Pokemon: Radical Redux-Chapter 338: Pokémon the Movie: 4Ever - 3

The Iron Mask Marauder's smirk vanished. His eyes twitched, and his fingers curled into fists. "You little brat." His voice was dangerously low, simmering with barely contained rage. "That was one of the last ones! I only have two of those left!"

"Like I care about an overgrown man-child like you. Maybe you should find someone who gives a damn," Ash said, cracking his neck as he unzipped his hoodie and tied it around his waist.

The Marauder growled at the dark Sneasel and Scizor, then grabbed the remaining Poké Balls on his chest and dropped them, releasing the army of Shadow Pokémon he had stolen from the Poacher.

Nidoking, Piloswine, Fearow, Sandshrew, Graveler, and more appeared, but the biggest of them all was his Dark Tyranitar.

Everyone flinched slightly in fear at the sight of so many Dark Pokémon, but Ash only frowned, Pikachu mirroring his expression.

"Wow," Ash muttered, crossing his arms. "So not only are you a coward, but you're also useless at training Pokémon. You have to steal and corrupt them instead of actually putting in the effort. How pathetic."

The Marauder's face twisted in fury. "Kid, I'll kill you for that, and I'll make it slow."

"I'd love to see you try." Ash's voice dropped, razor-sharp, slicing through every syllable. "Because now, you've really pissed me off. And I've been playing the nice guy for way too long."

The Marauder let out a harsh laugh. "You? Stop me? Don't make me laugh, brat! You barely survived my Sneasel and Scizor. How do you expect to take on my Tyranitar?"

"It's really simple. It's because we weren't trying to beat them. Even with your boost, you're still so weak," Ash said, glaring up. "We had better things to do than waste oxygen on scum like you."

The Marauder's rage exploded. "Tyranitar! [Hyper Beam]! Destroy them!"

A ball of pure destruction began forming in Tyranitar's maw, swirling with dark energy. The air itself crackled as the blast charged up.

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Ash grabbed a Poké Ball from his belt and kicked it up. As it opened, Nidoking emerged. The moment he saw Tyranitar, he smirked and charged, his fist glowing. Just as Tyranitar was about to unleash the beam, Nidoking leaped and punched its jaw, then grabbed its mouth and forced it shut—causing the attack to explode inside.

Seizing the moment, Nidoking grabbed Tyranitar by the tail, spun it around like a wrecking ball, and hurled it straight at the Marauder, sending them both crashing into the trees.

Ash looked back at his friends. "I'll take care of the Marauder. Can you guys handle the rest of them?"

They took a moment to process, then nodded as Misty smirked. "Alright, but I call dibs on Sneasel and Scizor. I need revenge for what they did to my leg!"

Brock nodded. "Sam, Yellow, I can handle the ones on the ground if you two take care of the ones in the sky!"

Sam and Yellow exchanged glances, then nodded. "Leave it to us! Ash, go get him, for Celebi," Sam said, as Celebi hid on the other side of the lake, watching.

Ash nodded and tossed a Poké Ball from his belt to Brock, who caught it. He didn't have time to ask what it was before Ash jumped onto Nidoking, grabbed a few more Poké Balls from his belt, and charged into the woods after the Marauder.

—-

The Iron Mask Marauder struggled to get up, pain radiating from his chest after the brutal hit. Tyranitar also began to rise, shaking its head. The Marauder growled, "You useless lizard, get up and get back over there!"

As Tyranitar struggled to its feet, a flaming wheel rolled out of the woods and crashed into its face, knocking its head back. On the other side, Ash's Quilava landed, immediately following up with a searing Flamethrower to Tyranitar's back.

Just as the massive Pokémon prepared to counterattack, thick vines shot out from the trees, wrapping tightly around its neck, Bayleef's doing. Before Tyranitar could reach up to tear them away, Nidoking and Ash emerged. Nidoking grabbed the vines and yanked, sending Tyranitar hurtling toward them.

At the last moment, Nidoking released the vines and ducked as Annihilape shot out of its Poké Ball. In midair, Annihilape delivered a devastating [Power-Up Punch] straight to Tyranitar's face, sending it crashing into the dirt.

The Marauder wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his grin turning manic. "You think you're clever, boy? Let's see how your Pokémon handle THIS!" He reached into his coat and pulled out a sleek, black remote with a single red button, slamming his thumb down.

Suddenly, Tyranitar's eyes snapped open, its pupils shrinking to pinpricks. Despite every muscle in its body straining from exhaustion, it let out a bone-rattling roar. The darkness around it thickened, swirling like a living force.

Ash's frown deepened. He's forcing Tyranitar into overdrive. Fine, then.

Tyranitar lunged forward, its [Hyper Beam] already forming, this time, the swirling energy inside its jaws was pure black, crackling twice as violently as before.

"Fine, let's play," Ash muttered, then snapped his arms upward. "Bayleef, [Light Screen]! Nidoking, [Brick Break]! Quilava, [Smokescreen] now!"

—--

Meanwhile, with the rest of the gang, Misty fought against Sneasel and Scizor with her Poliwhirl and Wooper.

Brock faced off against a horde of Ground-types, including Nidoking, Piloswine, and Graveler, using his Steelix, Kabutops, and, amusingly enough, Aerodactyl.

Aerodactyl, despite its usual rebellious nature, obeyed without question—for once, it was excited. It had never won a single battle since waking up, except for a questionable draw against Entei. Every time it challenged Brock, his Pokémon would beat the bricks out of it. Now, finally, it had an opportunity to prove its strength.

Meanwhile, Sam and Yellow moved to the side. Yellow released Kitty the Butterfree and placed Chuchu on its back so they could fly. Sam, reaching into his bag, pulled out an old Poké Ball. With a flick of his wrist, he released a young Dragonair, its small wings spreading as it took to the air.

Sam patted Dragonair's head and pointed skyward. "See all those Pokémon? Take them down, but don't hurt them too much, it's not their fault."

Yellow nodded and looked at Kitty. "You too. And please be careful, I don't want you to get hurt. Chuchu, take care of them!"

The three Pokémon fluttered their wings and soared toward the sky, heading straight for the airborne Dark Pokémon.

Sam turned to Yellow. "While they're doing that, we need to find Celebi!"

"Right!" Yellow responded quickly.

They sprinted toward the other side of the lake, but just as they rounded a bend, a pair of Shadow Sandshrew leaped out in front of them, ready to attack. Neither of them had a Pokémon out in time to react.

Before the Sandshrew could strike, five strands of webbing shot from the trees, ensnaring them mid-air. Wild Pokémon from the forest had come to help. A massive Ursaring charged forward, grabbing the Sandshrew and tossing them into the lake, where Water-types quickly surfaced, dragging it into the water.

Yellow and Sam were stunned, especially when Ursaring glanced down at them and patted her shoulders, gesturing for them to climb on.

They barely had time to react before Ursaring scooped them up protectively, placing them on her back. Without hesitation, she charged toward the other side of the lake, determined to get them to Celebi. Meanwhile, the wild Pokémon rallied, joining the battle alongside Brock and his team.

As Brock commanded a triple Stone Edge attack, the wild Pokémon jumped in to assist, but he didn't complain as the attacks connected.

Jagged shards of rock tore through the air, slamming into the Dark Pokémon. Graveler, Piloswine, and Nidoking staggered from the impact, only to be grabbed and pulled in by the wild Pokemon

Brock's Steelix roared, its massive, metallic body gleaming in the dim light as it lunged forward. With a devastating [Iron Tail], it struck the Dark Nidoking square in the chest. The impact nearly made Nidoking vomit, but it gritted its teeth and countered with a [Mega Punch]. Steelix twisted its body, dodging the attack, then lashed out with a [Crunch], trapping Nidoking in its powerful metal jaws.

Kabutops darted across the battlefield, its scythe-like arms flashing as it clashed with Piloswine. The Dark Pokémon attempted an [Ice Fang], but Kabutops parried before countering with a razor-sharp [X-Scissor], sending Piloswine stumbling back.

Meanwhile, Aerodactyl was having the time of its life. It soared through the sky, diving down to smash into opponents before rising again to unleash another [Stone Edge]. For once, it was winning, and it relished every second of it.

Just as it seemed like they were gaining the upper hand, a new threat emerged.

From the depths of the lake, a Dark Gyarados surfaced, its massive form cutting through the water as it let out a thunderous roar.

Brock clenched his fists, he didn't have a good way to take on water types, He scanned the battlefield for a solution when he suddenly felt two Poké Balls on his belt trembling.

One was his own, but the other was the one Ash had tossed him earlier. He held them both. "You guys want to battle?" he asked, the Poké Balls shook in response, "But how...? Actually... that could work"

Brock's eyes flicked up to Aerodactyl, just in time to see him attempt a strike on Gyarados, only to be blasted out of the sky by a jet of water. Aerodactyl spiraled down, screeching in anger.

Brock sprinted toward it. "Aerodactyl, I have a plan, but you're going to have to listen to me."

Aerodactyl's eye twitched at the audacity of the request. It normally ignored Brock's commands, but considering it had just gotten the taste knocked out of its mouth, it didn't have much of a choice.

Meanwhile, in the sky Kitty the Butterfree and Dragonair soared side by side, taking on the Dark Flying Pokémon, Pidgeotto, Fearow, and Noctowl among them.

Chuchu, perched on Kitty's back, held back for a moment, waiting for the perfect opportunity. When they got close enough, she leaped onto Dragonair, sprinting across its long, serpentine body before unleashing a powerful [Thunderbolt]. Electricity arced through the sky, striking multiple Dark Pokémon at once, sending several plummeting toward the ground.

But a few still remained.

Kitty and Dragonair exchanged a glance, silently communicating. Then, in perfect coordination, Kitty released a [Sleep Powder] while Dragonair whipped up a [Twister]. The powder swirled within the vortex, catching the remaining enemies in its grasp. One by one, they succumbed to the effects, their bodies going limp as they fell from the sky.

But that was just one problem solved, A fall from that height would be fatal.

Without hesitation, Kitty and Dragonair dove after them with Chuchu holding on tight, racing against gravity to save the Dark Pokémon before they turned into red marks on the ground.

Meanwhile, Misty was holding off Scizor and Sneasel as Poliwhirl and Wooper worked together in perfect sync. Poliwhirl fired a [Water Gun], blasting Sneasel in the face, while Wooper darted beneath Scizor's sharp claws just in time to avoid a hit.

As Wooper slipped behind the Steel-type, it leaped up, covering its head in ice before slamming down on Scizor's back with a powerful [Ice Punch].

"You like ganging up on people?" Misty smirked. "Let's see how you like it! Poliwhirl, [Body Slam]!"

Poliwhirl leaped into the air, twisting mid-jump before crashing down onto the dazed Scizor with full force. The impact sent a shockwave through the ground, making Sneasel stumble backward. Scizor let out a sharp cry, pinned beneath Poliwhirl's weight, its metal exoskeleton creaking as it struggled to move its arms.

Sneasel hissed in fury, eyes burning with rage, before lunging forward with its claws glowing white. With a vicious [Metal Claw], it slashed Poliwhirl off of Scizor, sending her rolling across the dirt.

Poliwhirl groaned, struggling to get up, but Wooper was already there to cover. It lunged at Sneasel, headbutting it before flinging a [Mud-Slap] straight into its eyes. Sneasel screeched, blinded, swiping wildly at the air.

Misty rushed to Poliwhirl's side, kneeling beside her. "Poliwhirl, are you okay?"

Poliwhirl panted, clearly exhausted, the last attack had been a critical hit. Misty reached into her bag, looking for the Pokeball to return her Pokémon, when she felt something hard in her grip.

She pulled it out, the King's Rock Ash gave her before. Her eyes widened as she stared at it, then down at Poliwhirl, Poliwhirl met her gaze.

Misty held the King's Rock out, offering Poliwhirl to make the choice herself

—--

{Meanwhile}

Tyranitar roared in agony, thrashing wildly as it was overwhelmed from all sides. On one side, Quilava and Bayleef restrained it, while from the other, Annihilape and Nidoking hammered it with relentless attacks. And then there was Pikachu, who delivered sharp, precise blows, wearing the Dark Pokémon down.

Ash hadn't finished the fight yet, he was still watching the Marauder's mask. He knew that thing had cameras in it. He was waiting for a sign, any sign, until he finally saw it.

A faint blink from the lens.

Ash smirked, 'Gotcha'

"Pikachu, do it! Bayleef, [Sappy Seed]!"

Pikachu smirked as well, leaping into the air and firing a [Thunderbolt] into the ground, not at Tyranitar, but at the dirt, kicking up a thick sand cloud in the process.

At the same time, Bayleef stomped her foot, summoning two thick vines from the earth. They shot up, coiling around Tyranitar's arms, restraining it as it struggled.

The Marauder opened his mouth to command his Pokémon, but before he could react, the dust cleared, and Ash was right in front of him with a wooden stick in hand.

Ash grinned, a sharp, toothy grin, before spinning the stick and slamming it straight through the glass eye-hole of the Marauder's mask.

The impact shattered the lens and the hidden camera within, along with stabbing into the Marauder's eye.

"Gah! My eye!" the Marauder howled, blood trickling down his face.

But Ash didn't give him time to recover. He stepped forward and kicked him hard in the chest, knocking the wind out of him. The Marauder collapsed onto his knees, gasping for air, giving Ash the perfect chance to stomp his head into the dirt.

With the Marauder out of the way, he could deal with Tyranitar.

Ash turned to face the raging beast. It was still thrashing wildly, Bayleef struggled to hold it down.

Ash sprinted toward them, stopping right in front of the massive Pokémon.

"Bayleef, just a little longer! I believe in you!" he called as his hands started glowing blue with Aura.

Bayleef's heart pounded. Not just from the bond they shared, but from something else entirely.

Her legs trembled, but she dug her hooves into the ground, forcing all her strength into keeping Tyranitar restrained, even as it roared and struggled harder than ever.

She wasn't going to let go, because Ash believed in her, and for Bayleef, that was enough.

Ash raised his hand, pressing two fingers against Tyranitar's temple. The massive Pokémon thrashed wildly, snapping its jaws at his fingers, but Ash didn't flinch.

Tyranitar roared, pouring all its strength into breaking free from the vines restraining it. A sharp snap echoed through the area, the vines were beginning to give way.

Bayleef's eyes widened. No. Not now, She clenched her teeth, digging her hooves into the ground. She wouldn't let it break free. Not when he believed in her.

A light suddenly engulfed her. Her body grew taller, the leaf atop her head vanishing as a large flower bloomed around her neck, Bayleef evolved into Meganium.

Meganium's narrowed eyes locked onto Tyranitar. Without hesitation, she yanked the vines, pulling Tyranitar down onto his knees. He struggled, but now she was stronger. Strong enough to hold him.

That was all the time Ash needed.

His Aura flared, glowing bright blue around his hands as he pushed his energy into Tyranitar. A powerful pulse of warmth flooded the Dark Pokémon's body, as Ash began purifying it

Tyranitar screamed, a deep, guttural roar, as thick tendrils of darkness were ripped from its body. The corrupted energy swirled violently in the air before dispersing like smoke.

Tyranitar shuddered, teetering for a moment before finally collapsing. Freed from its forced control, its body could no longer sustain itself.

Ash let out a slow breath, then turned.

The Iron Mask Marauder was staring at him, his remaining eye wide with shock and fury. His hands clutched his bloodied face as he grit his teeth. "You... you brat! You think this is over?!" he spat, voice laced with venom. "I'm going to kill you for this—!"

Ash didn't let him keep talking, his foot slammed into the Marauder's face.

The back of the man's skull cracked against the tree behind him, his head snapping to the side from the impact.

He barely had a second to recover before Ash grabbed him by the collar and yanked him forward, slamming a fist into his stomach. Hard.

The Marauder gagged, gasping for air.

Ash let him drop. Then kicked his jaw.

CRACK.

The Marauder howled, clutching his shattered jaw as he stumbled back. Blood pooled between his fingers. His legs trembled. He tried to turn, to run, but Ash grabbed him by the jaw.

"You know," Ash murmured, voice eerily calm, "I've always thought the most dangerous power a villain could have... is healing."

His palm glowed blue, a soft hum of Aura surrounded the Marauder's broken jaw, his teeth regrowing in mere seconds. The pain faded. His mouth was restored.

Only for Ash's grip to tighten and to twist again

*CRACK*

Another sickening crunch rang out as Ash broke his jaw again.

The Marauder screamed, writhing in agony, Ash healed him again. And broke it again.

Terror filled the man's one good eye as he frantically shoved at Ash's chest, desperate to escape the cycle of pain. He managed to slip free, stumbling backward,

But Ash kicked his kneecap.

POP

The leg dislocated instantly, and the Marauder collapsed onto the ground, gasping in pain.

Ash stood over him, his expression unreadable. Cold. Unforgiving, "Did I give you permission to run away, dog?"

The Marauder clawed at the dirt, dragging himself forward, but Ash stomped on his back, pinning him down.

The man let out a strangled cry. His fingers dug into the dirt. He was trying, desperately, to crawl away, Ash knelt beside him, watching him struggle.

"Tell me," Ash said, voice soft yet razor-sharp, "do you enjoy hurting others?" The Marauder wheezed, panic setting in as he struggled to move. But he couldn't.

"You steal Pokémon," Ash continued. "You twist them into monsters. You make them suffer."

The Marauder's breathing was ragged. His mind was racing, searching for a way out.

Ash sighed, rolling his shoulders. "You're pathetic." And yet, he wasn't done, Ash grabbed the back of the Marauder's head and slammed his face into a tree.

Once.

Twice.

Again. And again.

Blood smeared against the bark. The Marauder's body twitched. He was barely conscious.

Ash placed his palm against the man's face, and in an instant, he was healed.

The Marauder gasped as his body repaired itself. His wounds were gone. Even his eye had been restored.

Ash grabbed him by the hair, yanking him upright.

"Let's taste pain," Ash murmured, "over, and over, and over again."

Then he forced the Marauder's mouth open, The man's breath hitched in sheer terror.

"Tell me," Ash said softly, his hand glowing as a small, luminous blue orb formed in his palm, "Would you like to know what death tastes like?"