Several minutes later, Ash, Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie ran out their hotel’s front door in a state of messy quick dress and adrenaline-fueled urgency. They found Lysandre already waiting for them, a jeep revved up and ready to do go.
“Hop in,” the red haired man said brusquely.
When they did, he took off at an almost breakneck pace, driving quickly yet skillfully through Laverre’s nighttime streets.
“What is it?!” Ash asked, face full of concern. “What’s the emergency?”
“I’m afraid it seems that Team Rocket is breaking into the nearby Poke Ball Factory, most likely in an attempt to steal all of the invaluable devices produced there for themselves,” Lysandre answered, not taking his eyes off the road. “If they should succeed, Kalos’ Poke Ball industry could be crippled for months. Young trainers would no longer be able to add new Pokemon friends to their teams, and Team Rocket would have free reign to catch thousands of Pokemon for themselves. I happened to witness the start of their attack while I was nearby on some business for Lysandre Labs.”
“That’s awful!” Ash gritted his teeth.
“Pika!” Pikachu agreed.
“Why didn’t you go to the police?” Serena asked.
“Or Valerie?” Clemont added. “She’s closer than we were.”
“I couldn’t go to the police because I suspect that someone highly placed among them is on Team Rocket’s payroll,” Lysandre said as he drove. Noting the shocked looks and hurried protests of denial, he continued. “Don’t be so naïve. Think about it. Team Rocket has attacked you and others countless times during your travels in this region. I simply watch the news and I know that much. And yet, despite all their crimes, they are never arrested. Never placed in prison. While lesser criminals such as that Dolan fellow are snatched up on a regular basis. Why do you think that is? Are our police forces simply mind-bogglingly incompetent in that one specific area? Or is there something deeper at work?”
“But what about Valerie?” Clemont asked again. “You surely can’t think a Gym Leader would side with Team Rocket?”
“I’m not so sure about that,” said Ash, remembering his own eighth gym battle way back in Kanto.
“I do not,” said Lysandre, making a sharp turn with seemingly minimal effort. “But as it happens, Laverre’s Gym Leader is presently out of town. She left to participate in a fashion show in Lumiose City two days ago. One sponsored in part by Lysandre Labs, in fact,” he looked down briefly. “I regret that now.”
“But still, why us?” Ash inquired.
“Because you four have the most experience dealing with Team Rocket of anyone in the Kalos region,” Lysandre answered. “When I realized they were too many to defeat on my own, you were the first ones that came to mind,” he glanced briefly over at Ash. “So, will you help me put an end to their scheme?”
Ash clenched his fist. “Absolutely!”
“We can’t let them get away with this!” Serena said.
Clemont’s glasses shown. “You bet we will!”
“Uh huh!”
“Pika!”
Lysandre smiled again. “Very good.”
Back at the Poke Ball Factory, Team Rocket was hard at work. With wrenches and hammers and crowbars they attacked the generator before them. Wires were cut, bolts and screws pried loose, and essential components torn out and smashed into tiny fragments. The team’s hard work and determination were devoted fully to the task of seeing boss’s will enacted.
Meanwhile, Jessie, James, and Meowth sat on the sidelines and “supervised”.
“Dat’s da way!” Meowth cheered on the Team Rocket grunts who were actually engaged in the sweaty, dirty work. “You can do it! Smash dose gears into iddy-biddy bits!”
“Put your backs into it!” yelled Jessie, pointing dramatically at the generator. “Giovanni is counting on us!”
“You!” James snapped at one grunt who had paused to wipe his brow. “No slacking! Get back to work!”
“Sir yes sir!” the grunt saluted, going back to his task of dismantling one section of the vast machine.
The trio reclined leisurely in the comfy chairs they had confiscated from a manager’s office, allowing two other grunts to fan them.
“Ah,” James said. “Now this is the life!”
“You said it!” echoed Meowth, munching on a sandwich he’d stolen front the refrigerator in the employee lounge.
“I can’t wait to tell the boss what a great success this mission was!” Jessie’s eyes gleamed. “I’m sure he’ll be so pleased that he’ll promote us on the spot!”
“Yeah!” James and Meowth cheered.
“We’ll get raises!”
“Yeah!”
“And new uniforms!”
“Yeah!”
“And one of those great corner offices back at headquarters!”
“Yeah!”
“And a yacht!”
“YEAH!”
“Hey!” Jessie yelled at random grunt. “You’re slacking off! Work harder! For the glory of Team Rocket!”
“Yes… ma’am…” she grumbled.
“I’m a miss! And don’t you forget it, grandma!”
Sullenly, the poor, unnamed grunt went back to her monotonous duties, while her commanders sat around and did not much of anything.
“I love being the boss!” said Jessie, James, and Meowth as one. They relaxed comfortably, completely missing the resentful glares they got from the Rocket grunts around them.
The instant Lysandre’s jeep pulled to a stop in front of the factory, Ash and his friends leapt out of it almost at once. With the boy and his Pikachu in the lead, the group raced through the opened door and down the dark and empty hallways. None could see anything, but Pikachu’s sensitive ears could make out the noises coming from their enemies, and they quickly began to follow his lead. Despite being tiny with short legs, the little yellow Pokemon easily out-sped them all, frequently having to wait for his humans friends to catch up. At least, he led them out into a more open area, wherein they immediately spotted a small group of humans surrounding a much larger machine.
“Great job, team!” came a voice that they all instantly recognized as Jessie’s. “That’s three down and two to go!”
“Now, if you’ll just grab dese chairs here and get a move on, we can finish smashin’ dis place-”
“Team Rocket!” Ash shouted, his words echoing easily throughout the cavernous factory floor.
“Huh?” several heads turned at once. “GAH!” Jessie, James, and Meowth all jumped when they saw who had arrived.
“Da twerps!” Meowth yelped.
“What are you doing here?!” Jessie screamed at them.
“We’re not gonna let you guys stop everyone else from getting Poke Balls!” Clemont declared, glasses shining ominously.
“That’s right!” Serena’s fist was balled. “You cowards, how could you do something so despicable?”
James clenched his own fist. “Listen twerp, this has nothing to do with you or your little pals!”
“Yeah! So why don’t ya just buzz off already and leave da grownups ta do our stuff?!”
“No chance!” Ash declared.
“Pikachu!” Pikachu’s cheeks sparked dangerously.
“Well, what are you waiting for!” Jessie yelled at the Rocket grunts. “Get them!”
“Right!” the other members of Team Rocket reached for their belts, tossing Poke Balls into the air. All sorts of Pokemon took shape, including Rhydon, Golbat, Golem, Weepinbell, Grimer, Gloom, Doduo, and Rattata.
“That’s the way!” James cheered. “Now get rid of them!”
“And we’ll see you on da other side!” Meowth added.
With that, the trio turned and ran in the opposite direction. They quickly disappeared amongst the winding machinery of the factory’s assembly line.
“Get back here!” Ash yelled, starting to chase them.
The next second, the Rhydon interposed itself, stopping him dead in his tracks. It gave Ash a quick smack with its tail, sending him tumbling back the way he had come.
“Ash, are you alright?!” concern was writ large over Serena’s face as she hurried to his side. “Speak to me!”
“I’m… ok,” Ash managed as he sat up, gritting his teeth. “We’ve gotta… stop Team Rocket!”
“Fat chance, kid,” laughed one grunt. “Rhydon here will make short work of you lot!”
“Rhhhhyyy!” the Pokemon flexed its powerful muscles and roared.
“Yeah, we’ll just see about that!” Serena grabbed two Poke Balls. “Go, Braixen and Pancham!”
“Chespin, Bunnelby, Luxray, come out!” Clemont shouted, throwing his three Poke Balls into the fray.
“So, you’re gonna make a fight of it after all,” the man said. “This should be amusing.” He snapped his fingers and pointed. Team Rocket’s group of Pokemon growled menacingly, advancing as a group on Ash and his friends.
“Ash,” said Clemont as he and Serena helped him to his feet. “We’ll take care of these guys here!”
“You go after those other three and make sure that they don’t destroy this place!” Serena added.
Ash looked at the Team Rocket grunts, then at the way the trio had fled, then back at his friends again. “Right!” he nodded, before running into the maze of machinery, Pikachu at his side.
Behind him, the sounds of battle began.
When Ash finally caught up to Jessie, James, and Meowth, the trio were clustered around another of the massive machines, hurriedly swinging away at it with hammers. Their efforts were much less subtle and precise than the others had been, amounting to little more than smashing anything that looked important and hoping for the best.
“Team Rocket!” he called out, Pikachu leaping off his shoulder. “Stop right there!”
“You know,” James said, looking up. “You really are annoyingly persistent.”
“Stay outta dis, kid!” Meowth pointed. “If ya know what’s good for ya!”
“I’m not letting you guys wreck up this factory!” Ash declared through gritted teeth.
“Pika pika!”
“You’re getting on my last nerve!” Jessie snarled, reaching for her belt. “Go, Pumpkaboo!”
“Inkay, you’re on!”
“Pikachu, Electro Ball!”
Team Rocket’s two Pokemon burst from their balls in silvery light, while Pikachu ran at them and leaped into the air. He formed a glowing orb of brilliant yellow electricity above his tail, then flipped mid-leap and flung it at his two floating adversaries.
“Pumpkaboo, dodge!”
“Inkay, you too!”
The two flying Pokemon darted to either side, allowing Pikachu’s attack to pass them by. It slammed into one of the factory walls, exploding in a great flash that left an enormous scorch mark but not much more.
“Inkay, Psybeam at once!”
“Use Shadow Ball, Pumpkaboo!”
Inkay flipped upside down and fired a multicolored stream of energy from its yellow spots, while Pumpkboo created its own purple-black orb and threw it at Pikachu.
“Pikachu, dodge and use Volt Tackle!”
Pikachu bolted with amazing speed, zigzagging to avoid the strikes of both of Team Rocket’s Pokemon. As he ran, his cheeks crackled and his body began to be surrounded by a yellow glow. By the time he leaped into the air at Pumpkaboo, it was a full-fledged electrical storm in its own right.
Pumpkaboo cried out as it took the impact and electrical discharge head on. It was sent flying back, directly into a singularly unfortunate Inkay. The two tumbled from the air, then rolled along the ground to wind up in a great heap at Team Rocket’s collective feet.
“Now,” Ash pointed. “Use Thunderbolt!”
“Pikaaaa… CHU!”
Pikachu released an enormous bolt of electricity, which flew up and then arced down to land directly atop Team Rocket. All five members screamed as they were, for what felt like the millionth time, electrocuted by the infernal yellow rat that had so dominated their lives these many years. When at length the flow stopped, all of them collapsed to the ground like puppets with their strings cut.
“Alright, Pikachu!” Ash cheered as his Pokemon leapt into his arms. “You did it, buddy!”
“Pika Pikachu!” he smiled.
“Not so… fast,” came a weak voice.
Ash and Pikachu looked back at Team Rocket. James, though sparking and smoking from his most recent trip through the Pika-wringer, was forcing himself to his feet. A spark of determination shown in his eyes.
“We’re not done… yet,” he winced as he grabbed another Poke Ball and managed to limply toss it. “Go… Celestia!”
When Celestia first felt herself being called out, she was actually asleep. The Poke Ball was warm, comfortable, and safe, which made being thrown suddenly all the more disrupting. When she appeared in the trademark silver light, the first thing the princess did was stretch her wings and yawn broadly.
“You!” came a voice.
Celestia glanced and her eyes widened, then narrowed. It was the horrible boy and the yellow rat that had so senselessly attacked her before! She realized instantly that they were in the Poke Ball Factory – what were these two doing there? Why would they want to interfere now? What could possibly motivate them to-
Then Celestia’ keen eyes spotted something further back in the darkness. The figure was a good distance back from the boy and shrouded in the shadows, but she couldn’t fail to identify him almost instantly. It was Lysandre, apparent leader of Team Flare. And he was watching the lot of them. Celestia turned her attention back to the yellow rat, her eyes virtual slits.
“So,” she said. “You’re with him, are you? I might have known.”
“You’re Team Rocket’s new Pokemon!” the yellow creature responded, cheeks sparking. “We won’t let you win here!”
“We’ll see about that.”
“Pikachu,” the boy’s voice cut in. “Use Iron Tail!”
“On it!” the yellow Pokemon answered, darting forward. It covered ground with surprising speed, its tail rapidly lighting up with powerful silver energies. A second later it leaped into the air, flying straight at Celestia.
“Celestia, Psychic!” she heard James’ voice from behind her.
“You got it!” Celestia’s eyes lit up with her golden glow.
Just as Pikachu was about to bring its glowing tail down on her head again, it found itself floating in midair, surrounded by Celestia’s power. It squirmed, looking shocked.
“Not this time, rat,” she grinned, before hurling it backwards with all her strength.
Pikachu crashed into one of the metal walls with a great echoing clang. It slid to the floor, leaving a notable impression where it had hit. It stumbled as it tried to get up, head rocking back and forth.
“Pikachu!” the boy called. “Are you alright?!”
Pikachu shook its head briefly, then took up a more aggressive posture. “Just fine, Ash!” it called. “Now let’s electrify this witch!”
“That’s the spirit!” Ash clenched his fist. “Now, use Electro Ball!”
Pikachu’s cheeks crackled with energy as it leapt into the air. An electrical orb took shape above its tail, which it immediately hurled at her.
“Dodge it!” James yelled.
Celestia jumped into the air, her powerful wings beating. They carried her up as the attack struck where she had stood and exploded. The factory was more than spacious enough to fly in, allowing her to put considerable distance between herself and the ground in seconds.
“That’s the way!” she heard James cheering.
On her own initiative, Celestia decided it was time to employ one of her new tricks. She drew back her head, opened her jaw wide, and sucked in a great lung-full of air. She willed her power into action. In microseconds the oxygen was superheated, then set alight. Celestia whipped her head back down to unleash a rapidly-expanding cone of yellow-orange flame. It sped down at Pikachu, but the yellow rat was fast. It darted aside in a silver blur, completely avoiding the strike.
“You know Flamethrower?!” James’ tone was elated. “Alright, use that once more!”
“Dodge it!"
Celestia drew back her head and did as she was bidden. Another stream of fire descended towards Pikachu, but once again the infuriatingly quick Pokemon dodged around it, leaving only a red-hot spot in the factory floor as evidence. Snarling, she summoned another Flamethrower, and then another. It was no good; the accursed rodent darted around them all. Pikachu, she realized, was too far away. It could dodge faster than the Flamethrower could reach it from this distance.
“Pikachu, shoot it out of the sky with Thunderbolt!”
Pikachu leapt into the air and squeezed its tiny body tight. A truly prodigious bolt of yellow lightning cut through the air towards the princess.
“Dodge it!” James commanded.
But Celestia’s expert eye could see that the bolt was already too close and too large to avoid, so her brain made a snap decision to pull out a new trick instead. Her eyes lit up briefly, and then a bubble of turquoise energy formed around her. Thunderbolt scored a direct hit and exploded against the field, but when the smoke cleared Celestia stood unharmed.
“Wow, Protect too?!” James sounded awed. “You really are full of surprises! Alright,” he clenched his fist and pointed. “Celestia, get closer and use Flamethrower!”
“With pleasure,” she answered, folding her wings in and commencing a dive bomb.
“Pikachu, counter with Electro Ball!”
Celestia swooped down, mouth wide and inner fire building. Pikachu stayed right where it was, another orb forming around the tip of its tail. Both locked eyes for a fraction of a second, then unleashed their power. A jet of all-consuming flame met a sphere of electricity at the midpoint between the two adversaries. For just one, perfect moment, the two attacks pressed against one another to creature a sculpture of unearthly beauty.
And then they exploded.
Celestia landed, hacking and coughing as the smoke filled the factory and her lungs alike. She spread her swanlike wings wide and flapped as hard as she could, creating a small gust in very short order. In moments she could see James again. He smiled and gave her a thumbs up. She returned the smile, though she noted that his arm appeared a little shaky.
The smoke slowly faded away, and Celestia’s eyes narrowed when she saw that the brat and his Pikachu were still standing. Pikachu was even smiling confidently, cheeks crackling and little feet pawing against the floor.
“Alright Pikachu,” Ash pointed. “Use Iron Tail once more!”
“Just a hunch,” James said. “But Celestia, use Steel Wing!”
The princess smiled. He’d read her priorities like an open book.
The two Pokemon launched themselves at one another. Pikachu’s tail once again shown with the silvery energies of the Steel-type attack. Celestia’s right wing also came alive with this power. Right before the two connected, the princess silently thanked the local Fletchinder for her assistance. Glowing tail met glowing wing with enough force to send both combatants flying backwards.
Celestia, as the larger and heavier of the two, managed to keep her balance, hooves skidding roughly against metal as she slid across the floor. Pikachu, by contrast, was sent soaring a not inconsiderate distance, twirling wildly in the air. Still, it managed to land nimbly on its tiny feet. It glared at her, cheeks still crackling. Celestia gritted her teeth and returned the glare.
“Another Iron Tail!” Ash ordered.
“This time, use Psychic!” James countered.
Pikachu rushed across the floor, quick as ever and tail alight once more. Celestia waited, allowing it to reach her move’s most optimal range. Pikachu leaped into the air and swung its tail for her face, only to again be caught mid-leap by her golden glow.
“That’s it!” James cheered her on.
Meanwhile, Ash… grinned?
“Just what I was hoping you would do. Pikachu, close-range Thunderbolt now!”
The yellow Pokemon came alight with electrical energy, which surged forth almost instantaneously. Pikachu and Celestia were only feet apart. She had no chance of dodging.
Celestia shrieked as she was caught full on by the attack. Thousands of volts coursed through her entire body, instantly breaking her concentrating. Pikachu only redoubled the attack as it dropped, electrocuting the princess with such force that she was sent screaming back the way she had come. Her body impacted on something solid that toppled over to form a heap with her alongside it. Electricity continued to flow through her and onto whatever it was that she was atop. After a few more seconds, the flow ceased. A moment later, she was able to peek an eye open and…
James?
“James?!” she shook the blackened, sparking human a little. “Are you alright?! Speak to me!”
“Did someone… get the number of that… banana… Tentacruel?” he mumbled.
Celestia released a breath she hadn’t realized that she’d been holding. At least he was alive. Glancing around, she saw that the entire Team Rocket trio she knew, plus Pumpkaboo and Inkay, were in the same state. They had been charred in places by electricity, and a few errant sparks still danced about them. They were all breathing, but none of them looked to be getting up any time soon.
“Alright Pikachu,” Ash’s voice cut through her mind. “Let’s finish this with one more Thunderbolt!”
“You got it!” answered Pikachu, smiling confidently as its cheeks yet again surged with electrical power.
Wait, “finish this”? What did that mean, Team Rocket was already-
Celestia’s eyes went wide.
Her friends?
NO!!!
Pikachu leaped into the air and unleashed its largest crackling stream of electricity. It tore through space at an alarming pace, arcing downwards towards Team Rocket. It never got there.
Celestia’s horn glowed a brilliant white color for a fraction of a second, and then overflowed with energy. A vast stream of yellow-orange energy lanced out and met Pikachu’s Thunderbolt head-on.
And brushed it aside with consummate ease.
Pikachu, caught by surprise in midair, never stood a chance. Celestia’s attack surged right through its attack and hit it directly in the chest. The energy beam carried it all the way into Ash’s own chest and still had plenty of power to pick him up and throw the whole tangled pile into one of the walls, where it promptly exploded.
Celestia stood tall and proud, placing her own body between Team Rocket and the enemy. She watched carefully as the black smoke slowly faded to nothing, alert for any sign of the boy or his rat. The princess half-expected that they would come charging out for another round at any moment, but when the smoke finally cleared, the truth was quite the opposite. Ash and Pikachu lay blackened and unmoving at the base of the equally-blackened factory wall. They weren’t even attempting to rise, simply laying sprawled out and smoking where they had fallen. It was only the slight rise and fall of their chests that told her that they were still alive at all.
Celestia nodded her head and snorted. Good. Maybe now she could help Team Rocket and they could finish this mission and get out of-
“Enough!” a deep voice cut into her thoughts.
Celestia immediately about-faced to regard the source, and then cursed herself for a fool. In all the excitement of battling Ash and Pikachu, she’d allowed the other enemy in the factory to slip from her mind. It was a careless mistake that, fortunately, it seemed he hadn’t decided to take full advantage of. A surprise attack might have reversed the course of that battle.
Lysandre stepped into what light there was, holding an ordinary red and white Poke Ball in his hands.
“Enough of this!” he said. “I will not permit you to succeed here! Filth like Team Rocket must be cleansed from this world, and I will see it done!”
“Not if I beat you first,” Celestia answered, eyes narrowed. "Like I did your little friend there."
“My oldest friend,” Lysandre looked down at his Poke Ball. “My dearest partner. I have need of you!” he tossed it high into the air. “Go, Gyarados!”