Episode 164: Back to Frontier

The metal and glass of Kanaveral City sparkles as it reflects the noon Sun. Adjacent to the great metropolis is the Cape Space Center. From the center, a massive cable rises up and out of sight. And on that cable, a large cylindrical pod ascends like a giant elevator.

Inside the pod, Ash, Brock, and Brenda are seated in a passenger compartment with others. Ash has his face glued to the window next to his seat. He watches the incredible view as the massive city below quickly shrinks away.

Brenda comments as she also looks at the view, "Wow. An elevator into space. I can't believe something like this is even possible."

Brock explains, "Space elevators have been a concept for a long time. They make it way easier and cheaper to travel to space. But the Kanaveral Space Elevator is the first of its kind to ever be constructed."

Brenda says in awe, "And we get a ride on its first ever public trip! So cool!" She looks to Ash. "I can't believe they're giving free trips to Tenno League contestants. I am so glad I'm your friend right now, Ash."

Ash nods as he continues to stare out the window. "This is incredible." He turns his gaze up to look into the sky. "Last time I went to space, things were too crazy for me to even stop and think about how cool it was. But now we get to go back."

Brenda crosses her arms in resentment. "I still can't believe you got to go into space without us. So lucky."

Ash glances quickly at her. "Brenda, I was battling Team Planetary for the fate of the region."

Brenda sighs. "I know…"

Qualifying for the Tenno League certainly has its perks. Ash, Brock, and Brenda, having arrived back in Kanaveral City, have been invited for a round trip into space for the inaugural trip of Tenno's newest modern marvel, the Tenno Space Elevator. But Ash isn't the only one who qualified for the Tenno League…

In a separate passenger compartment is Team Rocket. Meowth and Jessie are watching the view, while James is admiring a shirt that he's holding out in front of him. The shirt is a yellow t-shirt with a solid blue circle. In the circle are several stars and around it is a red chevron that points to the upper right. James is grinning giddily as he looks at the shirt. "I love this shirt."

Jessie asks critically, "James, why are you spending what little money we have on hokey souvenirs?"

James pulls the shirt close to himself and hugs it defensively. "This is not just a hokey souvenir."

Meowth questions. "Okay. Then what is it?"

James pauses as he tries to come up with an answer. "It's part of a disguise I'm putting together. Next time we need to wear civies, this will be it."

Jessie nods skeptically. "Right. But speaking of disguises, shouldn't we be wearing something besides our uniforms here? I feel kind of naked right now." She looks around at everyone else in the cabin, several of which are giving them strange looks, including a young boy sitting next to Jessie.

James shakes his head. "No, of course not. Today we're not here as criminal masterminds. Today we're here as a Tenno League participant who earned these tickets fair and square, and his plus two. Today is a day to be proud of who we are."

Meowth shrugs. "It is nice to not have to pretend to be someone else for once."

James adopts a firm tone, "But I'll have you two know, I will be tolerating no funny business today. Everything you two do will be reflecting on me, which in turn will be reflecting on the respectable Tenno League Cosmic Conference. You will be on your best behavior."

Jessie objects, "But James, life isn't fun without a crime here and there."

James shakes his head. "I don't care. You two can have some legitimate, legal fun today."

Jessie crosses her arms and mutters under her breath, "But that's the kind that isn't fun at all." She looks to her side at the boy who was staring at her before. He now looks very concerned. "What are you looking at?"

The kid stands up and slowly walks away without a word.

At this point, the elevator has made it into space. Looking down through a window is a magnificent view of the planet, while above is the stars.

Back with Ash and the others, Ash exclaims, "There it is! The Battle Station!"

Brock and Brenda lean in to get a look. Above them is the end of the elevator's cable attached to a massive space station which is vaguely shaped like a Pokéball.

Ash grins. "Tenno's very own Battle Frontier. Of course, it's in outer space."

Brock points out, "It's not just a Battle Frontier, it's the Battle Final Frontier."

Brenda asks, "So what is a Battle Frontier?"

Ash explains, "It's a lot like a Pokémon League. You go to all these different battle facilities and battle against their Frontier Brain in an attempt to defeat them all. Pikachu and I competed in Kanto's Battle Frontier. When we earned all seven symbols, I was offered to become a Frontier Brain myself and open my own battle facility."

Brenda gasps. "Woah, you could have been a Frontier Brain?"

Ash shrugs. "Technically, I still can. The offer is always open."

"Why didn't you accept?"

"You know me, Brenda. Would I really be happy sitting in one place, waiting for challengers to come to me?"

Brenda nods. "I take it back. You're right. I can't see that at all."

A voice announces via intercom, "Attention passengers, we will be connecting shortly to the Battle Station, home of the Battle Final Frontier. Please remain seated and fasten all restraints. Thank you."

Ash, Brock, and Brenda, along with other passengers, are let out onto the main promenade of the Battle Station. There are shops, restaurants, and other tourist attractions already set up.

Ash and Pikachu run up to a massive window to look out at the view of space around them and Earth below. "We're on a space station! This is amazing!" Brock and Brenda join in taking in the view.

Brenda asks, "Where should we visit first?"

Ash eagerly declares, "We need to check out one of the battle facilities. After all, those are the entire purpose of this station."

Brock consults his Pokéssistant. "It looks like we're not too far from the Battle Simulator."

Ash questions, "The Battle Simulator? What sort of facility is it?"

Brock shrugs. "This guide program doesn't say. So, I suppose there's only one way to find out."

Ash nods in agreement. "Let's check it out."

Nearby, Team Rocket also have disembarked. James stares sternly at Jessie and Meowth and asserts, "Remember, you two promised to be on your best behavior. Please don't embarrass me in front of the other Pokémon League contestants."

Meowth laughs. "Us? Embarrass you? What would even give you such a ridiculous notion?"

James crosses his arms and stares intensely at Meowth.

Meowth slowly chuckles as he takes a slow and intimidated step back.

Jessie asks, "And what exactly are we supposed to do while we're here?"

James' mood suddenly gets a lot lighter. "We're aboard a space station! How could you not enjoy yourselves?" He looks around and takes in the sights. "Ooh! No way! Is that what I think it is!?"

Jessie and Meowth jerk their heads in the direction of James' gaze and ask excitedly, "What!?"

James runs forward. "It is! It's a Type-4 flux modulator coupling! Astonishing!" He runs up to a seemingly innocuous piece of technology on a wall and stares at it giddily.

Jessie and Meowth groan. Jessie asks, "Dare I ask what a Type-4 fluxi-whatsit is?"

James corrects, "A Type-4 flux modulator coupling! It's the state of the art in modulator couplings!"

Meowth rolls his eyes. "Oh, and here I was thinking it was only a moderate modulator coupling. Silly me."

James nods. "Exactly. Silly you. That would be a Type-3 flux modulator coupling. A mistake most amateurs would make, but an easy one to avoid. You see, the Type-4 uses a rigged joint, whereas the Type-3 uses a stiff joint. They're very different."

Jessie and Meowth trade looks of disbelief at James' obsession.

James is about to explain something else when his eye is caught elsewhere. "No! Impossible! It's an inverted polarity matrix! I've never seen one in person before!" He runs to another wall. Assuming Jessie and Meowth followed him, he explains, "These things are perfect for everything from…"

But Jessie and Meowth didn't follow him. Instead, Jessie notices Ash, Brock, and Brenda nearby and points to them. Meowth, looking for any excuse to get away from James' fanaticism, nods in agreement and the two sneak off.

As they do, James squeals, "I can't believe my eyes! It's a self-sealing stem bolt! They use these beauties to…"

Ash, Brock, and Brenda approach a large doorway. They stare at the sliding doors for several moments before a female computerized voice announces, "Welcome to the Battle Simulator. How may I help you?"

Ash jumps back in surprise. "Who are you?"

A semi-transparent, blue holographic form of woman appears in front of him, floating half a foot above the floor. She has long, darker colored hair, which seems to float freely about her neck. She wears a professional dress. On the side of her chest she wears a badge that resembles the symbol of the Battle Final Frontier, which itself resembles the Battle Station. She answers Ash's earlier question, "My designation is Valentina. I am the Battle Station's autonomous AI computer interface. I can answer any questions you may have while aboard the Battle Station."

Ash's head shakes rapidly in confusion at the sudden appearance of the holographic woman.

Brock pushes Ash aside and pleads, "Please tell me you're modeled after an actual woman, and then tell me where I can meet the beauty."

Valentina pauses momentarily before answering, "My design was created specifically for me. But I do believe that most human females would find your words to be a compliment, no matter how oddly they were stated. Thank you."

Brock sulks away.

Ash requests, "Valentina, we want to see the Battle Simulator."

Valentina nods. "A challenge is currently in progress. Do you still wish entry?"

Ash isn't sure what this means. "Sure."

Valentina nods. "Battle Simulator access granted. Welcome." She beckons to the doors as they slide open. Ash, Brenda, and, begrudgingly, Brock, step in. Jessie and Meowth also sneak in behind them.

They are immediately greeted with a shock on the other side. It's as if they have stepped into an idealistic countryside. Grassy, rolling hills stretch out in all directions, even behind them, where the door they entered through was only a moment ago. A pristine blue sky with a collection of fluffy white clouds expands above them. Off in the far distance is a medieval castle on the tallest hill.

Jessie and Meowth, despite their shock, quickly run for cover behind a nearby tree.

Brenda looks around in utter disbelief. "How is this possible? I thought we were in space…"

Brock, having forgotten entirely about his woman problems, marvels, "Is it some kind of illusion?"

Valentina appears before them again. She explains, "The Battle Simulator uses state-of-the-art holographic environmental modeling programs to place its visitors into any number of realistic environments. If you can imagine it, then the Battle Simulator can put you there."

Ash, putting aside his sense of awe, asks, "You said there was a challenge going on. Where is it?"

Valentina points towards the closest hill. There's a Pokémon battle in progress. A Ninjato is fighting a Salamence, but not an ordinary Salamence. The dragon Pokémon is incredibly huge. It's at least four times the size of a regular Salamence. Even stranger is that the Salamence's trainer is Valentina. She's both atop the hill and next to Ash.

Ash looks back and forth between the two of them in confusion.

Brock asks hopefully, "You have a twin?"

Valentina shakes her head. "Negative. That is me."

Brenda asks, "If that's you, then who are you?"

"As an AI, I am highly capable of multitasking. I can create as many instances of myself as demanded by the various tasks at hand. In addition to these two instances, I also have 47 other active instances, including one serving a tour guide, one explaining rather mundane station components to an over-eager guest, and one running the calculations required to keep the station in a stable orbit."

Brenda seems impressed. "You can do all that and still talk to us? Wow."

Ash asks, "Okay, but what about the giant Salamence?"

Valentina beckons to the world around them. "The Pokémon at my disposal are just like the world around us. A simulated fantasy. Here in the Battle Simulator, you can fight all kinds of unorthodox opponents. Practically anything you can imagine."

Jessie whispers to Meowth, "Anything…?"

Meowth whispers back, "I can imagine a heck of a lot." They grin at each other.

Ash returns his focus to the battle. The Ninjato has leapt atop the back of the giant Salamence and is delivering a flurry of quick strikes with its blades. The Salamence tries its best to fling the ninja Pokémon off of its back, but to no avail. After a few more moments, the Salamence crashes into the ground. When it does, it flickers in and out of existence several times before disappearing altogether.

Ash runs up to the Ninjato's trainer and shouts, "That was great! I can't believe you beat such a massive Pokémon!"

The trainer looks to Ash and raises a brow in surprise. He's dressed in all black, primarily a gi. Beneath his spiky gray hair is a headband with a Pokéball icon. Overall, he looks like a ninja, even without a mask covering his face. The man asks, "And who are you?"

"Oh, I'm Ash. I'm here because Pikachu and I are competing in the Cosmic Conference."

The man nods as he looks Ash over. His Ninjato has walked over to him and seems to do the same. "I see. My name is Kage. I also am a competitor in the upcoming Cosmic Conference."

"Wow! There's a ninja competing in the Cosmic Conference too! So cool! Hey, if you're a ninja, do you know the Guardian?"

"Who doesn't know of the great hero?"

"You know what I mean. Do you know him personally? You even have the same Pokémon as him."

Kage crosses his arms. "I do not know the Guardian's true identity; however, he hails from the same village as I."

Ash pauses as he tries to remember something. "Wait a second… Wasn't the Guardian's village destroyed by Bushido?"

Kage looks away, momentarily unable to look Ash in the eyes. "Yes…it was…" He looks back to Ash. "I was away from home when it happened. I was spared the fate that met many of my friends and family."

Having heard as she approached, Brenda says, "That's terrible…"

Kage nods solemnly. "It is. But I rest easier now, knowing that the vile Bushido has at last been brought to justice."

Ash grins proudly. "I'm glad I could help."

Kage stares at him. "Help? How so?"

Ash remembers. "Oh…right…secret identity…" He sighs. "Wel…you see…I might—or might not, I can't confirm or deny—have been one of the members of the superhero team that took down Bushido once and for all."

Kage nods. "Ah, you must be the one the media referred to as Ninja Lad."

Ash gawks, "It's the Defender! Come on! Ninja Lad, I decided against that name!"

Kage chuckles. "So, you do confirm who you were."

Ash snaps a finger in frustration. "Shoot."

Kage chuckles some more. "Thank you, Defender. I am grateful to anyone who helped stop that evil, evil man."

The praise makes Ash forget his qualms. "Oh, you know. Just doing my job."

Before the conversation goes any further, another instance of Valentina appears. "Trainer Ash Ketchum, I have a message for you from the Captain. He requests your presence on the Battle Bridge."

Ash questions, "The Captain? Battle Bridge?"

Kage explains, "The Battle Station is led by Bridge Captain Armstrong. Not only is he the captain of the station, but they say he's the most powerful of the Frontier Brains."

"And he wants to see me? Why?"

Valentina explains, "The Bridge Captain did not give any reasons. He only requested that you travel to the Battle Bridge at your earliest convenience."

Ash shrugs. "Okay. Why not? Sounds interesting. Maybe he'll want a battle."
Kage asks, "Would you mind if I came with you? I have yet to have a chance to view the bridge."

Ash nods. "Of course. The more the merrier!"

Who's That Pokémon!?

Although called a guardian deity, this Pokémon is devoid of guilt about its cruel disposition and can be described as nature incarnate.

Large doors slide open to reveal a large room filled with control panels. Different members of the Battle Station crew, all in various colored uniforms, sit at the different stations. In the center of it all is a battlefield, and raised above the field is a large chair facing both the field and the massive viewport beyond it.

Ash steps in. "Um…Ash Ketchum…reporting as ordered…or something…"

The chair swivels about to reveal an imposing man with a sense of authority about him. He wears a red version of the Battle Station uniform. He stands up and steps down to Ash. "So, you're Ash Ketchum. When I was told that one of the guests aboard my station today had conquered the Kanto Battle Frontier, I found it difficult to believe. Tell me, did you battle against Pyramid King Brandon?"

Ash nods. "I sure did. It took me three tries, but in the end, I managed to beat him."

Armstrong nods. "Interesting. Let me tell you a secret, Ash. I created the Battle Station because I wanted to create a single place where all of the world's greatest trainers would gather. I did so because of my passion for battling. And of all the trainers I've gathered so far, you are the one I see as the greatest. Ash Ketchum, I challenge you to battle."

Ash's eyes go wide. "Really? A Frontier Brain is challenging me? Isn't it supposed to be the other way around?"

"In my eyes, you and I are equals. You could have been a Frontier Brain, had you wanted to. I honor that achievement, regardless of your choices."

A spark of determination appears on Ash's face. "Okay then. I'm in. Let's battle."

Ash and the Bridge Captain take up positions on the bridge's field. An instance of Valentina is used as the referee. Brenda, Brock, and Kage stand on the sideline.

Armstrong announces, "Ash, this is the Pokémon you will be battling against today. Go!"

Armstrong's Pokémon is a Muk, but not an ordinary one. Its body is made of a bright yellow-green sludge that seems to glow. Several large metal rods stick out from its back. Its eyes glow a piercing red.

The Pokémon's appearance prompts Ash to check his Pokédex. "Muk, Tennoan Form, the Sludge Pokémon and a Poison and Light Combo-Type. Tennoan Muk enjoy consuming radioactive materials so much that nuclear plants dispose of their spent fuel rods by feeding them to Muk. Eventually, they are rendered inert by Muk's metabolism. Evolves from Tennoan Grimer at level 38."

Ash considers his options briefly, then pulls out a Pokéball. "Arborrior, I chose you!"

Kage raises a questioning brow. "A Grass-Type to battle a Poison-Type? An unorthodox choice."

Brenda explains, "Maybe so, but Ash never goes into a situation without knowing he can make it through. He has his reasons for picking Arborrior, even if it is at a disadvantage."

Valentina declares, "Battle: begin!"

Armstrong immediately orders, "Muk, Irradiate!"

"Muuuk!" Muk thrusts its arms overhead, which causes it to eject a spray of glowing yellow-green fluid. The substance covers the floor of the entire field, which now glows the same radioactive color as Muk. There's a brief moment when the attack takes effect where Valentina's hologram flickers in and out of existence.

Arborrior looks around cautiously. "Borrior?"

Ash warns, "Careful, Arborrior. You weren't around back then, but Neutrina used that same move against us. Now you'll take continuous damage as long as this battle lasts. We have to finish this off as quick as we can."

"Arbor!"

"Great! Then use Wood Hammer!"

"Borrior!" Arborrior runs at Muk to slam it with stump-like hammer that formed around its arm.

Armstrong counters, "Muk, use Photon Beam!"

"Muuuuuk!" Muk opens its mouth and fires an intense beam of golden light that intercepts Arborrior mid-air and knocks the tree Pokémon back. Arborrior tumbles upon striking the ground.

"And now Sludge Bomb!"

"Muu-uuuuuk!" Muk hurls a globule of its own sludge at the downed Arborrior.

Thinking quick, Ash orders, "Low Sweep! Quickly!" Arborrior may not have the time to get up and counter the attack, but instead of getting up, it sweeps its legs around while still on the ground and kicks the Sludge Bomb right back to where it came from. Unfortunately for Ash, the returned Sludge Bomb doesn't do anything but to get reabsorbed into Muk's body.

It does, however, give Arborrior the chance to get back up. Ash orders, "Wood Hammer again! As fast as you can!" Arborrior runs to Muk as fast as it's able.

"Photon Beam!"

"Dodge!"

Arborrior, knowing the move this time, is able to sidestep out of the way of the beam and slam its hammer into the side of Muk. This throws Muk off the ground and sends it tumbling away.

"Quickly, while it's still down, Razor Leaf!" Arborrior sends a buffeting barrage of sharp leaves at its opponent.

Before Muk can even get back up, Armstrong orders, "Overheat!"

Rather than taking the time to flip itself back over, Muk's entire body melts into a pool of sludge, then reforms with its head and arms back on top. The moment it does, its entire body begins to glow intensely. The fuel rods sticking out of its back look particularly volatile as they glow white-hot. An explosion of super-heated air blasts out from Muk's body.

Arborrior's Razor Leaf attack ignites instantly and crumbles into ash under the intense heat. But the wave of flames continues on and Arborrior has no means of escaping or avoiding it. It is quickly enveloped by them.

Ash shouts with concern, "Arborrior!"

Kage shakes his head in disapproval. "I was hoping for something more out of Ash. Armstrong is the one in control of this fight."

Brenda shakes her head. "Don't count Ash out yet. His greatest strength is the unexpected."

Arborrior forces itself to stand back up after the Overheat passes. It's singed all over and clearly damaged, but still able to stand.

Armstrong announces, "I see no reason to delay things any further. Muk, Overheat once more!"

"Muuuuuk!"

Sudden inspiration strikes Ash. "Arborrior! Straight ahead! Fire Punch!"

"Ar…borrior!" Arborrior leaps forward headfirst and thrusts its fist ahead of it, which becomes engulfed in flames. Arborrior's fist collides with the wall of heat created by the Overheat and, somehow, the flames of the Overheat are pulled into Arborrior's fist as well, creating a massive swirling orb of flames about it.

Armstrong raises a brow in a minimal show of surprise. A slight grin of satisfaction comes to Kage's face.

But before Arborrior can strike Muk with its new extreme Fire Punch, a siren blares. This forces Arborrior to lose its concentration and the Fire Punch to flicker away.

Ash asks with concern, "What's going on?"

Armstrong looks to Valentina and commands, "Status report."

Valentina instantly responds, "I'm not sure how, but someone seems to have hacked into the Battle Simulator's computer core. They're coopting its systems with their own code. The first thing they did was lock me out. I no longer have control over holographic functions beyond my existing instances."

Armstrong scratches his chin. "I don't like the sound of this. Valetina, come with me. We'll investigate in person."

Ash says, "I'll come too."

Kage adds, "As will I."

Armstrong nods. "Follow me."

It's Tapu Lele!

Everyone arrives back outside of the Battle Simulator. Armstrong orders, "Valentina, open the doors."

"I'm sorry, sir, but I've been locked out of all controls pertaining to the Battle Simulator. There's nothing I can do."

Armstrong nods. "Okay, then we'll do it the hard way. I'd prefer not to damage my new station, but it's the only option." He throws a Pokéball. "Go!" His Muk appears again. "Muk, melt through the doors with Sludge Bomb!"

"Muuuuk!" Muk flings its radioactive sludge ball, which instantly begins to corrode the metal of the door away.

Armstrong explains, "Once that corrosive sludge melts all the way through the door, a safety feature of the station will kick in and open the doors automatically. Be ready for whatever's on the other side."

Ash, Brock, Brenda, and Kage all affirm, "Right."

They watch as the last of the metal in the way of the sludge melts away and the doors suddenly swipe open. A bright light shines out from the other side. It's blinding and forces the group to shield their eyes.

Brenda says, "I think I see someone…"

Ash asks, "Who?"

His question is answered when a silhouette against the light announces, "Prepare for trouble!"

And another adds, "Make it double!" The first is Jessie, and the second Meowth. They step forward to be better seen.

"To protect the world in outer space!"

"To unite all people in the human race!"

"To denounce the evils of hard vacuum!"

"To extend our reach from the control room!"

"Jessie!"

"Meowth!"

"Team Rocket's right at home above the Earth!"

"Surrender now to what we are worth!"

"Wobbuffet!"

Ash sighs. "Let me guess. James got an invitation here too, and you two couldn't help but cause trouble."

Brenda rolls her eyes. "Talk about a lack of self-control."

Jessie scoffs. "I'll have you know; we are very much the ones in control right now."

Meowth nods in agreement. "Case in point: meet my wildest imagination come true! Cower before Meowzilla!"

A piercing cry echoes through the station. "Meeeeeoooow!"

The lights of the Battle Simulator dim to reveal a new figure. It's massive. At first, it looks like a Meowth, but it's much more. It's like a Meowth was transformed into a giant monster. Massive claws emerge from its paws. Sharp fangs hang from its mouth. Its eyes are a piercing yellow. Its tail is much thicker, and it swings back and forth with tremendous force.

As everyone takes a step back in trepidation, Brock realizes, "Wait, that thing was created by the Battle Simulator's holographic systems! It can't leave the simulator! We're safe out here."

Jessie cackles. "Oh poor, ignorant twerps. You're never safe from Team Rocket."

Meowth orders, "Charge!"

"Meeeeeoooow!" Meowzilla marches forward, causing the ground to tremor with every step. It walks right out of the simulator without an issue.

Valentina explains, "Captain, they've coopted my personal hologram projectors and are using them to project the creature outside of simulator, just as I am now."

Guests of the station have begun to flee in terror as they notice the monstrous Meowth. The monster swipes its claws at nearby shop stalls and rips through them like paper. One shopkeeper flees his destroyed stall. Jessie and Meowth laugh with jubilation as they savior the mayhem they've created.

Kage steps forward and shouts, "We have to stop them!" He throws a Pokéball to send out his Ninjato. "Ninjato, Lunar Beam!"

Armstrong agrees, "If they keep at it like this, they'll destroy something integral to the station's structure! Muk, Sludge Bomb!"

As both attacks fly at Meowzilla, the holographic monster uses one of its giant paws to swat them both away like they're nothing. The redirected attacks damage some nearby structures.

Ash demands, "What are you two even trying to accomplish here!? What's the point of this destruction?"

Jessie and Meowth, who have positioned themselves atop Meowzilla look to each other, then shrug. Meowth asks, "Can't two villains just get bored and look for a way to alleviate said boredom? Is that so crazy?"

Ash asserts, "Yes! It is!"

Jessie contemplates this. "Yeah. Maybe a little. But who cares!? This is fun!"

Ash orders, "Pikachu, Thunderbolt!"

"Pikaaaaa chuuuuu!" The attack hits Meowzilla but causes no damage of any kind.

Brenda shouts, "It's no use! They made that thing too powerful!"

Valentina provides, "I can confirm that Team Rocket removed holographic safety protocols when creating the monster. They have made something far stronger than any normal Pokémon."

Brock suggests, "We've got to come up with some other way to stop it. Direct attacks won't work."

Ash briefly ponders Brock's suggestion. Then something hits him. "Valentina, earlier, when Armstrong had Muk use Irradiate, I noticed that your hologram flickered for a moment. What happened?"

Valentina explains, "The radiation field created by the attack briefly disrupted my holographic matrix. But in that moment of instability, my systems were able to compensate and cancel the disruption."

Armstrong nods. "I see what you're thinking, Ash. Good idea. Good. Muk, make it so!"

"Muuuk!" Like before, Muk lets loose a spray of radioactive slime, which scatters about the feet of Meowzilla. Jessie and Meowth are too occupied by their destruction to even notice the indirect attack. But as the radiation field spreads, both Valentina and Meowzilla begin to flicker.

Ash shouts, "Now's our chance! Thunderbolt!"

Kage adds, "And Lunar Beam!"

"Pikaaaaaa chuuuuuuuu!"

"Ninjaaato!"

The two attacks strike Meowzilla while it still flickers, which creates an explosion from within it. The entire hologram is ripped apart into flashes of incoherent light. This also sends Jessie and Meowth hurtling away.

As they fly, they shout, "Looks like Team Rocket's—"

But then Meowth interrupts, "Wait, if we're inside a space station, where are we going to blast off to? We'll just crash into a wall."

Armstrong commands, "Valentina, cycle airlock 31!"

"As you wish, Captain."

A door in the direction of Jesse and Meowth's path slides open for just long enough for them to fly right out before it closes.

Armstrong turns to Ash, "I commend you on your quick and creative thinking. Without it, I'm not sure how much more damage those vandals would have caused. The Battle Station is in your debt."

Ash shrugs. "It's nothing, really. I just thought it was odd when that happened to Valentina, so I remembered it."

Armstrong nods. "Yes, but still, I see great potential in you, young trainer. Your propensity for coming up with unique solutions to tricky situations is unparalleled. I'd like to give you this." He holds out a rectangular piece of fabric with a design on it showing the Battle Station and a rocket ship.

Ash questions, "What is it?"

"That is the Enterprise Patch. One of the seven patches handed out on the Battle Station for defeating a Frontier Brain."

Ash realizes, "So it's like a Symbol? Wait, I never defeated you. Our battle was interrupted."

Armstrong nods. "I realize that, but I am an expert in analyzing battles. I know exactly how ours would have ended. Especially after seeing your creative thinking at play here. That patch is my way for thanking you both for saving the station, and for the great battle."

Ash takes the patch and grins as he rubs his fingers across the stitching of the fabric. After another moment of studying it, he holds it up and announces, "I just got the Enterprise Patch!"

"Pik pikachu!"

"Arborrior!"

Armstrong looks Ash over one last time. "I'm looking forward to the Cosmic Conference. I suspect that I'll be seeing many a great battle from you."

The Cosmic Conference is so close, I can practically taste it! And the Battle Captain is right, we can all expect that some great battles are in our future. And you can add Kage to the list of formidable foes that will be standing between our hero and the title of Tenno League Champion. Stay tuned!

James runs across a hall with Mime Jr. following. He eagerly looks at door and exclaims, "Ooh! Ooh! Ooh! This one is a class six airlock! They cycle over—"

He abruptly pauses when he sees Jessie and Meowth float by on the other side of the window. Their bodies are frosted over and they're struggling to hold their breath.

"Huh!? Jessie!? Meowth!? How did you guys get there? He laughs. "Did you get too excited by the sight of the airlock and decide to try it? You really should learn to contain yourself. It is just an airlock after all."

Jessie and Meowth look like they're trying to shout without letting go of their breath.

James chuckles some more. "Okay, I'll let you guys in." He pulls a lever on the airlock and the door slides open.

Jessie and Meowth pull themselves in as quickly as possible. As the airlock shuts behind them, they pant for breath.

James laughs. "I'm glad you guys were having almost as good a time as I was. I was afraid you'd get bored and get into mischief, but I see now that I had nothing to worry about. Thanks, you guys are the best."

Jessie and Meowth trade glances, but don't say a word.

To Be Continued…