Liko, Roy, Dot, Ash, and Friede finally got together again, and needless to say, Friede was excited to see Ash. Cap was happy to see Pikachu too, so the two pairs caught up as they talked.

After another battle with Nemona, Ash managed to get away, only because he gave Nemona his number. That totally isn't going to get old anytime soon, but at least now he had a Tera Orb of his own.

As they walked away, Ash's eyes scanned the crowd. People were watching him, which wasn't surprising. By now, some of the Indigo Academy students who were already fans of Ash had seen the news from Johto that he won the Silver Conference, and that was quickly spreading.

Ash started walking faster, trying to avoid Nemona, but she shouted after him, demanding another battle. As he hurried, two people caught his attention at the corner of his eye, one boy with dirty blond hair and a Mabosstiff by his side, and a girl with blue-and-red hair wearing a fluffy Eevee backpack.

Ash recognized them, Arven and Penny. They stood apart, clearly not wanting to be near Nemona, or each other. And Mabosstiff wasn't dying, and since Ash had arrived, he hadn't heard a single mention of Team Star.

That meant the events of the games hadn't happened yet. Arven and Penny hadn't become friends through the protagonist. Arven hadn't ventured into Area Zero, and Penny hadn't gotten expelled for accidentally making Team Star.

Which also meant there was a chance Arven's parents were still alive. Originally, Ash wanted to get to Area Zero to see the Paradox Pokémon and let Abby leave a mark so he could return later. But now, he had another idea.

Friede noticed the shift in his expression. "Something catch your eye?"

Ash shook his head quickly. "Nah, just… thought I recognized someone." He smiled faintly, hiding his thoughts.

Liko tilted her head. "Ash?"

He waved it off. "Don't worry about it. Anyway, how far are we from Area Zero?"

"Just gotta get through the doors. I've already got access, so it's simple. Oh yeah, by the way, we're working with someone called Briar. You don't know her, but she's helping out, and she's already in there. Went ahead before us," Friede explained as they entered the metal chamber. The door closed behind them while he tapped away at the keyboard to unlock the gate.

"Wait, she just went in alone?! Aren't there dangerous Pokémon down there?" Dot blurted.

"Nah, don't worry about it. She wouldn't have gotten this far if she couldn't take care of herself," Friede said as he pressed the final button. The gate began to slowly open.

As the doors parted, they finally saw the great crater, with Pokémon scattered around the area. No Paradox Pokémon were in sight yet. The cliffs stretched in strange geometric patterns, waterfalls plunged into mist, and bioluminescent moss glowed faintly along the walls. The ground trembled now and then, as if the crater itself were alive.

Roy's eyes sparkled as he pressed against the railing. "Whoaaa… this is nuts! It's like a whole other world down there!"

Dot frowned, hugging her tablet close. "It's… eerie. Like the ecosystem doesn't follow any normal rules. I don't like it."

"Yeah, well, guess it's artificial for a reason," Ash said, looking around, Pikachu on one shoulder and Vee on the other.

Ash put Aura into his eyes, and of course he saw countless Pokémon Auras, but he was looking specifically for human Auras. While he didn't find anything in the area yet, he felt two Auras following them. And no, it wasn't Arven or Penny, but they weren't important

"Hey, Ash?" Liko jogged up beside him, her voice quiet. "You've been acting kind of… distant. Ever since we left Nemona. Is everything okay?"

Ash gave her a small smile. "Yeah. Just thinking. Sure is a weird place to spend my birthday," Ash lied.

"Oh right, sorry. Guess we called you at a bad time, huh." Dot scratched the back of her head.

"Yeah, and we couldn't even get you a birthday present. This sucks," Roy muttered, crossing his arms.

"Y-you don't have to come with us, you know," Liko said. "I mean, it's your day. You can spend it with people you like."

Ash waved his hand dismissively. "Nah, my friends kicked me out of Pallet since they wanted to prepare the party. Besides, I do like you guys, don't worry about it," he said with a smile.

"Aww, thanks. We like you too," Roy cut in before Liko could react to what Ash said.

"Alright, come on. The sooner we can get to Entei, the sooner we can get out," Friede said as he started leading the way.

As they walked, Roy was already leaning dangerously far over the railing again. "Think there are, like, huge dinosaur Pokémon down there? Or, ooooh, what if there's a Pikachu but with, like, laser eyes?!"

Dot dragged him back by the collar. "Stop tempting fate before it happens."

"I dunno…" Friede rubbed his chin. "A Pikachu with laser eyes does sound pretty cool."

"I give up," Dot muttered, getting a pat on the back from Liko.

Ash kept scanning the area with his Aura. Then he felt something, in the distance. When he looked, he saw one of the research facilities. That could work. He just needed an excuse to get there.

His chance came when they reached two paths, one leading toward the research facilities, and one going further down directly.

"So… which way do we go?" Liko asked.

"Oh, Briar gave me a map of the path she took. Cap, if you would." Friede held out his hand as if asking Cap for the map.

Cap just looked at him, then down at himself, a sweatdrop practically sliding off his head,"Pika… [Bro, where am I supposed to keep a map? Do you see pockets?]"

Dot noticed immediately and sighed. "You forgot the map, didn't you."

Friede flinched. "I—no, I just… yeah, I forgot." He deflated.

Ash saw his chance and sighed. "Okay, there's an easy way to do this. How about you guys go down that way, and I'll go over here. You have my phone, if you find it, call me and I'll get Abby to teleport me to you. And vice versa if I find it."

"Really? Are you sure? Don't you want one of us to go with you?" Liko asked.

Ash just smiled, waving it off. "Relax. I've handled worse on my own. Besides, Pikachu and Vee are with me. I'll be fine."

"Pika." Pikachu nodded firmly.

"Vee." The Eevee agreed, puffing his chest out a little.

Friede crossed his arms. "Well, you have a point, but just be careful. You can't be reckless here, you don't know what's out there."

Ash chuckled. "Since when have I ever been reckless?"

The whole group stared at him. Even Cap.

"…Okay, bad example," Ash admitted, scratching the back of his head. "But seriously, I've got this."

Roy still frowned. "But what if you get, like, eaten by a giant robo-Tyranitar or something? Then what?"

Dot groaned, dragging him back again before he could lean over the railing. "He'll be fine. He's survived way worse than laser-eyed Pikachu, Roy."

"Still sounds awesome though," Friede muttered under his breath.

"Well, just… be careful then," Liko said one more time.

"I will. But I should say that to you all, after all, you guys somehow always get into trouble in the weirdest ways~" Ash teased as he turned.

They couldn't really argue with that, so they went down the mountain while Ash moved to the other path. Once he was out of sight, his smile fell as he looked forward. "Alright, let's do this."

Ash began running. Pikachu and Vee, a little confused by the sudden burst of speed, just held on.

When Ash got to the facility, he saw a Great Tusk stomping around the area. Ash frowned, casually pulling out a Pokéball and tossing it forward. From it, Machamp emerged, stretching his arms.

Ash pointed at the Great Tusk as he kept walking. "Take care of it," he said just as the Great Tusk noticed him and charged.

Machamp grinned, ran up, and caught the beast, lifting it before delivering a brutal German suplex. Ash ignored the clash, heading into the research facility.

Inside, the place wasn't as old or abandoned as it had been in the games. That meant he had time. He scanned the room and found some research notes.

Reading through them, he didn't find much he didn't already know, but one thing stood out: both Sada and Turo were involved, not just one of them.

That was important. In the games, it was implied they had divorced and separated, which is why only one appeared in each version. Which, thinking about it, was messed up, it meant one of them had simply abandoned Arven. But that wasn't his place to comment on.

He left the facility and found Machamp already standing over the unconscious Great Tusk. Ash walked past it. If he wanted one, he could always come back later. Besides, openly using a Paradox Pokémon would draw suspicion.

Then he paused, an idea sparking. Looking at the fainted Great Tusk, he reached into his bag and pulled out a needle from his supplies. He carefully drew some blood from the creature, this might come in useful later. Stowing it safely in his personal storage for future experiments, he recalled Machamp into his Pokéball and kept moving.

If the games had taught him anything, he needed to get to Research Station No. 4, that was where it was implied the professors had died.

As he ran, he passed Research Stations 2 and 3. He didn't have time for those. He pressed forward, eyes scanning with Aura, until he finally sensed human Auras. They were faint, very faint, and fading fast.

He had to move further down. All the way to the bottom of Area Zero.

Without hesitation, he leapt, bracing his legs with Aura, and landed deep in the glimmering heart of Area Zero. Crystals shimmered around him, casting light across the cavern.

As he looked around, he saw more Paradox Pokémon: Roaring Moon, Brute Bonnet, Slither Wing, and Sandy Shocks.

But not only that, he also saw, surprisingly, future Paradox Pokémon. Iron Jugulis, Iron Valiant, Iron Moth, and Iron Hands were fighting against the past ones.

Ash frowned. This was different. Both past and future Paradox Pokémon were here, and they were fighting. That wasn't good. From inside the research facility, he heard a struggle.

Ash clicked his tongue as he pulled out Gyarados, Nidoking, Machamp, Kleavor, and Tyranitar, hurling their Pokéballs forward, "Take care of them. Cover me," Ash ordered as he started running.

His Pokémon nodded, immediately clashing with the Paradox Pokémon. The strange creatures quickly realized Ash's team was the real threat and fought back fiercely.

Meanwhile, Ash sprinted past the battle. When an Iron Hands tried to block him, he drove an Aura-covered fist straight into the machine, bending its metal frame aside. He reached a massive door, heavy, reinforced, and sealed. Ash wasn't about to waste time.

Grabbing the notches, he flooded his muscles with Aura and wrenched the doors open, tearing the metal off its hinges.

What he saw inside made his heart sink. He was too late.

In the room stood Turo and Sada, but with mechanical eyes. They were AI replicas. Nearby, four Pokémon loomed: two Koraidon and two Miraidon. Each pair had one hyper-aggressive counterpart and one badly injured, cowering version.

The aggressive Koraidon and Miraidon, no longer concerned with the timid ones, were locked in a vicious battle. Judging by the destruction around them, they had been fighting for days, maybe weeks.

Then Ash noticed two tubes filled with strange liquid. Inside were the real Turo and Sada, their bodies battered and broken, barely kept alive by stasis. They were dying slowly. Based on the Aura he could see, they would die in a month. The AIs had no medical knowledge so they just threw them in tubes.

Ash clicked his tongue again as the AIs and the timid Pokémon noticed him.

AI Sada spoke first. "Excuse me, young man. I don't believe you are authorized to be here."

"Yeah, well, I don't think you have any room to talk. I got permission, so save it," Ash snapped as he rushed to check the vitals of the real professors.

"Hmm. Rude and straight to the point," AI Turo said, analyzing him. "I see. So you are Ash Ketchum. Very well, would you mind assisting us?"

Ash glanced back. All the Paradox Pokémon outside… they had been summoned by these two AI replicas, their desperate attempt to suppress the aggressive Koraidon and Miraidon.

His fists clenched as he checked the tubes. Monitors flickered weakly, life-support struggling. Both Sada and Turo's pulses were faint. Their bodies were scarred and burned,

"…Damn it," Ash muttered under his breath.

Pikachu tugged at his sleeve, eyes wide. "Pika…"

Vee's ears drooped, the Eevee sensing the fading life inside the capsules.

AI Sada stepped forward, her metallic eyes glowing faintly. "Their condition is critical. We calculate survival time at twenty-six days, maximum. Without advanced medical intervention, they will expire."

Ash snapped his gaze toward her. "And you just left them in tubes?!"

AI Turo tilted his head, voice calm and logical. "Preservation was our only viable course of action. Our programming is designed to maintain stability within Area Zero, not perform advanced medical care. We… do not possess the knowledge."

Ash gritted his teeth. "That's not good enough. You can build machines that open wormholes in time and space, but you can't keep two people alive? I swear, how are the best minds given to absolute idiots?"

He took a breath and rubbed his eyes. "Fine. Let's take care of this first." He pointed ahead. "Pikachu, Vee, let's beat these losers."

Pikachu's cheeks sparked, tail lashing with anticipation, while Vee crouched low, fur bristling with energy.

The timid Koraidon and Miraidon shuffled back, hiding behind the capsules, their eyes full of fear. The aggressive ones, however, whipped around at Ash's voice and glared at him. Thankfully, they already looked battered from nonstop fighting.

"Rrrraaaaghhh!!" Koraidon roared, its throat sac vibrating before it lunged like a berserker. Miraidon's eyes flared neon, arcs of electricity surging along its metallic frame.

Ash's Aura flared to meet them, his stance hardening. "Alright, Pikachu, you take the iron lizard! Vee, we're going after the other one together!"

"Pika!" Pikachu shot forward in a crack of lightning, intercepting Miraidon's beam with his own Thunderbolt. Sparks exploded midair, showering the facility in blue light.

"Vee!" Ash shouted as he pointed his ring at him.

Vee darted ahead with [Quick Attack], and Ash switched the ring into Ice Stone mode. Vee's body glowed, reshaping mid-sprint into Glaceon. Without breaking stride, he summoned jagged ice from the air and slammed into Koraidon with an [Icicle Crash].

Over with Pikachu, the chamber rattled as his bolt clashed with Miraidon's neon beam. The force spiderwebbed cracks across the crystal floor, sparks surging out to light up the walls.

Pikachu pushed harder, his Thunderbolt flaring, but Miraidon's raw energy threatened to overwhelm him.

Ash narrowed his eyes. Now. "Pikachu, take it!"

Pikachu suddenly stopped pretending to struggle, letting Miraidon pour on more power. The moment he cut off his own attack, Miraidon's [Thunderbolt] struck him directly, only for Pikachu to absorb it.

Miraidon's eyes widened, mechanical whirs stuttering.

"Pika—CHUUUU!!!" Pikachu roared as he unleashed the stolen energy back tenfold, blasting Miraidon off its claws and into the far wall. The crash echoed like thunder.

Meanwhile, Koraidon lunged again, jaws wide, its primal roar rattling the glass tubes that held Sada and Turo.

"Vee, [Flare Blitz]!" Ash commanded, switching the ring into Fire Stone mode.

Vee glowed mid-dash, his body reshaping into a blazing red form before flames erupted from his fur. He slammed into Koraidon head-on, his [Flare Blitz] colliding with its tackle. The explosion forced both back, heatwaves warping the air.

Ash didn't waste a second as he switched the ring to Water Stone mode. "Now [Hydro Pump]!"

The flames on Vee's body shimmered, his form reforming into Vaporeon. A torrent of water burst from his jaws, [Hydro Pump] hammering into Koraidon's chest and slamming it against a crystalline pillar.

"Nice one! Keep it up!" Ash shouted, already thinking two steps ahead.

Koraidon roared in rage, crystals shattering as it tore itself free. Its throat sac glowed again as it prepared a devastating [Collision Course].

"Nope," Ash said as he switched the ring to Thunder Stone mode.

Vee shifted again, his body glowing yellow as spines of crackling fur erupted. Electricity sparked around him, his speed skyrocketing. In a blur, Jolteon-Vee darted along the ground, weaving around Koraidon's charge before striking its flank with a piercing [Volt Switch].

And while this was happening, technically, these were legendaries, but because no one knew about them, they didn't hold the true power of legends. In the Pokémon world, belief itself carries weight.

Take Calyrex for example: even though it's classified as a legendary, when no one believed in it, it lost almost all its strength. Without belief, these two were strong, but not as strong as true legendaries.

Meanwhile, Miraidon had recovered. Its thrusters flared as it soared up the wall, launching a rain of neon [Electro Drift] arcs down at Pikachu.

Ash smirked. "You know the plan, [Volt Tackle]!"

"Pika!!" Pikachu zigzagged through the barrage, absorbing each bolt as he passed. His whole body shone, charging brighter and brighter until he was fully engulfed in [Volt Tackle].

Miraidon screeched, diving straight at him.

But Pikachu had already gathered enough power. He launched forward, colliding with Miraidon head-on. Even as they clashed, Pikachu siphoned away Miraidon's electricity, overpowering it before blasting it back into the wall.

Meanwhile, Koraidon had pinned Jolteon-Vee to the ground, its massive jaws snapping down.

"Vee, get him off you!" Ash said as he switched the ring to Sun Stone mode.

Vee's form shifted again, bursting with psychic light as he transformed into Espeon. A sudden [Psychic] blast erupted from the gem on his forehead, throwing Koraidon off and slamming it into the wall with enough force to leave a crater.

Ash was about to issue another command when the AIs suddenly stepped forward, each pulling out a Master Ball. In perfect sync, they threw them, capturing the two aggressive Paradox Pokémon instantly.

"Capture complete," AI Sada reported, picking up her Pokéball.

"Okay…" Ash rubbed his eyes, clearly annoyed. "You had Master Balls? No, never mind, you made me do all the work, and you get to catch them?"

"It was more logical to let them tire each other out. We would not risk them breaking the Master Balls. And as for you, the one who throws the Pokéball is the one who captures the Pokémon," AI Turo said evenly.

Ash took a calming breath, He already knew what he was going to do with these tin cans. He would have liked to break them, but if he did that would cause too many problems. Quietly, he gave a hidden command to Porygon-Z.

"You know what. I don't care. I'm taking the real professors. And—" Ash's eyes flicked to the timid Koraidon and Miraidon still cowering nearby. "—I'll take them too."

"Negative. You will do neither," AI Turo replied. "We have already captured these two. Therefore, we are the ones who keep them. As for the real professors, they are our predecessors. We will take care of them here."

"Yeah, I thought you'd say that." Ash's smirk returned, calm but sharp. "Too bad I wasn't asking."

The seconds spent in conversation were all Porygon-Z needed to infiltrate their systems.

In a moment, the AIs spasmed violently as the virus took hold, forcing them into an almost hibernating state. Ash calmly walked up to them, plucked a Pokéball from each of their belts, and then turned to the trembling Koraidon and Miraidon.

"Don't worry, you two. I'll take care of both of you," he said gently, before capturing them in the Pokéballs and storing them away.

Next, Ash went to the stasis tubes, he pulled the capsules free. He then stored them within his personal dimension.

Now for those of you wondering here is how it works in case you forgot, it's not that Ash can't put living things in his dimension, it's just that there is not enough air, so anything in there would eventually die But the thing is, with Sada and Turo, they were in tubes keeping them alive, they weren't breathing air technically, so he put them in, then he set the time in his dimension as the slowest he could make it, that extended their life from 1 month, to a few years, that should be enough for him to find a way to save them

Ash looked at the AI, and frowned, the would have liked to scrap them, but they needed to stay here for a lot of things that would be a problem if they weren't, so begrudgingly he made Porygon-Z do some reprograming

First, he wiped any memory of Ash ever being here. Then, he rewrote their data to believe the real Sada and Turo were already dead, and that there had never been a second Koraidon or Miraidon. Since the Pokéballs containing those two Pokémon were registered under the AIs' IDs, Ash transferred them to himself, then deleted all records of the transfer.

Finally, he set Porygon-Z to trigger a reset in one hour, by then, he'd be gone.

When Ash walked out of the facility, he found Gyarados, Nidoking, Machamp, Kleavor, and Tyranitar standing victorious. All of the Paradox Pokémon had been defeated.

"Good work," Ash said, recalling his team to their Pokéballs.

He then examined the unconscious Pokémon scattered around. The future-types were useless to him since he couldn't get useful DNA from them, but the past ones, those could be valuable. Pulling out a case of sterile needles, Ash carefully drew blood samples from several of them and stored the vials in his inventory for later use.

He was mid-sample when his Rotom Phone suddenly shot from his pocket, screen flashing as a call forced itself through. Ash caught it and answered.

"Yeah?"

Dot's voice screamed from the other end, panicked and raw, "ASH! WE NEED YOU HERE NOW! HELP US!!!"

The line cut immediately after.

Ash let out a sharp sigh, pocketed the phone, and finished taking the last blood sample with steady hands. Only then did he stand, readying himself to track down the gang and save them.

—

After separating from Ash, Liko, Roy, Dot, and Friede came across Briar, who explained that there had been sightings of what looked like Entei nearby.

Liko immediately reached for her phone to call Ash, but before she could dial, the ground shook violently. Something had spotted them. With a thunderous crash, a massive beast leapt down in front of them.

It was Entei, or at least, that's what they thought. (Actually it was Gouging Fire, but none of them knew that)

The instant they laid eyes on the supposed Entei, Liko's bag trembled. The zipper slid open and Terapagos poked its head out, staring intently at the beast. Its tiny body shimmered with recognition as it hopped to the ground and waddled toward "Entei."

Strangely enough, the creature seemed to recognize Terapagos as well.

Heart pounding, Liko stepped forward, forcing the words out, "Hi, Entei. W-we're trying to help Terapagos get to Laqua, and we want to gather all six heroes together. So… will you come with us too?"

The beast's burning eyes locked onto her. Then it closed them, shook its mane, and something clattered to the ground at her feet, an ancient Pokéball.

Liko gasped, picking it up with trembling hands. But the gift didn't mean acceptance. The 'Entei' suddenly crouched low, muscles tense,

Friede understood what it wanted, "I see, it wants us to prove ourselves, on why it should come with us,"

The group braced themselves, but in all the tension, none of them remembered to call Ash for backup. By the time the battle started, it was already too late.

10 minutes into the battle, they realized they were hopelessly outmatched. Gouging Fire wasn't just a Fire-type, it was Fire and Dragon. And they didn't know that

"Floragato, [Magical Leaf]!" Liko shouted desperately.

Floragato spun forward, scattering a flurry of glowing leaves that slashed across the beast's mane. The attack landed, but Gouging Fire barely flinched.

"Quilava, [Flame Wheel]!" Roy cried.

Quilava spun like a blazing wheel, ramming into its flank. Gouging Fire staggered, then unleashed a molten blast of fire that engulfed Quilava, sending it rolling back to Roy's feet, smoldering and whimpering.

Dot clenched her fists. "Quaxwell, [Aqua Cutter]!"

Quaxwell leapt forward, blades of water flashing along its wings. It slashed rapidly, sending crescent arcs of water crashing into the beast. Gouging Fire growled, more annoyed than hurt, before retaliating with a devastating [Dragon Pulse]. The shockwave hurled Quaxwell across the ground.

"Not good!" Dot gasped, stumbling back as the heat blasted over her. She fumbled with her Rotom Phone, realizing too late what they should have done earlier. Ash is here. Why didn't we call him right away?!

Signal interference made the connection lag horribly. She jammed the call through, muttering, "Come on, come on, pick up—"

The instant the line clicked, she screamed at the top of her lungs, "ASH! WE NEED YOU HERE NOW! HELP US!!!"

The crystalline floor cracked beneath their feet as Gouging Fire stomped closer, each thunderous step radiating heat.

The call cut before Ash could respond.

Friede gritted his teeth, Cap sparking with electricity on his shoulder, "Cap, hit it hard! [Thunderbolt]!"

"Pika—CHU!!" A searing bolt of lightning lanced through the cavern, striking Gouging Fire square in the chest. Cap's attack actually made it stagger, he was strong enough to deal real damage.

But that only drew Gouging Fire's full attention. With a roar, it whipped around, eyes blazing, and targeted Cap.

The beast erupted into [Raging Fury], thrashing wildly as fire and power exploded off its body. It struck Cap first, sending the Pikachu flying, then slammed Quaxwell, hurling it across the battlefield.

"Oh no!" Dot cried out. "Quaxwell, are you alright?!"

The duck Pokémon groaned, forcing itself to stand, but gave a shaky nod. Liko's heart clenched as she stared at the raging pokemon, "Why aren't our attacks working?!"

Briar, who had been frantically flipping through her book instead of battling, suddenly froze as her eyes widened. "I understand now, it's because that isn't Entei!"

"What? But the legend said Entei! What do you mean?" Liko asked, panicked.

Briar turned the book toward them, showing a faded sketch of the beast before them. "Look! This Pokémon isn't Entei. It only looks similar. Its true name is Gouging Fire!"

"Gouging Fire? But why would the book say Entei then?" Roy shouted over the chaos.

Friede grit his teeth. "That book's over a hundred years old. They didn't have the tech we do now, it's natural they could've mistaken it."

"Yes!" Briar exclaimed, pointing at the notes. "It says right here, Gouging Fire isn't pure Fire-type. It's Fire and Dragon!"

"No wonder our attacks barely scratched it…" Dot muttered, glancing at Gouging Fire's burning mane. Then her eyes darted to Roy. "That means, Quilava's Ground-type moves are our best shot!"

Roy grinned, nodding. "Got it—"

But before he could issue a command, Gouging Fire lifted its head high. The crown-like flames on its head glowed brighter and brighter, the ground trembling beneath them.

Friede's eyes widened. "Everyone, brace yourselves!"

The cavern erupted in crimson light as Gouging Fire unleashed [Burning Bulwark]. A wall of fire surged outward, rolling toward them like a tidal wave of molten fury.

"FLORAGATO!"

"QUILAVA!"

"QUAXWELL!"

"CAP!"

Their Pokémon leapt forward together, trying desperately to shield their Trainers. But the heat was unbearable, the wall of flame was about to engulf them—

BOOM!

A torrent of water slammed into the inferno from the side, splitting it in two. Steam exploded across the cavern, hissing violently as the flood quenched the fire.

Through the mist, a familiar voice rang out, "Sorry I'm late!"

Ash emerged from the haze, Vee padding at his side, already in Vaporeon form, water dripping from his fangs. Pikachu crouched on his shoulder, cheeks sparking with raw power.

"You guys really know how to pick a fight on my birthday," Ash sighed, stepping forward. His eyes locked on Gouging Fire, aura burning around him. "Alright, you big faker. Let's dance."

Roy tried to shout a warning. "Ash, that isn't Entei—it's—"

"Doesn't matter," Ash cut him off, voice sharp. "Right now, he's just in my way."

Ash snapped his fingers. "Pikachu, [Electroweb]!"

"Pika!!" Pikachu leapt from his shoulder, flipping through the air before firing a crackling net of electricity. The glowing web snapped tight around Gouging Fire's legs, shocking it as the beast staggered, thrashing against the restraint.

Gouging Fire roared, momentarily dazed as Ash commanded, "Now, Vee, use [Blizzard]!" He switched the ring to Ice Stone mode.

Vee shimmered, morphing into Glaceon. Frost gathered in his breath before he unleashed a freezing gale, [Blizzard] blasting across Gouging Fire's body. Ice crystals spread along its mane, forcing the beast to stumble back, only to be yanked tight by Pikachu's [Electroweb].

"Don't just stand there, help me out!" Ash barked, never taking his eyes off Gouging Fire.

"Right! Quilava, [Dig]!" Roy shouted. Quilava dove underground, the cavern floor trembling as tunnels carved beneath the beast's feet.

"Floragato, [Grassy Terrain]!" Liko followed quickly. Her partner slammed its yo-yo into the ground, releasing a surge of green energy. Vines spread across the cracks, wrapping around the tunnel edges to stabilize the earth.

"Alright," Ash snapped his fingers, switching his ring to Thunder Stone mode. "Pikachu, [Volt Tackle]! Vee, [Mimic]!"

"Pika!!" Pikachu shot forward cloaked in lightning. Vee copied the move, his body glowing as he shifted into Jolteon mid-sprint, electricity flaring across his spines.

"Don't leave us out, Cap, you too!" Friede yelled.

Dot raised her hand. "Same here! Quaxwell, [Aqua Cutter], rapid-fire!"

Quaxwell spun sharply, launching blade after blade of water at Gouging Fire. The strikes splashed across it, it didn't hurt it, but it did make it wet, Cap joined Pikachu and Vee, charging forward with sparks crackling along his fur.

Gouging Fire's eyes flared as it spotted the three electric types rushing it. It braced to retaliate, But the ground suddenly erupted. Quilava burst up from beneath, slamming into its stomach with [Dig], knocking the air out of its lungs.

That instant of weakness was all they needed. Pikachu, Cap, and Jolteon-Vee struck in unison, their combined [Volt Tackles] colliding with Gouging Fire's face. The impact launched the beast backward, slamming it into the mountainside. The entire cavern shook as cracks split the stone.

When the dust cleared, Gouging Fire groaned, its massive body battered. Slowly, it forced itself up. The group tensed, ready for another round, but instead of attacking, the beast lowered its head.

Liko gasped. "W-wait… really? You're really coming with us?!"

Gouging Fire gave a solemn nod.

Eyes wide with joy, Liko stepped forward and held up the ancient Pokéball it had given her earlier. The capsule clicked as Gouging Fire allowed itself to be captured.

Liko spun around, beaming. "Yay, we did it! We got one of the Six Heroes!" She squealed and leapt into a hug with the nearest person, which was Ash.

It took a heartbeat before she realized what she'd done. Her face turned bright red as she jumped back, hands flailing. "A-Ash, I'm sorry!"

Ash waved it off with a small smile. "It's fine. Really I'm happy for you too."

"Happy's an understatement, we really did it!" Roy cheered, jumping up and down with Quilava at his side.

And finally, Briar clapped her hands. "Ahhaha, how exciting! I'm happy for you all, you're one step closer to your goal!"

"Yeah, I guess we did, though it doesn't feel all that real, you know," Dot scratched her cheek.

Meanwhile, Terapagos went to Liko and nuzzled her leg, happy that it finally got one of its friends back. Liko also looked happy as she picked up Terapagos. "I know, but we promised we were gonna help you, Terapagos!"

Ash was just watching at the moment, but suddenly his phone buzzed. He pulled it out and read the message, it was telling him he could get back to Pallet now.

Ash sighed. "Well, I'd love to stay and celebrate with you all, but I am officially unbandied from my town, so I have to go… or my little sister will be mad at me."

"Oh really? You have to go again," Liko muttered, her hand slightly tightening on the Pokéball.

"Really, man, I wanted to hang out more… shame," Roy muttered.

"Yeah, I'd like to stay longer, but if I don't go, my mom might actually murder me. So, sorry, but we'll probably see each other again. And next time, you'll probably have more of the Six Heroes. Keep working hard, alright?" Ash said as Abby teleported behind him.

"All right then, Ash, see ya around. I'll tell the crew you said hi," Friede waved.

"Yeah, and next time we meet we can battle and we can beat you!" Roy said excitedly.

"Don't say that, Roy," Dot muttered, looking at Ash. "Take care, alright? We'll see you around."

Then Liko finally looked up. "Bye, Ash. It was nice seeing you again."

Ash smiled as he picked up Pikachu and Vee. "And it was nice seeing you too. It's always a pleasure when I can see your smile~" Ash said teasingly as Abby teleported him out, leaving Liko blushing as he disappeared.

—

When Ash got back to his house, he looked around. The house didn't look different. He wandered for a bit, then noticed a trail of confetti leading outside. Ash followed it, and when he opened the door,

He saw that outside was decorated for his birthday. His main friend group, the Johto Gang, his friends from Pallet, and yes, that included Pink and the gang, plus the Gym Leaders who liked Ash (which was most of them). Whitney had invited them, and they weren't going to miss it.

When they saw Ash, they cheered for him. Molly ran up, giving him a hug. "Happy birthday, big brother."

Ash looked around and sighed. "You're all so extra, you know that?" he said, but he couldn't hide the smile on his face. "But I love you guys."

With that, the party started, one last party before Ash would leave for Hoenn.