{Back over with Ashtwo}
The air was thick with smoke from the grunts marching around and attacking the stadium.
Somewhere nearby, Looker's voice was hoarse from shouting orders, corralling panicked civilians toward the few exits that weren't already swarming with masked grunts. But here, in the south wing, was D against the rest of them.
D tilted his head, one hand resting lazily in his coat sleeve where Muk's sludge oozed out, coiling and shifting under the fabric.
Jay's Ruddy, Tuddy, and Tod spread out in a triangle. "Snap out of it, D!" Jay barked. "We don't want to hurt you!"
"Oh, don't worry," D said with a soft chuckle, "you won't."
Before Jay could blink, Muk's sludge shot from D's sleeve like a striking snake, coiling around Ruddy's midsection and yanking it off its feet. The Meowth screeched as it was slammed into a wall, the sludge oozing over it until its claws could barely move.
Domino's Weavile darted forward in a blur, claws glowing with [Night Slash]. "Let him go!"
"Sure," D murmured, and with a flick, Muk hurled Ruddy directly into Weavile's path. The collision sent both skidding across the floor.
"Still so predictable," D said, eyes glinting. "I told you, you're so worthless without me picking up your slack~"
Owari's Crobat dove from above, wings slicing the air. D didn't even look up. "Gengar."
From behind him, Gengar emerged out of thin air, eyes glowing like twin embers. A pulse of [Shadow Ball] met Crobat mid-dive, the explosion knocking it sideways into a kiosk. Owari hissed in frustration.
Sayoko's Absol sprang in, horn glowing with [Psycho Cut], aiming for Muk's tendrils.
D smiled. "Nice try." Muk split, tendrils snapping around Absol's legs while Hypno stepped from D's shadow, pendulum swinging. A pulse of psychic energy made Absol's eyes glaze for just half a second, long enough for Muk to yank it off its feet and slam it down hard enough to crack the floor.
Helena's Haunter, Stephen, swooped in from behind to try and land a [Lick] on D directly. D didn't have to turn as Gengar erupted from the ground beneath Stephen, gripping it and dragging it halfway under into the shadow.
"Stephen!" Helena cried.
"Oh, don't worry," D said lightly, "he'll come up for air. Eventually." His Meowth was lazily resting on his shoulder.
Enid's Ursaring charged, bellowing, claws glowing with [Hammer Arm]. At the same time, her Arbok slithered wide to flank D.
D's Meowth yawned and leapt forward, tiny claws raking across Arbok's eyes in a blur. Arbok recoiled with a hiss, then Meowth backflipped and shot a [Thunderbolt] into Arbok's head, shocking the snake and leaving it crispy.
As for Ursaring, D simply shot Muk forward like a wave. The sludge enveloped Ursaring's arms before the blow could land, and with a single heave, Muk flipped the massive bear over its shoulder, smashing it onto its back.
"Since when was D this strong?" Jay asked, looking for any way to get through to him.
Owari clicked his tongue. "I think he's always been holding back and hiding his strength. Back when I went on a mission with him to the Sevii Islands, I saw a bit of it, but to think he was always this strong…"
"Can we please stop talking and start looking for a way to win?" Domino cried out. "We can ask D how he's so strong AFTER we get him out of that stupid mask!"
Anabel, still wondering who these people were, decided to hold off for now. She called out, "I think I can take that mask off, cover me!" Then she pointed with her Alakazam. "[Psychic], lock him down!"
The psychic force hit D, and it seemed like it was trying to make sure he couldn't move. He just… leaned into it, letting his coat and scarf flare, hair whipping in the psychic wind. He could feel that Anabel was using her psychic powers to try and tear off the mask.
"Cute," he said, and then Hypno's eyes flashed in sync with Gengar's. A double psychic pulse slammed into Alakazam from two angles, breaking its concentration and sending it to one knee.
Anabel pulled back and clicked her tongue, throwing out her Snorlax as it lumbered forward, fist cocked back.
"Oh, a big one," D said, and Muk shot up his arm, covering it and forming a sludge-coated fist of its own that met Snorlax's punch head-on. The impact rattled windows, but Snorlax stumbled back first.
Snorlax steadied itself, growling low, but D was already moving, coating his other arm in Muk's sludge and swinging upward. The blow caught Snorlax under the chin, sending the massive Pokémon staggering back into a half-crushed support pillar.
"You're all so slow," D said, almost disappointed. "I thought maybe you'd at least make me try."
Jay's Tuddy and Tod pounced in unison from opposite sides, claws glowing with [Metal Claw].
But D's Meowth leapt into the air, firing two [Power Gems] in twin arcs that slammed into both mid-leap, dropping them like flies.
"Thanks for lining up," D quipped, flicking imaginary dust from his sleeve.
Domino grit her teeth. "Weavile [Ice Shard] barrage!"
Shards of ice ripped forward, glittering in the smoke-filled light. D lifted his free hand, and Gengar materialized right in the path, swallowing the ice in a [Dark Pulse] that detonated outward. Weavile yelped and tumbled back, claws scraping the floor to keep balance.
Owari's Crobat zipped in again from the far side, zigzagging to avoid Gengar's line of sight. This time it got close, too close, until Hypno's pendulum glimmered, and Crobat froze midair for a half-second.
That was all D needed. Muk's tendril lashed upward, swatting Crobat into the ceiling so hard it left a dent before it flopped back down.
"Next up?" D asked casually, looking around like he was ordering off a menu.
Enid bit her lip and recalled her battered Arbok, sending Ursaring forward again. Helena joined in, sending Stephen bursting from the shadows with a flurry of ghostly [Night Shade] strikes to keep Muk busy.
D tilted his head. "Finally, a little teamwork." Then his eyes narrowed. "Too bad it's yours."
Muk suddenly split into multiple tendrils, two wrapped around Ursaring's arms, another whipped around Stephen's middle. With a single spin, he slammed Ursaring into Stephen, the two crashing into a pile of broken seats.
"D, you're not yourself, just please, let us help you—" Anabel called out.
"Oh, I'm exactly myself," D cut in smoothly. "This is me. The only difference is… now I don't have to babysit you all."
Sayoko bit her lip and pointed while D was talking. "Absol, take off that mask!" Absol lunged with [Night Slash] toward him
The horn cut clean through Muk's sludge, but the severed tendril simply writhed on its own, wrapping around Absol's neck before the rest of Muk rejoined it. With a whip-crack motion, D flung Absol into the wall so hard that dust rained from the ceiling.
"You keep sending them in one at a time," D said, brushing soot from his coat as he began talking. "What did you think would happen? Oh, right, you didn't think. You're all just so very weak."
"D…" Enid muttered. As the chaos swirled around her, she clenched her hands, looking down while everyone else fought. She took a breath and said something she should have said a long time ago, "I'm… sorry…"
For a moment, everything seemed to freeze. Everyone looked at her. Then D gave her a deadpan stare, "…What did you think that was going to do?" His voice was almost a whisper, which made it cut deeper.
Enid swallowed, but said nothing.
Then D let out a laugh, not loud, but quiet and sharp, like a knife flicking open, "Oh… oh, wait. You actually thought that was the moment. The big turning point. The 'main character' scene where the hero's words reach the villain's heart, right?"
He tilted his head. "Enid, you've been reading your own script for so long you forgot this is real life."
Enid's jaw clenched, but her eyes glimmered, she did think that.
D took a slow step toward her, "You call yourself the main character and everyone else the side characters. But here's the truth, you're not even supporting cast. You're comic relief. And not even good comic relief, you're the kind that gets cut from the second season."
Before she could retort, Muk's tendril whipped forward, curling around her waist and dragging her toward him until her boots scraped the ground. Ursaring roared in protest, charging again, but D swung Enid into her own Pokémon, knocking them both sprawling across the floor.
Jay shouted, "D, stop! You're not thinking straight!"
"Oh, I'm thinking perfectly clearly," D said as Muk spread out and blocked Jay's Pokémon from attacking him. He looked down at Enid.
"Still feeling heroic?" D asked, looking between them all. "Still think if you say the right magic words, I'll come running back to your little friendship circle?"
Enid picked herself off the ground, dust in her hair, trying to glare despite the sting in her eyes. "…You don't mean that."
"Oh, but I do," D said, looking out at them. "All this time… you thought I was trying to be one of you. Well you're right, I was playing weak, because that's exactly what you are"
Before anyone could react, Muk burst from his sleeve again, slamming into the ground between them and flinging rubble toward Domino and Sayoko, forcing them back.
Hypno's eyes flashed, and Absol staggered into Weavile, both tripping over the broken flooring.
Enid's Ursaring roared and charged, too late. D stepped aside lazily, and Gengar erupted from the floor under Ursaring, jaws snapping shut around its leg before flipping the massive bear onto its back.
Jay's Tod and Tuddy lunged again, but D's Meowth vaulted off his shoulder, claws blazing with [Fury Swipes], slashing both across the face before landing neatly back in place, tail flicking smugly.
"Pathetic," D said, eyes sweeping over the whole group. "No grand speeches. No desperate gambles. You've got nothing left but hope, and hope doesn't win fights."
He raised his hand, Muk crawling up it like living armor, tendrils writhing. "Now… shall we see which of you breaks first?"
Enid stared at the ground, her grip tightening as her hands dug into the dirt. For once, her lip quivered. She truly wondered, was it too late for her to catch up to him? Was it too late for them to still be friends?
—
{Meanwhile}
Ash was running through the stadium. You might be wondering what Ash had been doing, well, for one, he was waiting for a delivery from Abby, and for another, he was taking out grunts when he could, with his Pokémon or even his own hands.
But Ash wasn't worried about himself. As he looked out the stadium window, he could see the Ho-Ohtwos and Lugiatwos. Ash knew this, there were three of the pairs here, and with the Gym Leaders, they had five of them accounted for. That meant there were two more pairs unaccounted for. Where were they?
Well, Ash knew. One of them was with the Masked Man. The last one? That one was out there terrorizing Johto… or at least, it would be, if Ash hadn't already prepared for this.
As Ash jumped down from the stadium, he saw backup arriving, the International Police of Johto were here, and the agents from Kanto weren't far behind. Not just that, he could see trainers from the Silver Conference starting to fight back.
He spotted people like Shelly, Cain, and Heather, well, more like Heather angrily going on a riot while Shelly and Cain tried to make sure she didn't destroy the stadium. On the other side, Shingo and Chigusa were fighting together.
There were people he knew but didn't know personally, like Harrison in the crowd, fighting back, and Jon Dickson too
On the opposite side of the stadium, he saw Vincent, Casey, and Virgil, with Virgil using his Eevee squad to get people to safety.
Now, you might be wondering why they were here. Didn't Abby teleport everyone away? No, remember, Abby could teleport multiple people to different places at the same time. She chose to leave Vincent, Casey, and Virgil at the stadium for a reason.
For one, Vincent and Casey were the weakest among the group, ironic, since Vincent got farther than Lyra. But the only reason that happened was because Lyra went against Ethan, and Ethan was way stronger than her.
And she kept Virgil here because his Eevee squad was too valuable as a rescue team for the people in the stadium to leave behind.
Now, Ash said that because the places Abby sent the others would technically put them in worse trouble, but the difference was, he had already accounted for all of that.
So, seeing everything going on, Ash called out his Dragonite and leapt onto its back. He wasn't needed here, "Come on, the real fight isn't here. We need to get to Ilex Forest!"
He couldn't have Abby teleport him there, Abby was busy with something important, getting someone really valuable for this mission. Besides, if he showed up now, it would ruin his plan for why he sent his friends there first.
The stage was set. Ash had known about this in advance, he had the GS Ball. Now it was time to play by his rules for once.
—
{Meanwhile with Yellow}
When the teleport light faded, Yellow blinked in confusion, Chuchu doing the same beside her. A salty breeze hit her face, and the gentle rocking underfoot told her she was on a boat. Not just any boat, her eyes widened when she saw who was at the helm.
"U-Uncle Wilton? What's going on?"
Wilton glanced back without surprise, giving her a calm smile, "Yellow, please, take a breath."
He held up a folded note, "Your friend Ash sent me a message. He said something big's happening… and he didn't want you there. For your own safety."
Yellow's heart sank. If Ash had gone so far as to teleport her away, it meant the situation was bad. Really bad, "No… I have to go back. I have to help him!"
Wilton shook his head. "No can do. I don't want to see you get hurt, and Ash agreed with me. You're staying here until it's over. It's too dangerous."
The words only made her stomach twist harder. If Wilton was calling it dangerous, it had to be worse than she imagined, "No. No, no… I can't just sit here. I won't!"
Her hand went to her belt, fingers tightening around Kitty's Poké Ball, "I'm going back, and I'm going to help everyone!"
Wilton set the letter aside, without ever letting her see it, and stepped forward, hand brushing one of his own Poké Balls, "Yellow, you know I can't let you do that."
She froze for a moment, that old helplessness threatening to swallow her whole. But then she remembered her friends. Brock. Misty. Ash. She remembered all the times she'd been too scared to speak up, too quick to hide behind others.
Not anymore.
Adjusting the brim of her straw hat, she met Wilton's gaze head-on, her irises beginning to glow faintly, "I beat you once," she said, voice steady. "And I'll do it again."
Wilton's face stayed neutral, but deep down, he was smiling. The note Ash had given him had said it was too dangerous for Yellow to return to the League… but it had also said he believed she was strong enough to stand on her own. This would be their final battle, the one that would break Yellow out of her shell for good.
—
{Over with Green}
Green landed hard on damp grass, the smell of moss and earth filling her nose. She pushed herself up and looked around, a forest, but not Ilex. Somewhere nearby, maybe.
Her legs felt shaky. She still couldn't shake the image of all those Ho-ohs and Lugias.
Leaning back against a tree, she curled her knees to her chest. She didn't have the energy to be angry… just hollow. Why did Ash send her here? Why couldn't he have just… kept holding her?
It was like that day, four years ago. The fear. The sleepless nights. The way her appetite had vanished. Back then, whenever she saw Ash, she'd cling to him, because he had been the one who came to save her.
And now she was here again, not a little girl anymore, but twelve years old and still trembling.
Her breath caught, and she whispered into her knees, "You liar… dummy…you said you would protect me…"
As she sat there with her face buried against her knees, Green suddenly heard the sharp screech of a bird overhead.
She looked up, her eyes widening. Thanks to Ash's help over the years, she wasn't afraid of normal bird Pokémon anymore, but Legendary ones were a different story entirely. And when it came to legendaries, Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres counted
So of course, those exact three were the ones now circling above her before swooping down to land in the branches nearby, staring right at her.
Green trembled so much she couldn't even scream. Her mouth opened, but no sound came out.
But the trio wasn't here to hurt her. They weren't even here to scare her. They were here for her. Ash had called in a favor, and since he knew exactly where they roamed in the Orange Islands, it hadn't been hard to find them. These weren't the clone versions, these were the real ones.
And, after all, there was a reason Blanche, Spark, and Candela couldn't summon the birds to them. This was part of Ash's plan. He knew Green could do it, though at that moment, she looked way too scared to move. Still trust the process.
—
{With Gary}
Gary hit the ground with a thud, groaning as he pushed himself up and rubbed the back of his head. Looking around, he quickly realized two things, he had no idea where he was… and he was completely alone.
"Great…" he muttered.
He scanned the surroundings for any clue that could tell him where the heck he'd ended up, or more importantly, how to get back to the stadium to give Ash a piece of his mind.
That's when he heard it, the sound of a train. Gary turned just in time to see the Magnet Train roar past, wind whipping at his clothes. But trailing behind it weren't normal passengers. There were five pairs of Lugiatwo and Ho-Ohtwo chasing it down.
Then, from the roof of one of the cars, a massive bolt of lightning blasted outward. One of the Ho-Ohtwo was struck and went down hard, collapsing mid-air before dissolving into some kind of molten mush.
Gary's eyes twitched. "Dang it, Ash…"
He threw a Poké Ball, releasing his Arcanine. As he climbed onto the big dog's back, something else dropped from above, a Poké Ball that smacked him right on the head.
"Ow! What the—?!" Gary snatched it up, and just one look told him it was from Ash.
His eye twitched again. "Dang it, Ash… if this was your plan, you could've at least told me…"
Arcanine growled in anticipation and took off, racing after the train. Gary tightened his grip on the PokéBall in his hand, to catch up and help get the Gym Leaders out of there.
—
Meanwhile, Ethan, Kris, Silver, and Lyra appeared in the same spot. As they fell to the ground, they realized they were in a forest, this time, it was the Ilex Forest.
Silver was the first to get up, immediately scanning the area, probably for Green, remembering her scared face before they were teleported. His eyes darted around, worry written all over his face.
Kris stood as well and walked over to him, placing a hand on his shoulder, "Silver… calm down, okay?"
Silver stopped and turned to her, but for once, he snapped, "Easy for you to say! You're not the one who doesn't know where your sister is! For you, she's right there! For me, she could be, who knows where, alone and scared, and I'm here with you three!"
Kris flinched and looked down. Silver quickly realized what he'd said, lowering his head and voice, "I… I'm sorry… I'm just worried, okay? Green… she's like my sister. I wanted to be the one to protect her this time…"
Kris looked back up, tightening her grip on his shoulder, "It's okay… I get it. If anything happened to Lyra, I'd be scared too. But we can't argue or do something we might regret later. We'll find your sister, I promise."
Silver gave a silent nod. Meanwhile, Lyra looked up at the sky, "Why did Ash send us here? I mean, he said he wanted to keep us safe, but… why here? And where is everyone?"
"I don't know…" Kris replied.
Ethan finally stood, stretching his arms.
"Well, what are we waiting for? Are we really gonna sit here and do nothing, or are we gonna head back to the conference and keep kicking butt?"
The three looked at him. Silver sighed, "For once, I agree with you."
"Oh, are you warming up to me, buddy? I knew you'd come around, best buddy!" Ethan said, grinning as he threw an arm around Silver.
"We're still not friends!" Silver barked, pulling himself free from Ethan's grasp.
Suddenly, the sound of powerful wings filled the air. They all looked up just in time to see the final Ho-Ohtwo and Lugiatwo swoop down, their landing shaking the trees and nearly ripping them from the earth as they screeched at the four.
"Looks like we've gotta take care of these guys, huh…" Ethan muttered, reaching for his Poké Balls.
"Agreed," Silver said, grabbing one of his own.