"Mama! It's me, I'm Molly!"
When Delia was brought to the Crystal Tower and saw Molly, she finally felt a weight lift from her heart. The girl was safe. She remembered that Professor Spencer Hale's wife Molly's biological mother had gone missing years ago. Spencer had spent years trying to balance his research while raising his young daughter alone; it must have been an exhausting life.
Delia pulled Molly into a gentle embrace. For now, her task was to care for the girl and wait for her son to resolve the crisis. Cradled in Delia's arms, Molly fell into a contented, happy sleep. Entei, whom she called "Papa," stood a silent, protective watch over them. Entei had been brought into existence for the sole purpose of Molly's happiness.
At the very peak of the Crystal Tower, countless Unown spun and danced. As Molly's dreams flourished, the crystals continued to spread.
"Professor Hale's disappearance, the expansion of the tower, and the appearance of Entei... the source of everything is the Unown," Professor Oak concluded after his investigation. The Unown had been the primary subject of Professor Hale's research.
"Professor Oak, let's worry about that later," Brock said urgently as he and Misty watched the sunset through the window. "Ash warned us before he fainted that we shouldn't act recklessly against those crystals. Please, you have to stop those people!"
Large-scale machinery had already arrived, preparing to clear the spreading crystals from Greenfield. Ash must have known something to give such a specific warning.
But even Professor Oak couldn't stop them now. The machines began their work, shattering large sections of the crystal. Inside the tower, Molly felt her "home" being destroyed, and her emotions began to destabilize once more.
Sensing Molly's distress, the Unown went into a frenzy!
The crystal expansion accelerated violently. Countless jagged pillars erupted from the earth, flipping the heavy machinery like toys. The workers barely managed to scramble away; a second later, and they would have been encased in crystal along with their machines.
Watching this, every face in the Pokémon Center turned grim.
"Has Ash woken up yet?" Professor Oak asked, turning to Brock and Misty.
They shook their heads dejectedly. "Not yet. Pikachu hasn't left his side for a second."
Just as Brock finished speaking, a voice called out from the doorway. "Brock, Misty, I'm okay. Is Charizard here?"
Brock and Misty rushed to meet him. Misty supported him by the arm while Brock handed over Charizard's Poké Ball.
In addition to Charizard, Ash had contacted Tracey to transfer over his five strongest Pokémon with the highest Bond Levels. The team now consisted of Pikachu and Snorlax, Charizard sent specially from the Charicific Valley Bayleef, Houndour, and his recently evolved powerhouse, Wartortle.
[Pikachu: 220/255]
[Charizard: 255/255]
[Snorlax: 220/255]
[Wartortle: 200/215]
[Bayleef: 200/215]
[Houndour: 170/200]
Initially, Ash's Heracross had a higher Compatibility, nearing its peak, but its Bond Level wasn't quite high enough yet. Furthermore, considering they were facing Psychic-type Unown, the Dark-type Houndour would be a vital asset. Besides, this "Alpha" Houndour was on the verge of evolution!
This was, quite simply, the strongest team Ash could assemble. He would take his best companions and save his mother and Molly!
"By the way... Brock, Misty, Lisa, Professor Oak... how many empty Poké Balls do you have?"
There was no time for a formal supply run. Everyone emptied their pockets, and together with Ash's few remaining spares, they counted exactly 28 empty balls.
"Ash, what are you planning to do?" Professor Oak asked, brow furrowing as Ash stuffed the balls into his backpack.
Ash looked up at the Professor. "Professor, I'm going to get my mom back!"
"Ash, I'm coming with you!" Misty declared.
"Me too!" Brock added.
As his regular travel companions, they immediately volunteered their help. But Ash shook his head. "Misty, Brock... let me handle this one on my own."
"In that case, Ash, take this. Stay in touch," Lisa said, handing him a strange device. It was a mobile communication unit.
Ash took the device, bowed to Professor Oak, and strode out of the Pokémon Center.
"Charizard, I choose you!"
Charizard roared into existence, visibly excited to see Ash again.
"Old friend, I'm counting on your strength again." Ash leaped onto Charizard's back, and the dragon took flight, soaring toward the Crystal Tower.
Watching his receding figure, Brock and Misty stood behind Professor Oak. "Ash... he's grown to a height we can't even chase after anymore."
Throughout their recent journey, they had felt themselves falling further and further behind. When they had been tracking Houndour, they could do little more than run in Ash's wake.
"That little boy who was late just to pick up his first Pokémon has grown into someone so reliable," Professor Oak said, his heart filled with pride.
"Is that... a Charizard?"
Ash didn't know and likely wouldn't have cared that his high-profile approach was being caught by reporters and broadcast live. Inside the Crystal Tower, Molly, Delia, and Entei watched his arrival through the monitors.
"Papa, Mama, someone is trying to break into our home!" Molly said, though she felt the figure was strangely familiar.
"That brat again!" Entei stood up. "I'll go drive him away!"
But Delia looked at the screen and smiled at Molly. "Molly, don't you remember? That's Big Brother Ash. You used to follow him around everywhere, calling his name constantly!"
She pointed to a framed photograph on the table, showing a younger Molly and Ash together. "See? That's Big Brother Ash!"
"Big Brother Ash?" Molly tilted her head in thought. She was still a child, and memories of people she hadn't seen in a while were often a bit fuzzy.
"Ah! It is him!" She finally remembered, her face lighting up. "Mama, Big Brother Ash is riding a Charizard! And there's Pikachu! Does he have other Pokémon too?"
Seeing that it was an acquaintance of Molly's and sensing her genuine joy, Entei lay back down and stopped worrying about the "intruder."
"That's right. Ash has many Pokémon! He's the man who will become a Pokémon Master!" Delia said, her voice brimming with pride for her son.
"A Pokémon Master!" Molly grew excited at the title. "Papa, Mama, can I have a Pokémon battle with Big Brother Ash?"
"Of course, Molly," Entei replied. "As long as it is what you wish."
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