Because the younger sister of the phantom thieves, Oakley, controlled the entire city's defense mechanism, Misty and Brock were trapped inside the Pokémon Center.
Only Ash, Pikachu, and Latias managed to remain free. Despite being alone, Ash was determined to save everyone. Whether he would succeed remained to be seen.
[Lance: Ash is making his move!]
[Steven: With the "Super Pallet-man" on the case, success is guaranteed!]
[Leon: Is this a mission from the heavens? Even a city-wide lockdown can't keep Ash contained!]
[Diantha: Ash is so decisive! Jumping straight into the river! Go, go, Ash!]
[Flint: Can I just ask... does anyone else feel bad for Team Rocket? They've done nothing this whole time and had their food ruined twice...]
[Volkner: Now that you mention it, missing two meals is probably more painful for them than being blasted off!]
The Champions were split between cheering for Ash and pitying Team Rocket, but all eyes remained glued to the screen.
In the Footage—
Ash found a small boat and, guided by Latias, began navigating the maze-like canals toward the Cathedral. Suddenly, an uninvited guest appeared in the sky! A grey body, pupil-less eyes, purple wings, and razor-sharp claws: the ancient fossil Pokémon, Aerodactyl!
It had come to recapture Latias. As it swooped down, Ash sensed the danger and ducked just in time—the claws missed his head by a hair's breadth! Ash dodged, but Latias wasn't as reactive.
Before she could turn around, the massive Aerodactyl—nearly twice her size—snatched her up like a helpless chick.
"Let her go!" Ash roared. He leaped from the boat, performing what the audience could only describe as "Fly." Jumping several meters into the air, he grabbed Aerodactyl's wing. Despite its strength, the sudden weight of the boy forced Aerodactyl to lose altitude.
"Pikachu, Thunderbolt!" The golden lightning illuminated the night, hitting Aerodactyl squarely. The double-effective move forced the fossil Pokémon to release Latias.
Both she and Ash fell into the water. Ash surfaced quickly, but the terrified Latias turned invisible and fled.
Some viewers were furious: "What?! Ash saved her, and she just runs away?" "Typical Pokémon, no gratitude." Others defended her: "She's just a child! She's terrified and reacting on instinct!"
In the Footage—
With Latias gone, Aerodactyl turned its fury on Ash. It unleashed a golden beam of energy: Hyper Beam! The blast pulverized the small boat, forcing Pikachu into the water.
Ash narrowly dodged the direct hit, but the massive shockwave created a tidal wave in the canal, pulling Ash deep underwater. Losing control and gasping for air, Ash began to sink.
Seeing this, Latias suppressed her fear. She accelerated like a jet engine, diving into the water and scooping Ash into her arms.
Once they surfaced, Ash coughed up water and slowly regained consciousness. "Thank you for saving me, Latias." 'Huo~' Latias shook her head, as if saying, "No, you were the one who saved me first."
The comment section exploded: "Where are the people calling her ungrateful now?" "The face-slap came faster than a hurricane!" "This is what you call mutual devotion!"
In the Footage—
Latias tried to carry Ash through the air, but her strength was limited. She could only manage a low hover by using the water's buoyancy.
Realizing they were too slow and Aerodactyl would soon recover, Ash spotted a familiar object on the bank. "Wait, Latias! Use that!" It was a water-racing board like the ones used in the festival.
Soon, Latias was pulling Ash across the water at incredible speeds. They ducked into a narrow canal where the bulky Aerodactyl couldn't follow, causing it to crash into a building. "Finally lost them..."
Suddenly, a brown shell and two sharp scythes appeared. Kabutops! Meanwhile, the camera cut to Misty and Brock.
They sent out Crobat, Politoed, and Corsola to assist Ash since his own Pokémon were still with them. Led by Crobat's sonar, they quickly located him.
"Everyone! Did Misty and Brock send you?" The Pokémon chirped in affirmation, diving into battle with Kabutops to clear a path. "Thanks! Leave Kabutops to them! Latias, to the Cathedral!"
Watching this, Oakley—trapped in her vanity—locked onto Ash's position. She began manipulating the city's water to trap him.
Lorenzo warned her: "Stop! If the Soul Dew is defiled by evil intent, the consequences will be irreversible!" "Scare tactics won't work on me~" Oakley sneered. She didn't notice the Soul Dew turning a muddy, dark color.
A massive whirlpool rose before Ash and Latias. Despite their speed, the city's own defense systems were too much.
They were engulfed in a sphere of churning water, cutting off their air. Ash and Pikachu began to lose consciousness from asphyxiation.
[Lance: This woman is heartless!]
[Diantha: To value a game over human life... her cruelty matches that of a Pokémon Hunter!]
[Steven: She has no respect for life. To her, this is just a toy.]
In the Footage—
Just as Ash was about to pass out, Latias looked at him with absolute resolve. Her eyes glowed with blinding light. A burst of energy exploded from her body—a Mist Ball! The energy shattered the water sphere.
The feedback caused Oakley's control screens to explode. The cockpit doors slammed shut and began to spin wildly. The Soul Dew was now completely black.
[Catlin: Serves her right! See Latias's true power!]
[Will: Her desire to protect Ash unlocked her latent potential!]
[Cynthia: That's the power of the bond Ash forms with every Pokémon.]
[Lance: The machine is out of control. Latios is being drained of his life force! Ash has to hurry!]
Latios was already "Boro-Boro" (beaten up) from the strain. Ash needed to reach him before it was too late.
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