Pokextinction

by THE CREATOR and Hydra

The world is on the verge of collapse when a man who despises Pokemon with a burning passion and the ruthless rampaging Necrozma threaten world destruction. With tensions rising between every single Legendary Pokemon, even Arceus and Mew won't be able to stop the coming fire... And when all hope is lost, the world will turn to Ash.

59. Chapter 59: Enemy Unveiled

From the southern end of New Goldenrod City, bunches of wild Pokemon had formed a wall. While hordes upon hordes of vicious Pokemon filled the streets, others such as Bug-Types climbed the sides of buildings, prowling and crawling along the windows. Above them, thousands of Flying-Types swarmed the edges of the city on all sides. The result was a living, impenetrable wall which could not be breached.

Dozens of trainers viciously attacked the southern edge with their Pokemon, but their wild enemy hardly seemed so wild. The most durable Pokemon, like Aggron and Golem, mustered Protect to ward off their attacks before slinking back behind their companions so others could take their place.

"Darn it!" Cursed a blonde trainer. He said to his Pokemon, "Lilligant, try again to break them up using Teeter Dance!" Nodding, the Grass-Type Pokemon stepped forward and began to twirl in an odd fashion. The combination of its unorthodox movements and the colors of the flowers adorning it were meant to befuddle the enemy Pokemon, but its affects were once again warded off by the enemy's Protect.

The same could not be said for the Bug-Types along the walls. Those that witnessed the dance became restless, growing more and more irritated by the dance until they began shrieking loudly. The trainers and their Pokemon were immediately put on edge by the noise, turning their attention to the buildings around them. Until now, the Bug-Types had merely been observing. Now, they began crawling down the walls and windows en masse.

Hordes of Bug-Types like Ariados and Galvantula soon gathered around the group of trainers. At first, the trained Pokemon rushed to defend their trainers Yet no matter how much they attacked, the bugs merely crawled over them to get to their masters.

"Wh-what are they doing?!" A young, female trainer cried. "Why are they coming after us?!"

The bugs eyed them with nothing but malice behind their eyes. It hardly even seemed feral. There was an intelligence behind them. An intelligence with hatred. Some of them nipped at the trainers' ankles, making them step back. The trainers gathered as close to each other as they could, but with the encroaching bugs, their movement space became more and more limited. All the trainers could do was close their eyes as tightly as possible, holding onto one another's hands.

And then, a cyan hoof gently touched the grass just outside the city. Some of the Pokemon making up the wall turned around to see the source of the noise. Their eyes briefly shot wide before they crouched and hissed at the intruder. They shrieked as colorful light suddenly swirled around them like wisps, and before they knew it, thick vines began to crawl up their ankles and ensnare them. The wild Pokemon thrashed against their bindings with diminishing results once more of the vines grew.

The bugs chittered once these vines reached them. In awe, the trainers and their Pokemon watched with gaping jaws as those vines crawled up the sides of the buildings and latched onto the wild Pokemon there. Far above, the Flying-Types excitedly chirped and cawed in response to what was going on below, but none dared to do anything about it once they saw the fates of their friends. That, and the orders that filled their ears from the tiny metal pieces sticking in them.

"Do not approach Xerneas yet. Observe for now. All captured Pokemon now have the complete authority to attack trained Pokemon rather than situational authority. We will see how Xerneas decides how to use its healing between them and their trainers."

Xerneas's hooves clacked against the streets as she entered the city. "Strange," She mused upon looking at the myriad of wooden cocoons she had trapped the wild Pokemon in. "My powers are not calming them in the slightest. Perhaps it is not their will that caused this attack?" Upon noticing the bunch of frightened trainers staring up at the elegant Legend, she turned to them and asked, "Would any of you happen to know if Ash Ketchum has returned to the city?"

Shakily, one of the trainers managed to nod and replied, "Y-yes, Xerneas. Ash is fighting the Pokemon as well. H-he should be near the center of the city, I think. I don't know if he's still there. I-I was fighting with him for a while, but he had us run away."

Nodding, Xerneas raised her head to look past them into the city. Displeased at the state of New Goldenrod, she narrowed her eyes. "...Thank you," She told them. "You all should get out of the city while there is still an opening. I will find Ash. Together, we may be able to put a stop to this."

---

90%

Ryder stood motionless as he gazed upon the fallen Weavile, still hanging upon the claw of Genesect. If he felt anything, it was hidden away behind his armor. Even when Genesect hurled Weavile's body at his feet, Ryder gave it little more than a passing glance.

Latias couldn't bring her eyes away from the body. Forcing himself to tear his gaze from it, Ash turned his sights upon Genesect. "We don't have to kill them, you know! Even if you hate them, they at least have valuable information!"

When Genesect did not reply to this, he growled beneath his teeth and forced back something he knew he'd regret saying. Instead, he shouted, "The population is shrinking every day, and today certainly doesn't help! We can stop this without-!"

Suddenly and forcefully, Genesect's attention snapped toward him. "Be quiet!" She hissed. "I'm not listening to another word. This organization cannot be reasoned with. Give them an inch and they'll take a mile, along with the lives of everything within that mile. Anything they could possibly know is less valuable to your efforts than their corpses."

Snidely, she turned back toward Ryder. "Anything to say?" Genesect asked Ryder. "Doesn't the sight of your old partner stricken down sicken you? Does it make your blood boil?"

Facing her, he casually replied, "I had higher expectations of it. If it was killed that easily, then it wasn't worth keeping around."

Amused, Genesect chortled at his answer. "I figured as much. Perhaps you do not understand what I mean when I referred to that Weavile as your partner. You couldn't remember what your life was like before what you call the "Nova Branch" got their hands on you."

Ryder casted a quick glance over at the tower. It was taking them longer than anticipated to get to the point of their visit. Perhaps they wanted to give the boy a chance. Either way, if time was what they needed, then it was his role to abide.

---

Harboring a smile indicative of the pride he felt over his handiwork, Christoper Lee reentered Mr. Star's office with the rest of his men following closely behind. Pale faces on the remaining CEOs made that grin widen. However, he could not see the face of Mr. Star. It was shadowed by his hands clasped together against his forehead.

As he slumped into the chair opposite of Mr. Star, Lee said, "By the looks on your faces, it seems you've figured out how the rest of today is going to go. The question remains…" He shifted his eyes around the room, making those his gaze landed upon flinch. "…In what order?"

Lusamine winced when he turned toward her abruptly. "Ah, Lusamine," Began the portly man as he twiddled with his goatee, "Besides the Pokemon League and the Star Foundation, your Pokemon-protecting Aether Foundation stands as an affront to everything we at Team Rocket stand for. As it stands, you seem to be the clear cut choice for the next one in line."

"If you're expecting a reaction out of me, you'll get none," Lusamine replied, sitting tall in her chair. However, the ghostly white color of her face and her trembling shoulders betrayed her.

Chortling, a noise that irritated Lusamine to her core, Lee replied, "I expected as much. However…" He began rubbing his fingers together as he laid back in his seat. Like those of an Ekans preying upon a Rattata, his eyes shifted toward her darkly. "…I wonder if your little Gladion and Lillie would say the same?"

Lusamine felt her blood run cold. On instinct, she rushed to her feet and cried, "Don't you dare-!" The Nova Branch soldier behind her knocked her back into her seat with the butt of his gun, making her cry out and reach at the stricken area.

"Don't be hasty," Chided Lee, lazily raising his palm at her. "They will come to no harm so long as their mother is compliant and polite for the rest of our meeting." His chair groaned when he turned it, turning his attention toward a wide-eyed Oleana. "Besides, I have someone else in mind next."

In response to this, Oleana began to unsteadily move around in her seat. Her hands flexed and shifted rapidly, and she found herself futilely looking about the room for anything that could help her. The only thing keeping her in her chair was the feeling of the gun pressing against her hair.

Shakily, she replied, "Y-you cannot b-be serious! R-Rose is a v-very powerful…h-he won't just let you…I know that-"

She was cut off when Lee suddenly leaned forward, hitting his arms upon the table with a thump dampened by his sleeves. "That," He said, "Is what I'm counting on. In fact, why don't you give him a call right now? I was terribly excited to meet him, you know, but he was unfortunately too busy to show up to this meeting."

With a knowing smile, Lee beckoned for Oleana to take out her phone. "I doubt," He said, "That he would be heartless enough to be too busy for this. Especially if he has been paying attention to the news. He and I have some negotiating to do."

---

Deciding to entertain Genesect, Ryder replied, "I have no concern over what I was like before then. All that matters is what I am now. As far as I am concerned, the change was for the better. My purpose in life is to end yours and the rest of you putrid Pokemon." Without bothering to even give Weavile a second glance, he merely motioned to it. "Any Pokemon that cannot serve as a means to get rid of the rest is better off out of the way."

"Is that so?" Asked Genesect. "The data I accrued from your files says that you were quite close to that Weavile when it was just a Sneasel. Perhaps that Nova Branch base had more data than you gave it credit for." Her eyes glinted when she added, "Or should I say Nova Corporation?"

Ash and Serena shot odd looks at Genesect.

"Nova…?"

"…Corporation?"

Suddenly, Ryder firmly gripped his blade. Within its hilt, the crystal shard trapped inside began to spin rapidly. Loose streaks of energy, black as night, began finding their own way out of the sword, and the blue flames that adorned the blade momentarily erupted skyward like a geyser. Ash and Latias were forced to shield their faces from the heat. And then, all of a sudden, the flames stopped.

And Genesect's arm was skewered.

Ryder ripped the metal appendage right out of its socket and flicked it over his head, letting it clatter at Zeraora's feet. Everyone who saw how quickly Ryder had moved was left without words. Yet this affected no one as much as Ash. He couldn't even sense Ryder's intent before he had already struck.

Coating her claw in a silver sheen, Genesect attempted to retaliate with a metal claw aimed at the small mark she had made in his visor earlier. However, her arm sailed past Ryder's head when he tilted it. When she tried to retaliate once more, her damage sensors suddenly alerted her of severe damage to her center.

She slowly looked down, finding his blade piercing straight through her chest. Another upward flick of Ryder's wrist sent her skyward, and a subsequent stomp to her chest put her back in the ground. The glint of his blade reflected in Genesect's eyes as it came down with the intent to skewer her head. An emerald green glow from within the concrete just above her head made Ryder stop his assault and jump back just as a Techno Beam was launched into the sky.

As Ryder landed some distance away from her, Genesect ripped herself out of the street she was embedded in. "Well," She said, straightening her back, "That certainly got a reaction."

Ryder sheathed his blade, but kept his hand firmly on its hilt. When next he spoke, it was with the straightforward intensity of a bullet. "How do you know that name?" He growled.

Genesect briefly eyed her severed arm near Zeraora before answering, "The same way I know what you used to be. The same way I know what you are now." With her remaining claw, she tapped the side of her head. "Perhaps you did not give that base enough credit. It may have been old and outdated when it came to your tech, but it served as a great library detailing what you…all of your kind are."

Slowly, Ryder began to tighten his hold on the hilt. Even with his visor in the way, Genesect could feel him staring straight into her burning eyes. If she had anything to say regarding the subject of his master, then he was ready to sacrifice the current mission even if it meant destroying more of the city than necessary. He would take her head and crush it no matter the cost.

With bated breath, he spoke in a low dry tone, almost whispering. , "…How much?"

It was clear to Genesect that there was an answer that he was expecting—almost wanting—to hear. Even she realized the danger she now found herself in. Evidently, it wasn't only his sword that had been strengthened since they last met. His armor allowed him to move far faster than either of the records she had on him detailed.

She almost glanced over at Weavile, but knew that if she took her eyes off him, even for a moment, she was dead. "It's a shame that you care more about that than your old partner."

"If you believe that I care for that waste of our resources, save it," He hissed.

Ash suddenly gasped when his Aura flickered in response to another presence. On the southern edge of the city, something powerful was near. The sensation of it felt much like a powerful concentration of Aura, yet different somehow.

Ryder's head twitched toward Ash slightly in response to his sudden outburst. Quickly realizing his mistake, he turned back toward Genesect and went to cleave her in two, only for a blazing metal foot to be driven into his face. The blow sent him hurtling through the building behind him and out the opposite end.

Whilst the armored man recovered from her attack, Genesect whipped around to Zeraora and screamed, "Throw it, now!"

At first, Zeraora was stunned by her shout. He blinked, glancing up and down between Genesect and her arm before the command suddenly clicked in his mind. "Y-yeah, got it!" Taking the arm in hand, lightning surged all across his body. And with the speed of that lightning, he threw the metal appendage back to its owner.

Quickly swiping it out of the air, Genesect shoved the arm back into its socket. Immediately, the nanomachines began to weld the broken pieces back together. Her eyes lit up as approaching danger was sensed, but in that fraction of a second, even as one of her arms was not yet fully healed, she decided to try something.

"Iron Defense."

A shining sheen washed over her metal flesh just as she raised an arm to clash with Ryder's blade. It cut about halfway through her arm. Still, it was better than going all the way through. Shifting her other claw into a hand, she used his stuck blade to her advantage.

"Counter."

Using the power of Ryder's strike, Genesect swung up into the armored man's gut and sent him skyward. She looked down at the injured arm and flexed it, then said, "Recover." Instantly, a green energy washed over her body, and the damage faded. Had she a more flexible mouth, she would have grinned.

"The healing rate is even faster than before," She noted pridefully. "I had only been testing the machine half of me." Her burning eyes turned toward the sky, unflinchingly watching the armored man descend upon her with his blade poised to strike.

Genesect knelt onto the ground. "Agility." A vibrant white energy coursed across her body, carried by the myriad of tiny machines making up her body. "Agility." She could feel it. The rush of energy racing throughout her form. With gleeful excitement in her eyes, she locked onto Ryder. "Agility."

Lightning spiraled around Zeraora as he roared out in defiance against his own injuries. "I won't be left out of this!" He declared, pushing the main of his aching bones out of his mind. "You're not the only one who knows Agility!" He kicked off the ground and bounded up at Ryder, bringing back his plasma-coated paws. "You're mine! I won't let anyone take this from me!"

Azure flames poured from Ryder's blade the moment he unsheathed it. It was as if the flames themselves were eager to set the targets of its wielder alight. He brought the blade out about halfway when Genesect stood back up to meet him. Her eyes met with his visor, just inches away from the flaming blade between them.

His eyes going wide as he sensed the intentions of the three, Ash pulled Latias along and began to make a beeline back to everyone else. "Run!" He screamed, frantically waving his hand. "Get behind cover! They're going to-"

"Extreme Speed."

What happened next was a blur. All Ash heard behind him was the sound of thunder, with the rapidity of rain. Windows were shattered, the street was splintered, and chunks of buildings were pulverized by invisible blows. Terrified, the trainers shrieked with fear as they ran. The screaming ahead of Ash and the thunderous crashing behind him, if only for a moment, brought him back to the scene of the war five months ago.

Genesect suddenly crashed into the ground ahead of the trainers with a loud clang. Her red eyes seemed to gaze straight through them, as if they weren't there. The pale-faced trainers quickly stopped in their tracks. As Genesect knelt down, an emerald light began to manifest within her cannon.

Ash felt his blood run cold. He turned around, and what he found confirmed his fears. Ryder stood behind the group and awaited Genesect's fire. His visor was ready to record the tragedy about to occur. In the eyes of Genesect, when she used Lock-On to identify what was ahead of her, the only things that registered were a target, and a group of obstacles with faces in the way of that target.

Immediately, Ash ran toward the head of the group. His feet moved faster than his head. As he pushed aside his Pokemon and the trainers, his contact with them siphoned off as much Aura as they could spare without harm. Some of them stumbled with a sudden dizziness as he passed.

The Techno Beam shot toward the crowd, impacting Ash's barrier the moment he made it to the front. Though his barrier shielded everyone, the beam itself completely covered it, leaving nowhere for the others to run. He was unable to withhold a cry as his arms immediately began burning from the stress of holding back the attack.

"Ash!" Latias and Serena cried as they rushed toward him. Latias instantly rushed into action using Psychic to strengthen his barrier. Serena suddenly paused when she watched this. In her mind, she struggled to come up with an answer of her own. Something that she could do to help.

These thoughts were interrupted when Ash's Pokemon pushed past her. Standing at the side of their trainer, they launched attacks at Genesect's techno cannon to push it back. Genesect's irate response was to increase the pressure, and their attacks were immediately forced back.

Serena looked to her own Pokemon as she tried to think of something they could do to help. But all she could do was stare at them despondently, her panicked mind attempting to come up with a million solutions and ending up with none.

Clefable waved its fingers at Serena, as if offering to use Metronome, but Serena knew how much of a gambit that was. She recalled the words spoken to her during her and Ash's Gym Battle in Vermillion City. Her luck wouldn't last forever. Metronome could very well save them as much as it could doom them. As Serena helplessly glanced back at Ash and the beam, she was not brave enough to gamble with their lives. Heartbroken by the doubt of its trainer, Clefable lowered its arms.

Kneeling down, Ryder prepared to launch himself into the barrier. He would swipe up the boy and his girlfriend and whisk them off to safety, leaving the rest to their fates. He had the recording he needed, but could yet afford the loss of those two. Though his master would prefer their Pokemon being kept alive for the time being If only for the sake of their morale, it was not a loss that would impact the remainder of the plan.

A flash of lightning raced across the building to his left, then suddenly turned and raced toward him. "I've got your blind spot!" Boasted Zeraora with a primed Plasma Fists attack. Yet as he neared the armored man, his ear twitched at the sound of something nearby.

It was the sound of a girl. One that was very young. From within Ash's barrier, a small girl grasped onto the shirt of her older brother, sobbing in terror. There was another cry. This one, from Ash. Despite his best efforts, the beam began to overpower him. His Aura flared out like a Star against it, but the effect was dwindling. Then, a crack sounded out, and that little girl wailed.

A black paw stomped onto the ground just beside Ryder. Then, it turned. A streak of lightning shot alongside the barrier, then straight through it. Ash only had a fraction of a second to turn his head at the noise before he was suddenly knocked onto his side.

A potent, blinding web of writhing lightning burst out from Zeraora's fur, and he let out a proud howl as his plasma-coated paws crashed into the Techno Beam and stopped it in its tracks. The stray lightning loosing itself from his body began to coalesce along his arms, then down to his fists. The trainers and their Pokemon could not even gaze at the light of his hands for fear of being rendered blind.

"Zap Cannon!"

All of the lightning charging in his body was shot forward in one final burst. In an instant, the Techno Beam was compromised. The attack flew straight through it, as if it was not even there, and crashed into Genesect with titanic force.

The buildings near and behind her were stripped of their windows and partially bent inward as the remaining force of the attack blew past them, and before long, the entire street where and behind Genesect was became coated in a thick, black, burnt dust.

What was left was Zeraora and those he had saved. As they stared at him with gaping jaws and disbelief painted on their faces, he panted for air, small, lingering zaps appearing along his fur. Ryder scoffed and turned off his recording before darting away. This action caused something within the smoke to beep, making Zeraora's breath catch in his throat.

For a split second, he saw Genesect, surrounded by the barrier of Protect. This was all he was afforded before she disappeared, and he gasped as he felt a sudden burning in his gut. Ash, Serena and the others gasped. Daring a look down, Zeraora found an X-Scissor in his stomach, and Genesect's claw attached to it.

Genesect leaned in toward his ear. "My threat to him to stay out of my way did not extend only to him." He gasped in pain as she removed her claw. "Now, I'll have to go find him all over again. You had better hope he hasn't left the city. Otherwise, you might as well let yourself bleed out while you have the chance."

Then, she took off, the force of her jump knocking Zeraora onto his side. This finally caused his real reaction to the injury to come to the surface, and he began weakly crying out as he held his opened chest.

While the others were frozen with shock, Ash managed to pull himself to his feet and rush to Zeraora's side. His arms and legs ached, crying out at him for pushing himself. He didn't care. As he knelt down, he began to pump what little Aura he could spare into Zeraora's wound.

Weakly, Zeraora forced his shaking arm to rise, then grabbed into Ash's wrist. "Get off!" He hissed between ragged breaths. "I don't want to be saved by a human!"

Even as his claws threatened to penetrate Ash's skin, the contact merely resulted in his ivory Aura crawling down to aid in closing the wound. "I don't care," Ash told him simply. He ignored Zeraora's claws to focus solely on healing.

Though Zeroara kept up as much of a scowl as he could muster, he allowed his arm to fall back to the ground. "…Why? Why go this far for me? I tried to kill you and your friends when we first met."

To that, Ash glanced around him at the ground burnt black where Zeraora had attacked. "Clearly something changed if you were willing to defend us. Even if you were still an enemy…" Ash trailed off, then shook his head. "…No. I don't think you were ever really an enemy. If we want the world to return to normal, then I can't keep calling anyone an enemy."

Zeraora croaked out a laugh in spite of his pain. "You're naive. Enemies are all around us. You're healing one of yours right now. And what of Genesect and that monster they're fighting? What about the Pokemon attacking your home?" He pointed a clawed thumb up at Star Tower. "Or the bastards that made that old human dive off that building?"

A yellow paw grabbed at Ash's shirt. "You cannot reason with any of them!" Zeraora hissed. "If you try, they'll take that chance to bring you lower. Look around you! Humans and Pokemon are dying. Will your opinion stay the same when one of those people is someone close to you?"

"Then why did you save us?" Ash asked, choosing to ignore the latter question. "If we're your enemy and we'd just take advantage of you, why help us?"

Zeraora responded with a scoff. "Don't look too far into it. I just didn't want Genesect taking my kill is all." He chuckled mirthfully. "Keep healing me and maybe I'll show you what I mean. There are lots of humans around."

It was an empty threat. Ash could sense the hollowness in his intent through the Auric bond between them. "Why do you hate humans? Is it because of that man in armor?"

A low grumble exited Zeraoea's mouth as he tilted his head. In the distance, he could see two shadowy blurs racing across the city skyline and reached out toward them with a trembling claw. He hissed in anger as he clenched his fist shut. Ash was surprised by the sensation of sorrow buried deep within Zeraora's rage.

"That man…took everything from me."

Suddenly, Zeraora's body began to tremble. "Did you know that I came here seven months ago to fight Necrozma when I heard the call of Arceus?"

The eyes of those who heard him widened. "You did?" Latias asked. "I never saw you."

With a low groan, Zeraora replied, "I suppose I wouldn't be worth remembering to a Legend. But I was there. I came to risk my life against that demon. I had a home worth protecting. But…I couldn't even scratch that monster."

He rolled his head to look at Ash. "That's why I didn't believe you when you told me you were the one that brought him down. Either way, it doesn't matter. When I returned home, I unknowingly brought something with me." Shaking his head, he said, "I don't know why, but that man followed me home."

"Why were they following you?" Serena asked. "There were plenty of other Legends."

Latias narrowed her eyes and hummed to herself in thought. "I think I know," She admitted. Glancing back down at Zeraora, she said, "You're clearly a strong Pokemon, but I've never seen one of your kind before. Arceus hasn't recognized you as a Legend either. Those maniacs were probably more interested in using an unknown Pokemon like you for something. After all, it wouldn't have attracted Arceus's attention."

"Figures," Spoke Zeraora with a chuckle. "I guess I just wasn't worth considering. Neither was my home. And…neither was she." His mouth suddenly twisted down to the edges of his chin. "I used to live out in a forest by a city. There was a little girl, a human one, that used to bring me food. When I came home from fighting Necrozma, she ran up to me, and then…"

His breath suddenly became ragged. "…Something silver cut through the air, and…she just…became still!" His claws dug into the gravel underneath him. "That bastard killed her."

A series of gasps rang out from the group of trainers. "What?!" Cried Serena. "But wasn't he after you? Why would he kill another human?"

"Because he's a monster," Hissed Zeraora, "Just like all humans are. He ran away before I could do anything, so I just tried to bring the girl back to the city to try to save her. I found the city in flames. That man in armor was there alongside others wearing that same exploding star."

In more anger than pain, Zeraora growled and bared his fangs. "It was just like today! He was watching the city burn from a rooftop, but I was the only one that saw before he ran away! When I found other people, they took one look at me and blamed me for the girl's death. They were blaming the Pokemon in the city for the destruction!"

As his blood curdled, he found his throat becoming sore from growling. This only angered him further. "Those humans…! They didn't listen to a word I said! I was chased out and had to leave the girl, and wherever I went, I saw only more corruption from humans."

He slammed his fist into the ground. Even with how weak he had become, it still left a crack. "I saw more humans committing atrocities. There were more people with that exploding star, others in black with a red letter on their suits, and…" He and Ash shared a knowing glance even before Zeraora finished his sentence. "…Poachers. Everywhere I looked, I saw people tormenting Pokemon. I could not stand it any longer and swore to destroy them all."

Suddenly, Serena stepped forward and knelt by his side. "But, you liked that little girl, didn't you?"

Zeraora sneered up at her. "What is your point?"

"If you hate all of humanity," Began Serena, "Then don't you hate her too?"

His eyes briefly went wide as he heard that, but he growled and turned away. However, in doing so, he ended up glancing at the child whom he had saved from Genesect upon hearing their cry. All he could do was shut his eyes tightly.

He barked, "Shut up! Don't talk about things you know nothing about!"

"The point is," Said Ash, "Not all humans are your enemy. All around us are people that came here to help fight Team Rocket and the Nova Branch. And right now, they're being killed by Pokemon. You said this was the same thing that happened before, so don't you want to stop it from happening a second time?"

Zeraora gave no response but a snarl. Angrily, Ash pressed more of his Aura into the wound on reflex. "They're using you! If you just keep attacking people, you're falling into their hands. They're trying to pit people against Pokemon, but we need each other to survive. This isn't a war between people and Pokemon. It's us against the ones trying to drive us apart."

Before the electric wolf could respond, Ash suddenly doubled over, clutching at his head as he yelled out in pain. Startled, Zeraora attempted to sit up, only for its wound to flare up and make him wince.

"Ash!" Cried Serena and Latias. They and Ash's Pokemon crowded near him. Putting her hands on his shoulders, Serena cried, "What's wrong? What happened?"

She was soon given an answer when a shockwave tore through the air from several streets over. There was screaming, followed by a terribly loud crash. Ash could sense it. The battle between Genesect and Ryder appeared to be increasing in intensity, and more innocents were being caught in the crossfire. With Ash's Aura diminishing and his stamina all but gone, the sensation was too much to bear.

From the alleyways, screaming trainers began piling into the streets. Some of them were barely hobbling, covered in wounds and bruises. They were almost being dragged along to keep them from dropping. It was a sight that stunned the other trainers around Ash. One of the trainers fleeing from the battle, upon taking notice of Ash, cried, "It's Ash! Look, everyone, it's Ash! If we stay near him, we'll be safe!"

There was an instant change in the clamoring from panic to excitement as some of the trainers branched off from the fleeing group and surrounded those near Ash. They let loose praises and fanatical cheers, believing they had found a ray of hope. However, those cheers soon lost momentum when they witnessed the state of their hero.

Still clutching at his head, Ash turned his wide eyes toward the direction the trainers had fled from. "Don't stop!" He pleaded. "Run! Get out of here!"

"Ash?" Asked a worried Serena. "What's going on?"

She and the other trainers soon got their answer when wild Pokemon stomped through the alleyways, pushing against one another as they attempted to grab the trainers that lagged behind. From the tops of buildings, Bug-Types began crawling down in hordes. Even Ghost-Types like Friesland and Gengar began to appear out of thin air, sending a wretched chill up the spines of those who beheld them.

Serena found herself instinctively moving closer to Ash, wrapping her arms around him protectively. "Pokemon? Are they chasing the trainers?"

"N-not just that," Whimpered a pained Ash. "That man in armor…the wild Pokemon ran from him before. His fight with Genesect is driving them toward us." He bit his lip to stop him from groaning in pain. "Because…"

Flames of Aura were being snuffed out by the hundreds in the wake of their battle. Carelessly tossed aside like trash in the way. It was just like before. Buildings being damaged or even falling into the streets, taking untold lives as they fell. It didn't matter if they were ally or enemy. To those two, everyone and everything was little more than an obstacle.

With each clash of blades, more flames of life would be blown out as if they were candles. A slash from a claw would take out dozens more. And with their speed, every impact made would send out shockwaves that silenced the screams of the unfortunate. There was nothing they could do.

Steadily, the wild Pokemon encroached upon the group of trainers. Rising back to her full height, Serena motioned for her and Ash's teams to prepare for a fight. She noticed that, even though the two teams stepped up without hesitation, they appeared to be unsteady. All the fighting they had done, and the Aura Ash had took from them to sustain his barrier, was catching up to them.

The trainers backed away as the oncoming Pokemon slowly surrounded them. Serena asked, "How many of you have Pokemon that can still fight?" Only a few raised their hands, which wasn't exactly inspiring.

Serena wondered how that could have happened. After all, the wild Pokemon weren't attacking the trained Pokemon. They were only after humans. Had something changed? Or did it have something to do with the armored man? Either way, the surrounding Pokemon did not give her the luxury of asking these questions aloud.

Suddenly, the wild Pokemon stopped. They stood still, facing the trainers from every possible angle. Their maws slowly opened wide in an unsettling synchronized fashion. It was as if they were machines rather than Pokemon. Between Serena's team, Ash's, and the spare Pokemon the rest of the trainers had that could still fight, they hardly had enough between them to encircle the trainers.

Zeraora hissed, not content to merely lay down and await death. Clenching his paw shut, the wolf sent lightning crawling down his arm to instill feeling in his limbs again. Yet when the lightning met with his still-opened would, his eyes shot wide at the overwhelming sensation of burning. He clenched his teeth hard enough to nearly make them shatter against one another in order to keep himself from vocalizing the full extent of the burning sensation.

The added pain did not go unnoticed by Ash, who winced at the sensation as if the wound was his own. Instinctively, he reached out to try and alleviate the pain. He couldn't think at all, and so his arm moved on its own. Yet when he tried to force out the Aura he had left, it came out as pathetic sputters of white embers.

"Latias?" Asked a worried Serena. "Do you think you can take them all? I don't know how many the rest of us can take down."

Latias's response came in the form of a delayed sigh of worry. She entertained the idea of whisking the trainers away with Psychic, but that would catch the attention of every other wild Pokemon in the city. It didn't matter if they ran. There was nowhere to run.

"I don't know…" She admitted. Still, merely glancing down at Ash filled her with at least some determination. Her claws elongated into a wreath of emerald colored energy to form Dragon Claw, and her eyes became veiled with a red light. "…But whatever happens, I can promise I won't make it easy for them."

Another resounding shockwave boomed over the city. This one was much closer than the one before. So close that one of the buildings visible to the trainers had its windows blown out. Ash grasped at his head, throwing it back in agony. It nearly knocked everyone off of their feet, but it had less of an effect on the wild Pokemon. Even as they were jostled or knocked from the ground, they kept their eyes trained upon the trainers. As well as their attacks.

From within a dark room lit only by a myriad of computers, a man with an exploding star over his heart ordered, "Fire."

The Pokemon kept still, neither obeying the command or standing down. They were frozen, appearing befuddled yet unable to move their bodies.

That man repeated the order once more. "Fire."

This person sat within a room filled with others like him, ordering different sections of Pokemon. When the Pokemon once again refused to comply, he turned around in his chair and tapped the arm of a passing man in a labcoat. "Excuse me," He said, "But the Pokemon are no longer responding to commands. Is there a connection issue with the control chips?"

The scientist appeared just as surprised as the man issuing commands. "There shouldn't be an issue. Nothing short of the power of a Legendary Pokemon could interfere with an entire platoon of those wild ones."

Someone else raised their hand. "Sir, Xerneas is approaching Ash."

Immediately, the papers in the scientist's hands fell to the floor. "What?! How did it get past the Pokemon?!"

As Ash clutched his pounding head, something gently floated past it. Its presence changed Ash's demeanor. Slowly, he allowed his hands to move away from his head. The sensations of death were still there, and he still felt them as his own, yet the presence of the thing floating near Ash was like a shield. It was life. That much, Ash could sense on a whim.

A similar thing twirled over an unaware Zeraora, whose eyes were shut tight as he continued to recoil from the shock to his wound. The thing stopped for a moment, then turned and began to spin over the wolf. He flinched at the sudden sensation of movement on his hand and moved it away from the wound. To his shock, he watched as the injury began closing on its own.

All along the sides of the buildings, vines began to crawl. Some sprouted from the streets itself and upturned the pavement. When the vines touched the Pokemon, they recoiled as if the sensation shocked them. Yet no matter how much they squirmed and clawed at the growths, they successfully wrapped every single one of them.

The trainers were in awe at the sudden appearance of streaks of multicolored lights flying around them like wisps. Wherever they flew, the wounds of those near them seemed to disappear. Cuts closed in on themselves. Bruises returned to their normal skin color. Even broken and shattered bones painlessly reformed into their natural position.

That awe only increased when the trainers bore witness to the appearance of Xerneas herself.

"There you are, Ash. I have been trying to find you for quite a while now."

Zeraora was quick to jump to his feet, looking up at the rainbow-hued Xerneas with awe. "What did you do?"

To that, Xerneas gently tilted her head toward Ash and replied, "I only finished what he started. If you have any thanks to give, reserve them for him. Had his work not been carried out, you would have faded before I could arrive."

Zeraora's face wrinkled with uncertainty. He glanced over to Ash, who was still in the midst of catching his breath with his friends hovering over him even after Xerneas's aid. Before he could reply, there was another resounding shockwave. Ash and Xerneas glowered at the sensation of mass death that followed it. However, with Xerneas's life-filled presence rejuvenating him, he could at least endure it.

"We can't let them rampage any longer!" Shouted Ash.

"So," Spoke Xerneas, "This is what you have been facing. Such a shame what has happened to this city. No one should have to bear such a burden on their own."

Zeraora's attention was caught by the chittering and groaning of the wild Pokemon that were caught in Xerneas's vines. The way they writhed in their bindings reminded him too much of the sight of other Pokemon trapped in the nets of poachers. As he glanced back at Ash, he found himself staring into his ivory Aura. The flames that had saved his life even when he rejected him entranced him.

His mouth curled down. His thoughts were still all over the place. Even though this boy had saved him—even though he had saved this boy—Zeraora could not shake the images of what mankind had done to Pokemon in the past few months alone. It did not help that the entrapped wild Pokemon were all roaring and growling with anger all around him. He just couldn't trust a human. But he could at least save these Pokemon.

"Actually," Said Zeraora, "You do what you have to do to stop whatever's happening here." He nodded up at where the last shockwave had been. "I'll take care of them. I'll try to drive them out of the city so you can focus on saving the Pokemon…" Without giving Ash the chance to respond, he knelt down, allowing lightning to course along the fur of his legs. "…And the people here."

And then he was gone, disappearing in a flash of lightning. Ash held his hand out to where Zeraora had been, then retracted it in defeat. He let out a long sigh, the first good, deep breath he had in a while, and said, "I hope he knows what he's doing."

"At the very least, I doubt he'll let his guard down again," Mused Latias. "He should be fine. Besides, you heard him. We have to help out these Pokemon."

Ash nodded, putting a hand to his chin in thought. "But how to do that…" He glanced up at Xerneas. "Thanks again for coming, Xerneas. If you hadn't shown up when you did, it would have been ugly for all of us."

"Do not thank me yet," She replied, "For I have not yet achieved what I set out to do." Her eyes landed upon one of the myriad of rainbow-hued wisps of life energy that emanated from her. As it glided near the entrapped Pokemon alongside the walls of a building, it had no visible effect on their behavior. "Ash, have you had any luck in bringing these Pokemon out of their trances?"

Frowning, Ash shook his head. "I tried, but there's something else controlling them."

She merely nodded at that. "My experience was similar. Whatever spell they are under is clearly either powerful or completely out of the realm of our expertise."

The Pokemon squirmed in their bindings, something that made it difficult for Ash to take his attention off of. The way some of them writhed against their bindings made the vines dig into their skin and damage them. "I want to help them," He said," I mean look at them! I can't stand seeing them like this."

Xerneas followed his gaze, and upon seeing those Pokemon scratch the vines until their claws ruptured, nodded in agreement. As more vines wrapped around the damaged Pokemon to heal them, she said, "I agree. However, you have given me an idea." Just before healing the wound entirely, a tiny needle on the vine the width of a half of a hairpin slipped inside.

Turning back to him, Xerneas said, "Life, which I command, is only one active portion of the myriad of indescribable things that make up Aura. However, though the two forces are separate, they are compatible. Perhaps our powers can be used in conjunction to save these Pokemon."

As ivory Aura flittered between Ash's fingers, he had his doubts about that. "I don't know if I can help. My Aura is different from the natural Aura of our world."

Xerneas smiled at him kindly and replied, "Dearest Ash, that is exactly what I am talking about."

---

"You cannot be seriously asking me to do that."

On the opposite end of Oleana's phone, Chairman Rose was potentially having the most strenuous and utterly ridiculous phone call of his life. Considering just about every hour of his waking life was filled with strenuous and ridiculous phone calls, being the Chairman of the most important energy company in the world, that was saying something.

In response, a grinning Lee turned the camera of Oleana's phone toward himself and her, making sure the sight of the gun pointed at her head was clearly in sight. "Oh, but I am very serious. Chairman Rose, I'll have you know that this proposition means a lot to myself and Team Rocket."

It was very rare that a smile left Chairman Rose's face. Yet this man infuriated him to no end. "There is no proposition, Lee. You are holding my secretary hostage in exchange for personal gain. I am not going to let you or Team Rocket anywhere near the Galar Region, let alone our Dynamax energy mines."

Lee reached his arm around Oleana's shoulder. "Oh come, Mr. Chairman," He said, grinning at the uncomfortable look of utter contempt upon Oleana's face, "Be reasonable. As long as we have your cooperation, I can assure you that Team Rocket's efforts will not afflict your people as long as they stay out of our way. You mind your business and we mind ours."

Growing increasingly and uncharacteristically irate by the second, Chairman Rose leaned forward in his chair. "My business, Lee, partially pertains to keeping you out of my region at all costs. I am willing to negotiate with you, but the terms cannot include stepping foot on Galar." He opened his hand and tapped one finger on others as he counted off his options. "Money, materials, capital, Macro Cosmos has more than enough resources to give with the exception of Galar's land."

"Unless 'materials' includes exclusive access to your mines by our men…" Lee retracted his hand from Oleana's shoulder to instead grab the gun pointed at her head and pushed it to the point she had to bow. The action caused some mix of a whimper and a growl from her. "…You had better become a more apt negotiator, Rose."

Cleverly hiding the full extent of his contempt for the man, Rose momentarily closed his eyes and breathed out a quick sigh. When his eyes opened again, they were accompanied by his signature breadwinning smile. "Very well," He said, "Let us go over your terms once more, and perhaps we can reach an agreement."

Lee spat out a humph. "By agreement, you mean settlement." Rose's smile faltered for a split second, but that small instance of time did not go unnoticed by Lee. "Rose, you disappoint me. I would have expected someone like you, who has climbed to the top of the world through business, to be so utterly transparent."

With Oleana's phone, he kicked his chair away from her and rolled back to the edge of the table opposite of Mr. Star. "And apparently," He said, "I am not being transparent enough, given that my words are not as clear as I want. So, let me make myself perfectly clear."

Turning the phone toward Oleana, Lee held one index finger in front of the camera. "By the time my finger curls down, my associate will kill Miss. Oleana."

"Fine," Hissed Rose, "You want my mines? Take them. But if you harm Oleana, you-"

The index finger in Rose's view tilted back and forth. "Ah-ah-ah," Lee chided as if he was speaking to a child. "You had your chance with that deal, Rose. We're moving onto something else because you were short-sighted."

By now, Rose could almost feel his skin crawling. He asked, "What? What could you possibly want besides that? Galar is not known for much else besides our Dynamax energy."

"But it is known for you, Chairman Rose," Lee retorted, making the camera face himself again. His raised finger was still held beside his face, albeit curled slightly. "Even before Necrozma, you were more recognizable in Galar than your own Champion Leon. However, that time has passed. You will resign and allow a spokesman of Team Rocket's choosing to take your position as well as any powers and privileges involved."

Chairman Rose of Galar's Macro Cosmos, the most powerful energy company in the world, almost laughed at that proposition. "Lee," He said, "This time, it is you who underestimates me. Did you not consider that, perhaps, being the Chairman of this company is not something just anyone can-"

Lee's finger curled down to halfway, silencing Rose. The smile had all but disappeared from his face, yet there was no anger either. What was on his face was an absence of expression entirely. "Let it be known, Rose, that I am completely uninterested in your opinion going forward. I have a bargaining chip and you don't. I have a gun to the head of that bargaining chip."

He tilted the phone toward the makeshift camera crew waiting in the corner of the office. "And I can put the duration of our conversation, and the result of it, on air for the world to see at any moment. Can you imagine how public opinion of you will change when the world sees that you valued your job more than your secretary?"

Carefully, Lee slowly turned the phone in a circle to make sure every single thing within Mr. Star's office was visible to him. He made sure to get the faces of the other CEOs in view, save for Mr. Star who refused to look into the camera, and burned those faces into Rose's memory.

When the phone spun back around, Rose was met with Lee's empty face once more. "Take great care what you say next, Rose. Would you rather willingly give up your position to Team Rocket and ensure the survival of your secretary, or will you allow her death and have public backlash force you to resign?"

A bead of sweat fell from Rose's forehead to the polished glass floor beneath his desk. The small stain ruined the glass's complete clarity, and in a tiny space that was once nearly transparent, he could now see only his reflection. Lee had won, putting him into a situation where no one could win but him. Even though he was the only CEO on Mr. Star's council without a gun to his head, it certainly felt to him like there was one.

"…Lee, I-"

Suddenly, Lee completely uncurled his finger and said, "Hold that thought." Twisting around in his chair to face the camera crew, he snapped his fingers and exclaimed, "Hey, team, let's get these lights and cameras rolling again, shall we? I'll cover the action."

---

The attention of every individual within the city. Was caught when the news suddenly flashed back to life across every single building once again. Unfortunately, the face of Christopher Lee had returned with it.

Latias scowled. "Not him again."

The air left Ash's lungs in a long-winded sigh of utter disbelief upon seeing his face again. "You've gotta be kidding me. Why did he have to show his face again right now?!"

"Welcome back, everybody," Greeted Christopher Lee as if he was not the most hated man alive. "Sorry to have taken so long to get to the next unlucky bachelor or bachelorette on the chopping block, but I have good news!" He brought the camera close to his disgusting smiling face. Next to that face, he held up his phone with Chairman Rose's face on it. "However, the good Chairman has offered something truly touching. To save the life of his secretary Oleana, and the lives of the other fine men and women under my care, Rose has agreed to step down as acting Chairman of Macro Cosmos."

For those in the battle for New Goldenrod that could actually spare the attention to the news, many gasps rose up into the air.

Full attention of the camera was taken from Lee, putting the face of Rose in the spotlight for the entire world to see. Lee asked, "Isn't that right?"

Rose's face contorted with uncertainty, the least assured and calm anybody had ever seen him. For the vast majority of people watching the news, it seemed to them that Rose was actually finding it difficult to choose between his job and the life of a human being. One that worked so close to him as well.

For the Chairman himself, it was not quite that simple. His position was not merely that of a businessman. In Galar, the position of Chairman and the position of Champion were two roles with seemingly equal importance. Yet the role of Chairman had always been moreso. A Chairman had to provide for every need of Galar's citizens from energy to income to even entertainment. It was not merely a job. It was a responsibility. If he gave up this role here and now, he would condemn Galar itself. Yet that might have come to pass either way if he were to do nothing.

"Hold on a moment," Said Rose, rising out of his chair, "I am coming there on my own. We can discuss the terms in person-"

Lee's index curled until it mirrored the positions of the rest of his fingers. He imitated the sound of a buzzer before shouting, "Wrong answer! Ladies and gentlemen, you have heard it yourself-"

Over Lee's voice, Rose tried shouting, "No, dammit, don't listen to him! I'm coming over there to step in for her-! Oh for the love of- someone get me a Corviknight Taxi NOW!"

"Chairman Rose has abandoned Oleana in favor of his job. Well…" Leaning forward in his seat, Lee steadily rose out of his chair and tucked it underneath the table. He grinned down at a pale-faced Oleana as he exited the call with Rose before shattering it on the table with a loud bang that made her jump. "…You won't be needing this where you're going."

Cries of worry and panic began to arise from the trainers around Ash as Oleana was being pulled out of her seat and led from Mr. Star's office. "They're gonna kill her!" One of them exclaimed. "And they already got Mr. Goodshow! Oh, man, oh..!" Suddenly, the trainer's face lit up with realization, and they turned toward their ivory-hued hero.

"Ash, you gotta do something, man!".

This turned the full attention of the group of trainers near Ash toward him, and soon, they had crowded even nearer around him than before. His Pokemon got in between Ash and the crowd defensively, and a protective Noivern even hissed at them. This did little to stop most of the crowd, and they continued to cry out at him for something he was already going to do. Latias and Serena attempted to shout over the crowd to leave him be to little effect

Sensing Ash's ire rising, Xerneas intervened. Small vines rose from the streets in front of the trainers and pushed them back gently. It was enough to stun most of them into a brief silence, but long enough for Ash to give his reply.

"We're on it, alright?!" He shouted at them. Knowing what this day had done to all of them was the only thing that kept him from exploding at the group with even more ferocity. Pointing up at Star Tower, an exasperated Ash continued. "The wild Pokemon are keeping us from Star Tower. Believe me, my friends and I have already tried to get past them. We can't help her…"

He held out an arm toward the wild Pokemon trapped within the vines at their sides. "…Until we help them." Turning to look up at Xerneas, he asked, "Are you ready?"

The lively Xerneas nodded, causing the lights emanating from her horns to trail after them when those horns moved. "Whenever you are."

Ash nodded. "It's now or never. Go for it."

Many of the trainers behind Ash stepped back in awe when Xerneas rose up onto her hind legs and let out some ethereal-sounding howl that sounded akin to a thousand bells ringing in rapid succession. The colorful lights surrounding her suddenly became active, transitioning from merely floating aimlessly to suddenly spinning around Xerneas's cyan hide with immense speed.

"Geomancy."

Summoning forth the full scope of her power, Xerneas plunged her two front legs through the street and into the ground. Immediately, there was a trembling. It felt as if the entire city had been caught up in a quake. Beneath her feet, a swell of life began brewing and racing across the edges of the city.

Ash's ivory Aura flared to life. When he placed his hand upon Xerneas's kneeling head, she became more keenly able to differentiate her targets from one another so that trainers and their Pokemon were not caught in the crossfire of what was about to occur.

The circle of Flying Types guarding the edges of the city did not know what hit them. The ground far, far beneath them churned for a split second before exploding up. Tall, towering masses of vines and branches reached up to the sky, dwarfing every building in the city with the exception of Star Tower. In the blink of an eye, thousands of flying Pokemon that were just as shocked and confused as their controllers became entangled in a mass of green.

Vines raced all across New Goldenrod City, swiping and entrapping every wild Pokemon within it before they could do so much as blink. They erupted from the ground, snatching at their ankles and growing and crawling all across their bodies before they could perceive what had happened. In mere seconds, the Pokemon that presided over the cycle of life had stopped the assault on Goldenrod City.

However, there were three individuals that these natural bindings could not hold. Three blurs, one black, one red, and one yellow, raced along the rising vines, treating them as little more than an addition to their battle. They used the growing greenery as stepping stools and shields with which to stop one another's attacks, using them against one another even as the plants attempted to grab them at every chance.

Ryder flicked his wrist with his sword aflame to cast off the efforts of the vines to entrap him. An incoming radio call beeped from within his helmet. He answered just as he leapt away from an X-Scissor, "What is it?"

"Xerneas is responsible for those vines," An operator informed him. "Her appearance was accounted for, yet this was unaccounted for. We cannot risk you being captured by the Legends. Your orders are to retreat from the city for the time being and to return to HQ once things have settled."

As far as Ryder was concerned, these vines made for a convenient method of escaping his pursuers. "Orders received and obliged." And with that, he cut the message. Dousing the flames of his sword, he instead changed its element to Poison. He glanced up at a new writhing mass of vines that crawled over the top of a building to rush down at him. Kneeling down, he leapt headfirst into that mass and disappeared within.

A scowling Genesect quickly shot after him. "You won't escape!" She hissed angrily shortly before vanishing within the vines herself.

Zeraora stopped in his tracks to stare up at where they had gone. The vines, for some reason, did not attempt to ensnare him. He hesitated to follow the two and give a reason for these things to change their mind. Darting onto the roof of a nearby building, he briefly caught sight of two shadows erupting from the vines shortly before speeding off in the direction of the city's edge.

Standing atop the building and watching the two run, Zeraora was met with the sight of more of those vines practically covering the city. All he could do was stand there, sighing in disbelief.

And relief.

---

"I cannot hold them for long," Urged Xerneas, "Please hurry."

Ash nodded. "With pleasure."

As the vines caught every single wild Pokemon within their grasp, those same vines caused a small nick somewhere along their bodies. Then, tiny thin needle-like thorns emerged and plunged into the nicks until they struck a nerve. This was how Ash could overwhelm them. If Ash could not get to their wills through their minds, he would do so through their bodies.

Taking hold of one of Xerneas's vines, Ash sent the full extent of his Aura down into the web-like network of vines Xerneas had created. Fueled by Xerneas's life energy, the vines carried Ash's Aura like pipes carried water until his Aura met with the needle-like thorns and flooded into the nervous systems of the entrapped wild Pokemon. And when his Aura entered their body, so too did his will. Ash uttered only a single word to these Pokemon as an order, bringing forth an end to one half of the assault on New Goldenrod City.

"Leave."

And the Pokemon began to leave. With Ash's work complete, Xerneas retracted her plants and freed the Pokemon. Vines, brambles, and all the green she had created in the city began shrinking without life to sustain it, and retreated into the holes from which they came. The scarred ground from where they came sealed itself.

Without their bindings to trap them, one by one, the Pokemon groggily shook their heads and turned to face the outer edges of the city. They glanced around at their handiwork with the first clarity they were given in a long time. Their groaning and chittering had drawn to a close, leaving them in silence. And then, they walked in mass exodus toward the city's edge.

---

"What's going on?"

Those who oversaw the assault on New Goldenrod furiously tapped on their keyboards as they attempted to regain control over the wild Pokemon. It was to no avail. No matter what signal they sent out to the control chips or order they issued to the Pokemon themselves, the Pokemon would not respond.

"We can't get through to them at all," Someone at a computer said.

An older man let out a sigh from his nose and crossed his arms. "Protocol says we have to put them down. Can't have any loose assets, and all that." He leaned against the wall, pointing at one of the controllers. "Make it so. From this point, it's up to-"

"Wait."

The old man winced when an unfamiliar, warbled voice appeared in his earpiece. Pressing it against his ear to prioritize the call, he replied, "Who is this? How did you get this frequency?"

"Do not kill them yet," Spoke the voice, ignoring their question. "The citizens cannot be allowed to see the Pokemon die. Otherwise, they may feel pity for them, and today would lose meaning. Keep an eye on Ash and those around him. We have already won. Killing the Pokemon too early would sour the results of our victory. For now, watch what happens near the boy. Then, have the chips go off when the Pokemon are outside of sight of the city."

---

Ash's group and the trainers around them were silent as well as they watched the Pokemon leave. Many weren't sure how to feel or react to what they had just seen, and merely watched on, entranced. That was, until the noise of glass shattering caught their attention.

Someone at the head of their group, a young boy, had thrown a bottle that had fallen short of striking one of the Pokemon. "Get back here!" He screamed. "You don't get to just go!"

Immediately, the nearest trainers swarmed to him to stop him. They were not eager to provoke the ire of the Pokemon again. "What are you doing?!" One of them shouted as they, and a few others, grabbed onto his arms. "It's over! Don't be stupid."

The young boy tried in vain to thrash against the other trainers to escape. "I don't care! They got my sister! They killed her! They don't just get to get away with it! I'm gonna…!"

Ash and Xerneas merely looked at the boy with pity as he broke down into incoherent screaming. "Death is part of the cycle of life," Lamented Xerneas. "I do not fault Yveltal for his role, nor Arceus for giving that role to him. Yet it is never easy to see a young one reach the crossing point."

An agreeing Ash nodded. He and Xerneas were likely the only individuals in the city who could understand the full extent of a life slipping away. "Yeah. I just wish I could have done more."

Xerneas replied, "We always do. It is the struggle of life itself to strive for more. A tree will become taller than its brethren to strive for more sunlight. A person may strive to do a myriad of things." She glanced down at him. "Such as striving for a grand goal like power or wealth." Then, she turned her sights upon the gathering of trainers and their Pokemon behind him. "Though it is only natural to strive for more, it is important to understand how you have already succeeded."

A tired sigh was Ash's first response to that. After a brief pause, he followed with, "I understand what you're trying to do, Xerneas, and I appreciate it, but it doesn't make me feel better. I'm glad I was able to help save at least somebody, but…" He glanced down at his fingers, watching as specks of his Aura flittered in between them. "…There were a lot of people I let down."

To that, Xerneas raised her head to glance up at the sky. She could picture, clearly as day, the sight of that sky being blotted out by a colossal machine beyond her comprehension. That was seven months ago. Now, the blue skies had returned. The smoke that filled that sky now was nothing compared to the utter blackness that had clouded it months ago.

"Seven months ago," Xerneas started, "We, the Legends who carried the fate of the world, failed it and its people. There was nothing that could be done by any of us against the threat of Necrozma. That burden was too much to bear."

Lowering her head to send a knowing look at Ash, she added, "You have seen firsthand the result of that, and what it has done to the Legends who could not make peace with that. If you continue to focus on what you cannot change, what you can change will have less meaning for you. If something cannot be changed, then worrying about it is merely expending energy that could be used for what can."

Xerneas set her sights upon Star Tower. Without a flock of Flying Types encircling it, it was now clear as day. She sent up a small vine to gently push Ash's chin up so that he stared into that tower as well. At its top, Oleana was slowly being escorted toward the edge.

"Now," Xerneas began, "Right there is something you can change. A difference you can make. A life I know you can save. One that you will save."

As the vine underneath his chin receded, Ash nodded. His eyes narrowed with determination and a renewed spirit. The fight wasn't over yet. "You're right, Xerneas. Thanks for that."

He held out his arm, and on instinct, his partner Pikachu hopped onto it and sat upon his shoulder. He returned the rest of his Pokemon and set them onto his belt before turning to Latias. "You're the fastest, Latias," He complimented with a grin. "We'll make it."

The sight of a smiling Ash would have set Latias's heart aflutter just the other day. Now, she merely returned that grin with one of her own. "You bet we will. Let's go!"

Ash hopped onto her back and she took off like a rocket toward Star Tower. Not knowing why, Serena instinctively reached out toward them as they left. She wanted to say something. To do something. Yet she did not know what. All she could do was sigh as Ash and Latias took off together.

Then, it struck her. The issue was not merely that she did not know what to do or say. There was nothing she could do within her power. Nothing that she could have said would have changed the situation for the better. She was too weak to make a difference here. She could not fly alongside Ash. She could not fight with his strength, heal with his kindness, sense with his intuition or any other such thing.

Unbeknownst to Serena, her Pokemon noticed the expression on her face and were saddened. Xerneas noticed this as well. "What is wrong?" She asked kindly.

Serena could feel her emotions bottling up in her throat as her frown grew more and more. She let out a sigh that barely let out enough steam to help her keep herself together before answering. "I've been training so hard to stand by Ash's side, but no matter what I do, it seems like I'm always so far behind him. I'm just too weak."

Xerneas stood by her side silently in thought for a moment. Then, she asked, "Does a Caterpie have less value than a Dragonite?"

"What?"

Xerneas repeated the question. "Does a Caterpie have less value than a Dragonite? Only a fool would answer yes." Glancing down at Serena, she continued. "Strong. Weak. These things are not so black and white. What truly matters is the role you intend to play. There are Pokemon that can defeat other Pokemon who are vastly stronger through type advantages and clever strategy."

She nodded up at something. When Serena followed her gaze, she found that Xerneas had turned her attention up toward Ash. "All things have their strengths and weaknesses. All things have their role to play. If strength was all that mattered, Arceus and Mew would have chosen to stay alone. You must find your own way to help Ash in a way only you can when the time is right."

Serena hummed to herself in thought. Staring down at the ground, she murmured, "Something only I can do…"

---

Ash locked into the sight of Oleana on Star Tower's helipad. It seemed that Lee and his men had yet to notice them.

"Next in line," Announced Lee to the camera, "Is Rose's dog, Oleana. It is a shame that the Chairman would just throw her away like that."

Oleana attempted to lunge at him, yet the ropes that bound her hands together prevented that. A Black Suit pulled her back, and she screamed, "You lie! Chairman Rose will not stand for this! If you kill me, you will bring down the entire Galar Region on your heads!"

A wry grin crept up Lee's face. He replied, "Giovanni and Team Rocket welcome the challenge. We'll be taking Galar and the rest of the world before long. But I wouldn't get too attached to any hope about Rose if I were you." Placing his hands on the rope between her wrists, Lee pulled the pale woman toward him and whispered, "He'll replace you. They always do."

And then he haphazardly tossed her off the edge to the horror of thousands. Aura lit up Ash's eyes instinctively. "Grab her with Psychic!"

Like Ash, Latias's own eyes glowed brightly in response to his command. A red hue lit up within her eyes, causing that same colored glow to encompass the falling Oleana. She worried for a moment when Oleana did not scream or move, but Ash could sense that she was still alive and sighed with relief.

"She just fell unconscious," Ash told Latias. Turning narrowed eyes up at the helipad just overhead, he said, "Drop me off up there and then take her back to Xerneas to get her checked out."

"Okay," Agreed Latias, "But I'm coming back up the moment I hand her off."

Those who stood atop the helipad only caught sight of a brief red flash before Ash stood before them on the edge. He held onto his hat and Pikachu when a gust of wind caused by Latias's swift movement caught up to him, billowing at his back.

Immediately, the guards stationed there raced for their weapons and pointed them at him. "It's Ash!" One guard shouted.

The first thing Ash noticed was that Lee was no longer on the helipad. He could see him walking through the glass hallway back to Mr. Star's offfice. Only a handful of guards and a Black Suit had stayed behind. One of the guards. primed his index finger to fire if needed, only for the Black Suit to clap a gloved hand over his shoulder before stepping past them to meet Ash personally.

Extending his arms outward, the Black Suit said, "Welcome, Ash Ketchum. Sure took you a while to get up here."

"Just get out of my way," Hissed Ash as he marched toward him and the guards. An ivory shield manifested around him and Pikachu to stop any would-be bullets if they fired.

Oddly enough, the Black Suit merely raised his arms inoffensively and stepped to the right to let Ash pass. "Gladly. Boss's orders were to let you pass. He wanted to talk to you personally."

Ash gave the odd man a look as he walked by, but said nothing else. He sensed no deceit from that Black Suit. He didn't want to waste any time giving him the chance to change his mind. The other guards looked absolutely befuddled as Ash passed them and entered the glass hallway.

When he was out of sight, the guards immediately looked to the Black Suit for answers. "What was that?!" One of them demanded. "I don't remember the boss giving us any orders like that!"

"That's because you weren't privy to them," Retorted the Black Suit. He turned toward the helipad's edge as a red blur raced up to meet them. Flicking his wrist, the Black Suit summoned a shield and readied a plasma blade at his side. "That, and we have this one to deal with."

As Latias glowered down at the Black Suit and the guards, the Black Suit brought his head close to his radio. "Come in, ground team. About that Tyranitar…"

---

The wooden doors of Mr. Star's office flew open, followed by the unconscious bodies of the two guards stationed just outside. Immediately, all of the soldiers within the office pointed their guns at him, even taking their aim off of the CEOs to prioritize the greater threat. However, it was perfectly clear that nothing they could do would get past Ash's barrier.

"Ash, my boy!" Exclaimed a shocked Mr. Star. "You're here! Are you alright?"

Ash nodded. "As I'll ever be. You just sit tight. You don't have to worry anymore. And don't worry about Oleana. She's safe."

Under his breath, Lee whispered, "Plan B, then."

Glowering at the guards, Ash let loose an intensified wave of Aura as the ivory energy sparked around him with more ferocity. It sounded almost like thunder, making the CEOs wince at the noise and causing the office itself to shake briefly. Even passively, he was imposing part of his will upon the soldiers, making them shift unsteadily.

"It's over, Lee," Ash said, turning toward the portly man. "You're finished, and you're not taking even a single more life today."

Lee swerved around in his chair and extended his arm out to his sides brazenly as if welcoming an old friend. "Ah, there you are!" He greeted. "I'm glad we've finally gotten to meet face to face."

"Wish I could say the same," Ash replied, resisting the urge to spit in disgust just from being in the same room as this megalomaniac, "But I'm not going to lie. Neither am I going to waste any more time."

Ash held out a hand to his side, causing an Aura Sphere to whirl into existence from his fingertips. It was something that the CEOs stared at in awe, but Lee himself seemed to be unimpressed with. "It's over."

Lee reared his head back and laughed at that. "Over? Ha!" With a grin from ear to ear, Christopher Lee shook his head back and forth and replied, "No, Ash, this is far from over. I wish I could say this is only the beginning, but frankly, our progress is far beyond that. Team Rocket has everything it needs. Soon, Giovanni will be sitting in old Mr. Star's chair."

Ash made a step toward him, but Lee made a hand movement that caused the surrounding soldiers to put their guns to the heads of the CEOs once more, causing them to wince. Ash stopped in his tracks, but glared utter death at the fat man. Feeling the same way as his trainer, Pikachu's cheeks began to spark vigorously.

Leaning forward in his chair, Christopher Lee slowly stood up, daring to turn his back to Ash without so much as a care. "Don't be a fool, Ash," He said as he began walking along the side of the meeting table. "Today doesn't have to end with any more blood."

"It didn't have to end with any," Hissed Ash in response. His mood soured more once he felt Lee's intent, yet there was nothing he could do if he wanted to keep the CEOs alive.

Lee raised a finger. "Now that is very much untrue, but I won't bother explaining things you clearly do not care about anymore. Instead, how about we both talk about something you care for very much?" Once he reached Mr. Star's side, Lee suddenly whipped out a handgun and pointed it at the old man's head, causing a series of gasps from the CEOs. "Such as the old bag. Now, if you would step down, I think that would be for the best."

Though Ash itched to do nothing more than to hurl the Aura Sphere straight at Lee, he complied and rested his extinguished hand back at his side.

A disgusting smile on his face, Lee said, "There we go. Let's keep things civil for the time being. In fact, I'll even offer you a proposition." Keeping his gun aimed at Mr. Star's head, Lee knelt down beside him. "In truth, we were never going to kill him. He still has things we need to know. Getting rid of his friends here would have made him more cooperative, but that is not necessary anymore. We'll take him and leave the rest behind without a scratch. How about that?"

Every word out of this man's mouth disgusted Ash even more. "Are you seriously asking me to trade lives?"

"I am asking you if you are in any position to deny us."

Ash scoffed to the side, taking that moment to focus on where the guns touched the heads of the CEOs. From that round point, he suddenly summoned barriers around all of them. Surprised at the sudden movement when their guns were pushed away, some of the soldiers instinctively fired at the CEOs, only for the bullets to bounce off harmlessly.

Withdrawing his gun, Lee gave a slight humph. Under his breath, he murmured, "Plan C, then."

Before he or Ash could speak another word, there was a sudden rumbling underneath them. Sensing something large approaching rapidly, Ash backed away from the door. The doors flew open once more, this time shattering into scraps of wood. What had came barreling into Mr. Star's office was a Tyranitar, and a massive one at that.

Mr. Star's eyes lit up in surprise upon seeing it. "Tyranitar?! Is that you?!"

That was right. Ash had forgotten until now, but Mr. Star's partner Pokemon was an utterly massive Tyranitar. It had to bend over just to fit inside his office, and it was covered in net-shaped burns for some reason. Letting out a roar that shook the entire room, Tyranitar suddenly barreled into one of the guards.

Immediately, the other soldiers stepped away from the CEOs to concentrate their fire upon the giant Rock-Type. It mattered little. The bullets were paltry against the Tyranitar's tough skin. Letting out another deafening roar, the Tyranitar dove at the other guards and began using Thrash to wildly attack them. Their bodies were sent limply flying across the room one by one.

By this point, the CEOs had dove underneath the table to shield themselves with their hands as bodies and debris were sent flying every which way. Mr. Star's secretary, Alice, had long since fallen unconscious in a corner. However, Mr. Star himself did not move. In fact, he even had a bright smile upon his face.

"It's been so long since I've gotten to see you fight, old friend!" Chirped the old man.

It was clear to Ash that, however brutal its methods, this Tyranitar was here to help its master. Taking the distraction as an opportunity, he reached over toward Lee and cupped his hand, isolating him in another barrier. Lee tried reaching for something in his shirt, but with a twist from Ash's wrist, the barrier shrank to the point Lee couldn't even move his arms up from his waist.

"Game over, Lee," Ash declared as he stomped toward him. "You're done for, and soon, Giovanni will be too. In fact, you'll be helping us take him down."

Lee gave a small mocking laugh in response to that. "Fine, fine. I admit defeat. For now. Just remember that public faith in Pokemon has been shaken on this day, and Team Rocket is more than strong enough to crush you." He grinned a toothy grin, somehow managing to slip his hand up through the edge of the barrier to twiddle his goatee. "Of course, you're more than welcome to try. Giovanni sends his regards, and welcomes the world's challenge."

Ash's eyes went wide when Lee suddenly fell through the floor. Dispelling the barrier, he ran behind Mr. Star's desk and saw that, on the floor, there was a shrinking silver ring bearing an uncanny likeness to that of Hoopa's. This one had odd cybernetic lights running through it, but Ash didn't get much more time to look it over before it closed in on itself and disappeared.

When Ash turned around, the guards, soldiers, and even the news crew that Lee had brought along were retreating through similar rings. Ash could only stare at this in utter disbelief. They had copied Hoopa's rings already? How had they accomplished that so fast?

Ash attempted to summon a barrier in front of the last of them to prevent them from going through the ring, but Tyranitar beat him to the punch. In its blind rage from using Thrash, it sent the last soldier hurtling through the ring and roared into it just as it closed. Only when the last of the enemies had gone did Tyranitar's rage dim. It blinked and then wobbled dizzily with fatigue.

Sighing, Ash lowered his arm. He turned toward the office table and saw the CEOs slowly poking their heads out to stare at him with wide eyes and slack jaws one by one.

"Well done, well done!" The CEOs flinched at the sudden loud voice of Mr. Star. The old man beamed at Ash as he got out of his chair, rushing as fast as his old body would let him over to grasp Ash's hands. A worried Tyranitar shuffled over near his aging master. "And of course, you too, Tyranitar! You two were excellent! I just knew you would save us!"

The old man jumped in response to a bang. Having slammed his fist down onto the table, President Silph shrieked, "Saved?! None of us have been safe since we entered this damn office! How could you just let your entire city be taken over?!"

Turning toward him with gently raised hands, Mr. Star began attempting to placate him. "Now," He began, "I know how you feel, but I assure you, this was not an assault they could have gone through with unless they were using all of their resources. They were desperate, and won't be able to launch anything like this for a time. And we won't be giving them that time."

Lusamine approached the old man with a raised eyebrow. "I don't follow. Mr. Star, you seem to know a lot about them."

Mr. Star nodded. "Of course I do. That's my job. However, it seems they knew a lot about me as well, and that extends to what I know." Slowly, he shuffled back to his desk and opened a drawer, pulling out a Secretary Bot. "Those cowards did not escape. They only bought themselves time, and know that. They attacked today because they knew what I knew. And that's why I called you all here in the first place."

He suddenly turned his attention to the corner of the door, causing the others to follow his gaze. Sitting upon the ground in a pile of wooden debris was a camera, evidently left behind in a hurry by the news crew. Mr. Star rushed toward the camera, eager to finally speak to his people and the world.

As Mr. Star took the camera in hand, he cleared his throat. "People of New Goldenrod City, you may rest. Our enemies have gone for the time being thanks to Ash, and thanks to all of you for fighting so hard. That fighting, and what you may have lost, was not in vain."

Ash could feel a wave of relief from far below in the city. There were still millions of life signs crying out. He felt that same relief just from knowing so many had survived.

The old man lowered the camera so that his Secretary Bot was in view. "When next we meet our enemies, it will be our time to strike them! I know you may have lost things today, things that cannot be replaced, but I must ask you to stand tall for just a little longer. We must strike the enemy before they flee, or else this tragedy will only happen again." He activated his Secretary Bot. "And I know we will strike fast, because I know where Team Rocket Headquarters is now. That is why they attacked us today. Team Rocket Headquarters is…"

Upon Mr. Star's Secretary Bot, an image of a large brown building appeared. A wide-eyed Ash recognized it as the Viridian City Gym. "…Here, in Viridian City! Rest now, people of New Goldenrod City, because tomorrow, we will strike! People all across the world, if you want peace to return at last, I implore you to reach Viridian City with all the haste you can muster. Make sure no one escapes! We will be at your back soon!"

Raising the camera back to his face, Mr. Star suddenly leaned in. "And Giovanni? Your time is up."

---

Though night had long since settled, and Mr. Star had ordered Ash and Serena to rest while he, Latias and Xerneas took care of repair and rescue, the two were having trouble resting. Even after the day's fatigue from battle after battle, and though they were tired to no end, sleep evaded them. Pikachu, lucky Pokemon that he was, managed to slip into slumber before them. While Ash sat upright in bed restlessly, Serena took to gathering some of her things for a shower in the hopes that it would help her sleep. That, and after all the running around the day called for, she needed it.

As Serena picked up a towel, she noticed Ash's thousand yard stare and sighed. After everything Ash had accomplished today, it didn't feel right to Serena that he should be moping. "You know, Ash," She said to him, "You were really amazing out there today."

Ash sighed and threw his head back, laying at the foot of the bed. "I really appreciate that you think so, but I don't."

Frowning at him, Serena tried to think of something else she could use to cheer him up. Knowing Ash, whatever was upsetting him was likely Aura-related as usual, so completely understanding the issue was out of her realm of expertise. But understanding Ash himself was something she has had ample time to do. She couldn't help but recall Xerneas's words as she pulled at her brain for something to say.

"Something only I can do."

"What?" Inquired Ash.

Serena shook her head. "Nothing," She said, approaching him and placing her shower materials on the bed in one bundle. "Look, Ash. You were great. Don't blame yourself for not being able to do everything. Nobody can do absolutely everything. You did everything you could and then some."

An exasperated Ash shot his arms up and cried, "But that's exactly the problem! I did everything I could, but if Xerneas hadn't come along, it wouldn't have amounted to anything. I'm still too weak."

That comment made Serena's jaw go slack. Here, she had been feeling so utterly useless in comparison to Ash. Every battle they had partaken in together. Every time their lives were threatened. Every time they had only each other and their Pokemon to depend on. All of these times reminded her time and time again just how different their strength was and how far away from him she truly was. If Ash was not strong, who was? Certainly not her.

"Ash…" Serena whispered. It was the only thing she could say. She stared at him for a while; he merely grumbled to himself, his mind racing a million miles a minute. In her head, she repeated Xerneas's phrase. Something only she could do. After taking in a deep breath, Serena said, "It's not that you're weak, Ash. It's just that the enemy is too strong. Even the Legends are having just as much trouble as we are. They're not weak, and I know for a fact you aren't weak either. Do you wanna know how I know?"

Sighing again, Ash decided to humor her. "Why?"

Serena smiled, not that Ash could see it. "It's because you're more than strong."

Ash's brow creased at that as he struggled to understand what that meant. Befuddled, he sat back up and just decided to ask her outright. "What do you mean?"

Upon seeing his face, Serena suddenly gasped and went over to him. As she gently took hold of his head, she turned it, narrowing her eyes. Ash simply let her, unsure of what to make of the odd contact. "Ash!" She exclaimed in a chiding tone that made him flinch. "That's a wrinkle on your forehead! A wrinkle at only fifteen years old. That's bad news."

Letting go of him, Sernea let out an exasperated sigh and went to gather her shower supplies. "You need to start smiling more often," She told him, "Otherwise, you'll start getting gray hairs next."

Before Ash could begin to make a reply, Serena ducked into the bathroom and shut the door behind her. Ash glanced over at a mirror by his bedside and found that Serena was right. It was small, but a natural wrinkle had formed just underneath his hair. Just one more thing to tack onto the day's list of troubles. Letting out a long groan, Ash fell back onto the foot of the bed once more and stared up at the ceiling. And here he thought Aura would counteract aging. For a wrinkle to have formed, he must be even more stressed than he realized.

As Ash's mind dwelled on the subject of Aura, his Aura suddenly reacted to the presence of something familiar. Hopping out of bed, Ash went to the balcony and peeked through the glass screen door. He fell onto his backside when a flash of lightning shot down onto the balcony.

"Y-you!"

Ash pointed up at Zeraora, his eyes wide with shock. Zeraora's eyes were wide as well. "Keep your voice down!" He hissed. "And come out here. I wanted to…discuss something with you." Though Ash looked at him with scrutiny, he sensed no ill intent or lie.

"...Alright," Conceded Ash as he rose back to his feet. Zeraora stepped back to allow Ash onto the patio when he slid the door open. Glancing from Zeraora to the ruined city below, Ash wondered something. "Say, what happened to those two? Genesect and that other guy?"

Zeraora shrugged, looking off toward the city's southern end. "They ran off around the time those vines started coming around. I don't know where they went, but I know they're at least out of the city."

Nodding, Ash replied, "That's good at least." He and Zeraora exchanged an awkward silence that seemed more agonizing the longer it went on. He sent a glance at the yellow wolf, then swiftly changed direction when Zeraora sent a sideways glance at him as well. Zeraora rubbed the back of his head, opened his mouth to say something, then thought differently. "...So," Began Ash in order to finally break the silence, "What, uh…brings you here?"

Shifting uncomfortably, Zeraora muttered, "I, uh…your Aura. I could…" Growling in exasperation, he put a paw to his forehead. "How do I put this? When you healed me, I could, um…sense your kindness I guess." His face wrinkled as he said this. "So I guess I just wanted to, y'know, say thanks? And to apologize."

This came as a relief to Ash. "Ah, is that all?"

Zeraora turned to him angrily. "What do you mean, 'is that all?' I didn't have to come here."

Ash quickly raised his hands. "I didn't mean it like that! I was just thinking you still weren't entirely sure if you wanted to kill me or not."

As if offended by Ash's disingenuous assertion, Zeraora turned up its snout. "If I was here to do that, I'd have done it already. So…" Lowering his head, he glanced off toward the street below, flooded with emergency workers. "…I guess what I'm saying is that I don't hate all humans after all. But the ones with exploding stars on them…I don't think I'll ever stop hating them."

"That's fine," Ash said. "I don't want to fight them, but frankly, that isn't much of an option anymore. Like you said, they'll just use every opportunity I give them to hurt other people. I just…wish it wasn't like that."

Zeraora looked over at him for a moment, then turned back toward the city. "…Me too. Frankly, I'm surprised that you agree. I didn't think you had it in you to hate."

Ash leaned over the edge, crossing his arms on the railing. "…I thought I didn't. I try not to, because I know that it's hate that's keeping us from having peace in the first place, but…" His face went sour. "I felt them…the people and Pokemon when they died. I just can't stand it anymore."

The flashy yellow wolf gave a small nod, not tearing his eyes away from the street below. "Well," Spoke Zeraora, "That comes as a relief to me. Because I was going to propose an alliance."

"Really?" Asked Ash. "Well, I'd be glad to have you on the team."

Raising his paw, Zeraora replied, "Now, hold on. I'm not going to have anything to do with those things you call Pokeballs. All I'm saying is that when one of us needs help, the other comes around to lend it."

"Oh." Ash pushed himself off of the railing to stand and turn toward Zeraora. "Well, I can do that. But how are we going to call each other when the time comes?"

Zeraora put a paw to his chin and tilted his head up. "You know, I'm not sure. It sounded better in my head now that I think about it."

An idea came to Ash's mind. Zeraora watched with intrigue when Auric flames swirled around Ash's fingertips to form an orb. It didn't look like the Aura Sphere he had seen Ash perform before. This one looked far less volatile, being completely smooth and edgeless whereas the attack had seemed ready to burst at any moment.

"Here," Said Ash, "Take this."

Zeraora guffawed, looking at Ash as if he were mad. "Take it?! What am I supposed to do with this? Where am I even going to put it?"

Ash chuckled, wobbling his hand at Zeraora. "You'll see. Having part of my Aura with you means you'll be able to sense if my life is in danger. I'll be able to sense the same for you."

Still, Zeraora appeared unsure. He glanced up and down between the orb and Ash and asked, "Is it…alright for me to just take your Aura."

"It's really not a big deal," Ash assured him. "You saw back when we were fighting that armored guy; I was throwing Aura all over the place. I can spare just a bit and be fine."

Tentatively, Zeraora swallowed a lump in his throat before extending a paw toward the orb. He shot a look at Ash, who merely grinned and nodded. Gritting his teeth, Zeraora swiped up the orb. Immediately, Auric flames began to swirl up his arm. He thought he had gotten burned for a moment before he realized just how soothing the sensation was. It was the same sensation he felt while being healed.

As he lowered his arm, Zeraora exchanged a glance with Ash. There was something within their eye contact. Something that was not there before. Through Aura, Ash's meaning and intent had been made clear without the need for words. Aura could not lie. At least, not any mortal's Aura.

There was no need for words any longer. He and Ash smirked at one another, raising their fists in synchronization. Those fists bumped together. Their feud was over, and in its place, a truce and a new alliance.

---

Author's note

The Creator- Would you believe me if I told you that this whole attack on New Goldenrod City was originally meant to be only one chapter? We decided not to split this one into two simply to avoid redundancy. Might as well give you guys the whole package without stooping to the fourty-thousand word chapters of Arc 1.

Hydra- Seems like everything is starting to come together now. Team Rocket made a desperate attempt to thwart their enemies and it obviously has failed. Giovanni better watch his back because it seems like his days are numbered.

Silverwolf1130- Christopher Lee is despicable as always. As to how he survived, I think he teleported at the last second when Lugia fired his attack. Can't wait to see what he does next. Also, I feel like Christopher Lee is either using Giovanni as a figurehead or Gio is actually dead and Lee is deceiving everyone.

Looks like Ash and his side's victory was indeed short lived. This is the "Nova Branch Strikes Back" arc.

Had a dark scenario while thinking about what could happen this chapter: Christopher Lee casually pulls out a communicator and then tells all of his forces to "Execute Order 66" and then taps into all the world's tv to show almost all of the Legendaries being hunted down and killed by his forces for everyone to see. Dark, huh?

After that little dark chuckle at the end, I have no doubt the Nova Branch is gonna attack the Tree of Beginning at some point. And I'm pretty sure they'll be prepared, unlike those moronic poachers from several chapters ago. Don't think anyone has mentioned this but if the Tree is destroyed, Mew is pretty much dead, unless you've removed that weakness.

Can't wait for the next chapter. Things are getting really tense

The Creator- Interesting theory about Lee. And yes, victorious, however grand, cannot last forever. I wonder how the world would react to the deaths of the Legends. Most would be crying out in sorrow, but after the assault on New Goldenrod, there may be a few people who harbor bitterness toward Pokemon. Perhaps, amidst the crying, there would be cheer.

Hydra- I can see why you thought something like that could happen, but unfortunately for Lee, Ash and his friends have prevailed yet again. With how many losses the branch has taken at this point if Team Rocket goes down the Nova Branch won't be able to support itself. Oh god I can only imagine an order 66 scenario. Imagine each of the legends being hunted down and brutally killed.

G- Good chapter, so the plan of Christopher Lee is makes a public execution of the leaders of Goldenrod City, well i was guessing that they could hold back in kills them yet, to not turn them in martyrs and makes stronger their ideals of the union Pokemon-Human. Though that to considers that Star Corporation is trying to do the opposite objective of the Nova Branch, the villains cannot let them lives, as Mr Star and his councilmen could still opposes to the plans of Nova Branch and Team Rocket, making necessary to eliminates this problem, permanently.

Though that was sad to see Mr Goodshow being executed by Lee, even the leader of Nova Branch mocked him for his believings of the bonds between pokemon and humans, to the point of challenged Goodshow to lives up his point to declared that if the pokemon are their friends, the flying type pokemon would saves him from his demise, and sadly this never occured. RIP Mr Goodshow :(

Also, was very interesting and intense the battle against Ryder, as he proved be more than match for Zeraora, Genesect, Ash and his pokemon at once, to the point of be capable to overpowers them in some occasions, leaving clear how much lethal and powerful is Ryder in comparison with Launcher and Sniper, seriously, i begin to wonder how the heroes could defeats someone like Ryder, or the Burned man, as this two men certainly proved be the most lethal assets of Nova Branch.

Also, i liked as Ash noted how bloodthristed is Genesect, to the point of don't gives a shit for any collateral damage or casualty caused in this battle, showed when Genesect caused the destruction of a building and the deaths of many innocent people and pokemon. Being honest, this behavior will certainly plays in favor of Nova Branch, because while the attack of the wild pokemon was too obvious be the scheme of this organization, the ruthless actions of Genesect are by her own initiative, in fact, ironically Genesect's attitude could end proving the point of the Nova Branch about that the pokemon are a threat, especially as she don't has qualms in kills innocent people for be in her way, meaning that Nova Branch could even uses her like propaganda to discredit the pokemon and get more support for their radical mindset in the world.

Also, regarding to the Weavile, when the pokemon helped Ryder during the battle, for a moment i though that Ryder will kill this pokemon, especially to considers his hatred against them, leaving me surprised that he spared Weavile, though that maybe he did it because Weavile is whom leads the pokemon rampage, meaning that kills this pokemon could affects the attack of the wild pokemons and complicated the plans of Nova Branch in the city, making that Ryder didn't takes a reckless action out of dislike, unlike the Burned man whom was more interested in go after Moltres than obeys Lee during the seige of the island.

And talking about Lee, personally the Creator, i don't remember which chapter revealed the way in that he survived, he used a double, used a robot, used a hologram or used a brainwashed Ditto that copied his image?

And regarding to Mew, Hydra, i thinks that even if maybe the fact that Mew can turn the tides in favor of the pokemon side against the Nova Branch to joins the battle, i thinks that Christopher Lee and the Nova Branch could be more than prepared to deals with her, after all, as we already saw, the Nova Branch is capable to many notable feats, like the gun that Lee used to kills Necrozma, the Black suits that allows some humans fights in equal terms against Legendary pokemon, and even the capability of decieves the death when Lee avoid his demise in hands of Lugia, meaning that perhaps the Nova Branch could has a countermeasure against Mew, especially if they forced Xuritree to helps them to advances more their technology, making that perhaps the inclusion of Mew in this conflict, will not necessary gives some notable edge to our heroes...

To finishes, i wonder if Ash and his friends could saves Mr Star and the remaining council before Lee executes them, or we will see another notable death. Personally, i thinks that if Lee will choose the next victim, could be Lusamine, as she want to makes a paradise for pokemon, a aspect that the Nova Branch certainly could frown upon notably, making her other notable target to eliminates, and the possible next victim after Goodshow.

Keep the good job :)

As other point, i couldn't help in thinks that the concept of the Tree of beginning of Pokemon, could be analogue to the Lifestream from Final Fantasy 7, in the sense of that the Tree of beginning and the Lifestream are basically the vital force of the pokemon world and Gaia respectively, adding that both aspects harbors a symbiosis with some divine entity, Mew and Minerva, that acts almost like a personification of the Tree of beginning and the Lifestream, showing a deep mutual connection, meaning that Mew and Minerva cannot exist nor lives without the Tree of beginning and the Lifestream, or viceversa.

Adding that to makes some possible other similarity, in this story and in Final Fantasy 7, exists some evil organizations that plans to causes possible notables damages to the Tree of beginning and the Lifestream, Nova Branch and Shinra, to considers their objectives of purge the pokemons and finds the promised land to harvest an apparent endless mako energy. Adding that both organizations don't care the consequences for their actions, like the purge of the pokemon that already have a kind of symbiosis with the mankind, or the depleting of the Lifestream that could kills the planet and reduce it to a lifeless rock, incapable to sustain the life anymore.

I was thinking in this point, because after thinks carefully about the point of Hydra, about Mew, i was thinking that if the Nova Branch could considers how much powerful and dangerous is Mew to their plans, this could gives them another reason to go after the Tree of beginning and destroys it, because while Mew could be easily to the level of Arceus, to the point of be possibly too strong in comparison with the others legendary pokemon, she harbors a notable weak point; the Tree of beginning, as to damages or destroys this place, Mew could be notably affected, or even killed in the process, allowing to the Nova Branch eliminates a notable obstacle in their plans, adding to caused a hard blow to the pokemon world in the process. Much like Shinra that would destroyed Gaia with their constant use of mako energy if the Avalanche wouldn't stopped them in Final Fantasy 7.

The Creator- It would seem that martyrs are exactly what the CEOs have become, even though they're mostly alive. The CEOs that lived will no doubt be up in arms against Team Rocket and Giovanni, bringing with them all they can offer.

Ryder is certainly an absolute madman as usual, withstanding an assault from Ash, Genesect and Zeraora all at once. For a guy that dove headfirst into a bottomless void to fight Giratina alone and live to escape, I would expect nothing less.

Speaking of Genesect, how did you like her performance this chapter? It seems that taking in so much data from the Nova Branch, along with everything she had gone through, turned her into a monster as awful as Ryder. This has made her basically living propaganda material for the Nova guys.

Let's just say that Ryder and that Weavile once had a very special relationship. If they didn't, Ryder would have killed it long before its first appearance in Chapter 4.

How Lee survived wasn't stated outright. It was a bit more implicit.

Nice guess about Lusamine too. I thought it was going to be her, but Hydra wanted it to be Oleana.

Hydra- Oleana came very close to meeting her end this chapter but she got lucky at the last second. When it comes to Mew I feel like the Nova Branch should be counting their blessings that she has yet to be directly involved. While the branch does have advanced technology they have yet to test it on an actual god like her or Arceus. So time will only tell if they could make any possible counter to what she's capable of I mean just think of this, how would they be able to counter the massive fireball attack that Mew used to take out armies? And poor Mr Goodshow :(

Guest- I wonder what kind of development will have Serena in the future episodes. Being called "The fragile one" must hurted

The Creator- It definitely stung her ego considering how hard she's trying. Among the trainers leftover after Arc 1, she's still very powerful in her own right. It's just that battling wasn't her main focus until she started traveling through Kanto with Ash so she has a lot of catching up to do even compared to Ash's other friends.

Hydra- I think for Serena she's trying to find how she can make a difference in her own way. She realizing that just because she doesn't have aura powers or any extremely powerful Pokemon this doesn't mean she's completely useless. She's looking for what makes her unique and how she can use that to change things for the better just like Ash. She just needs to get more confidence.

Leafy boi- Lee using the flying types and goodshow DIRTY! BAD! and weaviles been taken out, and ryder doesnt care.. iss kinna sad honestly.. And YAY PANGORO BEING AWESOME AGAIN! sorry if this review is short. Its just mostly about the battles so hard to really say anything other than its gotten intense to the nth degree and its awesome to read

The Creator- Speaking of battles, I hope you enjoyed the intensity of this chapter compared to the last one. Don't be sorry about your reviews. Frankly, we're glad to get reviews at all no matter how big or small.

Hydra- Hello again :) It's cool to see Pangoro finally getting back into the action. It really shows how determined he is that he continues to fight even whilst missing an arm. Sorry if this chapter is hard to review as well lol there were quite a lot more battle scenes. I feel bad for Weavile as well, it was just trying to please it's master and the only response it got was to be scolded.

The Creator- Next chapter, the fight will finally be taken straight to Team Rocket HQ rather than just dancing around occasional bases. Even taking out the Nova Branch HQ didn't work, so now they'll go straight for the head. What resistance will Team Rocket itself be able to display compared to their Nova Branch.

Hydra- New alliances are being formed and it seems like the future of Team Rocket may be in question if Mr Star has anything to say about it. There seem to be a lot of theories going on as to what the future holds and I absolutely love it lol. I wonder if any are on the money or if they're completely off? Oh well enough on that topic. Anyway guys it seems Ash has yet again befriended another legendary Pokemon. Zeraora is a very honor bound Pokemon so I think ash and him will get along just fine. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and I look forward to hearing your thoughts and reading your theories.