In the footage, the atmosphere shifted from the lingering warmth of the Orange Islands to the crisp, mysterious air of the Johto region.
After their meal, Ash and his party encountered a trainer named Lisa. In the world of Pokémon, when two trainers lock eyes, it is time for a duel! The two sides fought an equal and spirited battle, and afterward, Lisa became fast friends with Ash and the others.
In the Pokémon world, becoming friends is remarkably simple; a fiery battle is truly the best way to get to know someone's heart.
As the group traveled together, Brock's romantic fascinations flared up several times upon meeting beautiful women, but every time, Misty would use her "two-finger meditation"—pinching his ear—to snap him back to reality.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, Professor Oak and Ash's mother, Delia Ketchum, learned the news of Dr. Hale's disappearance.
They saw the footage of Molly's residence transformed into a tower of crystals.
Both of them were close acquaintances with Dr. Hale, who often brought Molly to play at Ash's house when she was very young. Both the Professor and Delia were deeply worried for the little girl's safety.
They decided to travel to Greenfield to see the situation for themselves. Not surprisingly, Delia and Ash's group eventually met up at the site.
The strange events at Greenfield had attracted massive media coverage. As Ash and Delia were being filmed by a news helicopter, Molly, watching from within the Crystal Tower, saw them.
Seeing Ash and Delia hugging, Molly couldn't help but think of her own mother. Coincidentally, a photo sat nearby showing their families together with Professor Oak.
Under the intense longing for her parents and the reality-warping influence of the Unown, Molly's perception began to fracture. Deep within her dream-like state, she mistook Delia for her own mother!
Entei, loyal to Molly's every whim, sensed her thoughts. He raced out of the tower, hypnotized Delia, and abducted her! Ash and Pikachu tried their best to block his path, but they were powerless against the Legendary Pokémon's speed and strength.
Just like that, Ash's mother was taken into the Crystal Tower and hypnotized into believing she was Molly's mother.
[Lance: This is… a bit much, isn't it?]
[Flint: I can understand Molly wanting her mother, but snatching someone else's mother to use as a replacement… that's incredibly harsh on Ash!]
[Dr. Hale: I am so sorry, everyone… Molly has lacked a mother's presence since she was very small. Combined with my disappearance and the Unown's influence, she became desperate. In the future, I will definitely protect myself and stay by her side!]
Knowing now that his research into the Unown would lead to his disappearance and Molly's subsequent breakdown, Dr. Hale resolved to be far more cautious.
He decided then and there to cease his research into the Unown entirely. Research was important, but his daughter was his entire world!
[Delia: Please don't be too hard on Molly. She's only five years old. Children are naive; don't we all have moments of whim and fancy? It's just that most of us don't have the power to make those whims come true, whereas Molly has that power right now. In my opinion, the Unown don't distinguish between right and wrong; they only fulfill her wishes.]
[Delia: But Dr. Hale, you really must educate her better. Don't focus all your energy on research all day!]
Delia spoke up with great empathy. Indeed, Molly's behavior was hurtful to Ash, but Delia understood the root of it.
A child without guidance, granted the power of the gods, is a recipe for tragedy. Understanding was one thing, but education was necessary. As the saying goes, "If the son is not taught, it is the father's fault." Molly's state was largely due to Dr. Hale's neglect.
Hale quickly responded, promising to spend his time with Molly and abandon dangerous research.
In the Footage —
The news that Ash's mother had been kidnapped and that Ash was pursuing the beast was broadcast across all major TV stations.
Deep in Charizard Valley, a scarred and battle-hardened Charizard had just returned to the cabin where Liza lived.
In addition to his daily training with the other powerful Charizard in the valley, he spent his resting time near Liza's home. Besides recovering from his training injuries, he was also building a bond with Liza's own Charizard, Charla.
Charla seemed to have a good impression of this dragon—a dragon who started as the weakest but worked tirelessly to climb to the top.
Liza happened to be watching the news report about the Crystal Tower. At first, Charizard didn't pay much attention, but as he was about to head back out to train, his eyes suddenly froze on the screen.
He saw a familiar figure. He looked closer, and in the next second, Ash appeared on the screen, desperately chasing after Entei.
Charizard looked at the blue sky. He hadn't miscounted—those were his friends, Delia and Pikachu, in trouble! Ash was in a desperate situation!
Charizard's expression became incredibly firm. He let out a thunderous roar that shook the cabin, spread his massive orange wings, and took flight into the endless blue horizon! Liza, hearing the commotion, walked outside and watched him disappear into the distance with a knowing smile.
"He saw his trainer in trouble and wanted to help… Go on then. Your current strength will definitely surprise Ash."
Even Liza hadn't expected this particular Charizard's potential to be so vast. When he first arrived, he was pitifully weak compared to the others, but his progress had been terrifyingly fast.
[Wallace: So that's how it happened! Charizard went to face Entei! He flew all the way from Charizard Valley. The bond between them is truly second only to Pikachu!]
[Lance: Of course! Charizard is one of Ash's ultimate aces. Everything they went through together forged that spirit.]
[Cynthia: What kind of power can he exert now? It's probably only been two months since Ash left him at the valley. But if Liza says he will surprise Ash, I am very excited to see it!]
In the Footage —
Inside the Crystal Tower, the hypnotized Delia and Molly were playing happily, a stark contrast to the anxious Ash outside.
Ash desperately wanted to enter, but the authorities blocked him, stating it was too dangerous. That night, Ash sneaked out alone. With his mother captured, there was no way he would sit still!
Just as he reached the crystalline outskirts, a voice stopped him.
"Honestly, Ash… you're too much. Did you think we'd let you go alone?" Misty and Brock appeared, smiling. They were in this together.
Lisa, whom Ash had just met, also rushed over. She readily agreed to help cover for them with Professor Oak, providing Ash with a transceiver. The group began their mission to save Delia.
Suddenly, an explosion rocked the tower—Team Rocket had been blasted by Entei, inadvertently blowing a hole in the side of the structure.
Ash, Misty, and Brock slipped inside. They scaled a massive crystalline waterfall, a daring act caught by news helicopters.
Inside, Delia watched the monitors. When Ash slipped on the icy waterfall, her eyes snapped into clarity. "Ash!! That's too dangerous!!" she cried. She realized she couldn't agitate Molly, or the Unown might react violently. She could only pray for Ash's safety.
Molly, seeing Ash's Pokémon, decided she wanted to be a trainer too. The Unown responded, creating a phantom "adult" version of Molly.
Brock stayed behind to battle the phantom, allowing Ash and Misty to go on. Shortly after, a younger version of the phantom Molly caught up—Brock had been defeated. Misty stayed behind to face the next phantom.
Finally, Ash reached the deepest sanctum. He found Delia, but Molly was awakened by his arrival.
Delia and Ash both tried to talk sense into Molly, telling her that this crystalline world wasn't real. But Molly was just a lonely child who didn't want to lose her "new mother."
Her distress detonated the power of the Unown, summoning the manifestation of Entei once again! Sharp, white crystal spikes walled off Delia from Ash. Entei stepped forward, looming over the boy.
"Leave this place, human. I will allow you to go unharmed if you leave now."
"No way! Give me back my mom!!" Ash roared.
"That woman is Molly's mother here. You cannot take her."
"Stop joking around!!!" Ash's anger boiled over. "If you're going to stand in my way, then I'll just have to beat you! You're just a fake Entei… you're a fraud!"
Ash released Totodile and Cyndaquil, but they were easily brushed aside. This Entei was a manifestation, but its power was terrifyingly real.
"Well? Do you still think I am a fake?" Entei growled.
Ash recalled Cyndaquil and glared. "A fake is a fake! You're just something Molly imagined! You can't protect her! If she stays in this fantasy, she'll never move forward!"
Ash's words shook Molly. She looked at Entei timidly. "Daddy… are you fake?"
"No! I am real!" Entei roared. To him, Ash was trying to destroy Molly's happiness. He stopped holding back. A scorching purple-red flame erupted from Entei's maw, heading straight for Ash!
Suddenly, a golden flash of lightning intercepted the fire! "Pika-pi!!"
Pikachu stepped forward. This was the "Movie Version" Pikachu, the Slayer of Gods! Even against a manifested Legend, Pikachu's hidden power surged.
He went toe-to-toe with Entei, trading massive blows, but his stamina was finite. Entei unleashed a massive Fire Blast at the exhausted Pikachu.
In the nick of time, Ash lunged forward, shielding Pikachu with his own body. The force of the blast sent Ash and Pikachu flying off the edge of the crystal platform, plummeting toward the abyss below!
Just as the crowd screamed in terror, a massive orange shadow descended from the sky. It dove into the abyss with incredible speed, catching Ash and Pikachu on its back. The shadow rose from the depths, its wings beating with a sound like thunder.
It was Charizard! He had arrived from the valley, his body covered in battle scars, his eyes burning with a fire that matched the legendary beast before him.
Ash looked at his old friend, tears welling in his eyes. "Charizard… you came!"
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