1.Ash's Story (Part 3: Hoenn)

Chapter 49

When we arrive at Team Magma's hideout, we know our way as we find Maxie with Blaise and Tabitha. Zinnia is also there as Maxie's Camerupt is defeated. "All right! And the winner is Zinnia!"

"Leader Maxie! Please compose yourself!" Blaise says.

"Grr... The great Maxie has fallen to this woman?!" Maxie mutters. "Woman... Who are you?"

"Who am I? That's a surprisingly difficult question. ... I couldn't become who I was supposed to be, so who does that make me now? ... Haha! Whatever, right? Enough with the introspection and the soul searching... You there! Ash and Alice! Don't just stand there like a stick in the mud. Come on over and say hi."

When Zinnia reveals us, we step forward and the others are also surprised. Tabitha says, "Could it be?! The children?!"

"You... Why are you here?" Maxie asks.

Then Zinnia says something about us trying to save the world again, before telling us that we're too late and then steals the Key Stone from Maxie.

"Le-leader?!" The two admins gasp in surprise.

"All right. I'd say this Key Stone is mine. We finally got everything, Aster. Now that base is next..." Then Zinnia leaves with Aster.

"Wh-wh-wh-wh-What is going on here?! Who does she think she is, messing up our base and then giving us the slip?! That can never be forgiven!" Tabitha says with anger.

Maxie closes his eyes and says, "... Now I see... Yes, it was not chance that brought you here now. This was inevitable."

"Leader?" Both admins look at him with confusion. Maxie says, "Blaise. Give it to them."

"What did you say?! I-is that all right?!" Blaise asks, and we're confused as to what Maxie wants to give us.

"Yes... Now that the Key Stone has been stolen, a Mega Stone will serve me no purpose."

"Acknowledged." And then we get the Mega Stone for Camerupt, which is quite shocking. "Cameruptite. Make sure your Camerupt holds on to it tightly."

"I do not have the power now to use Mega Evolution. So I entrust it to you. I entrust it believing that this is the best action I can now take! That woman... She had such utter mastery over her Dragon-type Pokémon. There is more to her than meets the eye. I do not know what must be going through her mind. But... I think you may be the only one who can now stand against her. So I ask you this favor: Rage! Take up this fight for me, and bring this crisis to its resolution!" Maxie says to us.

"We understand." Then we leave the Team Magma Base without any ambush, and we head to Lilycove City to the Team Aqua's base. Archie is suffering the same fate like Maxie.

"Archie... Are you...OK?" Shelly and Amber are the ones who try to help their leader.

"Ugh... I'll be keelhauled! How did I get beat by this little slip of a girl?" Archie mutters.

Aster is jumping for joy as Zinnia says, "Oh, oh, what's this? Aren't you a happy girl, Aster? Just what I'd expect of my daughter! We're so in sync! Ahahaha!"

"You... Who are you?" Archie questions.

Then as usual, she only explains something that they don't understand, and then we're also dragged into the mess.

"You!" Amber gasps.

"Scamp? But why are you..." Archie is also surprised at our appearances.

"Isn't it obvious? They're heroes, right? Here to save the world again. Oops. But looks like they're a bit too late this time. If only you'd been here just one minute earlier!" Zinnia says before stealing Archie's Key Stone once more.