Pokemon: Radical Redux

Here it is, the extra long final, this was going to be 2 chapters but I want to end it right on the big 300, so can we get some stones because this is the length of 2 and 1/2 chapters?

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Entei struggled against Charizard's foot as it pinned him firmly. How, you may ask? This was because when Entei threatened to get rid of Ash, she stopped believing he was invincible. This doubt weakened him. Don't misunderstand—he was slowly starting to push against Charizard's foot, but he was much weaker than before.

Molly was trembling. "No, please! I don't want anyone to fight! Please, onii-chan, don't hurt Papa! And Papa, don't hurt my onii-chan!"

"No, Molly, I will not stop! I must protect you, and to do that, I will get rid of this intruder!" Entei declared. He gathered his strength, pushed Charizard off, and leaped back, unleashing a blast of purple fire at him.

Charizard crossed his arms to block the flames, but he was still pushed back. He was slightly fatigued from flying miles to get here, and this fire wasn't normal—it was closer to a Psychic-type attack, like Mystical Fire.

Charizard slid back, bracing himself. Ash noticed and quickly handed Molly to Delia before jumping behind Charizard to support him. Together, they pushed back. Charizard glanced back and smiled, and Ash returned the gesture.

Charizard roared, swiping his arms to slice through the flames and close the distance between him and Entei. Pikachu dashed up to stand beside Charizard, ready for the fight.

"All right, let's do this! Charizard, us—" Ash began, but Charizard interrupted him.

"Char~," he said, pointing at Ash's pocket where his Pokédex was.

"Huh? Oh," Ash said, pulling it out. His eyes widened. "Ohhh! You learned that move? That's awesome! I have no idea how you know it, but I don't care, let's try it out!"

Charizard smirked, extending his claws as flames began to form around them. The fire turned purple, shaping into sharp, blade-like structures on his hands.

"All right then, Charizard, use [Bitter Blade]!"

Charizard launched himself forward, slashing at Entei. Entei dodged the first strike, but the second hit its mark, grazing his cheek. Charizard didn't let up, slashing repeatedly and giving Entei no time to recover.

Each strike seemed to restore Charizard's stamina and health, making him faster with every attack. Entei growled and stomped the ground, causing crystalline spikes to shoot upward. Charizard noticed and leaped back just in time.

As Charizard dodged, Entei lunged forward, his claws burning with fire, ready to strike. But Charizard remained unfazed as Ash called out, "Pikachu!"

Pikachu flipped in mid-air, descending with an [Iron Tail] The move clashed with Entei's fiery claw, halting it in its tracks. Charizard followed up with a punch, landing a direct hit on Entei's jaw.

Entei staggered back, glaring as Charizard and Pikachu closed in with synchronized attacks. They struck him with a dual [Thunder Punch], sending Entei flying into the crystalline wall, shattering it on impact.

Delia held Molly tightly as the little girl cried harder. To her, this was a nightmare—her family was fighting, with her "Papa" and "onii-chan" at odds.

The air grew colder, and more crystals erupted from the ground. The Poké Ball Ash had meant to give Delia sat forgotten on the bed, drawing her gaze. She clutched Molly, not just to comfort her daughter, but to steady herself as well.

Ash walked forward, narrowing his eyes as he scanned the dust-filled air for any sign of Entei. He knew this wasn't over, there was no way that was the end. Yet, as he peered through the rubble, Entei was nowhere to be found. Frustration welled up inside him as he began activating his Aura to sense his surroundings. However, his limits were catching up with him; he couldn't keep his Aura active indefinitely.

Just as Ash turned to search for another direction, he felt a presence behind him. He tilted his head sharply to the left, narrowly dodging a sneak attack as Entei's fiery claw slashed past, grazing his cheek and drawing a thin line of blood.

Entei landed with a thundering crash, slamming his paws to the ground. Crystals erupted upward, forming jagged barriers between him, Charizard, and Pikachu. The ground beneath Ash became a minefield of spiked crystal shards shooting toward him, aiming to impale him.

Ash darted left, flipping and dodging, but the relentless crystals moved too quickly. His hoodie tore as the sharp edges slashed through it, leaving gashes in his shirt and shallow cuts along his skin. A crystal shard slashed across his chest, nearly exposing a scar he desperately wanted to keep hidden. Gritting his teeth, he clutched his chest with one hand, he couldn't let Delia see that.

Landing back on the ground, Ash's jacket was in tatters, the edges frayed and shredded. Blood trickled down his cheek, and Charizard and Pikachu fought furiously to break through the crystal wall separating them from him.

Molly's cries filled the room, her voice breaking as she turned to Delia. "Mama! Do something! Stop Papa!!"

But Delia didn't respond immediately. Her wide-eyed shock turned into something else…anger. Seeing her son bleeding and under attack ignited a fire within her that she hadn't felt in years. Swallowing any hesitation or fear, she reached for the Poké Ball she had ignored for so long.

"I'm sorry, old friend… I'm sorry I put you away. But I'm here now, and I need your help," she whispered, her voice trembling.

With a deep breath, Delia's voice rang out, sharp and commanding, "GET AWAY FROM MY SON!" She hurled the Pokéball with all her strength.

It struck the ground with a crack, releasing a blinding light. Entei turned toward the source just as a massive blue arm shot out from the light, slamming into his face with a thunderous punch. Entei was hurled backward, crashing through the crystal wall he had created and into the rubble beyond.

As the light dimmed, Delia's Pokémon emerged, a Nidoqueen. She stood tall, her gaze fierce as the dust settled around her. But this wasn't just any Nidoqueen. She was Giovanni's Nidoqueen, a living reminder of Delia's time in Team Rocket, a time she had tried to bury and forget.

For years, Delia had avoided using Nidoqueen, too many bad memories, and too many bad things. But now, none of that mattered. The only thing that did was protect her son.

Entei rose from the rubble, shaking his head in disorientation. Nidoqueen stepped forward, standing protectively beside Ash. She turned briefly to Delia, offering a small, reassuring smile. There was no bitterness or resentment in her eyes, even after being put away for 10 years she still loved Delia like a sister.

Ash looked at this and he could just tell that Nidoqueen was way stronger than any of his Pokemon, Nidoqueen was probably champion rank in her prime, but she hasn't battled or trained so she is probably high Gym leader-low elite 4 rank now, but that was still stronger than Ash. 

As Charizard and Pikachu rushed to Ash's side, Delia hurried over, gently touching his cheek where the blood had streaked. "Ash… you're hurt…" she whispered, her voice breaking.

Ash shook his head, gently brushing her hand away. He focused Aura into his fingers, running them over the cut on his cheek. Within moments, it healed completely. "We'll worry about this later," he said firmly. "For now, let's end this."

Ash realized something since his 3 starters evolved, he was getting plot armor, and Molly was seeing him as the unstoppable main character, cool brother. Sure, Chikorita and Cyndaquil were ready to evolve, but Totodile? Not even close, he'd only just recently gotten the little croc.

But if this "plot armor" was real, Ash had no problem taking full advantage of it. And he intended to do exactly that.

Entei stomped out of the shattered crystals, his growl reverberating through the crumbling tower as he charged forward, firing another blast of pink flames.

Delia stepped forward, shielding Molly with one arm while raising the other in command. "Nidoqueen, take care of it! [Stone Edge]!"

Nidoqueen responded instantly, stomping the ground with tremendous force. From deep beneath the tower, beneath even the layer of crystal, a massive stone erupted upward. The ground quaked as it tore through multiple floors, splitting them apart. The stone shot up in front of Delia and Molly, intercepting the incoming fire.

Even rusty, Nidoqueen was a master of her craft. Every move she knew was second nature, a testament to her once-unmatched strength.

Ash saw his chance to press the attack. "Charizard, we can't fall behind! Fly up and use [Ancient Power]!"

Charizard roared, spreading his wings and launching into the sky. Pikachu leaped onto his back as they ascended, and glowing stones began to form around Charizard. With precision, he hurled the stones at Entei.

Entei dodged nimbly, weaving between the projectiles as he jumped back and forth. But in his efforts to avoid Charizard's assault, he failed to notice the trap he was being led into.

Nidoqueen's eyes glinted as she stomped the ground again. "[Earth Power]!" Delia commanded. The massive stone from earlier trembled, then erupted with a golden blast of energy that exploded directly into Entei's path, forcing him to stagger back.

Pikachu seized the moment, grabbing onto Charizard's tail as Charizard spun in mid-air. With a sharp flick, Charizard launched Pikachu like a bolt of lightning. Pikachu shot forward in a [Volt Tackle], slamming into Entei with a devastating crash that shook the tower. The floor beneath them cracked, and one of the walls began to collapse.

Entei growled as he struggled back to his feet, preparing to retaliate, but before he could, a [Shadow Ball] struck him from the side. He staggered, shaking his head in frustration, only to see Pikachu retreating.

As Entei opened his mouth to launch another attack at Pikachu, thick vines suddenly shot out and coiled tightly around his neck and snout, silencing him. He turned to see a Venusaur standing beside Ash, its vines glowing with strength.

Ash smirked, spinning Venusaur's Poké Ball in his hand. "Let's play ball! [Power Whip] to the ceiling!"

Venusaur's vines whipped around Entei, hoisting him high into the air before slamming him upward. Entei crashed into the ceiling, cracking the structure above and coughing from the impact.

As he tried to recover, Gastly reappeared, laughing mischievously as her eerie glow filled the space. She hit him with a [Mean Look], her sinister grin locking him in place.

Entei snarled, baring his teeth, and lunged at Gastly, but she effortlessly turned intangible, her laughter echoing around the room. Above, another sound drew Entei's attention with a low chuckle. He looked up just in time to see a Machamp plummeting toward him, an Abra perched on its shoulder.

Entei's eyes widened as Abra teleported away, leaving Machamp to drop like a meteor. The four-armed Pokémon wound up a punch, his fist crackling with electricity that seemed to roar with power.

Machamp's punch carried the residual energy of his battle with Raikou—a battle that had pushed him to master his first move.

—

[Machamp (M)]

[Thunder Punch (Mastered)]

—

Machamp's charged fist glowed brighter as he descended, the electricity surging so powerfully that Raikou's visage seemed to form within the lightning. With a thunderous roar, Machamp brought his fist down, slamming Entei into the floor with a deafening crack. The blow shattered more of the surrounding crystal, the sheer force making the room tremble.

As the dust settled, Abra reappeared beside Machamp and teleported him safely back to Ash's side before Entei could retaliate. This enraged Entei further, his growls echoing through the fractured room.

Just as Entei was about to leap after them, something yanked him back. He glanced over his shoulder to see Gastly, laughing mockingly as she held him in place with her ghostly powers.

Entei snarled, snapping his jaws at Gastly, but once again she became intangible, laughing at his frustration. Just as he turned to retaliate, a sudden blast struck his head. He whipped around to see Abra, who had just launched a [Shadow Ball].

Entei lunged to bite Abra, but the Psychic Pokémon teleported behind him, landing another hit.

Then, Gastly appeared again, shooting another [Shadow Ball] at his head. Entei growled in fury as the two began a game of relentless back and forth, Abra firing, Gastly following, then back to Abra, and so on. The attacks came faster and faster, dizzying Entei with their seamless coordination.

From within Ash's jacket, Dratini poked her head out, grumpy and twitching with pent-up energy. She had been watching everything from her hiding spot, her anger growing with every attack on her "Papa."

As the battle escalated, Gastly and Abra both began glowing, their forms shifting as Entei desperately tried to impale them with jagged crystals. But just as he launched his attack, they teleported above him, where the light finally subsided.

Now, in Gastly's place was Haunter, and in Abra's place stood Kadabra, both of them evolved.

Senior sister Kadabra laughed, "{At last, I have achieved my breakthrough! Heavenly demon, taste our [Thunder Demon Slaying Sun Torment] technique and claim our jade beauty!}"

The two slammed their fists together, Kadabra's charged with electricity for [Thunder Punch] and Haunter's was covered in darkness for [Shadow Punch]. Together, they smashed their combined attack into Entei's face, sending him crashing into the ground below. Before Entei could recover, the duo teleported back to Ash's side.

Meanwhile, Dratini had had enough. Her anger bubbled over as she prepared her ultimate move. She glanced at Ash, her fiery determination burning in her eyes. Ash gave her a nod, "Dratini, You know what to do [Draco Meteor]!"

Dratini let out a powerful cry, slithering free from Ash's jacket and launching herself upward. Through the hole left by Machamp's earlier attack, a glowing meteor materialized in the sky, hurtling down toward Entei with immense power.

Entei snarled and braced himself, unleashing a fierce blast of pink fire to counter the meteor. For a moment, the flames seemed to hold their ground, pushing the attack back inch by inch.

But before he could gain the upper hand, Ash's bag rustled, and Togepi tumbled out. The little Pokémon looked around and, sensing the urgency, waved her tiny fingers back and forth. She used [Metronome].

Normally this would be random, but since Molly is seeing this, he knows that this random chance is actually a 100% chance, because the 'random' move Togepi summoned was none other than [Hyper Beam].

A massive, golden beam of energy erupted from Togepi, slamming into Entei and catching him off guard. He roared in defiance, fighting back with all his strength, but Togepi and Dratini pushed harder, their combined power overwhelming him.

As the energy surged, both Togepi and Dratini began to glow. Their forms shifted and grew, evolving in unison.

Dratini became Dragonair, her slender body elongating as elegant wings unfurled from her head and a radiant pearl appeared on her neck. Togepi transformed into Togetic, her small frame expanding, a pair of wings sprouting from her back as she radiated joy and power.

Dragonair and Togetic unleashed the last of their energy, combining their strength. The [Draco Meteor] finally broke through Entei's defense, crashing into him with devastating force. The impact shattered the floor beneath Entei, sending him plummeting into the abyss below.

"Molly!" Delia cried out, clutching her chest as the ground beneath them shook violently. The hole left by the attack widened, its edges crumbling further with every passing second.

"Papa!" Molly screamed, terrified for Entei, as she wriggled out of Delia's grasp and ran toward the edge of the hole.

"Molly, wait!" Ash shouted, but it was too late. The crumbling edge gave way beneath her feet, and she began to fall.

"Ahhh! Big Brother, help!" Molly yelled, reaching out as the chasm swallowed her.

Ash quickly ran over and pulled a Pokeball off his belt and threw it down at Molly, "Open this!" 

Molly barely had time to process what he said, but instinctively pressed the button on the Poké Ball as it reached her hand. In a flash of light, Ash's Oddish appeared, looking around in confusion before realizing they were falling. Oddish's eyes widened in fear as she let out a frightened cry.

(A/N - I bet you all forgot didn't you, well I never forget, I remember everything!) 

Molly hugged Oddish tightly, her tiny arms trembling as the Pokémon realized the peril they were in. Oddish looked up, assessing the situation, and immediately shot her vines upward. She wrapped one set around Molly to secure her and extended the other toward Ash. The vines barely reached his outstretched hands, but Ash grabbed hold of them tightly.

"Got you!" he shouted, planting his feet firmly on the shaking ground.

As Ash pulled, the problem wasn't his own strength, it was the fact that he started sliding toward the edge. Before he could lose his footing, Charizard and Machamp rushed to his side. Charizard braced Ash with his powerful wings, and Machamp grabbed both Ash and the vine, then they all pulled.

"Hold steady!" Ash called, his voice strained.

Venusaur joined the rescue effort, wrapping additional vines around Machamp and Charizard for extra support. Despite their combined strength, Oddish's vines began to tear under the immense weight. Oddish glanced down at Molly, feeling her tiny arms shaking and her face buried in Oddish's leaves, shivering from fear.

That protective instinct surged within Oddish. She felt some instinct that she wanted, no, a need to protect Molly. At that moment, Oddish began to glow. Her small form expanded, and her fragile vines thickened with newfound strength. When the light faded, Oddish was no longer a small weed but a Gloom, as she tightened the vines and doubled her own effort.

With Gloom's new strength and the combined effort of Ash, Charizard, Machamp, and Venusaur, they all pulled together, lifting Molly and Gloom higher and higher. Finally, with one last attempt, they hoisted both to safety.

Ash caught Molly and Gloom in his arms before they could tumble to the floor.

"Big Brother… you saved me!" Molly cried, hugging Ash tightly as tears streamed down her face.

The cold in the room felt even sharper now, and Molly's little body shivered in her thin dress. Delia ran over, kneeling beside them and wrapping her arms around Molly.

"Molly, thank goodness," Delia whispered, holding her close.

Molly looked up, her face still wet with tears. "B-but… Papa…" she whimpered.

Ash sighed, setting her down gently. He knelt to her level, meeting her tearful gaze. "Molly, listen to me. Your Papa… he's gone. That's not him anymore. And…" Ash hesitated, the words heavy in his throat. "I'm not really your brother."

Molly's tears fell faster, her small hands clutching Ash's tattered hoodie. She shook her head in denial. "No… no, Papa is here. And you… you are my brother too!"

Molly looked down and cried as she shivered in her small dress, so Ash took off his hoodie and put it around her, "I may not be your brother by blood," Ash said softly, wiping a tear from her cheek, "But I can still be your brother if you want,"

Molly looked up, her lip trembling, as Ash gave her a warm, reassuring smile. Just then, Brock, Misty, and Yellow burst into the room, panting heavily from the long climb.

Ash stood and smirked at them. "What took you three so long?" he teased.

The trio opened their mouths to respond, but they were too out of breath—and too relieved to see Ash back to normal.

Ash turned back to Molly, pulling Gloom's Poké Ball from his belt. He handed it to her with a gentle smile. "Take care of this for me, okay? Gloom will keep you safe, and it looks like she likes you more than me anyway."

Molly hesitated, looking at Gloom. "But… she's smelly," she giggled, the first hint of a smile breaking through her tears.

Ash laughed and ruffled her hair. "Don't worry. Remember, nothing is impossible for your big brother." He held up his ring, It began to spin, settling on the Sun emblem.

As he pointed at Gloom, she began to shine. Her form grew smaller and more graceful, her leaves transforming into a flowery dress as she evolved into a Bellossom. The room filled with the sweet fragrance of blooming flowers, much to the surprise of everyone watching since Ash didn't use a Sun stone, but no one said anything since they had better things to worry about. 

Bellossom twirled her leafy dress, giggling as she jumped into Molly's arms.

"See? Now she smells as sweet as a flower," Ash said, smiling, "See, now promise me you'll stay safe and believe in me," he said, holding out his pinky. 

"Okay, I Promise Big brother!" Molly said, wiping her tears and holding Ash's hoodie around her, and locking her pinky with Ash's.

Ash smiled and looked around at everyone as Pikachu jumped back onto his shoulder. He took a step back toward the hole, returning all his Pokémon to their Pokéballs, except for Charizard.

Delia looked concerned. "Ash? What are you doing?"

Ash just gave a smile. "I'm going to end this. Meet me downstairs, okay?" He took another step backward and began falling into the hole. Before anyone could panic, Charizard flew after him, catching him and gliding down.

Everyone looked at each other before Molly announced, "Come on, we need to go meet my brother downstairs! Follow me!" She started running down the stairs, holding Bellossom close, and wrapped around Ash's hoodie.

Delia followed closely behind, to take care of Molly and since she was worried for Ash, putting Nidoqueen back in her Pokeball she ran right behind Molly, and Brock, Misty, and Yellow felt like crying since they just got up here but now they where going down.

—-

When Ash reached the bottom, he found the room where the Unown were spiraling wildly. Next to them was Entei's bruised form, struggling after the intense beating he had taken.

Ash ignored Entei for a moment, focusing on the Unown with his Aura. He soon spotted the ones that spelled out a word:

FAMILY

Those were the Unown behind all of this, the ones he needed to stop. But something felt strange about the A Unown. He took note of that for later.

Entei finally forced himself up and glared at Ash. "You—brat! Getting in the way of Molly's happiness!"

Ash remained unamused. "This isn't happiness. It's a façade, a replacement. No dream can replace the warmth of a hug or a real connection."

"Silence, boy! I am her father!" Entei roared.

"You don't love her. You serve her. There's a difference," Ash responded coldly. "You're just an imagination created by a little girl who isn't emotionally stable. With you, she'll never be okay."

"You know nothing!" Entei bellowed, releasing a blast of fire.

Charizard banked sharply to dodge it.

"That's true. I think I'm an idiot. I'd never make it as a psychiatrist," Ash admitted dangerously. "But I know one thing, I can admit when I'm wrong." His eyes darkened. "This ends now. I'm taking Molly out of here."

"Pika!" Pikachu nodded, electricity crackling from his cheeks.

"I won't let you!" Entei roared, finding renewed strength as he drew power from the Unown. He rose to his feet once more.

Ash frowned, gripping Charizard's back tightly. Both of them were worn out. Charizard had flown all the way from the Valley after a fierce battle to face Entei, without a chance to rest or drink water.

Ash wasn't doing much better. He had kept using Aura without a break. He had turned it off for barely two minutes when they found Delia, but as soon as Entei appeared, he activated it again.

They were running on fumes, they knew they had to finish this quickly.

"Alright, buddy. Let's do this. It ends now," Ash whispered.

*Bum* *Bum* *Bum*.

Charizard nodded. "Char-izard!"

*Bum* *Bum* *Bum*

Entei growled, "Enough of this! It ends now!" He stomped his paws on the ground, sending a wave of fire surging toward them. Ash and Charizard closed their eyes.

*Bum* *Bum* *Bum*

When they opened their eyes again, both sets glowed fiercely as they were engulfed in pink fire. The flames seemed alive, twisting and writhing with a will of their own. Suddenly, an arm shot through the blaze and slashed to the left.

The force of the swipe was so powerful that it split the fire in half, extinguishing it with a blast of air pressure. Hovering in the air was Ash-Charizard in his semi-perfect form, with Pikachu holding tightly to Ash's shoulder.

Ash pointed downward. "Let's finish this how it began use [Bitter Blade]!"

Charizard's claws ignited with fierce purple energy. He roared as he dove down and began, slashing furiously.

Entei, exhausted and knowing he couldn't dodge, ignited his own claws with fire and braced for impact.

Charizard and Entei clashed in a flurry of powerful slashes, blocking and parrying as sparks and embers exploded around them. Pikachu leaped from Ash's shoulder and dashed into position, setting up a maneuver they had planned.

With a final, forceful strike, Charizard and Entei locked claws, struggling for dominance. Entei's eyes glowed purple as he prepared to unleash [Psychic]

Just then, Ash swung around from Charizard's back and delivered a fierce punch right between Entei's eyes, breaking his concentration.

Entei roared, shaking his head as he stumbled. He lunged, jaws wide, aiming to bite Ash, but Charizard seized his upper and lower jaws and hurled him into the wall, shattering it on impact.

Breathing heavily, Entei struggled to his feet. Meanwhile, Pikachu worked quickly, anchoring a [Electroweb] like a makeshift slingshot. He braced himself with his tail against the wall, pulling the web taut.

Entei glared through the dust and rubble. "You brat! I will end this now!"

Summoning the last of his strength, Entei gathered power into a final, golden blast of fire. He controlled it with Psychic, ensuring it would not miss.

The flaming beam shot toward Ash and Charizard, but neither flinched. They exchanged a knowing glance and nodded.

Charizard surged into the air with Ash on his back, the firestorm chasing them as it grew closer, swirling and roaring.

"Now!" Ash shouted.

Charizard flipped and dived toward the barrier surrounding the Unown. With the fire closing in behind, they raced downward.

At the last second, Ash vaulted off Charizard's back. Charizard veered upward, while Ash fell down.

Entei's eyes widened with confusion. He hesitated, uncertain which to pursue. Ash was more annoying but Charizard was the bigger threat. In that split-second of indecision, the fire collided with the barrier.

The barrier flickered but remained standing. Entei, out of energy, could do nothing as Pikachu launched himself forward, his cue clear after Ash's signal. The makeshift slingshot propelled him like a missile, and he cloaked himself in crackling electricity. With every ounce of his remaining strength, Pikachu unleashed a devastating [Volt Tackle], smashing into the barrier.

The force shattered it completely.

Ash smiled as he began to fall, but Charizard swooped down and caught him. With a steady grip, Ash grabbed a Pokéball from his belt and hurled it toward the Unown in the center—the ones spelling out the word: FAMILY.

The Pokéball arced perfectly through the air, striking the A-shaped Unown. It snapped shut and rolled once before stopping with a decisive *ding*

I smiled and mumbled, "I win."

Without the Unown that helped the main word, it no longer had power, Unown can only do anything as long as they can spell it out, and now they were missing an A, and there wasn't another one to replace it. 

The swarm of Unown whirled in confusion as portals opened around them. One by one, they retreated through the dimensional rifts, vanishing from the room.

The crystals that had consumed the walls began to crumble and dissolve.

Entei, no longer sustained by the Unown's power, staggered before collapsing. His body shimmered with light as he slowly faded. He was disappearing along with the crystals.

At that moment, Charizard, finally overwhelmed by fatigue, reverted from his transformation. He slumped to the floor, breathing heavily. Ash and Pikachu, just as drained, lay on his warm back. All three of them were utterly spent.

The crystal covering the doors disintegrated. Moments later, the door swung open, revealing Molly, Delia, Brock, Misty, and Yellow.

Their eyes widened in awe and relief, Unown still zipped through the air, vanishing into portals. Entei lay on the ground, glowing faintly, his form flickering as if turning to mist.

And there, in the center of it all, was Ash. He rested with his Pokémon, breathing heavily, victorious but completely exhausted.

Suddenly, the PokéGear on Ash's arm crackled to life, and Professor Oak's familiar voice came through.

"Ash! What's going on? The crystals are disappearing! Did you do it? Ash, my boy, come in!"

Ash, barely able to lift his hand, brought it to the communicator. His voice was weak.

"Mission complete… I won."