[Karen: What are the two siblings trying to do? They wouldn't actually try to stop the tsunami, would they?!]
[Will: Impossible! Their powers haven't fully matured. Latios was drained by the capture net, and Latias is even weaker than him! They've barely even used a real move! How could they stand against a terrifying tsunami like that?]
[Catlin: They have latent potential—Latias showed a glimpse of it earlier—but that's just potential! Facing a disaster of this scale... isn't it just a death sentence?]
[Lance: No... they can't block it!]
[Kanone: When Alto Mare faces a crisis, the Lati-siblings will stand forth... They will save the city, just like the legend says!]
[Cynthia: Well said, little girl. We must believe in the power of legendary Pokémon!]
[Diantha: It doesn't matter; Lance has already spoken. His "crow's beak" luck will definitely ensure they succeed!]
[Lance: ...]
For the first time, Lance desperately hoped his bad-luck predictions would come true.
In the footage—
Watching Latias and Latios streak away, Ash and Bianca screamed for them. "Latias!!! Come back!" "Latios! Don't go!" But the two jet-like Pokémon had already crossed half of Alto Mare in the blink of an eye.
Whether they heard the cries or not, they had to go. This was their duty, their destiny, and it was for their friends. They could not retreat.
As the two accelerated, their movements synchronized. A brilliant, blinding light erupted from their bodies, illuminating the night and the entire city. Their energies merged into a single white sphere of light.
Compared to the towering tsunami, the sphere looked like a tiny grain of sand. But when they met the wave, the power exploded! The sphere expanded, splitting the wall of water in two.
Their gentle yet vast energy smoothed the giant waves, turning the catastrophe back into harmless water that flowed back into the canals. The crisis was over!
[Lance: Good grief, is that their true power? Blocking a natural disaster?!]
[Diantha: Thank goodness for your "blessing," Lance! But seriously, that must have been a massive surge of Psychic energy to pacify the sea.]
[Karen: If they were this strong, why did they lose to those two sisters? Their Pokémon were barely Gym-Leader level.]
[Cynthia: I think it's because they are inherently gentle. Neither ever used a real attack against the humans. Latios likely feared he would kill or seriously injure them... but his kindness was trampled by those wicked women. It's a cruel irony.]
In the footage—
The tsunami had subsided. Team Rocket, who had been peering into the dry canal beds, were caught off guard as the water rushed back in. "What a day!" "This is the worst, meow!" "We're blasting off again!" The audience laughed, finding a brief moment of levity in Team Rocket's familiar antics—the "lovable villains" who stood in stark contrast to the heartless phantom thieves.
Far in the sky, the sphere of light still glowed. The camera cut inside. Latias opened her eyes; she seemed okay. But the next frame made everyone's heart stop.
'Huo~' Latias looked to her side. Her brother, Latios, had turned into a translucent, glowing blue spirit. She chirped in confusion, asking what was happening.
Latios didn't answer. He simply reached out his arm, touching hers one last time. A crisp, crystalline sound echoed. Latias understood instantly.
Her brother... was leaving. Tears welled in Latias's clear eyes. Since birth, he had always been there to protect her, to play with her, to spoil her.
And now, she would be alone. Latios placed a hand on her head, a doting smile on his face. 'Forgive me, Latias... this is the last time I can be with you.'
Latios drifted upward, his blue light becoming a pillar that pierced the sky. Blue particles rained down upon Alto Mare.
The chaos caused by Oakley vanished; the iron bars retracted, the fossils returned to their rest, and the city returned to normal. Everything was as it was... except for the missing Latios.
[Lance: ...You're... kidding, right?]
[Diantha: No... it can't be real. It's a prank, right?]
[Steven: Maybe he'll be resurrected? Ash was revived twice!]
[Bruno: Right! Ho-Oh might show up! Johto is Ho-Oh's territory!]
[Cynthia: He will... Ho-Oh has to come...]
The world prayed for a happy ending. Every ranking so far had ended with hope. Surely this one wouldn't end in tragedy?
In the footage—
The sun rose. Ash and the others were in a boat, searching the sea for the siblings. They found a group of Mantine and other Water Pokémon surrounding a floating Latias. The wild Pokémon safely delivered her to Ash and then departed. Latias slowly opened her eyes.
"Thank goodness, Latias! You're safe! But... where's Latios?" Latias slowly shook her head and looked toward the sky. Ash's heart sank.
"What... what do you mean? Latios... what happened to him? Is he..." Ash didn't want to believe it. Misty and Bianca covered their mouths, eyes filling with grief.
"It seems... Latios sacrificed himself to protect the city," Lorenzo said weakly, covering his face. Legendary Pokémon live for centuries; Latios was still effectively a child.
Lorenzo never thought he would be the one to see the young dragon off. "Those bastards!" Ash slammed his fist into the wooden boat, his eyes filled with a rare, pure hatred for the villains who caused this.
'Huo~' Latias used Sight Sharing. Though Latios was gone, the vision took them high above the clouds, past the atmosphere, and into the silent beauty of space.
They saw the blue planet and the green dragon (Rayquaza) guarding it. It was Latios's final gift—showing them the world he died to protect.
When they returned to the boat, a clear, blue gem appeared in Kanone's hands. A new Soul Dew.
Latios had become the jewel of the city. Even in death, he would guard Alto Mare forever. Kanone clutched the gem, her tears falling onto its surface.
Back at the Secret Garden, Kanone placed the new Soul Dew into the pool. Life returned to the garden. "This light... it's so warm," Misty whispered.
"Yes," Lorenzo replied. "It is the warmest light in the world." "Latios," Kanone whispered to the gem. "Please... watch over this city with us, always."
[Lance: Latios is... really gone.]
[Diantha: No Ho-Oh? I can't accept this ending!]
[Cynthia: Sometimes tragedy moves the heart more than a comedy, but... no one likes a tragedy. I don't want to accept it either.]
[Alder: I have already issued a global bounty for those two thieves. If they appear in Unova, I will handle them personally!]
[Sabrina: If they are caught, send them to me. I will turn them into dolls. I have many experiments I've been hesitant to use on "people." For them... I have no such reservations.]
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