The footage had clearly reached its end. There was no sudden twist to bring Latios back to life. Although the reality was hard to swallow, the people of the world had to accept it.
The silver lining? This was a future event; in the present, Latios was still very much alive! The Alliance immediately reinforced the guards at Alto Mare, vowing that the tragedy would never repeat in reality.
Meanwhile, the world's hatred for the "World's Greatest Phantom Thieves" reached a boiling point, surpassing even the animosity toward Giovanni.
Seeing Sabrina and Catlin discuss "psychic punishment" methods—like turning people into dolls or pendants—the sisters Annie and Oakley trembled in fear.
They were already considering retirement; falling into the hands of those psychic "monsters" was a fate worse than death.
In the Secret Garden of Alto Mare: Bianca hugged Latios tightly, terrified he might vanish. These two Pokémon were her family.
She couldn't imagine a world where she had to accept Latios's death with the same calm her future self showed, nor could she bear to think of Latias losing her brother.
'Huo~' Latios stared at the boy on the screen. He realized that while the world had villains like the sisters, it also had people like Ash.
Latios made a silent vow: he would never show mercy to evil again. If holding back meant his friends or sister got hurt, he would never forgive himself.
He was also deeply grateful to Ash; if the boy ever needed help in the future, Latios would be there.
In the Footage—
After restoring the Soul Dew, it was time for Ash and his friends to leave. "Mr. Lorenzo, we're heading out!" "Off to the Silver Conference, right? Good luck, Ash.
I hope you win the championship!" "I will!" Ash declared, full of fighting spirit.
"Bianca! Ash and the others are leaving! Come say goodbye!" Lorenzo shouted toward the house, but there was no answer. "Strange, she was just here." "It's okay," Ash smiled. "We'll see each other again."
The group boarded a motorized boat. As they cruised toward the exit of Alto Mare, Pikachu suddenly chirped and pointed.
On a nearby dock stood a girl in a green dress—Bianca —holding a scroll of paper and waving. "Sir, can you pull over for a second?"
Ash hopped onto the dock. The girl ran toward him. "Bianca, I thought I wouldn't get to say goodbye." The girl said nothing.
She simply handed him the scroll. As Ash took it, a scene that shocked the entire world occurred: She leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss against Ash's cheek!
In Kalos, Vaniville Town: "Wha—wha—what is going on?!" Serena's voice trembled. She couldn't believe her eyes.
It wasn't his lips, but this was essentially Ash's "first kiss" on screen! Bianca hadn't even shown special feelings during the movie—how did it end like this?!
In Alola, Pokémon School: Lana, Mallow, and Kiawe all covered their eyes with their hands, yet peered through the gaps in their fingers with intense curiosity.
Lillie felt a strange, uncomfortable pang in her chest. 'Why do I feel this way? I haven't even met him... is it a hallucination? It has to be.'
In the Secret Garden, Bianca turned bright red, frantically explaining to her grandfather. "That's not me, Grandpa! I wasn't wearing my hat! And I only feel gratitude toward him, nothing like that!" Lorenzo stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Well... one can never be sure~"
In Sinnoh, Twinleaf Town, Dawn sat frozen, the cookie she was eating falling to the floor. Her mother, Johanna, noticed her daughter's shock and sighed inwardly.
Ash's charm was truly terrifying—he hadn't even met her daughter yet, and he was already affecting her this much. Dawn eventually snapped out of it, red-faced, and muttered to herself: 'Hmph! So what if she met him first? If I met him, I'd... wait, no! What am I thinking?!'
At the Oak Lab Backyard: Ash stared at the screen, stunned. Even he knew what a kiss meant. But why did Kanone do it? Misty's fists were clenched so tight she could have crushed a soda can.
'Was that Bianca? Or was it Latias? Ash didn't even agree to it! You can't just go around kissing people! That was his first kiss... it should have been—shut up, Misty! You don't even like him, right?' ...She looked at Ash. 'Who am I kidding? I definitely like him.'
Delia Ketchum watched the scene with a beaming smile. She didn't mind having many daughters-in-law; she just wanted Ash to be happy. If Gary could have six girlfriends, her son deserved a few too!
In the Footage—
After the kiss, the girl ran away, leaving a dazed Ash behind. "Was that... Latias? Or Bianca?" Misty stammered, hoping for an answer that would soothe her heart. "I... I don't know," Ash replied. Brock sat on the floor, devastated. "Man, it's so unfair! I want a kiss from a pretty girl, too!"
Ash unrolled the scroll. It was a beautiful drawing of himself and Pikachu. The artistic skill suggested it was Kanone's work, but the mystery remained.
As the boat left the city, three jet-like shapes appeared in the sky, escorting them: two red, one blue. New guardians had arrived for the city.
The footage showed a brief clip of Annie and Oakley being locked in a prison cell—a small comfort for the audience. The journey to the Silver Conference continued.
[Lance: New siblings arrived to guard the city?]
[Diantha: The Latios/Latias species must be larger than we thought.]
[Leon: Latios became the Soul Dew, protecting the city forever. A true hero.]
[Cynthia: The villains were caught. As Lance said, justice was served. No "crow's beak" this time!]
[The ranking has ended. The next large-scale ranking begins tomorrow at the same time. Please look forward to it.]
[Rewards issued:]
Latios: Reward—Dominator of the Water Capital. (Latios gains total control over Alto Mare. Anyone with evil intent is instantly detected. Within the city, Latios's power is equivalent to a Tier-1 Legendary God.)
Latias: Reward—Doubled growth speed and permanent Telepathic Link with Ash.
Ash: Reward—Directional Hoop Placement Point +1.
Seeing Latios's reward, every poaching group in the world went silent. With a Tier-1 God guarding the city, Alto Mare was now the most dangerous place on earth for criminals.
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