Ash and Rui walked through the back of the lab. There, they found a room, just a normal room. It had a desk with some scattered papers across the floor.
"What...no, this doesn't make sense…" Rui muttered, "Shouldn't it be here? Where is it?"
As she was speaking, Ash went over to one of the papers and picked it up, reading it. It was nothing important; it was quite literally the picture definition of busy work paper, but one term came up a lot, "Project S.C.T," he muttered.
Meanwhile, Rui had nearly finished checking every corner of the room. She looked underneath the desk, checked behind the bookshelf, and even knocked on the floor a few times, but in all of them there was nothing.
"...Nothing..." she muttered. She slowly turned back toward Ash, frustration written all over her face, "Is...is this really it?"
She looked around the plain office once more, "A normal office?"
She shook her head, "No...no way. They make Shadow Pokémon here. Shadow Humans too." She clenched a fist, "There's no way this is all there is."
Ash quietly folded the paper and slipped it into his pocket, "Not necessarily."
Rui blinked, "What?"
Ash slowly walked toward the far wall of the office and started running his hand along it until he felt something.
Ash smiled, "Sometimes..." He looked back at her, "...all it takes is a change of perspective."
Before Rui could ask what he meant, Ash drove his heel straight into the wall, and the entire section exploded inward. Concrete shattered across the floor, dust filling the room as chunks of fake stone collapsed into the darkness beyond.
Rui instinctively covered her face, "W-What?!"
As the dust slowly settled, the so-called wall revealed itself to have just been fake, and now there was a staircase leading downward.
Ash shielded his eyes as he looked down the stairs, "Cliché hidden basement, 7 points."
"I'm not even gonna ask what that means…" Rui muttered as she followed behind Ash while he walked down.
As they walked down, they entered an underground cave, and once they were there, they found entire vats full of a purplish dark liquid. Rui could feel the darkness coming off it just from her powers alone. That must be the Shadow Serum.
Rui instinctively hugged herself, "It's stronger down here."
Ash nodded, seeing her discomfort standing so close to the giant containers, but he also wasn't stupid enough to just destroy them. I mean, only an idiot would do that. What do you think happens if it spills? It goes into the ground, and it might reach the water supply here in Orre. So yeah, he wasn't going to risk that. He would dispose of it properly later.
But for now, he walked to one of them and saw a small bottle. He took it and filled it, then used the Snag Machine's teleporter to send it over to Professor Krane so he could start trying to create a counter-serum.
Then he looked over to Rui and tilted his head, gesturing that if she wanted to head back and hang out with Yellow, she could, but he was going deeper in.
Rui gulped, but nodded, and they kept walking forward, going deeper in. However, the further they went, the worse things got, because next they walked into a room where all they could hear coming from inside was the sound of beating metal.
Then, as they turned the corner, Rui stopped breathing, because along the walls were hundreds of cages filled with Shadow Pokémon thrashing, trying to get out as they screamed.
A Shadow Machamp repeatedly slammed all four fists into the cage door, while a Mightyena bit endlessly at the bars until blood dripped from its mouth. There was even an Altaria that screeched, trying to use its wings to break free, and a Salamence smashed its head against the ceiling of its enclosure over and over again.
And that was just a few.
Then, as Rui looked around, her legs gave out beneath her, "...No..."
She stumbled forward toward one of the cages. Inside sat a tiny Teddiursa. It couldn't have been more than a baby. She looked at the little thing just laying there on its side like it had already given up on life.
Rui started breathing heavily. Sure, she may have been more jaded than her game counterpart, but she was still a young girl that liked Pokémon. This still affected her, even when she pretended it didn't.
Ash caught Rui by the shoulder before her knees could fully give out, keeping her steady, "Easy."
She didn't answer. Her eyes stayed locked on the tiny Teddiursa lying motionless inside its cage. Every few seconds, it twitched, a dark purple Aura leaking off its body like smoke.
"They're babies..." Rui whispered, "They're making babies into Shadow Pokémon..."
"I know," Ash said softly, while from his bag Pikachu and Vee stared at everything, and they got bad memories of their own past again.
Rui took a shaky step forward, but Ash gently pulled her back.
"We have to help them!" she said, her voice cracking, "Ash, please!"
"I know."
"No, we can't just leave them here!"
"I know."
"Then why are we standing here?!"
"Rui, you're getting emotional," Ash reminded her, and that made her flinch and look away from him, but he continued, "You know better than I do about your own limits, and we both know you can't purify all these Pokémon right now."
Ash pointed behind him, "Our best bet is to stop the production of the Shadow Serum, then we can send all of these guys over to Professor Krane and Professor Lily for purification. Right now, we can't use your purification on anyone other than Shadow Humans," Ash reminded her.
After all, right now they could shove a Pokémon into the purification chamber and they would be good, but they couldn't shove a human in one yet. So for now, Rui was their only way of purifying Shadow Humans. They couldn't let her waste any extra energy.
Rui didn't like it, but she understood. She took a breath and followed Ash, lowering her head, not wanting to see any of the Pokémon. As she did, she grabbed onto Ash's sleeve so that he could guide her since she wasn't looking at where they were going.
As they walked together, they finally found the next door leading to the next room. Ash looked over at Rui to ask her if she was ready, and she gave a small nod, taking a breath. Then Ash pushed the door open.
In the room, there was someone at a desk, looking out of a window overlooking conveyor belts that Ash and Rui could see were the things making the Shadow Serum.
The man standing there didn't panic when he heard them open the door. He simply kept overlooking the production of Shadow Serum.
"Ah, I see you found my little project," he said, still not looking at them.
But Ash recognized him. He was the one person that, as soon as he stepped into Orre, he didn't trust. He didn't trust that act he put on, and he especially didn't believe it when he just went missing after running away like a coward.
It was Ein.
Ein finally looked back and gave a condescending smile, "But I suppose kids like you must be in shock."
He slowly turned to face them fully, folding his hands behind his back as the conveyor belts continued carrying vats of Shadow Serum beneath the observation window.
"It makes sense. After all..." He chuckled to himself, "...you've just uncovered the greatest scientific achievement in modern history."
Ash stared at him, "I...I already knew."
Ein didn't even acknowledge him, "You probably believed Cipher simply stumbled across the secret of Shadow Pokémon."
"No, we really didn't."
"But the truth is far more elegant."
"I literally already knew."
"The truth..." Ein dramatically placed a hand against his chest, "...is that I was the one who created the process."
Rui blinked, "Who are you?"
Ein continued speaking without missing a beat, "For years the world searched for stronger Pokémon through evolution, breeding, training..." He scoffed, "Primitive methods."
"I said," Rui repeated, looking around the room like this was some prank show and she was looking for the cameras, "who are you?"
"But I saw something greater."
Ash scratched the side of his face, "Yeah...I know."
"I realized that if one could sever a Pokémon's heart, then limitless power could be extracted."
"Already knew that too."
Ein slowly began pacing across the room, "Originally, my laboratory was hidden deep within the desert."
Ash nodded, "Mhm."
"It was there that Master Greevil first recognized my genius."
Ein kept walking as though nobody had spoken, "But eventually..." He spread his arms dramatically, "...the Under expanded. The perfect opportunity. So I relocated everything beneath the city itself."
He gestured proudly toward the massive production lines outside the window.
Rui slowly leaned toward Ash, "Seriously, who is this guy?"
Ash shrugged, "Um, so he's like Cipher's head scientist."
"Oh." She looked back at Ein, "Never heard of him."
Ein was still monologuing, "The beauty of science is that true brilliance is never appreciated until history remembers your name."
Rui whispered, "Is he talking to us?"
"I think he's talking to himself. I think he's so full of himself he forgot we are here."
"I think you're right."
Ein proudly continued, "The fools of Cipher believed they employed me."
Meanwhile, Ein never stopped talking. He was full-on monologuing. By now, things blended together so much that Ash and Rui stopped listening halfway through, and Ash pulled out a small portable grill and began grilling meat on it.
Meanwhile, he kept going, "They called my experiments inhumane, they lacked vision, they lacked ambition, they lacked—"
Rui frowned as she was chewing a meat skewer, "Does he ever breathe?"
"I haven't seen him do it yet." Ash shrugged.
"I don't think he blinked either."
"Huh."
Ash folded his arms, "That's kinda impressive."
Ein spread both arms toward the enormous vats below, "Everything you see before you is my legacy."
"..."
"..."
Ash looked at Rui, "Should we leave or stop him?" Ash said while chewing, "I could just kick him in the balls and be done with it."
"I kinda want to see how long he'll keep going." Rui said, finishing her skewer.
"Fair." Ash shrugged and passed her another one as they watched him continue.
—
{Meanwhile}
Back with Yellow, after Ash and Rui left, she watched the six brothers do poses for a bit. Then Yellow gave a small awkward wave, "...Hi."
All six brothers gasped.
"SHE SAID HI!"
"She acknowledged our existence!"
"Our existence is sixfold!"
"Our happiness is sixfold!"
"Our social interaction is sixfold!"
Yellow blinked, "...That's nice."
Resix stepped forward proudly, pointing dramatically at her, "Before battle begins, it is only proper that we introduce ourselves!"
He gestured to the brother in blue, "Blusix!"
The blue brother saluted, "I am Brother Number One!"
The brown brother immediately shoved him, "No you're not!"
"I absolutely am!"
"You were Brother Two five minutes ago!"
"I got promoted!"
"You can't promote yourself!"
"I voted!"
"We never voted!"
The brothers immediately formed another huddle.
Whisper.
Whisper.
Whisper.
Yellow patiently waited. After nearly thirty seconds, they broke apart.
Resix proudly announced, "After careful discussion, we have decided Brother Numbers are too complicated."
Yellow nodded, "Probably."
Resix pointed again, "Instead!"
He gestured dramatically across the line.
"Red!"
"Blue!"
"Brown!"
"Yellow!"
"Purple!"
"Green!"
Yellow heard them, then she raised her hand, "Um, won't it be confusing since my name is Yellow?"
She pulled out her trainer license and showed it to prove it. Resix quickly ran over and checked it, confirming it, then he gave it back and ran back over to the brothers, confirming what she said was true.
All six turned toward Yellosix, "Traitor."
Yellosix looked horrified, "I was born this way!"
"You copied her!"
"I DIDN'T!"
They got into another huddle, meanwhile Yellow and Chuchu looked at each other and shrugged.
After another twenty seconds, the brothers separated again. Resix pointed at Yellosix, "You are now...Mustardsix!"
"Mustard?" Yellosix, now Mustardsix, said in shock.
"It was the first yellow thing I thought of," Greesix admitted.
Purpsix nodded, "I like mustard."
"Excellent!" Resix turned back toward Yellow, "There! No more confusion!"
Yellow smiled and clapped politely, "Congratulations."
Resix puffed out his chest, "Now then! We challenge you!"
Yellow tilted her head, "All six of you?"
"Yes!"
"Against me?"
"Yes!"
"Isn't that unfair?"
The brothers all looked at each other, then quickly got into another huddle.
Whisper.
Whisper.
Whisper.
Browsix looked up, "She's right."
Purpsix nodded, "Very unfair."
Resix frowned, "Should only one of us battle?"
They got into yet another huddle.
Yellow quietly waited again.
After another lengthy discussion, they turned back.
"We have decided!"
"All six of us!"
Yellow sighed, "I tried."
Resix threw out a Poké Ball dramatically, "Go! Camerupt!"
The other five copied him.
"Go! Seaking!"
"Go! Noctowl!"
"Go! Manectric!"
"Go! Muk!"
"Go! Cacturne!"
"Um…okay?" Yellow said, looking down at Chuchu, and she shrugged.
Yellow went down to her Poké Ball belt and grabbed her other five Poké Balls, "Go everyone!"
Ratty, Dody, Gravvy, Omny, and Kitty all appeared next to Chuchu, all standing in front of Yellow protectively as the battle began.
—
{Meanwhile with Gary}
Gary had just finished taking down another one of Dakim's Pokémon. Dakim was breathing heavily, his clothes torn, and his Pokémon were already exhausted.
Gary stood across from him, his expression focused as he watched Dakim carefully, "You know..." Gary said, adjusting his Aura reader, "for someone who talks so much about strength, you sure are having trouble proving it."
Dakim gritted his teeth, "Do not mistake my struggle for weakness!"
He threw out another command to his Solrock, but after a bit, the Solrock was forced back by Gary's Golem and knocked out.
Dakim returned his Solrock and went to his belt to get his last Pokémon, but then he stopped and pulled something out, looking at it. It was a vial, and thanks to the Aura reader, Gary could tell what it was. It was a vial of Shadow Serum.
Gary's expression instantly hardened, "...You're kidding."
Dakim looked down at the vial.
Gary glared, "You're actually going to do it?"
Dakim looked back at him, "Do what?"
"Turn yourself into one of them." The accusation hung in the air as Gary clenched his fist, "You're losing, so your solution is to become a Shadow Human?"
For a moment, Dakim said nothing, but then he laughed. A real, hard laugh. Dakim looked down at the vial again, "You truly think so little of me?"
Gary blinked, "What?"
Dakim stared at the serum, "This is the easy path." He tightened his grip around it, "A way to gain power without earning it."
Then, to Gary's surprise, Dakim opened his hand. The vial slipped from his fingers and clicked onto the ground. Before Gary could react, Dakim stepped forward and stomped down. The glass shattered beneath his boot, the dark liquid spilling across the floor.
Gary stared, "You destroyed it?"
Dakim looked back at him, "Of course." He turned fully toward Gary, "I may be many things."
He placed a hand against his chest, "But I am not a coward. I chose this path." His voice became more serious, "I will not abandon my pride simply because I face defeat."
Gary looked at him, then he snorted and smiled, shaking his head, "Guess that's one thing we can both agree on."
Dakim looked directly at him, "You have fought well, Gary Oak. You are not simply a child with strong Pokémon." Dakim smiled slightly, "You are a warrior."
Gary shrugged, "...I wouldn't go that far."
"I would." Dakim picked up another Poké Ball, "But this battle is not finished. I still have Pokémon."
Gary smiled slightly, "Good, because I wasn't planning on stopping either."
—
{Meanwhile}
Green and Venus's battle was not as...nice, let's put it like that. With Green's Clefable, she managed to take down most of Venus' Pokémon, and oh, she was not happy about it. She looked about ready to blow a fuse at any moment.
Green's Clefable sent Venus' Delcatty crashing across the ruined TV studio floor with one final [Moonblast]. The Delcatty skidded to a stop before collapsing.
"Ohohohoho..." Venus laughed softly. Another vein bulged on her forehead, "Ohohohohohohoho..."
Green tilted her head, "You okay?"
"I'M PERFECTLY FINE!!" Venus threw her hands into the air dramatically, "How DARE you embarrass me in front of my audience!" She pointed accusingly at the still-running cameras, "Do you have any idea how many people are watching this?!"
"People watch this? Man, people must be desperate if the only thing they can watch is an old lady like you."
Several cameramen immediately looked away.
Venus's eye twitched violently, "OHOHOHOHOHO!! You insolent child! Do you know who I am?!"
Green shrugged, "The wrinkly TV lady."
Venus clutched her chest, "The...the WHAT?!"
"The wrinkly TV lady." Green repeated helpfully, "Everyone's Wrinkly Venus, that's you."
One of the producers covered his face with both hands.
Another quietly whispered, "...We're definitely getting fired."
Venus looked like she was moments away from passing out from sheer rage.
"You..." She pointed at Green with trembling hands, "You think you're prettier than me?!"
Green shrugged playfully, "I mean..." She pointed at herself, "Obviously?"
Venus physically recoiled as she bit down on her fist.
Green continued without mercy, "I don't even think it's close."
"And if we're being honest..." She pointed toward the unconscious Pokémon scattered around the room, "...your ratings probably just went up."
Several cameramen desperately looked away to avoid laughing.
Venus heard one snort, "...Did..." She slowly turned, and as she did, the sound of stone on stone rang out, "...Did one of you laugh?"
Every employee immediately shook their heads.
"N-No!"
"Never!"
"We love your show!"
"Ohohoho..." Venus forced another smile, "...Good."
Green scratched her cheek, "I think he laughed."
Venus whipped back around, "You! You prepubescent brat, what do you know about true beauty? I am Everyone's Venus! I am the most beautiful woman in the world, and I won't lose to a brat like you!"
Green looked her up and down for a long moment, "Really? That's what you're going with?"
"...What is that supposed to mean?"
"I don't know." Green shrugged, "I just expected 'the most beautiful woman in the world' to look..." She waved a hand vaguely, "...less expired."
Venus's smile twitched, "...Expired?"
Green nodded sympathetically, "Yeah." She leaned in a little, "I mean...wrinkles happen. Nothing to be ashamed of."
"I..."
"But pretending they aren't there?" Green winced, "That's kinda embarrassing."
Venus gripped the remains of the microphone so hard another piece snapped off, "Ohohohoho..."
Green looked genuinely concerned, "...You alright?"
"OHOHOHOHOHO..." Venus kept laughing.
"...You sound constipated." Green said honestly.
Several staff members had to physically turn away. One producer buried his face in his clipboard.
Venus suddenly pointed a shaking finger, "I...You...YOU LITTLE DEVIL!"
Green blinked innocently, "Me?"
"You stand there...mocking my beauty?!"
Green smiled, "Isn't mocking if I only tell the truth."
Venus looked like steam was about to come out of her ears.
Green continued anyway, "I mean..." She counted on her fingers, "The wrinkles, the makeup, the hairstyle, the fact that you wear enough pink silk to upholster a mansion."
"OHOHOHOHOHOHOHO!!" Venus laughed like she had gone crazy.
Green smiled, "Actually, I've been wondering."
Venus narrowed her eyes, "...What?"
"How old are you exactly?"
"...That's none of your business!" Venus snapped.
"Oh." Green nodded knowingly, "So old enough that you don't want to answer."
"I AM NOT OLD!"
"Really?" Green scratched her head, "I figured maybe that's why you don't have a boyfriend."
The entire studio froze, and Venus stopped moving.
"...What?"
Green looked confused, "I mean..." She gestured vaguely, "If I looked like that, I'd probably stay single too."
A cameraman accidentally snorted. Everyone slowly turned toward him, and he immediately straightened.
"...That was...a cough."
Venus's eye twitched so hard it almost looked painful.
Green wasn't finished, "I guess men just aren't into wrinkles. Or maybe they think you're someone's grandma."
"Actually..." Green tilted her head, "Do people offer you senior discounts?"
Venus's breathing became visibly heavier.
Green smiled sweetly, "Must save a lot of money."
"I..." Venus's entire body shook, "I..."
Green pointed toward one of the cameras, "Hey, you're still live by the way."
The producer whispered desperately, "...Please stop..."
Green looked at him, "What? I'm helping her ratings. Now people can actually see someone pretty instead of old wrinkly over here."
Venus suddenly screamed, "I HAVE PERFECT SKIN!!"
Green blinked, "...Sure."
"I AM THE IDEAL WOMAN!"
"If the ideal woman is seventy."
"I'M NOT SEVENTY!!"
"...Sixty?"
"I'M NOT SIXTY EITHER!!"
"Oh." Green smiled, "So somewhere in between."
"I'M TWENTY-EIGHT!!"
Green stared at her and squinted, "...No."
"What do you mean no?!"
"I don't believe you."
"I'M TELLING THE TRUTH!!"
Green slowly looked toward the nearest cameraman, "...Do you believe her?"
The poor cameraman looked between the two of them, put the camera down, and sighed, "...I choose life."
Then he ran off, jumping through a window because apparently that gave him a better chance of survival.
Green nodded, "Smart answer."
Venus finally snapped, "ENOUGH!!"
She ripped a small vial from inside her robes, "I DON'T NEED THE OPINIONS OF JEALOUS CHILDREN!!"
Venus held the purple vial high, "This is perfection."
Green's smile slowly disappeared as she looked at the vial with her Aura reader, and she recognized it as Shadow Serum.
"...Wait."
Venus's grin became almost manic, "The world worships beauty." She stared at the serum with fanatical eyes, "And beauty deserves power."
Green took one step forward, "Don't do that."
Venus ignored her, "My perfect beauty will become perfect strength!"
Green's voice lost every trace of amusement, "Venus, I'm serious. Don't drink that."
Venus looked at her with bloodshot eyes, "You wanted to know why Everyone's Venus is loved?" She laughed hysterically, "Because everyone envies perfection!"
Green tried to reach out, "Venus!"
But it was too late.
Venus pulled the cork free with her teeth and drank the entire vial. After she was done, the empty glass slipped from her fingers and shattered across the studio floor.
Then Venus grabbed both sides of her head and screamed, "AAAAAAAGHHHHHH!!"
She collapsed onto one knee as black veins spread across her neck.
The studio lights flickered. Dark purple Aura exploded from her body.
Employees screamed and stumbled backward as the cameras continued broadcasting every second of it, while Green stood on her feet, covering her face with an arm as she looked at the situation. She clicked her tongue.
Venus clutched at her chest as if something inside her was trying to tear its way out. Her breathing became ragged as she made pained noises, "AAGHHH...!"
Venus slammed both fists into the floor, cracks spreading through the studio tiles. Her hair whipped wildly around her as Shadow Aura poured off her body like smoke.
Then she took a breath.
"I have no regrets," she said through pained grunts.
The Shadow Aura exploded outward one final time, killing the lights in the room, but there was still one camera broadcasting all of this out over the Underground.
There Venus stood, her hair fluttering behind her, her eyes turned pure crimson red. There wasn't even the white of her eyes anymore, it was just red.
A smile spread across her face.
"Ohohohohoho..."
Venus smiled wider, "...Well?"
Green shrugged, "Honestly? You still look wrinkly."
One of the cameramen whispered from underneath his overturned camera, "...She's actually trying to die..."
Venus's face twisted into pure rage.
"YOU..." Shadow Aura erupted around her, "I'LL KILL YOU!!"
She threw a Poké Ball with enough force to crack the floor beneath her heel, sending out her Shadow Milotic.
Green just smiled and prepared the Snag Ball, ready to finish this.
—
Back in the lab, Rui and Ash were sitting on two chairs Ash had pulled out. They were still waiting. Ash had even left for a bit to start catching some of those Shadow Pokémon to send them to the lab, and when he checked back, Ein was still monologuing.
This went on for like 30 minutes. Pikachu and Vee had fallen asleep on the floor while Rui wasn't far behind them. She tried to keep herself awake.
Ash meanwhile was looking at his phone, watching Gary, Green, and Yellow's battles from the cameras he had set up, and he saw it was almost time.
So Ash stood up while Ein was still monologuing, and he looked over at Rui, "Alright, we spent enough time doing this."
Rui quickly woke up, "Huh? I wasn't sleeping…" she said, but she still yawned.
Ash sighed as Ein was still monologuing, "He's been going at this for like 32 minutes. I'm almost impressed by the dedication."
"I think he just likes hearing himself talk," Rui muttered, and Pikachu and Vee agreed with her on that one.
"Yeah, fair. Alright, let me finish this. I already finished hacking this entire factory." Ash showed Rui his Rotom Phone, where he had managed to get the controls, "Thank you, Porygon."
"Okay," Rui yawned, "How are we gonna do this?"
"Oh, the easy way," Ash said as he walked up to Ein.
He didn't even acknowledge him. He just kept monologuing.
"...And furthermore," Ein continued dramatically, "history has always rejected visionaries before eventually acknowledging their brilliance. It is a burden I have carried with unmatched grace—"
But Ash cut him off. He pulled his leg back and kicked Ein straight in the balls so hard that Ein fell over and got knocked out from the pain.
Rui stared at the unconscious scientist, "That's it?"
Ash shrugged, "That's it."
"You kicked Cipher's head scientist in the balls."
"Yep."
"After letting him talk for half an hour."
"I wanted to see if he'd ever stop."
"He didn't."
"No, he did not. I should have done this a while ago."
Rui looked down at Ein again, "...Honestly...He deserved it."
Ash smiled before kneeling down beside Ein. He quickly tied the scientist's hands behind his back using some rope from his bag before confiscating every Poké Ball, keycard, notebook, and vial he could find.
"Hmm..." Ash held up another purple vial, "Pocket Shadow Serum."
Rui frowned, "He carries one around?"
"I guess he really believes in his own product." Ash tossed it into a sealed evidence container before clipping it onto his belt, "There."
He then pulled out his Rotom Phone, "Now..." He began making some adjustments, and outside the observation window, the conveyor belts suddenly screeched to a halt.
Once it stopped, Ash whistled.
Pikachu and Vee jumped up and smashed the manual control panel with a duo [Iron Tail], destroying the panel completely.
After he was done, he went down and picked Ein up over his shoulder, "Alright, let's go."
Rui blinked and sighed, "I really should know better, shouldn't I?" she said, walking next to him as they walked out.
When they walked through the cage room, she smiled seeing all the cages empty.
Ash walked out of the lab door, and when they saw Yellow, she was just sitting in a chair while the Hexagon Brothers were posing around her, calling her Boss Yellow.
"Well, looks like you had fun, huh?" Ash smiled.
Yellow heard him and looked over, relieved, "Ash, Rui, thank goodness." She quickly ran over to them and whispered, "After I beat them, they started calling me Boss Yellow, and I felt too bad so I didn't tell them to leave..."
Ash chuckled and patted Yellow's head, "10/10, Yellow. You did great."
While Yellow smiled, Green walked in through the door dragging a struggling Venus by a rope, "Oh, hey, you guys done? I got a Shadow Human here. Careful, she's old and she bites," she warned, making Venus struggle more.
Not far after, Gary walked in with Dakim not far behind. He wasn't tied up, but he was willingly following Gary.
Gary pointed behind him, "I already beat him, and he said he'll follow willingly."
"Alright, and I finished taking care of the factory. Ah, Green, look who I found." Ash showed off Ein.
"Oh, so that's where he went. Meh, not really too surprised. I didn't trust that coward act he put on. It was way too exaggerated."
"Anyway, moving on. We have these guys and a bunch of Cipher grunts. Where do we put them? We can't really take them with us."
But Dakim spoke, "There is a holding cell in the Underground. You may put us there."
Everyone looked over at Dakim, who didn't even give them a glance. He looked down at Gary, "You may not trust me, but I give you my word on my honor. I will not break out. I have lost fair and square."
Gary looked over at Ash, and Ash checked. No, he wasn't lying. His heartbeat stayed the same, so he gave Gary a nod.
Gary sighed, "Alright, can you take everyone there? If all goes well, we'll have you out by tomorrow."
Dakim nodded and was going to pick up Ein and Venus, but Rui stopped him for a second.
"Hold on."
She went over and quickly purified the Shadow Aura around Venus, then she quickly poked each of the Hexagon Brothers, purifying them too. Surprisingly, they weren't that shadowy, so it didn't take a lot out of her.
With that, Dakim took Venus and Ein and gestured for the Hexagon Brothers to follow. They looked over at Yellow like they were seeing confirmation, and she quickly nodded.
So they marched behind Dakim, chanting.
"For Boss Yellow!"
"For Boss Yellow!"
"Our loyalty is sixfold!"
"Our marching is sixfold!"
"Our chanting is sixfold!"
Eventually, even those voices faded into the distance.
Ash let out a long breath, "Well."
Green folded her arms, "They're certainly something."
"I still don't understand how they function," Gary admitted.
"I'm not sure they do," Rui muttered.
For a few moments, nobody spoke.
Ash finally pulled his Rotom Phone back out, bringing up a holographic map of the Under. Several red markers blinked across it before slowly disappearing.
"Alright." He looked at the group, "Phase one is finished."
Ash zoomed the map out until the entire Orre Region appeared, "Now we move on to phase two."
Yellow smiled, "So where are we going next?"
Ash looked at her, "You're not."
Yellow blinked, "Huh?"
Ash's expression stayed serious, "Neither are you, Rui."
The two girls looked at each other.
"What?" Rui frowned.
"We're helping," Yellow added.
"I know." Ash folded his arms, "And you've both already done exactly what I needed you to do."
Yellow tilted her head, "I don't understand."
"Remember what I told Rui. You're also too valuable, Yellow. Since we don't have any Pokémon Centers here in Orre, that means you're our only form of healing, so we can't risk you getting too tired."
"And Rui, same goes for you. You're the only one that can purify Shadow Humans, so we can't risk you here. We brought you here since this was the main factory, but now you both need to go back to the lighthouse and stay safe. We can deal with the rest."
Rui sighed, "I hate how much sense this makes."
"So do I," Green admitted.
Yellow smiled weakly, "I wanted to help more."
Ash smiled at her, "You are helping. You've always been the biggest help, but right now we need your help somewhere else."
As he said that, he pulled out a Poké Ball and put Gardevoir's Poké Ball in Yellow's hand.
"So you can teleport back. Don't worry about us. When have we ever lost when we're together?"
"I mean, technically, you're not wrong," Gary muttered.
Yellow gulped, then slowly nodded, "Okay, I trust you. Just stay safe, everyone."
Rui sighed too, "And I understand too, but I swear none of you better die."
"No promises~" Green said, giving an okay hand gesture.
As Rui and Yellow used Gardevoir to teleport to the lighthouse, Ash looked at Gary and Green.
"Okay, the timer started. We need to move as fast as we can, and I know just how to get to their bases~"
Ash said as they all looked at the train station with trains still sitting on the tracks.