"One last hit, Pikachu! Use Iron Tail to finish it!"
After capturing the beautiful Noctowl, Ash's group encountered a trainer named Lisa, who challenged Ash to a full six-on-six battle. Ash never turned down a fight—especially when it meant earning more System Points.
Though Snorlax was still fast asleep after a big meal, Ash's team dominated the match. Facing Lisa's final Pokémon, the Water/Ground-type Quagsire, Pikachu delivered a decisive Iron Tail to secure the victory.
Counting back to his battle with Miki and her Skarmory, this marked Ash's tenth battle in two weeks. His Pokémon were starting to feel the fatigue of the road.
"Lisa, do you know where the nearest Pokémon Center is?" Ash asked. They hadn't seen one in a week, and he had slowed down their training schedule to let his team rest.
"Just through the forest is Greenfield!" Lisa replied.
Misty's eyes sparkled at the mention of the name. "Isn't Greenfield voted as the place most girls in Johto want to visit?"
Greenfield was a peaceful paradise known for its rolling green hills and a breeze that could calm the hearts of people and Pokémon alike. For Ash, it was the perfect place to let Bayleef train and to give his team the rest they needed.
However, as they reached the crest of the final hill, the sight before them was devastating.
The once-lush hills were gone, replaced by jagged, growing fields of purple crystal. The beautiful flowers of Greenfield were being swallowed by the crystallization. At the center of the destruction stood a towering crystal palace that had once been a warm, welcoming manor.
Ash felt a strange, nagging sense of familiarity looking at that tower.
Back in the Kanto region, the news of the crystallization had already reached Pallet Town. Ash's mother, Delia, watched the broadcast with growing dread. She pulled out an old photograph showing herself, a young Ash, Professor Oak, and another father and daughter.
The manor at the heart of the crystal was the home of that father—Professor Oak's top student and the renowned researcher of the Unown, Dr. Spencer Hale.
Determined to help, Delia grabbed Mr. Mime and Wobbuffet and rushed to the laboratory. "Professor, did you see the news?"
Oak was already preparing to leave. He had just received Dr. Hale's final research paper via email. "I'm heading there now. I know you and Spencer were close friends."
"I'm coming too," Delia said firmly. "Spencer's daughter, Molly, is so young. I'm terrified for her."
They drove to Greenfield as fast as possible, arriving just as Ash was leaving the local Pokémon Center.
"Mom?" This was the first time since his reincarnation that Ash had seen Delia in person. Though they spoke on the phone often, seeing her was different. Pikachu didn't wait; it leaped from Ash's shoulder to greet her before she even stepped out of the car. Around her neck, Delia wore the agate pendant Ash had made for her.
"Ash, you've grown so much! You're taller, stronger... and even more handsome."
The tender reunion was broadcast live by the reporters swarming the area. Inside the crystal tower, a young girl sat by a computer, watching the screen next to a powerful, legendary Pokémon.
The creature was magnificent—maned like a lion with sturdy limbs bound by iron rings. Its fur was a deep brown, and a mane of white smoke drifted from its back. Upon its brow sat a golden crown-like mask.
This was Entei, the legendary beast of fire. Yet the little girl called it "Papa."
Watching the interaction between Delia and Ash, the girl, Molly, felt a wave of crushing loneliness. On the desk beside her lay the same photo Delia held—a memory of happier times.
"Papa, I want a mama too," Molly whispered.
Entei stood up, looking at her with a gaze full of artificial but deep affection. Then, it spoke.
Entei spoke.
"Anything you wish, Molly."
It would grant her every desire, no matter the cost.
Ash cherished the time with his mother as she explained the history between their families. He began to recall fragments of memory—a little girl named Molly who used to follow him around, calling him "Big Brother Ash."
"That tower is Spencer's home. I'm so worried," Delia said, looking toward the crystal peaks.
Ash, who had been staring at the tower, suddenly felt his Aura flare. His brow furrowed.
"Brock, Misty, Lisa... please look after my mom," Ash said, his voice dropping into a serious, commanding tone.
Delia sensed the shift in her son. "Ash, what's wrong?"
Ash didn't answer. Instead, he looked at his mother's Pokémon. "Mom, did you bring Wobbuffet?"
Delia nodded and released the blue Pokémon. "Wobbuffet!"
"Wobbuffet, look at me," Ash said sternly. "You have to protect my mom, no matter what happens. Understand?"
"Wobbuffet!" the Pokémon replied with a determined salute.
Ash stood up, and Pikachu leaped onto his shoulder, its cheeks sparking with threatening electricity. Something was coming. Ash's Aura could feel it—a massive, powerful presence charging toward them from the tower at incredible speed.
"Entei!" Ash hissed.
The ground began to crystallize beneath their feet as the grass turned to cold purple glass. In the next heartbeat, the majestic, towering form of Entei skidded to a halt before them.