing smirk, then jumped back and quickly flew in a loop formation. A white ring appeared where it had flown, growing to a size a human could easily fit through.

"Ta-daaa!" Shaymin flew back to Ash, looking proud of itself. "Easy as that. Aren't you grateful?"

Shrugging off his own embarrassment, Ash nodded. "You bet I am. Thanks a lot, Shaymin!"

With a grin, Shaymin took to the skies. "Better figure out how to make your own from mine!" It shouted down at him. "I won't always be there to bail you out!" Then, it disappeared again, leaving a trail of blooming flowers in its wake.

Ash turned toward the ring before him, looking at it intently to try and memorize how it felt in his Aura. "...Stay here a sec," He told Tobias. "I'm gonna need to go in alone first to see if it's okay for you to come along."

Stepping back, Tobias replied, "Thanks, but no thanks. Judging by Shaymin's reaction, I don't think I'm particularly welcome among them."

That may have been for the best actually. The last thing the Legends needed was a fight on the magnitude of the one he saw during the last meeting he went to. Before going in, he looked past the ring, waving to Serena.

She smiled at him and waved back, yelling, "Good luck!"

He smiled at her and nodded, then faced the ring once more. Taking in a deep breath, he prayed that he wouldn't walk into a fiasco, then entered through the portal.

As Ash walked out the other end, he was immediately met with the sight of Arceus in the same seat he'd seen him last. Evidently, he didn't leave it often.

He appeared to be deep in thought, muttering aloud about an island while his eyes flickered about in different directions. When he noticed Ash, his head shot up in surprise.

"A-Ash!" He cried, turning his full attention toward him. "Erm, what can I help you with?"

Giving him a worried look, Ash asked, "Did I...come at a bad time?"

Arceus shook his head, regaining some of his composure. "On the contrary, you've come at the perfect time! Something...has happened. I've been deliberating every possible option of how I could respond before involving the other Legends."

Before speaking again, Ash tilted his head to look past Arceus at the small seat beside him. Upon seeing it empty, he sighed in relief. "...What happened?" He asked, slowly shifting his gaze toward Arceus again.

Nodding, the old god turned away to look at the rest of the Hall. "Since you're here, I may as well forego any continuous planning and summon the other Legends." He stood back to his feet, setting his ring aglow, but then suddenly stopped.

"...Forgive my thoughtlessness, Ash," He said. "You came here for a reason, I assume, but in my haste, that slipped my mind."

Ash was quick to shake his head. "No, no, no, actually! You said it was good that I was here, right? Mr. Star suggested I asked if you or the other Legends needed my help."

Arceus looked at him with moderate surprise. "He did, did he?" He recalled his short time spent with the man. Mr. Star seemed every bit the paragon he'd heard about. "How thoughtful of him. But does he not need your assistance?"

"I thought the same thing," Ash replied, "But we pulled a stunt to get more trainers off their feet. He thought I was better suited to helping out you guys."

Arceus mused, "That's great to hear and all, but wouldn't your presence better serve as a beacon to your fellow trainers?" Quickly, he added, "Though, I'm not trying to dissuade you. Your presence is certainly welcome. I'm simply wondering what he's thinking."

Ash shrugged, chuckling. "I found out last night that he's a big dreamer like me. Maybe he thinks it would be poetic for the 'Chosen One' and the Legends to fight together."

Arceus hummed in thought, closing his eyes for a moment. "...Regardless, you are welcome among us any time. Especially during a time as important as this."

He turned away, preparing to summon the Legends. But before he could, Ash spoke up once more. "Before you call the others, can I ask...if it would be okay to bring in a few friends?"

Serena's eyes shifted about the Hall in tremendous discomfort. Wherever she looked, the deep pressure of the Legends's piercing stares could never be escaped. Ash insisted that, if they were going to switch to the Legends, all of them should be around to hear out their plans.

Tobias could not be coerced to enter with them. She couldn't blame him. Their eyes would have definitely been on him instead of her, which she would really appreciate right about now. She looked at Pikachu, who seemed just as uncomfortable as her. Maybe even normal Pokemon weren't welcome here either.

Lugia eventually pulled his gaze from Serena to Arceus. "It seems you're letting anyone in the Hall these days," He remarked mirthfully.

Ash looked at him with shock, but Lugia either didn't notice, or ignored him.

Calmly, Arceus replied, "They are merely guests, Lugia. Ash has offered to personally lend his aid to any Legend should they need it, and right now, you will be glad for the assistance of him and his friends."

"Why is that?" Asked Lugia.

"Because I know where Christopher Lee is located," Responded Arceus.

Collectively, the eyes of all in the Hall went wide and shot toward Arceus. The Alpha made the pragmatic decision not to summon every Legend, instead only doing so for Lugia's chosen team. Articuno, Moltres, Entei, Raikou, Suicune, Lugia himself, Kyogre, Keldeo and Reshiram. Giratina as well.

It was only then Lugia realized Mewtwo was not among them. Arceus said, "Evidently, Mewtwo located a Nova Branch base and derived Lee's location from its members. However, he fell in battle during the process."

Ash felt his breath catch in his throat. "N-no way! They got Mewtwo?!"

Unfamiliar with the name, Serena whispered into his ear as to not gain the attention of the Legends. "Did you know Mewtwo?"

Ash nodded solemnly. "I did. I met him in Johto...I think. He was powerful enough to fight off Giovanni, Team Rocket's Leader, all on his own." He clenched his hands into fists. "There's no way he's dead! Not even the Nova Branch could do that!"

"His last actions were to send me the location of Lee," Explained Arceus, "As well as fractured memories of what occurred. He was assailed by a single member of their ranks, as well as something else I could not see."

He looked to Ash apologetically. "No Nova Branch unit has ever shown mercy toward a captured Pokemon. As it stands, I'm sorry to say, but we may have to assume the worst."

Ash gritted his teeth, glaring down at the pedestal beneath him. However, Giratina spoke up and said, "Mewtwo is quite powerful. If they know he is a Legend, or at the very least far more powerful than an ordinary Pokemon, they could have merely imprisoned him for study." He stifled a grin, but Ash could practically feel it. It did not feel entirely malignant. "...I know how humans operate, dare I say, perhaps as much as Mewtwo. There is no reason to give up on him so easily."

"I never said to give up on Mewtwo," Replied Arceus. "I merely want everyone to be prepared for the worst case scenario."

Irritably, Lugia asked, "Speaking of being prepared, do you even have a plan yet?"

Arceus gave a small nod. "Ever since I received Mewtwo's message, I've been attempting to do just that. But, regretfully, the fleeting imagery he was able to show me is hardly worthy of use beyond the island's location." He nodded to Lugia. "You, however, and your Elemental Birds have combated them before. You have experience against their weaponry. A greater plan may lie with you than I."

Lugia looked away in thought, leading Arceus to believe that response wasn't a denial. "...I only arrived to deal with the remnants of the human forces after the birds defeated most of them. They would know of their technology more than I."

He nodded to Moltres and Articuno at his side, urging them to speak. The two then proceeded to let loose a series of chirps and trills Ash didn't think them capable of. He'd already shielded Serena's ears in preparation for a piercing screech, as that was all he'd known from them. Still, he couldn't understand a word they said.

Reaching up to gently pet his partner's head, he jokingly asked, "Figure you could talk to them in my stead like you did to Zapdos?"

In his head, Pikachu pictured what might happen if he tried with either bird. Seeing as they were weak to Electricity, both scenarios ended badly for him. He shuddered, quickly shaking his head.

Just happening to overhear them, Giratina asked, "Oh, can you not understand them, Ash?" The birds halted their explanation, turning all eyes in the Hall upon Ash. "I was under the impression," Said Giratina, "That your Aura allowed you to understand Pokemon."

Smiling, Ash shook his head. "Not quite. My Aura can do a lot of things, but far from everything. Sorry to disappoint."

"Not at all, Ash," Giratina said kindly. "One person can't be expected to be able to do anything, after all. I would be happy to translate." Arceus eyed him with mild suspicion, but shrugged it off. Looking back to the birds, Giratina cleared his throat and started. "I'll give you the abridged version, Ash. From what the birds saw, the Nova Branch soldiers carried weapons resembling those found in wars long ago, such as handheld mechanisms that fired spears that could pierce through Rock-Type Pokemon with ease."

He asked Ash, "Did you ever see the injury on Zapdos's wing before it died?"

Ash shook his head.

"Regardless," Started the Renegade again, "That injury, caused by those men, ultimately crippled Zapdos so badly that it led to its death at the hands of Necrozma during the war."

Serena scowled. "Those…! I never knew they were around before Necrozma." Realizing she'd spoken up and regained the Legends' attention, her eyes widened.

Giratina merely chuckled at her. "There's no need to be nervous. Regardless of what some Legends may say, Ash is a valued member of our ranks, and a friend of his is just as welcome as any of us." He then said, "They also carried with them nets that would shock whatever they touched when exposed to heat, knives just as sharp as their spears, shields that could manifest out of nowhere and were seemingly unbreakable, as if they could replicate Protect, and perhaps their most deadly weapons were these..."

He glanced at Moltres. "Though the birds knew not what they were, I spent much of my banishment watching over humanity. Among those times were wars. Old humans had 'mines,' which were explosives hidden on or underneath ground that would detonate when stepped upon." He then looked to Articuno. "The Nova Branch created another variant that instead froze a Pokemon so solidly that they would become statues in seconds inside and out. Were it not for Moltres, Zapdos would have met an earlier demise."

"The Elemental Birds had an advantage in this situation," Spoke Lugia. "Two of the three were immune to this weapon, but the rest of us won't be so lucky. There's no telling how many of these they have or how they are triggered. One wrong step, and so long as neither Moltres or Entei are nearby, it is over for you." He glanced at Serena judgingly. "I know not your battle prowess, but if you are joining this mission, take care to not become a burden. If the location of this island is what Mewtwo thought it was, then this may be the battle that decides the fate of our world. Do you really want that on your shoulders?"

Ash countered with, "It wouldn't be the first time she's had that burden. Like almost all trainers, she fought in the war against Necrozma too."

Lugia stared at Ash blankly, letting out a rumbling breath from his closed maw that Ash assumed was a thoughtful hum. The Beast of the Seas eventually gave a small bow and said, "My apologies, Ash. I meant no offense. I merely wanted your friend to know the danger and what was at stake." Before Ash could utter a response, Lugia turned to Arceus and asked, "So, we now know what to look out for, don't we? In my opinion, it is prudent that we attack immediately. If Mewtwo truly is still alive, then the Nova Branchers will try to extract information from him. Our assault must be swift and decisive, else their counterattack may prove deadly. After all, we hardly know their full arsenal. We should not let them use it."

Arceus replied calmly, "It is precisely because we don't know their full capabilities that we should not start our assault immediately." He recalled how dangerously close Lee had gotten to winning over the denizens of New Bark to his side so quickly. His speeches were impressive, and his tone could move hearts with ease. "The Nova Branch's forces are likely larger than we could imagine if Team Rocket's numbers are anything to go by."

Ash felt irritation well up within Lugia that made him worry. When he first met Lugia, the Beast was calm and collected. Here, it felt like he was...slipping. He could tell Lugia had to force himself to apologize earlier. Whatever happened between him and the Nova Branch must have been something else if it drove him to this.

"Precisely," Hissed Lugia, mimicking Arceus. "It is precisely because we do not know their full capabilities why we should not let them use any of it!" He extended a wing to Kyogre. "If their main base is on an island, we only need him to completely fell them in one swoop!"

"And to bury Mewtwo with them," Countered Arceus. "Not to mention, Kyogre has been hunting down Nova Branch bases like the rest of you. Using the ocean to swallow them is something that he has done before and something they will certainly see coming. If they see Kyogre anywhere near their base, they'll have evacuated and destroyed any evidence of their existence on the island before you can even arrive and then we will lose our only lead."

Lugia growled under his breath. "What do you suggest, then? If we wait, they may learn of our weaknesses from Mewtwo and destroy us before we can lift a finger against them!"

"If I may," Interjected Giratina slyly, "I believe I can offer a solution." Looking to Lugia, he said, "Their base is surrounded by ocean, as you said. Kyogre would be easily detected by them, but you may be more difficult for them to track. If you use Acid Armor to blend in with the water, you could survey the island's surroundings for defenses."

Arceus said, "A scouting mission, is it? It is a sound idea to me."

Lugia scoffed. "I am not foolish enough to overestimate my patience. Were I to even see the island, I doubt that I could retain enough sense to prevent me from attacking it."

The old god looked about the Hall, scanning each Legend inquisitively until his eyes landed upon one in particular. One who would get along well with Lugia more than any other. "Ash," He said, "Would you accompany Lugia to survey the island? Your Aura would be irreplaceable as a means to ease Lugia's tensions on the mission to give him a clear mind."

Lugia looked like he wanted to give another sudden, ire-filled retort, but when he actually looked to Ash, he paused. Instead, he silently stared into Ash's eyes. Ash met this stare with one of his own. They felt something kindle. Or rather, rekindle. An old bond borne from fate the two shared years ago on the whims of prophecy. Though the Orange Islands were long gone, the prophecy was not. The world shall turn to Ash, as it seemed to do with ever-increasing frequency.

"...I do not object," Spoke Lugia. "Should I have anyone to accompany me, I would rather it be you." He looked to Serena and added, "Though I will not carry her. My bond is only with you, and the speeds we will be travelling at to avoid detection will be more than an ordinary human can bear."

Serena rubbed the back of her head, giving a nervous laugh. "H-hey, it's no biggie! I understand! This is a matter of Legends, so I'll just…" She backed away toward the gate, eager to be rid of the judgemental stares and unending pressure. Before ducking in, she made a phone sign to Ash with her thumb and pinkie, silently telling him she'd call him later when she had the chance. Ash wanted to say something to her, but she exited the moment his mouth opened.

He sighed, hanging his head. Setting Pikachu on the ground, he asked, "Stay with her, okay Pikachu?" Pikachu nodded and saluted to his partner, then ran out of the portal as well. He really didn't want Serena feeling uncomfortable around the Legends if they were going to be working with them. Turning back around, he looked up at Lugia and smiled. He knew he had his reasons for distrust, but he would make sure to win him over eventually. As well as the other Legends. "Well," He said, "Ready when you are."

Through the Hoenn ocean's currents, a large shadow raced in its depths. Ash, shielded from the pressure and water by a dome of Aura, clung to Lugia's back. But he did not mind the speed. It was exhilarating. If there was at least one positive thing about his Aura, it was that the strength it gave him allowed him to do what he could never dream of before.

Clearly, Lugia was enjoying himself as well. The feeling of Ash's Aura on his back, as well as his presence, lifted away some irritation. Having someone be able to enjoy the ocean currents with him was something he didn't know he wanted until now.

"This is incredible, Lugia!" Cried an ecstatic Ash as he looked up and watched the water race by. "Serena would have loved to see this!"

Lugia hummed thoughtfully. "...I may warm up to her in time," He said. "I do recall, on the day that we met, your friends were instrumental in the fulfilling of the prophecy. ...Tell me." He craned his head back to look at Ash. "There was a girl who played my song. Is she well?"

Ash sat back, placing a hand to his chin in thought as he tried to get his accursed memory to obey him. "Melody," Ash said. "Her name was Melody, but…" He growled in irritation, looking up as he pictured Shamouti Island. "She lived on the Orange Islands. Pretty close to the Elemental Islands too."

"Shamouti Islands?" Asked Lugia.

Ash snapped his fingers. "Yeah, that was the name!"

Lugia looked away. "That is...most unfortunate. You already know Necrozma destroyed the Orange Island Archipelago, but what you don't know was that the Elemental Islands were the ones he attacked first. Shamouti faced utter annihilation at his hand."

Even though Ash figured that was what happened to her, it still stung to hear it.

"...I will sing for her," Lugia told him, "Once I return to the remaining islands. I will sing for her and Shamouti as she did for me. It is the least I could do."

Ash managed a bit of a smile hearing that. "Thanks, Lugia. I'm sure she'd have loved it."

The Beast of the Seas nodded back to him. After a brief moment's pause, he said, "There was another human I've been wondering about. The one who set that whole debacle on the islands in motion five years ago and briefly imprisoned the Elemental Birds. I attacked him, but I do not know if that finished him."

Though much foggier than his memories of Melody, he did vaguely remember the man Lugia spoke of. The collector. He never got the man's name, or at least, didn't remember it. "I dunno where he is either," Ash told him. "I never saw him again after that. Maybe Mr. Star could look into him?"

"That reminds me," Lugia said suddenly. "I've been hearing the name of this 'Mr. Star' for quite some time now. What does he mean to you?"

Ash blinked, unsure of Lugia's meaning. "Uh...well, a lot, I guess. I don't know if you saw him, but he was there during the funeral after the war. He helped finance the whole thing. Since then, he's basically been the main force against Team Rocket besides you guys."

"To you specifically, I mean," Said Lugia. "Can he be trusted?"

Chuckling, Ash replied, "Well, of course. I've sensed his intentions with my Aura before, and they were nothing but pure. I actually look up to him a lot."

Lugia seemed to relax hearing that. "That is reassuring."

Ash asked, "Why do you ask, by the way?"

"During the previous meeting of the Hall, I overheard you mention that man's name," Explained Lugia. "I had suspicions he was using you for your power when you mentioned you were working with him, but I'm glad to know it was without merit."

Ash smiled, glad Lugia was still thinking about him after all this time. He rubbed his hand along the Beast's back to soothe him, but stopped when his hand came across a rough spot. Lugia tensed up when Ash touched it, and Ash gasped at what he saw. "Lugia, what…" One of the blue frills on Lugia's back was missing, seemingly ripped off. Rough patches of skin had grown in its place. "...What happened to you?!"

Lugia growled, letting out a low rumble that made the ocean around them tremble. A cascade of bubbles stopped Ash's view of the ocean from it. "...Necrozma happened," He hissed. Ash had heard Lugia angry before, but this was on another level. There was no yelling or bellowing, but the rage was unlike anything he'd felt from Lugia before. "My anger has been no secret to you, I'm sure. It came from that demon, that monster! I cannot call our encounter a fight. It was...torture! He took every opportunity he had to inflict pain upon me rather than finish me. I was naught but a toy to him...and that pain he put me through...never went away."

With his wing, he reached back to touch the missing flap with his wing. Ash removed his hand to let him. "I still feel it. Even after his destruction, I still feel every burn and scratch as if they were new—every wound like it had happened mere moments ago! I cannot stand it!" Ash felt Lugia's body trembling beneath his feet. Rage and pain swirled like a whirlpool. Removing his wing, Lugia let out a forceful exhale. And though the trembling did not stop, Ash sensed the anger slightly fading.

"...But with you," Started Lugia, "I feel some of that pain wash away. That relief, though minor, means the world to me."

Suddenly, Lugia came to an abrupt stop and craned his head up to look toward the surface. "We are near the location Arceus directed us to. If he's right, the island should be within eyesight once we're above water." He glanced back at Ash. "I may be recognized, so you will have to act as my senses to determine what you can about the island."

Ash nodded, but said, "They might have cameras all over the place that could see me too."

"About that," Started Lugia. His eyes glowed a bright cyan and he arched his back so that he looked directly up. His body puffed up, inhaling deeply. The Beast of the Seas let out a deep bellow, creating a whirl of water around them that raced far, far above. "...That was Rain Dance," He told Ash. "That should whip up a storm big enough to cloud out their sight. With the raging waves and pounding rain, they shouldn't be able to see a thing."

Ash hummed with worry. "Let's hope so."

With that, Lugia took off for the surface. He shot up like a rocket, making the surrounding ocean nothing more than vague blue and black blurs until they slowed down when they neared the edge. Ash feared the bubbles that raced after them would give them away, but when he was actually pushed above the surface, those fears melted away. The night sky was so black he could hardly see a thing with his ordinary vision. Rain came down in thick sheets, and massive waves shifted him and Lugia about. It was a good thing he had his shield up, or he'd have been drenched to the bone in seconds.

"Can you see the island?" Asked Lugia. "It should be directly ahead of us."

Ash's eyes gleamed silver as his Auric vision activated. Indeed, there was an island, and many others surrounding them. Most of them were filled to the brim with plant life he could sense, and though he could see the same of the target island...he couldn't sense any life there at all. He couldn't sense anything in the area there at all. It was like there was an island-sized void of nothing surrounded by ocean.

"...I can see it," He told Lugia, "But...I can't sense anything there at all. It's like nothing's there!"

Lugia was confused. "Nothing? What do you mean? You can see it, can't you?"

Nodding, Ash replied, "Yeah, I can see it, but even though it's covered in things like vines and trees, I can't sense any of it! The surrounding islands, I can sense them just fine and they all look pretty much the same."

"But how can that be?" Asked Lugia. "That makes no sense! Anything with life should have an Auric signature! There's no method I know of that can mask it."

Ash stared at the island blankly, trying to surmise the cause of this island that seemed to simultaneously be in front of them and yet not be in front of them at the same time. But there was nothing. He could sense its surroundings just fine, leading him to an area where something suddenly became...not something right where the water touched the island. That area of nothing also seemed to float above the ocean like a plateau rather than an island.

Eventually, he gave up for the time being. "I can't figure out why it feels like nothing is there," He said. "I doubt I need to tell you why getting closer to find out is a bad idea."

Lugia poked his head up to stare at the enigmatic island for a moment, as if in a trance. Ash feared that he was plotting to go on the attack. "I suppose so," He conceded to Ash's relief. "It will be safer to deal with that when the other Legends are here. For now, we should try to open a way for them to arrive here without setting off the Nova Branchers."

"How do we do that?" Asked Ash.

The Beast of the Seas craned his head to look at each of the other surrounding islands one at a time. "I've lived through many wars between man and Pokemon before," He said. "And the more modern ones typically had scouts near any major human settlements during those times." His eyes narrowed at the nearest island. "And I would wager that, for a base that supposedly holds the most hated man alive, the defenses would be immense. How do you think we should take them down?"

Ash looked to the sky, thinking to himself. Even an idiot like him knew that a direct approach would spell the end for this chance. "Maybe…" He thought aloud. "We could try sending gusts of wind their way?" He shook his head right after saying it. "No, they could track where it's coming from. That probably goes for ocean water too if we sent that at them. But-"

A loud thunderclap overhead made him jump, silencing his train of thought amidst its booming roar. Then, just like how the lightning struck the night sky, an idea struck Ash. "I've got it!" He shouted, clapping a fist onto his hand. "Lugia, can you control the storms you make?"

The Beast of the Seas quickly caught on to Ash's plan. "That I can, Ash. You plan to make it seem like the storm is the culprit?"

"Exactly!" Confirmed Ash. "That way, we can get rid of their detection stuff without ever being seen! Lightning's coming down all over the place. It won't be suspicious if a few stray lightning bolts were to take them down."

With a nod, Lugia replied, "It seems like the best course of action. Let us hope they have no defense against it."

Lugia lightly kicked his tail into the water and knelt forward to propel itself down into the water once more. Ash pointed him toward the nearest island, sensing its plant life with his Aura. As they neared, he definitely sensed human life among the plants. They were highly elevated, leading him to believe they were in a tower of some kind. It seemed Lugia was right on the money about their detection systems. Ash tapped Lugia's back and pointed up toward them. Nodding, the beast ducked down further into the water and then sent up a bellow, the sound drowned out by the lightning that was summoned from it.

Though Ash couldn't hear it at their depth, there was a series of visible flashes of light above them. The men were still alive, but definitely shaken. "Take us to the surface," Said Ash, "But farther away. I want to see if it did anything."

Nodding, Lugia swerved his head away from the island and took off down into the depths to shrug off any possible undersea motion trackers. Once he reached the cover of a tall reef, he slowly made his way up and surfaced. Ash squinted his eyes to look at the island. There was smoke coming from it, and the men who were once inside now piled out of it. On a closer look, he saw burnt shards of metal sticking up from the island's edge in the sand.

He gave a thumbs up to Lugia. "Looks like we got it!"

"Excellent!" Chimed Lugia. "Then let us move onto the next."

To alleviate suspicion, Lugia sent up another Rain Dance to intensify the storm. Lightning came crashing down onto the sea nearly every second, making the striking of one of their towers more believable. The storm also sent the waves into a frenzy, which they took advantage of. One island's tower they felled with a gust of wind that knocked a tree into it. Another, momentarily covered in water when Lugia sent up a massive wave that tore the tower off its hinges.

The towers began falling like dominos one after another at the hands of various weather phenomena. At first, it seemed to easy to be real. However, the Nova Branch was not willing to put up with it for much longer. When Lugia and Ash heard a siren begin blaring from the main island, they swiftly dived down and retreated into the depths.

"Do you think they've caught on?" Asked Lugia with worry.

Ash tilted his head up, attempting to sense the Nova Branchers. Far above, groups of them were collectively moving from their islands toward the main one. "Either that," Said Ash, "Or they're evacuating. Could be both, for all we know."

Lugia shifted its head to look somewhere off in the distance, then said, "At least one island still remains."

Ash looked in the same direction he did and tried sensing any life there. It seemed nearly identical to every other island. Plants, people and all. "...There are still people there. Why aren't they running like the others?"

Hearing that, Lugia felt a small twinge of relief. "Perhaps it is an evacuation after all. Why else would only those we attacked flee, and only they stayed put?"

But Ash was still worried. The Nova Branch groups above were moving slowly, but were no longer going directly toward the main island. They seemed to be moving diagonally, circling around it. "...They're definitely looking for something too," He told Lugia. "Do you think we've done enough? It would be a huge risk to go after the last one."

"Nonsense," Retorted Lugia. His back was already arched in preparation to speed toward their last target. "If even one remains, then the appearance of another Legend would set it off and Lee would most certainly disappear. I cannot let that happen!"

Mere mention of Lee's name sent Lugia's emotions blazing up. Ash rubbed his Aura-coated hand on Lugia's back to try and offset it, but a Legend's rage was powerful. The effort barely held his emotions down. "And it won't," Ash reassured him, "So long as neither of us does anything stupid. I know you're better than that Lugia." He chuckled, adding, "If you weren't, how could I count on you stopping me from doing anything stupid?"

The joke, combined with his Aura, thankfully seemed to suppress Lugia's ire for the time being. "...You are right, Ash," Lugia conceded. He chuckled as well, shaking his head. "It's funny. I was so worried there that inaction would have caused...that man to flee that I nearly did something that would have done exactly that." Again, he looked up at the last island's direction. "But my point still stands. That tower needs to go, or he will disappear without a trace when the time for battle comes."

As they moved toward the surface, they found that the Nova Branchers circling toward the main island were in submarines, protecting them from both sea and storm. They couldn't dare to attack them directly in any way. Then, they would know that the weather was unnatural. However, they were gradually closing in on the main island, which would eventually make the remaining tower nothing more than a sitting duck. So, Lugia laid low and waited until the opportune moment to strike arose.

This allowed him to see that the remaining island above them was actually a plateau akin to the center one. It was much smaller, and Ash could tell there was no enigmatic nothingness enveloping it, so there was no problem there. On the other hand, it would be a bit trickier to destroy this tower than the others. No natural-looking waves could do more than crash against its hanging beaches. If Lugia splashed up a wave large enough to do more, their cover would most certainly be blown.

If Lugia dared to move out of the water to attack, then Ash wagered the submarines would be on them immediately. Lightning was always an option, but that had already been the most common method of destroying their towers they employed. That too might be suspicious. His patience beginning to wear thin again, Lugia suggested changing the course of an underwater current to knock the plateau into the ocean. Ash had to remind him what happened the last time a current's course was changed. It wouldn't be anywhere near as devastating, but a drastic change in currents would be noticed immediately.

"So what should we do, then?" Asked an irate Lugia. "We are running low on options."

Ash felt the same irritation. He glanced up to the submarines to see their progress. They were quite close to their destination now, having changed course to move directly toward the island. "Looks like they've given up on looking for us," He said. "Before we do anything else, we should wait and see what happens when they get to the area I can't sense."

Lugia did not object to that. "Should we surface?" He asked. "So that we may see the result more clearly. It will be valuable information for the others."

"Sounds good to me," Ash replied, "But they might still be on high alert. They'd definitely see you, and my Aura's light would be a giveaway." A smirk crept up his face as he reached for a Pokeball. "Luckily, I've got just the Pokemon for something like this." Raising the ball over his head, he tapped its button and cried, "Greninja, I choose you!"

In a flash of light, Greninja was released into the water outside the Aura barrier. A spark was felt between them the moment the eyes of trainer and Pokemon met, and Greninja became imbued with the same color of Ash's Aura. A whirl of glowing water blurred the frog's form, and when it disappeared, Greninja's form changed.

Lugia's jaw dropped when he saw the change take place. "What manner of bond is this?!"

Ash chuckled, scratching the underside of his nose. Greninja mirrored this motion. "To be honest," Ash said, "I'm still not quite sure how it works. All I know is that it's a bond only Greninja and I have."

Craning his neck to look back at Ash with wide eyes, Lugia asked, "Is this caused by your Aura?!"

"Not exactly," Ash replied. "I've been able to do this before I received this power. Heck, we've had this bond before I even started training with normal Aura." He looked back up to Greninja without saying another word. They nodded to one another, and Greninja began swimming up toward the surface.

Lugia looked up at the departing Pokemon with confusion, his gaze darting back and forth between him and Ash. "What...what is it doing?"

"Greninja's going to see what'll happen when those Nova Branch guys get to the island," Ash told him, the smirk never leaving his face. "A Water-Type that focuses on stealth sounds perfect for the job, doesn't it?"

The Beast of the Seas looked back at Ash, to Greninja, then back to Ash. He humphed in amusement, looking away. "I assume you won't need me to translate what it says? My, what an incredible bond. You never cease to amaze me."

"Really, it's always been my Pokemon that have been doing the hard work for me," Ash said. "They're the amazing ones."

They waited in silence for Greninja's response, looking up at where he'd gone. Ash received in the form of sudden Auric appearances. There were hundreds, perhaps thousands, all appearing out of nowhere and at the exact time. He felt this through Greninja, who acted almost like a repeater when he used Ash's Aura to sense it himself. Ash instinctively stood up due to the sensation. His mouth opened to inform Lugia of this, but then, suddenly, the Auric signatures all disappeared at once, including those in the submarines.

Lugia's head whipped around to Ash. "What is it?!" He demanded. "Did you sense something?! What happened?!"

Greninja shot down from the surface shortly, landing next to Ash inside the barrier and appearing just as shaken as him. "I...I'm not sure how to explain it. For a moment, I sensed thousands of things with my Aura on that island, but then, they all disappeared! The ones from the other islands did too!"

Scowling, Lugia replied, "That seems to imply we're looking at the right island then. But...how can they mask their own Auric signatures?!" Ash suddenly jolted when he heard that. "Is that even possible?!"

Ash was suddenly reminded of what he found in the basement area of Star Tower: An elevator activated by an Auric signature. "...It is now."

"What?!" Cried the beast.

Ash said, "Mr. Star had technology that could recognize Aura. He said he took samples from the memorial I made during the war funeral."

"Did you not say his intentions were pure?!" Roared Lugia.

Ash nodded without hesitation. "They were," He said confidently, "But the Nova Branch's obviously aren't. If Mr. Star could take those samples, they probably could too." He scowled, growling in irritation. "It's my fault for leaving the memorial out in the open! Anyone could get at it!"

Lugia scowled as well, resisting the burning temptation to blast the island right now only due to the sensation of Ash's Auric barrier that touched his back. "We'll need to warn the others of this, but first, we must destroy the last tower." Ash couldn't agree more.

Looking to his Pokemon, Ash said, "Greninja looks like our best bet. The storm won't hinder him since he's Water-Type, and like I said, stealth is his thing." The two closed their eyes simultaneously, resulting in a break of their connection and causing Greninja's form to revert. "Now that we know they can recognize Aura, it's too dangerous to send you up there in your bonded form. It's really dark up there, so you should be about as safe as a Pokemon could be near the likes of the Nova Branch."

He pointed up to the island. "Try to find a way to make it look natural. A sloppy Water Shuriken cutting their wires might make it look like the storm did it. As soon as it's disabled, come back down as soon as possible." Ash's eyes went silver, and so too did Greninja's. It was so that Ash could at least see what Greninja did, so that he would know if he was in danger. He cared far more about Greninja's life and immediate safety than taking down Lee.

Nodding to his trainer, Greninja leapt up into the ocean and made his way to the island, proceeding to climb up the undersea pillar that held it up. The low sounds of the rumbling ocean were soon replaced with the sounds of crashing waves and roaring storms once he broke the surface. He quickly hopped to the side facing away from the main island just in case, then resumed his climb.

Upon reaching level ground, he dove into the thick trees and climbed to the nearest one's top. The tree vines were too thick for him to clearly see out of, but that just meant it would be even harder for any Nova Brancher to see him. What he could discern was some source of light. And that was his ticket. "Gren."

Greninja slid down, preparing to jump to another tree. But, just as he crouched his legs to prepare for the leap, he froze in place and his heart skipped a beat. There was a voice. A human voice.

"Well, well, well," Someone spoke. "Looks like we've found our culprit."

In a panic, Greninja ducked down and leapt toward a different tree, hiding behind its vines. He dared a peek, looking for the source of the voice. There was indeed a human man. Dozens, actually, and all of them wore the patch of an exploding star upon their suits. Yet none of them were looking at Greninja. They stood in a circle and hovered over something. One of them raised his arm, revealing something white wriggling in his hand.

The man who held it sneered, showing off his capture to a shorter man with a fancier-looking suit and hat. "Look at this, sir," He said. "To think HQ had us on the lookout for Kyogre. Turns out this storm was the work of this thing."

A cry rang out from the small white Pokemon as the man tightened his hold on it. It was lowered so that the smaller man could take a look at it. That man in question glowered at the Pokemon darkly, making it cower with fright. Turning away, the smaller man held a hand over his ear and pulled something small to his mouth.

"Commander Thorn to HQ," He said. His voice was a lot higher-pitched than Greninja expected, but from his size, maybe he should have expected it. "I've found the source of the storm. A Castform found its way here and seems to have brewed it up." He looked over his shoulder to sneer at it. "Crafty little rat. I'll be taking care of it now. Over and out."

Greninja's eyes widened when the small man took out a gleaming red, thin knife and turned back around. "Would anyone like to do the honors?" There was no response from the other men. "No? Good answer." He swiped the Castform out of his underling's hand, holding the knife close to its face. It cried out in terror and squirmed against Thorn's grip with all of its might, but it wasn't enough. "You've caused quite a mess. Did you honestly think you could cross the Nova Branch and get away with-"

A great roar of crashing water made the men collectively flinch. Thorn cowered and yelped, instinctively making himself look smaller by covering his head with his hands. The others jumped to the ground and held their weapons out toward the noise, which only allowed the green blur racing toward them to sail right over their heads without resistance.

Sceptile, clad in his new Mega Form, pinned the small man to a tree by his neck. "Wh-what?!" He cried with a choked voice. He tried stabbing Sceptile, but found that his hand had already been grabbed by it without him noticing.

"S-sir!" Thorn's men whipped around and aimed at Sceptile, only for an ivory barrier to surround it and block their shots. "What in the world?!"

"Greninja, take down that tower now!"

With all the haste of the rain that fell around them, Greninja bolted from his hiding spot. Thorn's men fired at the sound, only catching sight of a shadowy afterimage before their ears were assaulted by the sound of creaking metal. They watched in horror as the light of the radio tower fizzled out, the structure slowly tilting more and more before crashing into the ground.

One of them reached for a radio, only to find the wire cut when Greninja looped back around and took its spot by Ash's side. "Forget the mission," Ash hissed angrily. His Aura flared up, acting as the only remaining illumination on the island. "There's no way I'm just going to sit back and watch you kill a Pokemon!"

"It's Ash!" One of them cried in a mix of rage and fear. "So you're the cause of the storm!"

Ash smirked at them darkly. "No, not quite." He nodded up. The Nova Branch men looked at him in confusion, but did not shift their gaze. One of them lightly elbowed the man next to him. The one who was elbowed looked up for the rest of them, instantly becoming pale when he saw what Ash had motioned to. Lugia crashed down behind Ash, jolting the island itself. "It was him actually."

Commander Thorn raised his head as much as he could against Sceptile's grip and yelled, "Split up into the jungle! Forget fighting them, just contact HQ by any mea-" He was cut off when Sceptile tightened his grip, but the damage was already done.

Thorn's men bolted for the surrounding trees. Lugia's eyes went cyan, and the men were instantly frozen in place when their bodies assumed a glow of the same color. The radios were ripped from their suits. They were turned back, forced to stare at Lugia as he crushed the radios with Psychic and flung their remains into the ocean. He sent a deathly glare over to the radio tower and shoved it off the plateau's edge as well to eliminate any remaining possible usage it could have.

That glare was then cast upon Thorn's men, who crumpled under the pressure and instantly fell unconscious. "What shall I do with them?" He growled to Ash, sending a chill up Thorn's spine.

"Well, we obviously can't leave them here," Said Ash. "If they wake up before we're back with the others, we're done for. Teleport them away from here, and make sure they're nowhere near other people."

It was less violent of an answer than Lugia wanted, but it would do. In a cyan flash, every single one of the men disappeared. Lugia took the liberty of erasing their memories of this night just to be sure they were pacified.

Thorn let out a pathetic gasp as he watched his men vanish, reminding Ash and Lugia of his presence. Before Ash could say or do anything, Lugia tore him from Sceptile's grasp and held him at eye's length. The small man nearly fainted just from looking into the beast's mad eyes. "I cannot yet have Lee…" Ash immediately sensed danger. "...So you will have to do!"

"Lugia, no!"

But it was too late. Sceptile and Greninja jumped at him, but Lugia bolted high into the air and took Thorn with him, leaving the others behind. Lugia did not stop until he was high above the clouds, uncaring of the force his speed inflicted upon Thorn. Abruptly, he came to a stop and glared down at the puny man with untold fury.

"There is no one to save you up here!" He roared. The clouds below them bent under the force of his voice.

Thorn cowered pathetically, unable to meet Lugia's eyes. "P-please have mercy!" He begged. "I swear, if you let me live, you'll never see me again!"

Lugia growled at him, hardly able to contain the desire to scour him from the world. Thorn felt the growl all throughout his body, making him go limp. But Lugia made sure he stayed awake. He wouldn't get such an easy way out. "You have long since passed the point of mercy by joining the wretched organization of Lee! Would you have spared that Castform?! I think not!"

The pitiful man tried to sputter out another plea, but was so fearful that he only managed to spew incoherent babbles. Tears ran from his eyes freely, making his face look even uglier. It disgusted Lugia to even hold him in a Psychic grasp. "You are finished!" Roared Lugia. "And soon, so will Lee and his organization! But you will not live to see it."

With that, he dropped Thorn from his grasp and let him sail down into the clouds. His wailing cries became quieter as he neared them, disappearing entirely once he fell through. A small twinge of sadistic satisfaction fell over Lugia as a grin crept up his mouth. But it didn't last long. Ash was directly below him, and he would certainly see Thorn's demise at his hand.

"...What do I care?" Asked Lugia to no one. "This...is justice."

Ash's eyes widened when he saw Thorn plummet from the clouds. "No, he didn't!" But of course he did. The proof of that was right in front of his eyes and sailing down on course to splatter like a balloon. Loathe as he was to save someone in the Nova Branch, he couldn't just let someone die in front of him. There were too many people dead already, and it was better to pay for your crimes.

A part of him held himself back from doing anything to save him. A sick piece of him in the corner of his mind that wanted this man, partly responsible for the suffering of the world, to face a swift and absolute result of justice. He could close his eyes and turn away to allow one less evil to plague the world. And he badly wanted to.

"Darn it!" He cursed, resolving himself to save the heinous man. He reached for Noivern's ball and held it back. "Noivern, save hi-"

He stopped the throw midway when a cyan glow enveloped Thorn, gradually slowing his descent. Thorn closed his eyes and winced, unwilling to watch the ground get closer any longer. However, no impact came. Slowly, he dared to open an eye, and shrieked when he saw how close he was. The glow around him ceased and let him fall flat onto his face.

Lugia descended from the clouds soon after, touching down beside Ash with a dark look on his face and a deep feeling of remorse. A relieved smile appeared on Ash's face, followed swiftly by a sigh. "You had me worried, Lugia, "He said. "...Thank you. Even though he doesn't deserve it, I'm glad you showed him mercy. I'm sure it wasn't easy."

The Beast turned away, unwilling to even look at the pathetic excuse of a man he'd spared. "It was only for you, Ash," He hissed. "I did not want to let you see me kill in cold blood like that. That is all." Swallowing his pride and bile one last time, he warped Thorn away to some random place in the world. He didn't care where, so long as he was out of his sight.

Ash simply smiled at him gratefully. Then, he remembered something, and sensed the surrounding area for life. "There you are." He walked over to a pile of fallen vines and unraveled them, revealing the Castform that had been framed for their actions. When it saw Ash, it shrieked in terror. Ash knelt down, allowing it to feel his warm Aura. "I'm not here to hurt you," he assured it, slowly lowering his hand under its bulbous, cloud-like body.

Soon after, it stopped shuddering, looking up at Ash with its fear melting away. Feeling Ash's pure intentions in his Aura, it let out an ecstatic chirp, flying around him excitedly. Ash laughed at its antics. "This place is too dangerous for a Pokemon," He told it. "Next time, try to steer clear of this place, okay?"

"That is a Castform," Spoke Lugia. The Pokemon in question eeped and hid behind Ash when it saw the Beast of the Seas. Ignoring it, he continued and said, "It gathers near places where the weather is intense. We must have attracted it from its home with our storm."

Ash gently held the small Pokemon in his hands, frowning. "So it's our fault you got found by those guys. I'm sorry about that, Castform. It's a good thing we found you when we did."

Lugia nodded in agreement, but said, "Though I agree, our actions won't go unnoticed by Lee for long. Though he is...many things, a fool is not one of them. He will be here before long." The Castform was enveloped in cyan and warped away to another area of Hoenn. "Let us be off quickly so that we may rally the others before he has time to react." His face curled down into a frown of worry. "Though...knowing he may have technology related to Aura, and yours at that, worries me. Our forces may have trouble."

"...More forces, huh?" Suddenly, Ash snapped his fingers. "I've got an idea, but you might not like it."

Mr. Star yawned, putting aside yet another paper on top of the dozen stacks he'd gone through. The mass organization of trainers coupled with inter-regional affairs and relations with the other CEO's had put him through much in just one day already. The road to recovery was long and filled with bumps along the way it seemed.

A gold and white portal appeared directly in front of him, an occurrence that happened twice now. He jolted back in his seat in surprise, that surprise doubling when he saw who came out of it. "Hey, Mr. Star!" Greeted Ash. "You're not going to believe this, but the Legends already found the Nova Branch HQ base! We're gonna need your help, so follow me."

The old man nearly fainted.

Author's Note:

Pokextinction fact of the day: We originally said that Gen 7 content would be limited and Gen 8 content nonexistant within the fic, but Hydra liked Chairman Rose's design and role so much that he changed his mind. Granted, we still won't be visiting the Galar Region. We'll simply see characters that hail from it.

Creator: Glad we were able to pump this chapter out so fast considering what had been going on in the background. Basically my entire family briefly got Covid, with the exception of me since I made sure to stay as hygienic as possible and isolate myself, but I still couldn't leave my house until we were clear. Everything's fine now I think.

Hydra: Well I must say this chapter was pretty tense. Lugia almost murdered a man in front of Ash, but stopped himself at the last moment. Let's just hope that he's able to keep it together when Ash isn't around to help him.

We've got quite a bit of reviews for this chapter, and in such a short time too! Thank you so much everybody!

Amourshipper35: "Wow Ash got a key stone and a Mega Stone. I hope all those trainers can help put an end to Team Rocket for good."

Creator: Keeping it classic, eh? We won't see the effect of the ad campaign for a while unfortunately, but when we do, the impact will be immense.

Hydra: We got a peek at Ash's mega evolved Sceptile this chapter and they will certainly come in handy for the upcoming battles in the future.

Guest 1: "Good chapter, so all the corporatives leaders are discussing the way to retakes the world from the Team rocket and the Nova branch, even Mr Star pointed that if they don't do anything to makes a notable impact in the survivors and gives them hope to faces the Team rocket, would be matter of time to that Team rocket and Nova branch takes over the world, piece by piece. I hope that this coalition can manage to rally a notable number of people to re-establishes the original order, before it would be too late.

As another point, the relationship between Team rocket and Nova Branch makes me think in the relationship between Shinra and Deepground of Final Fantasy 7 universe, in the sense that the Team rocket and Shinra are the main organizations that act as one of the most notable antagonists in their respective stories. While Nova Branch and Deepground are top secret divisions of the Team rocket and Shinra, that are barely known for some select people, thus making most of their activities unknown for the heroes, adding that this divisions showed have more powerful and advanced weapons and more trained soldiers than their main branches, making to Nova Branch and Deepground potentially more dangerous and even more powerful than Team rocket and Shinra respectively. Adding that in the case of Deepground, only for that Shinra ended disbanded after the events of Final Fantasy 7, this didn't means the fallout of Deepground, in fact, they simply set in motion their plans without any hindrance, adding that without the influence of Shinra, the new leaders could takes over completely the division without any interference, allowing them even makes more drastic plans than the main branch could even dares to think.

My point is that if exists some similarity between Deepground and Nova Branch, this would means that the fall of the Team rocket, wouldn't implies some notable hindrance to Nova Branch, meaning that the plan of Mr Star and Ash about get rid the Team rocket and waits that this would causes a hard blow to the Nova Branch, could be futile, as to this point, Nova branch could already has more power than team rocket, making the main branch now a "cannon fodder", to serves as distraction against the heroes, while the Nova branch can operates without any interference.

To finish, regarding Christopher Lee, to considers that this character shares the same name that the real life actor of the Count Dooku of Star wars, Christopher Lee, i couldn't helps in imagines the physical appearance of Christopher Lee like the Count Dooku, even their voices, adding that both are villains known for be cunning and manipulative, capable to convinces many people to sides with them, adding that Christopher Lee as the Count Dooku took advantage of the disillusionment of the people to makes their arguments more valid, and managed to get their support, like when the count dooku convinced the separatists leaders to sides with him to overthrows the republic after showed their corruption, setting in motion the clone wars, much like Christopher Lee convinced the survivors of the Orange islands to sides with him, and put them against the Legendary pokemon, especially Lugia and the Legendary birds, for the damages caused by "their" war.

Keep the good job."

Creator: If only real world corporations were as noble as the ones in our fic haha. The relation between Rocket and Nova are actually very similar to Shinra and Deepground, with the only exception that everyone in the Pokemon world knows Team Rocket is evil whereas Shinra was able to make themselves so necessary with their corporation that those who lived under them almost never knew they were evil. Wonder if we'll see anything like that in this fic later?

Plus, we're about to see the opposite of that scenario. What happens if the Nova Branch goes down first, if they even do? But you're definitely right that they seem to be more powerful than Team Rocket. At least, more powerful than what we've seen of Team Rocket.

I actually didn't know Dooku's real life name was the same as our resident villain until recently, so that's interesting. Hydra named the character, so maybe he knew? Unfortunately, Dooku and our Lee look nothing alike. Dooku is tall, distinguished and proud whereas Lee is, while still tall, also pretty round in shape and often knelt over. Of course, you can feel free to imagine him however you want.

Hydra: I was aware that the actor for Dooku had a similar name, but I was never actually influenced by him to choose the name. The name "Christopher Lee" mainly comes from me thinking the name Chris was cool and the name Lee came from Lee Everet from the walking dead game.

Guest 2: "Oleana: "You are the chosen one! It was said that you would be a responsible person, not an inconsiderate one! You're supposed to be on time, not leave us waiting for you!"

Ash: "I AM SORRY"

Oleana: "You were like my son, Ash! I loved you!"

(And Oleana leaves the scene crying)

Ash: …"

Creator: Only a Nova Brancher deals in absolutes.

Hydra: I will do what I must.

Leafy: " ooookay so leafy's been thinking this for awhile now but.. mister star and the evil guy lee both have a feeling of being the same.. like either they're the same guy or lee is the son of star and even the names of their groups are similar and it's just bothering leafy so much."

Creator: That's quite the unique theory you have there. The naming schemes are admittedly similar too. The name 'Nova' as in the Nova Branch was something Hydra had planned for years and years, though that's something he can tell you more about himself. Part of the name 'Star' was related to how I thought the third Gen 7 title would have been Pokemon Star. The existence of the Star Foundation was something we had planned for a long time, even before the end of Arc 1. We just hadn't fleshed the idea out until around Chapter 16.

Hydra: The entire idea of the name "Nova" was chosen by me because I always loved the idea of a star going supernova and exerting enough force to destroy an entire system.

DarkPugLord23: "Ah, while I do love me some angst, it's always good to have a moment of calm. I had my suspicions about Mr Star, due to his slightly peculiar behavior during their conversation on the roof, but I'm glad to see he was just joking about it. I hope so, anyways. Also, merry festive month, and let's just hope that the Mayans didn't suffer from dyslexia and 2021 isn't going to be the end of the world."

Creator: Yeah, let's definitely hope the world doesn't end. Then we wouldn't be able to finish this thing. I hope this year is better than the last, but...I'm not holding my breath.

Hydra: Honestly for real, everyone is saying 2021 is going to be much better, but with how things are going it's probably going to get a lot worse before it gets better. Anyways thanks for the review!

G: "Plot Twist: Mr. Star is Christopher Lee, much like Palpatine is Darth Sidious XD"

Creator: Everybody thinks Mr. Star is a villain lmao. Where did this come from?

Hydra: Imagine seeing Mr. Star dressed in a dark robe and being able to shoot lightning from his fingers XD now that'd be something to see.

Anonymous (Chapter 20): "What about Marshadow? Magearna? Gen 8?"

Creator: I assume two of these questions were already answered for you in later chapters. Not sure about Magearna yet, since it's man-made and fully robotic unlike the other man-made Pokemon.

Hydra: Yea you've most likely already had those questions answered by now assuming you read to where we are currently.

Anonymous (Chapter 34): "So every other Legend knows about this?"

Creator: This is in reference to Ryder VS Mewtwo, right? Today's chapter hopefully answers that for you.

Hydra: ^

Anonymous (Chapter 38): "Who is the Champion of Alola? Is it Gladion, considering Ash hasn't gone to Alola yet, Gladion is the strongest trainer in the region? (Look at the Alola Pokemon League- Manalo Conference.) I see you are with the anime rather than the games.

Creator: Not sure about who Alola's Champ is. It would either be between Gladion or Professor Kukui since Kukui fought Ash for the title after he beat Gladion. But then again, in the last chapter, Lusamine told Ash that Lillie stepped up to become a trainer as well due to Necrozma and Team Rocket. She's also a potential choice. I dunno yet, since I haven't actually thought about it.

Hydra: I haven't watched very much of Alola so I wouldn't personally know, but you are correct in saying this fic is based off the anime instead of the games.

Creator: Though this chapter took a sudden change in plot direction, I hope you all enjoyed it either way. Ash just happened to show up at the right time, as he usually does. He certainly didn't expect to immediately know the location of Nova Branch HQ on his first mission with the Legends. But here's something to hype you all up: It won't be his last mission with Legends. Next chapter begins the raid on Nova Branch HQ, featuring Ash, Lugia, Articuno, Moltres, Entei, Raikou, Suicune, Kyogre, Keldeo, Reshiram, and who could forget about Giratina?

Hydra: Well boys and girls that wraps it up for this one. The next chapter will certainly be a big one so be ready for some action! But anyways I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and thank you to all the people who reviewed you guys are the ultimate chads!