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The ambush came swiftly and brutally no surprise who was behind it.
From behind the shattered trees, the Iron-Masked Marauder emerged, his massive Spider Mecha lumbering into view.
Beside him stood the familiar trio Jessie, James, and Meowth still clinging to their dangerous ally despite their humiliation from the day before.
Apparently, yesterday's defeat hadn't made the Marauder discard them. He'd kept the Team Rocket trio at his side, perhaps as cannon fodder or maybe as bait.
"Did you really think you could run forever?" the Marauder sneered, his voice metallic and cold behind the iron mask. "You've rested long enough. Time for Round Two."
"Hand over Celebi!" Jessie shouted.
"And Pikachu too!" Meowth added, baring his teeth.
Their bluster fooled no one. Though they shouted fiercely, the nervous tremor in their voices betrayed them.
Yesterday's beating had crushed what little confidence they had left. Still, they weren't ready to give up not yet.
If things went badly again, they'd ditch the Marauder without hesitation and flee at top speed.
"You guys never learn, do you?" Kai muttered, frowning as he recalled what happened last time.
He quickly released Charmeleon, while Ash and the others called out their Pokémon to form a defensive line.
"I suggest you stop resisting," said the Marauder coldly. "It's useless."
With a swift motion, he released his trump card Dark Tyranitar.
The monstrous Pokémon roared, eyes glowing crimson as it unleashed a blinding Hyper Beam straight at them. The beam tore through the forest, annihilating everything in its path.
The group had no choice but to scatter for cover, the explosion sending shockwaves through the clearing.
The Iron-Masked Marauder smirked. Unlike yesterday, this time he wasn't interested in toying with them.
He reached into his belt and pulled out a strange, obsidian-colored Poké Ball.
"Watch out!" Ash yelled the moment he saw it.
The Marauder hurled the Dark Ball toward Celebi.
Thinking fast, Ash swung off his backpack and hurled it upward. The pack collided midair with the Dark Ball, knocking it aside.
The device spun away harmlessly but only for a moment.
"Tch. Impressive reflexes for a brat," the Marauder growled. "But let's see you stop two of them."
He produced another Dark Ball and launched it skyward.
This time, Ash couldn't intervene fast enough. A flash of black energy burst from the sphere, enveloping Celebi in dark tendrils. The Mythical Pokémon shrieked as the energy consumed it, unable to resist the corruption.
In seconds, Celebi vanished—sucked helplessly into the Dark Ball's swirling void.
"Celebi!!" Kai shouted, horror flooding his voice.
But Charmeleon was still dodging Dark Tyranitar's attacks, and no one could reach the Marauder in time.
"Ha ha ha ha!" The Iron-Masked Marauder's laughter echoed through the forest. "You can't escape a true hunter, no matter how far you run! Celebi is mine!"
"STOP!" Ash roared, charging forward. With reckless determination, he vaulted onto one of the Spider Mecha's legs and began climbing like a furious Primeape.
The Marauder was momentarily caught off guard by the sheer audacity of the boy's attack.
Ash reached the cockpit, lunging straight at him. The two struggled for a momentbut the Marauder, being far stronger, easily kicked Ash back.
However, when he looked at his hand—
The Dark Ball was gone.
"What—?!"
He looked down just in time to see Ash clutching it tightly, even as he tumbled to the ground.
"You little brat!" the Marauder snarled, leaping down after him.
He snatched the Dark Ball back from Ash's grasp and kicked him aside. "Since you're so eager to protect Celebi… then you can witness what it's become!"
He raised the corrupted Poké Ball high. "Come forth—Dark Celebi! Show them your true power!"
The ball burst open, unleashing a torrent of black energy.
Celebi appeared again, but its eyes were now jet-black, its once-green aura twisted into a menacing purple haze. The air itself seemed to darken around it.
"Celebi, destroy them!"
Dark Celebi screeched and raised its arms. A massive shockwave exploded outward, flattening everything in its radius. The gale hurled Ash high into the air.
"Kai!" Misty cried.
Kai crossed his arms to shield his face from the blast. "Gengar! Save him!"
In an instant, Gengar emerged from Kai's shadow, darted into the sky, and caught Ash midair, carrying him safely to the ground.
"Celebi! Snap out of it!" Kai shouted. "Don't let that darkness control you!"
But Celebi's vacant, pitch-black eyes showed no recognition only cold obedience.
"It's useless," the Marauder said triumphantly. "The Celebi you knew no longer exists. What stands before you now… is power incarnate!"
With a gesture, Dark Celebi unleashed another wave of dark energy, forming a swirling Vortex of Corruption around itself.
Trees, rocks, even the soil were ripped from the ground and pulled into the storm, fusing together into a massive, grotesque sphere of debris that encased Celebi like a cocoon.
The winds howled violently. Pikachu and the smaller Pokémon struggled to keep their footing, while everyone else clung desperately to nearby trees to avoid being swept away.
By the time the storm finally subsided, the forest was unrecognizable—trees flattened, the earth scarred, debris scattered everywhere.
And at the center of it all stood a colossal sphere, more than a hundred meters wide.
The Marauder rose into the air, carried upward by the sphere's energy. The Team Rocket trio, terrified yet unwilling to be left behind, scrambled up the hanging vines to follow him.
The giant sphere floated northward, tearing through the forest and leaving a long, ugly path of destruction in its wake.
"What do we do now?" Misty asked, her voice trembling as she watched it drift away.
Kai clenched his fists. "What else? We go after them. Celebi's not lost yet—we'll bring it back."
Ash nodded fiercely. "We can't let Celebi stay in that man's hands!"
Their determination was unanimous. The group broke into a run, following the trail of devastation.
But before long, a voice called from above—
"Kai! Ash!"
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~Support with 200 PowerStones = 1 Bonus Chapter
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