In the Pokémon Center, after everything, after all the chaos that happened, people were scattered around, some sitting in waiting chairs, others pacing or tending to injuries. The explosion that Cipher apparently caused had seriously hurt many people and Pokémon.
Risa, Molly, Toren, and Harriet, along with all their Pokémon, were sitting quietly and waiting. Everyone else was either checking in on injured people or Pokémon in their rooms. Mia had left Molly with Risa, as she needed to go check on Kellie, who still hadn't woken up, likely due to the stress, the smoke, and her existing medical condition.
Risa sat up front when Nurse Joy came out, carrying a bandaged-up Eevee curled tightly into herself. Risa immediately stood and gently held her.
"Eevee… I'm sorry I couldn't protect you… If… if only I could still run…"
Joy offered a tired smile, more out of habit than happiness. She looked exhausted after all the work she'd been doing.
"Eevee's leg still hurts a bit, but just make sure not to aggravate it. Give her plenty of rest."
Risa nodded. "Thank you very much."
Right around then, Callahan walked out. Behind a nearby pillar, Sudowoodo peeked out and silently watched him. Callahan didn't say a word. He simply walked over to a bench, sat down, took off his hat, and buried his face in his hands.
"How's Kellie?" Toren was the first to ask the question they were all thinking.
Callahan exhaled slowly. "The doctor just finished examining her…" He looked down. "She's never had the best energy or stamina. I guess the last couple of days took their toll on her…"
Toren looked down, ashamed. "I'm so sorry. I'm responsible, I—"
But Callahan cut him off. "No. It was my fault for lying to her all the time. Hey Risa… you were right about me. Kellie deserves a better uncle than a liar like me."
Risa looked at him, guilt flickering across her face for the things she had said. She bit her lip, wanting to say something, when the door to the Pokémon Center opened, and in walked Ash with Pikachu and Vee at his side.
"How'd it go?" Toren asked.
Ash shook his head. "Couldn't get them… I just got one and turned him in, but he didn't have answers…"
Of course, Ash was only half telling the truth. It was a good thing he was wearing gloves, because if he wasn't, they'd see how red his knuckles were. He had beaten that guy to a pulp and gotten what little he could from him. After knocking him out, he healed him just enough to cover up the evidence, then turned him in, framing it as Blastoise being the one that beat him.
Not before purifying the Tyranitar, though. He turned that in to the Rangers. Honestly, the guy, supposedly the leader, didn't have much on him. Either he was clueless or the most loyal idiot in the world. According to him, he didn't even know why he was here. He was just following orders from his boss.
The only thing Ash got out of him… was a name.
Snattle.
And he knew the vial they were after had some kind of super-concentrated version of Effect Spore. That was it. No reason why. No idea what it was for.
Everyone went quiet after that. No one knew what to say.
Ash walked over and gently picked up Molly. But the mood stayed somber.
Harriet sighed, breaking the silence. "What a day… We all need some rest…"
No one argued. They were all exhausted. So that's what they did, they quietly went their separate ways.
Ash walked down the street carrying Molly, with Risa walking beside him since they were staying at the same hotel. They didn't say much. Too much weighed on their minds. Risa cradled her Eevee in her arms, the poor thing's leg twisted or possibly broken.
Ash sighed.
Welp, that does it. Tonight, he doesn't care how long it takes. Doesn't care if someone distracts him. He's going to watch 'The Power of Us' movie, so he can finally figure out what the heck is going on.
Just need to put Molly to sleep first.
—
In another hotel room, Callahan stepped inside with Sudowoodo following close behind. Inside, Mai was sitting beside a sleeping Kellie, gently rubbing her forehead.
"How's Kellie?" Callahan asked.
"She's sleeping," Mai replied, without even looking back. "I'm thinking of taking her back home with me tomorrow."
"I see…" Callahan muttered as he turned around, prompting Mai to finally glance back at him.
"Where are you going?" she asked.
"I don't know…" Callahan admitted. "But Kellie doesn't want to see my face anymore. Not after I let her down. And I can't blame her…" he said as he walked out.
Sudowoodo looked surprised, glancing between him and Mai. With a small nod from Mai, Sudowoodo took off running after Callahan.
When Sudowoodo finally caught up, Callahan was already walking down the dark street. Sudowoodo ran up behind him and Callahan stopped.
"Don't follow me…"
But Sudowoodo ignored him and kept walking. "Sudo!"
"Go away! It's not like you're my partner…" Callahan said, lowering his head as he reached into his pocket and pulled out an empty Poké Ball. "You're throwing my words back at me… and I deserve it. I'm done lying. I'm done with all of it. There's no point in following me." He tossed the Poké Ball to the ground and started walking away into the night, leaving Sudowoodo standing there with the empty Poké Ball at his feet.
—
Harriet returned to her house, and no matter how many times she tried to shake them, the Pokémon kept following her. When she reached the steps to her door, she stopped and turned aroundl, "I told all of you, over and over, not to follow me!"
But the Pokémon didn't flinch. They just kept walking toward her, even as she protested.
Then she snapped, "WHAT PART OF LEAVE DON'T YOU GET?! I DON'T WANT ANY POKÉMON! YOU'LL NEVER BE HER!" she screamed, before she could stop herself.
The Pokémon froze. So did Harriet.
She stood there, stunned by her own outburst. Her voice broke as she looked down and opened her door.
"Just… go somewhere else. I'm better off alone…" she whispered, walking inside and locking the door behind her.
The Pokémon stayed outside, silently watching the closed door.
—
Back at the mansion, Margo walked through the halls quietly, rubbing her hands together. There was still a faint black tint to her skin, which she quickly covered by slipping on her little gloves again.
She opened the door to her father's office, where he was on a call.
"Understood. Well done," Oliver said, looking relieved.
"Hey, Father?" Margo asked softly. "What about the Wind Festival?"
Oliver turned to her and smiled, assuming she was worried it would be canceled.
"Oh, the committee just decided to reopen it tomorrow. We'll tighten security, and any safety concerns will be addressed. No need to worry at all."
Margo flinched, then forced a smile. "That's great… I'm glad."
But in truth, that was exactly what she was worried about.
Later, she returned to her room, but she wasn't tired. Instead, she stepped out onto the balcony and looked out over the city, hands tightening at the railing. She felt nervous. If the festival continued, then they might find it, and that's what terrified her most.
Her eyes drifted upward… and she saw a light.
The Eternal Flame, burning brightly at the top of the tower.
She gulped but stood firm. Determined.
She just hoped she wouldn't regret what she was about to do.
—
In the forest, the trio was celebrating while happily sipping their Lum Berry juice.
"To us!" Jessie cheered as they all raised their drinks. Even Mime Jr. and Cubone were joining in.
Jessie grinned and clapped her hands. "Okay, let's see it!"
At that, James, Meowth, and Wobbuffet froze, wide-eyed. Mime Jr. and Cubone just kept sipping their juice.
"But I thought you had it!" James said, panicking.
Jessie blinked. "But I gave it to Meowth."
Meowth tilted his head and crossed his arms. "My paws never even touched it!"
"I gave it to you! I called your name and did that behind-the-back flip thing!" Jessie insisted, folding her arms.
Meowth's eye twitched. "Genius, I was running in front of you the whole time!"
"Ehhhhh!" James wailed, collapsing to his knees as Wobbuffet echoed him in dramatic despair. That meant… they did all that for nothing.
Meowth sighed, slouching. "Well… I guess it's back to the juice…"
—
Meanwhile, the two remaining grunts were deep in the woods, nervously pulling out a phone. They initiated a call, and the screen crackled to life with the image of a man, glasses gleaming, hood pulled low, voice sharp.
"Well? What is your status?" the man asked.
"Sir, we… we failed. We lost the Effect Spore," Grunt 1 admitted.
The man on the screen, Snattle, narrowed his eyes. His image flickered ominously with static.
"You did what…" Snattle's voice dropped low and dangerous, each word coated in venom. His eye twitched behind his glasses.
"You lost the vial?" he said slowly.
The two grunts stiffened like frozen Bidoof.
"Y-Yes, sir," Grunt 2 stammered. "There was interference, and—"
"I don't want excuses!" Snattle snapped, slamming a gloved fist on his desk. The screen buzzed and flickered. "Do you have any idea how much this sets us back?! Lord Greevil wants results tomorrow!"
Grunt 2 swallowed hard. "Should we… report back, sir?"
Snattle leaned in, his face filling the screen.
"No. You will not return. I'll go myself."
He paused, tone icier than ever.
"You start the original plan. Capture that. If we get it, it'll make capturing the other one easier."
His gaze sharpened like a blade. "Now listen carefully. I don't care what happens to you, but if you ever undermine my authority again, so help me, once I become governor, I will make sure you never show your face in this world again."
And with that, the call ended.
The two grunts were left pale and trembling.
—
The next morning, Ash stretched and stepped out of bed, holding a cup of coffee. True to his word, he had stayed up the night before to watch The Power of Us movie.
And now… he finally understood what was going on.
He really wished he'd watched it yesterday, he could've avoided a whole lot of trouble. Honestly, stopping all of it would've been easy.
He walked over and opened the window, and looked out. All the windmills had stopped spinning.
At the top of the tallest tower… the Eternal Flame was missing. Ash didn't panic. He just sipped his coffee. He could handle this.
Getting dressed, he gently helped Molly out of bed. She yawned sleepily as they headed to the door. When Ash opened it, he found Risa just about to knock. She froze.
"O-oh, I-morning… Um, did you see what happened…?"
Ash nodded. "Yeah, I did. Let's go check it out."
Molly looked back at the window, then up at Ash.
"Big Brother… is everything going to be okay?"
Ash smiled and gave her a nod, "Yeah. I promise."
—
On the ground, Mai and Kellie stood near the cable car. Many people had gathered as they prepared to leave after the recent events. Mai glanced down, noticing Kellie's downcast expression.
"Kellie, are you feeling all right?" she asked gently.
Kellie stayed silent for a moment, then quietly spoke. "Where's my uncle?"
Mai frowned for a second, then forced a smile. "He said he was going home. I think…"
But Kellie didn't feel reassured. Her voice wavered. "...I said something bad to him."
"Kellie… it's all right. Now cheer up! Your uncle doesn't mind at all," Mai said, trying her best to sound upbeat, but even she could tell she was lying.
—
Nearby, those who chose to stay had begun to gather. Mayor Oliver was doing his best to calm the crowd, though he didn't have many answers himself. Ash, Molly, and Risa approached, spotting Toren sitting alone outside with his face buried in his knees, still ashamed, likely blaming himself for how disastrously the presentation had gone. Harriet walked quietly by, not stopping.
Despite the tense atmosphere, Ash wasn't panicked. He thought he had time. All he needed to do was find the vial. If Team Rocket had lost it, and knowing them, they probably had, then he just had to recover it and stash it in his personal inventory so it could never detonate. Easy.
But life rarely went according to plan.
Because of yesterday's chaotic battle between Team Rocket and the Cipher grunts, the glass casing on the vial had already been weakened. After being dropped, tossed around, and handled by Pokémon… it finally cracked.
Then it shattered.
From the woods, a massive purple cloud of spores erupted into the sky, so high that it could be seen from the city itself.
Ash's eyes widened.
He hadn't expected this.
He thought he had time. He thought things would stay stable, under control.
He forgot how much life liked to kick him in the teeth.
Everyone turned at once, staring at the ominous cloud. Risa was the first to speak.
"W-what is that?!"
Toren finally looked up, eyes going wide. "T-that's… that's the vial that was stolen yesterday! That's the Effect Spore!"
Immediately, panic spread like wildfire.
People started shouting, rushing for shelter, desperate to get inside before the cloud reached the city. They all knew what breathing in Effect Spore could do.
Chaos swirled around them. Risa was shaking beside Ash. Molly tugged at his hand. Toren and Harriet were frozen in shock. Oliver spun around, searching frantically, Margo was nowhere to be seen.
Then Ash heard Toren mutter, "What are we going to do…"
That was the last straw.
Ash let go of Molly's hand and raised his voice over the noise, calling out to everyone, "We don't run. Not today."
Everyone paused.
Ash stepped forward, standing tall. "I know we're scared. I know we're tired. And maybe we're not perfect… but that doesn't mean we give up."
He looked around at the gathered crowd, eyes burning with resolve.
"If standing here and panicking won't help anything, then let's do something about it! Let's save this city, our own way!"
"Easier said than done," Risa said, trying to stay calm. "How are we even supposed to do that?"
Ash clenched his fist. "What else? We do what we can. And if we can't do it alone, then we do it together."
He pointed at the city behind them.
"Are you going to let this city and everyone in it suffer while we do nothing? Or are we going to be the best this city's got?!"
He slammed his fist into his palm, eyes set on the rising cloud.
Oliver looked at Ash, deep in thought. This city depended on him as mayor, and his daughter, who for all he knew might already be breathing in that smoke, weighed even heavier on his heart. He clenched his fists, "I'm in."
Everyone turned, surprised, as Oliver stepped forward.
"This city means everything to me... but my daughter means even more. So if it's for her, then I'll do everything I can!"
He turned to Toren. "Professor, is there any way to disperse the smoke?"
Toren flinched, then rubbed his chin. "Now, let's see... I could go back to the lab and produce large quantities of the essence of the Pokémon Ability Natural Cure…" He trailed off, deflating. "But it's no use. There's no way to spread it throughout the city!"
Then another voice cut in, Harriet's, "What about using the wind to do it?"
"The wind?" Toren perked up, looking at her.
"There's the old generating station. If we can get there, we can spread it."
"You're right…" Oliver stood straighter.
"But wait—I thought that place was broken down?" Toren asked.
Oliver didn't even hesitate. "Harriet, if you can't fix it, no one can!"
Risa blinked. "Wait, what?"
"You see," Harriet said, pointing toward a massive power plant in the distance, "I built that power plant."
Risa's eyes lit up. "Ah! Granny, that's so cool!"
Harriet smirked. "I designed the propeller so it could run in reverse, too. If you spin it backward, it'll generate a strong wind. The question is... will it still spin? I'd give it a fifty-fifty chance."
"Fifty-fifty?" Ash said with a grin. "Well, that's the best we've got, isn't it?"
He looked down at Molly, then over to the cable cars where he saw Mia and Kellie. He gently patted Molly's head, "And Molly, take care, okay?"
Before Molly could process what he said, Ash scooped her up and ran. Just as the cable car doors were closing, he pushed her inside with Mia and Kellie. The doors sealed before anyone could react.
"Take care of her for me, please. I'll be back as soon as I can," he said.
Molly blinked in shock. She pressed her hands against the glass window. "Big Brother, what are you doing!?"
Ash smiled as the cart began to ascend. "I'm being your hero again. Don't worry, I'll finish this soon. Then let's get that ice cream you wanted."
As the cable car climbed up the line, Molly tapped desperately against the glass, her expression full of fear, on the verge of tears, "Big Brother, nooo!"
Ash watched her go. It was safer this way. You might wonder why he didn't send Abby with them, but he needs Abby right now. He can't risk her being away, not when he doesn't know if she'll make it back in time. He has a plan... but if even one thing goes wrong, he's screwed.
Behind him, Oliver and Risa caught up. Toren, having found his resolve, had already sprinted off toward the lab to work on a cure. Harriet, meanwhile, went to track down the Pokémon that had followed her, because they were going to need some serious muscle.
"What about you, Ash… what are you going to do?" Oliver asked.
"Don't forget about me! What should i do!" Risa said.
Ash nodded and pulled out his phone as it began floating. He reached to his belt, grabbed five Poké Balls, and threw them to Oliver.
"Take these. Give them to Toren and Harriet. Tell them they'll know when to open them," Ash said.
Then he began tapping something on his phone. Oliver held the shrunken Poké Balls while Risa looked over.
"What are you doing?" she asked.
"Remember when I told you about the DexNav?" Ash said as he pulled it up and began searching for a certain Pokémon. "I think I know where Margo is, and where the Eternal Flame is."
On the DexNav, the icon of Zeraora appeared, deeper in the mountains. Oliver looked over, eyes widening. Then he thought back to how Margo had been acting, and he felt his blood run cold.
"I've been so blind… how did I not see it…" he muttered.
"You can beat yourself up later," Ash said, turning to Risa. "Right now, we need to get the Eternal Flame back."
Risa nodded and held her Eevee close, "Okay, let's do it. Lead the way."
Ash nodded and looked at Oliver one last time.
"Don't worry about the rest. Just focus on that. As long as you give them those Pokémon, I can take care of the rest!" he said, offering no context, before he took off running. Risa jogged after him. She didn't sprint. Not yet.
Oliver watched Ash's back as he vanished into the trees. Then he looked down at the Poké Balls in his hands, wondering, who was Ash, really? The way he acted… there was no way he was just a regular kid.
—
Far into the forest, near the old abandoned house, Margo sat on a rock, watching the smoke rise toward the town.
"Oh no…" Margo muttered. But what could she do? She was just a kid.
She looked down, and there it was: the Eternal Flame. She took it, but only because of one Pokémon. That Pokémon now sat behind her: Zeraora.
Zeraora had always been treated like a monster in this town. The story went that it caused a fire and killed people, and ever since, the townsfolk hated it. But a few weeks ago, Zeraora was the one who saved her.
So that's what she had been doing, coming here almost every day to take care of Zeraora until it could care for itself again.
But now she wondered if she really should have taken the Eternal Flame. Removing it had shut down the windmills connected to it, and maybe those windmills could've helped with the strange smoke.
Margo shook her head. Maybe it wasn't too late. Maybe she could take it back. Maybe that would fix everything.
Yeah. That was the plan.
She reached down and picked up the Eternal Flame, but then she heard footsteps. Turning her head, she saw them: the two Cipher grunts from yesterday. And they were staring straight at Zeraora… and the Eternal Flame.
"Well, what do we have here? Zeraora? That makes things so much easier. And injured, too. It's like the universe is giving us a break," Grunt 1 said.
"Oh, and is that the Eternal Flame? I hear with that we can summon Lugia. Even better," Grunt 2 added.
Yes, that was their end goal, Lugia. Cipher wanted to capture Lugia again.
Margo stepped back.
"No! Stay away! You can't have either, just leave!"
"Oh, little girl, we don't want to do this. But orders are orders. So we can do this the easy way, or the hard way," one grunt said as both released their Pokémon, a Houndoom and a Weavile, each snarling and ready to attack.
Margo tripped on a rock, but her friends, Ditto and Teddiursa, stepped protectively in front of her. They shook with fear, outmatched.
Just as the grunts raised their hands to command, a bright flash streaked across the field.
A figure slammed into both Pokémon, sending them crashing into a tree.
Standing in front of them, sparking with electricity, was Zeraora.
It glared at the grunts, fists igniting with lightning.