Aoi Hyoudou: I am extremely happy with the feedback provided. Thank you so much for your assistance. Before the big fight at Area Zero, it would be nice to have some lighthearted and adorable moments to ease the tension. It seems like many fans don't want Anabel to be Ash's main love interest, which is understandable. Personally, I think that Cynthia or Cutlass would be great potential love interests for Ash. Sarah is also a good choice, but it remains to be seen if she will join Ash's team in the future. Time will tell!

Chapter XV

Area Zero!

~(...)~

The soft sound of feet making contact with soil and grass could be heard as Ash and his group arrived safely at the lower levels of the Great Crater. As Ash dismounted from his ride and planted his feet firmly on the ground, he turned to his Pokémon with a smile and expressed his gratitude for their help. "Thanks for your assistance! You deserve a good rest!" He took out a Master Ball from his pocket and held it out, indicating that the Pokémon they had used was his trump card. The identity of the Pokémon remained a mystery, hidden in the shadows of a tall tree. As the Pokémon let out a cry, Ash returned it to its sphere for a well-deserved rest.

Ash's attention shifted to his female companions who were mesmerized by the breathtaking view before them. Sarah was like a kid in a candy store, moving around comically from one spot to another, expressing excitement with every "ooh" and "wow" that escaped her lips. Her adorable facial expressions added to the charm of the moment. Cutlass was also intrigued by the peculiar environment. She scanned the area carefully, shifting her gaze from one spot to another while keeping her hand close to her Shadow Blade's hilt, ready for any unexpected attack.

Inside the Great Crater, the area was surprisingly bright, with sunlight shining through the thick clouds and reflecting off the rock formations. The scenery was unique, with cliffs, hills, and paths created within the crater. Dozens of tall trees swayed gently in the breeze, creating a peaceful atmosphere. The running waterfalls on both sides of the crater added to the tranquility, with one of them even reflecting a rainbow as the water flowed from top to bottom. Surprisingly, there were no wild Pokémon in sight, making it a perfect spot for a peaceful escape.

"Alright, team. Let's get down to business. What's our first move?" Cutlass spoke up, tearing her gaze away from the serene view and refocusing on the task at hand, prompting her companions to do the same.

"First, we need to find the route that will lead to Area Zero, however-" Cutlass looked at her leader with a curious expression as he abruptly halted his speech.

"However, what?" Cutlass inquired curiously, wondering what the problem could be.

Her leader looked up at her, seeming to snap out of his daze. "Oh, sorry," he said, shaking his head slightly. "I was just thinking. As I was saying, we need to find the route to Area Zero, but it won't be easy." Cutlass nodded, ready to listen to any instructions her leader had for her.

"This place is massive!" Sarah exclaimed, casting side glances at her teammates. They looked at her quizzically, as if expecting her to follow up with an inappropriate comment. Sarah noticed their expressions and retorted sarcastically, "What? I'm just saying, it's REALLY big." Her superiors rolled their eyes at her, clearly disappointed that she was wasting time with dirty jokes.

Cutlass' sharp gaze glared daggers at the blonde woman as she threatened, "Quit joking around before I push you off a cliff!"

"Jeez, lightened up," Sarah said with a frown, crossing her arms.

"I told you several times, this is a mission, not a vacation!" the swordswoman's voice was filled with frustration and anger as she growled with a hiss.

"Maybe I should push you off a cliff instead!"

"Don't make me shove my foot up your pretty little a-"

Ash finally lost his patience and yelled, "Enough!" He rubbed his forehead in frustration and wished that Joshua had come along. The Elite was much more pleasant to be around than Ash's current female companions, who were constantly arguing. "Let's follow a path together to see where it goes. Maybe eventually, it will lead us to Area Zero. Any questions?" he suggested, once he regained his composure and drew the women's attention as he spoke up. He raised his voice at the end to emphasize his point.

Cutlass wore a frown and crossed her arms as she retorted, "Not if you're all snippy."

"Yeah, Leader...you need to relax," Sarah remarked, her face creased with concern.

Ash seemed frustrated and let out a deep sigh. He shook his head in disappointment before storming off onto a path. Without looking back, he barked at the others to follow him. "Just follow me!" His annoyance was palpable in his tone.

Cutlass and Sarah exchanged a quick glance before following an irritated Black Raven.

"Look, look, Leader! We finally found some Pokémon!" exclaimed Sarah with excitement as Ash's team walked past several large boulders, tall trees, and small grassy slopes, they caught sight of wild groups of Jumpluff, flocks of Corviknight, and a herd of Girafarig. Although these Pokémon were common in the area, Ash and Cutlass didn't pay them much attention as they didn't consider them valuable enough to sell on the black market. They continued following the grassy path downhill, ignoring the wild Pokémon around them.

After trekking to the end of the grassy slope and making a right turn around a large boulder, the group's attention was caught by an abandoned research facility in the distance, nestled inside the crater. They couldn't help but wonder about the purpose of the building in such an unusual location. Their curiosity piqued, they approached the facility and started inspecting its exterior. The structure appeared to be damaged, with rust and moss indicating that it had been standing there for a long time.

"What's it even doing here?" As Sarah tapped her fist against the rusted steel, she addressed her superiors and asked them a question. The sound of her knuckles hitting the metal created a slight thumping sound that echoed back in the air.

Ash avoided answering the question directly, instead opting to walk around it. He placed his palm on the wall of the structure and slid it back and forth, feeling the cold steel rust against his skin. "Who knows?" he said. "But by its current condition, I say it's been here even longer before the Elite Corp was formed," his statement caught Sarah off-guard.

"Wow, you can tell just by looking at it?" The blonde Elite was amazed by her leader's analytical abilities.

Ash gave a firm nod, but then added, "Yes, and to make matters worse, someone wrote their initials on the wall. It says 'Arven was here' and it looks like a six-year-old did it."

"Oh."

Cutlass let out a sigh and spoke with a hint of frustration, "Regardless of what state it is in, it's no use to us if it's not operational." Ash nodded in agreement, fully understanding the importance of having a functional system.

The group was just about to move on when Ash noticed something slowly creeping up behind them. Initially, it looked like a regular pink blob with large round eyes, but as it approached closer, Ash began to wonder if the creature was even a Pokémon.

The two women noticed their leader's gaze and followed it to a strange creature that looked like a Jigglypuff. Cutlass was suspicious of the new Pokémon, but Sarah was immediately drawn to its adorable appearance. "Awww~! What a cute funny-looking Jigglypuff~!" Sarah exclaimed. The Jigglypuff made a cute noise that melted Sarah's heart. "So cute!"

"Hey, Ciel!" Ash greeted, his voice triggering a series of beeps from his goggles' AI system. "Please scan this Jigglypuff here!" he commanded, fixing his gaze on the small pink creature to ensure that the AI could lock its scanning function on it.

"Yes, master!" the female AI program responded quickly as soon as the goggles began displaying arrows, lines, and even random numbers. It then circled the strange creature, initiating the scanning process without any delay. "Scanning...initializing." Ash stood patiently as Ciel scanned every detail of the strange Pokémon. And when the scanning process was completed, it only left the group wondering what the results would reveal. "Scanning completed!" Soon, in big red capitalized letters, flashed the word "NO DATA" on the visor, leaving the group puzzled and unsure of what to do next.

Ash repeated his query, "No data?" with a slightly confused tone. "So, does that mean it's not a Jigglypuff after all? How very strange."

"We have to catch it, Jigglypuff or not!" Sarah insisted, her eyes fixed on the unusual Pokémon. "It could attract some potential customers," she added, to which Ash agreed with a nod.

"Sure, why not? Go ahead and catch it, Sarah!" he said, giving his approval. Apparently, some of their clients were into collecting exotic Pokémon, so it made sense.

Sarah wasted no time in following orders. She swiftly cocked her hand cannon and aimed it at the innocent creature, ready to take it with her. But before she could pull the trigger, the Pokémon's expression changed. It let out an aggressive cry that startled Sarah and charged forward at her. "Ahh!" she cried out in surprise.

Cutlas grinned mischievously as she leaned in towards Sarah. "Don't look now, but I think that thing over there has its eye on you. It looks like it wants to take a bite out of you," she whispered playfully.

Sarah's eyes narrowed as she stared at the swordswoman who was smirking at her. "Hey, that's not funny!" she said firmly.

Ash let out a deep breath and quickly grabbed a Poké Ball, throwing it forward with urgency. "Go, Gengar! Use Night Shade!" he commanded sharply.

A burst of colorful lights appeared and out of it came Gengar. It fired a pair of black beams outlined in pink from its eyes straight at the 'Jigglypuff' with great skill. The Night Shade hit the mark, slamming the poor creature into a nearby tree. The 'Jigglypuff' cried out in pain as it was pressed against the tree, feeling the full force of Gengar's attack.

"Now fire a Shadow Ball!" Ash commanded, his confidence growing as he felt that the 'Jigglypuff' was within their grasp.

Gengar continued to fire its Night Shade, determined to prevent the pink creature from escaping. It then created two balls of energy, one in each hand, surrounded by purple static. The two balls were then combined into a larger one, which was launched at the Jigglypuff. The Shadow Ball struck the subduing Pokémon with full force.

Bbooooooommm

The Great Crater echoed with a deafening explosion that startled the nearby wild Pokemon. The Shadow Ball hit the tree with such force that it fell backward, crashing to the ground with a loud thud. After the dust and debris cleared, the Jigglypuff was left with battle scars and had a hard time getting back up on its feet.

Ash noticed that the Pokémon was weakened and gestured to Sarah to take the opportunity to catch it. "Now, Sarah!" he said, his voice sharp with urgency.

"Right!" Sarah's eyes met her leader's before she aimed the hand cannon at the weakened creature and fired. A beam of light shot out of the weapon and made instant contact, freezing the 'Jigglypuff' into a stone statue and sealing its fate. "Um, so... what now?" Sarah asked her leader, a thought occurring to her as she looked at the heavy, stonified Pokémon they had just captured. "We can't just carry it around with us like this, can we? It's much heavier now."

"We'll leave it here for now," Ash comforted his Elite's anxieties, alleviating her worries. "It's not going anywhere."

"That's good," Sarah said, exhaling a sigh of relief. "I thought I had to carry it around with us."

"I don't mind if you do," Cutlass said with a smirk.

Sarah's gaze was fixed on the swordswoman as she glared at her. "And what about you?" she hissed through gritted teeth, her anger palpable.

Ash let out a tired sigh as he returned his Gengar to its Poké Ball. "Enough, you two!" he said firmly, growing weary of their constant bickering. "Let's get back to what we were doing. Arguing isn't going to get us anywhere." The two women knew that Ash was right and they nodded in agreement.

"Fine..." Sarah and Cutlass spoke simultaneously, but not without giving each other a quick angry look and then turning away with a disgruntled "hmph" sound.

Ash couldn't help but release another exhausted sigh. He silently regretted not asking Joshua to come with them. The constant arguing between Sarah and Cutlass was beginning to wear on his nerves. Despite the tense atmosphere, the group continued onward along the grassy path leading to the lower levels of the Great Crater.

Ash and his team made their way cautiously through a dark underground cavern. Their path ended at the edge of a raging waterfall, the sound echoing through the cavern. As they walked along the rocky path deeper into the tunnel, they could hear the sound of water splashing against boulders. The interior of the cave was beautiful, with mineral specks of dust sparkling in the dim light. They navigated around large rock formations until they stumbled upon some cave-dwelling Pokémon, such as Gible, Gabite, Dugtrio, Glimmet, and Glimmora. However, Ash and his team were not interested in them and decided to ignore the Pokémon and continue forward, despite Sarah's complaints.

The group trudged on through the cavern, unsure of how much time had passed. With each step, the path seemed to stretch out before them, creating an eerie, never-ending feeling. Though they had spotted a few massive crystals adorning the walls, which glimmered with a curious light, nothing else had caught their eye. They had yet to come across any peculiar Pokémon, like the Jigglypuff they had encountered earlier. Ash and his team began to wonder if there were any Pokémon here at all.

"Do we have any idea where we're headed?" Sarah inquired, her feet growing weary with every step. "I swear it's been hours and we haven't seen any more of those weird Pokémon like the Jigglypuff." Cutlass was getting fed up with Sarah's constant complaining.

"Keep your eyes open instead of whining," Cutlass retorted without turning to look at the blonde Elite.

Sarah shot a glare at the swordswoman's back. "You enjoy being a buzz kill, don't you?" she muttered.

Cutlass rolled her eyes and replied, "It's the only way to keep you slackers in line."

"What was t-" Sarah was about to reply when she noticed that her leader had suddenly stopped walking, causing both women to turn their attention to him. "Hey, Leader, what's-" Ash interrupted her by holding his arm out, cutting her off mid-sentence. He had his back turned toward her, completely focused on whatever was happening in front of the group.

"Looks like you don't have to wait any longer, Sarah. Take a look at what's up ahead," Ash said with a smirk, addressing his Elite member.

"What?" Sarah's eyebrows furrowed in confusion as she followed her leader's gaze. To her surprise, she noticed a herd of unfamiliar Pokémon that resembled Donphan but with more prominent features. Their bodies were covered in dark purple plates with three rows of pinkish-red spikes running along their trunks, topsides, and tails. Tufts of pinkish-red fur surrounded their legs, making their presence more intimidating than the average Donphan. "Finally!" Sarah exclaimed, a grin spreading across her face. The group suddenly found themselves facing a herd of angry Pokémon. Their menacing cries and glares left no doubt that a battle was imminent. "Looks like we're in for a fight. Well, that's just what we need to break up the monotony," said the blonde Elite, cracking her knuckles and neck with loud, bone-cracking noises.

Cutlass gave the blonde woman a sharp glare, scolding her overconfidence. "Don't be a fool!" she warned. "They aren't a pushover." The swordswoman could tell that these strange Donphans were not weaklings like the Jigglypuff they had encountered earlier. The elephant-like Pokémon were scraping their front feet on the ground, indicating that they were ready to charge at the group at any moment.

"Then you guys will handle them," Ash assigned the task to the two women, instructing them to handle it. Sarah responded eagerly while Cutlass obeyed with a sigh of reluctance.

The swordswoman shot a sharp side glance at her leader and remarked, "Slacking again, I see." Her leader simply shrugged and she responded sarcastically, "Fine, just stay out of the way while we handle your little grunt work." As the charging herd approached, she stepped forward and reached for a Poké Ball, ready to face the challenge.

As the swordswoman stepped up to face the charging herd, Ash looked on with amusement. It had been a while since he had seen her in action. Sarah quickly followed suit, stepping forward and grabbing her chosen Poké Ball. Together, they prepared to take on the challenge ahead.

In one swift motion, Sarah tossed her Poké Ball forward, calling out, "Mienshao!" The ball opened up and a graceful Mienshao emerged, ready for battle.

Not to be outdone, Cutlass also threw her Poké Ball with force, shouting, "Gallade!" The ball opened up, and a fierce-looking Gallade emerged, poised and ready for battle alongside Sarah's Mienshao.

As Sarah and Cutlass prepared to engage in battle with the charging herd, Ash stood by quietly in the background with an amused smirk on his face. However, before he could even enjoy the show, his goggles AI system beeped, signaling that Ciel was turning on and delivering an urgent message.

"Incoming call, Master!" the female AI alerted. Ash's smirk faded as he quickly realized the gravity of the situation. He knew that any call that would trigger Ciel's urgent message protocol was not to be taken lightly.

With an annoyed sigh, Ash replied as he moved his hand to his wireless earpiece, "Pull it through!" There was a brief moment of silence as Ciel began transferring the urgent incoming call through her system. When the process was completed, Ash responded with frustration, "What is it?"

On the other end of the line was a male voice belonging to a panicked grunt. "Black Raven, sir! A Pokémon League Committee chopper is heading in our direction! And on board are the International Police officers Anabel and Looker!" the grunt reported with urgency.

"Anabel and Looker, huh..." Ash's face grew serious as he heard the news. This was not good. Anabel and Looker were two of the most respected officers in the International Police, and if they were involved, it meant that something serious was going down. He knew that he had to act quickly. "Any more bad news I should be aware of?" Ash inquired, his voice laced with annoyance.

"They aren't alone either! The regional Pokémon Champions are with them, too!" reported the grunt.

"Tch." Ash felt irritated at the thought of having to face his former colleagues sooner than later. "Figures they would get involved too," he muttered before resuming his normal tone. "Just make sure they don't get any closer to Area Zero until we're finished!" He instructed the grunt to ensure that their grip on Area Zero remained secure.

"Understood, sir!" replied the grunt before ending the transmission, leaving behind an eerie silence.

Ash let out a frustrated sigh, knowing that time was of the essence. They needed to hunt down the Paradox Pokémon quickly before any unwanted interruptions occurred.

As the Pokémon League Committee chopper approached the Great Crater of Paldea, Anabael and her group spotted Raven's airship up ahead. Several of Black Raven's grunts were standing on the rooftop, getting ready to call out their Pokémon. "We have company," Anabel warned the group from the chopper's cockpit window. It was apparent that trouble was waiting for them.

"Go, Ninjask!" A flurry of Poké Balls flew into the air and released a swarm of cicada-like Pokémon with two pairs of wings, all of them Ninjask. The colorful lights of the release filled the air, illuminating the surroundings.

Several more Poké Balls were thrown into the air, each releasing an army of blue, bat-like Pokémon with pointed ears, a pink, heart-shaped snout, and two wide, rounded teeth - all of them Swoobat. The colorful lights of the release filled the air, illuminating the surroundings.

"Now, use Air Slash!" The Elite Corp grunts gave their commands in unison, instructing their Ninjasks and Swoobats to use Air Slash. The Ninjasks and Swoobats responded immediately, unleashing their attacks in a coordinated effort.

The Ninjasks' wings started to glow light blue, and they began to flap them rapidly, creating multiple saw disc-like energy blades that shot towards the chopper. The Swoobats' wings also started to glow light blue, and they crossed them in front of their bodies before opening them up quickly, releasing their own set of energy blades that joined the Ninjasks' attacks. The light blue glowing blades swirled towards the chopper, creating a dangerous situation for Anabael and her group.

The chopper's pilot panicked as he saw the Air Slashes heading towards them. He trembled in his seat, unable to respond to the situation. Leon quickly took charge and asked the frightened pilot to move aside so that he could take over the controls. Once he adjusted to his settings, he glanced back at his passengers and warned them of the bumpy ride. "Hang on!" he said as he gripped the handle and shifted the stick to the side, causing the helicopter to tilt suddenly to avoid the attacks. The sudden movement caused the passengers to feel a jolt, but they knew that Leon was their best hope for survival.

As Leon deftly maneuvered the helicopter, the passengers felt themselves losing balance and being jostled around by the rough turbulence. The helicopter swayed back and forth as it avoided the Air Slashes and some attacks hit the sides of the chopper, causing it to shake violently. Loud screams and groans echoed in the helicopter as the passengers tried to hold on for dear life. Sierra whimpered uncontrollably and Penny quickly comforted her, trying to calm her down. Despite the chaos, Leon remained focused and determined to get them out of danger.

"Okay, that does it!" Iris had had enough of the rough turbulence and decided to take matters into her own hands. She got up from her seat and dashed towards the sliding doors, alerting her group about her intentions.

"Iris, what's going on?" Anabel asked, although she already had an idea of what Iris was planning when the Dragon Master gave a brief side glance. "It looks like you're going to fight back," Anabel replied wryly as she watched Iris grab a Poké Ball. "And you're right, we need to do something before we crash." The other Champions quickly realized the gravity of the situation and got up to their feet to help. Lance and Nemona rushed to the other sliding doors, preparing to assist Iris with the counterattack. Once they opened the doors and felt the rush of wind against their faces, they released their Poké Balls, calling forth their Pokémon to stand with them in battle.

Iris and Lance shouted simultaneously, "Dragonite, go!" Their Dragonite Pokémon emerged from their Poké Balls ready for battle, their wings flapping powerfully in the strong wind.

Nemona shouted through the gusting wind, calling out to her Pokémon, "Kilowattrel, help us out too!" Her Kilowattrel emerged from its Poké Ball, crackling with electricity as it prepared to join the battle alongside the Dragonites.

Iris and Lance gave their orders to their Dragonites, "Now, Dragonite! Use Hyper Beam!" The two Dragonites charged up their powerful attacks, gathering energy in their mouths before unleashing a devastating blast of energy towards the oncoming Ninjasks and Swoobats. The Hyper Beams cut through the air like a hot knife through butter, striking several of the attacking Pokémon and causing them to plummet towards the ground below.

"Kilowattrel! Use Discharge!" Kilowattrel obeyed the command and flapped its wings rapidly, unleashing a powerful wave of electricity towards the Ninjasks and Swoobats. The air crackled with energy as the electric-type attack surged forward, ready to strike its targets.

POW

The Ninjasks and Swoobats cried out in agony as the powerful electric shock surged through their bodies. However, some of them were able to quickly recover and retaliated with a barrage of Air Slashes at the group's helicopter. Leon did his best to avoid each incoming blade, but some of them managed to hit the chopper, causing it to shake violently once more.

In a quick response, Cynthia stood up and rushed over to Iris' side. She gripped a Poké Ball in her hand and tossed it out of the helicopter. A burst of light erupted from the ball, revealing her own Pokémon - a majestic Garchomp.

"Let's join the fight, Garchomp! Use Dragon Rush!" Cynthia commanded.

With a fierce roar, Garchomp charged towards the remaining Ninjasks and Swoobats, its body surrounded by a powerful aura of dragon energy. The Dragon-type attack collided with the opposing Pokémon, sending them flying backwards through the air.

The helicopter owned by the Pokémon League Committee faced a perilous situation. The propellers had started malfunctioning, and the wires had come loose, causing sparks to fly. Before anyone could react, the sparks grew into flames, and the chopper started spiraling out of control. The passengers were understandably terrified, holding onto whatever they could find as their helicopter hurtled towards the ground. Leon, the pilot, did his best to stabilize the aircraft by pulling on the cyclic stick, but it was proving to be a difficult task. The control panel was also damaged and sparks were flying out of it, making matters worse.

"Leon, now's the time to show off your pilot skills you have been bragging about!" exclaimed Lance, the fellow Champion, as he glanced over at Leon with a stern look.

"I'm trying, but it's not responding!" Leon barked back through his gritted teeth, his eyes fixed on the control panel as he desperately yanked the handle. Despite his best efforts, the chopper was still spinning out of control, and the ground was getting dangerously close. The passengers could feel the heat from the flames and they were bracing themselves for impact. Leon's frustration was evident as he tried everything in his power to regain control of the aircraft, but it seemed like it was too late.

Anabel and Steven shared a brief glance with each other and it was clear that they both knew that they needed to take action before it was too late. Without exchanging any words, they both reached for one of their Poké Balls and tossed them onto the floor of the helicopter.

"Go, my friend!" exclaimed Anabel as the Poké Ball revealed a humanoid Pokémon with a large mustache and wielding a silver spoon in each hand. It was none other than her trusted partner, Alakazam.

"Go, Metagross!" yelled Steven as a bright glow of sparkling lights erupted from the ball, and a massive, robotic Shiny Pokémon with a disc-shaped body and four legs emerged from it. It was Steven's trusted partner, Metagross.

Realizing that Anabel and Steven were using their Psychic-type Pokémon to help stabilize the helicopter, Penny knew that she had to do her part to help. Without hesitation, she pulled out a Poké Ball and tossed it forward, calling out her own Psychic-type Pokémon. "We need your help, Espeon!" she exclaimed and in a flash of light, Espeon appeared before her.

"Psychic!" Anabel, Penny, and Steven shouted simultaneously, their voices ringing out over the roar of the helicopter's failing engines. The three Psychic-type Pokémon responded to the call, their powers combining in a dazzling display of energy. The passengers watched in amazement as the helicopter began to stabilize, the spin slowing down until it finally came to a stop. The flames on the propellers died down, and the aircraft began to descend slowly and safely towards the ground. The passengers breathed a collective sigh of relief as they realized they were going to survive the ordeal.

With the help of the Psychic-type Pokémon, the group's helicopter was skillfully navigated towards the Great Crater, causing the Elite Corp's grunts to panic. The grunts had clearly not expected the passengers to survive the helicopter malfunction, let alone outsmart them with their Pokémon. As the helicopter descended towards the Great Crater, the grunts scrambled to come up with a new plan. But it was too late, as the passengers had already gained the upper hand. The grunts watched in frustration as the helicopter touched down safely on the ground, the passengers stepping out, ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead.

They were suddenly startled by unexpected shaking beneath their feet. Before they could react, a sudden explosion rocked the ground, causing them to stumble.

Bbooooooommm

Next preview - Chapter 16: "Clash! Dragon Master Iris Vs Majestic Lotus Sarah!"

Sarah: "Well, well, well...Look do we have here? The little traitor and her band of new friends!"

Stratos/Sierra: "I..."

Sarah: "Dragon-types are so overrated!"

Iris: "What did you say?!"

Sarah: "If you want to get past me, you must beat me first!"

Iris: "You're on!"

Iris/Sarah: "Chapter 16: Clash! Dragon Master Iris Vs Majestic Lotus Sarah!"

Iris: "No, Dragonite!"

Sarah: "They don't call me Majestic Lotus for nothing! Prepare to lose!"

I'm sorry for leaving you with a cliffhanger earlier. The chemistry between Ash, Cutlass, and Sarah is really enjoyable to watch. It would be great if they could continue to stick together, but unfortunately, nothing lasts forever. Anabel and her group managed to survive their crash scare, but the real question is whether they can withstand the wrath of the Elite Corp. Only time will tell what happens next.