Zeraora didn't wait. In one blur, it leapt into the air, yellow lightning lighting up the forest. Its claws slashed across Weavile, sending the Dark- and Ice-type flying backward, tumbling through the underbrush before slamming into a tree trunk with a thud.
Houndoom snarled and fired a burst of [Flamethrower], a jet of searing fire engulfing Zeraora's position, but Zeraora darted through it. It didn't stop.
Zeraora twisted mid-air, pushing forward, and came down with a [Plasma Fist].
The punch collided with Houndoom's jaw in a blinding spark—CRACK!—and the Pokémon let out a howl of pain as it was flung into the air and smashed down beside its teammate.
Both Pokémon lay groaning in the dirt, eyes spinning, fainted.
Zeraora staggered back, breathing heavily, shoulders heaving with strain. Sparks crackled from its arms, but they were weak now, dim. Its claws trembled. One knee buckled.
Margo rushed forward. "Zeraora!" she shouted, dropping the Eternal Flame and kneeling beside it. "You shouldn't have done that… You're not healed yet!"
But Zeraora gave her a tired look, its breathing rough, its fur singed, but its eyes still sharp.
The two Cipher grunts growled as they recalled their defeated Pokémon.
"Tch… stupid beast still has some fight left," said Grunt 1, brushing dirt off his coat.
Grunt 2 glared at Margo. "This isn't over, kid, we—" But he was cut off as a web wrapped around his mouth.
The web came from Pikachu, because just then, Ash and Risa finally arrived. Ash whistled, and Pikachu spun around, using Grunt 2 as a blunt weapon to slam into the first grunt, webbing them both up.
Ash ran over and stopped as he saw them. "Margo, there you are," he said, then turned and stared at Zeraora for a moment but said nothing.
Margo looked up at Ash, then at Risa, then looked down. "I… I'm sorry… You're here because of me, aren't you?"
Meanwhile, Zeraora was still trying to catch its breath, and Pikachu and Vee were playing ping pong with the two grunts.
Ash and Risa walked closer, then noticed a soft green light behind Margo: the Eternal Flame.
"Ah… so you did take it…" Risa muttered, slowly walking over and picking it up.
"I'm sorry…" Margo apologized again, looking down. "I just… I just wanted to protect Zeraora…"
Ash walked over, knelt down, and gently patted her head, "Hey, Margo, it's okay. It's not too late to make things right, you know."
Margo sniffled and looked up. "B-but, if I—" But she was interrupted as Ash gently placed his fingers over her mouth.
"What-ifs are just that. What good is crying going to do? If you're really sorry, then let's fix it, together. Alright?" Ash said, smiling down at her.
Margo looked up and wiped her tears, then gave a small nod. "Okay."
Then Margo looked at Zeraora, who was still glaring at the grunts. Pikachu and Vee were now hanging from the tree like piñatas, their mouths covered by Pikachu's Electroweb. Margo found the courage to raise her voice to speak, but she was interrupted by the sound of an explosion.
In the distance, the purple spores suddenly ignited. They must have hit a power line or something, and the chain reaction made everything worse. The forest was starting to burn now. And because the explosion struck a power cable, the city's power had been cut too.
Immediately, before anyone could say anything, Zeraora's expression twisted in anger. It looked at them like they had caused the fire, just like the humans did years ago. It narrowed its eyes, electricity surging around it, and jumped high into the trees, racing toward the flames, ignoring Margo's cries for it to stop.
"No… Zeraora," Margo muttered.
Risa also looked at the fire starting to spread and felt her grip on the Eternal Flame weaken slightly, "It's… I… what do we do now?"
But Ash clenched his fists, "What else? We're going to fix this."
Margo and Risa both trembled, still too stunned by everything happening around them, but Ash snapped them out of their daze, "Listen, we need to move now. Every second here is a second wasted."
Risa took a step back, "B-but—"
"We don't have time." He turned to her, eyes focused and steady, "You have to take the Eternal Flame to the shrine. And you're going to call Lugia."
Risa looked at him like he'd just asked her to leap off a cliff, "M-me?" she stammered. "But—Ash, I… I can't, what if I mess up again? What if I trip, or get there too late? O-or what if I drop it, I—" But Risa was cut off mid-sentence.
"Stop," Ash said firmly, his voice steady as he looked directly at her, "You can. You're the fastest one here. You've done this before, and right now, Pokémon and people are counting on you."
"But… I'm not ready. I'm not strong like you, or brave like you… Can't you use your Pokémon?" Risa mumbled.
"You don't have to be me," Ash replied. "You just have to be you. That's more than enough. And right now, you need to do this. My Pokémon might be faster, but they can't carry the Eternal Flame."
He paused for a second, then reached into his pocket, pulling out another Poké Ball and placing it in her hand, "You'll know when to use this."
Risa flinched, holding the ball tightly as Ash turned and picked up Margo, tucking her under one arm.
"Now come on! It's our turn!" he shouted, taking off in the opposite direction.
Margo blinked in surprise, flailing a little as she was quite literally being carried like a doll, "Wha—! W-wait, where are we going?!"
Ash smiled as Pikachu and Vee raced after him. "We're going after Zeraora!" He grinned wide, because now the stage was set. Everything was ready. He pulled out one last Poké Ball, this one held Abby. Time to clutch up.
—
Meanwhile, Risa was still shaking. She stared down at the Poké Ball in her hand. Her breathing was shallow. Her legs refused to move.
She didn't want to run. She was scared. But… she needed to run. She knew that. Her knees trembled, her chest tight.
"Why… why, why, why, why, why…" she muttered, clenching her teeth, the frustration building in her voice.
Then, she heard a small voice, "Vee!"
Risa opened her eyes and saw her Eevee staring up at her with a proud little smile, puffing out her chest.
"Eevee…" Risa whispered, her gaze falling on the bandaged leg. It was almost ironic. They say Eevee evolve to reflect their trainers, but this time, it was different. The only difference between them was that Eevee wasn't scared.
Even with her broken leg, Eevee believed in Risa.
Risa felt her breath hitch. Her knees were still trembling, and her heart pounded in her chest, but she couldn't let them down.
She couldn't let anyone down.
With a deep breath, she held the Eternal Flame in one arm, placed Eevee on her shoulder, and for the first time in almost a year, she began to run. As fast as she could.
—-
In the city, some people were still scrambling to get inside buildings for safety from the spores, but Callahan was not one of them.
He was running, phone in hand, desperately dialing Mia. After a few rings, she picked up, and he nearly screamed into the phone.
"Mia! Where are you?! Is Kellie all right?!"
"She's fine. We're doing just fine. We're on the gondola ride." Mia's voice came through the phone, but it was weak. Even over the static, Callahan could tell she wasn't telling the full truth. "We seem to have come to an emergency stop. It hasn't moved in a while."
Then he heard a tiny, frightened voice, Kellie's, "Uncle Callahan! Help us…"
The connection cut off. The spores had blocked the signal.
"Kellie! Mia!" he shouted, but it was useless. The line was dead.
Callahan stared down helplessly, his phone shaking in his hand as tears welled in his eyes, "So stupid... such a stupid liar…"
Then, he heard the sound of scuttling behind him.When he turned, he saw Sudowoodo standing there, holding the very same Poké Ball Callahan had thrown away.
"I told you to go away!" Callahan shouted.
But Sudowoodo huffed. "Sudo! Sudo-sudo!" It marched forward and grabbed Callahan's hand, trying to drag him along.
Callahan pulled away. "What's with you?!"
Sudowoodo crossed its arms, then pointed up at the spores creeping closer to the city.
Callahan looked away. "What do you think we can do? All I ever do is lie… then run away. We're weak. Both of us."
Sudowoodo's eyes welled with tears. It walked up and lightly punched Callahan in the chest.
"Hey! What's that for? Stop!" Callahan said, trying to push it away.
But Sudowoodo grabbed his hands, placed the Poké Ball in them again, then stepped back.
Callahan stared at the Pokéball, "But… why? Sudowoodo…" He looked up at the Pokémon, who smiled and nodded.
Callahan's throat tightened, "You're not lying. You're… actually willing to help me."
He held up the Poké Ball, and Sudowoodo pressed the button itself, returning willingly. The ball didn't even shake, it clicked shut immediately.
Callahan let him back out again instantly.
"Thank you, Sudowoodo." He stepped forward and hugged the fake tree Pokémon tightly, "I'm taking back my pledge. I'll do whatever it takes… if it helps keep the ones I love safe. Together, we can't be beat. We'll save Kellie and Mia. As a team!"
Sudowoodo nodded and let out a cheer. The two of them looked toward the only place they could think to go: the mayor's office.
—
Meanwhile, Harriet walked toward her home. And there, waiting for her, were all the Pokémon. They hadn't left. It was as if they had stayed, for her.
Harriet didn't know what to say. Maybe there was nothing to say after everything.
She entered the house quietly and went to the green box again. This time, she didn't hesitate. She opened it.
Inside was a small, bronze, special key. It had been so long since she'd used it… but it looked like now, she had no choice.
Just like now, she had no choice but to face what she'd run from.
Harriet stepped outside, where all the Pokémon were waiting. They stared at her. For a moment, no one said anything.
Then she bowed her head, "I'm… sorry."
Just two words. But coming from her, they meant everything. The Pokémon understood.
Harriet raised her head, took a breath, and met their eyes, "I need your help. All of you."
—
In the mayor's office, Oliver was already making calls. Four of the Poké Balls Ash had given him sat on the desk, he'd already handed one to Toren. He just hoped it was the right one.
His team was working alongside him, making urgent calls to evacuation and rescue teams. They were just waiting on Harriet, she'd gone to retrieve the key for the power plant. Without her, they couldn't activate anything. Toren too, but he said he'd catch up once he finished synthesizing the natural cure.
Luckily, Harriet walked in at that very moment, and behind her were all the Pokémon, following closely, eyes sharp and focused.
Before Oliver could turn to greet her or hand over the Poké Balls, the side door burst open. Callahan and Sudowoodo rushed in, panting heavily.
"What do I do to get rid of all that smoke?" Callahan asked between gasps.
Harriet raised an eyebrow. "Well, look who it is…"
Callahan looked up and blinked. "Granny?"
Oliver didn't care who showed up at this point. More hands meant more help.
"So," he said, "we want to use the former power plant to disperse the spores."
"Kellie is in danger! So let's get to that formal whatever-it-is!" Callahan said, standing tall and determined.
Oliver nodded, grabbing the remaining Poké Balls and placing them into Callahan's hands, "Take Harriet up there, and you might need these."
Callahan stared down at the Poké Balls, unsure of what to do with them… but that didn't matter right now. He looked up, eyes focused, and nodded. Then he turned to Harriet and pointed at his back.
"Hop on."
—
In the lab, when Toren reached his workstation, he found the other scientists already trying to pack up. They urged him to do the same.
Maybe once, Toren would have listened. But not this time.
He didn't care if he had to work alone. He marched straight past them and began working.
At first, the others stared in confusion. What was Toren doing? The lab had been sealed off to stop the spread of Effect Spore, people were panicking, not sure what to do next.
But Toren… Toren wasn't scared.
That alone sparked something in the others. They knew he was smart, but he'd never been able to get his voice heard. This time, though, his actions said everything.
And so, they helped him.
Working together, they managed to synthesize a cure to the Effect Spore. It wasn't perfect, but Toren would've felt more confident if they had at least three or four vials.
They were close.
But just as the final stage neared completion, the power began to fail. Machines sputtered and dimmed. Lights flickered, and then went out entirely.
Toren stared in horror as the pink liquid inside the chamber started to siphon back into the machine. Without power, they couldn't extract it.
But he didn't hesitate.
Toren moved on instinct, he punched straight through the glass and grabbed a single vial just before it could be lost.
The lab gasped.
Toren stared at his hand, bleeding slightly, stunned by what he'd just done. But right now, he didn't care.
He had it. It was less than ideal, but it was enough.
He looked around at the stunned faces of the other scientists. Then he nodded, "Thank you."
And with that, he turned and sprinted out of the lab. He had his plan.
He had to get to the old power plant, to meet up with Harriet.
—
Risa was running along the trail. As she glanced to the side, she could see the spores spreading. She grit her teeth, "What'll I do? If I just keep running from the smoke, I'll never get there!"
For a moment, she considered checking out the Pokémon Ash had given her. After all, he said she'd know when to use it. But just then, her phone started ringing. Surprised, she answered mid-run, "Hello?"
Her brother's voice came through. "Risa!"
Risa almost dropped her phone but held onto it tightly. "Rick?"
"I'll be your navigator! I'm searching for a route to the Eternal Flame pedestal that keeps you out of the smoke!" Rick said from the other end, typing away at his computer. "Found it!"
Risa was still confused. "Why are you doing this?" Then something dawned on her. "Hold on, just how do you know where I am?"
Rick quickly deflected. "Never mind that! Just keep running! See the woods ahead of you? Go in! It should slow down the smoke!"
Risa wanted to ask more questions, but that could wait. She nodded. "Right!" Then sped up.
–
Ash finally caught up to Zeraora, with Margo in tow, They reached a clearing, an old area near the town where Zeraora had been taking Pokémon. It was still tired, but moving.
As Ash and Margo arrived, Zeraora turned to face them, eyes blazing with anger, electricity coursing through its arm. Margo took a hesitant step forward, "I knew it… trying to protect all the Pokémon…"
Zeraora growled. Right now, it wasn't in the best state of mind. It was acting on pure trauma, memories of the time humans had tried to burn down the forest just to find it. It was driven by instinct.
Blue electricity crackled around it before shooting out toward Margo. She froze in fear, eyes squeezed shut.
But then Ash whistled, and Pikachu leapt in front of her, taking the hit and absorbing the electricity.
As Zeraora growled again, Ash stepped protectively in front of Margo and looked straight at it, "So, you hate people. I get that. Humans are greedy, selfish, and awful. But you know… humans may suck, but we have our moments. So let me show you just what we can do."
Zeraora huffed in anger and started to dash forward, raising a fist to punch down on Ash. But Pikachu jumped up and clashed against it with an [Iron Tail]. As they collided, Vee leapt up next, flipping midair and slapping Zeraora across the face, and for some reason, it hurt more than it should have.
Zeraora stumbled back slightly, not from the strength of the blow, but from the shock of it. For a moment, its eyes darted between Pikachu and Vee, then to Ash, who hadn't moved from his place in front of Margo.
Ash's stance was firm, unflinching, "You think you're the only one who's ever been betrayed?" he called out. "You're not. Grow up. Suffering isn't a competition. There's no shiny medal for saying you suffered more, and that's not a justification."
But Zeraora was too far gone. It wasn't listening to reason. There was only one way to get through to it now, and that was to beat the bricks out of it.
Ash pulled a Poké Ball and held it in his hand. As Zeraora dashed forward, aiming to attack, Ash opened the ball. Light burst out, and a hand reached forward and caught Zeraora's fist: Dragonite.
Dragonite smirked, pulled Zeraora's arm, and headbutted it before spinning it around like a ragdoll and hurling it against the wall. Normally, Zeraora could have stopped that. But Pikachu and Vee had already weakened it, and more importantly, they could cancel out its legendary resistances.
Zeraora pulled itself up, falling to one knee before rising again, glaring daggers at Ash. But Ash didn't flinch. He looked to Dragonite.
"We'll take it from here. You take care of Margo and save the Pokémon. I'm counting on you."
Dragonite didn't like the first part of that order, until Ash added, "I believe in you."
That changed everything.
She flew back, scooped up Margo, and soared toward the fire.
Zeraora saw them and tensed, ready to leap after them. But it stopped.
Its body suddenly glowed purple.
From behind, Abby floated into view. She wasn't a Kadabra anymore.
She was now officially an Alakazam.
Ash smiled and looked back at Margo, who was watching him. He put a finger to his head and smiled, "Take care of things from here"
Then Abby teleported them away.
Where to? Well… there's a reason he gave them Pokéballs.