Seeing the three who should've been blown to bits suddenly standing before him, Giovanni's face twisted in shock, "You're not dead?! How is that possible?!"
Bruno directed Nidoking to sweep aside a swarm of grunts and laughed, "Did you really think we'd be dumb enough to leave you in the League unsupervised?"
Lance had suspected Giovanni from the start. After investigating, they discovered his activities, including that secret base, and deliberately left it intact.
When Giovanni lured them into the trap, they played along. At the last moment before the explosion, they escaped, faked their deaths, and tracked him all the way to Alola to uncover Team Rocket's final scheme.
And this entire time, only the three of them knew.
"Lorelei's gonna kill us when we get back," Bruno muttered, already picturing the scolding.
"Then why didn't you tell me?" Caleb asked.
Lance turned to him, replying, "We're the Elite Four. Protecting this world is our duty. Besides, we can't always rely on our junior to protect us, can we?"
Giovanni's eyes turned cold, "Even so, you three alone can't stop what's coming! Mewtwo!"
"Actually…" Bruno tilted his head toward the sky, grinning, "Looks like it's not just us."
"What?" Giovanni blinked.
Following Bruno's gaze, he saw four strange-looking Pokémon hovering in the sky.
"Tapu Koko, Tapu Lele, Tapu Bulu, Tapu Fini… They're Alola's Island Guardians," Bruno murmured in awe, "It's my first time seeing them."
One of them, Tapu Fini, which resembled a mermaid with a purple shell, extended its fin-like hands and released a stream of water.
The water flowed with purpose, directly entering the bodies of the Mewtwos.
It was Purifying Water, Tapu Fini's special ability that was capable of cleansing both body and mind.
In the Anime, to earn this water, one had to endure its fog and gain Tapu Fini's trust.
Yet now, it offered the water freely to the Mewtwos. Their eyes gradually regained clarity as the purifying nature of the water did its magic.
After using the move, Tapu Fini looked exhausted... but it, along with the other three Guardians, turned their gaze toward Caleb.
The four guardians exchanged glances. Then, the pink one, Tapu Lele, flew down and offered Caleb a pale pink Z-Ring.
Caleb took it, bewildered, wondering why Tapu Lele would give him this.
Using the Viridian Power, he asked directly: "Why are you giving this to me?"
The four Guardians looked at each other. Then, led by Tapu Koko, they spoke in unison, their voices echoing like distant chimes: >..We… ask… you… to… protect… this… world..<
Caleb was stunned, but before he could respond, the Guardians gave him one last look, then turned and flew back to their respective islands.
The two Mewtwos returned to Caleb, shame in their eyes apparent: >..We're sorry..<
Caleb didn't say a word. He just pulled them into a tight hug, "You're back. That's all that matters."
"Hey hey! Save the hugs for later!" Bruno laughed, "Let's finish off the enemy first!"
Caleb released the Mewtwos and walked calmly toward Giovanni.
Giovanni knew he was defeated. He couldn't replicate that devastating attack from the beginning.
Caleb pulled out a handgun he had purchased in Infinite World and pressed it to Giovanni's forehead, 'This time, there'll be no mercy...'
Giovanni didn't flinch. He stared at Caleb and said, "You've killed before."
Caleb's expression didn't waver, "You're next."
Giovanni smirked, "Even if you kill me, evil won't end. Without Team Rocket, there'll be Team Aqua, Team Magma, and the like. Team Rocket's will shall live on."
"So what?" Caleb said coldly. "Every time you rise, I'll strike you down. Evil may never vanish, but neither will we. And when we're gone, countless Trainers in the future will carry on our fight against you."
"How noble," Giovanni said, gazing at the young man before him, "I really regret not killing you the first time we met."
"I regret not killing you last time," Caleb replied.
Giovanni sighed, his eyes drifting past Caleb, as if seeing something far beyond, "What a shame… but you won't live to see that future. This world is about to end. Can you save it?"
Caleb didn't answer. He pulled the trigger.
*Bang!*
A single gunshot echoed.
The boss of Team Rocket fell.
"It's finally over," Agatha said, her voice devoid of pity as she looked at Giovanni's corpse.
"No it's not!" Suddenly, a voice rang out from behind.
Giovanni's secretary, Domino, appeared out of nowhere. She shoved Lillie aside and snatched Cosmog from her arms.
In a flash of light, Cosmog's energy surged upward, tearing open a strange, swirling portal in the sky.
It was an Ultra Wormhole!
Domino's eyes burned with madness, "You killed him! Then let's all die together!"
Before anyone could react, she was sucked into the wormhole.
From the rift, jellyfish-like creatures that moved with the grace of human maidens floated out. They waved their translucent tentacles, curiously observing this new world.
Lillie, still on the ground, watched them with horror.
One of the creatures noticed her and drifted down gently. It reached out with its tentacles, trying to parasitize her.
Caleb instantly realized what was happening, "Mimikyu!"
Exhausted but determined, Mimikyu lunged forward.
The Nihilego flinched and retreated, but before it could flee back into Ultra Space, the wormhole snapped shut.
Sensing danger, the Nihilegos panicked and scattered in all directions.
Lusamine watched them go, deep in thought.
"Are those… Pokémon?" Bruno muttered.
Lance shook his head, "No. They're Ultra Beasts. Creatures from another world."
Lusamine nodded, "You're right. That one is called Nihilego. Like Pokémon, they have types and can use moves."
Lillie stood, lips pressed tight, "Mother…"
Lusamine didn't respond. Without even glancing at her daughter, she stepped onto the teleport pad and vanished.
Lillie lowered her head.
Cosmog hadn't gone with Domino into Ultra Space. It floated to Lillie's side and nuzzled her forehead, silently comforting her.
"What should we do about that woman?" Bruno asked, pointing to where Domino had disappeared.
Lance hesitated, then shook his head. He didn't understand Ultra Space well enough to know what awaited a human there.
"She'll encounter many Ultra Beasts," Caleb said, "Most likely, she'll be parasitized by a Nihilego and trapped there forever."
"Huh? Then how'll she eat? Or use the bathroom?" Bruno was baffled.
Agatha shot him a look, "Worry about explaining this mess to Lorelei instead!"
"Why me? It was your idea!" Bruno protested.
Ignoring them, Lance approached Caleb and asked, "When did you get back?"
"This morning."
"You wanted to avenge us, didn't you?"
"I failed," Caleb said quietly.
Lance placed a hand on his shoulder, saying, "You did more than enough. But if something really happens to us, don't do something like this again."
Caleb looked up.
Lance continued, "As you said, justice needs to be passed on. If we aren't here, it's even more reason for you to live well. And, don't blame yourself. We don't blame you."
Yes... This was Lance.
Forever righteous.
Forever kind.
Bruno slung an arm around Caleb's shoulders, beaming, "Can't believe you went this far for us, all by yourself."
Caleb felt a little embarrassed. He just couldn't shake the thought: 'If I hadn't handed Giovanni over to the Kanto League, this wouldn't have happened...'