"Roar!"
Charizard, having just reverted from its Bond Evolution, let out a fierce growl to stop Ash. It knew Ash's mental state was precarious; battling a legendary beast was draining enough, but Ash had forced two Bond Evolutions in a tiny window of time. If he tried to push for a third, he would surely fall back into a coma.
Charizard struggled to its feet, lunging with a Dragon Claw toward the Unown formation. Pikachu wasn't about to be left behind, firing a 100,000 Volts, only to be blasted back once more by the Unown's rhythmic shockwaves.
"Dammit!" Ash gritted his teeth, kneeling on the ground. "The power of Pokémon out of control is truly terrifying."
"Ash! (Big Brother Ash!)"
Entei arrived, carrying Delia and Molly. Ash looked at the legendary beast and didn't waste words. "Entei, I need your power!"
Entei was a phantom born from the Unown's resonance with Molly's heart, yet it possessed its own soul and will. It nodded solemnly, letting Delia and Molly slide off its back.
"Molly, the last thing I can do for you is help you leave this place," Entei said.
Standing beside Entei, Ash used his telekinesis to pull out the 28 Poké Balls from his bag. Because of the carry limit, these captured Unown couldn't be summoned normally. There was only one way to bring them out.
Release!
Pop! Pop! Pop!
Unlike the blue light of a summons, the light of release was a deep, somber red. The 28 Unown emerged, but they didn't flee or go berserk. Instead, they sensed Ash's pure desire to save his companions and hovered around him.
"I'm counting on you!" This was Ash's final, most creative gamble.
The 28 Unown began to dance above Ash, tracing patterns in the air like a localized Aurora. Mystical energy began to manifest according to Ash's will.
"Feels a bit like being a Green Lantern," Ash chuckled to himself.
With a flash of white light, Ash was suddenly clad in a set of crystalline war armor, wielding a shimmering trident. He had briefly considered a three-pointed double-edged spear, but decided the trident had more majesty.
"Big Brother Ash, you look so cool!" Molly cheered from beside Delia, her eyes sparkling with admiration.
"Kid, you're a bit of a drama queen, aren't you?" Even Entei couldn't help but comment on the sudden transformation.
"What, you jealous?" Ash shot back with a defiant grin, before his expression turned cold. "Let's finish this!"
He wound up his arm, preparing to hurl the trident.
"Houndoom, Dark Pulse!"
"Charizard, Entei, Flamethrower!"
"Pikachu, 100,000 Volts!"
The trident acted as a lightning rod and a focal point. It pierced the Unown's defensive layer with irresistible force, stopping dead in the center of their formation. A split second later, the combined attacks of the four Pokémon slammed into the trident.
Boom!
The massive explosion shattered the Unown's synchronized circle. Without their collective unity, the individual Unown were powerless. The crystal expansion stopped instantly, receding to reveal the lush, green grass of the plains once again.
The Unown seemed to regain their true consciousness. A rift in space opened above the tower, and one by one, they floated back into their own dimension.
However, the 28 Unown that Ash had captured and released stayed behind, circling him. Ash remained in his shimmering armor, looking like a hero from legend in the afternoon sun.
Molly ran up and hugged him. "Big Brother Ash, you were amazing!"
Ash patted her head gently, then guided her toward Entei, who was beginning to turn back into crystal. "Molly, say goodbye to Entei."
"Papa..."
Molly's eyes were filled with sorrow.
"Molly, thank you for letting me be your father," Entei said softly, its eyes slowly closing. "I'm going back into your dreams now."
With those final words, Entei vanished along with the last remnants of the crystal tower.
"Big Brother Ash!" Molly sobbed against his shoulder.
Ash smiled. "Be strong, Molly. You are the Daughter of Entei! In the future, you're going to be an incredible trainer."
Molly looked up and wiped her tears, nodding firmly. "Mm! I am the Daughter of Entei! And I'm going to travel with you to find my real Papa!"
While Ash had made the promise as a spur-of-the-moment way to comfort her, he wasn't going to break it. In the future, across many regions, he would have a little sister following in his footsteps.
"Actually, I might have a lead on where your father is," Ash whispered.
"Really? Big Brother Ash is the best!"
After calming Molly, Ash looked at the 28 Unown still hovering nearby. They represented 28 different forms, and while he had caught 28, getting one of each was a pipe dream since the captures were random. He checked his "collection": he was missing the rare '?' and '!', as well as 'G', 'L', and 'P'. He had extra 'M's and 'O's—likely because they were larger and easier to hit!
"You don't want to go back? You want to stay with me?"
The little one-eyed creatures replied with a melodic, bell-like chime. Ash contacted Professor Oak, who brought a fresh batch of Poké Balls so Ash could officially re-capture all 28 of them.
"Ash, you did a magnificent job!" Professor Oak praised him. He had watched Ash grow every step of the way, and this was his greatest feat yet.
"Professor, David... where was the ruin Dr. Hale was investigating?" Ash asked, holding Molly's hand.
He deduced that Dr. Hale had likely been pulled into the Unown's dimension at the ruins. Now that the Unown had returned home, they should have released him. Sure enough, when they arrived at the site, they found Dr. Hale lying unconscious but safe.
Molly's father was finally home.