Not long ago.
"Controller, you must retrieve the treasures representing the three deities from the shrines on the three islands, bring them to this temple, and have the maiden play the Song of Soothing. Only then will the Fire, Thunder, and Ice Gods' anger be calmed."
The Slowking wearing a Shellder crown atop its head addressed the group, speaking aloud as they stared in shock.
Professor Ivy looked at Slowking like a rare specimen, muttering, "Not telepathy, but vocal cords... Could this be an evolved ability of the Shamouti Island Slowking?"
Sighing at his junior's occupational habits, Professor Oak considered the "controller"—Ash—and Delia, whose face had gone pale at the thought of Ash risking himself, clutching him and refusing to let go.
Misty, Tracey, and Melody fretted at the side, while the accompanying reporter quietly streamed the group's agonizing decision.
Strangely, though the helicopter had crashed due to the Ice God's wide-range attack, their camera remained intact...
Watching Delia and Ash, reason told Oak they should heed Slowking and send the controller to retrieve the treasures to appease nature and the gods.
But emotionally, Oak understood Delia. As she had cried, "Without Ash, there is no world"—it wasn't about anything else. It was a mother's pure worry.
After a brief silence, seeing the Fire and Thunder Gods flying toward the battlefield against the Ice God and Lorelei, Oak knew things would only get worse. Lorelei couldn't hold out long against three gods wielding nature.
He had to decide.
Oak stepped forward, resting a hand on Delia's shoulder to draw her gaze, then withdrew it. Hair white, face stern, he said, "Delia, I'll go with him. Even if it costs this old life, I'll keep him safe. Will that do?"
Delia hesitated. "But Professor Oak—you're a researcher, a civilian. How can you go on an adventure..."
Sensing her wavering, Professor Ivy pressed, "Miss Delia, you may not know—when he was young, Professor Oak was an excellent trainer. He was even once close with the Ghost-type Elite, Agatha. Safety can be ensured."
"I..."
Delia faltered, unsure if she should believe them.
Then, as if to prove it, Oak took out a scuffed red-and-white ball. "I'll be counting on you today, old friend."
A sturdy Charizard with a strong frame and a flame that burned bright yet bore the signs of age appeared among the flowers.
Unlike Ash's sharp-edged Charizard, this one's aura was restrained, seemingly gentle. But the scars on its claws and horns told a different story: this Charizard was no simple creature.
It had likely weathered countless battles and trials—exuding the aura of "Though I am old, my arrow is still keen." A veteran Charizard, no doubt.
This was Tracey's read as a Pokémon watcher .
And Delia was cowed by the Charizard, larger than her son's.
Ash's Charizard looked like an underdeveloped kid next to a towering adult.
She could no longer object. Since Oak had said as much, to keep arguing would be unreasonable. In the end, she could only admonish Ash repeatedly to be careful and not act rashly.
Charizard bowed its head, enjoying Oak's petting.
"Ash's Charizard hasn't carried people—there might be danger. If it's him, would you carry him?"
Oak's voice softened, tinged with reminiscence.
Ever since evolving from Charmeleon, his old friend had grown proud, rejecting anyone but Oak from riding it—even Agatha was refused.
But Ash was different. He had history with Oak and Charmeleon...
Charizard sniffed Ash, catching a familiar scent, recalling younger days. It nodded slightly.
This human and that yellow mouse could ride on its back.
Wings flared, a wind pressed the flowers flat. Charizard rose steadily as Ash, Pikachu, and Oak mounted, looking down at those remaining at the temple.
"We're off!"
"Safe travels—stay safe!"
Framing their figures in her shot, the reporter said solemnly, "People of the world, the brave have departed. Perhaps the future of the world now lies in their hands."
…
"Comfey, go help that woman below treat her Pokémon. Delibird, protect Comfey."
Lucas assigned Comfey and Delibird to aid the nearly spent Lorelei, then turned his eyes to the three raging gods facing his own trio. He sighed inwardly—this scene was rare.
The Fire, Thunder, and Ice Gods did not suppress their fury. With ringing cries, they unleashed Flamethrower, Thunderbolt, and Ice Beam at Lucas's birds.
Below, as Comfey treated her team, Lorelei saw the overwhelming barrage and worried.
To her eye, Lucas's trio lagged far behind the gods in strength—only Moltres looked notably strong; as for Zapdos and Articuno, Lorelei was confident she could beat them one-on-one.
"The power gap's too big. Why doesn't he send his own Pokémon—like that Dragonite..."
Just as Lorelei frowned, already envisioning Lucas's birds losing the clash and being injured—
The small Pokémon by Lucas's side flitted into the battlefield, perched atop Moltres's head. A golden aura erupted. Moltres felt boundless power flood its body.
Victini, eyes shining, pointed ahead.
"Vee-mee~ vee-mee!" (You're buffed—go!)
Having felt Victini's power before, Moltres glanced at the outwardly fierce but inwardly panicked Zapdos and Articuno.
Moltres scoffed. Flames gathered at its beak and erupted into a firestorm that seemed to swallow half the sky, sweeping toward the three enraged gods.
As for their seemingly mighty Thunderbolt, Flamethrower, and Ice Beam—they were devoured by the firestorm without leaving a ripple.
Zapdos, Articuno, Lorelei: ?!?!
What the heck was that?!
Zapdos and Articuno stared at Moltres like they'd seen a ghost. Was that really a move Moltres could use?!
Lorelei noticed a clue: the unknown tiny Pokémon seemed to be a support specialist. But even then—this level of buff was ridiculous!
Within the inferno, the three gods jolted momentarily to clarity by the heat, then were swallowed again by boundless rage. Their auras exploded as they burst free, soaring high.
Moltres, Articuno, and Zapdos matched their speed, and a dogfight began.
Three legendary birds vs. three legendary birds!
Moltres fired another Flamethrower, swelling into a firestorm to suppress the trio. Zapdos, who'd been coasting, couldn't resist—it shamelessly invited Victini onto its head, eager to try the little one's power.
Victini, who never refused a chance to savor the taste of victory, happily obliged.
Empowered, a vast thunderstorm crashed down. Aside from the Thunder God, the Fire and Ice Gods were battered by a type-advantaged deluge.
Seeing the gods so bedraggled, Zapdos grew ecstatic. A "mere" legendary like itself threatening the true "gods" of its species—what a rush!
Articuno also set aside its pride. With Victini's help, boundless chill shackled the trio's movements.
Even so, the Fire, Thunder, and Ice Gods showed no sign of calming.
As the battle raged above, Lucas's expression said "just as expected."
If beating them could snap them out of it, Lugia would have done so in the movie, instead of defending and shielding Ash the whole time.
Lucas didn't believe Lugia lacked the power. Just a glancing Aeroblast from an enraged Lugia knocked the Ice God out cold.
"So we really have to follow the steps to soothe them... what a pain."
Lucas looked to Mewtwo, who had remained still with eyes closed, hoping for a miracle. "Found a way to stabilize the climate?"
Mewtwo opened its eyes and shook its head, thoughtful.
"No. Even if I spread my Psychic power through every inch of space around the Shamouti Islands, I can't calm it. I could make it worse, though..."
Lucas: "..."
Please don't.
"Then we stick to the plan. I'll keep the Fire, Thunder, and Ice Gods busy. You go to the three islands, retrieve the treasures, take them to Slowking, then head to Shamouti Island and 'abduct' the maiden to play—the flute or whatever—play the tune that calms them."
Lucas patted the Dragonite beneath him and prepared to help his birds. For now, it looked like they were suppressing the gods, but once Victini hit its limit, the field would flip.
He had to join in to lighten Victini's load.
Unfortunately, the two trios had climbed to thousands of meters. Only Dragonite could intervene; otherwise, sending out Luxray and the others would be much easier.
"Wait. Someone's coming."
Mewtwo stopped him, sensing newcomers.
It shared its vision via Psychic.
A Charizard, an old man in a lab coat with white hair, and a boy in a cap with a Pikachu... That combo—
Professor Oak, Ash, and Pikachu!
Lucas's eyes widened. Honestly, he hadn't expected Ash to appear on Shamouti Island. He'd planned to handle everything himself.
Seeing their beeline toward Lightning Island, Lucas knew they were going for the treasure—and would likely meet Lorelei on the way.
If so, Mewtwo could be freed up for other tasks...
In a flash, a new plan surfaced. With Mewtwo linked to his mind, Lucas shared it: "Then you handle suppressing the battle's spillover. If the boy is after the treasures, the gods may try to stop him."
This time Mewtwo didn't stop Lucas. Watching him and Dragonite blaze into the sky, Mewtwo's figure vanished, reappearing in open air.
Its Psychic power spread. If it couldn't stop the climate imbalance, it would at least dampen the aftershocks of each strike that worsened it.
…
"Elite Lorelei!"
On the way to Lightning Island, Ash spotted Lorelei below, treating her Pokémon.
Charizard landed steadily. Lorelei looked up at the boy calling to her, surprise flickering.
She remembered—Ash—who had once challenged her. Why was Professor Oak with him?
"Ah! Why is there a Delibird here—Elite Lorelei, is that your Pokémon?!"
Hopping down, Ash and Pikachu pointed at Delibird, stunned.
They would never forget that distinctive Delibird—the one that crushed Pikachu and then flew off. If not for the unfitting circumstances, they would have demanded a rematch.
So it was Lorelei's Pokémon—that explained its strength.
"Deli~?"
Delibird tilted its head. Why were the kid and the electric mouse here too? Wherever trouble was, they always showed up!
Delibird was baffled. Comfey, perched on its head, didn't understand why Delibird was patting itself either.
Just then, after exchanging intel with Oak, Lorelei said gravely, "Three treasures... Understood. My Pokémon have roughly recovered. Let me escort you."
Oak frowned. "What about the three birds? Their trail vanished."
Lorelei smiled slightly. "There's someone more reliable than me stalling them. Don't waste the opportunity that Champion created—let's collect the treasures in one go!"
With the goal set, they didn't waste time. Leaving a Pokémon to watch over Lawrence III, Lorelei summoned the League's flying mount and, with Ash and Oak, sped toward Lightning Island.
Perhaps thanks to Lucas tying up the gods, the way was clear.
When the three retrieved the round, transparent treasure with lightning sealed within from Lightning Island's shrine—
High above, the Thunder God led the trio, eyes blood-red, as if sensing something. They exploded with greater force, drove back Lucas's birds, and dove beneath the clouds!
Just then, Dragonite cut off Moltres with even greater speed. Lucas smiled. "Your opponent is me. No deserting the field."
Moltres glared at Lucas, gathering violent fire in its beak. A scorching lance twisted the air as it lanced toward Lucas and Dragonite.
"Hydro Pump."
Lucas murmured, and Dragonite—now serious—put on a deceptively cute scowl. A moment later, a massive column of water erupted, colliding with the flamethrower.
Energy churned the clouds into chaos. Amid boiling steam, Lucas's voice—deliberately provoking—rang out: "Just Flamethrower from start to finish? Why not use anything else—don't you know how?"
Already enraged, Moltres now seethed. It forgot the thieves below aiming for its treasure.
All it saw were Lucas and Dragonite. It wanted to tear them apart and burn them to ash, to show the fate of those who offended a god.
With a piercing cry, the firebird raked at Dragonite with sharp claws. Dragonite didn't flinch, shaping dragon energy into great emerald talons to trade blows.
Seeing Moltres fully locked onto him, Lucas glanced down.
Considering Lorelei's presence, he'd let the Thunder and Ice Gods go rather than the one who threatened her most: the Fire God. With Moltres, Zapdos, Articuno, and Victini's support, they should safely gather the three treasures.
But after all this fighting—where was Lugia, the recluse of the deep?
If Lugia joined the escort, with Lawrence III already neutralized at the root, clearing this would be a sure thing.
Why wouldn't the key force, Lugia, show its face?