The time has finally come, dear readers. After all this time, after all these years of writing, we've reached one of the biggest moments in the entire Diamond and Pearl era...the end of the Team Galactic saga. A lot has been leading up to this moment, and I am so excited for you all to see what's in store.

So, with all that said, there are no anoymous reviews to address this time around. I realize that the time of Pokeshipping (as well as this website in general) has mostly run its course. But I will never stop. Ash and Misty are my OTP, and I will keep writing until this story is finally and fully completed.

Now then, enjoy what I have in store for you! I own nothing except the story.


Mt. Coronet, known by Sinnoh legend as the birthplace of the entire Sinnoh Region. The epicenter of Team Galactic's nefarious plans to create a new world. It wouldn't be long before those plans were set in motion, and if there was any hope of stopping them, he needed to move quickly.

"Alright, Team Galactic. It's time for you to pay for what you've done!"

Looker hoped that all of his efforts wouldn't go to waste. As he stealthily made his way across the rocky mountain landscape, eyes and ears ever-vigilant as he avoided possible Team Galactic security details, the rogue police officer fought to keep his mind solely on the task at hand.

But, he was quickly realizing that was easier said than done. His frustration towards his superiors for unceremoniously taking him off the Team Galactic case, knowing that at any moment, he could be found by one of his fellow Interpol members and all of his efforts would be for naught as he'd be arrested and tried for what he was doing.

All because he was just that dedicated to protecting the world. It wasn't right.

"Focus, Looker!" The man berated himself. "You have a mission. Cynthia and the others will be here soon. Do your part!" Looker refocused his efforts, but as he continued making his way towards the rumored location of Team Galactic's Mt. Coronet base, he couldn't help but think that it was odd he hadn't seen any members of Team Galactic, not even a patrolling Golbat. "There's no way Team Galactic relocated again. Everything they need to complete their plans is here on Mt. Coronet! Something must be wrong."

If there was one thing Looker trusted, it was his instincts. There had to be more to this puzzle than he knew about, and at this point there wasn't enough time to find the answers to more mysteries. Also, what was that weird humming noise he kept hearing?

"LUNCHBOX GUUUUUUUY!"

Looker's eyes widened in shock as he whipped his head around to look behind him. Instantly, he felt a headache coming on as three all-too familiar individuals were rushing towards him with huge grins on their faces. "Shh!" He put a finger up to his mouth and grit his teeth in frustration as he whispered frantically. "Team Rocket?! Excuse me, my codename is Looker!"

"That's nice," Jessie dismissed with a smile. "But to us-"

"You're the boss of boxed lunches!"

"Whatever!" Looker rolled his eyes as he got back to the task at hand. "Meanwhile, Team Galactic's on a Mt. Coronet watch! And I may be wrong, but it's even possible they might have already spotted us here." That news caused the Team Rocket trio to start screaming in horror, and Looker felt his heart leap into his throat as he grabbed all three of them and threw them behind the nearest boulder to go back into hiding. "Are you three insane?!" Looker scowled as he fought to catch his breath. "We're trying to avoid being seen! That means we can't be heard, either!"

"Heard that." James replied. "So you're looking for them too? What a coinkydink!"

"Of course I am! That's been my mission here in the Sinnoh Region since day one!" Looker grunted. "And now after what they did to me? I've got to put a stop to their insane scheme, if for nothing else than to restore my pristine reputation!" That's when Team Rocket got uncomfortably close, those same stupid grins on their faces as Looker blinked and pressed himself flatter against the rock. "Personal space, please!"

"Don't worry, Lunchbox Guy!" James said. "We'll help you!"

"We're helpful!"

"We're de experts at woild peace and beatin' up joiks!"

"TEAM ROCKET, IN YOUR FACE!"

"Shh!" Looker shushed the trio again. "Alright, fine! You can help! But listen up and listen good. I'm in charge, and you have to do everything I say! I don't know if we have the element of surprise or not, but we're going to assume we do, which means we need to be quiet! Are we clear?"

"Crystal!" The trio responded.

"Alright then," Looker finally smiled. "Then let's move out!" Now with backup behind him, bumbling as they were, Looker had to admit he had a bit more confidence in his mission's success. "So what do you three have against Team Galactic? Not that I mind your help, but Team Rocket isn't exactly known for their good deeds."

"Dose fashion freaks have made a fool out of us one too many times!" Meowth snarled.

"Plus, the presence of another team besides Team Rocket creates competition that our boss doesn't need bogging down his own plans." Jessie explained. "By taking down Team Galactic, we'll be on the fast track to promotion for sure!"

"No more scrounging for sandwiches and binging on boxed lunches!"

"Yeah, we'll take dose goons down in bunches!"

"Shh!" Looker shushed them again, cutting off their passionate speech. "Look up there, we've finally found what Team Galactic's protecting...the gateway to Spear Pillar!"

"Indeed!" James replied as he observed the massive metal door blocking off what seemed to be a giant tunnel in the mountain. "My innate fashion-sensing instincts are telling me that Team Galactic must be on the premises!"

"What was your first clue?" Jessie rolled her eyes. "Look at the size of that security detail, no doubt for a state of the art hideout!"

"So what're we waitin' for?" Meowth smirked. "Let's hit 'em where dey hide!"

"Slow it down!" Looker whispered. "I've got backup on the way, and hopefully they'll be here soon. In the meantime, we need to secure the area first!"

"POLICEMAN PARTY POOPER!"

"What did you say?!" Looker turned around to glare at the trio, but that's when he saw they'd changed outfits almost instantly, now in Team Galactic uniforms. "Uh…"

"When it comes to disguises, we at Team Rocket are like no other!" James flashed a peace sign.

"And for once," Meowth added as he licked his paws like a normal Meowth. "For once, we mean dat in a good way!"

"Oh…" Looker couldn't help but chuckle. If nothing else, his companions were quick on their feet. "You just might be onto something here. Of course, you three aren't the only ones when it comes to being masters of disguise." With what seemed to be a wave of his hand, Looker was once again dressed in a Team Galactic uniform. "Maybe between the four of us, we'll be able to bring down the security detail and take their places. Then we can wait for our opening."

"Well here goes nothing." Jessie threw a Pokéball, instantly catching the attention of the off guard security detail. "Alright, Yanmega, use Silver Wind!"

"Carnivine, no time to mess around today! Head straight out there and pelt them with Bullet Seed!"

Both Pokémon appeared, and this time even Carnivine was all business as they each launched their attacks and left the Team Galactic grunts disoriented and confused.

That's when Looker leaped in as well. "Alright, Croagunk, use Astonish!" With the pop of a Pokéball, Looker's own Pokémon appeared, and made a terrifying face that caused the already confused grunts to involuntarily flinch, which allowed Looker and the others to go in and tie up the grunts, knocking them out to ensure they didn't raise any alarms. "Good work everyone! Croagunk, return!"

"So you have a Croagunk as well." James commented.

"I do, he's been a longtime partner of mine, ever since I was a young boy." Looker placed his Pokéball back on his belt. "But he's getting a little long in the tooth as it were, so I try to let him rest whenever I can."

"That would explain why we've never seen you use Pokémon this whole time." Jessie returned Yanmega to her Pokéball as well. "So what now?"

"We wait. That security detail wasn't on high alert, which means that their boss hasn't arrived yet." Looker smirked. "As the old saying goes, 'when the cat's away, the mice will play.'"

"So dose fashion freaks got what was comin' to 'em 'cause dey weren't payin' attention like they was s'posed ta!"

"Exactly, Meowth." Looker took on a stiff pose as he took the place of the security detail. "Once they arrive, we'll wait for an opportunity to contact Cynthia and the others. Then we'll bring Team Galactic down once and for all…it's only a matter of time."


The journey had been long and arduous, but at last it seemed like things were coming to a head. Soon, he would be recognized for his genius once again, or so he dared to hope.

"Commander Charon, sir…may I just say, it's been an honor to work alongside you these past few weeks! I'm so happy you chose me to be your assistant during these scientific endeavors! I have no doubt once all this is over; your name will be celebrated within the scientific community once again!"

Charon chortled. "Why thank you, Dr. Kiuchi. I can certainly appreciate your ability to recognize genius when you see it!" Charon turned to Rotom; the electric/ghost-type seemed much more reserved than normal. "I can see that something troubles you, old friend. Please, don't keep things from me. You know I will help if I can." Rotom just turned away from the aging scientist, floating over to a corner and going limp. "How strange, Rotom hasn't been the same for days now."

"Perhaps your Rotom is concerned that once you are crowned the most brilliant scientific mind in the new universe, you won't have time for it anymore."

"Do you suppose that could be it, Dr. Kiuchi?" Charon tilted his head at the teal-haired young man, as he went over to speak to Rotom. "Now don't you worry, Rotom. If that is indeed what's troubling you, rest assured that once my reputation is renewed, you and I will have all the time in the world! Why, with my genius and your unique attributes, we'll be able to form the world into a perfect utopia!"

"I hope you'll allow me to be a part of that utopia as well, Commander Charon!" Kiuchi exclaimed. "I've learned so much from you, and I'm still so curious about your Rotom as well. In fact, would you be willing to allow me to peruse the data you've collected over the years? I am so eager to learn more!"

Charon suddenly scowled. "Your desire for knowledge is noted, Dr. Kiuchi. But I vowed that no one would treat Rotom as a mere test subject for study ever again. I'm thankful for your help, but you'll forgive me if I refrain from allowing you free access to my files."

"Of course, Commander." Kiuchi bowed slightly. "Forgive my presumption."

Charon smiled, putting a hand on the man's shoulder. "Think nothing of it. You're a bright young man with a bright future ahead of you. Now, let's go make that future a reality. Come, Rotom." With his two companions following close behind, the short stump of a man made his way into the main room of the base where his fellow commanders and Cyrus were waiting for him. "Ah, I see everyone is here to witness greatness."

"We're here to see Master Cyrus's plans come to fruition." Jupiter replied. "So yes, in that sense, we are here to witness greatness."

Charon cackled. "You never cease to amuse, Jupiter." He then looked around the room, seeing all of the legendary items in place, along with the petrified forms of Azelf, Mesprit and Uxie, suspended in small tanks filled with a viscous green liquid. "I see everything has been set in place per my specifications. Well done, everyone." Charon then went over to a console and chortled as he began to turn a knob, putting three machines in place to hover over the tanks. "Ready when you are, Cyrus."

Cyrus said nothing for a few moments, merely staring down at everything he'd created. Then, he gave the order. "Now, begin!"

"With pleasure!" Charon exclaimed. "Dr. Kiuchi, the Red Chain!"

"Yes sir!"

With a few button presses, the three arms lowered down into the tanks, each one holding one tiny link of the Red Chain. "It's time then." Charon chortled in anticipation. "Time to allow us to see the true power of the Red Chain!"

As soon as the links were carefully placed onto the gems embedded in the foreheads of each legendary Pokémon, the chain began to glow, and moments later their gems did as well. Waves of red energy flowed through their bodies, causing their petrified forms to begin glowing brightly as well, until they were freed from their stasis, and instantly cried out in agony as the Red Chain forced its way into their minds, overriding their very sense of free will.

"How fascinating!" Charon exclaimed. "The lake Pokémon seem to be attempting to resist the effects!"

"As expected." Cyrus watched the three Pokémon struggle, desperately crying out in their own respective language as they writhed and tried to escape their captivity. But within minutes, the struggle ended, as all three Pokémon went limp inside their tanks, and their eyes began to glow the same eerie red as the chainlinks on their foreheads. "Much better."

"Indeed! And this definitively proves our hypotheses!" Charon exclaimed. "The Veilstone Meteor was definitely created from the core substance of the universe, filled to the brim with a power that we have now successfully tapped into!"

"This is truly remarkable data. Never in all my years of science have I ever seen something that can so completely take control of a Pokémon like this." Kiuchi's eyes were wide with wonder as he smirked. "The possibilities are endless!"

"Yes." Cyrus stood up. "And now we're but one step away from achieving ultimate victory."

Suddenly and without warning, the ever-increasing sound of screams was heard echoing through the room, and in a warped instant, Ash, Misty, Dawn and Brock landed in the middle of the room, much to the shock of everyone there.

For several moments, no one said anything, as they processed what they'd just seen. It was Charon who finally broke the silence as he cackled with glee. "Well, could it be?! It would seem we've got company! The boy who enslaved my dear Rotom and his meddlesome friends have somehow escaped our would-be hired assassin, I see!"

"What the? Where are we?" Ash looked around the room to regain his bearings, and that's when he and his friends all gasped in horror as their eyes locked on to the captured legendary Pokémon. "Azelf, Mesprit and Uxie! Guys, they must have somehow brought us here!"

"Alright, what have you all done to them?!" Brock clenched his fists before he gasped when a Pokéball popped open from his side, as his Croagunk appeared with an enraged look in his eyes. "Croagunk?!"

At the sight of the small frog, Saturn chuckled as he reached for his own Pokéball. "Toxicroak's looking forward to seeing you again." After a gentle toss, Toxicroak appeared from the ball and loomed over his unevolved counterpart. "Ladies," Saturn looked between his two fellow commanders. "If you please."

"Skuntank, now, let's do this!"

"Purugly, we need your help too!"

Now all three of the commanders' aces were staring down Croagunk and the other intruders, as the small frog's eyes shifted back and forth trying to find an opening. "Please," Saturn spoke up. "Let's not make this more difficult than it needs to be."

"If you think we're gonna back down after everything you've done, you're outta your mind!" Ash stepped forward. "You ready, Pikachu?!"

"Pi ka!" (You bet!)

"But you're not ready for us!" Jupiter and Mars exclaimed simultaneously.

"Toxicroak," Saturn added. "Time for fun!"

"Hold on!"

Everything stopped when that voice echoed through the room, as Cyrus himself began walking down from his balcony to approach the teens himself. "No fighting allowed!"

"It's Cyrus!" Misty gasped. "So we were right all along, he's a part of Team Galactic!"

"Fighting…is by far the most fearful byproduct of the human heart." Cyrus turned to glare at his commanders. "Haven't I been telling you that, time and time again?!"

Saturn stood at attention. "Sir!"

Jupiter, however, was not as willing to back down. "But Master, since you yourself have said that these children pose a very real threat to our plan for a new world order, isn't it only natural that we eliminate them as originally intended?!" The cold stare she received from Cyrus caused the woman to immediately back down. "F-Forgive me, Master Cyrus. I overstepped my bounds."

"It has become clear that these children indeed have a very real connection to the lake Pokémon. I have no arrogance in my heart; it is indeed possible I erred in my judgment to simply remove them from the equation." Cyrus then turned towards the teens. "Welcome everyone. Behold, this is just the kind of accomplishment that the human heart has the potential to achieve! But when your heart is ruled by emotions, you will but fight…in which case, humanity will never advance."

"So your new world is going to be one without emotions?!" Dawn exclaimed. "What a miserable existence!"

"It goes far beyond that, young lady." Cyrus replied. "Considering I previously deceived you, I suppose I owe it to you to explain what this is all really about." Cyrus was soon flanked by his commanders. "I am not merely a part of Team Galactic; it is in fact my creation! And you are now in my creation's headquarters! It is here that we are bringing about the dawn of a new world order! So we're gathered here to discard the old world of discord and conflict, and make a much better one in place of it!"

"I knew I was right about you." Misty clenched her fists. "You didn't want to take the Lustrous Orb to keep it safe, you lied through your teeth to everyone and took it so you could do all this!"

"Lose your rage." Cyrus replied. "It only destroys."

"Our rage is justified!" Dawn shouted. "Look how you're treating those Pokémon! This has gotta stop! Let them go back to their lakes!"

"That can't be done. They're quite necessary for us to be able to bring forth the new world."

"I can't believe what I'm hearing." Ash's eyes started to glow a faint shade of blue. "It sounded crazy when we were just talking about it and it sounds even crazier coming straight from you!"

Cyrus just shook his head. "Such closed minds." He then turned to Saturn. "Clearly these children were not chosen for no reason. They must mean something important if the legendary Pokémon saw it fit to bring them all here. We will need to keep them around until our task is completed, just in case."

Without an order needing to be given, all of the Team Galactic grunts surrounded Ash and the others on all sides, with Mars and Jupiter and their Pokémon leading the way. "You heard Master Cyrus," Mars said with a smirk. "Now come along quietly, and no one has to get hurt."

Ash's gloves began to creak from the strain his clenched fists were exerting. His aura was on full alert, and he could sense the hostile intentions of every single member of Team Galactic in the room, including one who seemed especially evil, though he couldn't pinpoint where it was coming from. Then his eyes landed on the one source of aura besides his friends that didn't give off an evil vibe.

His Rotom, still hovering by Charon with a concerned expression on its face. Seeing Rotom there, it only made Ash's frustration increase, as his eyes then shifted to the mind-controlled legendary Pokémon, their auras completely overridden by the Red Chain.

Ash's blood ran hot, his anger growing as he observed the faces of everyone around him. Was everyone here really that evil that they couldn't see what Cyrus was doing? Had they been lied to by him like he'd lied to everyone else?

And where was that one vicious aura coming from? It was eerily familiar somehow, but he couldn't figure out why. In the sea of malicious red auras that were all the strangely identical looking Team Galactic grunts, that one was somehow different from the rest. It wasn't coming from Cyrus, his aura was bizarrely neutral. The three commanders were obviously looking to do harm, but that wasn't where it was coming from either.

Once Ash saw Toxicroak, Skuntank and Purugly take a step forward; he immediately shifted his focus to the task at hand. There didn't seem to be any other way out of this…so a fight it was. "You won't get away with this…I don't care who you think you are or what you think you're doing, this stops now! Pikachu, Thunderbolt, let's go!"

"Piplup, use Bubblebeam!"

Before Team Galactic could retaliate, the attacks hit their mark, shattering the tanks trapping Azelf, Mesprit and Uxie inside. The liquid splashed out, as the angry red glow of their eyes breached the wave of green, giving an eerie view of the poor Pokémon.

"Croagunk, shatter the crystals! Do it!"

"Toxicroak, intercept them now!"

As Croagunk lumbered forward to free the legendary Pokémon, he was stopped in his tracks once again by his evolved form. Glaring up at Toxicroak, Croagunk leaped up to unleash Brick Break on the larger frog, only to be repelled by an X-Scissor attack.

"Croagunk, no!"

"Hang on, Brock!" Misty threw out a Pokéball of her own. "Vaporeon, let's go!"

Chaos erupted inside the cramped room as Pokémon fired attacks at each other from every direction, causing Pokémon and trainers alike to dodge and weave through crossfire to avoid being hit.

And all the while, Ash just kept his eyes on the legendary Pokémon, staring blankly at nothing as their eyes glowed red from the influence of the Red Chain. So many unanswered questions and literally no time to answer them, as he dodged an Air Cutter attack from one of the grunts' Golbat.

"That's it!" Ash shifted his focus to Cyrus, who was still watching the battle with a disinterested gaze. "We're saving them now! You got that?!" Then he whipped his head around to call for help. "Dawn, we need a Whirlpool!"

Dawn gasped as she briefly looked over her shoulder, but then her expression quickly shifted to a determined nod as she realized what Ash was asking for. "Piplup! We need to clear a path! Use Whirlpool, full power!"

Piplup took just a moment to dodge a Flamethrower attack from Skuntank, leaping into the air to get out of range and immediately charging up a massive pool of swirling water over his head.

"Now, Pikachu! Use Thunderbolt on the Whirlpool!" The electric attack hit its mark just as Piplup released the Whirlpool, electrifying the water and forcing all the humans and Pokémon in its path to immediately leap out of the way to avoid being struck. With the opening made, Ash charged forward with his friends right behind him. "Azelf!"

"Mesprit, I'm coming!"

"Uxie, we're here!"

"Oh no you don't! Purugly!"

"Skuntank!"

"IRON TAIL, NOW!"

The two Pokémon rushed to get in front of the humans, leaping up to unleash a vicious steel-type attack. Ash's heart jolted as he stopped in his tracks and threw up an aura shield. But with how hasty and unfocused it was, it shattered upon impact, knocking the teens back as they rolled on the floor in front of several Team Galactic grunts. "Oh no!"

"Toxicroak, Sludge Bomb, go!"

The teens closed their eyes as they braced for impact, as the giant frog opened its mouth to attack while they were down and defenseless…but no impact came, and the room became dead silent. Ash opened his eyes, seeing a flash of electricity in his peripheral vision. "What happened?" Ash looked up, and there he saw Rotom hovering in front of them in a defensive posture. "Rotom? Y-You saved us!"

"Rotom, what do you think you're doing?! Come back here this instant!"

But the electric ghost stood its ground, its body sparking with electricity and ready to defend the young people again if needed.

Ash got goosebumps seeing Rotom step in so readily to help them, like the cavalry arriving just in the nick of time. He remembered Haunter telling him that Rotom was only pretending to switch sides, but even after all this time, there was still that one little inkling of doubt in his heart.

But not anymore, as Ash slowly stood up and smiled at his friend. "Rotom, thank you so much!"

"I knew it!" Jupiter actually started to laugh. "All this time, that pest of a Pokémon hasn't been helping us achieve our goals; it's been sabotaging our efforts at every turn!" Jupiter then turned to Cyrus, eyes wild with excitement. "Don't you see, Master?! Charon's pitiful emotional attachment to that Rotom has actively hindered us ever since he brought it here! Clearly, Charon and his Rotom can't be trusted!"

"How dare you?!" Charon shook an aged fist at the woman. "Have you forgotten that it was I who made all of this possible?! Without my genius, Team Galactic would still be weeks or even months away from ever reaching this point!"

"Be that as it may, Commander Jupiter is at least half correct." Cyrus answered, much to the frustration of both Jupiter and Charon. "Charon's assistance has been invaluable, but his Rotom has clearly chosen who it would rather align itself with." Cyrus stepped forward to look the teens in the eyes now that they were restrained by the Team Galactic grunts. "There is no point in trying to reach the legendary Pokémon. We have the Red Chain, which now possesses the powers of the Original One. So as you can see, they are now under my complete control!"

"Original?" Ash asked.

"Powers?" Dawn added.

"Allow me to demonstrate." Cyrus opened his hand, revealing a piece of the Red Chain embedded in the palm of the glove he was wearing, and the crystal began to glow, causing Cyrus's eyes to do the same, much to the teens' shock. "Legend states that these powers are responsible for shaping our entire world. This means that no Pokémon, no matter how powerful, is able to withstand them." Cyrus closed his fist and the glow dissipated. "It's with these original powers that I will create a new world."

"You're out of your mind!" Misty shouted. "You can't just destroy the whole universe and replace it with another! Do you have any idea how deranged that sounds?!"

It was at that moment that none other than Saban burst through the sliding doors behind them, out of breath and clearly worse for wear. "Cyrus, sir, those brats got away, they like…teleported or…" Then Saban noticed how on edge everyone was, and the middle-aged man cleared his throat as he awkwardly stood at attention. "I don't suppose uh…you'll give me another chance? They caught me off guard is all."

Cyrus simply walked past the man, only stopping once the three legendary Pokémon passed the open doors along with him. "Lieutenant Saban, make certain you take care of those children. Our plans have changed; we will be keeping them alive until I deem it necessary to do otherwise."

"What?!" Saban scowled. "Ya can't do this to me! I-" But Saban's rant was cut short when he saw a cold stare being given to him in his peripheral vision. "That is to say…yes sir, Cyrus sir."

"Good…and make sure Charon's Rotom is placed in captivity as well." Cyrus glared over at the short scientist. "Commander Charon, I expect results when we reach Spear Pillar, is that understood?"

Charon said nothing for several moments, looking over briefly at Rotom who gave him a sorrowful expression in return. "Yes, Cyrus. I understand completely."

"Good."

"Hey wait!" Ash got up and rushed after Cyrus as the doors closed behind him, pushing back several Team Galactic grunts as he did so. "Come back here, Cyrus!" But he was quickly cut off again when Saban crashed into him, knocking him harshly to the ground as the thug glared down at him hatefully.

"You ruined a really good thing I had goin'...it'd be so worth it to put you on ice for good." Saban pointed his laser pistol right at Ash, his finger hovering dangerously close to the trigger. "But I got my orders, so get up and get movin'."

Ash growled, mind whirling as he desperately tried to think of a way out. Staring down the barrel of a deadly laser pistol didn't help matters. With Saban ready to vaporize him and the rest of Team Galactic's elite surrounding them, things seemed bleak. There was only one thing he could think of now. But with the stakes this high, Ash decided that what he really needed was a second opinion, as he channeled his aura. "Misty, can you hear me?"

"Ash? Yeah, yeah I can!"

"I'm gonna try to throw up a shield around us, maybe we can get away and save the Pokémon!"

"Ash, you know I want to. But Saban looks like he's inches away from pulling that trigger, and there's no coming back from what that thing can do to you. Even if you got the shield up, there'd be no way out since our Pokémon would be sitting ducks while he's a threat!"

"But that gun of his doesn't work when it overheats! I could call out Charizard and get him to unleash a Heat Wave and-"

"Are you brats deaf? I said move!"

"There's no time, Ash! We'll figure another way out of this!"

Ash's eyes narrowed further, seeing how Saban's finger was twitching in hopes of getting to pull the trigger. Sighing internally, Ash lowered his head and slowly rose back to his feet. "Alright, Mist…" Ash glared up at Saban as the Team Galactic grunts cuffed him and the others, Pokémon included. The smug look on the man's face caused Ash's blood to boil, and the fear in Dawn's eyes as they were escorted into the back of a large helicopter only made it worse.

Ash could feel the raw satisfaction coming from most of Team Galactic's elites. But even now, there was still that one aura that was especially smug about their predicament. It was bizarrely familiar to him, but he still couldn't pinpoint why. Ash didn't get the chance to ponder it further, as he and the others were unceremoniously thrown into a large, empty cell with one measly guard outside. "You know we'll find a way out of here."

"Please do." Saban raised his pistol again. "I'd love to get a chance to turn you to stone for good." Saban then turned to the grunt outside the cell. "Call if they get rowdy, and I'll handle 'em myself."

"Y-Yes, Lieutenant!"

"Ugh, hate that title." Saban shook his head. "Like I'm a bottom of the barrel grunt all over again."

With Saban gone, Ash sat up and looked over to Rotom, who'd been encapsulated in an electricity-proof dome. "Rotom, thank you so much. We would've been goners if you hadn't saved us."

"Yeah, thanks, Rotom." Misty added. "I hope you've been making Team Galactic's lives a living nightmare while you were here."

Rotom shrugged, indicating that it had done its best.

"So…" Dawn sighed. "What's gonna happen to us now?"

"Cyrus is using us as hostages so Uxie and the others will do what he tells them to." Brock replied. "We're his backup plan in case they somehow manage to break free from his control."

Ash started powering up his aura, his eyes glowing blue as he tried to break free of his restraints by force. But after several moments of grunting, he gave up as the reinforced metal cuffs refused to budge. "We've gotta find a way out of here…those Pokémon came to see us in our dreams, it was a warning of what's happening now!"

"There's still a chance." Misty replied. "Remember, Cynthia's still out there, and Lucario too! And you know Lucario won't rest until he finds us."

"That's what I'm afraid of." Ash shook his head with worry. "He doesn't know what he's getting himself into here."


"I can't sense them!" Lucario shouted as he poured all his aura into reaching as far out as he possibly could. "I can't sense them anywhere!"

"Please, you must calm down!" Cynthia grabbed the Aura Pokémon by his shoulders. "We will find a way to help them. We know where they are. They were summoned by Azelf, Mesprit and Uxie."

"And what does that mean exactly?" Lucario narrowed his eyes at the woman. "That they're with Team Galactic? That's not a good place to be right now!"

"I know." Cynthia turned to her own Pokémon. "Garchomp, I don't have a spare tire for the jeep. We need to get to Mt. Coronet as quickly as we can, can you carry us there?" Cynthia smiled as her ace Pokémon nodded at her and motioned for her to climb on its back. "Thank you, old friend. I will need your support to get me through this."

"I'm sorry about David."

Cynthia flinched, frowning deeply as she rubbed her hands against Garchomp's rough skin. "Now isn't the time to be worried about him."

"Oh yeah?" Lucario raised a skeptical eyebrow at the champion. "You may act tough on the outside, but I can read your aura. You're hanging on by a thread and it's stretched so tight that if you get pushed any further without letting it out, you might snap!"

"I'm fine!"

"You're not fine!" Lucario barked back at her. "Look at me, for crying out loud! I'm losing my mind over my family being warped away to who knows where-"

"They're at Spear Pillar!"

"Those words mean less than nothing to me right now! They're not here, with me, where I can keep them safe like they kept me safe when I was just a baby!" Lucario drew closer. "This person you lost, you loved him. And instead of taking even the tiniest moment to be sad about it, you're bottling it all up and it is going to explode. It's not a matter of if, it's when!"

Cynthia whirled around and glared down at the suddenly stunned Lucario. "I need you to listen to me! Regardless of what my feelings are right now, I have a duty to the Sinnoh Region to keep it safe from harm, and right now Team Galactic is threatening not just Sinnoh, but all of reality! And instead of being helpful, for some reason you're trying to push me to have an emotional reaction that I don't have the luxury of having! Yes, I loved David! Yes, I am sad, I am upset; I am enraged over what Team Galactic did to him and everyone else who's ever crossed their path! And if I had my way, I would make them pay a hundred fold for every evil thing they've done! So I am going to make sure I stay focused on the task at hand, and I will grieve when I have the time to do so! Is that understood?!"

After Cynthia's rant, Lucario just smirked. "Absolutely…feel better?"

The champion blinked, realizing that she had a few tears streaming down her cheeks after her outburst. Hastily she wiped them away, taking a deep, shuddering breath as she recomposed herself. "As a matter of fact, I do. Thank you, Lucario."

"You're welcome."

"Now…with that settled," Cynthia mounted Garchomp's back and extended a hand for Lucario. "Ready to go save your family?"

"Wait!" Lucario suddenly closed his eyes and reached out with his aura again, much to Cynthia's confusion. "I'm getting…a familiar feeling. It's hard to describe, but I've felt this before!" Lucario slowly made his way towards Cynthia's now useless jeep, drawn there by a presence that seemed to be calling to him. "Cynthia, it's powerful, whatever it is." Lucario then slowly walked over to the windshield, where he could faintly see his reflection in the glass…then that reflection shifted to the image of a woman, causing the Pokémon to yelp as that woman somehow came through the glass and landed in front of them. "What the heck?! How'd you do that?!"

"Lucario!" Cynthia motioned for Garchomp to approach, and the large dragon/ground-type confronted the strange woman with a low growl. "Who are you?!"

"There's no time to explain, Champion Cynthia! I am a friend of Ash Ketchum's, and we must work quickly if we're to save this world!"

Cynthia raised an eyebrow. "You know Ash?"

"Yes! My people - as well as all of humanity - owe him and his friends our lives!" The woman then turned to look at Lucario. "You've certainly grown since I last saw you."

"Wait…" Lucario reached out with his aura for a moment, and his eyes shot open in realization. "I do know you! Oh wow!" Lucario bent to the side to look around the woman and at Cynthia. "We can trust her, I know it!"

The champion dismounted her Pokémon and walked up to the woman. "Well, if Lucario trusts you, then so do I. Do you happen to know a faster way that we can get to Spear Pillar and stop Team Galactic?"

"Yes," The woman nodded. "But if we're to be successful, we alone will not be enough. Come with me," The woman gestured towards the windshield. "We must gather allies for the battle ahead!"

Cynthia and Lucario watched in complete shock as the woman dove through the windshield…but instead of shattering the glass, she simply disappeared through it. "And you're sure we can trust her?" Cynthia asked.

Lucario nodded fervently. "With my life! Come on!" Taking a leap of faith, Lucario dove through the windshield as well.

"Well," Cynthia turned and returned Garchomp to its Pokéball. "Sometimes faith is all we can really go on…don't worry, David…I refuse to believe you're truly gone. I will save you, somehow. But first, I need to save the world." And with that, Cynthia dove through the windshield as well, disappearing into an empty void.


Looker was starting to lose track of time as he and Team Rocket stood at attention waiting for something to happen. The tension could be cut with a knife, it was so important that their mission succeed, and all they could do was ponder on different scenarios of how their meeting would go.

"So, refresh my memory."

Looker briefly looked over his shoulder at Jessie. "Yes?"

"That giant door we're standing in front of…this is the same thing those fashion freaks were obsessed with digging out back when we tried to steal that freaky looking key?"

"The gateway to Spear Pillar, yes. Many ancient Sinnoh legends are associated with it. Whatever Team Galactic is planning, it goes far beyond merely stealing people's Pokémon."

Meowth stood back up. "Hey! I resent dat remark!"

"Shh! Everyone, quiet!" Looker looked into the sky to see a Team Galactic helicopter appearing over the horizon. "They're here, most likely with Team Galactic's leader on board!"

"About time we met face to face." James said.

"Destroying those fashion freaks has been quite high on my to-do list."

"Yeah, me too!" Meowth sat back down like a normal Meowth as he assumed his role. "I'll tell ya what, I'm gonna sleep real good tonight!"

Once the helicopter landed, Looker, Jessie and James all gave a salute to the ranking Galactic officers, but the Rocket Trio could only barely keep the look of surprise off their faces when they realized who'd stepped out of the helicopter. "That big mouth gave a speech." Jessie whispered to her teammates.

"Yes, back at the Celestic Ruins!"

"He's da Team Galactic big cheese?"

"Alright, Skuntank! Use Flamethrower, let's go!"

"What?!" Looker gasped as he and the Rocket Trio were engulfed by Jupiter's Skuntank's Flamethrower, completely burning off their disguises and revealing their true selves. "I-Impossible! How could they tell?!"

"They couldn't know who we are!" Jessie shrieked.

"My own mother wouldn't have known me in this disguise!" James fell over along with Jessie and Meowth after the attack.

But Looker stayed on his feet, albeit in severe discomfort from the burns. "How?"

"Oh, Looker." Jupiter snickered. "I never forget a handsome face."

Looker grunted as he slowly reached for a Pokéball, only to fall to the dirt as a laser blast vaporized a spot on the ground in front of him. He watched the puff of smoke fade into the air, eyes wide as the imposing figure of Saban loomed over him with a laser raised to his face. "What is that?!"

"My trump card."

Looked gasped as he was suddenly yanked to his feet by the former mob boss, then he grunted as he was viciously backhanded. "So…" Looker slowly turned his head towards the man. "I see you've been reduced to a mere Team Galactic flunky." Looker's head was whipped to the other side now as Saban backhanded him harder this time, causing Looker to spit out a small amount of blood from the impact. "I seem to have struck a nerve. Did you really think the International Police didn't know about you, Saban?"

"Shut up!" Saban clocked Looker over the head now with the butt of his pistol, causing the officer to go limp as he finally succumbed to his wounds. "Oh I'm gonna enjoy this…"

"Enough." Silence fell over everyone again as Cyrus stepped in. "Put them all with the others."

Saban's eyes widened with barely contained rage. "But…this guy-"

"I am aware of his identity." Cyrus stepped up to look Saban in the eyes. "Do as you're told."

The former mob boss looked past Cyrus for a moment, then closed his eyes as he fought to rein in his rage as he grabbed all three humans and Meowth and tossed them in with Ash and the others, rather violently at that.

"It's Looker, and Team Rocket too!" Misty exclaimed in shock.

"Watch these mugs carefully, capisce?" Saban glared at the lowly grunt guard. "They get out, I take you out."

"Yes sir, Lieutenant Saban!"

The fearful grunt was suddenly thrown against the wall by Saban, who pressed his laser pistol right against his chest. "Call me that one more time, and you'll be sleeping with the Magikarp tomorrow. Just 'sir' is enough!"

"Y-Y-Y-Yes sir!"

Once again Saban left, meeting up with his superiors outside. "They're safe and sound in that cell. Still hopin' you'll let me take a shot at 'em."

"Excess violence is not necessary." Cyrus stepped past Saban dismissively. "You'll do well to remember that, Lieutenant."

"Yes sir." Saban clenched his fists, which were shaking with barely contained rage at his sides as everyone walked past him. "This all better be worth it, or I'm gonna vaporize that little snot-nosed punk." With a deep frown on his face, Saban rejoined the rest of Team Galactic in front of the gate.

"Charon, the Spear Key."

Wordlessly the scientist opened the briefcase containing the odd golden key, and it immediately reacted to being in the presence of the gateway, as it began glowing brightly, causing the gate itself to do the same as it started pulsing with energy. Then the key phased inside the golden orb at the front of the gate, causing the gateway to retract itself, and transform into a much more mystical, golden form. "It's ready for you, Cyrus."

"No victorious laughter, Charon?" Jupiter smirked at the scientist. "Good, I quite prefer this melancholy version of you."

Charon said nothing as he glared at the tall woman, his interest mild at best as Cyrus placed his gloved hand against the golden gateway orb, causing it to reach as the doors opened, and the orb began to float and form ethereal glowing stairs in its wake. "So, Spear Pillar is deep within that passageway."

"Exactly as it was written in ancient times." Cyrus turned to address his team. "My loyal followers…we are but minutes away from achieving what we have all strived for. Just a precious few more preparations are required, and then the glory of the new world will be mine!"

"Yes sir, Master Cyrus!" Mars cheered, only to apologize after for her outburst. "Forgive me sir; I was overwhelmed by the moment."

"It's only natural. You are, after all, only human."

"Yes sir."

"Now then…Charon, finish the preparations, then meet us down at the Spear Pillar."

"Yes, Cyrus." The man looked 20 years older as he slowly climbed back into the helicopter to get back to his equipment. "Dr. Kiuchi…" He said as he sensed his assistant following him inside. "This is a very delicate procedure; I will need to do this on my own."

"Oh, of course sir. Is there anything you'd like me to do out here?"

"Just make sure Jupiter doesn't break anything."

Jupiter growled. "You're just bitter because your precious Rotom is a traitor, as I knew all along!"

"Enough bickering." Cyrus directed his attention to Charon. "Get the job done, Commander. Soon, you will receive your reward."

Once again, Charon said nothing as he got to work on the onboard console of the helicopter and began the final calculations. He was about to achieve his goal of worldwide scientific respect…and he found he did not care one bit.

After only seconds of working, Charon got up from his seat and walked to the back of the helicopter where the teens' cell was. "I need you to stay inside the cockpit for a few minutes. I would like to have a talk with our prisoners alone."

"B-But, Lieutenant Saban-"

"Is of no concern in this matter. Or are you defying your Commander in order to obey your Lieutenant?" Charon scowled at the lowly grunt, until finally he left the room. Once he was out of earshot, Charon turned his attention to the cell, where the prisoners…as well as Rotom, were being kept. "It's time for answers."


After several attempts to bring Looker and Team Rocket to consciousness, Ash and the others had finally given up, opting to wait for an opportunity to escape. Then the boy's eyes widened a bit, as he sensed an aura approaching. He looked up to see Charon outside the cell, the man's eyes slowly scanning the room until his eyes fell on Rotom.

"I wish to have a word with Rotom."

"Forget it!" Misty shouted in defiance, eyes blazing with anger. "Do you have any idea how much pain you put Ash through when you took Rotom away?! Well guess what?! Rotom was never a part of Team Galactic and there's no way we're gonna let you take it away from Ash again!"

"What Misty said!" Brock nodded with a scowl. "Rotom's one of us!"

"Guys," Ash calmly responded to his friends, a neutral gaze on his face as he stared right at Charon through the bars. "It's okay."

"What?!" Misty reeled back like she'd been hit. "But Ash! He-"

"I know." Ash glanced over to the redhead with a smile on his face, touched at how passionate she was on his behalf. "Thanks for sticking up for me guys." Ash then turned back to Charon, his smile gone as the neutral expression returned. "You don't really want to hurt us. I can see it in your aura. I couldn't before, but now I can."

"Please, I merely wish to know why."

Ash turned to the electric/ghost-type, who was looking up at Charon with a sorrowful expression. There was a lot of conflict inside Rotom. Clearly, despite everything, it still cared about Charon. "Do you wanna talk to him, Rotom?"

Rotom glanced over at Charon again. The man looked pitiful, like everything he cared about had been ripped away from him. Rotom turned to Ash, nodding once as it waited for its trainer's approval.

"Alright, Charon." Ash nodded. "Go ahead."

"Thank you." Charon looked over his shoulder briefly to make sure he wasn't being watched, then he quickly opened the cell door and closed it behind him again, eyes slightly wide with surprise when he saw the teens hadn't made a sudden attempt to overpower him and escape. He walked up to Rotom, kneeling down in front of the entrapped Pokémon. "Why, Rotom? Why would you throw away everything we've worked for, just for the sake of these children?"

As Rotom began chittering in its own language, a translation came in the form of Meowth. "Dat Rotom's askin' you a similar question, fashion freak."

"Meowth!" Brock shifted over to check on the Scratch Cat Pokémon. "Are you feeling alright?"

"I feel like I got put through a foinace, which isn't dat far off." Meowth hissed in pain. "But I figure dis is my way of payin' off my debt to you twoips. As for you, stumpy, Rotom wants ta know why you decided ta join Team Galactic instead of just tryin' to regain your rep the old fashioned way."

"I did, Rotom! I tried for years, so many years! But all of my efforts were brushed aside as meaningless, utterly mundane! Why, you were my only true success story, and even then I tried so hard to keep anyone else from trying unethical experiments on you!"

Rotom shook its head in disappointment.

"Rotom's sayin' dat all ya really needed ta do was just stay with it in de Old Chateau and ya could've had a great life togetha! You were its friend and instead of woikin' through da tough times, ya disappeared!"

"I had no choice! Please, Rotom, come back with me! We're going to make a new world where we can start fresh! One where I'll be in charge! Cyrus thinks he's so smart, but I know what he's really planning, and he won't succeed."

"Wait," Ash stood up. "Whaddya mean what he's really planning?"

Rotom began chittering frantically, and this time no translation was needed as Charon reeled back in shock.

"You want me to let everyone out?! Rotom, I can't do that!"

"Rotom's sayin' dat da Charon dat it knew was a kind, decent man! Rotom went with ya ta get de answers it was lookin' for and now it's got 'em, you're not da same person it once loved…man, ain't dat just da saddest story?"

"But it's no surprise." Misty scoffed. "Anyone who would be willing to work with Team Galactic is obviously either deranged or pure evil. In this guy's case, it might just be both."

"No." Ash shook his head. "I can tell. You're not like the rest of Team Galactic. You don't want a new world just so you can rule it. You want a new world because this one gave you a rough time."

"You're rather insightful for a child." Charon nodded. "I never wanted to be a part of Team Galactic. I don't care to feed Cyrus's mad ambitions. All I wanted was to be a respected scientist again, by any means necessary. If I could lead Cyrus down the path he wanted, I'd hoped I would be able to make a world where I was special again." Charon lowered his head. "But if I can't have Rotom, then that world I imagine can never be as perfect as I want it to be."

Rotom again looked up at Charon with a sad expression, chittering solemnly.

"Rotom says dat even if you'd succeeded, it wouldn't wanna be a part of it. It has new friends now, friends dat care about it. Friends dat try ta make da world a betta place." Meowth's eyes started watering. "Boy if dat don't just getcha right here!"

"Meowth, enough!" Misty hissed at the cat Pokémon.

"I do care, Rotom! Why, haven't I been doing everything I can to keep you safe from harm while you've been here?" Charon pulled out the old toy robot from his inner coat pocket. "I've never given up on our friendship, Rotom. I've kept you from harm from Jupiter, Mars, and even my admittedly talented but overly ambitious assistant Dr. Kiuchi. And I suspect that you've kept me safe as well."

"Rotom says dat it did do everything it could. It wanted ta know why a good man like you would work for dose fashion freaks. And now it knows."

Charon's expression grew desperate. "Please, Rotom. Isn't there anything I can do to convince you?"

"Rotom said what you have to do." Ash spoke up this time. "Don't do this, Charon. Whatever this new world that Cyrus has planned, it can't be what you want."

Several moments passed, and Charon said nothing. Then finally, the short man stood up and walked out of the cell without a word, leaving everyone to dwell on what they'd just witnessed. "Well…so much for da power of love." Meowth sighed.

"He does care." Ash shook his head. "He's full of fear, and honestly I can't blame him."

"That doesn't excuse his actions, Ash."

"I know, Mist." Ash sighed. "Guess we're back to square one." But then without warning, the cell door opened again, and this time it stayed open as Charon walked through the door once more, a look of surrender on his aged face. "Charon?"

"Rotom is absolutely correct." Charon looked at each and every prisoner in that room. "I spent years trying to rebuild my reputation, desperately searching for any avenue I could take to salvage my career and my pride. But all I've done is lead the world down a path of destruction that might be too late to turn back from."

"So…you're letting us go?" Dawn asked.

"I'm doing right by my old friend." Charon smiled at Rotom, who had the widest grin ever on its face.

"I knew there was good in you somewhere, Charon!" Ash exclaimed as he looked down at Rotom. "And it looks like Rotom knew it too!"

"Were it not for Rotom, I would not have ever had the joy of becoming the scientist I once was at all, nor would I have had a friend to keep me company for all those years." Charon looked at the teens. "I want to thank you all for finding Rotom and giving him the second chance at companionship that I didn't. For that, I am in your debt. Now go, quickly, what Cyrus is truly planning is more sinister than you can imagine. You haven't much-"

Then without warning, Charon was vaporized into oblivion, much to the horror of everyone else as they gasped out loud, and Saban walked in the door to grin down at them. "Guess that little punk was right, the old man was soft."

"You killed him!" Dawn began to hyperventilate. "J-Just in…in cold blood!"

Ash just stared ahead, jaw dropped and eyes glassy as he watched a puff of smoke fade away from the spot that Charon once stood. His moment of redemption had been cruelly punished, and again it was all because of this rotten mob boss.

Glancing down at Rotom, the tears in his Pokémon's eyes made his blood boil, as Ash's eyes began to glow with aura. "You're insane! You won't get away with this!" Ash started moving towards Saban to hit him with a shoulder tackle, but once the laser pistol was raised in his direction, he froze in his tracks. "Bet you wouldn't be so tough without that!"

"Moot point, since I do have it. Now sit back down!" Saban actually smirked when Ash defied the order and stayed standing. "I did warn you. As far as anyone's concerned, I was defending myself." Saban pulled the trigger…and the shot missed as he was thrown off balance, causing the helicopter itself to have a hole blasted through it instead. "What the he-"

Before Saban could react, Looker was all over him, bashing him in the face with his metal handcuffs, knocking the former mafia boss out cold. "I'm sorry you all had to see that," Looker said with a sad expression, seeing how shaken Dawn was in particular. "We at Interpol have very specific training intended to help us cope with seeing death. I wish I had the time to teach you all myself. But right now, I need you here, with me. Do you understand?"

"We're with you, Looker." Ash nodded, fire burning in his eyes. "Right guys?"

"Right, Ash." Misty nodded, then went over to Dawn to nudge her with her shoulder. "Dawn? We're here for you."

"Right…" Dawn shook her head as her face twisted into an angry expression. "Team Galactic needs to pay for what they've done!"

Within minutes, the teens were free from their restraints and Saban was tied up and trapped in the cell. "That should hold you until the International Police arrive to officially arrest you." Looker turned to the others. "There was a guard outside, right? If he's gone now, he's probably run off to warn Cyrus we're coming. It's time for the main event, are you all ready?"

"You betcha, Lunchbox Guy!" Meowth extended his claws. "I've been lookin' forward ta dis for a long time!"

"Good. Unfortunately it doesn't look like my backup is going to get here in time, so we'll just have to be enough!"

"Wait, backup?" Brock scratched his chin. "But, Looker, if you can't call the International Police, who's your backup? Is it Cynthia?"

"She's part of it, but there's no time to explain now! We need to get moving!" Looker glanced at Team Rocket. "I'm counting on you three to guard this man. If he gets loose, we're all in danger. Don't let me down!" Looker then led the teens down towards the passageway leading to Spear Pillar. "Incredible, all this means the legends are really true!"

"In our experience," Misty replied. "They usually are!"

Sprinting down the glowing steps, they stopped when they saw the dark pillars that seemed to reach into the sky; the cave was so dark that they seemed to have no end, simply fading into the darkness. But what was most shocking was seeing the setup Team Galactic had prepared.

On the ground was an ancient triangle-shaped ruin, with pillar-like platforms on each corner. One for Azelf, Mesprit and Uxie to perch on. In the middle were two more platforms, which Mars and Jupiter placed the Adamant Orb and Lustrous Orb on top of.

"Dr. Kiuchi, seeing as your predecessor didn't make the right choice, I trust you are prepared to take his place?" Cyrus asked expectantly.

The young scientist smirked. "Trust me, sir. I am far more prepared than anyone could ever realize." Kiuchi walked over to all three legendary Pokémon one at a time, taking a syringe and extracting a small sample of blood from each of them. "This is an extra added precaution. With this, should anything go awry, we can specifically calibrate the Red Chain to control whichever Pokémon is resisting by utilizing their own DNA."

"That's a lie." Ash whispered to his companions as he again sensed the horrifically evil aura from before. "Misty, Brock…does Dr. Kiuchi look familiar to you?" Unfortunately he didn't get a chance to wait for an answer, as Cyrus stepped forward and got everyone's attention again. "Oh no, we're too late!"

"We are finally ready…" Cyrus closed his eyes for a moment, then when he opened them; his pupils flashed red as he spread his arms out wide. "Azelf, Mesprit and Uxie…hear me now! Transfer your ancient powers to the Adamant and Lustrous Orbs, and using the infinite original powers, connect time and space!"

"Azelf, no!"

But Ash's shout went unheeded, as Azelf and the other three Pokémon cried out their names in a lifeless monotone, their entire bodies glowing red with the power of the Red Chain. The waves of intense psychic energy caused the orbs to begin to glow, just as Ash and the others came charging down the rest of the steps.

"Right on schedule. Restrain the children!" Dr. Kiuchi shouted as he turned his back to the battle and knelt down to work on another piece of equipment. "The rest of you, fire the Red Chain at the proper coordinates!"

"Purugly, time for another round!"

"You too, Skuntank, we're so close!"

"No way! Pikachu, Thunderbolt, let's go!"

"And Piplup, use Bubblebeam!"

While the battle raged, Cyrus remained entirely disinterested. His entire focus was on the two Red Chains that were launched into the sky, forming perfect circles which combined with the energy emanating from the orbs, creating pink and blue portals. "Dialga…Palkia, the time has come…now! Reveal yourselves!" Cyrus's glove glowed again, and as if by command, both Dialga and Palkia appeared from the portals, in the form of ghostly shadows of themselves. "Victory is assured now."

The Red Chain transformed from a plain circle into a cross-like wheel attached to their bodies, one that instantly caught the teens' attention once they formed.

"Guys," Brock exclaimed. "Those things around Dialga and Palkia, don't they look just like-"

"Yeah, Brock, they do! That's the same thing that Arceus has!" Ash grit his teeth in determination. "We're getting through this mess right now! Staraptor, Gliscor, Charizard, let's go!"

"Vaporeon, we've gotta help now!"

"Alright, Croagunk, one more round!"

With all the Pokéballs opening up, the swarm of Golbat was quickly thinned as attacks went flying everywhere. That's when Saturn took it upon himself to enter the fight as well. "Alright, Toxicroak, go!"

Toxicroak appeared, and leaped into the air to face Croagunk…and was immediately put down by the smaller frog, who had leaped off of Gliscor's back and bashed the larger frog's head in with a vicious Brick Break attack, knocking the evolved Pokémon out in front of a very stunned Saturn.

"Way to go, Croagunk! You finally beat it!" Brock cheered as Croagunk screeched in victory…but then he gasped as a white light enveloped the poison/fighting-type, as it also transformed into a Toxicroak. "Awesome, Croagunk! You evolved into Toxicroak!"

Brock grinned as his newly evolved Pokémon gave him a thumbs-up, then turned his attention back to the other Pokémon. "Well, Toxicroak…ready to test all that new power of yours?" Brock received a nod from the poison/fighting-type, and without another word, Toxicroak leaped back into the fray, using its new strength to hold both Purugly and Skuntank at bay. "That's the way, Toxicroak! Show Team Galactic what you can do!"

"Guess finally beating your rival means a lot!" Misty smirked. "Alright, Vaporeon! Take out that machine with a Water Pulse!" Now with an opening thanks to Toxicroak's fighting spirit, Vaporeon was able to leap past Skuntank and Purugly, launching a powerful Water Pulse that caused the Red Chain cannon to explode. "That did it!"

Dr. Kiuchi growled loudly, briefly looking over his shoulder before getting back to his work. "Can't you do one simple thing?! Stop those brats!"

"Excuse me, who do you think you are?!" Jupiter glared behind her before getting back to the task at hand. "Skuntank, we need to clear out this room! Use Toxic, now!"

Looker gasped. "Everyone, get back!"

But it was too late, as Skuntank started spewing its disgusting poison everywhere. Even the other members of Team Galactic were caught off guard, as they ordered their Pokémon to fall back to avoid the effects of the Toxic attack.

"Hey, Jupiter!" Mars complained as she put a cloth over her nose. "You might wanna warn us before you do something like that!"

"It got the job done, didn't it?" Jupiter smirked as she saw Misty's Vaporeon laying down on her side after getting a full dose of Skuntank's Toxic. "That should buy us just enough time for Master Cyrus to finish what we started."

"Vaporeon, no!" Misty tried to rush in to help her Pokémon, but she was held back by Ash and Brock. "Let me go! She needs help!"

"Toxicroak," Brock called out to his newly evolved Pokémon. "Get Vaporeon out of there!"

"No you don't! Skuntank, Iron Tail now!"

Skuntank leaped up to attack, but Brock's Toxicroak was ready for it, as he reeled back his fist and unleashed a brutal Brick Break attack that sent Skuntank flying back into Jupiter, knocking the woman off her feet and right into Cyrus's line of sight. "M-Master Cyrus, please forgive me!"

"It no longer matters." Cyrus put his attention back on the ethereal forms of Dialga and Palkia. "Dialga and Palkia are attempting to resist the power of the Red Chain…but now, I will force them to enter our dimension and take full control!"

"No, you will not!"

The new voice caught everyone off guard, as Cynthia and Lucario came rushing in at full speed, riding her Garchomp.

"It's Cynthia!" Ash grinned as he watched Garchomp fly overhead. "And Lucario's with her too!"

Cynthia and Ash's Lucario both landed in front of the Team Galactic commanders, her Pokémon roaring its threat as it stared down Purugly and the injured Skuntank. "Cyrus, your plan ends now!"

"Mad ambition? This world is dying of cancer. The only sane solution is to start over from scratch, and there's nothing you or anyone else can do to stop it."

"I thought you might say that." Cynthia smirked. "That's why I didn't come alone. I brought a few friends who would like to refute that!"

"Whoa…" Ash suddenly gasped.

"Ash, what is it?" Misty asked.

"Auras, powerful ones! I can feel them!"

Looker smiled. "That means my backup has finally arrived."

"Your backup?" Ash and the others looked back towards the Spear Pillar, watching in awe as a giant portal opened up from the ground…and out came none other than Giratina, who had not come alone. "It's Giratina! And it brought Newton with it from the Reverse World!"

"And Shaymin too!" Dawn laughed as the Sky Warrior flew down to nuzzle Dawn's face before rushing over to Vaporeon who had been successfully rescued by Toxicroak, using Aromatherapy to heal her from the poison. "I can't believe it, what are you doing here?!"

"Hey, the entire universe is at stake! And I figured I owed all of you for helping me get to the Flower Garden!" Shaymin laughed. "Plus, it's hard to say no when he says I should come."

"He?" Dawn tilted her head. "He who?"

That's when another portal opened up in the sky, a shining golden one, and another huge Pokémon emerged from it, one with a brilliance entirely his own. "I've been told of your mad ambitions, one called Cyrus. And now you must stop!"

"Arceus!" Ash exclaimed. "Oh man, are we glad to see you! But how?"

"Ash Ketchum." Arceus glanced down at Ash and the other teens. "I am glad to see you've remained true to your path, you and your companions. As for how I am here, you have very special friends."

"Huh?" Ash turned his head as Giratina gave a mighty roar, and from the ghost/dragon-type's back, two very familiar figures leaped down and smiled at them. "It's Sheena and Kevin!"

"Sheena's here!" Brock couldn't help but get excited again as hearts appeared in his eyes. "Like a guardian angel sent from above to save us!"

"Now transcend…the confines of time and space!" Sheena folded her hands and closed her eyes, and instantly she saw the hearts of all the Pokémon around her, the turmoil of the Lake Trio and Dialga and Palkia, and the righteous fury evident in Giratina and Arceus. "Please help us, we cannot allow Team Galactic to succeed!"

"Fear not." Arceus's voice echoed through the room as his eyes began to glow with power. "Their folly will not go unpunished." With a bright flash of his eyes, all of Team Galactic's equipment suddenly burst into flame, much to the horror of all the grunts who were now fleeing in fear. "Now, Ash! Destroy the false Red Chain controlling the Lake Guardians!"

"You got it, Arceus! Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!"

"Piplup, use Bubblebeam!"

"Now, Toxicroak, use Brick Break!"

With all the chaos due to the appearance of the legendary Pokémon, nothing stood in the way of the teens' Pokémon shattering the Red Chain, and the energy fueling the emergence of Dialga and Palkia immediately dissipated as Azelf, Mesprit and Uxie were freed from their trances, exhaustedly falling into the waiting arms of their respective chosen ones.

"That did it!" Ash exclaimed as he pulled out three Pokéballs. "Thanks for your help you guys! Staraptor, Gliscor, Charizard, return!"

"It's working!" Cynthia smiled as she watched Dialga and Palkia's forms start to fade. "They're disappearing, going back to their own dimensions where they belong!" She then scowled as she glared daggers into the back of Cyrus's neck. "You've failed, Cyrus. You no longer have the power to control Dialga or Palkia!"

For several moments, Cyrus said nothing, merely observing the scene around him before shifting his eyes ever so slightly. "I wouldn't be so sure." Cyrus opened his palm again, and the crystal in his glove glowed again, triggering the red rings to glow as well…and that's when Dialga and Palkia suddenly appeared in the flesh, their roars of pain loud enough to cause everyone to cover their ears. "Try as they might, they cannot resist! The power of the Red Chain ensures that they will be under my control!"

Sheena suddenly collapsed, causing everyone to rush to her side. "I-I can feel their pain! The Red Chain is removing their free will, resistance only intensifies their agony!"

"As you can see, regardless of all your efforts, as long as I have Dialga and Palkia under my control," Cyrus tilted his head up to look directly at Arceus. "There is nothing anyone can do to stop me from creating a new world!"

"Such blind arrogance…" Arceus scoffed in disgust. "You, a mere human, presume to control something you can barely even begin to comprehend!"

"Arrogance is an emotional failure of the human heart, and I do not suffer from it." Cyrus raised his hand to Arceus. "However, it is clear that you have a failure of sorts."

"What?" Arceus suddenly cried out in pain himself, as the golden ring around his abdomen suddenly turned red with a wave of Cyrus's hand.

"Arceus, no!" Dawn shouted. "What's happening?! How is Cyrus doing that?!"

"The ring around Arceus must also be part of the original powers!" Kevin exclaimed in horror. "With the power of the Red Chain, Cyrus may yet control Arceus as well!"

"And with that kind of power, he'd be unstoppable!" Misty clenched a fist. "We can't let him win!"

"He won't!" Shaymin flew up after successfully healing Vaporeon. "I'll stop him, he can't control me!" Shaymin charged in with an Energy Ball ready to fire. "Take this you bad man!"

"Dialga, use Roar of Time!"

Unable to resist the power of the Red Chain, Dialga unleashed an absurdly powerful beam right at the incoming Shaymin. The Pokémon dodged it, but without warning, it suddenly morphed back into its Land Forme, falling with a thud right in front of Cyrus's feet. "H-Hey! What happened?! Help!"

"Shaymin, oh no!" Dawn cried. "What happened to Shaymin?!"

"Dialga's Roar of Time!" Newton exclaimed. "Shaymin can only maintain Sky Forme when the sun is out, so Dialga's attack must have twisted time around Shaymin so that it's somehow nighttime only for Shaymin!"

"Don't worry, Aunt Dawn, I've got it!" Lucario quickly rushed in and scooped Shaymin into his arms before Palkia blasted that same spot with an Aura Sphere at Cyrus's behest. "You're a monster," Lucario growled as he changed course to go after Cyrus. "And I'm gonna stop you!" But Lucario was suddenly frozen in his tracks, blocked off by a bubble of distorted space courtesy of Palkia. "Hey, let me out of here!"

"Lucario!" Ash growled. "Let them go, Cyrus!"

"You still fail to understand the position you find yourselves in." Cyrus responded as his commanders flanked him, now much more confident than they were minutes before. "I am in complete control of Dialga and Palkia, and I have immobilized all but one member of your cavalry. You cannot stop what is destined to happen."

"You fool…" Arceus groaned as he strained against Cyrus's grip. "You know not what you're doing."

"I know exactly what I'm doing." Cyrus turned his head to meet Giratina's roared challenge. "And you will do nothing to stop me, beast. Unless you wish to see your counterparts suffer more than they already are."

"What happened to no fighting, Cyrus?!" Misty spat. "That sure went away real quick!"

"If my hand is forced to violence, I will not shy away from it. I would prefer if you all shared my beliefs, but as that does not seem to be the case, I have no choice but to resort to unsavory methods."

"You may have what you perceive to be control over Dialga and Palkia," Arceus huffed as he endured the struggle against Cyrus. "But you no longer control the Pokémon that were always intended to act as their own checks and balances!"

It was at that moment that Azelf, Mesprit and Uxie flew out of the teens' grips, their voices echoing throughout the room as they unleashed their power and aimed it right at their chosen ones.

Instantly, their jaws dropped as the Pokémon's power took effect. Like a switch being flipped in their minds, their vision shifted, as they each saw their own respective legendary in their minds, different shades of pinks, purples and blues surrounding them as if the rest of the world had faded away.

But beyond that, Ash was suddenly keenly aware of the presence of his friends in spite of the fact he couldn't see them. Not even with his aura was he able to so intimately sense the thoughts and feelings of those around him. And not only that, through the legendary Pokémon, Ash felt…powerful.

Through Dawn and Mesprit, Ash was suddenly attuned to what his own feelings were. His intense care for his friends and Pokémon, and even his romantic feelings for Misty, so strong that his desire to save them increased a hundredfold. "You now hold the true power of emotion."

Through his connection to Azelf, doubled by Misty's additional connection, the willpower to take action doubled. "You now hold the true power of willpower."

And through Brock and Uxie, Ash was keenly aware of everything that needed to be done to make it happen, as the knowledge of what was really happening painted a clear picture in his mind. "You now hold the true power of knowledge."

"I understand." Ash nodded at the voices of what he knew were the legendary Pokémon. "Guys."

"Ash?" It was Misty's voice that answered him first. "What's going on?"

"Yeah, I know!" Dawn's voice echoed in next. "It's so warm…and I can feel each and every one of you."

"They're willing this to happen." Brock's voice was heard finally. "I can hear their voices loud and clear, just like you guys…Ash, this is what it's like for you when you use your aura."

"Sort of, but this is on a whole other level!"

"We need your help." Uxie's voice echoed to them.

"We cannot save Dialga and Palkia without you." Mesprit added.

"Use the power of our connection. Together, we can save the universe."

"Everyone," Cynthia's voice was suddenly audible, as the Sinnoh Champion shouted for their attention. "What's happening?! Are you alright?!"

"We can hear them." Dawn was the one who answered aloud, still staring blankly at the legendary Pokémon hovering in front of them. "We're going to put a stop to this with Mesprit, Azelf and Uxie's help."

"You now know what it's like to sync your heart with a Pokémon's!" Sheena smiled as she realized what was happening. "There is truly no greater feeling than to be one with a Pokémon!"

"Not just the Pokémon, Sheena." Misty replied as she locked hands with her friends. "With each other. Together like this, I know Cyrus doesn't stand a chance against us."

"Enough!" Cyrus suddenly shouted. "Dialga, ruler of time! Palkia, ruler of space! Release your full original powers now, and create a whole new universe before me!"

"No!" Arceus cried. "Ash, everyone, you must get away now!"

But they didn't move, their connection with the legendary Pokémon still holding strong. Instead of rushing off, they seemed to teleport away, just as both Dialga and Palkia fired a green beam of energy from their mouths. The beams intersected, and what started as a mere green orb began to slowly expand as Dialga and Palkia kept up their efforts.

"Good Lord," Newton spoke up. "That's…a whole new universe being born!"

"Yes!" Jupiter screeched at the top of her lungs. "And with the birth of a new universe, the old one will be destroyed! This is truly glorious to witness!"

"I am the one who is finally going to bring order to this chaos…" Cyrus began walking towards the expanding universe, filled with seemingly nothing but stars and galaxies that seemed to stretch into its own infinity. "My new world, devoid of worthless human emotion."

"You…know…nothing!" Arceus's eyes glowed with rage, and with a sudden burst of strength, Arceus's ring turned gold once more as he broke free from Cyrus's restraining hold. "You shall be brought to justice!"

"Dialga, use Roar of Time! And Palkia, use Spacial Rend!"

Arceus turned and quickly used Protect, blocking the two attacks before they could strike. But the sheer force of the moves eventually brought the weakened Arceus to his knees as he fought to maintain the shield. "Giratina, we must destroy the false chains! It's our only chance of putting an end to this!"

Giratina roared as it flew up towards its brethren, forming a massive ball of fire as it prepared a Will-O-Wisp attack. But it quickly changed course when Palkia unleashed another Spacial Rend right at it.

That gave Arceus an opening to drop the shield and fly up to strike Dialga. "I am truly sorry for this my friend."

"Not half as sorry as you'll be when these poor humans you're so attached to are reduced to nothing but their base elements." Cyrus looked over his shoulder with a crazed look in his eyes. "Palkia, use your full power and wipe these creatures off the face of the Earth!"

"No!" Arceus moved to protect the humans from Palkia's space distortion, but Dialga unleashed a Hyper Beam that knocked the Alpha Pokémon down to the ground with a loud crash.

That's when Azelf, Mesprit and Uxie reappeared with the teens standing their ground behind them, the lucidity back in their eyes as they all stared down the deadly attacks without even so much as flinching thanks to the collective power of the shield they generated through the Lake Trio's strength. "The legendary Pokémon are risking themselves for us." Dawn said calmly. "We're thankful."

"We can appreciate what they've done, but we're getting nowhere!" Looker exclaimed. "Meanwhile, Cyrus's new universe is still expanding…if this keeps up, time and space as we know it will cease to exist!"

"Master Cyrus," Mars walked up to the man. "May we please go to our new world now? I'm so ready to leave this old one behind."

The answer was given in the form of fearsome roars by both Dialga and Palkia right at Mars, as Cyrus shifted his eyes ever so slightly to glance in her direction. "I have no need for you…your very existence will poison my new world."

"No…need for us?" Saturn stammered in shock.

"This new world belongs to me alone!" Cyrus began stepping towards the expanding sphere. "You could never understand what it truly means!"

"Cyrus, you truly are mad!" Cynthia shouted. "After everything you've done, corrupting your followers and convincing them to follow you, and now you intend to abandon them to their deaths?!"

"This is what Charon was talking about!" Brock realized with a gasp. "When he said that he knew what Cyrus was really planning! He wasn't trying to make a new world for Team Galactic; this is all just for himself!"

"Ash, everyone, listen to me!" Arceus shouted as he traded blows with Dialga while Giratina fought to restrain Palkia. "You must destroy the false chains around Dialga and Palkia by any means necessary! It's the only way to free them and put an end to all this!" Arceus grunted as he endured a Dragon Claw attack before retaliating by smashing his head against Dialga's. "You four are connected to Azelf, Mesprit and Uxie! Combined with their power, there's still a chance!"

"We know, so let's do it!" Ash turned briefly to address their other Pokémon. "We need your help too if we're gonna do this! So let's all give it all we got! Pikachu, use Thunderbolt! Rotom, hit it with Ominous Wind!"

"Piplup, Bubblebeam, go!"

"Toxicroak, use Poison Sting!"

"Vaporeon, full power Blizzard attack!"

"Now, Garchomp, use Draco Meteor!"

"Shieldon, come out and use Flash Cannon!"

All the Pokémon attacked as one, just as the Lake Trio unleashed a full strength Psybeam attack, right past their allies and striking the red rings, causing a massive explosion that blew everyone off their feet.

Thankfully, it wasn't in vain. The red rings shattered into a thousand pieces, and Dialga and Palkia fell to the ground unmoving, causing the new universe to start contracting in on itself and finally freeing Lucario and Shaymin, who transformed back into its Sky Forme thanks to Dialga's power wearing off. "It worked!" Looker pumped a fist. "It's vanishing, this battle is finally over!"

But Cyrus paid it no mind, as he continued walking towards the aborted universe. "This is my perfect world…governed by an order that does not require either heart…or conscience."

"Cyrus, stop!" Cynthia shouted. "Where do you think you're going?! It's over!"

"It's mine! MINE ALONE!"

"Cyrus sir…" Mars muttered hopelessly, watching as her master floated into the empty sphere before it closed itself entirely. "NOOOOOO!" She started to run in after him, but was held back by Saturn who just solemnly shook his head at her. "All this…was for nothing…"

Now with Cyrus's universe shrunken down to nothing but a small, shining white orb in the sky, an eerie calm washed over the area, as all of Team Galactic watched in defeat as their plans fell apart right in front of their eyes. "So I guess that's that." Looker smiled as he pulled out an entire bunch of zipties. "It's time we finally brought Team Galactic to justice."

"No." Sheena shook her head. "Something's wrong, this isn't over!"

Everyone gasped, as they turned to see Dialga and Palkia rising back up into the air, a dark electric kind of energy crackling around their bodies, as they attacked the aborted universe simultaneously with a Spacial Rend and a Roar of Time.

"No!" Arceus shouted in horror. "What have you two done?!" The orb suddenly imploded in on itself, causing what could only be described as a black hole to form between the Spear Pillars. "Your minds must have been corrupted by the false chains…you've created a space-time distortion!"

"If that's the case," Another burst of gravitational energy prompted Ash to reach for his Pokéball. "Lucario, return!" Ash could hear the protests of his Pokémon from inside the Pokéball, but he ignored them as he reached his arms out for Pikachu and Rotom while his friends returned their own Pokémon to their balls. "Stay close you guys!"

"According to my calculations, all of Sinnoh's energy is converging right here towards this mass of energy!" Newton had to shout over the noise as he analyzed the readings on his laptop computer, while also resisting the gravitational pull. "If we can't find a way to close it, and fast, the entire Sinnoh Region will cease to exist!"

"That is only the beginning of the destruction that will be wrought!" Arceus turned to Giratina, an urgent look in his eyes. "You must return to the Reverse World immediately, do everything within your power to maintain the structure of reality as best you can!"

Giratina roared and flew up into the sky, only to dive back down as a portal to the Reverse World opened up and swallowed it.

"Now, Sheena! You and Brock must work with Uxie to connect to Dialga and Palkia and attempt to calm their madness!"

"Yes, Arceus!" Sheena rushed over to grab Brock's hand, much to the excitement of the Pokémon Breeder. That's when Uxie came over and hovered in-between them. "Uxie, lend us your strength! Now…transcend the confines of time and space!"

Within seconds, Brock, Sheena and Uxie were mentally transported to the red and blue mindscape. Brock gasped in awe at the sight, how different everything looked through the lens of this plane of existence. Even with the knowledge Uxie had granted him, it was still awe-inspiring to actually see it. He could feel his friends' amazement through their bond as well, intensifying the wonder. "Sheena, this is incredible."

"It is." Sheena then turned her focus to Dialga and Palkia, who were still raging out of control. "Dialga, Palkia, hear my words!" She and Brock were nearly thrown back by their fury, but Uxie intervened and kept the connection strong. "The one who was tormenting you is no more! I beseech you, rein in your rage!" After several moments, the two legends finally stopped their thrashing, merely floating in place and seemingly oblivious to what was happening in the outside world. "They've stopped, but something still isn't right."

"Still, any improvement is good right now." Brock replied as the exhausted Knowledge Pokémon fell into his arms. "Well done, Uxie. Thank you!"

"Alright, Mesprit!" Dawn exclaimed. "Now it's our turn!" The coordinator folded her hands and closed her eyes as if in prayer, and together with Mesprit, a bright green glow emanated from the Pokémon, healing Dialga and Palkia's wounds as the two began looking around in confusion. "Great, Mesprit! Thank you!"

But the moment of relative calm ended there, as the space-time rift suddenly expanded exponentially, nearly sucking everyone in had it not been for Arceus stepping in and providing a barrier.

"It's getting worse!" Cynthia exclaimed in horror. "Arceus, can Dialga and Palkia reverse this somehow?!"

"Were they at their full power, it would be possible! But the corruption of the false chain has weakened them, and it would take far too long for us to wait for them to recover!" Arceus grunted as his eyes glowed a bright red. "Even my power has been lessened by the one called Cyrus's false chain…" Arceus turned to look at Ash and Misty. "Ash and Misty, it's up to you now! Your friends have done their parts with Uxie and Mesprit, now you must use your combined willpower to empower Azelf, and close this rift before it's too late!"

"You got it!" Ash tightly grasped Misty's hand and shared a nod with her, before carefully making their way closer to the rift, with Azelf floating in-between the couple. "Okay, Azelf…you feel our connection?"

Azelf nodded.

"Good!" Misty squeezed Ash's hand even tighter, her teeth grit as she stared right into the center of the dark void. "Then let's finish this! Do it, Azelf!"

The Willpower Pokémon began glowing bright white, nearly blinding in its intensity…then with a determined cry, Azelf flew full tilt into the eye of the storm, its light dissipating until there was nothing left. "Come on, Azelf!" Ash exclaimed. "Close the rift!"

Tense moments passed, as everyone waited to see if Azelf would be successful.

That's when Ash, Misty, Dawn and Brock all suddenly seized up and fell to the ground, a sharp pain striking right through their heads as they collapsed.

"Ash! Everyone!" Looker and the others hurried over to try and help the teens, concern evident on their faces. "What happened?!"

The voices around Ash were muffled. All of his strength, his understanding, his awareness of his friends' presence, it had vanished in an instant. "The connection…it's gone!" Ash forced himself back up, his entire body sore and his mind hazy after having the connection severed. "I-I don't understand, what happened?!" Then a small explosion blasted in the middle of the rift…as Azelf came flying back at both Ash and Misty, knocking them both on their backs again as Azelf landed unconscious in their arms.

"Azelf!" Cynthia shouted with worry. "Oh no, what happened?!"

"The rift is becoming even more unstable!" Newton's computer was beginning to flash red with alarming data. "Whatever Azelf did, it didn't have an effect!"

"We…we have to do something!" Dawn tried to get back up, only to gasp as she was nearly sucked into the still increasing gravitational pull. She was barely aware of being pulled back to the ground by Looker and Cynthia, as she wobbled and fell to her knees once more, desperately trying to recapture the power given to her by the Lake Trio. "W-We need to…we need to reconnect to the lake Pokémon…we have to-"

"No, you all won't survive if your connection to them is so violently severed again while you're in such a vulnerable state…there is only one hope left for reality now!" Arceus's life plates suddenly appeared around him, causing the Alpha Pokémon to glow an intense shade of gold, as he shouted at the top of his lungs and unleashed all his power to envelop Ash, Misty, Dawn and Brock in that same glow.

In an instant, Ash, Misty, Dawn and Brock were slowly lifted into the air along with Pikachu and Piplup. Ash looked around in a panic as the world around him seemed to fade, replaced with nothing but an inky blackness. He could hear his friends shouting for help, and more than anything he wanted to help them, but he just couldn't muster the strength. "Misty..."

"W-What's happening?!" Misty exclaimed.

"I don't know!" Brock looked around frantically. "Arceus, what are you doing?!"

"The only thing there is left to do…" Arceus's voice now seemed much calmer, and the noise had faded to almost nothing as his face appeared to each of the teens individually in their own view. "Dialga and Palkia do not have the power necessary to close the rift, and the rift has already grown too powerful for Azelf to close as well, even if the other Lake Guardians were to assist. Time and space are being torn asunder, but there is still a way to save this reality…you must work together with the Lake Guardians to create the real Red Chain, the key to correcting all that has been corrupted by Cyrus's mad ambitions."

"How do we do that?" Ash asked.

"The journey you have ahead will be a difficult one, perhaps the most challenging you have or ever will face in your lifetime." Arceus lowered his head solemnly. "Were there some other way, I would not resort to this. But if there is anyone I trust to accomplish this task, it's you."

"I don't understand." Dawn shook her head. "What are you saying?"

The world again began to swirl around them, as their eyelids grew heavy, their thoughts foggy as they desperately tried to maintain consciousness, even as Arceus's voice echoed inside their minds. "Fear not, for I will be watching over you all, and I will be sending a guide for you to follow on your journey to help reconnect the missing links connecting you. You all have proven by your actions that you have an unflagging devotion to whatever goals you set for yourselves. I now ask that you use that same devotion to see through the task I am giving. Seek out the Lake Guardians, create the Red Chain, and save the universe."


"Wake up!"

The shout was enough to bring anyone to consciousness, fragile though it was. The first thing that registered in Ash's mind was the sound of waves lapping against a shoreline. The beach, maybe?

"Ohhh…do wake up, won't you?"

As Ash opened his eyes, he gave a low groan as he slowly raised his head, coming face to face with a Cyndaquil and two Pokémon he didn't recognize. He would've freaked out on the spot if he hadn't felt so out of it. He raised his head a little higher, and he saw a man wearing a white coat and a purple wool beanie on his head. Ash gathered his strength and slowly got back to his feet, looking around himself as he tried desperately to figure out what was going on. "What…what happened?"

"What happened? You fell from the sky! You gave me quite a shock, falling like that! But thank goodness…you seem unharmed, for the most part."

"I…I what?" Ash held his head in his hand and shook it for a moment. "Who are you?"

The man frowned and shook his head. "I'd like to ask you the same thing! You fell out of the sky, you understand. Come now, who in the world does that?" The man looked Ash over with a curious expression. "I must say, your clothing is…unusual. You wouldn't happen to have an acquaintance in these parts, would you?"

"Yeah, I…" Ash cut himself off, his mind working extra hard all of a sudden as he searched for the answer he was about to give…but a cold shiver ran through his body as he came to the realization that he was alone, as he could barely remember anything before waking up on the beach. "I…I don't think I do, where even is here, sir?"

"Oh dear." The man shook his head and gave Ash a very concerned frown. "If you have no idea where you are, then I believe it's safe to say you have nowhere to stay either. I find it difficult to imagine how you'll be able to survive." The man suddenly fixed Ash with a friendly smile. "Well, a true gentleman simply cannot turn his back on someone in need, no matter where they come from. Tell me young man, what is your name?"

"Ash…my name is Ash."

"Oho! So you're called Ash! Well at least you remember that much! That name has quite the ring to it! I imagine it must have some lovely meaning." The man suddenly blinked and gasped. "Oh, but I do apologize, I haven't even introduced myself yet! My name is Laventon, I am something of a Pokémon Professor. That is to say, I'm a scholar seeking to deepen our understanding of Pokémon."

"Pokémon…professor?" Ash briefly grasped at his head as a twinge went through it. "I…feel like I have one of those too where I'm from."

"Well, wherever that is, I intend to help you find a way back there. After all, falling out of the sky doesn't seem like something that happens on purpose. In the meantime, Ash, welcome to the Hisui Region."


A/N: Ladies and gentlemen, we have just diverged far off the path of main canon. I planned for a long time to have Arceus and Giratina take part in the final battle, but originally the plan was that they would kick butt and then everything would be right as rain.

Then Legends Arceus came out, and everything changed. Things are going to be very interesting for a while, and I hope you'll bear with me as I take this Sinnoh journey back in time to the land of Hisui. Leave a review and let me know what you think. Until next time, dear readers!