CHAPTER 422: "I’LL HELP YOU HOWEVER I CAN.”

A while after everything, everyone met up again. People had started leaving the buildings now that the Effect Spore was truly gone, and Lugia was long gone by then. But everything was back to normal.

Ash had already turned in Snattle and told the Rangers where the other two grunts were, putting the blame for everything entirely on them. Meanwhile, Zeraora was getting treated for its injuries, this time by an actual Nurse Joy, instead of just waiting to heal on its own.

Harriet, Callahan, and Toren came back from the power plant and had already returned Ash’s Pokémon. Risa got off the tower and collapsed onto a bench, while Mai, Kellie, and Molly returned from the carts coming back into town to reunite with everyone.

Mai and Kellie went over to Callahan and started checking in on him. Both girls were a little scuffed up, but otherwise fine. Callahan looked relieved to see them, pulling them both into a big hug as Kellie coughed softly but smiled through it.

Meanwhile, Molly sprinted over to Ash, practically throwing herself into his arms. Ash caught her, laughing a little as he hugged her tight.

"You’re okay!" she said, muffled into his jacket.

"I should be saying that to you," Ash replied with a gentle smile. "You alright? The spores didn’t get you too bad?"

"I was fine," she said, pulling back. "Kellie was the one we were worried about. But Mai helped a lot. And I kept them safe. Kinda."

Ash gave her a thumbs-up. "You did great."

Oliver was still organizing everything, but he was looking around for someone. Then he saw who he was looking for, Margo came flying in on Dragonite, landing back on the ground. She jumped off, and Dragonite immediately went over to put Ash in a crushing hug.

Oliver saw Margo and ran up to hug her. "Thank goodness..."

"Father..." Margo mumbled into Oliver’s chest. "I’m sorry..."

"It’s okay," Oliver said, patting her head. "I’m just glad you’re safe."

Margo wiped her tears, then looked over at Zeraora, who had its arm bandaged. Zeraora met her gaze, then looked away slightly, glancing down. People were still looking at Zeraora, not just because it was a Legendary Pokémon, but also because of the so-called curse. Oliver had already spread the true story, but it would take time for people to believe it.

Margo walked up to Zeraora and looked at it. "Zeraora... I’m sorry... I just wanted to protect you..."

Zeraora looked down at her, then frowned as it sighed. "Zer..."

Oliver stepped up next to Margo. "I’m sorry too, Zeraora. I wish there was more I could have done," he exhaled. "The truth is, even with the curse gone and the real story out... now that people know you’re real, they’re going to come for you. To try and catch you."

Zeraora’s eyes narrowed slightly, its ears twitching. Tension returned to its shoulders, and it turned its head away from Oliver.

"It’s not fair," Margo muttered, clenching her fists. "It shouldn’t have to hide or run just because it exists."

Oliver gave her a sad smile, but before he could say anything, Ash cut in.

"Actually," Ash said, still carrying Molly on one arm, "I think there’s a way to solve that."

Ash walked up to Zeraora and held out a Pokéball. "How about it? If you let me catch you, no one else will be able to use a Pokéball on you. And I won’t force you to come with me. You can stay in the forest. This is for your sake, alright?"

Everyone froze, blinking as they looked at Ash. I mean, sure, he did clutch that fight with Zeraora. Theoretically, if Ash had wanted to catch Zeraora, he had the perfect chance. But he didn’t. And now he was asking?

Zeraora also blinked and looked at Ash, then at the Poké Ball. If he had been asked this a few hours ago, he would’ve broken that Poké Ball, punched Ash, and run straight back to the forest. But after everything, the talk, the whopping it got from Ash, and that strange sense of calm it felt whenever Ash was near, Zeraora paused. It took a breath.

He reached out with his bandaged arm and gently pressed the button on the Poké Ball, going in.

One roll.

Two rolls.

Three rolls.

Ding.

Zeraora was caught.

Everyone stayed silent for a moment, not knowing what to say to the sheer absurdity of what had just happened.

Even Molly, still in Ash’s arms, stared at the Poké Ball like she couldn’t believe it had really happened.

Then, "Did... did that actually just happen?" Callahan asked, blinking in disbelief.

"Zeraora... let Ash catch it?" Risa whispered.

Harriet let out a breath she’d clearly been holding, and Toren looked like he needed to sit down. "Today has been... eventful, hasn’t it?"

Ash gave a soft chuckle, looking down at the Poké Ball in his hand, "I told you," he said, almost to himself, "I’d help you however I could."

Margo stepped forward, wide-eyed. "Does this mean... Zeraora won’t have to run anymore?"

Ash turned to her. "More or less. Poké Balls have a protection feature, so long as I keep Zeraora’s Poké Ball, it doesn’t matter how many people try to catch it. They can’t," he explained, and then let Zeraora back out again.

Zeraora blinked, looked at Ash, then nodded. It turned to look at everyone: the townspeople, the Pokémon, all watching. It nodded again, then turned and leapt away, heading back toward the forest. But that was fine, Ash had already had Abby mark it. If he ever needed to find Zeraora again, he could.

Everyone watched it go and let out a collective breath. But it wasn’t over yet. Technically, there was still a festival to finish.

So that’s what they did. The rest of the day, everyone was out celebrating like usual, until they were even more exhausted than they already had been.

Harriet and Toren sat on the curb, Toren’s glasses crooked, Harriet’s jacket half-off her shoulders.

"Windmill. Toxic spores. Rogue Legendary. Secret evil team. Punching a guy named Snattle," Harriet listed on her fingers. "Yeah, I’d say today ranks pretty high on the ’weird day’ scale."

"Top five, at least," Toren mumbled.

She elbowed him. "You say that like you’ve had more days like this."

Oliver walked toward Ash again, this time more composed.

"I still don’t know how to thank you, Ash. For everything."

"It’s fine," Ash said, smiling. "I didn’t do it for nothing. My little sister believed in me, what kind of big brother would I be if I couldn’t do this much?"

Molly was now sitting on his shoulders, giggling happily.

"Still, you’ve done more than we could ever repay," Oliver said with a respectful nod, "It’s no wonder you’re able to compete in the Silver Conference this year..."

Harriet, Callahan, Toren, Mai, and Risa all looked at Oliver like he’d just said Ash was a mythical creature.

"Eh?"

The only ones who didn’t react were Molly, Margo, and Kellie.

Ash just smiled. "Huh, so you did your research on me?"

"After you saved the Tyranitar, I knew you weren’t a normal trainer," Oliver said. "So I looked at your League profile."

"Wait, wait, wait, so you’re telling me... he’s actually a strong trainer? He wasn’t lying?" Callahan asked, not sure whether to laugh or cry, since he’d been the one telling Ash not to lie.

"I never brought it up. That was Molly," Ash corrected, as Molly nodded proudly.

"I told you! My big brother is the strongest and coolest! I told you he won the Indigo League, and he’s going to win the Silver Conference this year too!" Molly beamed, as Margo and Kellie nodded along, looking starstruck.

Everyone else turned to Oliver, who just nodded, confirming that yes, Ash was technically a Champion.

Callahan let out a long exhale, slumping back with his hands behind him on the bench. "Man... now I feel real dumb for trying to give you advice."

Ash laughed, scratching the back of his head. "I didn’t want to make a big deal out of it. I didn’t come here to celebrate or anything, I just came because Molly wanted to have fun."

"You ended up helping the whole city," Toren added, adjusting his crooked glasses.

"Still doesn’t make sense," Harriet muttered. "How is it that you don’t brag about it? You’re so young, anyone in your position would be talking about it every chance they got."

Ash gave a small smile. "Bragging’s not really my thing. I actually don’t like being famous. That’s why I left Kanto for Johto. I do it more for the love of the game."

"You sound like my old professor," Toren mumbled. "Except less... anxiety-inducing."

Suddenly, music started playing again from the plaza, upbeat, cheerful festival music. Lights flickered back on, and lanterns floated again through the twilight.

"Looks like the festival’s back on," Oliver said, his tone lighter. "It’s not every day you survive a curse, save a Legendary Pokémon, and meet a Champion."

"Sounds like a good reason to party," Risa smiled. She reached down and tugged on Ash’s sleeve. "Come on, Ash. After everything we’ve been through, you have to dance at least once."

"I don’t really know how to dance..." Ash muttered, a big ol’ lie. He just didn’t want to.

Molly tugged on his other sleeve. "Come on, big brother, pleeeease!"

Ash sighed. "Fine..." But he smiled. "Since I’m leaving today, might as well make it a night to remember." He let them drag him off to dance.

—

Hours later, it was night. People were starting to leave now that the festival had finally ended. Mai, Kellie, and Callahan boarded the cart again, this time for real, but not before exchanging numbers so Molly and Kellie could still talk, since the two had become really good friends.

Harriet, Toren, Oliver, and Margo lived in the city, so they said their goodbyes and headed home, but not before giving Ash their numbers, mostly for Margo, since she and Molly were friends now too.

That just left Ash, Molly, and Risa.

Ash was carrying Molly on his back while Pikachu, finally tired out, had gone into his Poké Ball. He didn’t hate it anymore, he still preferred being outside, but seeing as he was probably going to sleep for the next three days, he didn’t fight it. Only Vee was still out.

Risa was boarding her bus, since Ash could teleport back home. Her Eevee was still nuzzling against Vee, and Vee didn’t really know how to handle it. Ash and Risa chuckled softly.

Then they looked at each other.

"So, this is goodbye, huh?" Risa said.

"Yeah... unless we meet again sometime," Ash replied with a smile.

Risa sighed and closed her eyes. "Yeah, I guess... but thanks, Ash. For everything you did for me. I think I can finally start getting my mess of a life back together, at least."

"Hey, I’ve been known to be the emotional support teddy bear by my friends before," Ash said, as Molly softly snored on his back.

Risa giggled at that. "Well, emotional support, teddy bear or not... I’m glad I met you."

She gave him a quick hug, tight, but brief, before pulling back. "Take care of your sister, yeah? And try not to do anything stupid yourself."

"I make no promises," Ash said with a smirk. "By the way, there’s one thing I’ve been meaning to ask you. Ever since I first saw you, it’s been on my mind."

"Eh?" Risa was taken aback. Her throat tightened as her brain short-circuited. Was he about to ask what she thought he was going to ask? There’s no way it could be that, right? Not that she’d hate it. B-but not that she’d love it either... right?

She was just about to blurt something about not being emotionally ready when Ash asked, "You know those glasses you’ve got have a camera, right?"

Risa blinked.

Once.

Twice.

Then she reached up and grabbed the sunglasses Rick had given her. She flipped them around, and, yep, there it was. A tiny camera on the front.

So that’s how Rick saw what she was doing.

Risa took a slow breath. "I’m going to strangle him when I get home..."

Ash chuckled, watching her glare at the glasses like they’d betrayed her. "Just figured I’d let you know before you wore them into a bathroom or something."

"I knew he was being too generous when he gave me these," Risa muttered, shoving them deep into her bag. "Next time I see Rick, I’m dropkicking him."

Ash grinned. "Tell him I said hi when you do."

The bus gave a soft chime as the last call echoed from the speakers. Risa looked back at Ash one more time. Her smile was softer now, bittersweet.

"Guess this really is goodbye."

"Yeah. For now," Ash replied. "But who knows? The world’s smaller than it seems when you’re a trainer. And you have my number, so take care, alright?"

She gave a final wave and boarded. Her Eevee gave one last nuzzle to Vee before bounding after her. The doors hissed shut, and as the bus pulled away into the night, Ash and Vee watched it disappear down the road, the glow of the festival lanterns flickering behind them.

Ash sighed, adjusting Molly on his back, and walked over to the new Abby, "Let’s go home."

Abby gave a crisp salute, then teleported them away.

—

{In Viridian City}

Yellow was breathing hard. She was training with her Pokémon, or, more accurately, her Pokémon were training, and she was trying to keep up.

She’d come back here because she remembered her Uncle Wilton telling her, "If you want to hear more about your parents, you’ll have to beat me first."

She’d tried challenging him as soon as she got back, but lost. Then she tried again. And lost again. A few more times. Still lost. Each time, she went off to train before trying again.

The problem was, she didn’t have full control over when her powers kicked in, the ability to make her Pokémon stronger just kind of happened. But she couldn’t trigger it on command. So now she had to train the old-fashioned way, just like everyone else.

And that was hard. Because she wasn’t really good at training. She usually just copied whatever she saw Ash doing. And so far... that had actually worked out.

Finally, Yellow got a break and sat down on a rock, thinking to herself, "What would Ash do..."

Well, the answer was obvious: Ash would get better and win.

But she didn’t know how.

As she was thinking, Chuchu looked at her and frowned. She hopped up next to Yellow and shocked her with a weak [Thunder Shock], leaving Yellow’s hair extra charred.

Chuchu huffed and crossed her arms, "[Yellow, stop trying to be Ash. You’re not Ash. You’re you, and that’s why we love you!]"

All of Yellow’s Pokémon gathered behind Chuchu and nodded. Ratty, Dody, Gravvy, Omny, and Kitty, they all stood together, nodding in agreement.

Yellow blinked in surprise as she looked down.

They were right.

This whole time, she’d been trying to copy everything she’d seen. But when had she actually thought about herself? What does she want to do? Where does she want to go? She wasn’t Ash. But she’d been trying to be.

Now she understood. That’s why she kept losing, again and again. Because she wasn’t battling for herself.

Well, not anymore.

This time, she couldn’t afford to just sit on the sidelines and watch everyone else get stronger and chase their dreams.

It was her turn to win.

—

{Meanwhile, in Pewter City}

Brock was sitting next to his Steelix, staring across the battlefield. On the other side stood Flint, rubbing his temple. In the stands, Brock’s siblings were watching, while their mother made snacks.

"I told you," Brock said firmly, gesturing toward the unconscious pile of Geodude, Graveler, and even a Golem sprawled across the field. "I didn’t come back to be coddled, Dad. If I’m going to represent Pewter at the Gym Leader Tournament, I need more than praise. So when does the real training start?"

Flint groaned and finally stood, brushing dust off his pants, "Brock, I told you already. I don’t have anything more to teach you."

Brock’s eyes narrowed. "That’s bull. Last time we battled, barely a year ago, you wiped the floor with me. It took everything I had just to pull out a draw. You were a monster. So don’t stand there and tell me you’re out of tricks."

Flint sighed again and turned slightly, motioning toward the Rock Pokémon behind them.

"Brock... it’s not that I can’t fight like I used to. It’s that you’re too strong now."

He pointed to the unconscious Rock-types again. "You flattened my entire Gym team in one rotation. Your Steelix didn’t even get scratched."

Brock turned to his Steelix, who let out a proud rumble and nudged his trainer with a metallic grin. And the worst part? Steelix wasn’t even Brock’s strongest Pokémon. He thought he’d been battling the reserve team, the Pokémon still in training, not the main Gym team.

"When did I get so strong..." Brock muttered.

Whenever he fought with Ash, he always felt like the weaker one, especially during their training. Was training with Ash really that much better than training with Dad, who probably knows more about Rock-types than anyone in the world?

Flint sighed, then smiled, "I knew it," he said softly, "Brock, it’s just like I said. You’re a better trainer than I’ll ever be. That’s why you’re the one who should represent Pewter."

"But... if I can’t get stronger, how am I supposed to win? I just... I don’t feel like I’m strong enough," Brock muttered.

Flint placed a hand on Brock’s shoulder, "Then find your own path. That’s what you’ve wanted this whole time, right? Why should I guide you now, when you’ve already built your own way? I may not be able to train you anymore, but I can do one thing."

Flint walked over and grabbed a box, then placed it in Brock’s hands.

"This is for you, Brock. No matter what happens, whether you win or lose, you’ll always be the heart of Pewter Gym, And we’ll be cheering for you."

Brock looked down at the box and slowly opened it, taking a breath. Then his eyes widened at what was inside.

—

{In Cerulean City}

The Cerulean Gym was silent, save for the steady splash of water and the occasional sound of Misty’s boots pacing on the slick tile. Misty sat with her legs crossed, staring down at the Olympic-sized pool that served as the stage for her battles.

Across from her, Daisy lounged lazily on a beach chair, sipping some fancy fruit drink through a straw, while Violet and Lily twirled around filming dance routines with their Pokémon for Pokéstar social videos.

Misty’s eye twitched.

"Do you guys even know what’s happening soon?" she finally snapped.

Violet blinked. "Uh, yeah? That Gym Leader thingy?"

Lily twirled and struck a pose. "We already said you can go instead of us. You’re way stronger than us, so you’re the best hope for Cerulean Gym to look good."

Misty pinched the bridge of her nose. "This isn’t a vacation. The Gym Leader Tournament isn’t just some fancy stage show. I’m not going there to look pretty. I’m going to win."

Daisy waved a hand. "Oh please, Misty. You’re already strong. Just slap some sparkles on your Gyarados and make it roar real loud. Done."

Misty didn’t even dignify that with a response. She just sighed. "I thought you guys said you were going to help me train."

Daisy sighed and pushed herself off the chair. "Okay, Mist, let’s be honest, do you really think we can help you?"

Misty blinked. This was the first time Daisy had actually said something like this. "I—uh..."

Daisy’s gaze softened. "Misty, you won the Whirl Cup. You’re a better trainer than the three of us put together. It’s not that we want to be here slacking off. It’s just... we can’t help you."

Misty looked away. "I mean... when you put it like that..."

Daisy stepped closer. "We know when we’re out of our depth, Misty. And we all know, you’re the one who should be the Gym Leader, not us. This tournament? It’s your stage, not ours."

Violet and Lily stopped mid-spin, their Pokémon pausing behind them.

"Misty..." Violet said, brushing her hair back. "You don’t really need us for this. But we’re not just gonna vanish either. Not after we promised to be better for you."

Lily nodded. "Yeah, we’re going to be here and help you in every way that we can!"

Misty looked at her sisters and sighed. "Okay..." Then she smiled. "It’s weird when you guys are being so nice to me. It’s like we’re actually sisters."

"Wha, but we are!" Lily protested.

"Sure didn’t act like one for a long time," Misty said with a little grin. She had to admit, Ash being a troll kinda rubbed off on her.

Lily’s face puffed up in frustration. "Hey! That’s not fair! I was totally sisterly last week when I let you eat the last slice of cake!"

"Yeah, because it had pineapple on it and you hate pineapple," Misty deadpanned.

Violet snorted. "Okay, that part is true."

Daisy leaned on one leg, tilting her head. "Wow, you really have been hanging out with Ash too long. You’ve got that same smug ’I win’ grin."

Misty gave a mock shrug. "Can’t help it. Guess it’s contagious."

"Oh no," Violet gasped dramatically. "It’s finally happened. She’s turning into a gremlin."

"Not turning," Misty said with a sly smile. "I’ve always been one. I just finally got a good reason to stop pretending I’m not."

Her sisters all groaned in unison, "I’m serious though," Misty said, walking toward the Gym doors. "Thanks for the support. I know I can’t exactly train with you guys, but I’m still gonna do this my way."

"Where are you going now?" Daisy asked, sitting back on her lounge chair.

"Where else?" Misty said, tightening her ponytail and slinging a bag over her shoulder. "The waterfall. I need a place where I can hear myself think. And maybe not smell ten different brands of perfume fighting for dominance."

"Hey!" Violet and Lily shouted together.

But Misty just gave them a peace sign over her shoulder as she slipped out the doors.

—

A while later, Misty arrived at the waterfall. It was a peaceful place, one she’d gone to a lot as a kid, back when her sisters were kinda the worst, and before they’d made up. Misty looked into the water and saw her reflection, sighing. She needed to do this on her own this time. She let down her hair and started to think.

As she pondered which Pokémon to focus on for training, suddenly a ripple appeared on the water. She blinked and looked up, and her eyes widened. Standing there in the water in front of her... was Suicune.

Misty nearly fell over backwards. She stared up at Suicune, stunned and confused. Was Suicune finally planning on battling her? Way back near the start of her Johto journey, she had encountered Suicune before, but never battled it, it had only looked at her.

She knew there was zero chance of winning a direct confrontation. She couldn’t even move, she was that frozen, as Suicune took a step forward, walking toward her.

Misty gulped, but stood her ground. She wasn’t going to run. Even if she couldn’t win, that didn’t mean she had the right to back down. Slowly, Misty reached for a Poké Ball on her belt, any one would do, it could be Psyduck for all she cared right now.

"If it’s a fight you want, huh? Well, come on! I’m not scared of you! You think just because I don’t have my friends with me you can just beat me?" Misty shouted, trying her best to sound confident.

Suicune looked at her and said nothing. Misty tried to open the Poké Ball, but then realized it was one of her empty ones. The Poké Balls with her Pokémon were on the right side of her belt, not the left.

Misty nearly fell over again, lowering her arm and dropping the Poké Ball. "Ah... yeah, that seems about right..."

Suicune looked at her. Misty looked down. Then, quietly, Suicune took a step forward and used its paw to roll the dropped Poké Ball back to Misty, bumping it gently into her foot and her line of sight.

She blinked and looked up as Suicune walked even closer. But it still wasn’t attacking.

Misty met Suicune’s eyes, and Suicune stared back into hers. Then, without another word, Suicune raised its paw and pushed the button on the Poké Ball.

The ball opened.

One roll.

Two rolls.

Three rolls.

Ding.

Misty caught Suicune... kinda.

She stared, still blinking in disbelief. Slowly, she bent down, picked up the Poké Ball, and held it in awe, "I see... So that’s why you looked at me like that..."

Misty smiled. "Okay, Suicune. I won’t let you down. I’ll help you however I can."